Normally, here at 2OTC, we are all about penny-pinching and avoid macro personal economics, but I've been reading a lot of financial blogs lately. I think I need to cut back, actually, not just because it's making me a less-productive employee, but also because I am actually finding it DIScouraging.
How you ask? Well, quite frankly, I am getting down because of all the posts I keep reading about aggressively paying down debt and being debt free and making huge strides on the path of retirement savings.
I have finally realized why I feel that I cannot compete with these people. It's very simple, actually. They are all older, more established, and make more money than I do. In other words, they are starting from a fundamentally different place, so naturally their course is going to plot differently. If I owned a home and pulled in twice what I do, I would probably approach things with a different attitude. For instance, this financial blogger mentioned having only $481 to last the three weeks til her next expendable paycheck. I laughed. What a piece of cake that would be (she seemed to have already adjusted for after-bills). I could go nuts with that (and probably would...).
Here's my rough situation and my thinking on it:
* I have some student loans. Compared to most people my age, the balance is modest. The minimum payment (automatically deducted) is super-manageable.
* I own my car outright. Of course, I sank over $600 into her last month, but she's mine.
* My usual modus operandi is to keep $500, give or take a bit, in my regular savings account that is directly linked to my checking account. This is for periodic expenses like car insurance or minor repairs, things like that, and "minor" emergencies that I might not be able to swing with my usual monthly cash allotment. In my Emigrant accounts I have an emergency fund which was super until May, when I had an emergency and had to buy my car. Now it has a little over one usual month's worth of living expenses in it. I could eke it out for longer if I tightened my belt. Then there's a couple hundred bucks in my vacation fund. It will probably go to buying a plane ticket to a friend's wedding in June.
* I also have a savings account dating back to first grade. It has about three hundred bucks in it. I try to forget it's there. It's earning essentially no interest and would be somewhat difficult for me to access, but I could if I needed to. I think I have like thirty dollars in an old checking account, too. I consider those my Mason jar buried under a tree in the backyard.
Right now the "$500 savings" is nowhere near target balance (remember that $600 in car repairs?), but I take great pride in the fact that I did NOT tap into the true EF.
Having student loans bothers me. Having a negative net worth bothers me. I want to be like the other people, paying down my debt rapidly and going "Woohoo! Look at me! Debt-free is how to be!" But right now, that's not my best option.
Reluctantly, but at the advice of Suze Orman, I have decided to focus on growing my emergency fund. The logic here is that emergencies + no savings = more debt (probably on a credit card at a higher interest rate than my fixed, consolidated rate with my student loans).
In fact, I take great pride and comfort in the fact that I always contribute something to the EF and vacation fund every month and do not touch the balance except in dire need. My contributions may sometimes be very, very small (like this month with the car bills), but if I keep putting a little in no matter what and don't take it back out, it will grow. I pay off my credit cards (one "real" and two store cards that get used like twice a year) in full every month. I take great pride and experience great pain from that, too.
As a young, single person, having that safety cushion of savings is more critical than paying down student debt I'm not even close to drowning in. A few thousand dollars towards my student loans might make me feel better, but if something unforeseen happens, that same money in the bank would be what would bail me out. When I have about four months' living expenses saved up, plus enough to purchase a modest but decent used car if it became necessary, then I will start focusing on prepaying student loans. Or saving for a downpayment on a house, thus acquiring more "good debt." Argh.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Selling your stuff!
Sorry I've been a bad girl of late and not posted but I took part in a craft sale last weekend and had been busy all the preceeding month with making as many crafts as possible. Before that? Um...
Anyway! Moving right along to the joys of selling off all your possessions for money! No I'm not going to talk about pawn shops and choosing between your microwave and the cup noodle that you were planning on making in it. There is a pawn shop on my way to the old homestead though so maybe in the future.
I'm talking about selling books and crafts for money both of which I have taken up of late. Recently I was given a pile of old books by an aquaintance who had an attic overburdened with things she no longer needed. I gladly accepted since I'll read nearly anything and what I won't read I could sell. Unfortunately there were a few more in the won't read category than I anticipated and while my yard sale (see earlier post) took care of a few of those books I still have a few boxes cluttering my study. So off to my old friend internet I went.
I learned a lot actually and while most people's first thought would be to rush to Amazon.com I found that Half.com was a lot more seller friendly. Half is a division of Ebay so if you have an account with them you can start selling on Half today. More importantly with Half there are no listing fees and your items stay up as long as you like without any additional fees. They do of course take a percentage of your sale as their commission but they also provide a generous shipping allowance so you're not likley to spend more than you make.
If you have an insatiable appetite for books and a little more money to throw around a quick search will net you several book exchange sites where you list your books to swap and browse books you would like to have. Different sites work different ways but generally when someone orders your book you get a credit with which you can then order one for yourself. You pay to ship your own books so any you order are free and you only pay shipping for the books you already wanted to get rid of.
As for selling crafts you can either do so locally with craft fairs like the one I attended this weekend which usually have a table fee and transportation costs but are a good way to build confidence and interact with other crafters and customers. You can also use Ebay however most crafters these days are selling their wares on Etsy which is generally known as the Ebay of crafts. There is a 20 cent listing fee which lasts for 4 months. They are still working on making it a bit more user friendly however the site is already host to thousands of vendors and appears here to stay.
Anyway! Moving right along to the joys of selling off all your possessions for money! No I'm not going to talk about pawn shops and choosing between your microwave and the cup noodle that you were planning on making in it. There is a pawn shop on my way to the old homestead though so maybe in the future.
I'm talking about selling books and crafts for money both of which I have taken up of late. Recently I was given a pile of old books by an aquaintance who had an attic overburdened with things she no longer needed. I gladly accepted since I'll read nearly anything and what I won't read I could sell. Unfortunately there were a few more in the won't read category than I anticipated and while my yard sale (see earlier post) took care of a few of those books I still have a few boxes cluttering my study. So off to my old friend internet I went.
I learned a lot actually and while most people's first thought would be to rush to Amazon.com I found that Half.com was a lot more seller friendly. Half is a division of Ebay so if you have an account with them you can start selling on Half today. More importantly with Half there are no listing fees and your items stay up as long as you like without any additional fees. They do of course take a percentage of your sale as their commission but they also provide a generous shipping allowance so you're not likley to spend more than you make.
If you have an insatiable appetite for books and a little more money to throw around a quick search will net you several book exchange sites where you list your books to swap and browse books you would like to have. Different sites work different ways but generally when someone orders your book you get a credit with which you can then order one for yourself. You pay to ship your own books so any you order are free and you only pay shipping for the books you already wanted to get rid of.
As for selling crafts you can either do so locally with craft fairs like the one I attended this weekend which usually have a table fee and transportation costs but are a good way to build confidence and interact with other crafters and customers. You can also use Ebay however most crafters these days are selling their wares on Etsy which is generally known as the Ebay of crafts. There is a 20 cent listing fee which lasts for 4 months. They are still working on making it a bit more user friendly however the site is already host to thousands of vendors and appears here to stay.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Guys & Dolls
Or something.
I came across this article today on MSN. I have never patched a radiator hose or framed a wall, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I have several of these "guy" skills down cold and have a running start on many more. I never mastered sharpening a knife, but at 24, I think I could do it now. And I remember Dad mixing concrete with a hoe in a wheelbarrow many, many times. I picked up some cool tricks, though, like the six-o'clock trailer backing and the cottonball in Chapstick firestarter. Learn to repair a dead outlet yourself, too.
On the girly note, my dress and wrap for Althea's wedding have arrived. They were on clearance at Target.com. I paid $35.00 for the ensemble. They are gorgeous. I rock. :)
I came across this article today on MSN. I have never patched a radiator hose or framed a wall, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I have several of these "guy" skills down cold and have a running start on many more. I never mastered sharpening a knife, but at 24, I think I could do it now. And I remember Dad mixing concrete with a hoe in a wheelbarrow many, many times. I picked up some cool tricks, though, like the six-o'clock trailer backing and the cottonball in Chapstick firestarter. Learn to repair a dead outlet yourself, too.
On the girly note, my dress and wrap for Althea's wedding have arrived. They were on clearance at Target.com. I paid $35.00 for the ensemble. They are gorgeous. I rock. :)
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Staying warm
Well, the weather has taken a turn for the chillier around here. I can't say I'm happy about that, but it is an inevitable part of life in these parts, and I do enjoy being warm and snug when it's cold and miserable outside.
Turning up the heat to 80, however, is not a frugal way to stay toasty this winter, even though I really would love to do it. I'm cold-blooded, so striking a balance between health, comfort, and cheapness takes some effort.
Here are some of the tricks I use to stay warm (enough):
* I have insulated drapes on my big glass door and the window in the bedroom. My mom found the bedroom drapes at a second-hand store and they work great; I had to get the big ones from JC Penney, and they were about $70, but that is an awful lot of glass to cover and it's worth it. Make sure you get insulated. They keep the heat from the sun out well in the summer and the cold out in the winter.
* I put clear plastic over the draftiest half of my big glass door/window. I did a bad job and didn't have enough plastic to do the other half, but it helps. When the wind howls I hear and see the plastic billowing, so I know it's doing some good.
* I made draft-dodgers for the bottom of my living room insulated drapes where they meet the floor. You can buy them (arrrgh!) or make your own. I made my own. I got two extra-long irregular green pillowcases at Gabriel Brother's (similar to a Ross Dress for Less). Then I made two thick rolls of old newspaper and tied one pillowcase around them with green yarn-- at each end and in the middle, between the two newspaper rolls. They actually look very nice (sort of like big British Christmas "crackers") and they keep a lot of cold air away from my toes.
* Electric blanket! I keep the heat down to about 60 in my bedroom for most of the day, but before I go to bed I turn it up to about 65-67. This is not warm enough for me, but the electric blanket makes up the difference. I kind of like a cooler room and a cozy me, anyway.
* I keep a snuggly fleece blanket on the couch at all times and wear slippers in the apartment. In the mornings, when the apartment is usually around 61-62, I have a thick bathrobe that I wear before I get dressed for work. I have cozy pajamas and lots of hoodies and sweatpants and socks.
* I keep working on an endless cup of tea/cocoa/coffee.
* For a reusable heating pad, fill an old sock with plain white rice. Microwave it for a couple of minutes and use. This is great for sore muscles, to preheat a bed, or to keep your toes warm.
* And, finally, the cat kicks out a lot of heat. :) He's very snuggly, which is fortunate for me. It helps if you have someone else warm to snuggle with, too. :) Failing that, use the rice sock!
I keep the heat at about 60-61 while I'm at work all day. When I'm home, I close off the bedroom and heat the rest of the apartment to about 67-70, depending on how I'm feeling. It's usually closer to 67 than 70 these days, which is a big step for me.
This is also a good time of year for baking casseroles, roasting chickens, and baking, so keep that in mind, too! :) And burning candles. I love to burn candles. They can raise a room's temperature by a degree or two after a couple of hours...
Turning up the heat to 80, however, is not a frugal way to stay toasty this winter, even though I really would love to do it. I'm cold-blooded, so striking a balance between health, comfort, and cheapness takes some effort.
Here are some of the tricks I use to stay warm (enough):
* I have insulated drapes on my big glass door and the window in the bedroom. My mom found the bedroom drapes at a second-hand store and they work great; I had to get the big ones from JC Penney, and they were about $70, but that is an awful lot of glass to cover and it's worth it. Make sure you get insulated. They keep the heat from the sun out well in the summer and the cold out in the winter.
* I put clear plastic over the draftiest half of my big glass door/window. I did a bad job and didn't have enough plastic to do the other half, but it helps. When the wind howls I hear and see the plastic billowing, so I know it's doing some good.
* I made draft-dodgers for the bottom of my living room insulated drapes where they meet the floor. You can buy them (arrrgh!) or make your own. I made my own. I got two extra-long irregular green pillowcases at Gabriel Brother's (similar to a Ross Dress for Less). Then I made two thick rolls of old newspaper and tied one pillowcase around them with green yarn-- at each end and in the middle, between the two newspaper rolls. They actually look very nice (sort of like big British Christmas "crackers") and they keep a lot of cold air away from my toes.
* Electric blanket! I keep the heat down to about 60 in my bedroom for most of the day, but before I go to bed I turn it up to about 65-67. This is not warm enough for me, but the electric blanket makes up the difference. I kind of like a cooler room and a cozy me, anyway.
* I keep a snuggly fleece blanket on the couch at all times and wear slippers in the apartment. In the mornings, when the apartment is usually around 61-62, I have a thick bathrobe that I wear before I get dressed for work. I have cozy pajamas and lots of hoodies and sweatpants and socks.
* I keep working on an endless cup of tea/cocoa/coffee.
* For a reusable heating pad, fill an old sock with plain white rice. Microwave it for a couple of minutes and use. This is great for sore muscles, to preheat a bed, or to keep your toes warm.
* And, finally, the cat kicks out a lot of heat. :) He's very snuggly, which is fortunate for me. It helps if you have someone else warm to snuggle with, too. :) Failing that, use the rice sock!
I keep the heat at about 60-61 while I'm at work all day. When I'm home, I close off the bedroom and heat the rest of the apartment to about 67-70, depending on how I'm feeling. It's usually closer to 67 than 70 these days, which is a big step for me.
This is also a good time of year for baking casseroles, roasting chickens, and baking, so keep that in mind, too! :) And burning candles. I love to burn candles. They can raise a room's temperature by a degree or two after a couple of hours...
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Get thee to Rite Aid!
Rite Aid has been VERY good to me already this month! It would have been better if my favorite one hadn't been out of men's Adidas body wash and Brut cologne (I was going to give it to my brother). Those were both free after rebate.
I did, however, get a free toothbrush, a free indoor 15-ft extension cord, and a free surge protector/power strip. And nail polish. No Nonsense pantyhose were BOGO free, so I got two of those, and remembered as I threw them in the cart that I'd left my coupon at home. :( Well, I need to get more than two pairs, anyway, so I'll just use it next time.
I had a little time off last week (finally) and roasted a chicken and made sugar cookies. I had to buy a rolling pin. I hit every thrift store in town and still wound up having to buy one at Wal-Mart (I only thought about Big Lots after the fact). Oh, well. I found a recipe for crock-pot chicken noodle soup and used the chicken carcass for that. I ate several servings and froze the rest. I also have a lot of chicken meat frozen now-- though my lack of planning bit me there, too. I put it all in one bag instead of breaking it down into individual portions, and now all of the chicken bits are frozen into one solid lump. Hmm.
While at Goodwill, however, I did re-discover that they have a lot of basic toiletry items. I got several good-sized containers of hand sanitizer for $1 each. I have a dispenser by my kitchen sink, one at my desk at work, and I put another one out at the circulation desk for the student aides. I refill them with the cheapest sanitizer gel I can find. I try to keep the circulation desk supplied with Kleenexes, too. The Kleenexes get used like mad, but the kids don't really use much hand sanitizer. Hmm... connection? :)
I did, however, get a free toothbrush, a free indoor 15-ft extension cord, and a free surge protector/power strip. And nail polish. No Nonsense pantyhose were BOGO free, so I got two of those, and remembered as I threw them in the cart that I'd left my coupon at home. :( Well, I need to get more than two pairs, anyway, so I'll just use it next time.
I had a little time off last week (finally) and roasted a chicken and made sugar cookies. I had to buy a rolling pin. I hit every thrift store in town and still wound up having to buy one at Wal-Mart (I only thought about Big Lots after the fact). Oh, well. I found a recipe for crock-pot chicken noodle soup and used the chicken carcass for that. I ate several servings and froze the rest. I also have a lot of chicken meat frozen now-- though my lack of planning bit me there, too. I put it all in one bag instead of breaking it down into individual portions, and now all of the chicken bits are frozen into one solid lump. Hmm.
While at Goodwill, however, I did re-discover that they have a lot of basic toiletry items. I got several good-sized containers of hand sanitizer for $1 each. I have a dispenser by my kitchen sink, one at my desk at work, and I put another one out at the circulation desk for the student aides. I refill them with the cheapest sanitizer gel I can find. I try to keep the circulation desk supplied with Kleenexes, too. The Kleenexes get used like mad, but the kids don't really use much hand sanitizer. Hmm... connection? :)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Holding my end up.
I have to thank Kelly for holding down the fort while I was busy and away. I spent the first 2 weeks of October tagging along on my parents Hawaiian vacation and the rest of my away time prepping a new resume and trying to take care of the first insane rush of wedding planning. OK enough excuses onto my frugal journey into fall!
Aside from an occasional slip I'm still working on cleaning out the freezer enough to be able to see what's actually in it. The trouble is that once I make a little progress something will happen like my mother visiting and leaving behind a loaf of bread which then has to be frozen. I just made room for both ice trays to move back in! Even then one is holding frozen eggs in one half and a free sample of berry berry Metamucil in the other, which I decided would probably make a better flavoring than beverage.
*Puts on concerned consumer hat* Listen to me Metamucil people, the new flavor is really good and the fact that it turns that rich pink color when you put water in it is fun but what is with that texture? It was like drinking those water absorbing crystals in diapers and ultra thin maxi pads. *Takes off hat that looks suspiciously like loudmouth hat*
Sorry about that. OK, so aside from a place to put free samples when they misbehave why am I working so hard to open up space in the freezer? Because once Halloween is over you can get a pumpkin for a dime and a song and I want to grate up the biggest gourd I can lay my hands on and put it in my freezer for winter soups. Sure most would make pumpkin puree for pie and bread but I was never fond of either of those so instead I am going to make the pumpkin act like the squash relative it is and be a soup veggie.
My most recent shopping excursion was so good that I actually taped the receipt into my paper journal.
1 box pasta
1 jar sauce
1 2 liter of green tea
4 cans Atkins chocolate shakes
They should have cost about $10
Total: 0.00
I'm still grinning about that one!
Otherwise I haven't had as much luck as Kelly with the rebates and coupons lately partially form being away and partially because I'm well stocked enough that I skip most rebates I can't make money on. I'm not kidding sadly. When they drop the bomb or whatever the paranoia is Kelly and my intended are probably coming over because they have seen the stocked pantry and freezer, have seen the cupboard full of shampoo, have seen the bottles of water that are there in case I'm in an emergency plant watering situation. *sigh* It's true I grew up in the country where roads and power would go out for days at a time. When they colonize Mars they'll send people like me, people who are still coming to terms with the fact that not everyone needs 4 wheel drive. No human contact for months at a time. Learning to spin human/pet hair into yarn for clothes....
God it'll be great! :)
Aside from an occasional slip I'm still working on cleaning out the freezer enough to be able to see what's actually in it. The trouble is that once I make a little progress something will happen like my mother visiting and leaving behind a loaf of bread which then has to be frozen. I just made room for both ice trays to move back in! Even then one is holding frozen eggs in one half and a free sample of berry berry Metamucil in the other, which I decided would probably make a better flavoring than beverage.
*Puts on concerned consumer hat* Listen to me Metamucil people, the new flavor is really good and the fact that it turns that rich pink color when you put water in it is fun but what is with that texture? It was like drinking those water absorbing crystals in diapers and ultra thin maxi pads. *Takes off hat that looks suspiciously like loudmouth hat*
Sorry about that. OK, so aside from a place to put free samples when they misbehave why am I working so hard to open up space in the freezer? Because once Halloween is over you can get a pumpkin for a dime and a song and I want to grate up the biggest gourd I can lay my hands on and put it in my freezer for winter soups. Sure most would make pumpkin puree for pie and bread but I was never fond of either of those so instead I am going to make the pumpkin act like the squash relative it is and be a soup veggie.
My most recent shopping excursion was so good that I actually taped the receipt into my paper journal.
1 box pasta
1 jar sauce
1 2 liter of green tea
4 cans Atkins chocolate shakes
They should have cost about $10
Total: 0.00
I'm still grinning about that one!
Otherwise I haven't had as much luck as Kelly with the rebates and coupons lately partially form being away and partially because I'm well stocked enough that I skip most rebates I can't make money on. I'm not kidding sadly. When they drop the bomb or whatever the paranoia is Kelly and my intended are probably coming over because they have seen the stocked pantry and freezer, have seen the cupboard full of shampoo, have seen the bottles of water that are there in case I'm in an emergency plant watering situation. *sigh* It's true I grew up in the country where roads and power would go out for days at a time. When they colonize Mars they'll send people like me, people who are still coming to terms with the fact that not everyone needs 4 wheel drive. No human contact for months at a time. Learning to spin human/pet hair into yarn for clothes....
God it'll be great! :)
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Cans!
I finally took my aluminum cans to the scrap yard yesterday. I had about 7 pounds of crushed cans in my jumbo-sized plastic Wal-Mart bag. That's $4.55 cold, hard cash straight into my back pocket, and from thence, into my money jar, and from thence, into my checking account, and from thence into my vacation fund... eventually. :)
Rite Aid is running some nice rebates right now. I got a tube of toothpaste, a big bottle of mouthwash, and a 16-count of Advil for what should come to 50 cents after rebate. This was made possible by coupons. There are a couple of other nice free-after-rebates later in the month-- lip balm and hand sanitizer, I believe.
Rite Aid is running some nice rebates right now. I got a tube of toothpaste, a big bottle of mouthwash, and a 16-count of Advil for what should come to 50 cents after rebate. This was made possible by coupons. There are a couple of other nice free-after-rebates later in the month-- lip balm and hand sanitizer, I believe.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Coupons rock
I just did my monthly grocery run today. Pickings were getting slim around Chez Kelly et Gulliver, so it was time. :) Thanks to the local grocery chain that doubles all coupons with a face value of 99 cents or less, I saved $16.00 just with coupons-- not counting the savings from reduced-price items.
It's one of my great joys in life to see the grand total and then hand the cashier my wad of coupons and watch that number drop... and drop... It looks like I've also racked up 43 cents off per gallon for my next fill-up at a Sunoco, too, so I need to remember to get my next tank of gas there. If I get my usual 7-8 gallons, that's another $3 saved.
I got a spray bottle to put bleach solution in, but now I found out that I shouldn't have gotten a transparent bottle. Apparently bleach degrades in light and should be stored in only opaque plastic. Oh, well... I keep it under the cupboard, and it's dark there. We'll see. I do most of my cleaning with baking soda and vinegar now, but for kitchen stuff, I want something that will zap the germies.
Time to go transfer the $16 savings into my vacation account. :)
It's one of my great joys in life to see the grand total and then hand the cashier my wad of coupons and watch that number drop... and drop... It looks like I've also racked up 43 cents off per gallon for my next fill-up at a Sunoco, too, so I need to remember to get my next tank of gas there. If I get my usual 7-8 gallons, that's another $3 saved.
I got a spray bottle to put bleach solution in, but now I found out that I shouldn't have gotten a transparent bottle. Apparently bleach degrades in light and should be stored in only opaque plastic. Oh, well... I keep it under the cupboard, and it's dark there. We'll see. I do most of my cleaning with baking soda and vinegar now, but for kitchen stuff, I want something that will zap the germies.
Time to go transfer the $16 savings into my vacation account. :)
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Summer's ending and a return to my penny pinching ways.
Kelly, I saw that article too! I travel a little more than she does but I do a lot less beauty stuff so I have to agree. I thought that's how everyone made ends meet.
Yesterday I learned what it feels like to be a coupon queen. I got:
1 jar brand name tomato sauce
1 box brand name pasta
1 travel size brand name toothpaste
1 pouch soft cat chow
1can soft cat chow
1 mid size ($8) bag of cat food
for $2.98
Naturally this was the culmination of a few really good coupons and I don't expect to repeat this trip soon but my cat and I will eat a few nearly free meals in the coming months so today life is good. The best part is that I have a coupon for another tin of cat food and a candy bar I'm going to try to use at a local place today as well as getting some mothballs.
Yes a travesty struck and I have a little moth problem in my big stash of yarn but the mothballs are worth it considering the pleasure I get out of making useless objects from a stick and some string. Normally the cheap way to get rid of moths would be to freeze the yarn for 48 hours then thaw for 24 and freeze again for 72. My freezer however is full so the best and most threatened yarn was crammed in for detox while I get mothballs since I want those buggers gone now!
In other news I held a yard sale last weekend which above the cost of materials netted me about $13. Not the most exciting haul ever but as most of the items sold were donated from an acquaintances overburdened attic I can't complain. I'm hoping to have another this Saturday but it's supposed to rain so we'll see what happens. If anyone wants some baskets for .10c a piece I'm your girl.
Yesterday I learned what it feels like to be a coupon queen. I got:
1 jar brand name tomato sauce
1 box brand name pasta
1 travel size brand name toothpaste
1 pouch soft cat chow
1can soft cat chow
1 mid size ($8) bag of cat food
for $2.98
Naturally this was the culmination of a few really good coupons and I don't expect to repeat this trip soon but my cat and I will eat a few nearly free meals in the coming months so today life is good. The best part is that I have a coupon for another tin of cat food and a candy bar I'm going to try to use at a local place today as well as getting some mothballs.
Yes a travesty struck and I have a little moth problem in my big stash of yarn but the mothballs are worth it considering the pleasure I get out of making useless objects from a stick and some string. Normally the cheap way to get rid of moths would be to freeze the yarn for 48 hours then thaw for 24 and freeze again for 72. My freezer however is full so the best and most threatened yarn was crammed in for detox while I get mothballs since I want those buggers gone now!
In other news I held a yard sale last weekend which above the cost of materials netted me about $13. Not the most exciting haul ever but as most of the items sold were donated from an acquaintances overburdened attic I can't complain. I'm hoping to have another this Saturday but it's supposed to rain so we'll see what happens. If anyone wants some baskets for .10c a piece I'm your girl.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Post of interest... and fear and trembling
Just read this blog post about steps a lady in San Francisco is taking to keep her life in financial control. I was surprised at how many people posted comments describing her existence as "grim." I thought this was just how people lived, ya know? I mean... I do drive to work because there is no public transit in my town that is worth the money (I spend less on the gas than I would on bus fare), I get an eyebrow wax every couple of months (tweeze in between), have a microwave, drink alcohol fairly often (click on the "Beer" tag for more on that), and buy greeting cards (50 cents at Goodwill!), but otherwise... isn't this just life?
Oh, and I joined a gym. :[ I feel like I have committed the cardinal financial sin, but hey, a girl needs SOMETHING to do all winter and it will keep me healthy and get me out of the apartment around humans. I did my shopping around first, though. I picked the gym that had a reduced rate for young adults 25 and under (first price break I've had since graduating) and included free locker space (bring your own lock) and included all classes. Stay tuned.
In absolutely awful news, I logged in to my online banking a bit ago and saw a NEGATIVE balance. I have no idea how this happened. There is a pending $115 transaction that I cannot account for. I called the fraud line and they said it could be a combination of charges and they will be itemized tomorrow morning when they change from "pending" to "posted." I'm still freaked. I can find $30 worth of outstanding checks that haven't cleared yet in my register, but nowhere near $115 unless I forgot to write in something fairly big! I did an emergency quick transfer so hopefully nothing will bounce (please, God!).
Thankfully, I get paid tomorrow. But geez. I'm smarter than this. That's why I balance my checkbook obsessively! It's not my fault... is it? :-P
Oh, and I joined a gym. :[ I feel like I have committed the cardinal financial sin, but hey, a girl needs SOMETHING to do all winter and it will keep me healthy and get me out of the apartment around humans. I did my shopping around first, though. I picked the gym that had a reduced rate for young adults 25 and under (first price break I've had since graduating) and included free locker space (bring your own lock) and included all classes. Stay tuned.
In absolutely awful news, I logged in to my online banking a bit ago and saw a NEGATIVE balance. I have no idea how this happened. There is a pending $115 transaction that I cannot account for. I called the fraud line and they said it could be a combination of charges and they will be itemized tomorrow morning when they change from "pending" to "posted." I'm still freaked. I can find $30 worth of outstanding checks that haven't cleared yet in my register, but nowhere near $115 unless I forgot to write in something fairly big! I did an emergency quick transfer so hopefully nothing will bounce (please, God!).
Thankfully, I get paid tomorrow. But geez. I'm smarter than this. That's why I balance my checkbook obsessively! It's not my fault... is it? :-P
Thursday, August 9, 2007
I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth or even the edge of the state!
Forgive me reader for I have sinned. I have given in to the siren call of summer fun and spent more than perhaps I should. Kayaking, turnpike tolls and friendly lunches with friends all have taken their toll. Not to say that I wouldn't do it again since I enjoyed each of those activities immensely but watching my account balance creep down has been less fun.
I have therefore decided to take part in the Women in Red Pantry Challenge where for a month I'll only buy the bare essentials and eat out of my pantry. The hardest part will be finding cool days to make large batches of food since most of my pantry stock is stove top or oven food.
Of course I haven't totally abandoned my frugal ways this summer and I'm still searching for an EBay like option for selling a few items since I'm not fond of listing fees. I did manage to contact my phone company about lowering my bill so now I just have to wait for the paperwork.
I'm also now a proud adopted aunt of 2 adorable 4 month old boy kittens. Her owner (a friend of mine) will be getting said bundles of fluffy joy in a month or so when they have been vaccinated and neutered. She's planning on having a kitty shower to welcome them into her home. Normally I view all showers with a slant eye as they are often little more than money grabs but even I have gotten caught up in the excitement and will be giving toys that my own cat doesn't play with and a few home made items that I can make quite cheaply.
I have therefore decided to take part in the Women in Red Pantry Challenge where for a month I'll only buy the bare essentials and eat out of my pantry. The hardest part will be finding cool days to make large batches of food since most of my pantry stock is stove top or oven food.
Of course I haven't totally abandoned my frugal ways this summer and I'm still searching for an EBay like option for selling a few items since I'm not fond of listing fees. I did manage to contact my phone company about lowering my bill so now I just have to wait for the paperwork.
I'm also now a proud adopted aunt of 2 adorable 4 month old boy kittens. Her owner (a friend of mine) will be getting said bundles of fluffy joy in a month or so when they have been vaccinated and neutered. She's planning on having a kitty shower to welcome them into her home. Normally I view all showers with a slant eye as they are often little more than money grabs but even I have gotten caught up in the excitement and will be giving toys that my own cat doesn't play with and a few home made items that I can make quite cheaply.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Eating well with the stuff on hand
About once a week I feel the need to eat a "real" meal with veggies, some kind of carbohydrate, and some form of animal protein-- and not from a frozen box I pull out of the freezer. Now, I am an abysmal cook, mainly because I just don't care about food that much apart from its qualities as fuel and the substance that prevents that unpleasant "hungry" sensation. Another contributing factor to my lack of culinary development is that I have very, very few ingredients on hand and I don't like buying "food" like, say, brown sugar, which isn't really food unless it's combined with something else. I also hate experimenting with food; I always have this terrified feeling that my concoction will blow up in my face like one of Neville's projects in Snape's potions class. Basically... I'm lazy and like to eat 10 minutes after I get home.
But once a week, usually around the weekend, I feel like doing something more than boiling a package of ramen or a box of frozen pirogies.
Tonight was one of those nights. After working six days straight (and it was that week fresh back from vacation, too), I was in need of some serious nourishment, and more than that, I needed to unwind.
So, on the way home, I stopped at the state store and picked up a bottle of my favorite wine. Not only is Sutter Home's White Zinfandel absolutely delicious to my undiscriminating palate (I like sweet, light wines), it also set me back a whole $6.35 with tax for the bottle I'm about to polish off. Everybody needs to have a go-to bottle of booze that that isn't going to wipe out their whole checking account but that they can confidently take as a hostess gift or just grab for themselves after a long day at work. This is mine.
After 3/4 of a glass while kicking off my shoes and greeting the cat, I started on dinner. I thawed out an individually-frozen chicken breast in the microwave and roasted it, using my fresh herbs and the instructions from Sarah McColl's fabulous vlog. She roasts a whole chicken, but my chicken breast came out after about 20 minutes looking cooked all the way through, and I'm not showing any signs of food poisoning yet (maybe all of the alcohol in the wine fried the salmonella bacteria). Add some nuked frozen veggies and some leftover pasta from a quickie dinner earlier this week, and I had a feed-a-guest worthy dinner to enjoy with my Harry Potter movie.
Alas, however, after my delicious dinner, I craved dessert-- preferably a chocolatey, cakey dessert. I'm pretty much out of ice cream, finished my Oreos two days ago, have no cake mix, and it's the end of the month, so I'm pretty much tapped out until my paycheck on Tuesday and am trying to economize. Not to mention a trip to the store was probably out of the question with so much wine in my system.
This is the type of occasion for which everybody needs to have a wide variety of cookbooks on hand. My favorite cookbook for desserts, Clarion County Historical Society Cookbook (available here, I think) was given to me by a former boss. I'm sure it's good for real food, too, but the dessert selection is absolutely fabulous. I also love it because the recipes are published just a they were pulled out of Aunt Amy's kitchen drawer. A lot of these recipes are obviously leftover from the world wars-- i.e., "Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake" (page 84), and therefore perfect for people with a limited range of ingredients. Betty Crocker thinks that I have a spacious kitchen with an island cart in the middle, a six-speed bowl mixer, a blender, a double boiler, and five different types of flour. The Clarion County Historical Society hopes that I have some sugar and a bowl somewhere.
Much to my happy surprise, I found exactly what I needed on page 115, right above my lucky microwave fudge: "Microwave Brownies." I didn't have any chocolate chips, so I'd despaired of brownies or fudge, but I found this, and I did have some cocoa. I had to microwave it a couple of extra minutes, but it turned out great and went fabulously with the wine. :) Perfect summer or efficiency-kitchen dessert, too-- no oven necessary:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/3 c. cocoa
3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (I don't like nuts much and therefore didn't have any, so I skipped those)
Place butter in baking dish; microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted. Pour butter into a batter bowl, add sugar, eggs, cocoa. Mix well; then add flour, vanilla and nuts. Pour batter into buttered dish. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high 5 to 7 minutes or till toothpick (I used a knife) inserted in the center comes out clean (I gave up after 9 minutes; I like gooey brownies). Rotate the dish after 3 minutes for more even cooking (my microwave has a turntable, saving me the trouble). Use a 9" pan (mine was 8" and worked fine).
There was a frosting, too, which I didn't make, partially because I prefer unfrosted brownies, partially 'cuz I just wanted to eat my brownies, already, and partially because I don't have any powdered sugar. But here are the instructions in case you want to try it:
3 T. butter
2 T. cocoa
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
For the easy milk chocolate frosting melt the butter; stir in cocoa til dissolved. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir til smooth. Spread over cooled brownies.
So, the moral of the story is: find cheap booze you like, always have frozen chicken on hand, and find an old-fashioned cookbook, because they are totally the best.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some wine left and I really want to continue my Harry Potter marathon.
But once a week, usually around the weekend, I feel like doing something more than boiling a package of ramen or a box of frozen pirogies.
Tonight was one of those nights. After working six days straight (and it was that week fresh back from vacation, too), I was in need of some serious nourishment, and more than that, I needed to unwind.
So, on the way home, I stopped at the state store and picked up a bottle of my favorite wine. Not only is Sutter Home's White Zinfandel absolutely delicious to my undiscriminating palate (I like sweet, light wines), it also set me back a whole $6.35 with tax for the bottle I'm about to polish off. Everybody needs to have a go-to bottle of booze that that isn't going to wipe out their whole checking account but that they can confidently take as a hostess gift or just grab for themselves after a long day at work. This is mine.
After 3/4 of a glass while kicking off my shoes and greeting the cat, I started on dinner. I thawed out an individually-frozen chicken breast in the microwave and roasted it, using my fresh herbs and the instructions from Sarah McColl's fabulous vlog. She roasts a whole chicken, but my chicken breast came out after about 20 minutes looking cooked all the way through, and I'm not showing any signs of food poisoning yet (maybe all of the alcohol in the wine fried the salmonella bacteria). Add some nuked frozen veggies and some leftover pasta from a quickie dinner earlier this week, and I had a feed-a-guest worthy dinner to enjoy with my Harry Potter movie.
Alas, however, after my delicious dinner, I craved dessert-- preferably a chocolatey, cakey dessert. I'm pretty much out of ice cream, finished my Oreos two days ago, have no cake mix, and it's the end of the month, so I'm pretty much tapped out until my paycheck on Tuesday and am trying to economize. Not to mention a trip to the store was probably out of the question with so much wine in my system.
This is the type of occasion for which everybody needs to have a wide variety of cookbooks on hand. My favorite cookbook for desserts, Clarion County Historical Society Cookbook (available here, I think) was given to me by a former boss. I'm sure it's good for real food, too, but the dessert selection is absolutely fabulous. I also love it because the recipes are published just a they were pulled out of Aunt Amy's kitchen drawer. A lot of these recipes are obviously leftover from the world wars-- i.e., "Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake" (page 84), and therefore perfect for people with a limited range of ingredients. Betty Crocker thinks that I have a spacious kitchen with an island cart in the middle, a six-speed bowl mixer, a blender, a double boiler, and five different types of flour. The Clarion County Historical Society hopes that I have some sugar and a bowl somewhere.
Much to my happy surprise, I found exactly what I needed on page 115, right above my lucky microwave fudge: "Microwave Brownies." I didn't have any chocolate chips, so I'd despaired of brownies or fudge, but I found this, and I did have some cocoa. I had to microwave it a couple of extra minutes, but it turned out great and went fabulously with the wine. :) Perfect summer or efficiency-kitchen dessert, too-- no oven necessary:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/3 c. cocoa
3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (I don't like nuts much and therefore didn't have any, so I skipped those)
Place butter in baking dish; microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted. Pour butter into a batter bowl, add sugar, eggs, cocoa. Mix well; then add flour, vanilla and nuts. Pour batter into buttered dish. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high 5 to 7 minutes or till toothpick (I used a knife) inserted in the center comes out clean (I gave up after 9 minutes; I like gooey brownies). Rotate the dish after 3 minutes for more even cooking (my microwave has a turntable, saving me the trouble). Use a 9" pan (mine was 8" and worked fine).
There was a frosting, too, which I didn't make, partially because I prefer unfrosted brownies, partially 'cuz I just wanted to eat my brownies, already, and partially because I don't have any powdered sugar. But here are the instructions in case you want to try it:
3 T. butter
2 T. cocoa
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
For the easy milk chocolate frosting melt the butter; stir in cocoa til dissolved. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir til smooth. Spread over cooled brownies.
So, the moral of the story is: find cheap booze you like, always have frozen chicken on hand, and find an old-fashioned cookbook, because they are totally the best.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some wine left and I really want to continue my Harry Potter marathon.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Still alive
If it's been a while since I've blogged, it's because I really haven't had that much to say lately. My frugal activities haven't been too impressive for June. But let's see... What have I done?
* I've started paying all of my bills online. I don't have THAT many bills, but at 41 cents a stamp and the hassle of writing a check and transcribing account numbers and addressing envelopes and having to walk to the post office near my work over lunch to purchase stamps, it is vastly worth the time and money savings to me. My bank offers a very slick one-page online bill pay option. You fill in the payee and your account information once, and from thence forward all you have to do is log in to your bank account online, plug in the dollar and cents amount of your credit card or electric bill or whatever, and hit "pay." One caveat-- it seems that they want you to allow about a week for it to go through, so don't put off paying your bills. Pay right away. I couldn't believe how quick and painless it was to pay my credit card bill this month compared to what I was doing before. I also set up my child sponsorship accounts so I can send my donations in electronically.
* I made spaghetti the other night. I haven't had it in forever. For some reason it seemed like such a hassle to make. I realized again that it's incredibly easy and tastes like real food if you use the amazing and super-cheap Wal-Mart brand spaghetti sauce. Yum. I froze the unused sauce in small containers for the next time I make spaghetti. (I used to let it grow mold in the jar... bad.) Spaghetti is cheap.
* I recently discovered idrink.com. While I have yet to make anything from the recipe list, I love the concept-- you just go down the list of ingredients, checking the ones you have on hand, and it will generate a list of drinks that you can make with what you actually have. This way you don't wind up buying three more ingredients and a blender just because you want a "cocktail" instead of straight whiskey again. ;)
* I am switching to beer in cans as opposed to beer in longnecks. Aside from the much cheaper up-front cost, the cans are theoretically redeemable for scrap, too. I pour them into amazingly cool pint glasses I got a flea market and don't have to deal with the "wait a minute, this isn't Diet Coke!" moment I always get when drinking beer from a can.
* And speaking of cans, I'm still saving them. I found two on my run last night. I'll let you know how the selling for scrap goes soon, hopefully.
* And speaking of running, it's been great. It keeps me busy and healthy. I'm a little worried about my right shin today, so I'm going to take the next couple of nights off and hopefully will not develop shin splints. But when I am running, I am not spending money! :)
Other than that, I'm making an effort to read the books I already have and borrow ones from the fiction section of my library. I did buy one used on Amazon because I couldn't find it at a library here and I figured I would rather pay the $6.00 to buy and have it shipped to me than cost my library and the lending library $30 (the average cost for an interlibrary loan transaction). Just call it giving back to my employer. Maybe that can help assuage some of my guilt for requesting freebies while at work. :)
* I've started paying all of my bills online. I don't have THAT many bills, but at 41 cents a stamp and the hassle of writing a check and transcribing account numbers and addressing envelopes and having to walk to the post office near my work over lunch to purchase stamps, it is vastly worth the time and money savings to me. My bank offers a very slick one-page online bill pay option. You fill in the payee and your account information once, and from thence forward all you have to do is log in to your bank account online, plug in the dollar and cents amount of your credit card or electric bill or whatever, and hit "pay." One caveat-- it seems that they want you to allow about a week for it to go through, so don't put off paying your bills. Pay right away. I couldn't believe how quick and painless it was to pay my credit card bill this month compared to what I was doing before. I also set up my child sponsorship accounts so I can send my donations in electronically.
* I made spaghetti the other night. I haven't had it in forever. For some reason it seemed like such a hassle to make. I realized again that it's incredibly easy and tastes like real food if you use the amazing and super-cheap Wal-Mart brand spaghetti sauce. Yum. I froze the unused sauce in small containers for the next time I make spaghetti. (I used to let it grow mold in the jar... bad.) Spaghetti is cheap.
* I recently discovered idrink.com. While I have yet to make anything from the recipe list, I love the concept-- you just go down the list of ingredients, checking the ones you have on hand, and it will generate a list of drinks that you can make with what you actually have. This way you don't wind up buying three more ingredients and a blender just because you want a "cocktail" instead of straight whiskey again. ;)
* I am switching to beer in cans as opposed to beer in longnecks. Aside from the much cheaper up-front cost, the cans are theoretically redeemable for scrap, too. I pour them into amazingly cool pint glasses I got a flea market and don't have to deal with the "wait a minute, this isn't Diet Coke!" moment I always get when drinking beer from a can.
* And speaking of cans, I'm still saving them. I found two on my run last night. I'll let you know how the selling for scrap goes soon, hopefully.
* And speaking of running, it's been great. It keeps me busy and healthy. I'm a little worried about my right shin today, so I'm going to take the next couple of nights off and hopefully will not develop shin splints. But when I am running, I am not spending money! :)
Other than that, I'm making an effort to read the books I already have and borrow ones from the fiction section of my library. I did buy one used on Amazon because I couldn't find it at a library here and I figured I would rather pay the $6.00 to buy and have it shipped to me than cost my library and the lending library $30 (the average cost for an interlibrary loan transaction). Just call it giving back to my employer. Maybe that can help assuage some of my guilt for requesting freebies while at work. :)
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Update and Rebate
The rebate simply refers to the fact that my check from Rite Aid finally came in and I can officially say that I made money by shopping there last month.
I can't tell you what a year old Boca Burger tastes like yet but I can say that a good stew or even a bad boxed meal can cover up slightly dated beef. I think I am looking forward to the big year old bag of broccoli though just as a change of pace since living alone, a boxed meal can last me 3 days without much effort.
In the plant arena the corn did finally succumb to the sun and I did force one of my tomato seeds to sprout. All this requires is wetting a paper towel and putting it in a plastic bag, in the sun, with the seed on top. I was pretty happy when it grew a delicate little root, then made the mistake of checking out the plants for sale at Wal Mart. My little sprout didn't look so impressive any more. I was planning on going back at the end of the month for the (your plant isn't going to do anything this late in the season) discounts. Finally being an indoor gardener does me some good! I was hoping to find a Sweet 100 cherry tomato since it's supposed to be productive and I like cherry tomatoes. In the meantime though I went to the local nursery and fell for a Tumbling Tom Red cherry tomato that blew Wal Mart out of the water. This plant came not only with a very healthy number of blooms but a profusion of tomatoes there just waiting to ripen. I also picked up some wonderful looking/smelling purple basil and though I spent more I think I can justify it since this nursery always has quality plants and good people don't hurt(Neither did the cuddly cat!).
I think I've finally settled on EBay for selling my stuff since I prefer not having the threat of meeting my buyers and having the larger market to sell to.
Finally, my apartment is starting to look a little more like a place I want to spend time thanks to a little rearranging, some cleaning and a few old tapestries that I was afraid to hang when I first moved in. Admittedly a British flag and a blue Celtic dragon aren't the most sophisticated decorations they do make me happy which really is all one's dwelling needs to do.
I can't tell you what a year old Boca Burger tastes like yet but I can say that a good stew or even a bad boxed meal can cover up slightly dated beef. I think I am looking forward to the big year old bag of broccoli though just as a change of pace since living alone, a boxed meal can last me 3 days without much effort.
In the plant arena the corn did finally succumb to the sun and I did force one of my tomato seeds to sprout. All this requires is wetting a paper towel and putting it in a plastic bag, in the sun, with the seed on top. I was pretty happy when it grew a delicate little root, then made the mistake of checking out the plants for sale at Wal Mart. My little sprout didn't look so impressive any more. I was planning on going back at the end of the month for the (your plant isn't going to do anything this late in the season) discounts. Finally being an indoor gardener does me some good! I was hoping to find a Sweet 100 cherry tomato since it's supposed to be productive and I like cherry tomatoes. In the meantime though I went to the local nursery and fell for a Tumbling Tom Red cherry tomato that blew Wal Mart out of the water. This plant came not only with a very healthy number of blooms but a profusion of tomatoes there just waiting to ripen. I also picked up some wonderful looking/smelling purple basil and though I spent more I think I can justify it since this nursery always has quality plants and good people don't hurt(Neither did the cuddly cat!).
I think I've finally settled on EBay for selling my stuff since I prefer not having the threat of meeting my buyers and having the larger market to sell to.
Finally, my apartment is starting to look a little more like a place I want to spend time thanks to a little rearranging, some cleaning and a few old tapestries that I was afraid to hang when I first moved in. Admittedly a British flag and a blue Celtic dragon aren't the most sophisticated decorations they do make me happy which really is all one's dwelling needs to do.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Why is my bank account piddly
Kelly's post hits home since I'm getting tired of the cluttered yet bare look that my apartment seems to have taken on but since I could be moving in about a year I'm hesitant to make any big changes. I'm going to see what I can do to improve my home without sacrificing mobility or my security deposit.
As for baking soda and vinegar I'm pretty sure About.com had a section about that on their frugal living site but it's under new management now so that might have changed. Either way I like to browse through there from time to time for inspiration.
As rent is coming due soon I looked over my bank account recently to assess the damage it would cause. I'm seeing less growth than I'd like given my current savings goal is to match last year's contributions. I know that doesn't sound like much but given that last year I had a housemate who contributed financially for about 4 months I'm calling it pretty ambitious.
That being the case I'm going to have to do some things this year that I didn't last including finally seeing if I can take my phone company up on a low income rate offer that I'm pretty sure I qualify for. I'm also going to try to sell some old craft items on EBay or Craigslist which unfortunately requires actually learning how to use these sites. I am looking forward to my gas meter reading since my last bill was obscene and given what I think my average usage is versus what I had to pay I may not have a gas bill again for about 2 months. That is once they see the error of their ways.
My other goal for the month is to use up all food in the freezer that's a year old. My housemate left me a few items that I've never taken the time to use and freezer burn is not frugal! In my next post you'll probably learn how a year old frozen Boca burger tastes.
My corn plant is doing well but the sun wants to burn the leaves off of it. I can't say I'll be heartbroken if it dies but I was rather looking forward to having a stalk of corn in my house. The tomato isn't doing anything so I might have to force it a little. I'm thinking of sending some seeds of my own to the people who sent me those since donations from their members are what make those free seeds possible. The trouble is that most of my plants don't self seed and are indoors so the number I can send is somewhat limited.
I have also planted an apple seed from my lunch of a week ago and I'm curious to see how that goes. My apartment is getting a little leafy even for me but I still have a few seeds I'd like to try so I'll have to get creative.
As for baking soda and vinegar I'm pretty sure About.com had a section about that on their frugal living site but it's under new management now so that might have changed. Either way I like to browse through there from time to time for inspiration.
As rent is coming due soon I looked over my bank account recently to assess the damage it would cause. I'm seeing less growth than I'd like given my current savings goal is to match last year's contributions. I know that doesn't sound like much but given that last year I had a housemate who contributed financially for about 4 months I'm calling it pretty ambitious.
That being the case I'm going to have to do some things this year that I didn't last including finally seeing if I can take my phone company up on a low income rate offer that I'm pretty sure I qualify for. I'm also going to try to sell some old craft items on EBay or Craigslist which unfortunately requires actually learning how to use these sites. I am looking forward to my gas meter reading since my last bill was obscene and given what I think my average usage is versus what I had to pay I may not have a gas bill again for about 2 months. That is once they see the error of their ways.
My other goal for the month is to use up all food in the freezer that's a year old. My housemate left me a few items that I've never taken the time to use and freezer burn is not frugal! In my next post you'll probably learn how a year old frozen Boca burger tastes.
My corn plant is doing well but the sun wants to burn the leaves off of it. I can't say I'll be heartbroken if it dies but I was rather looking forward to having a stalk of corn in my house. The tomato isn't doing anything so I might have to force it a little. I'm thinking of sending some seeds of my own to the people who sent me those since donations from their members are what make those free seeds possible. The trouble is that most of my plants don't self seed and are indoors so the number I can send is somewhat limited.
I have also planted an apple seed from my lunch of a week ago and I'm curious to see how that goes. My apartment is getting a little leafy even for me but I still have a few seeds I'd like to try so I'll have to get creative.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Domesticity
Yes, there has been much blogging of late. And there is more to come! I'm excited about some of my recent discoveries/experiments in process/plans.
My first rule of thriftiness, which I have somehow neglected to mention up until this point, is also a rule that I have trouble putting into practice. It is this: your place looks classier and more expensive and better-outfitted when it's clean and organized. I guess I'm a minimalist in severe denial, but nothing says "classy and rich" to me like something simple, clean, elegant, and understated. Riddle me why I have such a messy life and fantastical taste in skirts, but deep down, I admire bare surfaces and simple black dresses.
I have spent some time cleaning my apartment lately. My buy-nothing May is failing miserably, but back when I was still doing well, I did look up instructions for making your own toilet bowl cleaner. I was surprised to find that people actually clean toilets with nothing more than baking soda, vinegar, and a bowl brush. I tried it and was suitably amazed. This led me to try scrubbing the nasty soap scum in the bathroom sink with baking soda, vinegar, and a bristle scrub brush. The totally astounding transformation led me to try the same tools on my horrifying bathtub. It is horrifying no more. Today I scrubbed out the kitchen sink with my foamy friends, baking soda and vinegar, and wiped the clean stainless steel down with baby oil afterwards for some extra shine. Gorgeousness, people-- gorgeousness. And here I always thought Heloise was a crazy old bat for raving about baking soda and vinegar.
I have discovered a new resource, as well: The Pink of Perfection. I'm gradually wading through the archives. Most of her great ideas are nothing Althea hasn't already done, but maybe with best friend up the road and total stranger girl on the Web BOTH reupholstering chairs they pick up on the street, I will actually follow the good example. I have already been inspired to try a little window/balcony herb garden! I went to Lowe's today and stocked up on some pots and got a few starters: peppermint, Greek oregano, common sage, and curled parsley. Althea says she can give me cuttings for a couple of more. We'll see how it goes. I left three of them out on the balcony for a while, until it got really windy and started to get cold, and they look really nice out there. I'll take a picture of my balcony soon and post it. It makes me happy.
I think my problem is that whereas Althea scrounges up free elements and combines them into amazing things and thus saves wads of money, I tend to go buy all of the components and put them together and wind up in the hole. Oh, dear. At least I have my baking soda and vinegar. And the jazz NPR station. Jazz makes your place sound classier, too...
My first rule of thriftiness, which I have somehow neglected to mention up until this point, is also a rule that I have trouble putting into practice. It is this: your place looks classier and more expensive and better-outfitted when it's clean and organized. I guess I'm a minimalist in severe denial, but nothing says "classy and rich" to me like something simple, clean, elegant, and understated. Riddle me why I have such a messy life and fantastical taste in skirts, but deep down, I admire bare surfaces and simple black dresses.
I have spent some time cleaning my apartment lately. My buy-nothing May is failing miserably, but back when I was still doing well, I did look up instructions for making your own toilet bowl cleaner. I was surprised to find that people actually clean toilets with nothing more than baking soda, vinegar, and a bowl brush. I tried it and was suitably amazed. This led me to try scrubbing the nasty soap scum in the bathroom sink with baking soda, vinegar, and a bristle scrub brush. The totally astounding transformation led me to try the same tools on my horrifying bathtub. It is horrifying no more. Today I scrubbed out the kitchen sink with my foamy friends, baking soda and vinegar, and wiped the clean stainless steel down with baby oil afterwards for some extra shine. Gorgeousness, people-- gorgeousness. And here I always thought Heloise was a crazy old bat for raving about baking soda and vinegar.
I have discovered a new resource, as well: The Pink of Perfection. I'm gradually wading through the archives. Most of her great ideas are nothing Althea hasn't already done, but maybe with best friend up the road and total stranger girl on the Web BOTH reupholstering chairs they pick up on the street, I will actually follow the good example. I have already been inspired to try a little window/balcony herb garden! I went to Lowe's today and stocked up on some pots and got a few starters: peppermint, Greek oregano, common sage, and curled parsley. Althea says she can give me cuttings for a couple of more. We'll see how it goes. I left three of them out on the balcony for a while, until it got really windy and started to get cold, and they look really nice out there. I'll take a picture of my balcony soon and post it. It makes me happy.
I think my problem is that whereas Althea scrounges up free elements and combines them into amazing things and thus saves wads of money, I tend to go buy all of the components and put them together and wind up in the hole. Oh, dear. At least I have my baking soda and vinegar. And the jazz NPR station. Jazz makes your place sound classier, too...
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Not to be outdone!
I see that Kelly has been busy while I wasn't paying attention so here I am getting my bum in gear.
I too am working on collecting cans for aluminum recycling though I don't know if I can get friends and relatives in on the deal as most (other than Kelly) are too far to bother themselves. *sigh* Still it's worth a try. :)
Speaking of relatives my Mother came down to visit for Mother's Day (her idea) but it made for a nice cheap present. Of course the weekend was a bit of a financial adventure since we had to return a DVD VCR machine 2 times and buy 3 of them just to get the correct machine that also worked. I was ready to show off my financial prowess by making them match the original sale price however by the time it was all finished the brand and store were different than the original and I was pretty sure I didn't have a leg to stand on. My Mother has now washed her hands of my appliances and if any break she is not to know about it.
As an interesting post script to that story she went home to have Dad tell her that a bear had gotten into the house while she was gone and eaten all the cat food and the edible trash. She is now afraid to leave the door open in the back in even broad daylight. On the up side I got to hear my father's condensed version of the tale rather than the hour long version my mother would have told. Mother's day is over and I'm back to being a bad daughter I guess.
My vacuum died with a spark and a puff of ozone a week or so ago from a frayed power cord. I knew this time was coming so I was keeping an eye out for other dead vacuums with whole cords that I or someone I trust a little more with the task could mate to the machine.
Thankfully providence struck and a vacuum showed up on the lawn of one of my neighbors on garbage night. It became mine. The cord is pristine and longer than the original so I think we'll be very happy together. Thank God too since my apt looks grody!
Does anyone know if you can eat Indian corn? Can you grind it to cornmeal at least? I had one kernel left over from God knows what and planted it thinking that it could turn a profit either by providing food or sell able decorations (I don't decorate much myself because I'm cheap, poor and a Scrooge!) Well unexpectedly and against all logic it actually began to grow and here I am. Oh and if you're wondering the pot and dirt were trash picked. Woo hoo!
I also had a pot leftover from last years Roma tomato which survived the winter but not the spring. I was going to save the seeds from its last tomato but I actually managed to get some free online (woo hoo again!) and planted 1 in the pot.
I really scored big time when I dropped off some coupons I couldn't use to my other swapper and she gave me a basket of strawberries she had (buy one get 2 free). I got 2 free meals out of that and then planted the tops that had some seeds on in a pot I had once again scavenged. They didn't do anything for a week or so but now there are tiny delicate seedlings growing and I will be able to provide my own fruit in about a year. (Apparently strawberries don't typically produce in their first year.) Clearly more research into things I can grow and eat at the same time is needed!
I already grow herbs and some more useless plants (don't get an air purifier unless you're a total black thumb tee hee![ hey you needed a break from "woo hoo" admit it]) including edible/ornamental peppers but I want to grow more real food so I can ya' know EAT. I'm also experimenting with wild onions transplanted and seeded so hopefully I can flavor my rather bland homemade soups. I'd use the slow cooker but I can't quite believe that it would use less money in electricity being on all day than my gas stove for half an hour... Maybe someday.
I too am working on collecting cans for aluminum recycling though I don't know if I can get friends and relatives in on the deal as most (other than Kelly) are too far to bother themselves. *sigh* Still it's worth a try. :)
Speaking of relatives my Mother came down to visit for Mother's Day (her idea) but it made for a nice cheap present. Of course the weekend was a bit of a financial adventure since we had to return a DVD VCR machine 2 times and buy 3 of them just to get the correct machine that also worked. I was ready to show off my financial prowess by making them match the original sale price however by the time it was all finished the brand and store were different than the original and I was pretty sure I didn't have a leg to stand on. My Mother has now washed her hands of my appliances and if any break she is not to know about it.
As an interesting post script to that story she went home to have Dad tell her that a bear had gotten into the house while she was gone and eaten all the cat food and the edible trash. She is now afraid to leave the door open in the back in even broad daylight. On the up side I got to hear my father's condensed version of the tale rather than the hour long version my mother would have told. Mother's day is over and I'm back to being a bad daughter I guess.
My vacuum died with a spark and a puff of ozone a week or so ago from a frayed power cord. I knew this time was coming so I was keeping an eye out for other dead vacuums with whole cords that I or someone I trust a little more with the task could mate to the machine.
Thankfully providence struck and a vacuum showed up on the lawn of one of my neighbors on garbage night. It became mine. The cord is pristine and longer than the original so I think we'll be very happy together. Thank God too since my apt looks grody!
Does anyone know if you can eat Indian corn? Can you grind it to cornmeal at least? I had one kernel left over from God knows what and planted it thinking that it could turn a profit either by providing food or sell able decorations (I don't decorate much myself because I'm cheap, poor and a Scrooge!) Well unexpectedly and against all logic it actually began to grow and here I am. Oh and if you're wondering the pot and dirt were trash picked. Woo hoo!
I also had a pot leftover from last years Roma tomato which survived the winter but not the spring. I was going to save the seeds from its last tomato but I actually managed to get some free online (woo hoo again!) and planted 1 in the pot.
I really scored big time when I dropped off some coupons I couldn't use to my other swapper and she gave me a basket of strawberries she had (buy one get 2 free). I got 2 free meals out of that and then planted the tops that had some seeds on in a pot I had once again scavenged. They didn't do anything for a week or so but now there are tiny delicate seedlings growing and I will be able to provide my own fruit in about a year. (Apparently strawberries don't typically produce in their first year.) Clearly more research into things I can grow and eat at the same time is needed!
I already grow herbs and some more useless plants (don't get an air purifier unless you're a total black thumb tee hee![ hey you needed a break from "woo hoo" admit it]) including edible/ornamental peppers but I want to grow more real food so I can ya' know EAT. I'm also experimenting with wild onions transplanted and seeded so hopefully I can flavor my rather bland homemade soups. I'd use the slow cooker but I can't quite believe that it would use less money in electricity being on all day than my gas stove for half an hour... Maybe someday.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Fighting the good fight
Just a brief update on my latest adventures:
* I have decided that festooning wet laundry all over my apartment and on a jury-rigged clothesline on my little balcony is not worth saving the 75 cents that it takes to run the dryer. If I had more clothesline space, I would probably reconsider, but it just took way too long to find places to hang things. I shall continue to dry most of my work clothes on racks and rods to save wear & tear on slacks and such items that are not easily replaced, but the rest will go into the dryer.
* I received a $30 refund check in the mail today from my car insurance company; apparently my "new" 2000 Honda Civic sedan is cheaper to insure than my '98 Dodge Neon sport sedan. Who woulda thunk it? I guess there is the anti-theft system. Anyway, I'm not complaining. And that's probably pro-rated. :D It helped offset the cost of my...
* Goodwill trip! I needed to buy shorts for the summer; two or so pairs was what I had originally allotted myself to buy. As I have mentioned in previous posts, however, my local Goodwill is more like a Goldmine, and I can't resist gold fever. I swung by today after work and snapped up an American Eagle hoodie, a polo shirt from the Gap, two skirts (one American Eagle and the other Aeropostale), two pairs of shorts (one brand I didn't recognize and one ABERCROMBIE & FITCH), a pair of Old Navy khakis, and a birthday card and a wedding card-- for $26.49. How freakin' sweet is that?! The Abercrombie shorts are amazing. They're not worth retail, no way, but $2.99? Oh, yeah. :) My goal is to look like I spend a lot of money... without spending a lot of money. Goodwill helps with this. A lot.
* My mom thinks she sold my old car-- for our asking price, no less. So that should help replenish the anemic savings account.
* I enrolled in the rewards program at my bank today. I'll let you know how it goes. One of my coworkers encouraged me to join and also told me about the bank's online bill-pay system. You designate the amount and nothing happens automatically; you still control how much goes where when, but you do it online for free. Sounds good. I'm going to give it a shot with my phone and credit card bills. :)
* I got my first Wal-Mart free sample the other day! A Knorr side dish. It's a regular packet, too, so I essentially got a free dinner and I'm excited to give it a try.
* I have decided that festooning wet laundry all over my apartment and on a jury-rigged clothesline on my little balcony is not worth saving the 75 cents that it takes to run the dryer. If I had more clothesline space, I would probably reconsider, but it just took way too long to find places to hang things. I shall continue to dry most of my work clothes on racks and rods to save wear & tear on slacks and such items that are not easily replaced, but the rest will go into the dryer.
* I received a $30 refund check in the mail today from my car insurance company; apparently my "new" 2000 Honda Civic sedan is cheaper to insure than my '98 Dodge Neon sport sedan. Who woulda thunk it? I guess there is the anti-theft system. Anyway, I'm not complaining. And that's probably pro-rated. :D It helped offset the cost of my...
* Goodwill trip! I needed to buy shorts for the summer; two or so pairs was what I had originally allotted myself to buy. As I have mentioned in previous posts, however, my local Goodwill is more like a Goldmine, and I can't resist gold fever. I swung by today after work and snapped up an American Eagle hoodie, a polo shirt from the Gap, two skirts (one American Eagle and the other Aeropostale), two pairs of shorts (one brand I didn't recognize and one ABERCROMBIE & FITCH), a pair of Old Navy khakis, and a birthday card and a wedding card-- for $26.49. How freakin' sweet is that?! The Abercrombie shorts are amazing. They're not worth retail, no way, but $2.99? Oh, yeah. :) My goal is to look like I spend a lot of money... without spending a lot of money. Goodwill helps with this. A lot.
* My mom thinks she sold my old car-- for our asking price, no less. So that should help replenish the anemic savings account.
* I enrolled in the rewards program at my bank today. I'll let you know how it goes. One of my coworkers encouraged me to join and also told me about the bank's online bill-pay system. You designate the amount and nothing happens automatically; you still control how much goes where when, but you do it online for free. Sounds good. I'm going to give it a shot with my phone and credit card bills. :)
* I got my first Wal-Mart free sample the other day! A Knorr side dish. It's a regular packet, too, so I essentially got a free dinner and I'm excited to give it a try.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Postscript-- a little celebration :)
I forgot, in the midst of my mammoth car post, to mention a couple of things.
First, I am currently reading The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, & Broke by Suze Orman. While I would advise you to take some of her advice (e.g., "follow your career dreams, even if you have to survive on your credit cards for a while to do it!") with caution, overall I have been very pleased and have learned a lot in the first half of the book. The companion website also has a customizable personal financial advisor module that you can work through, which I have just begun and now need to tweak since I bought a car... Anyway, check it out from the library or get it through interlibrary loan if you need to or splurge and buy it used on Amazon.
Now my celebration: I did one of those things I've been putting off for a while and got my three annual credit reports from http://www.annualcreditreport.com. I also coughed up the $15 and got one of my FICO scores once I checked over the credit reports and ascertained that they were all correct. I knew that I should be in pretty good shape, but I wanted to know exactly where I stood. Happy dance-- I'm in the top tier! Low in the top tier, but top tier is all that really matters! As my length of credit history grows with time, my score should automatically keep going up, provided I don't screw up anywhere. :D
First, I am currently reading The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, & Broke by Suze Orman. While I would advise you to take some of her advice (e.g., "follow your career dreams, even if you have to survive on your credit cards for a while to do it!") with caution, overall I have been very pleased and have learned a lot in the first half of the book. The companion website also has a customizable personal financial advisor module that you can work through, which I have just begun and now need to tweak since I bought a car... Anyway, check it out from the library or get it through interlibrary loan if you need to or splurge and buy it used on Amazon.
Now my celebration: I did one of those things I've been putting off for a while and got my three annual credit reports from http://www.annualcreditreport.com. I also coughed up the $15 and got one of my FICO scores once I checked over the credit reports and ascertained that they were all correct. I knew that I should be in pretty good shape, but I wanted to know exactly where I stood. Happy dance-- I'm in the top tier! Low in the top tier, but top tier is all that really matters! As my length of credit history grows with time, my score should automatically keep going up, provided I don't screw up anywhere. :D
Why you need an emergency fund
Remember how I swore that May was going to see a change in my spending habits? Well, it definitely will-- in a big way. Why?
Well, I found out on Thursday that my beloved '98 Neon would be unable to pass state inspection without about $2,000 worth of repair work on, well, pretty much everything. The cradle that holds up the drive train and engine had taken a nasty hit the last time I visited my parents (don't dig canyons in your driveways, people!) and that was smashed all to heck, and pretty much every belt in the engine was about shot, and the front struts and the rear brakes, and... yeah.
I have been employed for eight months. Fortunately, my first order of business after getting a paycheck had been to start shoveling money into an emergency/car replacement fund. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to replace the car for another couple of years or so, but I realized that I would have to start saving for that goal immediately. At the same time, I also had to start paying back my student loans from grad school, acquiring a professional wardrobe for work, outfitting my first real apartment, and, well, generally starting life without the benefit of a spouse's income or wedding gifts (note again how society screws the single folk). I'll let you take a stab at how much I had saved up. My tax refund helped in a huge way, but still.
I've spent the last four and a half days agonizing over my options: fix up my rattletrap bottom-o-the-line worn-out Dodge, buy a really cheap used car, finance a lightly-used car, or finance a new car. There are obviously pros and cons to all of these options (despite what they say, buying a new car isn't necessarily a bad idea-- who cares if the resale value plummets if you're just going to drive the car for 15 years until it dies, anyway, and hey, a 5-year warranty is nothing to dismiss lightly).
This morning I put money down on a 2000 Honda Civic that my parents found at a mechanic's they trust. I'll be pooling basically all of my resources from the car fund and my regular savings account and my latest paycheck to swing this, but I think I can do it without help. It'll be paid for in full and fully mine on Saturday. The fact that this car was within my cash ability is a miracle. The trustworthy mechanic and my parents all think that it should be reliable and last me several years. I am thankful... but I am also tapped out.
I am currently strategizing how I am going to swing this and still survive until May 31st (next payday). Fortunately I knew that I was going to be in these straights before April's paycheck ever hit the bank. Here is my plan:
1) Find out how much I am actually supposed to be paying on my student loans per month, and then pay that. I've been making about double payments up until now. 'Fraid I'll have to stick to the minimum for a few months to get a cash cushion built back.
2) Call my power company and tell them I want an actual reading this month, not an estimate. I get royally socked on the months they do an estimate, and this is not a month where I can afford to be overpaying them for an extra $30 worth of electricity that I didn't use. I can't wait until the next month's reading to get the overpayment credited on my bill. I need it in my checking account NOW.
3) Pay all of my fixed expenses (rent, student loan, tithe) immediately to reduce the amount of uncertainty as the month wears on. When you get down to $20 in the checking account, you need to know exactly what you have where and where it needs to go.
4) Buy a lot of ramen. My monthly grocery trip is almost due. I need to stock up on the cheap stuff and start digging into the frozen chicken and rice and ancient spaghetti (is year-and-a-half old spaghetti safe?) that I have stashed away. I will probably go to Wal-Mart instead of Shop 'n Save because they tend to be a bit cheaper.
5) Do free things-- go running (yeah for great weather!), go fishing with my grandfather (not free, but I'm not getting my $32 license fee back), read all of the books I've been accumulating (love that balcony!).
6) Drink the beer Althea gave me that she got for free (see her last post).
7) Tell my parents and grandparents that I am now collecting aluminum cans. I have heard of a place that pays 75 cents a pound for aluminum. I don't drink things in cans (except the free beer), but I can pick up trash and have relatives save their cans for me. It's pocket change, but every little bit helps.
I will need to get shorts this month, so hopefully Goodwill will come through. I will put it off as long as I can to get the truly necessary expenses paid first, though.
:) Suggestions welcome!
Well, I found out on Thursday that my beloved '98 Neon would be unable to pass state inspection without about $2,000 worth of repair work on, well, pretty much everything. The cradle that holds up the drive train and engine had taken a nasty hit the last time I visited my parents (don't dig canyons in your driveways, people!) and that was smashed all to heck, and pretty much every belt in the engine was about shot, and the front struts and the rear brakes, and... yeah.
I have been employed for eight months. Fortunately, my first order of business after getting a paycheck had been to start shoveling money into an emergency/car replacement fund. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to replace the car for another couple of years or so, but I realized that I would have to start saving for that goal immediately. At the same time, I also had to start paying back my student loans from grad school, acquiring a professional wardrobe for work, outfitting my first real apartment, and, well, generally starting life without the benefit of a spouse's income or wedding gifts (note again how society screws the single folk). I'll let you take a stab at how much I had saved up. My tax refund helped in a huge way, but still.
I've spent the last four and a half days agonizing over my options: fix up my rattletrap bottom-o-the-line worn-out Dodge, buy a really cheap used car, finance a lightly-used car, or finance a new car. There are obviously pros and cons to all of these options (despite what they say, buying a new car isn't necessarily a bad idea-- who cares if the resale value plummets if you're just going to drive the car for 15 years until it dies, anyway, and hey, a 5-year warranty is nothing to dismiss lightly).
This morning I put money down on a 2000 Honda Civic that my parents found at a mechanic's they trust. I'll be pooling basically all of my resources from the car fund and my regular savings account and my latest paycheck to swing this, but I think I can do it without help. It'll be paid for in full and fully mine on Saturday. The fact that this car was within my cash ability is a miracle. The trustworthy mechanic and my parents all think that it should be reliable and last me several years. I am thankful... but I am also tapped out.
I am currently strategizing how I am going to swing this and still survive until May 31st (next payday). Fortunately I knew that I was going to be in these straights before April's paycheck ever hit the bank. Here is my plan:
1) Find out how much I am actually supposed to be paying on my student loans per month, and then pay that. I've been making about double payments up until now. 'Fraid I'll have to stick to the minimum for a few months to get a cash cushion built back.
2) Call my power company and tell them I want an actual reading this month, not an estimate. I get royally socked on the months they do an estimate, and this is not a month where I can afford to be overpaying them for an extra $30 worth of electricity that I didn't use. I can't wait until the next month's reading to get the overpayment credited on my bill. I need it in my checking account NOW.
3) Pay all of my fixed expenses (rent, student loan, tithe) immediately to reduce the amount of uncertainty as the month wears on. When you get down to $20 in the checking account, you need to know exactly what you have where and where it needs to go.
4) Buy a lot of ramen. My monthly grocery trip is almost due. I need to stock up on the cheap stuff and start digging into the frozen chicken and rice and ancient spaghetti (is year-and-a-half old spaghetti safe?) that I have stashed away. I will probably go to Wal-Mart instead of Shop 'n Save because they tend to be a bit cheaper.
5) Do free things-- go running (yeah for great weather!), go fishing with my grandfather (not free, but I'm not getting my $32 license fee back), read all of the books I've been accumulating (love that balcony!).
6) Drink the beer Althea gave me that she got for free (see her last post).
7) Tell my parents and grandparents that I am now collecting aluminum cans. I have heard of a place that pays 75 cents a pound for aluminum. I don't drink things in cans (except the free beer), but I can pick up trash and have relatives save their cans for me. It's pocket change, but every little bit helps.
I will need to get shorts this month, so hopefully Goodwill will come through. I will put it off as long as I can to get the truly necessary expenses paid first, though.
:) Suggestions welcome!
Long time no Blog
Like Kelly the month has been busy for me. Thankfully my bank account has begun to look respectable again which makes me happy. Rent is coming due so we'll see how that plays out.
Conferences, rebates and coupons have abounded. I did a good deal of my spring planting (container garden in 3rd floor apartments only) last night and I can only hope that the seeds on store strawberries are viable or I'm going to have a very unproductive mouldy mess on my hands in a few weeks.
A couple of times lately people have asked me how I get by on so little money. Generally I point to my excessively full freezer and people figure it out. I'm not sure I actually have to buy any non perishables for the rest of my life. I'm single and I live with my cat. I don't eat much. On the other hand the 2 half cases of beer in my kitchen and the 2 Tupperware containers of sauerkraut and hot dogs in my freezer remind me that I get by partially on free goods and luck. I don't quite know how I got the luck but I do know where I got the free stuff. The free goods I have gotten so far this month include:
BEER (if you saw how much you'd abuse the caps button too)
strawberries
food
spray sunblock
decorative oil and herb thing (free at Yard sale)
toothpaste (thanks to the Rite Aid rebates program and some coupons)
FREE SAMPLES (see above on use of caps)
How do I do it?
The free samples are thanks to the Wal Mart free samples page. They're reliable and ship quickly so I feel pretty comfortable with them. Now if only I could get them to send me their circular I could unload some of these coupons. Another free sample offer I've put my hat in for is the 24/7 day diary giveaway on Colgate.com. Supposedly you submit a diary of one day in your life and they send you deodorant, tips on living life 24/7 (whatever that means) and a day diary kit. I'll let you know if anything actually arrives in the mail.
The small foods were gleaned from conference snacks and other events leftovers. The lesson, hang around until the end of the party and see if you can help them clear away all that extra food.:)
How did I get all the other stuff? Well the trick is to be nice. As much as I may want to let out my inner curmudgeon... Be nice to anyone who coordinates large events that involve free stuff or even large amounts of sell able merchandise. Be nice to anyone who can't resist a buy one get one free sale. Most of all be nice to your coworkers who need a place to drink beer until 1:am. As long as they're the clean types you will gain far more than you loose...except in sleep.
My Boss's wife is proving to be a real asset. We swap coupons and occasional conversation and since goodwill prevails we each get goods. I have gotten lunch and strawberries and she has gotten some of my homemade candles. She also turned me on to a church rummage sale where I did buck a bag hour and got some holiday presents, a sweater that should yield some fantastic yarn when unraveled. (I don't wear sweaters) (I also don't know how I got to be so freaking domestic) and a pair of jeans that don't fit. Hey buck a bag hour is cutthroat. I'm thinking I can sew them into usefulness (freaking domestic) but I'm not yet sure if I want to put forth the effort.
Of course I did also buy 2 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies there. I even broke my "No buying of junk food" rule for that. Still they're GS cookies. I'm out of orange tic tacs so I need a new source of sugary crack cocaine like goodness.
I'm still enjoying the benefits of Rite Aid rebates and this week's promotion of a food bar free with coupon. How silly of them to put the circulars with said coupon in the front of the store. The trouble is it's one per customer so I have had to use only one per trip. That's cut me down to 3 bars so far but I'm working on it. I use food bars or trail mix as my lunches at work so these things will have to taste pretty dreadful before I won't eat them.
I guess this is how I get by. Who else wants to give me stuff? :)
Conferences, rebates and coupons have abounded. I did a good deal of my spring planting (container garden in 3rd floor apartments only) last night and I can only hope that the seeds on store strawberries are viable or I'm going to have a very unproductive mouldy mess on my hands in a few weeks.
A couple of times lately people have asked me how I get by on so little money. Generally I point to my excessively full freezer and people figure it out. I'm not sure I actually have to buy any non perishables for the rest of my life. I'm single and I live with my cat. I don't eat much. On the other hand the 2 half cases of beer in my kitchen and the 2 Tupperware containers of sauerkraut and hot dogs in my freezer remind me that I get by partially on free goods and luck. I don't quite know how I got the luck but I do know where I got the free stuff. The free goods I have gotten so far this month include:
BEER (if you saw how much you'd abuse the caps button too)
strawberries
food
spray sunblock
decorative oil and herb thing (free at Yard sale)
toothpaste (thanks to the Rite Aid rebates program and some coupons)
FREE SAMPLES (see above on use of caps)
How do I do it?
The free samples are thanks to the Wal Mart free samples page. They're reliable and ship quickly so I feel pretty comfortable with them. Now if only I could get them to send me their circular I could unload some of these coupons. Another free sample offer I've put my hat in for is the 24/7 day diary giveaway on Colgate.com. Supposedly you submit a diary of one day in your life and they send you deodorant, tips on living life 24/7 (whatever that means) and a day diary kit. I'll let you know if anything actually arrives in the mail.
The small foods were gleaned from conference snacks and other events leftovers. The lesson, hang around until the end of the party and see if you can help them clear away all that extra food.:)
How did I get all the other stuff? Well the trick is to be nice. As much as I may want to let out my inner curmudgeon... Be nice to anyone who coordinates large events that involve free stuff or even large amounts of sell able merchandise. Be nice to anyone who can't resist a buy one get one free sale. Most of all be nice to your coworkers who need a place to drink beer until 1:am. As long as they're the clean types you will gain far more than you loose...except in sleep.
My Boss's wife is proving to be a real asset. We swap coupons and occasional conversation and since goodwill prevails we each get goods. I have gotten lunch and strawberries and she has gotten some of my homemade candles. She also turned me on to a church rummage sale where I did buck a bag hour and got some holiday presents, a sweater that should yield some fantastic yarn when unraveled. (I don't wear sweaters) (I also don't know how I got to be so freaking domestic) and a pair of jeans that don't fit. Hey buck a bag hour is cutthroat. I'm thinking I can sew them into usefulness (freaking domestic) but I'm not yet sure if I want to put forth the effort.
Of course I did also buy 2 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies there. I even broke my "No buying of junk food" rule for that. Still they're GS cookies. I'm out of orange tic tacs so I need a new source of sugary crack cocaine like goodness.
I'm still enjoying the benefits of Rite Aid rebates and this week's promotion of a food bar free with coupon. How silly of them to put the circulars with said coupon in the front of the store. The trouble is it's one per customer so I have had to use only one per trip. That's cut me down to 3 bars so far but I'm working on it. I use food bars or trail mix as my lunches at work so these things will have to taste pretty dreadful before I won't eat them.
I guess this is how I get by. Who else wants to give me stuff? :)
Saturday, April 14, 2007
A very discouraged post
I haven't posted lately because I am once again scraping the bottom of the checking account for the month and there were no coupons in the last paper and April is looking very, very long (at least I'm almost halfway through now!). Professional membership fees and workshop attendance are sucking money out of my budget very quickly (and, contrary to my parents' persistent belief, my employing institution does NOT spot me for those). The $32 for a fishing license didn't help (but I get a summer's worth of fun with my grandfather out of it, right?).
Oh, and putting a whitewater reservation for my vacation on my credit card is going to hurt when the bill comes in about a week.
I have food in my cupboards and freezer but it all takes time to make and between working weird hours and my suddenly busy evening social life of (free) church activities, I have no time to prepare any of it. I'm down to my last Ramen package. This is bad.
Bleak. Financial situation is bleak. I've been shoveling money into savings, but I fear that some of that is going to have to come back out.
May will be a new leaf! I swear it! I will buy 2 or 3 pairs of shorts either secondhand or at Gabe's, perhaps two summery blouses for work (again, secondhand or at Gabe's), and that will be it for clothes. My entertainment will be reading all of these books I have stacking up and going running. And planning my vacation to West Virginia in July. :) I have three months to figure out how to do a week in WV on next to no money! Suggestions welcome!
Oh, and putting a whitewater reservation for my vacation on my credit card is going to hurt when the bill comes in about a week.
I have food in my cupboards and freezer but it all takes time to make and between working weird hours and my suddenly busy evening social life of (free) church activities, I have no time to prepare any of it. I'm down to my last Ramen package. This is bad.
Bleak. Financial situation is bleak. I've been shoveling money into savings, but I fear that some of that is going to have to come back out.
May will be a new leaf! I swear it! I will buy 2 or 3 pairs of shorts either secondhand or at Gabe's, perhaps two summery blouses for work (again, secondhand or at Gabe's), and that will be it for clothes. My entertainment will be reading all of these books I have stacking up and going running. And planning my vacation to West Virginia in July. :) I have three months to figure out how to do a week in WV on next to no money! Suggestions welcome!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Experimentation
I am seeing more and more that successful skinflintery relies heavily on the ability and willingness to experiment. In the last few months I have experimented with:
lowering my heating bill by raising and lowering my thermostat, crocheting my own socks, stretching laundry detergent, making soap from the old wafers (I'd say the results were mixed [please ignore the pun]), freezing eggs and getting stuff for free by putting out the word you were in the market for it.
Right now I have several ideas in the works including putting myself on the good side of the old bon mott "You have to spend money to make money." I understand how this works however in the past it has been easier to make money by saving money. Now however my circumstances have changed and my ambition has widened I must change my tactics.
Like Kelly, I too have been experimenting with coupons, rebates and the like and have had some success. While I don't get the paper a little diligence online and in the stores has gotten me a half decent stash and persistence finally yielded a real newspaper coupon circular in one of the shopping carts that litter the town. I KNEW someone would be absentminded eventually! With rebates fortunately all you need is the store's circular and a sense of adventure. So far I have shelled out more than I really care to admit in the pursuit of nearly free goods and am now awaiting my check. I have saved all my receipts so that if the check does not arrive I can take the matter up with the customer service people. With any luck this will not need to be done.
One of my other experiments is of course finding and securing sources for more coupons. So far I have a humble exchange going with my co author here and I have been trying to cultivate one with my coworker/supervisor's wife. I have met her twice and she seemed a very nice friendly person so once I heard she was into couponing I started sending samples of my wares her way through her husband. Amazingly enough today while I was attempting to compose this entry she came in to visit her husband in passing and I was poised with another stack of coupons. We chatted amid ringing phones and we now have an exchange going! One successful experiment.
I'm also exploring a few other avenues for revenue. I have decided that it is no longer acceptable for me to not know where the nearest recycling center is since it seems like a lot of other people manage the half hour trip regularly enough. Once I did a little research though I discovered that they no longer pay for deposit bottles and cans. Now I know there is money in this. My new goal is to find a local scrap metal dealer for aluminum and steel cans and with any luck a place for glass and even plastic and paper. You may see me soon fighting off homeless people for cans along the side of the road!
What else am I experimenting on? Homemade chap stick, homemade candle wicks, selling candles, freebies, homemade designer moisturizers, guiding the conversion of my s/o, powdered milk, home grown food (in an apartment), yard sale hunting, making a price book and the ever popular tightwad diet.
lowering my heating bill by raising and lowering my thermostat, crocheting my own socks, stretching laundry detergent, making soap from the old wafers (I'd say the results were mixed [please ignore the pun]), freezing eggs and getting stuff for free by putting out the word you were in the market for it.
Right now I have several ideas in the works including putting myself on the good side of the old bon mott "You have to spend money to make money." I understand how this works however in the past it has been easier to make money by saving money. Now however my circumstances have changed and my ambition has widened I must change my tactics.
Like Kelly, I too have been experimenting with coupons, rebates and the like and have had some success. While I don't get the paper a little diligence online and in the stores has gotten me a half decent stash and persistence finally yielded a real newspaper coupon circular in one of the shopping carts that litter the town. I KNEW someone would be absentminded eventually! With rebates fortunately all you need is the store's circular and a sense of adventure. So far I have shelled out more than I really care to admit in the pursuit of nearly free goods and am now awaiting my check. I have saved all my receipts so that if the check does not arrive I can take the matter up with the customer service people. With any luck this will not need to be done.
One of my other experiments is of course finding and securing sources for more coupons. So far I have a humble exchange going with my co author here and I have been trying to cultivate one with my coworker/supervisor's wife. I have met her twice and she seemed a very nice friendly person so once I heard she was into couponing I started sending samples of my wares her way through her husband. Amazingly enough today while I was attempting to compose this entry she came in to visit her husband in passing and I was poised with another stack of coupons. We chatted amid ringing phones and we now have an exchange going! One successful experiment.
I'm also exploring a few other avenues for revenue. I have decided that it is no longer acceptable for me to not know where the nearest recycling center is since it seems like a lot of other people manage the half hour trip regularly enough. Once I did a little research though I discovered that they no longer pay for deposit bottles and cans. Now I know there is money in this. My new goal is to find a local scrap metal dealer for aluminum and steel cans and with any luck a place for glass and even plastic and paper. You may see me soon fighting off homeless people for cans along the side of the road!
What else am I experimenting on? Homemade chap stick, homemade candle wicks, selling candles, freebies, homemade designer moisturizers, guiding the conversion of my s/o, powdered milk, home grown food (in an apartment), yard sale hunting, making a price book and the ever popular tightwad diet.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Small triumphs
It has been a fruitful week in Kelly-saving-pennies land. It has not been so fruitful a week in Kelly-not-buying-expensive-clothes land, but we're going to focus on the positives here...
My coupon clipping and usage resulted in a savings of $6.50 in straight coupons and another $2.00 on top of that because the supermarket doubles coupons 99 cents and under. My total coupon savings (not counting sales) was therefore $8.50. I'll also be getting 17 cents off per gallon the next time I go to get gas, which should bring my total scrimping up to a nice even $10.00 or so. Hooray. I put a ten in the money jar. :)
Also along the coupon line, today's paper was a gold mine! There were FOUR coupon circulars in the Sunday paper. Some of them were pretty good, too. I have noticed that the product manufacturers usually time their coupons so one set expires the same week their new ones come out, which is convenient. I just always clip the coupons for items I use, and then I weed out the expired coupons as I file the new ones. This way I don't generally go out and buy a bunch of something when I don't particularly need it just because the coupon is going to expire soon (I make exceptions occasionally if it's a really good coupon). I know a fresh batch should be coming along to take its place. I use the coupons-- the coupons do not use me. :)
My penny bottle was filled up to the base of the neck (I use a SoBe bottle), so I rolled pennies this evening. I scored $7.50. I would have scored an even $8.00, but I'm four pennies short. Oh, well. The remainder will be a good starter for the next batch. Never pass up a penny on the sidewalk! Never! They add up!
So my money jar is already up to a tidy $25 again, and I think I'm making a trip to the bank tomorrow... though I might have to haul my bulky and dense deposit in a heavy-duty backpack.
I mentioned that I spent money on clothes today. Part of that was for a new pair of running shoes. I'm going to try to get in the habit of running in the park now that it stays daylight until past seven again. Aside from the initial outlay for shoes (get a good pair-- you don't want to hurt yourself with cheap ones, trust me), running is free and is really good for you (walking gives almost all of the same benefits without the impact factor and is also free). I then came home and pulled out my two little $3-at-Target weights and did some weights excercises to work on the arms and shoulders and tummy. A couple of hand dumbbells are possibly the best investment in frugal physical fitness that you can score-- they're cheap to begin with, they never wear out, and you can do about a million things with them. Just search online for weights workouts.
My coupon clipping and usage resulted in a savings of $6.50 in straight coupons and another $2.00 on top of that because the supermarket doubles coupons 99 cents and under. My total coupon savings (not counting sales) was therefore $8.50. I'll also be getting 17 cents off per gallon the next time I go to get gas, which should bring my total scrimping up to a nice even $10.00 or so. Hooray. I put a ten in the money jar. :)
Also along the coupon line, today's paper was a gold mine! There were FOUR coupon circulars in the Sunday paper. Some of them were pretty good, too. I have noticed that the product manufacturers usually time their coupons so one set expires the same week their new ones come out, which is convenient. I just always clip the coupons for items I use, and then I weed out the expired coupons as I file the new ones. This way I don't generally go out and buy a bunch of something when I don't particularly need it just because the coupon is going to expire soon (I make exceptions occasionally if it's a really good coupon). I know a fresh batch should be coming along to take its place. I use the coupons-- the coupons do not use me. :)
My penny bottle was filled up to the base of the neck (I use a SoBe bottle), so I rolled pennies this evening. I scored $7.50. I would have scored an even $8.00, but I'm four pennies short. Oh, well. The remainder will be a good starter for the next batch. Never pass up a penny on the sidewalk! Never! They add up!
So my money jar is already up to a tidy $25 again, and I think I'm making a trip to the bank tomorrow... though I might have to haul my bulky and dense deposit in a heavy-duty backpack.
I mentioned that I spent money on clothes today. Part of that was for a new pair of running shoes. I'm going to try to get in the habit of running in the park now that it stays daylight until past seven again. Aside from the initial outlay for shoes (get a good pair-- you don't want to hurt yourself with cheap ones, trust me), running is free and is really good for you (walking gives almost all of the same benefits without the impact factor and is also free). I then came home and pulled out my two little $3-at-Target weights and did some weights excercises to work on the arms and shoulders and tummy. A couple of hand dumbbells are possibly the best investment in frugal physical fitness that you can score-- they're cheap to begin with, they never wear out, and you can do about a million things with them. Just search online for weights workouts.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Spring Cleanup the Aftermath
Weeks one and two of Cleanup have passed and I've finally gotten all the extras out of my car. Like any good holiday Cleanup came early and left slightly before the participants became sad, used up hulks.
My goals this year were an exercise bike, a skateboard, bookshelf, and outdoor privacy screen. The first 2 items were for me the second 2 for friends. Now I know that true, pure frugal exercise is a quiet walk however I cannot bring myself to think of this as anything but a distant and far too public second to the treadmills in the 3 person gym in my old college dorm. I find that any activity that involves that much sweating, jiggling and self conciousness should really be kept private.
Sometimes my life is like a movie. To the tune of Credence Clearwater Revival's Green River I took the grocery store by storm and scored name brand cereal for less than the price of bagged generic thanks to a sale and a cupon. The checker had to make sure this was ok (I knew it would be) but I considered this a positive investment of my time in grooming the cashier. Up the hill and CCR's Up Around the Bend I saw it. An exercise bike. This bike was providence, Calypso, a really good cheese steak all in one! The silver beauty was only a few yards from my own front door! A quick once over revealed that whatever it was that created resistance was malfunctioning but otherwise the beautious bike was fine. The repair should be simple. I lugged the bike across the street and around the block and realized that this equipment was old school...not in the good way.
The original inventors of the exercise bike were much like the inventors of the wheel in that they believed that the best results could be obtained if the wheel were something you could also grind axes with. A great, heavy millstone of a front wheel was beginning to wear down my enthusiasm. Just a few more yards. I began to estimate the weight of the freebie bike. The heaviest thing I know I can lift is my boyfriend who claims to be over 200 pounds. I'm not sure I could take him anywhere but I can lift him. The bike I deicded was somewhere around 100 pounds. If I dragged the contraption it would be glitter and rubber in the concrete before I made it 6 feet. I balanced the seat on one arm and the handles on the other and shuffeled a few more steps with while my prized cereal swung like a psychotic sugar filled pendulum from one of the handles. It began to rain. CCR asked me if I had ever seen the rain and I cursed them roundly in my head while straining and whimpering outloud. Sometimes my life is like a movie.
I made it to the front door with no internal injuries and remembered how it is that my appartment helps me stay frugal. My apartment is on the 3rd floor. I view all potential purchases as something to carry up 2 and 1/2 flights of steps. I suppose if I were a more free spender I wouldn't need an exercise bike. I took my cereal and work bag to the 3rd landing only half a flight from my appt. They would be fine there.
The best way I could work out to get up the steps with this thing was to put the back half on the step above and balance the millstone/wheel against my body while I ascended the next. The Dixie Chicks wanted a cowboy to take them away. I felt their pain and began talking to myself.
On landing 2 I left the albatross behind and dumped my coat on landing 3. My territory where my hat, bags, coat and self respect lay waiting for me to retrieve them. On the way back down I wondered why I had chosen the frugal life when nice plastic bikes were waiting in Sears to be picked up and weighed no more than a nice fluffy puppy. The bike glittered. "We're certainly getting our excercise now!"
On the second flight of steps I achieved a zen state and channeled the Dahli Lama. "I got this bike for excercise, look how well it's working!" Music filled my ears and sweat beaded on my forehead. My pathetic struggle became a tragi/comedy with a down home soundtrack. I reached the 3rd landing elated. I would leave the bike there and if it could not be fixed I wouldn't have to take it down as far. Endorphins surged, the bike glittered and the Dixie Chicks sang "When it's my turn to march up to glory... I'm gonna have one hell of a story!" I smiled deciding I had earned iced cream for dinner. Like I said, sometimes my life is like a movie.
The rest of cleanup was profitable if less eventful. I saw a lot of things I wish I had a need for particularly in the second week. I took care of a few gifts for later in the year and found a nice big pot that I'm hoping to grow foodstuffs in. Still looking for that skateboard. I learned to always travel in the car for cleanup since you never know what you'll find and when in doubt grab it. The bike is now in my apartment awaiting repairs and if those fail then I can at least sharpen axes with it.
My goals this year were an exercise bike, a skateboard, bookshelf, and outdoor privacy screen. The first 2 items were for me the second 2 for friends. Now I know that true, pure frugal exercise is a quiet walk however I cannot bring myself to think of this as anything but a distant and far too public second to the treadmills in the 3 person gym in my old college dorm. I find that any activity that involves that much sweating, jiggling and self conciousness should really be kept private.
Sometimes my life is like a movie. To the tune of Credence Clearwater Revival's Green River I took the grocery store by storm and scored name brand cereal for less than the price of bagged generic thanks to a sale and a cupon. The checker had to make sure this was ok (I knew it would be) but I considered this a positive investment of my time in grooming the cashier. Up the hill and CCR's Up Around the Bend I saw it. An exercise bike. This bike was providence, Calypso, a really good cheese steak all in one! The silver beauty was only a few yards from my own front door! A quick once over revealed that whatever it was that created resistance was malfunctioning but otherwise the beautious bike was fine. The repair should be simple. I lugged the bike across the street and around the block and realized that this equipment was old school...not in the good way.
The original inventors of the exercise bike were much like the inventors of the wheel in that they believed that the best results could be obtained if the wheel were something you could also grind axes with. A great, heavy millstone of a front wheel was beginning to wear down my enthusiasm. Just a few more yards. I began to estimate the weight of the freebie bike. The heaviest thing I know I can lift is my boyfriend who claims to be over 200 pounds. I'm not sure I could take him anywhere but I can lift him. The bike I deicded was somewhere around 100 pounds. If I dragged the contraption it would be glitter and rubber in the concrete before I made it 6 feet. I balanced the seat on one arm and the handles on the other and shuffeled a few more steps with while my prized cereal swung like a psychotic sugar filled pendulum from one of the handles. It began to rain. CCR asked me if I had ever seen the rain and I cursed them roundly in my head while straining and whimpering outloud. Sometimes my life is like a movie.
I made it to the front door with no internal injuries and remembered how it is that my appartment helps me stay frugal. My apartment is on the 3rd floor. I view all potential purchases as something to carry up 2 and 1/2 flights of steps. I suppose if I were a more free spender I wouldn't need an exercise bike. I took my cereal and work bag to the 3rd landing only half a flight from my appt. They would be fine there.
The best way I could work out to get up the steps with this thing was to put the back half on the step above and balance the millstone/wheel against my body while I ascended the next. The Dixie Chicks wanted a cowboy to take them away. I felt their pain and began talking to myself.
On landing 2 I left the albatross behind and dumped my coat on landing 3. My territory where my hat, bags, coat and self respect lay waiting for me to retrieve them. On the way back down I wondered why I had chosen the frugal life when nice plastic bikes were waiting in Sears to be picked up and weighed no more than a nice fluffy puppy. The bike glittered. "We're certainly getting our excercise now!"
On the second flight of steps I achieved a zen state and channeled the Dahli Lama. "I got this bike for excercise, look how well it's working!" Music filled my ears and sweat beaded on my forehead. My pathetic struggle became a tragi/comedy with a down home soundtrack. I reached the 3rd landing elated. I would leave the bike there and if it could not be fixed I wouldn't have to take it down as far. Endorphins surged, the bike glittered and the Dixie Chicks sang "When it's my turn to march up to glory... I'm gonna have one hell of a story!" I smiled deciding I had earned iced cream for dinner. Like I said, sometimes my life is like a movie.
The rest of cleanup was profitable if less eventful. I saw a lot of things I wish I had a need for particularly in the second week. I took care of a few gifts for later in the year and found a nice big pot that I'm hoping to grow foodstuffs in. Still looking for that skateboard. I learned to always travel in the car for cleanup since you never know what you'll find and when in doubt grab it. The bike is now in my apartment awaiting repairs and if those fail then I can at least sharpen axes with it.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Spare change and freebie heads-up!
Okay, first the freebie, since that's most exciting. I found a notice in the coupon section of yesterday's paper that Rita's Ice is giving away FREE regular Italian Ices on Wednesday, March 21st. There's one right down the hill from me, so I'm psyched. See http://www.ritasice.com for more details. I remember TCBY partnered with Yahoo! and gave all Yahoo! e-mail users a free waffle cone on the first day of spring a couple of years ago, so keep your eyes peeled for free ice cream on the vernal equinox. :D
Okay. So my small triumph! I have a money jar. I highly recommend that everyone have a money jar. A money jar is where you toss your excess change or one's. When you get back from the grocery store, pull out your receipt and see how much you saved with coupons and your shopper rewards card. If you saved $3, put $3 in your money jar. If you resist the temptation to buy a Diet Coke at the vending machine at the mall and use a water fountain instead, put the $1.20 you would have spent into your money jar. You get the idea.
Well, I emptied out my money jar this morning and took the contents to the bank. The teller was very nice but made sure to give me a big wad of coin rollers so I never do this to her again. Anyway, I was able to deposit $42.85! It went straight into my high-interest savings account. Hooray!
Okay. So my small triumph! I have a money jar. I highly recommend that everyone have a money jar. A money jar is where you toss your excess change or one's. When you get back from the grocery store, pull out your receipt and see how much you saved with coupons and your shopper rewards card. If you saved $3, put $3 in your money jar. If you resist the temptation to buy a Diet Coke at the vending machine at the mall and use a water fountain instead, put the $1.20 you would have spent into your money jar. You get the idea.
Well, I emptied out my money jar this morning and took the contents to the bank. The teller was very nice but made sure to give me a big wad of coin rollers so I never do this to her again. Anyway, I was able to deposit $42.85! It went straight into my high-interest savings account. Hooray!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Intro and Spring Cleanup
I have never ground flour from feed store stock! Of course if I happen to find the tools to do so at a yard sale sometime... well... My frugality does not yet extend to grinding my own flour with 2 rocks. I'm pretty sure that falls under the category of saving money on dentist's bills.
Yes I do delve into the realm of frugal insanity on occasion. Perhaps this is because I am utterly comfortable with the term weird. Perhaps this is because having lots of money in the checking account reduces the need for tedious mathematical calculations of how many bills I can pay before the money runs out. Perhaps this is because I have dragon ancestry and need a horde to lay on to truly be fulfilled as a person. Perhaps I think too much. Come with Kelly and me on our journey.
The trip just happens to begin 2 days before the start of the best tightwad holiday I have yet encountered! On Friday this town holds part 1 of Spring Cleanup.
Feel that subtle tingle in your fingers? That's adrenaline.
It's Christmas multiplied by recycling! It's the joy of the hunt combined with the thrill (and occasional peril) of go-carting with your bloodthirsty friends! Spring Cleanup, when the good and occasionally wasteful, people of this town turn their houses upside down and put all unwanted items on the curb for an annual trash pickup. This magical time of the year is when every redneck with a beat up pickup descends to do a little shopping.
Many towns hold events like this to help their residents clear out their homes and I suppose keep garbage from collecting off the sides of large cliffs. There are rules like no tires, no chemicals, no freon and no paint which as a bargain hunter I tend to appreciate.
Why do I love Spring Cleanup so? Other than a deep and abiding love for free things? Well for one it is just as free as dumpster diving without the social stigma. One nice gent helped me load the top of his old, all wood kitchen table after I'd taken the legs and chairs. He then offered me a nice set of speakers with a short that his son had been unable to locate.
For another there is the adrenaline rush of trying to beat everyone else to the good stuff. I didn't get the wrought iron chairs from the Presby church but I did get the octagon end table which no matter how many skeins are tossed my way always manages to fit my yarn collection. Magic like that can't be bought. The other adrenaline rush comes from the fact that you are cruising through some of the town's main streets at a cool 2 miles per hour when you can and 25 when someone is behind you all the while scanning the pavement for "good stuff".
I also enjoy the creative challenge, this stuff is meant for the dump after all so not all of it is in pristine condition. I have sanded, painted, bleached and washed while kind relatives replaced fixtures or soldered. Some things can't be fixed or at least not by me but it's worth a try and you may learn something in the attempt.
One thing you have to respect is that you put in no investment, and therefore have no commitment. If you pick up and end table on one street and find a better one on the next you just swap them. If you spot something you like but would never actually buy... guess what it's free! The worst possible scenario is that you don't like it and have to hang on to it for a year until next cleanup.
I outfitted my first apartment largely with items gleaned from Cleanup. This year I'll have to be a bit more selective but I may still use the first apartment line. It seems to make people more sympathetic. When I'm done, I can kick back and watch out the window in the gathering dark as rusty pickups play ant farm up side streets and across town with old washing machines in their beds. Tomorrow I will wash, tonight life is good.
Yes I do delve into the realm of frugal insanity on occasion. Perhaps this is because I am utterly comfortable with the term weird. Perhaps this is because having lots of money in the checking account reduces the need for tedious mathematical calculations of how many bills I can pay before the money runs out. Perhaps this is because I have dragon ancestry and need a horde to lay on to truly be fulfilled as a person. Perhaps I think too much. Come with Kelly and me on our journey.
The trip just happens to begin 2 days before the start of the best tightwad holiday I have yet encountered! On Friday this town holds part 1 of Spring Cleanup.
Feel that subtle tingle in your fingers? That's adrenaline.
It's Christmas multiplied by recycling! It's the joy of the hunt combined with the thrill (and occasional peril) of go-carting with your bloodthirsty friends! Spring Cleanup, when the good and occasionally wasteful, people of this town turn their houses upside down and put all unwanted items on the curb for an annual trash pickup. This magical time of the year is when every redneck with a beat up pickup descends to do a little shopping.
Many towns hold events like this to help their residents clear out their homes and I suppose keep garbage from collecting off the sides of large cliffs. There are rules like no tires, no chemicals, no freon and no paint which as a bargain hunter I tend to appreciate.
Why do I love Spring Cleanup so? Other than a deep and abiding love for free things? Well for one it is just as free as dumpster diving without the social stigma. One nice gent helped me load the top of his old, all wood kitchen table after I'd taken the legs and chairs. He then offered me a nice set of speakers with a short that his son had been unable to locate.
For another there is the adrenaline rush of trying to beat everyone else to the good stuff. I didn't get the wrought iron chairs from the Presby church but I did get the octagon end table which no matter how many skeins are tossed my way always manages to fit my yarn collection. Magic like that can't be bought. The other adrenaline rush comes from the fact that you are cruising through some of the town's main streets at a cool 2 miles per hour when you can and 25 when someone is behind you all the while scanning the pavement for "good stuff".
I also enjoy the creative challenge, this stuff is meant for the dump after all so not all of it is in pristine condition. I have sanded, painted, bleached and washed while kind relatives replaced fixtures or soldered. Some things can't be fixed or at least not by me but it's worth a try and you may learn something in the attempt.
One thing you have to respect is that you put in no investment, and therefore have no commitment. If you pick up and end table on one street and find a better one on the next you just swap them. If you spot something you like but would never actually buy... guess what it's free! The worst possible scenario is that you don't like it and have to hang on to it for a year until next cleanup.
I outfitted my first apartment largely with items gleaned from Cleanup. This year I'll have to be a bit more selective but I may still use the first apartment line. It seems to make people more sympathetic. When I'm done, I can kick back and watch out the window in the gathering dark as rusty pickups play ant farm up side streets and across town with old washing machines in their beds. Tomorrow I will wash, tonight life is good.
Keeping sickness costs down
As if being sick weren't enough fun on its own, physical illness can take a financial toll, as well. As you've probably noticed already, meds are EXPENSIVE. Unless you have pretty generous sick time at work, you could also be dealing with lost income.
So here are my unglamorous but easy tips for not running up a high NyQuill and Kleenexes bill.
* WASH YOUR HANDS. A LOT. Wash your hands all of the time. After the restroom and before you eat (of course). After using a public computer. After using a public door. If it's just been a while since the last time you washed your hands. And because frequent washing can dry out your skin and hand lotion is also expensive, head to the dollar store and pick up some hand sanitizer to fill in between real washings. Use it obsessively. Become a germophobe. Three dollars for hand sanitizer and soap sure beats $17 for DayQuil, NyQuil, Kleenexes, and cough drops.
* DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE AND ESPECIALLY DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES. A lot of germs enter the body that way.
* GET PLENTY OF SLEEP. Eight hours may seem unreachable, but you will have more energy and a stronger immune system, too. Besides, when you're sleeping, you're not spending money! Double savings!
* CUT BACK ON THE ALCOHOL. I know, I'm a killjoy. But booze hampers your immune system and can be expensive, too. :) Double savings!
* EXERCISE. It strengthens more than just the stuff you can see. It boosts your immune system along with your muscles.
* AVOID SICK PEOPLE. This is not always possible, but when you can, stay away from people who are coughing, sneezing, and sniffling. Give them a wide berth. Hold your breath til you're past. You know. :)
So here are my unglamorous but easy tips for not running up a high NyQuill and Kleenexes bill.
* WASH YOUR HANDS. A LOT. Wash your hands all of the time. After the restroom and before you eat (of course). After using a public computer. After using a public door. If it's just been a while since the last time you washed your hands. And because frequent washing can dry out your skin and hand lotion is also expensive, head to the dollar store and pick up some hand sanitizer to fill in between real washings. Use it obsessively. Become a germophobe. Three dollars for hand sanitizer and soap sure beats $17 for DayQuil, NyQuil, Kleenexes, and cough drops.
* DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE AND ESPECIALLY DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES. A lot of germs enter the body that way.
* GET PLENTY OF SLEEP. Eight hours may seem unreachable, but you will have more energy and a stronger immune system, too. Besides, when you're sleeping, you're not spending money! Double savings!
* CUT BACK ON THE ALCOHOL. I know, I'm a killjoy. But booze hampers your immune system and can be expensive, too. :) Double savings!
* EXERCISE. It strengthens more than just the stuff you can see. It boosts your immune system along with your muscles.
* AVOID SICK PEOPLE. This is not always possible, but when you can, stay away from people who are coughing, sneezing, and sniffling. Give them a wide berth. Hold your breath til you're past. You know. :)
Monday, March 12, 2007
So, yeah!
Here's to saving money! Because who doesn't need more money, right? Whether you're cursing your four years of education while pulling turnarounds at the local convenience store or just wondering how you're supposed to make rent, get out of student debt, AND have a security cushion in place, you probably wish you had some more moolah from time to time. I know I do.
So here's the idea: My best friend and I (if I can convince her to join up) are going to share our adventures and insights in stretching a dollar farther and funner. She takes frugality to a whole new level and will inspire you with her tactics; I'm more for the soft-core types who are okay with brown bagging it to lunch but not so much with some of the more extreme measures (like buying grain at a feed store and grinding it into flour in the kitchen).
Stay tuned. It'll be fun.
So here's the idea: My best friend and I (if I can convince her to join up) are going to share our adventures and insights in stretching a dollar farther and funner. She takes frugality to a whole new level and will inspire you with her tactics; I'm more for the soft-core types who are okay with brown bagging it to lunch but not so much with some of the more extreme measures (like buying grain at a feed store and grinding it into flour in the kitchen).
Stay tuned. It'll be fun.
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