Dear Kelly,
Yes, I am in fact still alive. My finances are also doing rather well in a general sense but I'll admit that they're also a blur. My new job came with a new paycheck that has made me rather happy as has the fall in gas prices both nationwide and as a result of my move to a cheaper fuel area. These facts are almost enough to justify my multiple monthly 8 hours on the turnpike to see my new husband.
I'm crashing in my Aunts (canary yellow) spare room until I find a place to call my own so I have few expenses. This almost justifies the massive cash hemorrhage that actually going out with my Aunt in the evening seems to cause.
Of course just when I have a handle on my average paycheck December rolls around and I need to elect how much to put into the company 401K, and how much supplemental insurance to get. Accident insurance sounds like a rather good idea in my line of work and recreation. Sickness seems like a reasonable idea since accident doesn't cover tetanus... I see a lot of rust in my line of work.
The cost of living out here is much higher (rent in a decent neighborhood can easily run $900 a month) and I'm driving a lot more. I've done some house hunting but the economy falling to pieces is deterring me from making any hasty moves.
I admit it, I'm in a holding pattern financially and my only certainty is that it is a terribly inconvenient time to be in your 20's, but I don't intend to stay here so tune in next week (or whenever) for my exciting adventures.
Overwhelmedly!,
Althea
Friday, December 19, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Clothes (mostly)
Um, wow, so it's been... over... 3 months since our last post. We haven't forgotten you, Blog, we promise. We've just been busy. I've been trying to live through a couple of graduate-level business classes (long story) and Althea has been trying to live through getting and starting to be married.
But I actually have some bloggy, thrifty news and tips to share. First, in tragic news, my favorite clothing store is going out of business. Actually, this might be good news, because this is the store that could wheedle $100 out of my wallet faster than you could sell a beer to an alcoholic, but it still makes me sad. Where am I supposed to go to buy work clothes that fit my little self now? I can't afford The Limited, American Eagle doesn't carry office-wear, and nothing at J.C. Penny's, Sears, or Macy's comes in my size. Oh, well. The silver lining to this dreary cloud is that they have slashed 60-70% off of everything in order to liquidate their inventory. My mom and I went for one last hurrah yesterday. I sat down with my receipt when I got home and totaled up the regular retail price for all of my purchases and realized that I would, under normal circumstances, have had to pay about $260 for those items. Fortunately, I did not pay that much. :)
Second, you should really go buy this month's Glamour (yes, the one with Britney Spears on the cover). Normally their fashion tips are either a bit of a yawn or a bit outrageous, but this month they have a feature entitled "100 Perfect Outfits (That Are Already in Your Closet)." It's full of fantastic ways to mix and match clothes in ways that I, for one, would not have dreamed up on my own but am actually anxious to try now that I have seen them. It would never have occurred to me, for instance, to pull a sweater on over top of my basic sheath dress and use the dress as a skirt... or to layer a white shirt underneath the same sheath dress to give it more of a work-vibe than a cocktails-vibe. They look at pieces that most people have lying around in some form or other and show you ways to make those pieces work in lots of situations. My fantasy alter ego, the one with a capsule wardrobe a la a sophisticated (but bathed) French girl, just quadrupled her wardrobe options.
Third, and most fantastically, I have learned a way to remove the gross and nasty yellow sweat stains from the armpits of clothes! IT IS SO EASY. Here is what you do: take one part white vinegar and one part water and put them together. Take a sponge or a corner of a towel or something like that and dab this vinegar solution on the stain. It will disappear. That's it. I was skeptical, but I tried this on a white eyelet sundress last night. I haven't worn it in ages because of the nasty stains, but I loved the dress too much to throw it out. Now I am really, really glad that I didn't, because it has a brand-new lease on life... and I am all set in case the boyfriend and I ever need to elope. ;)
Tune in next time for ideas on how to decorate your walls with cool art/photography for next to nothing!
But I actually have some bloggy, thrifty news and tips to share. First, in tragic news, my favorite clothing store is going out of business. Actually, this might be good news, because this is the store that could wheedle $100 out of my wallet faster than you could sell a beer to an alcoholic, but it still makes me sad. Where am I supposed to go to buy work clothes that fit my little self now? I can't afford The Limited, American Eagle doesn't carry office-wear, and nothing at J.C. Penny's, Sears, or Macy's comes in my size. Oh, well. The silver lining to this dreary cloud is that they have slashed 60-70% off of everything in order to liquidate their inventory. My mom and I went for one last hurrah yesterday. I sat down with my receipt when I got home and totaled up the regular retail price for all of my purchases and realized that I would, under normal circumstances, have had to pay about $260 for those items. Fortunately, I did not pay that much. :)
Second, you should really go buy this month's Glamour (yes, the one with Britney Spears on the cover). Normally their fashion tips are either a bit of a yawn or a bit outrageous, but this month they have a feature entitled "100 Perfect Outfits (That Are Already in Your Closet)." It's full of fantastic ways to mix and match clothes in ways that I, for one, would not have dreamed up on my own but am actually anxious to try now that I have seen them. It would never have occurred to me, for instance, to pull a sweater on over top of my basic sheath dress and use the dress as a skirt... or to layer a white shirt underneath the same sheath dress to give it more of a work-vibe than a cocktails-vibe. They look at pieces that most people have lying around in some form or other and show you ways to make those pieces work in lots of situations. My fantasy alter ego, the one with a capsule wardrobe a la a sophisticated (but bathed) French girl, just quadrupled her wardrobe options.
Third, and most fantastically, I have learned a way to remove the gross and nasty yellow sweat stains from the armpits of clothes! IT IS SO EASY. Here is what you do: take one part white vinegar and one part water and put them together. Take a sponge or a corner of a towel or something like that and dab this vinegar solution on the stain. It will disappear. That's it. I was skeptical, but I tried this on a white eyelet sundress last night. I haven't worn it in ages because of the nasty stains, but I loved the dress too much to throw it out. Now I am really, really glad that I didn't, because it has a brand-new lease on life... and I am all set in case the boyfriend and I ever need to elope. ;)
Tune in next time for ideas on how to decorate your walls with cool art/photography for next to nothing!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
A busy girl (or guy's) life
So... it has been a busy summer. It has been an expensive summer. I have been to more weddings than I ever anticipated in the course of the last few months (two to go this fall!), and I am almost halfway through my first class in an MBA program. Yes, I am in Financial Accounting. No, I'm not sure that I'm going to pass. But you know what? Balancing my checkbook doesn't terrify me nearly as much these days.
My fella has started volunteering as an assistant high school football coach, so we are busy folks and don't get to spend as much time together as we would like. The last thing that we need to add is unnecessary financial stress or unhealthy foods that are going to compromise our health or energy. So over Labor Day weekend, we loaded up both of our crockpots to take with us to his house-sitting gig. After church, we sat down with a cookbook, made a shopping list, hit the grocery store, and made two crockpot dinners and a casserole and divided it all up into single-serving portions to put in our freezers. The time that we actually spent on the prep and dividing up probably totalled less than an hour, and we were together, so it was fun.
We each spent about $18 and got 4 or 5 healthy dinners out of it. Hey, it's cheaper and much healthier than McDonald's! We could have trimmed costs farther, but this particular grocery store didn't have any almost-expired meat. It is easy for me to throw a frozen meal in my work bag when I have a night shift, and it's easy for him to throw one in the microwave when he gets home from work and practice and is totally beat. We're planning to make the joint batch-cooking a weekend habit. Since we're both pretty stressed most of the week, it helps a lot to know that we don't have to worry about scrounging around for dinner.
We love our crockpots. So does this lady. Check out her blog... it is awesome. She is my personal inspiration.
My fella has started volunteering as an assistant high school football coach, so we are busy folks and don't get to spend as much time together as we would like. The last thing that we need to add is unnecessary financial stress or unhealthy foods that are going to compromise our health or energy. So over Labor Day weekend, we loaded up both of our crockpots to take with us to his house-sitting gig. After church, we sat down with a cookbook, made a shopping list, hit the grocery store, and made two crockpot dinners and a casserole and divided it all up into single-serving portions to put in our freezers. The time that we actually spent on the prep and dividing up probably totalled less than an hour, and we were together, so it was fun.
We each spent about $18 and got 4 or 5 healthy dinners out of it. Hey, it's cheaper and much healthier than McDonald's! We could have trimmed costs farther, but this particular grocery store didn't have any almost-expired meat. It is easy for me to throw a frozen meal in my work bag when I have a night shift, and it's easy for him to throw one in the microwave when he gets home from work and practice and is totally beat. We're planning to make the joint batch-cooking a weekend habit. Since we're both pretty stressed most of the week, it helps a lot to know that we don't have to worry about scrounging around for dinner.
We love our crockpots. So does this lady. Check out her blog... it is awesome. She is my personal inspiration.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Spending to save
Some thoughts on how an initial outlay of cash can save you money in the long run (sometimes)...
Sometimes it just makes sense to spend money.
Yesterday I had to take my car to the shop AGAIN. I just poured $632.66 into her a month and a half before (brakes and exhaust systems are important and, apparently, pricey) and was still reeling from that financial blow. I was worried about a metallic scraping sound that I heard every time I made a left turn. I was worried about the cost, but I am also a big believer in fixing little problems before they grow into big problems or before, say, your front left wheel falls off as you are zipping down the highway at 60 miles an hour. My boyfriend and I discussed our preventative maintenance philosophy on the way back from dropping my car off. Do I believe that my car needs the $400 tune-up the Honda dealer tried to sell me? No. Do I change my oil religiously every 3,000 miles? Yes. As he put it, a friend of his who knew something about cars had told him once "If it comes down to you can afford to eat OR you can afford to change the oil... you change the oil." Of course, we both try very hard to make sure that we're never in THAT position, but it illustrates my point.
Fortunately, the sound appeared to be a bent dust shield scraping a rotor-- nothing to worry about, just annoying, and they bent it back into shape for free! :)
Other times that an initial outlay can save you money:
* Personal grooming implements. I like to have neat eyebrows. I have very dark hair and fairly pale skin, so it shows if I don't keep after them. I love my relatively expensive tweezers and recently purchased a little brush and scissors set that I am still figuring out exactly how to use. Each was probably $10-15. That seems steep... until you think about dropping $10 every time you get your brows waxed at a salon. I am still working on achieving the perfect upper arch... but things are getting better and I recoup my outlay in about three months. My tweezers and $4 eyelash curler have worked great for me for four years-- though I should probably get some replacement cushions for the curler and see if there's an easy way to sharpen the tweezers a bit. :) But $30 every 4-5 years vs. $10 every month or six weeks is a pretty easy one to call.
* Oil changes. Nasty things happen to your engine if you don't keep after these. Same goes for tires-- oil changes and tires are worth staying on top of. You don't want your engine to self-destruct, and you certainly don't want to go skidding off of the road into a tree.
* A good thermos, water bottle, and filter pitcher. I take my own thermos of coffee to work every day (the machine in the lounge charges 50 cents for a mugful!) and also bring a 32-ounce bottle of water from my filter pitcher (the vending machine at work charges $1.25 for a 20-oz bottle, and I can't stand the tap water). I recouped my costs on those long ago.
* A DVD player! Have you gone to a movie theater lately?! It's MUCH cheaper to stay home and rent! At about $10 a ticket and considering the falling cost of DVD players, yours will pay for itself in about three dates. Three. Less, if you are into buying popcorn from the concession stand!
* In my case, a digital converter box. The remainder of the purchase price after the government coupon is less than I would pay for a month of cable service. If times get hard in the next year or so, I may be glad that I made the $40 investment so I can at least watch The King of Queens in the evenings.
* Quite possibly a new pair of work shoes. I don't want to retire my old black ones, but my feet have been giving me problems lately and I fear that the totally shot soles of the shoes I wear 300 days a year may be a contributing factor. Better to spend $50 now than have podiatrist bills later. :)
* This is somewhat debatable, but think about reusable feminine hygiene products. A Diva Cup or similar will cost a little less than $30, but it will last for years, as opposed to a $6 box of tampons that will last you a couple of months. I intend to discuss the option with my doctor at my next appointment; I like mine a lot, but there are some (unproven) concerns floating around the Web that they may have a connection to endometriosis. One option is to use a cup during the day but other forms of "protection" at night; this combination of methods could minimize any theoretical risk but also provide a lot of the convenience and savings benefits.
These are just a few examples. There are many, many more, and they will vary from person to person. For instance, I have a suspicion that a washer and dryer would fit this category for many people. If you have easy access to laundry facilities, you don't need to buy as many clothes to stretch your laundry days out, and I'm sure the utilities to operate them would add up to less than what you feed into the machines at a laundromat. In my current situation, it's not feasible, but I look forward to having my own laundry room someday. :)
Sometimes it just makes sense to spend money.
Yesterday I had to take my car to the shop AGAIN. I just poured $632.66 into her a month and a half before (brakes and exhaust systems are important and, apparently, pricey) and was still reeling from that financial blow. I was worried about a metallic scraping sound that I heard every time I made a left turn. I was worried about the cost, but I am also a big believer in fixing little problems before they grow into big problems or before, say, your front left wheel falls off as you are zipping down the highway at 60 miles an hour. My boyfriend and I discussed our preventative maintenance philosophy on the way back from dropping my car off. Do I believe that my car needs the $400 tune-up the Honda dealer tried to sell me? No. Do I change my oil religiously every 3,000 miles? Yes. As he put it, a friend of his who knew something about cars had told him once "If it comes down to you can afford to eat OR you can afford to change the oil... you change the oil." Of course, we both try very hard to make sure that we're never in THAT position, but it illustrates my point.
Fortunately, the sound appeared to be a bent dust shield scraping a rotor-- nothing to worry about, just annoying, and they bent it back into shape for free! :)
Other times that an initial outlay can save you money:
* Personal grooming implements. I like to have neat eyebrows. I have very dark hair and fairly pale skin, so it shows if I don't keep after them. I love my relatively expensive tweezers and recently purchased a little brush and scissors set that I am still figuring out exactly how to use. Each was probably $10-15. That seems steep... until you think about dropping $10 every time you get your brows waxed at a salon. I am still working on achieving the perfect upper arch... but things are getting better and I recoup my outlay in about three months. My tweezers and $4 eyelash curler have worked great for me for four years-- though I should probably get some replacement cushions for the curler and see if there's an easy way to sharpen the tweezers a bit. :) But $30 every 4-5 years vs. $10 every month or six weeks is a pretty easy one to call.
* Oil changes. Nasty things happen to your engine if you don't keep after these. Same goes for tires-- oil changes and tires are worth staying on top of. You don't want your engine to self-destruct, and you certainly don't want to go skidding off of the road into a tree.
* A good thermos, water bottle, and filter pitcher. I take my own thermos of coffee to work every day (the machine in the lounge charges 50 cents for a mugful!) and also bring a 32-ounce bottle of water from my filter pitcher (the vending machine at work charges $1.25 for a 20-oz bottle, and I can't stand the tap water). I recouped my costs on those long ago.
* A DVD player! Have you gone to a movie theater lately?! It's MUCH cheaper to stay home and rent! At about $10 a ticket and considering the falling cost of DVD players, yours will pay for itself in about three dates. Three. Less, if you are into buying popcorn from the concession stand!
* In my case, a digital converter box. The remainder of the purchase price after the government coupon is less than I would pay for a month of cable service. If times get hard in the next year or so, I may be glad that I made the $40 investment so I can at least watch The King of Queens in the evenings.
* Quite possibly a new pair of work shoes. I don't want to retire my old black ones, but my feet have been giving me problems lately and I fear that the totally shot soles of the shoes I wear 300 days a year may be a contributing factor. Better to spend $50 now than have podiatrist bills later. :)
* This is somewhat debatable, but think about reusable feminine hygiene products. A Diva Cup or similar will cost a little less than $30, but it will last for years, as opposed to a $6 box of tampons that will last you a couple of months. I intend to discuss the option with my doctor at my next appointment; I like mine a lot, but there are some (unproven) concerns floating around the Web that they may have a connection to endometriosis. One option is to use a cup during the day but other forms of "protection" at night; this combination of methods could minimize any theoretical risk but also provide a lot of the convenience and savings benefits.
These are just a few examples. There are many, many more, and they will vary from person to person. For instance, I have a suspicion that a washer and dryer would fit this category for many people. If you have easy access to laundry facilities, you don't need to buy as many clothes to stretch your laundry days out, and I'm sure the utilities to operate them would add up to less than what you feed into the machines at a laundromat. In my current situation, it's not feasible, but I look forward to having my own laundry room someday. :)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
I'm in the money!
Dear Kelly,
Let the good times roll!
Well in the game of how long can I make the cash in my wallet stay there it was about a week or 2 before all my earnings evaporated into another ATM withdrawal.
About half of it went towards shipping books and crafts that I've sold so I can't complain since I'll be getting that money back eventually but then a friend had a BYO specialty Beer party and that took the last half plus a little. Of course, that's not why I'm celebrating.
The first good event was finally going down to the scrap yard and turning in my bags of aluminum cans (and one of an old gutter someone threw out) and making a grand total of $18.05. Sure I can't even fill my gas tank on that but it will keep my wallet from growling with hunger for a little while...if I don't drive anywhere.
After that I finally rolled all the dimes that had begun to spill out of the barbell style glass I had been saving them in. Now I really can fill my gas tank because I had saved a cool $170! Of course as per my agreement with myself it's going into savings where I hope not to touch it.
Also I've done a little work for my old employer since I became employment sold separately girl and I think my boss took a little pity on me and threw a little cash my way for services rendered.
Sincerely,
Instant Karma Rocks my Christmas Socks, Althea.
Let the good times roll!
Well in the game of how long can I make the cash in my wallet stay there it was about a week or 2 before all my earnings evaporated into another ATM withdrawal.
About half of it went towards shipping books and crafts that I've sold so I can't complain since I'll be getting that money back eventually but then a friend had a BYO specialty Beer party and that took the last half plus a little. Of course, that's not why I'm celebrating.
The first good event was finally going down to the scrap yard and turning in my bags of aluminum cans (and one of an old gutter someone threw out) and making a grand total of $18.05. Sure I can't even fill my gas tank on that but it will keep my wallet from growling with hunger for a little while...if I don't drive anywhere.
After that I finally rolled all the dimes that had begun to spill out of the barbell style glass I had been saving them in. Now I really can fill my gas tank because I had saved a cool $170! Of course as per my agreement with myself it's going into savings where I hope not to touch it.
Also I've done a little work for my old employer since I became employment sold separately girl and I think my boss took a little pity on me and threw a little cash my way for services rendered.
Sincerely,
Instant Karma Rocks my Christmas Socks, Althea.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A thought or ten.
I had a thought. I'm not a natural blogger, sad but true however, this blog was born out of Kelly and my e mails about our financial hacks and mis-hacks and e mail is something I'm very comfortable with. Even better than e mail however is the old fashioned letter. It always came as a fun and more natural way or organizing my thoughts. So I decided to get back to basics a little.
Heck stamps are going up again soon so really it fits with theme no?
Dear Kelly,
Well I'm officially unemployed. Everyone keeps asking me me how it feels to be "free" or unemployed. So far I keep telling them that it feels like a clean apartment because that is my big goal aside from getting another job.
I've decided to play a little game, Let's see How Long I can Keep this $30 in My Pocket. I'm already about to blow some of it on mailing this package to a friend but I'm thinking of it as an investment since she's sent good stuff before including the all important flush able cat litter! That and since the package contains DVD's she loaned me it definitely counts as media mail which is fairly cheap. The postal service doesn't need to know that the DVD's are packed with candles, crafts and a $.99 pot of lavender courtesy of the friend of the unemployed Wal Mart.
I write this from the office where I have just turned in my final report ( and a stack of printed letters) because the printer broke on my last day. I also wanted to use their packing tape since I don't have any myself and charge my cell phone battery since, they don't pay electricity, I do and I also can use up a cell battery in a day if I actually use the phone.
Ex Boss man said he might take me out to lunch today, which would be cool since at home I'm staring at 18 eggs leftover from this weekends camping trip and a thing of cottage cheese, wondering which will go bad first and if the two can be combined. That and the nastiest trail mix I ever made courtesy dried mango.
Yours.....nah....
May the force be with you.
Althea
Heck stamps are going up again soon so really it fits with theme no?
Dear Kelly,
Well I'm officially unemployed. Everyone keeps asking me me how it feels to be "free" or unemployed. So far I keep telling them that it feels like a clean apartment because that is my big goal aside from getting another job.
I've decided to play a little game, Let's see How Long I can Keep this $30 in My Pocket. I'm already about to blow some of it on mailing this package to a friend but I'm thinking of it as an investment since she's sent good stuff before including the all important flush able cat litter! That and since the package contains DVD's she loaned me it definitely counts as media mail which is fairly cheap. The postal service doesn't need to know that the DVD's are packed with candles, crafts and a $.99 pot of lavender courtesy of the friend of the unemployed Wal Mart.
I write this from the office where I have just turned in my final report ( and a stack of printed letters) because the printer broke on my last day. I also wanted to use their packing tape since I don't have any myself and charge my cell phone battery since, they don't pay electricity, I do and I also can use up a cell battery in a day if I actually use the phone.
Ex Boss man said he might take me out to lunch today, which would be cool since at home I'm staring at 18 eggs leftover from this weekends camping trip and a thing of cottage cheese, wondering which will go bad first and if the two can be combined. That and the nastiest trail mix I ever made courtesy dried mango.
Yours.....nah....
May the force be with you.
Althea
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
A goal achieved!
Just a very quick update to celebrate my discovery that I have a positive net worth! My quarterly report arrived on my retirement portfolio today. If I add that and my emergency fund and a couple of other little accounts together, it outweighs the outstanding balance on my student loans by about $370.
Baby steps.
Baby steps.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Taxes, EFs, and rebates
I visited my parents and did my taxes with my mom on Saturday. For the second year running I should be getting a nice fat refund! I know that a lot of financial advisors say that you should have your withholdings adjusted so you don't overpay the government (they made interest on all that money this year, not me), but for me it is a great "forced savings" plan. If I had that extra money in my paycheck every month, it would probably go the way of most of the rest of my paycheck; when the lump sum lands in my checking account, I will immediately transfer pretty much all of it to my emergency fund.
I would highly recommend socking away your refund if you are getting one. Mine bailed me out last year when I unexpectedly had to purchase a "new" car. If you don't have an EF, this is a painless way to start one. If you have one, this is a great way to give it an extra boost.
I went to Rite Aid on my way to work today. I'm still having a love/hate relationship with their rebate program-- I love it, but I've noticed that I don't get the promised rebates when I use a coupon to cover some of the purchase price. I called the customer service line today and spoke with a representative who told me that coupons should NOT invalidate rebate offers and shouldn't affect anything unless it's a buy-one-get-one coupon (that might possibly cause two items to ring up as only one).
So, having gleaned the best deals from the weekly circular in the Sunday paper and written down all of the pertinent information, I gathered my coupons and the unexpected $5 gift certificate the store had sent me for participating in their rebate program. I got a little cartful of bubble bath, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo/conditioner, makeup, and Brita filters. It came to $27-something, but I should be getting a lot of that back in rebates (the filters were a 3-pack on sale for $14.99, so that accounts for half of the total right there). The key here is that I am going to enter the receit tonight, at the beginning of the week. When it processes in a couple of days, I will carefully examine my applied rebates (they email you and tell you the status has updated) against the store circular. If I'm not getting a rebate that I should get, I will take the receipt and the items back to the store, "return" them, and repurchase them. The new receipt should then work, as long as I get back to the store and do my return/repurchase THIS WEEK while all of these offers are still valid. It's a pain, but it's worth if it you have a significant number of rebates due to you.
I would highly recommend socking away your refund if you are getting one. Mine bailed me out last year when I unexpectedly had to purchase a "new" car. If you don't have an EF, this is a painless way to start one. If you have one, this is a great way to give it an extra boost.
I went to Rite Aid on my way to work today. I'm still having a love/hate relationship with their rebate program-- I love it, but I've noticed that I don't get the promised rebates when I use a coupon to cover some of the purchase price. I called the customer service line today and spoke with a representative who told me that coupons should NOT invalidate rebate offers and shouldn't affect anything unless it's a buy-one-get-one coupon (that might possibly cause two items to ring up as only one).
So, having gleaned the best deals from the weekly circular in the Sunday paper and written down all of the pertinent information, I gathered my coupons and the unexpected $5 gift certificate the store had sent me for participating in their rebate program. I got a little cartful of bubble bath, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo/conditioner, makeup, and Brita filters. It came to $27-something, but I should be getting a lot of that back in rebates (the filters were a 3-pack on sale for $14.99, so that accounts for half of the total right there). The key here is that I am going to enter the receit tonight, at the beginning of the week. When it processes in a couple of days, I will carefully examine my applied rebates (they email you and tell you the status has updated) against the store circular. If I'm not getting a rebate that I should get, I will take the receipt and the items back to the store, "return" them, and repurchase them. The new receipt should then work, as long as I get back to the store and do my return/repurchase THIS WEEK while all of these offers are still valid. It's a pain, but it's worth if it you have a significant number of rebates due to you.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Resisting Temptation...or not
Well first off Kelly I have some blacking you can use for your shoes or you could just pick some up at Wal Mart etc...
For you readers this is some amazing stuff that comes either in a can or a plastic applicator jar thingamie that can make boots look brand new for a day and semi new for months. I remember my parents using the white stuff on their sneakers back when everyone wore white sneakers. Just head to the shoe section where they keep the shoe laces. Yep, right there next to the weather all sprays.
As for re-heeling the shoes I can't really help...I know such magical places exist but have never seen a shoe repair shop though I think a boot repair place may exist about half an hour from me.
I thought I'd write a little on my methods of resisting temptation since I spent my weekend not doing it. Call it a penance blog. :)
Method 1: Don't Go There.
Don't go to the store until and unless you have to. Just avoid it. When you do go don't wander around just get what you need and leave. Remember (or remember the movies) where the big department stores were in skyscrapers and spanned many floors and compare them to the giant sprawling mega marts of today. The reason for the change is that in bygone days people would just skip the floors on which they had no business and therefore not spend any money on those floors. Now you're forced to wander the entire store to pick up the basics and encounter all the want items along the way. Therefore if at all possible just don't go and keep the trip short if you do. The longer you're in there the more likely you are to spend money you weren't planning on.
Method 2 Think:
Ok, you went there and then you wandered; you wandered into the high risk areas too didn't you? The worst part is you found something you want. It happens to the best of us. For me it's the craft section, I have a hard time believing that I will ever have too many craft supplies. First take a look around you, are you in Goodwill or Aeropostale? That's a good indicator of how much trouble you're in. Be prepared to walk away from whatever it is you want for a few minutes, for a few hours, days or forever. Do you need it? Do you have 25 of them and no room to put this one or would it actually fill a need or serious want for you? Do you absolutely love it, wanted one for a while or would have if you'd known it existed? If you can't justify it don't even bother.
Method 3 Sticker Shock:
Now look at the price tag. Whatever it is are you willing to pay that for it? Could you find a better deal and are you likely to? If it doesn't have a price tag take it to an empty register and make the first words out of your mouth "This doesn't have a tag." so no one is expecting you to buy anything. Take the item with you and give it a good once over and find things (if there are any) that you don't like about it or put it down for a while and see if it looses its magic.
The longer the debate is the more likely you don't need it. The idea is to think how happy it would make you and how likely you are to come across one again. If the score is high in the first and low in the last and you're willing to part with the cash, go for it. If you're still not sure go on the rest of your errands if you have to or go home and think about it if you need to. Odds are whatever it is will be there when you go back and the odds also say that you won't.
Now that's the long drawn out version of the debate that very few items actually go through. I've had about 3 in the last few years I can think of that went through that whole process but the idea is simply to break things up between see want and buy so that I do as little of it as possible.
A few other tricks are not keeping large wads of cash in my wallet which helps since I have an aversion to using plastic. I also have a max splurge amount of $20 that keeps me from spending too much on things for me that I don't need at a time.
Of course you remember this is a penance blog so what items passed the test?
Car seat covers for my non stain resistant upholstery. Admittedly I was excited to buy car accessories since they're so cool and I could never justify it before.
Jacket that is so WW2 chic I could die. I went into the Goodwill to get a motocross jacket if I found one and to do a little Mothers day pre shopping. I found the jacket that should fill the craving and only spent 4 dollars. I love second hand stores.
Yarn. I'm a bad girl.
On the up side I ended up using some of that yarn to make my mother a really nice scarf for Mother's day so really the trip was a success.:)
For you readers this is some amazing stuff that comes either in a can or a plastic applicator jar thingamie that can make boots look brand new for a day and semi new for months. I remember my parents using the white stuff on their sneakers back when everyone wore white sneakers. Just head to the shoe section where they keep the shoe laces. Yep, right there next to the weather all sprays.
As for re-heeling the shoes I can't really help...I know such magical places exist but have never seen a shoe repair shop though I think a boot repair place may exist about half an hour from me.
I thought I'd write a little on my methods of resisting temptation since I spent my weekend not doing it. Call it a penance blog. :)
Method 1: Don't Go There.
Don't go to the store until and unless you have to. Just avoid it. When you do go don't wander around just get what you need and leave. Remember (or remember the movies) where the big department stores were in skyscrapers and spanned many floors and compare them to the giant sprawling mega marts of today. The reason for the change is that in bygone days people would just skip the floors on which they had no business and therefore not spend any money on those floors. Now you're forced to wander the entire store to pick up the basics and encounter all the want items along the way. Therefore if at all possible just don't go and keep the trip short if you do. The longer you're in there the more likely you are to spend money you weren't planning on.
Method 2 Think:
Ok, you went there and then you wandered; you wandered into the high risk areas too didn't you? The worst part is you found something you want. It happens to the best of us. For me it's the craft section, I have a hard time believing that I will ever have too many craft supplies. First take a look around you, are you in Goodwill or Aeropostale? That's a good indicator of how much trouble you're in. Be prepared to walk away from whatever it is you want for a few minutes, for a few hours, days or forever. Do you need it? Do you have 25 of them and no room to put this one or would it actually fill a need or serious want for you? Do you absolutely love it, wanted one for a while or would have if you'd known it existed? If you can't justify it don't even bother.
Method 3 Sticker Shock:
Now look at the price tag. Whatever it is are you willing to pay that for it? Could you find a better deal and are you likely to? If it doesn't have a price tag take it to an empty register and make the first words out of your mouth "This doesn't have a tag." so no one is expecting you to buy anything. Take the item with you and give it a good once over and find things (if there are any) that you don't like about it or put it down for a while and see if it looses its magic.
The longer the debate is the more likely you don't need it. The idea is to think how happy it would make you and how likely you are to come across one again. If the score is high in the first and low in the last and you're willing to part with the cash, go for it. If you're still not sure go on the rest of your errands if you have to or go home and think about it if you need to. Odds are whatever it is will be there when you go back and the odds also say that you won't.
Now that's the long drawn out version of the debate that very few items actually go through. I've had about 3 in the last few years I can think of that went through that whole process but the idea is simply to break things up between see want and buy so that I do as little of it as possible.
A few other tricks are not keeping large wads of cash in my wallet which helps since I have an aversion to using plastic. I also have a max splurge amount of $20 that keeps me from spending too much on things for me that I don't need at a time.
Of course you remember this is a penance blog so what items passed the test?
Car seat covers for my non stain resistant upholstery. Admittedly I was excited to buy car accessories since they're so cool and I could never justify it before.
Jacket that is so WW2 chic I could die. I went into the Goodwill to get a motocross jacket if I found one and to do a little Mothers day pre shopping. I found the jacket that should fill the craving and only spent 4 dollars. I love second hand stores.
Yarn. I'm a bad girl.
On the up side I ended up using some of that yarn to make my mother a really nice scarf for Mother's day so really the trip was a success.:)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Winter weekend getaway, no funds required
Am I posting too much?
Oh, well.
I just got back from a lovely weekend getaway in the country at a place with a pool table, satellite TV, beautiful country roads for long rambles, overstuffed leather couches, and a completely stocked kitchen. It didn't cost me a cent. Well, unless you count the gas to drive the half an hour there... and the $2.50 I spent on a bag of Chex Mix.
My boyfriend is house- and dog-sitting for one of the supervisors where he works. He's not getting paid for it, but he's allowed to have people over, use the laundry room, and eat whatever food he wants. We had a wonderful, relaxing post-Valentine weekend all to ourselves for free. I know one of my friends from college is house-sitting this week, too. I've never done it personally, but it is one of the advantages of being young, responsible, and relatively unattached-- it makes you a prime candidate for house-sitting gigs. Usually these houses are nicer than wherever you yourself currently live. :) This place, for instance, would put super-pricey resort condos and cabins to shame with its amenities. You can pay $100 a night for a fairly basic state park cabin for two at this time of year. At a lodge, that can jump to $300-$500 for a weekend. So this was a very pleasant windfall of a minibreak. So what that the house's owners are in Florida and you're stuck somewhere looking at snow? They're paying a lot and you get a change of scenery and all the comforts of a real home for free.
I stopped at Rite Aid on my way to work this afternoon and picked up some toothpaste, 20 dishwasher detergent tabs, and Kleenexes. The cost of each of these items will be less than a dollar (after I submit my receipt for the rebate on the detergent). Lack of planning forced me to buy a birthday card for my sort-of nephew, as well. It really does only take a few minutes to clip and file the Sunday coupons and go through the weekly sales flyer to make a shopping list, and it can be well worth it. I have a longer list that involves choices and coupons, but I will save that for a trip later this week when I have more time.
Oh, well.
I just got back from a lovely weekend getaway in the country at a place with a pool table, satellite TV, beautiful country roads for long rambles, overstuffed leather couches, and a completely stocked kitchen. It didn't cost me a cent. Well, unless you count the gas to drive the half an hour there... and the $2.50 I spent on a bag of Chex Mix.
My boyfriend is house- and dog-sitting for one of the supervisors where he works. He's not getting paid for it, but he's allowed to have people over, use the laundry room, and eat whatever food he wants. We had a wonderful, relaxing post-Valentine weekend all to ourselves for free. I know one of my friends from college is house-sitting this week, too. I've never done it personally, but it is one of the advantages of being young, responsible, and relatively unattached-- it makes you a prime candidate for house-sitting gigs. Usually these houses are nicer than wherever you yourself currently live. :) This place, for instance, would put super-pricey resort condos and cabins to shame with its amenities. You can pay $100 a night for a fairly basic state park cabin for two at this time of year. At a lodge, that can jump to $300-$500 for a weekend. So this was a very pleasant windfall of a minibreak. So what that the house's owners are in Florida and you're stuck somewhere looking at snow? They're paying a lot and you get a change of scenery and all the comforts of a real home for free.
I stopped at Rite Aid on my way to work this afternoon and picked up some toothpaste, 20 dishwasher detergent tabs, and Kleenexes. The cost of each of these items will be less than a dollar (after I submit my receipt for the rebate on the detergent). Lack of planning forced me to buy a birthday card for my sort-of nephew, as well. It really does only take a few minutes to clip and file the Sunday coupons and go through the weekly sales flyer to make a shopping list, and it can be well worth it. I have a longer list that involves choices and coupons, but I will save that for a trip later this week when I have more time.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Happiness is a quick fix
An interesting article about "how to buy happiness." I myself can attest to the happy-factor of adopting a pet (my cat is worth every cent I've ever spent on him-- including the $70 adoption fee and the initial vet visits and vaccinations, and the extra $15 in rent I pay every month that allows me to keep him). Some of the other things mentioned seemed like good ideas-- especially the greenhouse to kick-start spring in chilly climes. I want one! I wonder if I can build one on my balcony? :) Probably not.
What have you repaired lately? In the last week, I've fixed two of my favorite winter staples-- my hat and my purse. The fabric was pulling away from one of the decorative side buttons on my hat, but a little Arlene's Tacky Glue on my way out the door fixed that. Then the strap that holds down the decorative buckle on my purse flap pulled out of the hole it was supposed to be tucked inside. I re-tucked it a couple of times, but it kept pulling out, and finally I couldn't get it back in anymore. A baby brass safety pin is now holding it in place.
I also just taped up a binder that was splitting along the edge of its spine.
I don't even think about quick, easy fixes like that, but once in a while I realize that a lot of people would just throw something like that out. If I didn't love the items in question so much, I might have been tempted, myself (which is another argument for buying only quality items that you really like).
Now I need to find a way to repair wearing shoe heels. My favorite work shoes (which I've worn almost every day for a year and a half) are finally starting to wear down a bit at the back edge of the heel, and I need to find a way to re-black them where the outer coating has worn through and the white plastic heel is gleaming through. They just kind of look dirty all of the time right now, but I love those shoes and don't want to give them up any time soon.
What have you repaired lately? In the last week, I've fixed two of my favorite winter staples-- my hat and my purse. The fabric was pulling away from one of the decorative side buttons on my hat, but a little Arlene's Tacky Glue on my way out the door fixed that. Then the strap that holds down the decorative buckle on my purse flap pulled out of the hole it was supposed to be tucked inside. I re-tucked it a couple of times, but it kept pulling out, and finally I couldn't get it back in anymore. A baby brass safety pin is now holding it in place.
I also just taped up a binder that was splitting along the edge of its spine.
I don't even think about quick, easy fixes like that, but once in a while I realize that a lot of people would just throw something like that out. If I didn't love the items in question so much, I might have been tempted, myself (which is another argument for buying only quality items that you really like).
Now I need to find a way to repair wearing shoe heels. My favorite work shoes (which I've worn almost every day for a year and a half) are finally starting to wear down a bit at the back edge of the heel, and I need to find a way to re-black them where the outer coating has worn through and the white plastic heel is gleaming through. They just kind of look dirty all of the time right now, but I love those shoes and don't want to give them up any time soon.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Some Star Wars inspiration
Just saw this post over at Wise Bread about how the good guys in Star Wars can also be our heroes in frugality.
For the record, the plural of Jedi is also Jedi-- Jedis is incorrect ("It was used in the movies!" you say. Yes, it was-- by a 9-year-old hick.).
For the record, the plural of Jedi is also Jedi-- Jedis is incorrect ("It was used in the movies!" you say. Yes, it was-- by a 9-year-old hick.).
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
A financial update
I have to agree with Kelly, a good EF is the best thing a single person can have. Most columns say have 3 months living expenses socked away but honestly if you are all on your own I say closer to 6. Not only could an unemployment spell last longer than 3 months but do you really think that while it does the car won't break, no one will get married, it won't be Christmas, etc...? I didn't think so.:)
Of course I say that as I begin preparing to raid my own EF. See my life is getting a little complicated of late. In April my job contract will end and I will be moving on, no I don't actually know to whence yet. Also I'll be marrying my SO in the fall and therefore be looking for some new living arrangements. Of course since we're looking for living arrangements and the housing market is what it is we're also looking at buying a house hopefully before my contract runs out. That of course is where the emergency fund comes in. I'd been planning on raiding it in 6 months to a year to start a Vanguard investment so I'm not heartbroken as I could be I just hope that I'll have enough left to cover the plethora of possible emergencies that come with all of these things. My posts could get a lot more interesting!
On the topic of home ownership or trying for same that is yes now is a good time to buy. IF you have good or average credit that is. If not banks are going to give you the hairy eyeball since a good part of the down market is due to sub-prime mortgages going into default. AKA they handed out loans like candy and now the people who weren't brushing their teeth got cavities and the bank is left with the dental bill. (Sometimes I like to make bad metaphors) :)
Have steady employment if at all possible, it will get you a better loan.
Have 20% or more of whatever your budget is ready as a down payment so you don't have to get special insurance. Have even more money ready for closing costs and OMG they didn't tell us this [insert essential item] was broken money.
Do shop around and be realistic about your budget.
Don't fall in love with that fixer upper you can't afford if you can at all help it.
Do negotiate.
Don't negotiate without having any idea what you're talking about, check out the local market to see what other houses are going for.
Do be patient some experts are predicting that this down housing market will last some time to come and even if not there will always be another house.
Of course I say that as I begin preparing to raid my own EF. See my life is getting a little complicated of late. In April my job contract will end and I will be moving on, no I don't actually know to whence yet. Also I'll be marrying my SO in the fall and therefore be looking for some new living arrangements. Of course since we're looking for living arrangements and the housing market is what it is we're also looking at buying a house hopefully before my contract runs out. That of course is where the emergency fund comes in. I'd been planning on raiding it in 6 months to a year to start a Vanguard investment so I'm not heartbroken as I could be I just hope that I'll have enough left to cover the plethora of possible emergencies that come with all of these things. My posts could get a lot more interesting!
On the topic of home ownership or trying for same that is yes now is a good time to buy. IF you have good or average credit that is. If not banks are going to give you the hairy eyeball since a good part of the down market is due to sub-prime mortgages going into default. AKA they handed out loans like candy and now the people who weren't brushing their teeth got cavities and the bank is left with the dental bill. (Sometimes I like to make bad metaphors) :)
Have steady employment if at all possible, it will get you a better loan.
Have 20% or more of whatever your budget is ready as a down payment so you don't have to get special insurance. Have even more money ready for closing costs and OMG they didn't tell us this [insert essential item] was broken money.
Do shop around and be realistic about your budget.
Don't fall in love with that fixer upper you can't afford if you can at all help it.
Do negotiate.
Don't negotiate without having any idea what you're talking about, check out the local market to see what other houses are going for.
Do be patient some experts are predicting that this down housing market will last some time to come and even if not there will always be another house.
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