Frugal For Life

Private Label Winning War Over Name Brand Labels

2009-12-07T07:17:00.001-07:00

I written on how generic shopping can save grocery costs and it would seem that popular opinion is seeing the benefit of generic/private label groceries over the name brand options. And in one court case they ruled again on the side of a private label company.

Recently in Brandweek.com a private label company took to court a brand name company "claiming that Mead Johnson had engaged in false and misleading campaigns against its store brand products, which are sold at Walmart, Target and Krogers, among others."

Basically they stated that the generic brand of baby was inferior and had "inferior ingredients that could result in poor eye and brain development for babies".

However, the private label company said, "We have the same exact source of the lipids, with the same exact levels from the same exact supplier,” said Joe Shields, director of public relations for PBM Products. “Really, what it means is that store brand formulas are nutritionally equivalent to national brand formulas like Enfamil.”

It is unfortunate that generic/private label company don't always disclose that their food comes from the same plant as Coca-Cola or Lays as I think that would work in their favor. But perhaps it wouldn't be needed as brand name companies are seeing their revenue shrink a bit as people are seeing the value at the checkout and that there is little to no difference in taste when buying the store brand.

This generic food is not your mother's black and white cans with block letters - These generic brands are a force to be reckoned with as people see that they don't have to pay the extra $1 for frozen peas because the store's private label tastes just as good and they don't need a coupon either.

Recently Brandweek.com reported that sales for the "unbranded" groceries have increased in sales by as much as 22% for Baby food and 15% for canned seafood. On a side note since canned tuna is downsizing it cans for the same price, why not go store brand anyway.

Certainly taste will play a factor in deciding but just as some people prefer Pepsi over Coke, Store brand items will always have a good foot in the door of every home as people toss out their loyalty to a brand in order to save money and find that they don't have to sacrifice their taste buds in doing so.

Saving Green in Multiple Ways, Part 2

2009-10-28T12:45:00.003-06:00

I enjoy reading David's Do One Thing series as I find it useful for not only the recycling, waste reduction but also the recycling, money reduction aspect that many ideas have.

Below are the ideas and how effective I have been in doing them. This series has been ongoing for him since 2008. There are quite a few ideas and I thought I would go through 20 at a time. The first set of 20 are here if you missed it.

1.Buy Checks Made From Recycled Paper and Printed With Soy-Based Ink -
I so rarely write checks that it is taking forever to get through the 150 that I bought two years ago. However, I have Check Gallery bookmarked and will be buying recycled paper checks next time around.

2.Avoid The Antibacterial Soaps (link)
I don't seek out these soaps, I just grab what is on sale usually, though lately I am looking at buying local homemade soaps and they aren't anti-bacterial.

3.Clean Out The Lint Filter
Gosh, this should be standard practice but it seems that if you live in a complex with a shared washer/dryer unit everyone assumes that the other person will take care of it. And cleaning out the air vent is a good idea as well.

4.Install A Motion Detector
Minimal lighting, use only what you need. I recall that as a kid my parents used outlet timers for lights when they were away, and that could be setup as well as a cheaper alternative.

5.Avoid Using The Toilet As A Trash Can
No more cleaning out the hair brush and dropping it into the toilet then flushing 1.8 gallons of water. Though I do toss lighted matches into the toilet but I don't flush until the toilet is used again.

6.Reuse Reply Envelopes In Unsolicited Mail
My mom is GREAT at this, myself, not so much. I just forget to hold onto them. But they do make great shredded paper and I've heard of some people sending their junk mail back

7.Buy It In Glass Instead
I am actually working on this because I am just tired of drinking my water out of plastic and it not tasting as good as when I drink it out of a glass container. And I haven't broken a container yet... except in the freezer.

8.Bring Your Own Utensils To Work
I bring my lunch to work so I should be more disciplined to include utensils as well. I really only bring them when I have to have a steak knife, otherwise I just use the plastic ones at work.

9.Forgo The Produce Bags
When I am buying a small amount of items, running in and out, I don't grab them but when I need 5 apple and 2 pears I need a bag. It is handy and habit to tear off a bag nearby. It's the same kind of memory trouble I have when I forget the canvas bags in the car.

10.Get Yourself A Broom (link)
In this case David is talking about sweeping the concrete instead of using water to clean it off. I have a broom and I use it well.

11.Borrow Before You Buy
Truly I only remember having to borrow a carpet cleaner, I did eventually buy one but I don't recall the need to borrow anything. Oh wait, we have a sander that is gathering dust and taking up space, probably should have borrowed that.

12.Take Off Your Shoes
I could do better, but then that is one reason we got a carpet cleaner - winter is just sadistic towards carpeting.

13.Stop Washing Your Clothes
I haven't sold my washer, but the clothes are washed less frequently and instead I let the clothes air out so that I can wear them again later. I don't think I'm alone in that I wear my clothes, especially jeans, longer than a couple of days.

14.Use A Lid!
Warm up water faster, boil the egg faster, fry ham quicker and eat sooner. Oh, and it saves on electricity as well.

15.Leave No Trace
This is more of a green idea that when you are outdoors you leave the place the way you found it. I guess it could be attributed to dumpster diving as well, leave the dumpster cleaner than what you found it to be.

16.Hand Wash Plastic Cups (link)
I don't do this, maybe because it isn't promoted as a big deal. I rarely wash anything by hand really as I waste a lot of water doing so.

17.Give Up The Dryer Sheets
I haven't used dryer sheets at all in Colorado, my unprofessional opinion is that the low humidity may be a reason. I don't miss the dryer sheet smell, instead the clothes and towels just smell like washed clothes and towels and not violets, which is fine by me.

18.Shred Paper For Packing Material
Done! I have trash-bags full of the stuff. I should give the extra away on freecycle or something. The shredded paper goes into plastic bags so that they don't make a mess for the receiver.

19.Print Seventh Generation Coupons
Coupons are frugal and 7th Generation is a green/eco company that sells their products on most all grocery shelves. I have bought a couple of items, they are more expensive so you are buying first for the earth and second for the wallet.

20.Forego The Receipt
Most all places give a receipt automatically, and frankly I would like to have one in case I need to return and item. However David mentions that at the pump you can choose not to have the receipt print. However, I never have my checkbook handy to write the amount down, so I would have to write it on my hand so I can remember until I get home.

Saving Green in Multiple Ways, Part 1

2009-10-26T13:21:00.003-06:00

I enjoy reading David's Do One Thing series as I find it useful for not only the recycling, waste reduction but also the recycling, money reduction aspect that many ideas have.

Below are the ideas and how effective I have been in doing them. This series has been ongoing for him since 2008. There are quite a few ideas and I thought I would go through 20 at a time.

1.Buy A Recycled Plastic Toothbrush.(link)-
This is the oldest one and I have to purchase them (target has them). Pricing isn't going to be cheaper as I have not yet seen coupons for these, but if a greener planet is worth the cost, than this is a perfect avenue to look into

2.Reuse Paper-bags As Shipping Envelopes.
I don't remember the last time I used a paper bag, wait, I got a couple from the Chinese place last night. However I have them saved for my lunch. Instead I use extra plastic bags, fill them with my shredded paper and use those as packing.

3.Have Multiple Recycling Containers.
My apartment complex doesn't have the option and neither do any nearby towns. I could still separate my trash and drive it to the recycle center that is 20 miles away. However, I will admit, I am lazy in that department and the gas spent isn't worth it to me.

4.Buy Your Music In Digital Format.
The last time I bought a Music cd was last Xmas for a niece. Otherwise I have this covered. One major reason I prefer digital music is that it is easy to transfer and I don't have to worry about shelf space for the music. Now I just need to burn the old music cd's to digital format.

5.Make Next Car Rental A Green One.
When I lived downtown Denver and didn't have a car, this would have been the perfect tip for me, as I rented a car 1-2x a month for groceries and get away. Since then I haven't had a need, yet.

6.Drink More Tap Water.
I do this already however I am still trying to get my partner to give up filtered watered, but at this point the cost isn't horrible - maybe about $10 a year. Not a lot but still, I need to keep track of my nickels and dimes and save where I can.

7.Turn Off The Dish Dryer.
This one is crossed off my list already, I have yet to see the need to use this unless I lived in Barrow, Alaska

8.Use Reusable Coffee Filters.
This transition is a bit slower, we have moved from bleached white paper filters to recycled, unbleached coffee filters. I have high hopes that once we get down to the last few of the bulk amount of filters we will be able to move on to the a reusable filter.

9.Turn Off Those Gaming Consoles When You Are Done.
Game consoles are used about once a month for a period of a week. When they are not in use, they are unplugged, but while in use they are left on due to a last of trust that the memory cards will actually work. Don't ask.

10.Unload Your Trunk Junk.
This is a must for me in the summer, I hate to hear things sliding around. But in the winter I do keep necessary winter gear in order to stay prepared for the unexpected Colorado snow dumping.

11.Forget The Fresh Linens.
Recently we stayed at a hotel and didn't have linens changed for the weekend we were there. We don't change them that much when we are home why would it matter at a hotel? I guess it is kind of like freaking out about a straw when eating out and never using one at home. Unnecessary.

12.Don’t Limit Reusable Bags To Just The Grocery Store.
I agree on this one. I also use my canvas bags at the library, taking items to work and when we traveled cross country, we packed with them as well instead of plastic bags.

13.Switch To Recycled Content Toilet Paper.
For this household it is a matter of brand loyalty when it comes to TP. The chances of wiping with a product other than what one is used to is would mean that we have had a mental breakdown and chaos has encompassed the entire world, that or the brand is no longer made to our liking.

14.Write A Letter Regarding Something You Care About. (link)
I do write letters about consumer goods, but have not yet wrote a letter to stand up for or against some consumer item.

15.Forget The Straw.
Speaking of straws and linens and things. I don't use mine even when given them, I set them aside so they don't get wet and drink out of the cup. Until there is a federal emergency that says we must use straws and toilet seat covers I don't see the need or the waste.

16.Buy Organic, Free-Trade Coffee.
I am nervous when it comes to new food. As an example it took about a year of badgering to break down and eat shrimp. I would like to find a coffee that is sweet in taste and where I don't have to use sweeteners for it. Until then I stick with my same old stuff.

17.Keep Scraps In The Freezer Until They Hit The Composting Pile.
First, I don't have a compost pile and I know no one who is nearby that would have a need for my scraps. But it is a great idea - my mom keeps empty juice concentrate containers by the sink and puts organics in those. I would probably do something like that myself.

18.Make Your Own Natural Antibacterial Spray. (link)
This article is specifically talking about cleaning counters, I just use soap and water and am satisfied with that as I am of the opinion that too much of a good thing (anti-bacterial) can work against use.

19.Buy Local, Handmade Soap.
I recently bought some through Etsy.com and have also asked for this for Xmas. My own store bought stock is getting low so I am trying out new kinds and look forward to the end result.

20.Save Ink and Reduce Waste By Making Small Adjustments To Your Printing.
I use both sides of the paper and I have tried recycled ink and have not had good luck after trying it twice. I do print info as a draft when ink is not already low.

Part 2 to come on Wednesday.

Charity Gift Giving Alternatives

2009-12-04T07:44:00.068-07:00

Thanks for being a part of this week's charity posts. The holidays are certainly a busy time and it can be hard to find time to volunteer for a group, so here and now make a promise to yourself that your New Year's Resolution will be to contact a charity in 2010 and set time aside for helping out in person, myself included.

As of today there are 3 weeks left until gift giving and you want to finish this year out on a good hand full of donations and would love to give a donation as a gift to someone. There are a few ways to do that.

Give a Charity Gift Card - Both GlobalGiving and Charity Navigator have ways you can give a gift of money but still help out a charity.
To quote Charity Navigator, "You Choose the Amount ... They Choose the Cause"
To quote GlobalGiving, "The recipient gets to choose how the donation is allocated, and then see how their money has been put to work."

Shopping for a Good Cause - If gift cards aren't personal enough for you, you can buy at many charity organizations and the money helps to support the cause.
St. Jude Children's Hospital Store - The ads have been on tv lately and still are, and you don't have to donate money but can shop at their store to get something more personal
UNICEF shop - Purchases at this store benefit children around the world
Philosophy.com - Purchase skin care, fragrance, bath& body and makeup and still help charities.

Fuzzy-Good Holiday Cards - If you are all done for gift shopping and just need to sent holiday cards that are for a good cause you can try Treegreetings. They plant a tree in the USA or Central America and the recipient receives your e-card and a tree planting certificate. If you prefer animals to trees then you can go to Reproduct.net and "The card is sent to the recipient in a two-way envelope (think “Netflix”). Once the recipient is done with the card, they simply place it in the postage paid return portion of the envelope and it is sent to Shaw Industries where 100% of the card is re-used in the manufacturing of new carpet tiles." Here is a demo

One thing to keep in mind no matter how or where you donate to make sure you aren't being scammed and you can also check out the charity with the following sites. You may want to check a couple to get a more rounded idea of them. Plus you may find other charities that you weren't aware of.
Charity Navigator - love the comments section
US BBB for charities
Charity Watch
Just Give

Frugal Books and Movies I Recommend

2008-10-24T16:26:00.013-06:00

This is my list of books and videos I have read or watched and would recommend:

The Complete Tightwad Gazette
– This is the book that got me started about keeping my own list of ways to stay frugal and then moved me into the blogging world and to the blog you are now viewing. So, this book is my inspiration and I have my marked up thoroughly with tabs in different places as well.

Frugal Living for Dummies
– This was second book I picked up from the library. I wanted to start out easy and get a little more updated information (2003) and from a different voice. This was helpful for more mainstream ideas.

Living More With Less
– I then read this book after I remember mom using the cookbook that Doris wrote (The more with less cookbook) and even though this was published in 1980, it was good to view the ‘living with less’ idea from a more spiritual perspective and learn how it impacts the world

Quick Reviews:
The American Frugal Housewife- 1832- This book was just fun to read from a historical perspective, it was VERY specific with even a few drawings. You can read it online for free.

The Frugal Millionaires - Every subject possible is covered and quotes are given from anonymous millionaires around the world. Stats and personal opinion are scattered throughout the book. See Frugal Millionaire full review

Automatic Millionaire – An easy read, some of it is dated already, but the ideas never are.

We had Everything, but Money – This is a good book with pictures and personal stories about living through the 1930’s and the great depression

The ‘Salvage Sisters’ Guide – Makes second hand cool!

Better off: Flipping the Switch – A good "green" book for a newbie to the idea

Earth Abides – This is the only fiction on my list, but I love it for the ‘what if’ scenario and survivalist storyline

The Wabi-Sabi House - This book helped me understand and appreciate the beauty of those things that aren’t perfect. Lots of pictures.

Back from the Land – A nice read for a personal experience story about a family that moved to a supposed simple life in the 1970's

Homestead: Modern Pioneers Pursuing the Edge of Possibility – Another book about living off the land, also a good read.

Tightwad Tod – Yes, it is a kids book, but aren’t we ALL kids inside?

Henry Builds a Cabin - Because one kids book isn’t enough

Simply Green Giving - A thin book that covers way to gift wrap and natural fillers for shipping

Not Buying It: My year without shopping -This book is similar to what the ‘No Impact Man’ is doing now.

The Paradox of Choice – A scientific look at consumerism- it was bit dry to me.

The Frugal Senior – Though I am not a senior yet, the advice in most of this book is simple for any age

Debt is Slavery – Living on less means no debt.

Thrift in the Household – This is another online book that I read, good info, but dated as well (1918)- more useful ideas than the above 1832 one above

Get Satisfied - Much more satisfying than “Choosing Simplicity” below

A Million Bucks by 30 - College Student wants to have million bucks by the time he is 30. Student works 9-5 job, reads personal finance info and puts it into practice. Student becomes teacher and writes a book about it.

Your Money or Your Life – This can be a life changer for some people, there is a whole forum dedicated to this book

Miserly Moms - The title tells it, things for mothers to do to save money

Yankee Magazine’s Living Well on a Shoestring – I remember this being well put together and quite a few tips that I jotted down.

The Simple Living Guide – Also a good simple living/frugal book

Voluntary Simplicity - Another book about simple living

Debt-Proof Living and Best of the Cheapskate Monthly – If you want tips, these are the books to have for your own library

Living Well on Practically Nothing & How to Survive Without a Salary & The Joy of Not Working - These three are all good, they say about the same thing, so you could pick any of the three for the same information

How to Retire Early and Live Well With Less – Good book, more about investments than anything.

Mortgage-Free! – I remember this being an inspirational book for buying a home that is ‘right-sized’ and even building one yourself.

America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money – This is a good book if you are a newbie, otherwise it is going to be previously known information for someone already living a cheap life and kind of boring.

Choosing Simplicity – This is personal experience book, it may be useful or not. After a few stories I recall taking it back to the library. I got the idea.

The Frugal Woman’s Guide to a Rich Life - Nothing stands out to me about this book.

One thing you won’t find on this list are books on making or freezing food. I don’t cook much and what I do cook is pretty simple. I know, it is an area of improvement!

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Below are some of the movies I checked out and had a simple/frugal living idea to them if you want to put them on hold at the library:

The End of Suburbia – A Documentary about Peak oil, green living

The Prize Winner of Defiance, OH – A fun movie about entering drawing from household brands, with Julianne Moore in the lead. (the link is to the book)

A Home of Our Own - A woman with multiple kids is determined to have a home to call her own. This has Kathy Bates and Edward Furlong(T2) in it.

The Way Home – A great Korean movie w/ subtitles about what is important in life, materialism or relationships

Nobody Knows - A true story from Japan about a mother who abandons her 4 children who then show their resilience as the utilities are shut off and starvation sets in- a bittersweet ending.

Everything’s Cool - This documentary about the political ‘blacking out’ of what scientists have learned about global warming and its impact on what is going on around us.

Maxed Out - A documentary about credit card collectors, legislation, lobbyist and those in debt

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The above mentioned books and videos do include affiliate links to amazon, you are not required to click on the link.

Charitable Giving More Than Just Cash

2009-12-02T07:59:00.018-07:00

Charity giving that involves money and stuff is the most common it would seem. However, giving of time can be one of the most confidence boosting ways to know that what is being given is put to good use.

I previously talked about giving of time that involved mouse clicks. Now lets look over some ways we can give of time that would get us up from the chair and out into the public.

Religious Charity - These seem to be the easiest ones to participate in if one already belongs to a religious organization. Some groups will have food shelters or soup kitchens and others will package care bags for the military, AIDS victims and poor families. Some religious groups don't require that you be a member of their organization to participate but call ahead if you have a church in the area that you want to work with.

Public Charity - These are groups that you can give of time depending on your interest. There are groups for Human Rights and Civil Liberties, Animal Rights, Land Conservation and the Environment, Emergency Relief, Refugees, Medical Aid, Fighting Poverty, Education Support, Fighting Hunger, Children, Women & Senior Citizens, Promoting Self Sufficiency, Supporting Military and Veterans and Watchdog Groups. I found a great list of charities with website links over at lovetoknow.com

Once I have found that area of interest that tugs at my heart I need to call them up, see what they need for volunteers and when. Then I just commit to them by coming in and helping or going for orientation and signing up for a regular schedule to work with them. As with any payable job, I need to treat the charity group the same by calling ahead if I am unable to fulfill my volunteer position since they are counting on me to be there.

Volunteering doesn't have to be a regular monthly or weekly event, there are ways to give if time is not flexible for volunteering. And some ways to donate your time once may be to offer something of your talent to bake, speak a foreign language, sew, interpret as a signer for the deaf or to give of yourself by running or providing your blood or your hair.

For donating blood - contact GiveLife to find the nearest blood drive and set up an appointment
For donating hair - contact locks of love to read through their criteria for donating hair

Recently I signed up for and got myself a bone marrow kit to get myself tested and find out if I am a match to anyone out there. Some people are notified right away and others aren't notified for years, if ever. There is more you can do to donate, one way is to to specify on your driver's license that you want to be an organ donor - you would designate this when you get your license or renew it. You can also download a donor card and keep it with you in your wallet if you aren't renewing anytime soon. My maternal Grandfather donated his body to science and I have to say it was one of the things I am proud of him for doing.

If you want to be a living organ donor you can donate a kidney, part of a liver or lung or how about part of pancreas, an egg donation or sperm donation. Did you know that over 10 people die each day waiting for a kidney? Wow!

Overall it appears from birth to death we will always have ways to give of ourselves and our time that will greatly impact those who receive.

Charitable Giving Online via Mouse Clicks

2009-11-30T07:54:00.004-07:00

This week I thought I would write about ways we can give that aren't the usual cash donations or closet cleaning donation sites. Toward the end of the year I start to gather together all the receipts that show my donation of money and stuff to different charity sites so I am prepared for the upcoming tax season. However, there is one way to donate that I don't do enough of.

The one item that is never taxed but gives immediately, is to give of my time - for some schedules will allow and for others they do not allow. I fall into the latter category but I know that I can make time available on the weekends and my plan for next year is to find two different places to give of my time, whether it is handing out food or swinging a ~~paintbrush~~ hammer.

Because of this, I need to start searching for ways to do that. Of course the easiest way is to just point my index finger and click on those sites that offer to donate money thanks to my time and computer mouse. Why not start there for some easy ways to give of time.

The Breast Cancer site - Click on the "click here to give - it's free" once a day, every day. Each click sends funds to the National Breat Cancer Foundation to pay for free mammograms for those who can't afford it. In Denver it helped over 300 women get mammograms.

The same site, CharityUSA also has other one click giving sites:
The Hunger site - They work with Mercy Corps, Feeding America and Millennium Promise to provide food and food programs for people around America and the world. Each click is equal to 1.1 cups of food to the hungry.
The Animal Rescue site - They partner with The Fund for Animals, the North Shore Animal League and the Petfinder.com Foundation. Each click is equal to .6 bowls of food to rescued animals.
The Rainforest site - They partner with Rainforest2Reef (formerly Friends of Calakmul),Rainforest Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy and World Land Trust-US
The Child Health site - Partnering with the following sites - Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Helen Keller International, Mercy Corps and Prosthetics Outreach Foundation
The Literacy site - They partner with Room to Read and First Book to provide books and teaching materials.

Other sites that use one click ideas are Goodsearch, which you put in the charity you want funds to go to, then search as you would a normal search engine (yahoo, google) and your money (1¢) goes to that charity for each search. Also Care2 click to donate has a one click once a day format that donates to everything from baby seals, oceans and monkeys to children, pets and domestic violence.

If you think your index finger and brain can work together for more than one click you can try these sites to test your educational skills.
FreePoverty - Provides free and clean drinking water through your knowledge of world geographic locations. Currently they do not have a donation partnership. "Due to some unforeseen issues with the organization we previously donated our revenues to, so they could donate water on our behalf (read about it here), we are now looking for a decent non-profit organization to collaborate with FreePoverty and its users."
FreeRice - I love this site and have the banner to it on my site, but it tests your knowledge of English Vocabulary, Foreign Language, Math, Famous Paintings, Geography and Chemical Symbols. For each correct answer a donation of 10 grains of rice is donated by United Nations' World Food Program.
Charitii.com - Tests you on English Vocabulary as well, however you can choose what you want to donate to - grains of wheat to Care, Water to Charity: water, Square inches of rainforest to The Nature Conservatory, Minutes of education to Oaktree Foundation, and points to Philippine Aid Society.
FreeKibble and FreeKibbleKat - These are nice donation sites of 10 pieces of food for pets if you prefer to donate clicks to the four-legged variety. They use the General trivia format to rack up the kibble kernels. Since May 14,2008 to November 18, 2009, freekibble and freekibblekat, have raised over 258,000 lbs. (129 tons!!!) of kibble.

Save Money, Keep Charity Scammers Away

2008-11-18T14:20:00.003-07:00

**If it's Spam, it's a Scam!- If it sounds too good, if it shows up in your bulk folder or your spam folder - don't touch it, just delete it

**Check out the charity- You can find some charity info at the BBB or charity navigator

** There is no deadline to give- Take you time. Charities don't have deadlines, but scammers do to stay under the radar. Tell them you will think about it. If they use high pressure tactics, they aren't worth it and more than likely aren't legit.

**Ask Questions- Found out the location of the charity, how much of the money is for administrative use and how will the money be used for the needs. If 50% or more of your donation goes to executives’ salaries, administrative cost and fundraising, skip them.

**Get information in Writing- Have them send you a brochure, a graph of their previous divisions of money, and their 990 tax form information that they file with the government.

Charities are required to provide Form 990 information on request (This excludes churches, synagogues and other places of worship.) Don't be fooled by their 'tax-ID number' these are only needed to for employer verification.

**Check out all charities for Police and Fire Departments- Check them out first, get the name, address and phone number to contact them back and do follow up.

**Get a Receipt- Preferably one with the charity name on it. A paper trail is always a good thing.

** Don't donate with cash- Again the paper trail idea, check or credit card is best.

**Be protective with information- It is best to not give information out over the phone like credit cards or personal information, unless you have checked them out or dealt with them before.

**Get the exact name of the organization- Many scammers have names similar to legit organizations. They may change the wording slightly to throw you off.

**Contact the authorities- Police and or FBI can be contacted, have as much information as you can with you to give them. Even recording a call can be helpful if you get regular calls, make sure it is allowed in your state or if you have to let them know you are recording them.

The BEST way to give to charities is to contact them after you have done your own research. Don't let the scammers scare you off, please do give of yourself through time or money.

Cash is King or Pauper

2009-11-27T05:42:00.005-07:00

The quote that "cash is king" or the that different studies over the years have come to the conclusion that we spend less when we use cash. Certainly we do have limitation when we use cash, we can't write an I.O.U to the cashier that says the next time we are in the store we will pay the remaining 5.61 on our grocery bill. But that doesn't mean I don't still waste money.

Cash is dangerous for me to carry around, the temptation to buy stuff that I don't need is very great. When I jingle the change in my pocket, it is a siren call to the vending machines at work and they call out to my weakest desires.

I generally keep cash in my wallet in case I forget to pack a lunch, but recently that money went to a soda pop, donation for a women's shelter (also to wear jeans to work for the week) and to pay more than my share of the pizza for the team. You see, if I didn't have cash on me I would drink less soda pop, order less pizza and be stingier with my money for donations.

There are people that go and get cash for their paychecks and make the wad of money last for rent, food and still are able to save. But if I did that, I would be broke a week before I got paid again. Someone asks me for a dollar, I give it. Someone asks for a donation, I give it. I have a craving for a spicy chicken sandwich from the fast food joint, I get it.

The idea of an envelope system to break up the money never worked for me, I would "loan" money to other envelopes without consequence and not always pay it back. And writing down everything I spent the cash on had no consequences. It was similar to a "see food diet", I see food I eat it. I see stuff to buy, I pay cash and get it. No worries.

Instead, I have learned to carry around my debit card because it is more of a hassle to swipe the card and save the receipt for when I get home to write it in the checkbook as to whet I have spent. It would seem that in my mind there is less accountability for cash than there is with a debit card or check. Cash doesn't require books to be balanced every time something is purchased. Instead the habit of using a card and writing it down is more ingrained in me than the use of cash and writing it down.

What have you found when you use cash as opposed to a debit card or checkbook?

Saving Money: The Procrastination and the Games

2009-11-25T05:27:00.004-07:00

Saving money can be hard when there is so much stuff that needs to be taken care of, the pipe under the sink is dripping into a bucket or their is an oil stain on the ground under the car. It seems being an adult just makes me want to look around and sigh a lot.

I know that many of these procrastination ideas have gone through my own head, here is how I counter them.

1. I don't have time to save, and it's cousin, it takes too long:
Since it depends on the price tag of the item saved for it can take weeks, days or months. But how many times have I bought little frivolous items, maybe even put them on a credit card that I pay minimum on and end up paying double for it in the end?

If I start putting aside $10 a paycheck I can have enough in 3 months to cover most of the cost of a decent pair of much needed new sneakers. I can set up an extra savings account with my bank in less than 10 minutes and have them take the money out automatically and write it down as a bill.
Recently I set up a SmartyPig savings account to get started on next holidays gifts and a summer vacation. The reason I don't do it with my bank is that the interest is better and if I don't see the money every time I log into the bank, it isn't a temptation.

2. What's the point of savings if I don't have a goal.
If a certain item isn't appealing, then go with a certain amount within 6 months and see if the challenge can be met. Of course let's say a co-worker has tickets to the local NFL game they are willing to part with at half price, that is a spur of the moment decision that savings goals can't predict. So forget the goal of attaining a certain amount or item, just tell yourself you won't stop putting $25 into savings for 4 months, no breaks, no distractions and see if the challenge can be met.

3. Saving money is impossible when I'm the only one in the family doing it.
Wait a second, so popping $1.25 into the vending machine can be done without the family but putting $5 a week into a savings can't be done without the family on board? That doesn't make sense. Money tears a whole in my pocket, literally. I play with it so much and put holes in my pocket that I need to spend it so I don't jingle it constantly. Now I don't keep cash on me, except a dollar at most, no change. If I carry anything more than that it goes into savings or it will be spent.

4. Saving money means I will never have anything good
Unlike food where you can eat all the bland rice and beans you want and none of the fun Twinkies, saving money isn't like that. Most people's spending goes towards basics like food, rent, and transportation, but that's an average, not a rule. If you want to rent a cheap room in a run-down neighborhood so you can afford designer clothing, go for it. Saving money means honoring your own priorities.

5. I have to set up a dreaded budget to save money
Actually, that isn't necessary at all, since savings could technically be considered a bill. This saving of $5 a week or $50 a paycheck will now be part of the ongoing bills like rent, gas and food. See how simple and much fun that is, plus no budget necessary!

6. I don't want to live in a dump to take vacations
Then if lowering the standard that you live on isn't appealing now is the time to get creative and figure out ways to save money on the things being bought today or just making money on the stuff hidden away in the storage room. Heck, this coming tax season, take the refund to the bank, put the raise you get into the bank and live on what you made last year. If the raise is only 20¢ an hour for 80 hours of work, then there is $16 a paycheck to be put away for savings and the standard of living hasn't changed.

Frontline's Credit Card Update

2009-11-23T07:31:00.002-07:00

I really enjoyed Frontline's first credit card investigative program that was done 5 years ago and I have to say that I am looking forward to the updated investigation on The Card Game that will be showing Tuesday, Nov. 24 on PBS. I wish I had a DVR sometimes but am very thankful they offer many of their shows online to watch for free.

To quote the site:
In a joint project with The New York Times, Bergman and the Times talk to industry insiders, lobbyists, politicians and consumer advocates as they square off over new regulation and the possible creation of a consumer finance protection agency.
How are the credit, debit and pre-paid card industries repositioning themselves to maintain high profits under the new rules?
The stakes couldn't be higher as many fear the consumer loan industry could be at the center of the next crisis.

Thoughts on Extra Money and a Greener Future

2009-11-20T07:30:00.002-07:00

I was reading Katie's post about Pay or Play? and thought I would give my own 2¢ on this as I have gone through this myself.

The heart of the post is about Katie coming into some extra money that she wasn't expecting and she couldn't decide whether to put it towards debt or use it for entertainment. I can understand the desire to get debt paid off as early as possible and not having that stress hanging over my head. When I was younger and on my own I would get extra money from rebates I forgot about or bonuses from work I would put them in one of two places - less than 20.00 went to Play and anything over that went to bills.

I still try to do that but now that I share expenses and income with another, there does seem to be other pressing 'needs' that take the place of the play option. I still try to move any money over 50.00 to bills and under that to play but many times I have found that my play goes towards fixing something or picking up something from the store that is needed. However, I haven't given up hope that every time I get extra money I will stick with my old idea that less than 20.00 goes to Play and anything over that to bills.

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I was reading over at the Yahoo! Green - Everything you know about going green is wrong - about an EPA report that basically says, "The stuff we buy and the packaging that comes with the stuff we buy represents our biggest contribution to global warming -- far more so than the amount of electricity our stuff uses or the amount of fuel our stuff burns on the highway." And this does make sense, there is limit to what we can do to minimize and still be safe. We can lower the utilities so much before the pipes freeze or we eventually come to live off-grid, but there will always be people that need these conveniences due to weather and health.

However the one item we can reduce is the amount of stuff we buy. The idea to repurpose what we use, to take others cast-offs and repair what we can until it can't be repaired and just use it as parts. In the article, the writer refers to an EPA worker who wrote the study, the worker states, "In the process of the report I became convinced that recycling is much more important than I thought it really was."

Along with that article I was also reading a USA Today opinion piece - Grandma's greener than you -that talks about how our depression era relatives were in effect greener than us because they did without, they repurposed item and kept waste to an extreme minimum in some cases. The writer made a good comment, "This idea of wasting nothing is tough for modern Americans to get our heads around. Raised in a consumer economy in which every problem requires a product, we tend to think "going green" means buying something." But I like to think that we can do better than we are doing now, myself being primary in making these changes.

Obviously our buying and saving will ebb and flow but reduction in what we consume is certainly a good prescription for our spirit.

Random Linkage: Is There a Point to Saving?

2009-11-18T07:10:00.006-07:00

I was surfing around over at yahoo answers and there was a question posed that asked why become a millionaire when you are old. They wondered what the use would be to have millions stashed away when you are old and something the kids will fight over when you are dead, why not just live a good life since we only live once, what's the point?

When I read that I could understand the frustration with people saying "you need to save 2 million for retirement" or some similar comment. A friend of mine has talked occasionally about arriving to school in limousine or getting most anything she asked for when it came to gifts, yet she wistfully recalls the times her father wasn't home and was working constantly, she has talked about wishing she could have had more special moments with her father instead of him working so much. But then on the other hand, she is glad that her father had all that money or he wouldn't have had the money to pay the hospital bills when her mother got sick and she wonders if her father spent oodles of money to keep her mother healthy, would she had died sooner. Because of that she doesn't hate the money that was part of her family.

Then I read about stories of people who have made their first million when they were 25,35 or even 15 and that money allows them a little more freedom in the future that they might not have had otherwise.

After reading the question "What is the point of being a millionaire?" I see that the author of the question saw money more as a problem all it's own than a solution to some problems. Certainly the pursuit of money can be the cause of familial troubles but the money itself doesn't cause the problem, it is inanimate. We either control money or we don't. Having millions when you die doesn't mean you saved too much and having debt when you die doesn't mean you saved too little.

What matters is how that money plays a part in life, yours and those around you, and your attitude towards it. True, having money saved will help towards less stress with bills but it won't bring happiness. The point of being a millionaire really depends on the millionaire, the reasons are as diverse as the the people but most people are just looking to be secure for today and prepared for tomorrow. Some may feel perfectly content with 5 million while other prefer to have 5,000 for the future. To each their own.

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On a slightly different route to saving money I found the following links below of interest and use for myself in my goal to saving money.

◘ I've been enjoying Five cent Nickel's posts on savings bonds and am learning a few new things and gathering some plans for the future.

◘ Consumerist recently posted information on other reports we should be checking besides our three credit reports.

◘ Yahoo! Green gave some good advice on 7 things we should repair instead of replacing. I'm always for finding ways to hold onto my stuff and make it last so I don't have to go shopping.

And along those same lines I enjoy reading Lifehacker's Tips Box ideas:
Ideas on stripped screw holes, wet cellphones and constantly loose glasses to reusing disposable items as packing material

In other areas that indirectly relate to saving money I found:
The Secrets of Telemarketing from Wisebread
7 Healthy Foods that will fill me up from Dumb Little Man - And don't we all just want to be full and eat less anyway? {smile}
19 Ways to Maximize the efficiency of the oven over at Smartspending

Flexible Spending Brings Health Benefits

2009-11-16T07:34:00.001-07:00

Last year I forgot to sign up for the flexible spending option at my work and it was sorely missed. But this year I made sure I didn't forget to sign up, in fact I checked twice before the open enrollment was closed to make sure that they had my selections right as I was nervous I would forget to check something off.

I occasionally try to pass on to my co-workers the beauty of flexible spending accounts and I have found they either get it or they don't want to. Some think it is only if they have dependents and others don't think they will need that money set aside for them.

Personally, I never saw the need for flexible spending accounts until it was explained to me over the course of a few years. Then it sunk in and I wished I had been doing this long ago. The reason I participate in FSA is two-fold:
1. It lowers my tax bracket - Money comes out of my check every two weeks before taxes are taken out. This makes the government think that I am making less and drops me to a lower tax bracket. In fact I used a little calculator that figured this money taken out will save me $113.00 in taxes for the year. Not a lot but I'm sure we all could think of a way to spend $113.00 easy.

2. Unseen medical savings account - I know for a fact that if I have a dollar in my pocket I will have that dollar spent within 24 hours, that is why I don't carry money around with me. However, if I have set up an account that pulls money out of my check and saves it for me for a specific reason I won't spend it because I don't "see" it.

Now I can add a third reason to participate in FSA, and what got me looking into this was all this political health care talk up in D.C. which got me curious what exactly my health-plan (UHC) covered with FSA.

○ I can buy over-the-counter (OTC) drugs like allergy medicines, antacids, cold and flu meds, stop smoking meds, appendage braces and band-aids.
○ I can pay for my dentist appointments. This cost me over $500 last year when I didn't have my FSA set up - so it came out of my pocket, after taxes.
○ I will also have money to pay for another eye appointment and glasses.
○ It was also interesting to read what other areas I could use it for, such as substance abuse treatment, gender reassignment, pregnancy termination and guide dogs, handy for some, just not me.

One thing that worried me when I originally stated up with a flexible spending account was that I wouldn't use up the money. I have no worries about that any longer as it seems that I put off going to the doctor quite often and if I get to the end of the year with money left to use I will start making appointments for myself to make sure I am healthy.

A last benefit of my FSA is that the end of the year for me is not December 31st, but instead March 15th. This is handy if I have a surgery planned for the February I can use up the previous year's money and use the money from the current year to cover expenses.

Now that you have heard about me, tell me about you:
Do you participate in FSA?
Do you use up all the money?
How much do you figure you save? (a calculator is here)

Updated: 25 Ways I save Money

2008-11-17T10:48:00.004-07:00

What are 25 different ways you save money?

Whether it be daily or once in your lifetime, either jot it down in the comments or post to your own blog and I will link to it here. (just let me know in some form) It is always good to take a step back and see what good you ARE doing and where you can do better.

Here are my ways I have saved and continue to save money :
1. Change light bulbs to CFL bulbs to save money
2. Use Heat and Air Conditioning sparingly
3. Using sunlight instead of lights in the house as much as possible
4. Unplug items that aren't in use, especially the tv set at night
5. Keep razorblades dry and clean so that they last longer
6. Write checks for over the amount instead of using an ATM with fees
7. Use plastic containers to store left over food for eating later
8. Turn off all lights when not in a room
9. Leave the car at home at least one day out of the week
10. Borrow books/videos from the library instead of buying them
11. Use coupons and check grocery circulars to get the best deals
12. Cook meals at home, cutting back on eating out
13. Take lunch to work
14. Watch movies at home instead of in the theater
15. Wash clothes every 10+ days
16. Wash clothes in cold water to save on heat
17. Every 6-12 months, verify I am getting the best deal on insurance & credit card rates
18. Cut out all subscriptions to magazines
19. Buy foods in bulk or when items are on clearance and save in pantry & freezer
20. Pick up money from the ground and from vending machines, save in a coin jar
21. Round up in check book and place excess in savings at end of the month
22. Go to free events around town - Zoo, art museum, etc.
23. Put raises or bonuses in savings or apply towards debt
24. Do research online for best value for money on medium to large priced items
25. When I go out to eat, make sure I bring half of the food home for a nice lunch for work the next day!

Since everyone saves money a little differently and we all can learn a thing or two from each other, check out other people’s thoughts on ways THEY SAVE:

1. MBHunter spills the beans on his Twenty-Five ways to save money
2. Blue takes the path to savings in 25 ways and hasn’t looked back
3. In Maggie’s Madcap life, she still has 25 ways she saves money
4. Chuck pulls together his top 25 ways to save money
5. Deb’s living the life with 25 ways she saves money
6. Hammy from ‘down under', lets loose his warrior spirit and finds 25 ways to save
7. Getting to Enough recently updated their ways of saving and ways to improve
8. David tightens his belt and runs down the 25 ways he saves, until he finds a job
9. Ariane lists 25 neat ways she saves money and simplifies her day
10. Tiredbuthappy takes a look at her 25 ways to save money
11. Meredith gathers her valuable ways to save money
12. Jane surprises herself and finds out she has 25 ways she saves money
13. Thrifty Mommy takes on the challenge to find her own 25 ways she saves money
14. Jennifer gets ahead by trying some of her 25 ways to save money
15. Jenn presses forward and jots down her frugal ways to save money
16. Angela bytes on the idea to jot down her 25 ways to save money
17. 25 Slightly Unconventional Ways to SAVE your Pennies comes in from a perspective from NH
18. The Queen of Carrots stretches her vegetable to comes up with 25 ways she saves money.
19. Susan has some Fruitful savings by listing 25 ways she saves
20. Busy Blogger got to work on 25 ways to save money as well
21. Sharon shows us her royal 25 habits for saving money
22. Prince of Thrift posts his Frugal 25 Ways to Save Money
23. The Family CEO manages a gathering of 25 Things I Do to Save Money
24. Golbguru’s money, matter and musings bring out the 25 Things We Do To Save Money
25. Mrs Hoppes is saving resources and still finding 25 Ways to Save Money
26. Tiffany not only saves money, but saves time with 20 Ways We Save Money
27. Poor Statue is convinced she has fun with her 25 ways I save money
28. Mister Jens has simple frugality in mind as he finds 25 ways to save money
29. Janice edits her 25 ways to save at the Okefenokee book club
30. Patrick has cash, money and life on the mind as he jots down his 25 Ways to Save Money
31. Randall handles his credit withdrawal by going through the 25 ways he saves money
32. LuluGal lists her 25 ways (full list)
33. FrugalTrader journeys through his 25 ways of saving money
34. Amanda found 25 ways to increase her value and money savings
35. Jacob has his 25 ways to save money for his early retirement extreme
36. Emily gathers the bits & pieces on ways to save money
37. Andrea gathers together the 25 snacks that help her save money

The Clothesline Nemesis: Broken Wood Clothespins

2009-11-13T07:11:00.002-07:00

From the Hartford, CT newspaper, Courant and Mr. HandyPerson (no longer archived) comes this bit of advice on giving your clothes pins a long and happy, wooden life - I thought this was an excellent addition as I've wondered this myself. It's not useful for everyone, but if you've also wondered, now you know.

HOW TO REPAIR WOODEN CLOTHESPINS

Q. Against the advice of my know-it-all relatives (who insisted, "Don't bother him with stupid questions" and "Just buy new ones"), here goes: How do I put back together separated wooden clothespins, the kind with a small spring in the middle?

I break my nails, my fingers get red and sore, and I still have not found an easy or fast way to do this. I bought new ones - plastic. But I am frugal, and I'd like to put all my old ones back together again.
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A. Mr. HP guesses your advice-volunteering relatives are decent, upright people, but he's surprised they've forgotten the old saw, "There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers."

You might mention it to them sometime because it's an important concept.

Now about those clothespins. Mr. HP will tell you how to fix them but, he's a little curious why yours seem to be falling apart with regularity. Are they sometimes left out in the elements between wash days?

This is not a good idea because the unfinished wood can warp, shrink, crack and easily fall out of the spring mechanism (which doesn't rust when wet, staying the same size even if the wood shrinks). Weathered wood is the most frequent cause of breakage and falling apart.

Regardless, let's get your old clothespins up and running again.

A useful tool would be some needle-nose pliers. Hold the little spring firmly, with one of the "needles" of the pliers going through the spring.

Hold the pliers and spring flat on a firm surface with one hand. Then use the other hand to grasp and hold the two wood parts together at their thinnest ends (smoother sides out, bumpy sides facing together).

Insert the thin ends of the wood parts through the squared-off ends of the spring. Push them in to where they stop against the spring.

Then squeeze the other ends together and push them farther past the spring until they pop back into the right position around the spring.

It may take you a couple of tries before this goes as smoothly and easily as it does for Mr. HP, who has been doing it for years freehand - without the needle-nose pliers - because his hands are probably considerably less delicate than yours.

While experimenting with the needle-nose pliers on your behalf, though, he realized that as his fingers become more arthritic, from years of being worked hard, he'll probably use the pliers himself from now on.

Might as well give our trusty fingers a break, don't you think?

Like you, Mr. HandyPerson is frugal, too. His own know-it-all relatives and friends probably say "cheap" behind his back.

But he has this idea that something's off-key if he has to replace household tools, utensils and other things - designed to potentially last a lifetime - more than once in his life.

As Mr. HP understands the language, being frugal is still a virtue and being thought of as frugal is still a compliment.

About 40 years ago, Mr. HP bought his own set of a dozen wood clothespins. Since then, he has salvaged a few dozen more, usually found popped apart in the trash or on the ground near others' clotheslines. He's quite sure he still has his original dozen, although he has not gone so far as to identify and name them individually. But they do feel like helpful, familiar little friends when he uses them.

Considering that there are probably a good many people out there who have no idea anymore what a wood clothespin is or does, these little guys may be a collector's item one day. Hang on to yours!

Tracking Debt and Getting a Smile

2009-11-11T07:38:00.002-07:00

A friend of mine is over $30 thousand in debt and we are working together (actually she is doing the hard part) on getting things paid off so she doesn’t have to go through what I went through with collectors calling and a bankruptcy.

Every couple of months we sit down and go over what she has paid and how much she has left to pay. Basically, she's just keeping track of where she stands so it doesn’t become to overwhelming for her.

With her approval I will share a few simple things we are doing that is helping her out mentally and bringing a smile to her face.

One hot day in August after we were discussing bills for the umpteenth time, we scheduled a get together to go over what bills/debts she had. She brought over her bills and I broke out the milk and Oreo cookies and went at it. We wrote down on a simple piece of paper who her creditors were, how much she had left to pay, what the minimum payment was and what the APR was for the bill. Then we plugged it all in a spreadsheet on her laptop. What information we couldn’t find, we are able to look up online at the company website by signing up or by calling the customer service number on the bill.

Each website is now bookmarked in a folder on her browser so she can keep up with checking them for due dates, late fees, transactions and to make sure payments have posted.

With all the information on the spread sheet, she set about writing out her bills and we jotted it down on the spreadsheet for that month. The minimum payments will go down as she pays on them, so that is the discrepancy on the total paid. Trying to get her to pay the same amount each month, even if they want less so that she can get it paid off sooner.

Once a month, after making her payments, she would total up what she paid for the month and also total up what she had left to pay. This allows her to see the debt go down and how much money is going to debts – It is both exciting and frustrating.

She found that getting all her bills automated was the best way to make sure she paid at-least the minimum on them. And any extra money she receives from bonuses at work or items she sells goes to the debt with the highest interest. Frankly, I don’t care how she pays it, as long as she has one bill as her target and works feverishly on getting it paid off.

Obviously her plan isn’t anything spectacular, but it allows her to see it broken down in a simple way. It also helps that she can see her card balances as they go up and down each month depending on what she buys or doesn't buy and, that she also is able to see her student loan and car loan payments are going down each month.

I wanted to lend a hand to help her out so that she won't feel like she is alone in this. There just isn’t anything like receiving positive feedback from people who care. Ask any of the bloggers that have posted their debts online for all to see, I think they will agree.

5 Ways To Keep On Track Without Support

2009-11-10T07:17:00.006-07:00

I really believe that we have it in ourselves to strike the match and cause the spark that will make the change from overspending, debt ridden finances to underspending, saving generating finances. As I said we can be the spark, but it is hard to be the flame and fan it to keep it going. We do need help from outside ourselves, whether it is a higher power or earthly support to keep going.

I don't always have people around me to help me stick to a goal and I need to find ways to keep myself on track. I certainly don't see myself as a finished product when it comes to frugality, but I thought I would take a break and talk about another road I am also pursuing. Many people, myself included had found that diet/exercise have many similar aspects as reducing debt/saving money.

1. Have a goal and a reason: 5 weeks ago I started a new goal to drop 60lbs but the goal wasn't that finite; I had a reason for the goal. I was seeing my health deteriorate due to my weight, from heavy breathing as I walked up a flight of stairs to not fitting into clothes that even were too large at an earlier time. And, when I took a look in the mirror, I just made myself sick. I not only had to have a goal but a reason for the goal - a reason that will keep me on track when the chocolate donut is looking at me in the breakroom.

2. Discomfort is the name: This new lifestyle is one that means I will be out of my comfort zone until I am used to it. Being uncomfortable is painful to me but I have to get it into my head that it will be that way until I can build up a tolerance to it and feel comfortable again. This means I will sweat, my muscles will ache, I will be tired but eventually I know I will be ok and this will be nothing.

3. The fight is with yourself: In the end there is no one else who is responsible for getting over the obstacles but me. It is my responsibility to get my butt out of bed and go to work and it is my responsibility to get to the gym and work out harder than last time and to eat better than last week. My fight is not with others but with myself; to be better than I was last week. True, I won't always meet expectations but my partner keeps reminding me that If I don't at least try to do better I will have already failed. And I don't like that F word.

4. One more: I have already perfected the art of procrastination or patience when it comes to not buying something, I can wait for weeks or months to save money. Now I need to use that practice with my eating and exercise. One more minute on the elliptical, one more rep or wait one more hour and see if I really need that donut. Or better yet, wait forever for that donut, and substitute it with a healthy fruit or veggie, or even a nice cold glass of water to appease that hunger.

5. Let go of the past: A friend of mine always used to say, "when I had money..." and it used to drive me insane because he was holding himself back by living back then and not for today. Yet I am the same way, I catch myself longing for the days when I would eat and not gain a pound. But I have to let go of the past; this is a new day. I am not that person any longer in many ways and I need to make my diet and exercise work for the me of today.

Frugal Savings with Credit Cards

2009-11-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

This is a guest post from Mr Credit Card. He recently interviewed me about my past experience with bankruptcy and payday loans

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While many folks save money with coupons, especially in their grocery shopping, today, I'm going to show some novel ways to saving money with credit cards. But first, let's get this out of the way. Many folks have got into debt with credit cards and regard them with a degree of suspicion. If carrying a credit card causes you to overspend, then please do not carry one. But if you can manage credit cards, here is a list of ways to save money with them. These are techniques I use myself.

Saving Money on Groceries - For most folks, store coupons and manufacturers are the staples to saving huge amounts on grocery shopping in the supermarket. Stacking the coupons together will save you even more money. Using them at the right time saves even more. You can also obviously join discount warehouses like Costco or BJs. Utilizing all of these methods allow you to save money year after year on your food supplies. But there is another thing you could do, and that is do use cash back credit cards when you pay your grocery bills to earn rebates and hence lower your cost even more. Most cash rebate credit cards pay you 1% rebates for every dollar that you spend on the card. But the better ones pay more than 1% on grocery and supermarket shopping and you can take advantage of it.

Saving on gasoline - Busy moms are always driving their kids to school, camps, games and play dates. With the price of gasoline going up again, finding ways to save on gas will help in the long run. One of the things that many people are not aware of is that many of us are probably using a higher grade of gasoline at the pump that we probably need. At the pump, you will notice that there is regular gasoline (87 octane), premium (89) and super premium (92). In the old days, premium gasoline helped prevent "knocking" which is the term for a mini-explosion in the engine when it was not supposed to do that. But many modern engines are made to run just fine on regular gasoline. Yet I see many folks using "premium" gasoline because they think it is good for the engine. Most of the time, that is not true. The best way to find out is to simply check the owners handbook. Use the correct grade of gasoline will save you lots of money in the long run.

Another way to save money is obviously to use a gas credit card that pays you more than 1% cash rebates for every dollar that you spend on the pump. Doing this also saves you money in the long run.

Annual Vacation Savings - I have always found that I tend to go over my budget for my family vacations because so many unexpected events crop up. Over the years, I have experimented with various ways to save money on my vacations and here are some tips I've picked up.

Plan way ahead - You could be lucky to get last minute deals. But chances are that the last minute deals are not the ones you want. The hotel is really cheap is not exactly at the place you want to stay. The cheap flights may have too many stopovers. Plan as long as a year ahead.

Use reward points or frequent flier points - Using frequent flier points or reward points is one of the surest ways to save money on your vacation. There is some legwork that you have to do to make use of it properly. You have to calculate how many points you need for either an airline ticket or hotel stays and plan in advance to accumulate those points.

Research Airline Alliances to get the most bang for the buck in your air miles - Most airlines are part of an alliance which would allow you to use their points on a partners airlines. Some airlines will require points for certain flights. You should definitely do the research and make the best use of your frequent flier miles if you have one.

Sign up for frequent guest program and take advantage of deals - Here is how this works. Let's say you decide to book a hotel stay at the Hyatt. You should immediately join their frequent guest program. The reason is that frequent guest programs have perks like giving you a $100 food and beverage voucher for your hotel stay. During my last hotel stay, I got a $150 F&B voucher.

Consider attending a time-share presentation for a low hotel rate - Many hotels are also in the time share business. Once in a while, hotels offer great rates for stays in exchange that you attend a time share presentation. During the two or three hour presentation, they will try to sell you a timeshare. But you can politely decline and enjoy your stay at dirt cheap rates. You are weak minded and easily influenced by sales pitches, then this is not for you. For if you are sure you will not fall for it, it is a great way to save money on your vacation.

Give air miles to your spouse - Many frequent flier program have programs where you get bonus miles for simply giving your miles away. Hence, one way to earn extra miles is to actually give them to your spouse or partner and get bonus miles.

Credit Card churning - Another way to save money is to get bonus miles by applying for new airline miles credit cards since they tend to give generous bonus (up to 30,000 miles) for new applicants. In fact, if your spouse or partner also apply for one each, then you can effectively get 2 free tickets simply from bonus miles. Your credit score might dip a bit, but if you are not in the market for a loan or mortgage in the next couple of years, then this is a great way to get miles and save money.

There are lots of other ways to save money with credit cards but I'll stop here. Hopefully, you can implement some of these strategies together with you other money saving techniques and get more bang for the buck.

This guest article was written by Mr Credit Card and says, "If you are looking for a credit card, you should consider checking his list of best credit card offers and deals."

The Second-Hand Shopping Be-Attitudes

2009-11-06T10:22:00.002-07:00

I love picking up some second hand clothes, furniture and kitchen utensils. There is just nothing better than going home knowing you paid pennies on the dollar for an item or that someone's mistake is your gain.

Anyway, there are a few things I have learned from thrift / second hand shopping. Of course if you have anything to add, let us know in the comments below.

Be Aware – Know store policy for returns (if there are any), sales and what tag colors may mean. At a local Goodwill store – red tags mean the item came from Target. Bring as little as you can and keep it safe; don’t leave your stuff unattended. The government has put together a checklist for Thrift Store Safety, and don’t forget all the toy recalls as well.

Be Comfy – If you can wear shorts and a t-shirt, do it. This will allow you to try on clothes if there are no dressing rooms or it is full. Also, wear shoes that are easy to slip off and on – so combat boots would not fit that in my opinion.

Be Checking – Test EVERYTHING that you can while shopping; this includes yards sales as well. Inspect the clothes, every seam, button, zipper, snap and buckle. Look for brand name items that have a history of quality.

Be Prepared – This means you go shopping with a list of what sizes you (family) wear and bring along a measuring tape so that you can see if the waist/leg/arm is the right size as some clothes get their tags ripped off. This also includes bringing a stain remover of some sort to check if marks will come off clothes before you bring it home. Bring along batteries as well for testing electronics and toys.

Be Thinking – If furniture is on your list, know how you are going to get it home, and make sure you have the dimensions down on your list since you probably will not get a refund. Consider what kind of budget you will be spending for clothes/furniture/hardware and stick to it.

Be A Good Shopper – Find out when items are placed on the floor. Go to the stores in other towns/counties/neighborhoods for a better selection or price. It is ok to walk out of a store without something in your hand. It is also normal to go to 2-3 stores before you find what you need on your list. Don’t forget that gifts can be bought at second hand places as many of them get ‘new’ items with original stickers still on them. Be kind and courteous at all times, which includes putting away your stuff, employees/volunteers will like you better, especially if you are a regular.

After the Trip – Remember to wash or dry clean it all, even if it LOOKS ok to you, you just never know. If you are the sewing type, make a list of what needs to be altered and how.

20 Items of Worthless Junk a Waste of Money?

2009-07-22T06:50:00.002-06:00

WalletPop has a list of 20 worthless pieces of junk - some I agree with and other I don't so much.

1. Happy Meal Toys - As a collector of stuff, the cousin to junk, I can see the coolness to collecting, unopened children toys from fast food places. However, they aren't made for long lasting playtime and most kids have more than enough toys to play with. I consider this a grey area.

2. Wipe Warmers - I had to look this up and I would consider this worthless as well, thanks to the convenience of nuking a wet handcloth to the proper warmth, I don't see the need nor the expenditure of the electricity to keep it warm.

3. Radar Detectors - I never understood these because anytime I was in a car that had one I would hear it go off and the driver would say something like, "oh that goes off around automatic doors as well." All that beeping would drive me nuts and if I drive the speed limit, no need to get it - if I don't, I deserve the ticket.

4. Ab Rollers - Frankly, I would put 99% of the exercise equipment sold on tv in that category. As an alternative to an ab roller, I have found that an exercise ball will do fine for sit-ups with back problems and sliding two books on the carpet(one under each hand) works great for the other ab roller type.

5. Single-Slot Piggy Banks - I like piggy banks, though I don't have one now that I use (I use a glass jar) I like the whole classic idea: Keeping money in one place, not being able to see how much you have saved so far, having the joy of cracking it open when it is full. Pigs get enough of a bad name, let's not take the money away from them too.

6. Iconic Breeze - Air filters can serve a purpose if taken care of. People with allergies swear by air filters, there is even one in the cash office I work in to cut down on the money dirt. But if the filter isn't changed out, it's worthless. If regular cleaning in the room isn't done as well, it's worthless. Again, another grey area.

7. VCRPlus Gizmos - I don't see the benefit of this at all. To me it's like saying you have the coolest double 8-track player. Anything with the word V-C-R in it is a waste in my eyes.

8. Ice Cream Makers - I was reading about this cool way you can make ice cream in a bag. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks inviting; plus I don't have to lug around a 20# ice cream maker and set aside the time.

9. Home Theater Sound Systems - If I never went out to a theater this would be worth the cost, not the cost of a $5 thousand one but a decent one under $500 would be nice for watching an action movie.

10. Books in a Kindle World - I made the mistake of showing this to my partner, now she wants one to open up more space on her bookshelf for older books that wouldn't be on Kindle. I prefer the book version still, picked up from the library as I don't collect books all that much; currently I have under 10 books on my shelf. Another grey area for this one.

11. Ear Candles - I had to look this one up as well. I would agree, a waste of money.

12. Bargain DVDs - The only benefit I see to bargain cds and dvds is if you have to own the movie so that you can watch it over and over and over again, in which case buying bargain prices is best. Again, my partner likes this option of building a collection, but I don't. I watch movies at most 2-3 times and that includes catching it for free on tv or checking it out from the library.

13. Trade Show Swag - I don't remember the last trade show I was at and what I do remember is that the magnets got tossed in the trash, the pens were used until they broke or got lost and the pads of paper were the only items that lasted the longest. Trades show are for the information not the swag in my opinion.

14. Giveaway Thumb Drives - I used to love getting these in the mail for free, but I have way to many and no way of knowing what is on each one until I plug it in because they are so small. I need a 256GB thumbdrive for keeping track of everything.

15. Tie Racks - I still think people wear ties so a tie rack is nice to have in the closet, though some guys I work with just fold them up in the back of their sock drawer. This one would be a personal preference, similar to a shoe rack or whether to hang jeans or fold in a drawer.

16. Hobby Kits - Walletpop wasn't to thrilled with these and I can see why, if Dad doesn't have time to put together the model jets, they aren't very useful to him. In this case it would be a 'buyer beware' type of thing as it could be a waste of money.

17. Irons - The iron is still in use in this house, with 100% cotton clothes a good swipe with the iron does wonders for ones look. I don't see this as a waste of money at all until they come up with clothes that never wrinkle.

18. Polaroid Cameras - In a world where we like everything instantly I would think that these would stick around. Alas, they are going the way of black and white photos and are more a view of a person's artistic expression.

19. Shoe Inserts - I know I need new shoes, but I would rather get the last bit of life out of them with shoe inserts. Probably not the best for my feet and a waste of money if I buy enough of them.

20. Rice Cookers - Rice is cooked in a container with water in the microwave and it tastes just fine for me. Because I have an alternate way to cook rice, I see the cooker as waste of money. Chefs or foodies may think otherwise.

So for anyone keeping count:
5 are not a waste of money
9 are a waste of money
6 are in a grey area

Not a waste - Single-Slot piggy banks, Home theater system, Bargain Dvd and Cds, Shoe inserts, Irons

Waste - Wipe warmers, Radar detectors, Ab rollers, VCRPlus Gizmos, Ice cream makers, Ear candles, Trade show swag, Thumb drives, rice cookers

Grey area- Happy meal toys, iconic breeze (air filters), Kindle, Tie Racks, Hobby kits, Polaroid cameras

What are your ideas on this 20 items - agree or disagree? If you feel I am wrong on an item, tell me your thoughts; I'm open to new ideas.

The Low-Tech Food Vacuum Sealer

2009-11-04T10:05:00.007-07:00

Have you seen those vacuum sealers? They aren’t cheap enough for me. The prices range from $45- $400 depending on the model and how many extras you would like. I just can’t bring myself to drop that much money and break away from my low-tech version that works just fine for keeping freezer burn away.

The good part of my low-tech vacuum sealer is that only need three things:
A good, un-cracked straw
Saran wrap
Freezer bags

The only bad part about my low-tech vacuum sealer:
It doesn’t always ‘taste’ good

I will elaborate on these for you. My low-tech version is where I wrap the food item in saran wrap (tape closed if necessary) and then place the wrapped food in the freezer bag (so I can re-use later). Once the food is in the bag I push as much air out as possible and seal up the bag to the straw. The last step is to suck the air out until the bag forms tightly around the food item. This may mean sucking it out a couple of times, so I would need to squeeze the straw closed while I grabbed some air for myself.

Once the bag is tight around the food, I yank the straw out quickly and seal up the last bit of the bag. The downside is that occasionally I get to suck out the air from the meat which makes me gag a tad, but doesn't happen often; the whole process takes about 2 minutes and doesn’t use electricity or the need to find extra storage space for the contraption and I need to buy any special bags.

This process is used for all items bought in bulk that are divided into serving sizes - meat, chicken and hamburgers. It is not used if freezing soup in a bag, but could be if you use two bags and need to get air out of the outer bag.

10 Non-Secrets About Grocery Shopping That Anyone Can Do

2009-11-02T10:25:00.002-07:00

Last Sunday I went grocery shopping, one of the best tips I got from my mother was to take a calculator with me. There are two reasons, one, to keep myself on budget and two, for figuring out cost per… whatever. As I walk around the store and pick up items I enter them into my calculator and round up to the nearest dollar when I do (I’d rather be over than under).

Secret #2 is to make sure that I jot down on a piece a paper (back of a junk mail envelope) a list of food that I need to buy. I also include junk food as well and exactly what I am going to buy so that I don't get carried away. Did you know that shopping without a list can cost you up to 40% more with the impulse buys that are picked up?

Secret #3 is cutting back on red meat will also save me money at the check out. I have increased my chicken intake to save money and with thanksgiving around the corner, there will be good turkey sales coming up after the holiday that can be frozen for the year.

Secret #4 that has been around for a long time is to cook from scratch. When you buy prepared items, you are not only paying for the ingredients but also for the time they took to prepare it. So make it yourself, start with small, easy recipes to build up your confidence and work it into your schedule.

Secret #5 involves freezing the extra, especially on a good bulk deal. Separate your food into easy to thaw serving sizes, this stops you from having to re-freeze anything or the need to use it all before it spoils. Freezing the extra is also commonly used for making vegetable stew. After a dinner, dump all your extra vegetables into a container in the freezer and you have a homemade vegetable stew ready for later without much hassle.

Secret #6 is becoming more common, buying generic is one of the simple ways to save money. Many times the store brand is made by the name brand companies and in some cases the store brand has a better quality than the name brand. Personally, I like the store brand tissues to blow my nose because they are softer and thicker.

Secret #7 is about eating less to save money on food. It is interesting to watch myself stretch the food when the cupboards are getting bare, but eat like a hog when they are full. Because of this, I need to retrain my brain to make the food last as long as possible so I am more consistent.

And by eating less, I am not only able to maintain a better weight, but also able to stretch the amount of time I go in between shopping trips - from 6 weeks to 8-9 weeks.

Secret #8 is about snacking and fillers, like fruits, vegetables and soups. These are cheaper to eat for meals and and in between meals, plus they're better for your health. This year we have frozen home-made soup put away for the winter - beef stew and chicken noodle

Secret #9 is to grow a garden and save yourself the cost of buying it, more often than not you will have enough food for your family and extra to give (or sell) to others.

And don't forget, Secret #10, that there are alternative locations to buy food that may be cheaper like farmer's markets or ethnic grocery stores.

What Stories Will Be Told of the Great Recession

2009-10-30T11:16:00.000-06:00

It's wild to think that 80 years ago today the stock market tanked and overall value dropped over 23% in two days. These days it isn't easy to find people who remember that day well, most remember the ripple effect, the years that followed that we now mark as the Great Depression.

I think most of us today are similar in thought when it comes to our own financial struggles, there are a rare few that can remember vividly what set the tone, but many people can be found who have stories of their own ripple effects and their struggle and continued struggle to make ends meet.

It seems, from what I have read, that those who have lived through the Great Depression have one of two attitudes today about what they experienced. They have either continued to live frugally based on the things they learned as a child and young adult or they want to put those years behind them and live well because today is nothing like yesterday. But both groups seem to agree that they don't want to live through those times again.

And today I believe those same attitudes are growing. There are those who have learned to be frugal to get through these lean time and will carry those experiences through the rest of their life and those who are eagerly waiting for life to get back to "normal" so they can put their hardship behind them. Call it frugal fatigue or short attention span, but I think that even though people what to move beyond this required frugality I don't believe that they will so easily forget the ways that they tightened their belt and how it helped them get through.

It seems that time helps us remember when history passes on by us and our memories or those who carry those memories are no longer around to remind us. It is in this "Great" Recession that we will gather together the things we have learned so those who come after will not forget.

Obviously the day to day can be very boring yet it is punctuated by creative ideas to get through to the next pay day and topped off with personal enlightenment that all may be quickly forgotten as it become another act in our day to day living. However, I wanted to bring your attention to some books and blogs that I read that inspire me, jumped start my creativity and let me know I am not alone.

The books that I keep on my shelf for personal reference:
The Tightwad Gazette - The book that took frugality to a mainstream idea. Many were already doing it but now the ideas were gathered together so that they could share with one another what worked and what didn't.
Living More with Less - Understanding that here in America even in our worse condition, we do have some advantages still. It is about appreciating what we have.
The Ultimate Cheapskate's Roadmap to True Riches - A new book that uses one man's personal, lifelong mission to be as cheap as possible and finding value and wealth in what is truly important.
Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things - If you want to re-use something but not sure how, this book will have at least a half dozen ideas for you.

When I initially started blogging in late 2004, I was the only frugal blog that was out there (the old blog is not archived, sorry) but in the last 5 years the number of frugal bloggers has exponentially grown that I am amazed and inspired myself. Below are only a few of the many blogs I keep up with who share their own day to day stories.

Blogging Away Debt
Out of Debt Again
Under $1000 Per Month
Wise Bread
Pat Veretto's Frugal Living Blog
Frugal Babe
The Simple Dollar
My Frugal Life by Thriftyfun
Frugality in the Making
Frugal Dad

The Hidden Price to Free

2009-10-23T09:21:00.000-06:00

When an opportunity comes around that makes an item free and I have use for it, I grab it. A truly free item is rare if you think about it. I love watching shows on Hulu and when I heard the company was thinking of charging for Hulu I was bummed. But I do realize I still pay for it in a small way, by paying for my internet access, which works out to pennies for the things I do (coupons, maps, tv shows, blogging), but I still do pay for it and it isn't completely free unless I was stealing my neighbors internet or using wifi at the library.

There are so many ways to get free items but most of them come with a price in some form.
BOGO items -
You can't get a free item unless you buy another of the same item at regular price. The free part is only if you were going to purchase that item anyway, otherwise it is money being paid for essentially two items.

Free Lunch -
This is commonly used at work with the boss buying lunch, but it is usually on the heels of reaching a goal or volunteering beforehand. There is the occasional 'free lunch' due to a holiday brings out the kindness in people.

Free Sample -
Receiving free samples is considered free however what have you given to get the sample in return? In most cases you have given your email and home address, thus giving up a bit of your privacy for their advertising list. Also there is the added storage that may be necessary if sample gathering is hobby - storage takes space and to some who don't have a lot of storage that is premium space.

Drawings for Vacations and Cars -
They have a Smart car that is being given away 'free' at the nearby mall, but in order to just enter, not win, I had to give name, address, income and select some personal interests. Again, a privacy issue but the biggest part is that wining this "free" car means big taxes when I take ownership of it.

Dumpster Finds -
I have dumpster dived a dresser and picked up a cedar chest but I didn't just bring them home and plop them down, they were sanded down and either painted or stained. That meant I had to buy paint and sandpaper and stain. It may not be a larger cost, but still, not totally free.

Free Communities -
This are wonderful places to pick up free stuff, however there is a small cost to some of these as well. Depending on the item you are looking for and how far out of the way you may have to go to find it, that would mean you have gas to buy and if you don't have a truck to pick it up, you may have to rent one. If you need help getting the item in the truck, then there might be the cost of paying for a lunch to have one of your friends help you out.

It all depends on how you look at the "free" item, if what you give of your time, privacy, repair and gas is minute to you than the free item has value above what has been put into getting it. In my case, I'm glad I signed up for the Smart car giveaway- the chance to win one is worth the information gathered from me and the taxes inevitably will come.