I know I've been on a Credit Union kick lately, but I can't help myself. There are just so many benefits! Regardless if you buy into the whole "move your money" movement or not, it's still good to know we as consumers have options.

Jim @ Bargaineering had an excellent list of 10 reasons why credit unions kick ass, and I totally stole it cuz it was that good. In fact, I'd also like to add 1 more to the list! So here are his 10, along with my 11th addition. You can click on his link for future explanations too if you're curious - he goes more in depth for each category - but here's the A.D.D. version:

1. Better interest rates on loans.
2. Personal loans are more likely.
3. Better interest rates on deposits.
4. Lower fees.
5. Fewer customers, better relationships.
6. Fewer customers, you’re more important.
7. No call centers.
8. You can be involved at a credit union.
9. NCUA insurance.
10. Less profit-driven, takes fewer risks.
11. FREE Coin machines! No more paying 9% for Coinstars ;) Which isn't *too* bad since it saves you hours of rolling 'em up like you're back in 1985, but still. FREE is better than $5 or $10, or if you're a pimp saver - $20 in fees!

And I'll tell you a secret - you can just walk in and use it! How awesome is that? It's not being sneaky either, at least at the one I went to. When I handed over my receipt to the teller she didn't even ask if I was a member. It's possible she was off her game, but even so what would they do - NOT give you back the money you just gave them? I don't think so...

Regardless, you should totally hit one up next time you're on the coin war path. You deserve to take home as much as you can after all those years of saving!

It took me 6 months to save my latest deposit of $76.48 (pic of coin breakdown), and all I did was empty my pockets when I got home every night. I fill up piggy banks, vases, jars, etc until I deem it worthy of 10 mins of my time. Then it's off to Coin Heaven we go! They get to go home and see all their friends, and I get more money for my Fun Fund. It's a win-win situation (not to be confused with Mike "The Situation" - that guy's interesting, but he sure doesn't save you any money ;)). So start hoarding those pennies folks!

Labels: banking, bargains, interest rates, money hacks, saving ideas

Guest post by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval

As the authors of THE POWER OF NICE and THE POWER OF SMALL, we know first-hand how our small, kind actions can have a tremendous impact on the lives of others, and consequently our own. And contrary to what you might think, things as seemingly trivial and simple as making small talk with a stranger can have life altering consequences.

Don't believe us? Just listen to Sandy and Annamarie tell their story:



From holding the door for a coworker, to making casual conversation with the cashier at the corner store, the opportunities to effect positive change are all around us, and you can discover them, too. The key is to shift your outlook and retune your focus from the big picture to the small details... and the holidays are a perfect time to start.

Sure, hitting the mall and loading up your shopping bags full of fancy toys, designer clothes, and high-tech electronics is fun and feels good, but we believe that making small, kind gestures as a token of affection can feel even better. In fact, by harnessing the power of small, you can make a little go a long way and discover that sharing holiday cheer with friends and family doesn't have to cost a thing. So, whether or not you're pinching pennies this season, why not try these tips for a SMALL, NICE holiday?

Write a letter.

When we were reading this month's Real Simple Magazine, we came across an idea from a reader that really hit home. Each year, in lieu of a store-bought gift, she writes a heartfelt letter to each of her relatives, expressing her feelings of thanks, love, and respect. Although inexpensive, the looks on each of the recipients' faces year after year show how valuable the letters really are.

Offer your services.

If you're a great cook, why not become a personal chef for the day? Love kids? Channel your inner Jo Frost and become a "supernanny" for the night. To make it more festive, design your own "gift card" on your computer or by hand, redeemable any time. Giving your friend or relative (especially a busy mom or dad) a bit of time to relax is a gift you can be sure they will appreciate!

Call an old friend.

With the popularity of online social networking, reconnecting with your long-lost friends is as easy as clicking "search," but once you've found each other, why not give him or her a call instead of writing on his or her wall? The opportunity to catch up over the phone will raise both of your spirits.

Make a donation.

Show your loved ones that you care about the issues that matter to them by making small donations in their honor to charities you know they support. With just a few dollars, you can make a real difference to non-profit organizations of all kinds while letting your friends and relatives know you're listening.

So this year, if you're feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of blowing your budget on lavish gifts for all of your friends and family, remember that there are other less expensive yet just as meaningful ways to show your generosity. By harnessing the power of the little things, this holiday season and throughout the year, you'll find you're well on your way to creating a nicer way of life for you and all of your family and friends.

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Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval are the CEO/Chief Creative Officer and President, respectively, of the Kaplan Thaler Group and the co-authors of the bestselling books Bang! and THE POWER OF NICE: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness. Their newest release, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference, debuted on the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and USA TODAY bestseller lists and is available in stores now. You can catch up with them on their blog, follow them on Twitter, or find them on Facebook.

Labels: charity, holidays, life, saving ideas, shopping

This is a guest post from my talented as hell brother, T. Penny - the guy who reminded us debt is like kissing your sister...and liking it.

I feel cheap - dollar-store cheap. I've been used and abused for far too long, and it's completely my fault. Confession: I, like millions of other people, am a Starbucks addict; a lemming to all things confection and caffeinated ... and my wallet hates me for it.

Funny thing about treating yourself to a cup of highly priced Joe is that while it tastes sublime in all of its sugary glory, it can eat away at your checking account like diabetic termites. I know because I'm a repeat victim of modern marketing (Keg-sized peppermint mochas? It's not the holiday season without it!). I naively buy into the belief that Starbucks is committed to my wellbeing; that if they were given the chance, they'd tuck me into my racecar bed at night, read me the ol' Green Eggs and check for closet monsters. Nope. They just want my money, and I'm forking it over to them like old people at bakeries.

Truth is, up until recently I've been spending about $25 a week consuming what Starbucks is peddling (I'm drinking one as I write this). Buy, sip, swallow - follow the routine until you get the yummy in your tummy and all is right with the world. Eventually, I became a creature of habit, and those casual walks to the corner coffee shop evolved into the staggered walk of a fiend in need of a fix. What do I get for these visits? My teeth hate me, my gums have given up, and, like Tiger Woods, I waste my hard-earned coin on something cheap and disposable.

How did I kick this fix? I had to put on my reflection pants and swim in the lake of me. I needed to change my line of thinking, and to do that, I had to first get to the bottom of my spending. Every month, after all of my bills have been paid, investments made and my check to the Scott Baio Fan Club has been cashed, I'm left with about $700 to my name. Considering I'm 28 years old, single, I have a two-year-old car, I own a condo, I have six large in an emergency fund and zippy in credit card debit, that's not half bad. What's not good, however, is that every month $75-100 of that left-over money goes to Captain Capitalism in the form of Starbucks and other caffeinated drinks. You know how much "Charles in Charge" swag I could get for that amount of bank?

Worst of all, like any addict worth his salt, I knew I was going to Starbucks far too often, but the feeling of "treating myself" was alluring. I couldn't stop. It is coffee, after all. For centuries, indigenous peoples warred, maimed and pillaged over this dark brown beauty ... what kind of son of history would I be if I ignored all of that? No, I simply had to commit to my coffee cravings. I had to give myself the occasional treat. After all, what's one cup a day? Nothing blush-worthy ... until that one cup turns into 20 a month, which at $4.50 per serving comes to $90 every four weeks ... or-gasp!-$1,080 a year (the cost of a mildly retarded alpaca).

And therein lies the financial rub: I'm wasting $90 each month that I could be investing, all because I fell into the insufferable mindset that treating myself daily is important, that I deserve a little treat here and there, which brings me to my point. It is healthy to treat yourself to something that will make you happy (like that sequined "Member's Only" jacket you've been eyeing), and it's certainly an important part of living and enjoying life. However, there needs to be a good dose of moderation in the mix. Otherwise, falling under the "I deserve" mind trap can quickly deplete your bank account and leave you with nothing but regrets, and in my case, a caseload of cavities.

What I try and tell myself now is that just because I can afford something, it doesn't mean I should buy it. Instead of going to Starbucks every day, I started going every other day, and then less frequently after that, until I ended up going only two times a week at best. I also switched things up a bit and started going to Dunkin' Donuts, where their delicious, low-maintenance coffee runs only a hair above $2- that's a two-dollar savings right there! Finally, I decided to start brewing more of my coffee and taking it with me. Sure, it tastes like the rainwater that drips off of clay huts, but it's a start. And I'm saving money. And I'm getting healthier. What's not to like?

This entire coffee experience has taught me the importance of temperance when it comes to enjoying life's goodies, as well as the need to step in and "check yo' self!" on occasion. Doing so can directly affect the way you live your life and how you handle your money. When it comes down to it, making the decision to address my "addiction" is one smart step that's made my wallet-and my waistline-much happier.

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T. Penny is the "real" journalist in our family, and my dear younger brother - who I both admire, and hate, for being incredibly funnier than me ;) If you like his style, check out his other guest posts: Doing what you love pays dividends, and Debt is like kissing your sister...and liking it.

Labels: guest post, life, saving ideas, starbucks

Nothing I'm about to say will come as a shocker, but it needs to be said ;) And that's because I'm getting dangerously close to a few of these! I know human nature will always play its part, but without reminders every now and then we tend to keep going until caught. So today, we tackle the law. And how staying on the right side of it will keep more money in our pockets.

Don't park illegally. You'll be faced with fines from $25 to $250 an occurrence! Or even worse, you'll get towed. And that's definitely no fun to work out - for both you and your wallet (especially if you live in a city like NYC or DC, bleh.) The Mrs. learned this the hard way the other month and she didn't even have to go far. She parked in an emergency lane IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD and was promptly handed a $250 ticket. She was pissed off to no end (she had parked there late at night because she didn't want to walk far alone), but it sure did teach us a lesson!

Don't Speed. Not only will you get slapped with fees, but it's a one way ticket to higher insurance rates! That one speeding trip costs you years of extra premiums for nothing. I know we never *try* to get caught, but some of you test the limits a lot more than others and you know exactly who you are ;) The last speeding ticket I got (knock on wood) was 10 years ago and the only reason I remember it was because I never told my dad and yet he "somehow" found out! haha...Cops, insurance companies, parents - none of them like it.

Don't Cheat The Government: Guess what? If you don't pay our taxes you'll be slammed with even more once you're caught! And possibly jail time. You still locked up Mr. Snipes? Stay on top of it the best you can or hire someone to do it for you. It may cost a little more, but it'll save you a lot more down the road.

Don't Go To Jail: Not only does it suck, but you can't earn any money in there. Or at least anything decent (I've been told you can earn a dollar or two a day doing chores?). That means all your debt & bills out in the real world will keep piling up awaiting your beautiful return.

And Lastly, Pay Your Bills on Time! It's not illegal if you don't, but it's a surefire way to keep burning money for no good reason at all. Banks and credit cards LOVE people who pay late so they can legally jack up the fees & interest rates! And unfortunately the only person at fault here is you :( So please, don't let them bend you over like that - stick with the game and pay attention.

Labels: advice, bills, car stuff, saving ideas, taxes

This is a guest post by Sox, and I think this it's BRILLIANT!

Some of you might not remember, but giving up 'shopping' for Lent myself 2 years ago REALLY put things into perspective. I learned that it is actually possible to not step into stores every other day ;) Plus, you really do save a ton of money. Hope you enjoy this:
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I came across your site today and thought I would share an idea that I've been doing for several years now. It started out as a 'Lent' type thing where I didn't spend money for 40 days. Now I just do NoSpend November. I take a month and 'fast' on spending. It's not easy, but it's quite helpful in many ways.

Each time I've done this I have actually made between 50 and 200 dollars. Combine that with the money I didn't spend, and the fact that I reformed my spending, it can have a big impact financially. Best of all, next month you'll have a lower credit card bill. Here are my rules:

Unless otherwise indicated you can't spend any expected income.

• Salary
• Wages
• Rent owed
• Established court settlements
• Alimony

NO spending of already existing money in your possession.

• Cash on hand
• Gift cards

NO stockpiling.

• You can't buy gas on the day before it starts unless you need it.
• No loading up on extra food. If you're low on milk that's ok, but you can't buy a dozen frozen dinners

If you have any bills, you can pay them.

• Credit card purchases from previous months
• Medical prescriptions
• Mortgage/rent
• Utilities
• Cell phone

If you have any thing owed to you, you can call it in.

• Owed lunches/dinners
• Money
• Take someone to court (hah!)
  
• Stuff that was borrowed

You can use money you get from selling things in your home.

• Selling on Craigslist/eBay
• Returning things to Home Depot/Lowes (easy to find for any home owner)
• Unused gift cards

You can spend money that is refunded to you in that month.

• Credit card cash back checks/ gift cards
• Medical reimbursement

Anything that you sell or get refunded must be spent after you get the money back.
So if you submit a reimbursement for medical expenses, or sell something online, you can't spend money in anticipation of getting it. If you submit it and you don't get anything sent to you that month... tough noogies. If you find out someone owes you money, you have to wait until they hand it to you.

Gambling is allowed with any eligible money (but I don't recommend that) .

You can consume anything that you already have.

• Food
• Toiletries
• Fuel (hard for those that are big commuters)

You can barter.

• Make dinner for someone with your own food, get someone to take you out for dinner
• Help someone out with a chore, get food or something else (not money) in return
• Sell anything you receive by doing chores for others
• Sell anything that was borrowed and then returned to you
• Sell anything for profit that you buy that month with eligible money

I think that's all... In the end you can potentially:

• Reduce excess crap in your pantry
• Eliminate items you shouldn't have bought
• Get evened out on things that people owe you
• Get in better shape from walking instead of driving
• Hang out with friends more
• Lose weight by eating more frugally (saving and eating leftovers)
• Eat healthier by cooking your own food
• Best of all, next month you'll have a lower credit card bill.
  

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Big thanks to Sox for sharing his thoughts! You can track his progress over at No Spend November.

Labels: awesomely awesome, guest post, money hacks, saving ideas

I would save a crap ton of money! And eat a lot healthier too. I might have to go to bed every night at 9, but it's not like I couldn't use the sleep and steady habit anyways.

In all honesty, I'd give it a shot in a heartbeat. I don't know how long I could last (or that the Mrs. would even allow it (she wouldn't)), but it's definitely something I think about every now and then. Like, every 30 days when the mortgage is due ;) Or when my blogger friends talk about doing it themselves!

While I'm probably the only twenty something actually *wanting* to live back home again, you'd be hard pressed to deny the sweet financial benefits to such a situation. Free rent/mortgage, food, cable, internet, phone, homeowners insurance, condo fees, the list goes on and on. We'd of course have to revert to 6th grade with all the chores and cleaning up we hated to do back in the day, but it's not like we don't have to do them anyways, right? $hit, I'd even move in and pay them half of what our monthly housing costs add up to! We're talking big buckaroos here, friends.

According to our monthly expenses, we'd save roughly $3,000 a month! My freedom is enjoyable, but is it really worth $3,000? And on top of that, all the stuff that un-minimalizes us? I gotta admit, if I weren't married and/or living 2 hours away I'd at least give it a shot. That is, if they upgraded from AOL dial-up and got HDTV ;) Only halfway joking there...

Unfortunately, I'm afraid those glory days are long gone for us. We do live farther away and we do have a lot of stuff that ties us down - not to mention the future family we want to start with some baby-making! While I like it or not, it comes to a point when you really do have to get out there and make something of yourself. At least according to my dad ;) For all I know he wouldn't let me back even if I tried! haha...I'm sure I could convince him (or have mom do it), but I know parents like their freedom just as much as the next person.

Regardless, the financial aspect is extremely intriguing. I may not be able to take advantage of it myself, but if you're in the lucky stage in life I say go for it. There's no shame in saving up and getting your money in order before getting out there on your own - esp. if you've got some debt piled up already. You might not find it as exciting as I do, but if you can stick it out for a bit you'll have a lot less stress and a lot more fun to look forward to.

Labels: bargains, home ownership, in the real world, saving ideas

Fresh out of college I used to blow through $300/mo. on alcohol easily. Living in NYC and going out at least 3 nights a week killed me - and that was WITH all my frugal tricks! I never reached the spending capacity of my friends (who could drop $200 *a night*), but it's safe to say my wallet's in much better shape now.

These days my drinking costs me about $50-$100 a month, and even less if you take out the Mrs. from the equation. We both drink a beer or two a night to relax, sometimes a little wine, but nothing a couple of cases & bottles can't solve every month. It was really the cutting back of the nightlife that curbed our spending. Not that I'm encouraging it or anything (I definitely miss all the adventures!), but just that it was the main factor in our change here.

And I tell you what, people were spending a crap load on Halloween night! My goodness. Either I'm getting old or inflation is really creeping in here. Regardless, there are still a few tricks we can do to cut costs a bit. Here are some that cross the mind:

• Drink cheap beer/wine. Beast, Natty Light (if you really don't care about taste), 3 buck chuck.
• Stock up in bulk. Your favorite beverage 20%? Buy a few cases now and store it away.
  
• Hit up more happy hours - 1/2 off drinks and appetizers beats full price anytime.
• Pre-party at a friend's place before going out! Why spend $10 on a drink when you can get 6 for the same price? Bars and restaurants jack up the prices way too much, might as well enjoy a little before letting them rob you.
• Bring a flask with you. I don't know if this is illegal or not (or even all that smart), but it IS cost effective :) Especially if you're a fan of the mixed drinks. $1 Cokes is much cheaper than Jack & Cokes, and it only takes 10 seconds to pour a little in whenever needed.
• Drink Coffee/Energy drinks instead. It all depends on the effect you're going for, but coffee and energy drinks get you pretty hyped up at a 3rd of the price. You might look weird drinking it while dancing to the Thong Song, but I swear it works!
  

I'm sure I'm missing a lot here, but you get my point. No matter how much you're spending on something there's usually a way to cut down. And when your friends are in on it, it's even easier! Not the Joneses, of course, but the ones who actually care about saving their money ;)

So how about you all? Anyone still spending $300+ a month? How about $15 like Well-Heeled?

Labels: money hacks, saving ideas, where our money goes

Well, I finally finished Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel: 100 Dirty Little Money-Grubbing Secrets and it sure was interesting! (and a nice change of pace)

It takes an special person to pull something like that off, and Phil Villarreal does so with the shocking grace you can only expect from such a book ;) I still don't know whether to hug or punch him, but needless to say it was damn entertaining.

That's probably the best word to describe this book: Entertaining. I'm fairly confident that if you were to try and pull off even half of these 100 tips you'd find yourself in jail. Or in an alley somewhere with a broken nose. BUT, a broken nose with an extra $50 in your pocket ;) That being said, there were also a ton of EXCELLENT tips to try out with a good conscience - especially in the first half of the book (the last 20 or so makes you want to take a shower).

Here's a snippet from Tip #38: "Don't Poop On Coupons":

"It saddens me that coupon clipping is viewed as the pastime of the desperate housewife, some meaningless, mundane project to fill the time between soap-opera airings, floor mopping, and self-supplied, amateur porn web-camming. Here and now I want to start an effort to reclaim coupon clipping for men everywhere. I want Harley riders to start keeping plastic, accordion-style coupon holders in the back of their hogs. I want UFC fighters to tout the benefits of $1 off Raisin Bran coupons after bouts. I want John Wayne to rise from the grave, visit a Circle K, and push a buy-one-get-one-free Thirstbuster card over the counter...Coupons are real money, and to throw them away is to ignite your wallet in flames."

He goes on to share his best tips on getting these coupons, but I thought this was an accurate sampling of his hilarious nature. Overall, he did a great job keeping my A.D.D. attention and really opened my eyes to a level of frugality I never thought possible. If you have an open mind, I recommend it 100%. If you're a good little boy or girl, I wouldn't think twice about picking it up ;) Unless, of course, you want to LOOK like a bad ass and carry it around with you? That would most definitely shed your goody-two-shoes image within minutes, believe me. I can't tell you how many stares I got on the train while reading this the past few mornings. It also looks like Phil has earned himself a sexy little fan club:

The Giveaway (if you haven't been scared off yet):

Here's what to do in order to win one of two copies - it's super easy, and super fast:

1. Drop a comment with your very own "dirty little saving secret"
2. And 2, well....there is no #2. Just do #1 and you'll be entered :) And if you're not feeling feisty enough, just make one up or steal someone else's tip so you can be entered - whatever works.

I'll be giving away both copies Saturday morning so be sure to leave some sort of contact info here so I can easily alert you! And I'll be using Random.org to pick the 2 winners so everyone has an equal shot (if you can't wait until then, check out Amazon and get it while it's cheap). Now comment away my dear friends! It's time to rot someone else's brain with such awesome scoundrel-ness :)

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PS: You can also find Phil on Twitter (where he tweets), Consumerist (where he writes), and The Arizona Daily Star (where he reviews). Thanks for the free books my man!
PPS: There's another giveaway at PF Firewall that ends Wed. @ Midnight, so enter there too.

Labels: book reviews, frugality, giveaways, money hacks, saving ideas

There's been many a times I've been picked on for being frugal. Mostly during my prepubescent years, but even now I've been known to give a few of my friends a good laugh. I'm sure they were all just jealous (at least that's what our mothers always says, right?) but either way I say who cares.

Who cares if our frugality and craftiness distracts people? Are they the ones saving a few dollars? Anope - we are. And because of that I say keep on doing your thang! As long as you're happy and not breaking any rules (*ahem* Phil Villarreal) who cares about these boring people and their spend-crazy lives. We like saving money and we're not afraid to admit it!

In fact, I'll even admit to some thriftiness right now: I used to sneak cheeseburgers into my pockets all the time at the movie theaters :) I'd swing by McDonald's 10 mins. before start time and pick up some double cheeseburgers right off the $1 menu! Not only was it cheap, but it was craaaazy filling. And when that didn't work out, I'd just raid the nearest 7-Eleven instead and grab myself 3 assorted candies back when they were 3/$1 (remember those days?). No way in hell was I spending $50+ on theater food.

And after thinking about this for a bit, I wondered how many others got made fun of for similar things? There's gotta be a lot of us, right? Oh yeah, DEFINITELY right. Check out all the responses I got back after dropping the following note around the web:

Anyone ever make fun of you for being frugal/crafty?

Via Twitter:

• @SpendOnLife: "Allowing myself time to "sleep on it" when making large purchases has been a source of laughter for my friends."
• @BudgetPulse: "Every now and then stay in on a weekend night to save money and get laughed at for it."
• @ThomasJFox: "All the time. Some mock my frugality; however, I am able to save 32% of my income because of my choices while they save 0."
• @MoneyManagement: "My daughter recently took a doll (Janet) she handmade to a tea party. All of the other girls had American Girl dolls."
• @CreditGoddess: "Got teased once for pulling out a calculator at the grocery store to figure out savings on buying single vs. 4-pack."
• @littlespace: "Heh. Yes, I get teased. Esp about how I tie environmentalism into it - eg. no paper plates cuz bad for earth & waste of $!"
• @luciagia: "I just im'd my boyfriend to remind him to bring home the ziplock bag his lunch was in. Perhaps I'm a little too frugal."
• @mycesi: "Friends laughed at a coworker of mine for only having basic cable. He used that xtra money to invest in a rental property :)...All my friends make my fun of my use of coupons at restaurants!"
• @CanadianFinance: "I always hear about it at work... "why do you always bring your lunch?", "do you ever buy anything at regular price?", etc."
• @ModernTightwad: "Most embarrassing to me ever, some of my husband's family joke (hopefully) that I'm a lush because ... we go out to happy hour specials. The food specials are cheaper than I can cook, and I don't have to clean so ... it makes good sense ... (Although they do look @ me oddly when I order a coke) Probably doesn't help that when I do cook, I make a lot of beer roasts. (Chp Tndrizr)"
• @MrsMicah: "your mom got teased for being frugaltastic last night, but they shut up when i told 'em she was with me. :)" (hey now, how'd this one sneak in?)

Via Facebook:

• Nicole Canfora Lupo: "My friends rag on me because I patch my clothes, darn my socks, sew my own purses and make my own curtains."
• Nicole Ouellette: "The newish boyfriend seems amused at my frugality (the man 'woots' daily) but boy, did he like my homemade enchiladas the other night! Frugality = tasty and clever...Yup, one person at a time, I'm trying to change people's minds about being financially responsible but cool..."
• Jesse Michelsen: "Yea I've been called super cheap, etc. I just take it with a smile and shoot em a grin followed by a wink when they say "I have to wait till payday to buy laundry detergent""
• Shelley Harrison: "This is the first year that I will be buying a tree in a loong time for the Holidays. We will be making ornaments since it is not in the budget this year."

Via the Money Blog Network Forums:

• PT @ PT Money: "BA$, did your friends call you the Hamburgler? (Hah!) I was made fun of for going without cable TV for the last year. I had friends and family members who would focus on that like it was the end of the world. They seemed to believe I was trying to get rich by going without cable TV alone. When it was just more practical for me to use Hulu.com and over the air HD channels. Frugality is about spending smarter, not just spending less, I think. And spending smarter is just one piece of my overall plan for financial freedom."
• Stephanie @ Poorer Than You: "...a friend seriously told me to "grow up and stop getting free furniture off of Craigslist - you're not in college anymore."...I mean, come on, how is 22 (almost 23... birthday is Friday!) and just out of college too old for free furniture that's in good shape? Actually, why is there an age on that at all?"
• Financia of Financial Freak Show: "My friend always gives me crap about not going on vacation with them last year...until I pulled up at his house several weeks ago after just paying cash for a sweet used Lexus SUV and parked next to his $588 a month new truck....he said he liked mine more :) I told him he couldn't ride in mine since he stunk like a filthy payment book"
• Mr. Tough Money Live: "I have lots of liberals in my family. I wouldn't say I am frugal as much as I am fiscally conservative and strategic with money and, of course, write about it regularly. My liberal family members extrapolate my fiscal conservatism into a full-blown political label and then mock me as an alleged Bush/Chaney/Palin/etc. lover. Generally, it's those who don't have much money that mock the most. It's all in good fun but it is further proof that how you treat money in your own life can provoke interesting reactions from others."
• Roger @ The Amateur Financier: "Not really; my girlfriend has teased me a bit, particularly about starting up a blog about money (for some reason, it seems to amuse her), but I haven't really taken any slack for saving/investing. Although, on the subject of sneaking food into movie theaters, I do that, as well; sneaking candy bars into the theater to avoid paying $3-5 for a box of Junior Mints. But, everyone does that, right? Right? RIGHT?"
• Kevin @ No Debt Plan: "My friends do take little jabs at me for being frugal, but they also know it is paying off. I'll top both of you -- we don't go to the movies. Ever. Too expensive and I used to work at one in high school. No desire to go back which is good... saves us $20-30 on tickets and food."
• Wife of My Journey To Millions: "Hello, This is My Journey's wife. He sent me over to this forum when he saw this because he knows I am constantly getting picked on for being frugal. Here is my outlook on why it's good to be frugal: The importance of things. It's funny because I almost got chosen to be on the Rachel Ray show for my frugality. I guess others were worse than me because I didn't get picked. But I certainly think you get farther in life being frugal than you do being a spender...and I also believe rich people stay rich...by being frugal (in their own way of course)
• FFB from Free From Broke: "I've been called cheap from time to time but these were from people who spent freely. I've had lots of "come on it's only 20 bucks" type of replies from friends. Interestingly, when I respond that since it's only $20 why don't they pay they never take me up on it!"

So there you have it. We all get made fun of for saving money! And if you're reading this, chances are you TOO have been the source of these chuckles. But, as always, just brush that dirt of your shoulders and keep on pocketing them dollars. Life's hard enough to be worrying about these jokers - stand up and be proud.

Labels: frugality, in the real world, money hacks, saving, saving ideas

This is a guest post from Ann Smarty

I strongly believe that being thrifty is not about counting pennies - it is more about developing a smart spending strategy. If you take time to consider your every purchase, if you thoroughly research every product you are willing to buy, chances are your money won't be wasted.

Nowadays, the Internet provides for a wealth of opportunities to find useful, impartial information on anything you need. And "social media" tools are the best ones to start with:

• Web 2.0 sites feature discussions from real people;
• Web 2.0 sites feature most recent (even real-time) news and updates;
• Web 2.0 is hard to control and manipulate, thus the users' feedback is impartial and fair.

Use Twitter Search

Twitter Advanced search provides for a number of really great options you may want to try to see people talk about anything:

• Find Tweets asking question: use question mark (?) within the search query, e.g. [godaddy ?];
• Find Tweets nearby: sample search [near:"New York" within:15mi iphone];
• Find negative reviews (those expressing dissatisfaction): use :( within the search query, e.g. [godaddy :(].

Try Shopping Social Communities

Topical web 2.0 communities are great places to find experienced people share thoughts and help each other. So if you are serious about making good choices, be sure to choose a few social shopping sites to join.

How to choose is really up to you. My criteria are as follows:

• The shopping community should be clutter-free;
• The shopping community should be spam-free;
• The shopping community should be focused and targeted.

Buxr is my personal choice because it only offers quality updates and is attentively moderated to ensure there is no spam or self-promotion:



But then again, I welcome you to share your favorites in the comments.

See What Your Facebook Friends Have to Say

For me Facebook has long been a place where all my friends from all my stages of life are connected. It is quite natural, there are many people who I can trust - and who can help me by advising for or against any product you plan to buy.

SideStripe is a handy gadget that connects your facebook search with Google search: so each time you search Google, you know what your friends have to say:


What I Want Facebook application is another way to connect your friends to your shopping and saving activities. The app offers to add items to your wishlist from any store and notify your friends for them to come and share their opinion:

Use Product Reviews Aggregators

I don't recommend focusing to much effort on investigating product reviews because they are much abused and manipulated by the sellers but checking a few sites is not bad idea. Here is a good list of sites aggregating expert and user reviews from a number of sites. PriceGrabber and BizRate are two possible options to try:


Do you leverage social media for product research? What are your tricks?
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The guest post is by Ann Smarty, a blogger and stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur.

Labels: guest post, money hacks, saving ideas, tools and resources, twitter

[Guest post by Kathryn Vercillo.]

Attending a wedding can be a really pricey affair. You have to get a gift for the happy couple. You have to make arrangements to attend the event which frequently means traveling somewhere and/or losing time from work. And you certainly want to show up looking your best which may mean getting new clothes and having your makeup done. If you know more than one person getting married in a wedding season then you can find yourself struggling to work out your budget to allow you to attend their special events. It's important to be smart about how you do your spending when it comes to attending a wedding.

The easiest thing to save money on is your own appearance. Unless you are a part of the wedding party, you can find something affordable to wear that is appropriate for the occasion but that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. Going for a vintage look, re-using an old outfit, purchasing an item that can be returned, borrowing wedding clothing and getting your look on sale are all methods of making a smart choice on your wedding clothing. Remembering that the day isn't even about you also helps to put into perspective how much money you should be spending to get dressed up for a wedding.

Getting a vintage dress (or suit) to wear to a wedding can be a really great option. Many of us want to wear special outfits to special occasions like weddings but it doesn't make sense to go out to buy a brand new dress that you're only going to wear once or twice. Getting a classic vintage dress/suit from a used clothing store (or an online reseller) allows you to select something really beautiful without paying full price for it. The other major option for reducing the cost of a new outfit is to make sure that you purchase a dress that is on clearance sale.

Instead of simply reducing what you spend on your wedding attire, you can actually eliminate the cost altogether through a few different methods. If you have something in your closet that has only been worn once then it may be appropriate to wear it again to the wedding. This is particularly true if the wedding is for someone you don't see often who would never know that this dress has been worn. Alternatively, you can borrow a nice dress from a friend for this occasion. Or you could go the route of purchasing a new dress, wearing it with the tags on and tucked in and then returning it for full-price when the wedding is over (J: Hah! Sneaky sneaky). The only problem with that last option is that if you ruin the dress then you won't be able to return it.

Your wedding attire is the easiest thing to avoid spending money on, but you can save money on the rest of the wedding as well. Reduce travel costs by booking tickets early and sharing a room with other guests while you're there. Select a wedding gift that is stylish but at the lower end of the budget on the wedding registry. Primarily, it's all about being conscious of how much money you're spending to attend a wedding. The fact is that this day isn't about you so you don't have to spend a lot of money to impress people there. Be your usual stylish self and keep a frugal mindset, and the day should go just fine!

-------------------
Kathryn is a writer for Promotionalcodes.org.uk which gives away free voucher codes (like this Laura Ashley Promotional Code) and also publishes money saving ideas. She recently brought us the "Top 15 Frugal Living Twitterers" as well!

Labels: frugality, girl stuff, guest post, saving ideas, thrift stores, wedding

Gooooood morning my fine blog readers & twitterati! Did you get into anything fun over the weekend? We ended up hitting the beach for a mini-family reunion and we just couldn't bring ourselves to return home to reality yet ;) That's what vacation days are for, right?

While I sit here soaking up the sun and pegging my nephews with footballs (my favorite part), I thought it would be prudent to share a few saving ideas I came across while packing up...

On your next trip this Summer:

1. Drive the car w/ better gas mileage. As much as I wanted to pimp out my caddy for all my wife's family to see, we couldn't justify the 13.8 mpgs it brings to the table. Instead, we opted for the smarter choice: her Toyota Corolla (which gets 30+)
2. Stay with family or friends. This is my favorite option, and it usually works well when you miraculously plan your trip the exact same time they are ;) If that doesn't work, call Uncle Ned or your long lost sister to see if you can crash for a night or two. Promise them breakfast or something.
3. Take advantage of your surroundings. Chilling at the beach, hiking up and down the mountains, or just plain walking around and soaking in life is free. You've got a lot more time to just "be" when you're away, so relax and enjoy what's around you for a change.
4. Read. Not a lot of people like this option (I was once one of them) but I'll admit it feels great without the everyday noise around you. It's like 100% YOU time. And you don't have to feel bad for not reading finance books or magazines if you don't want ;) Unless you're me, cuz I like!
5. Do whatever you want. Eat your junk food, stay up late, be a sloth, whatever you want. I'm not sure if this really falls into a savings tip right here, but F it, you're on vacation.

So there are your 5 Free tips for the day. They might not be the most exciting, but they save you money. Plus, it's really the best I can do with all this sand blowing around my laptop right now ;) Yeah yeah, I suck. If you ever figure out a way to blog full-time though, please let me know. I'm afraid I won't go back to work tomorrow...

Labels: money hacks, saving ideas, travel

*******************************************************************
This is a guest post from the team at CarInsuranceQuote.net.
If you like what you see, check out their their website and see
how much you can save on your car insurance.
*******************************************************************
With today's economy, most people are looking to save where ever they can. Whether it's brewing a pot of coffee at home rather than paying $4.00 at a cafe or skipping an annual vacation, consumers are tightening their belts. One great way to see immediate savings is to re-evaluate your car insurance.

The first place to start is with your car. If you are in the market for a new vehicle, consider the cost of insuring it along with the ticket price. Older and smaller cars with a high safety rating are likely to cost the least amount to insure. After shopping around and narrowing your selection to just a few possibilities, call an insurance agent to see about car insurance quotes on each make and model. The numbers could surprise you and you could opt for one vehicle over the other.

If you are not in the market for a new car, start by looking at your current auto insurance policy. (Here's what Mrs Budgetsaresexy and I pay) Are you missing out on any discounts? Talk to your insurance agent about good-driver discounts, good-student discounts and whether your profession qualifies you for any discounts. You can also take drivers safety courses that can lower your rates.

If you drive an older vehicle, you can consider dropping your collision and/or comprehensive coverage. If you car is worth less than 10 times the premium, purchasing full coverage may not be as cost effective. Instead, consider liability insurance as your affordable alternative. You can find out the worth of your car by looking online at Kelly's Blue Book. In any case, be sure to consult your insurance agent before dropping any coverage. They might suggest that you consider raising your vehicle's insurance deductible. By raising this part of your policy, you can lower your auto insurance premiums significantly. (Just make sure that you have enough cash reserves set aside in case of an accident.)

If you own your home or more than one car, talk to insurance agent that can bundle your insurance policies to save on each insured car you drive. If there are any other types of insurance that your company offers, it may be a good idea to talk to your agent about what else you can bundle to receive discounts on your coverage.

Believe or not, many insurance companies also utilize your credit rating to help them determine what type of risk you might be. Car insurance companies determine rates upon risk and if there is higher risk, rates will increase. You should always review your credit annually and look into how you might improve your credit score. Keeping a good credit score as one way to lower your car insurance rates.

All of these tips are a great way to reduce your rates, however, the quickest and easiest way to see the biggest drop in premiums is to shop around for car insurance. To get a car insurance quote, simply enter your basic information online with a comparison shopping website and you will be contacted by up to five local insurance agents offering you cheaper auto insurance rates. These agents know they are competing with other agents in your area, and in order to win your business, they will offer you the most complete coverage at the absolute cheapest price.

Labels: guest post, insurance, saving ideas

If there's one thing talked about more in the PF world than the Latte Factor, it's the "bring your own lunch every day to work" factor. Both can save you tons of money, and both are fairly easy to do (if you like that kinda thing).

With the Latte Factor, you cut out Starbucks every day and save yourself $1,000,002 a year (estimated), or you just brew it at home for $0.32 a pop. With the brown bagging idea, you bring your own lunch to work every day thereby saving you a $10 spot out at the fast food joints or local deli.

If you could pull off any of the two, I'm officially impressed. Personally, I just can't do it - at least the "all or nothing" part of it. I love my coffee too much, and I love eating out when I'm in the mood. The problem being, I just never know *when* I'm going to be in the mood to eat out. And if I take the time to make some sandwiches at home, then you bet your ass I'm gonna eat it no matter what I feel like doing that day ;) So what's a brotha to do?

Here's my 2-step plan to happiness:

1. I bring in a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and jelly. Sometimes I throw them in the company fridge, and others I just leave in my drawer. But either way it's there for the taking when necessary.
   
2. Then, I just do whatever I feel like doing come lunch time! If I can stomach another pb&j (I usually last 1-2 weeks straight until I bore myself), then I eat away! If, on the other hand, I feel like roaming the beautiful streets of DC and crave something in particular, then I go and do that. And like Obama, 5 guys is usually on that list ;)

Nice and easy. I get to save some money eating my yummy sandwiches a couple times a week, and I get to splurge a little on the rest. This keeps both my wallet AND me happy. There's nothing wrong with going cold turkey and saving a ton of money in the process, but just make sure it fits in with your lifestyle. Not everything has to be all or nothing with this sorta stuff.

Labels: money hacks, saving ideas, starbucks

I don't have kids yet, but I'm pretty sure I'd be all over these if I did. There's nothing like some creative ways to entertain 'em all with no real impact on the budget!

The first few can be found in ALL YOU Magazine's June edition (thx for the tips!), and the last couple listed were created by yours truly. And just to spice it up a bit, I decided to add a "romantic twist" at the end of each of these (in parentheses) for all who don't have kids, or those who'd like to participate once the kiddies are sleeping! That way everyone gets something out of it. I know this sounds/looks a bit creepy, but I swear I didn't mean it to be. Just read it for what it is and don't mix and match, okay? ;)

6 Fun & Free Activities for Children (and now Adults):

1. Create an underwater spy game in the kiddie pool. Cut a circle from the bottom of an empty plastic milk carton. Stretch two sheets of plastic wrap across the opening and around the sides to create a makeshift spy lens. Throw some cool objects in the pool and place the lens in the water so kids can see them clearly. (Adult option: throw pieces of clothing into the real pool, and then fetch them out together....late at night...with your significant other)
2. Host your own summer Olympics. Complete in egg tosses, tug-o-war, three-legged relays and sack races. (Adult option: play some Olympics yourself - best love poem, best massage, best , um....listener?)
3. Organize an archaeological dig. Use pieces of cardboard to represent fossils, then bury them in mulch, loose dirt or a sandbox. Set kids on the trail. (Adult option: Leave post-it notes around your drawers or purses/wallets and write some romantic messages down for each other to find)
4. Build a backyard fort by covering the patio table with sheets. Decide what the fort is: a preschool, restaurant and so on. Add props such as crayons or pretend pots and pans. (Adult option: Make a fort in your living room! Grab sleeping bags, a tent, and enjoy some quality time together. You might even be able to make s'mores if your stove permits)
5. Go on a treasure hunt! Bury a few goodies around the back yard or around the community, and create an old school pirate map marking the treasure & surroundings. (Adult option: Instead of a treasure map, create a scavenger hunt and design it around the special places you share - place of first kiss, date, etc)
6. Go on a hike with a promise of a slurpee at the end! I know this might sound odd, but I swear it works :) We'd do ANYTHING for a slurpee growing up, and plus the walking/hiking got us to appreciate the outdoors some more. (Adult option: Do the same exact same thing, except swap out the slurpee with something else "worth your while". During mid trail even!)

Okay, that's good for now. This should be plenty of things to conquer over the Summer :) Which reminds me, I really need to check up on our pool passes this year - I swear our condo association screws it up every time...why do they exist again? But whatever, it's the season of love baby. So get on out there and start checking these off the list!

Labels: bargains, one of my lists, saving ideas

There's a Money Genie over at Adam's blog today, and he's been so kind as to lend him to us! A true gentlemen indeed. Now, this genie isn't your ordinary genie, but rather a financially-savvy one! So don't try and ask it to bring you hot women or better looks or anything like that because it won't work ;)

Before I continue though, I should spell out two things here. The first, this genie is not real (sorry, folks). The second, I don't really believe in wishing for pasts to be different when it comes to this sorta stuff. Call me old-school, but I seriously believe the only way we can be where we are today is by experiencing and learning from all those boneheaded moves we've come to hate. So I'd have to tell that genie to go F off if he tried to wipe away my knowledge at the same time.

That being said, it's still fun as hell to think about ;) Plus, you never know who you may be helping by listing these out! That's not to say high school or college students would actually *listen* to us all here, but the advice is still free for the pickin'. So, I'll go first. Although I warn you there's nothing too exciting about my 3 choices. I luckily never got into much trouble over the years, so for me it's more about lost opportunities than past mistakes. At least for my #1 and #3. Number 2 (haha...) is a toss up:

1. I wish I contributed to my 401(k) from work day #1: It's no secret I'm a HUGE fan of 401ks, I just wish I paid more attention to them my first 4 years out into the workforce. It was the only thing my dad harped on, only problem being I just didn't care. Lesson learned Daddy-O!
2. I wish we didn't buy a house when we did: This isn't to say I'm against home ownership or anything, cuz I'm not, but more that we should have waited a bit longer. At the time I was in "I can do anything" mode and disregarded the fact that I like to live care-free and move around every other year. There's a helluva lot of pros that come with home ownership, but deep down I'd still rather be renting.
3. I wish I saved 10% of my earnings "for real": For Real in that I xfer it into my savings account, and I leave it. Not I xfer it in, then take it back out when I over budget, then put it back in 3 weeks later... and then take it back out again, and then put it back in again ;) You all know what I'm saying.

Okay, so now your turn! What 3 wishes would you ask for to better your financial situation? And remember, you get to take those lessons learned along with you ;)

Labels: 401k, advice, home ownership, life, saving, saving ideas

That's right! T-Mobile, BillShrink, and J. Money are teaming up to bring you savings AND a Free phone!

And with the way this economy's been lately, the timing couldn't be better :) You owe it to yourselves to make sure you've got the best cell phone plans and credit cards in your pockets - plain and simple.

For anyone in the dark, BillShrink.com has come out blazing and is all about helping people like you and me save money. They hook you up with the best cell phone plans, credit card plans, and best gas stations centered around YOUR personal preferences. The whole site's pretty clever if you ask me, and I'm kinda pissed I didn't come up with it first ;) But whatever, I've got a PF blog instead, right? So yeah, check it out. All you have to do is visit their site, enter some info and preferences about your current bills, and voila! It recommends some better alternatives to help you save some money. It's easy, it's FREE, and it's awesome.

They also have a freakin' great blog as well (and I'm not just saying that). Their tagline is "Shrinkage Is Good" for crying out! haha...bad to the a$$. Anyways, to give you an idea of what their recommendations are like, here's what they gave ME when I hit them back up again:


Credit Card Recommendation: American Express TrueEarnings

This was based on paying off the card in full every month, spending roughly $1,000/mo, and wanting cash back over mileage and other prizes. And it doesn't surprise me at all - If Warren Buffett's been picking up even more of their stock, they have to be doing something right! Plus, I've always considered them a top dawg in these races. For me though, there's no beating my USAA World Cash Rewards MasterCard ;) If you're not as addicted or faithful to your own card, however, then this tool is def. worth checking out. You can sort from cash back, mileage, whatever your preferences are.


Cell Phone Provider Recommendation: T-Mobile

In all honesty, I didn't think T-Mobile was gonna come out as the clear winner here. I knew Verizon (who I have) is always more costly than the rest of the carriers out there, but I thought AT&T would for some reason win - but I was wrong! Based on my usage and specific needs, T-Mo grabbed the top spot! I know they've been trying to developing strong relationships with their customers, and are always pretty confident they have the best rates going on, so I suppose it all makes sense. I guess that's why they're so keen on pimping out BillShrink, eh? ;)


Best Gas Station in My Area: Liberty

This is true! Where I live Liberty, in fact, IS the cheapest station around...unfortunately I prefer convenience over saving a few bucks when it comes to filling up my Caddy. This station is only a few blocks away (I know, I'm an idiot) but when I'm going to or from work, I'm already in a rush and I'll gladly pay that convenience fee. If you're smarter than me, you'll listen to what Billshrink recommends.

So there you have it - T-Mobile & BillShrink are lighting up the skies! Now, onto the part you probably care about a teenie weenie bit more - THE FREE PHONE ;) Yes, I speaketh the truth. I will be giving one lucky winner a Free Tony Hawk Ed. Sidekick or a Motorola ROKR E8 - whichever you prefer.

All you have to do is visit BillShrink's site, and then drop me a comment with your thoughts about it - that's it! You can tell us how much money they will save you, how much you loved their blog, or even how you'd rather swallow a huge rat turd than switch credit cards, it doesn't matter. Just leave your thoughts on the subject and you will be entered to win the free phone.

So whatcha waiting for? Get out there and see if you can save some big bucks! I'll be picking the winner this Saturday @ 12noon EST via Random.org. God Bless you my frugal ones..

*WINNER: Gloomberg News! Click here for more info...
------------
*These phones ARE, indeed, FREE! You don't have to activate it with T-Mo or sign up to a plan or anything - you can do as you please with it :) Although, unless you already have T-Mo you may need to get w/ 'em to have it work (not free), but the point is it's totally you're call. (And no, I did NOT get any money or any other sort of compensation for this post. Only one of YOU lucky bastards will get this free phone, not me ;))

Labels: credit cards, gas, giveaways, phone service, saving ideas

That's the 100% truth my friends! The more you pay off now, the less you pay in interest later - It's like kickin' compound interest in its head and getting away with it. I'm certainly not the first to promote this concept, but it was about time I go on record and state it once and for all :)

As I've mentioned in previous net worth updates, we'd been talking about using the money leftover from our House Budget every month, and then applying it towards our 1st Mortgage principal. That way we could start knocking it away sooner than later, and it wouldn't require any big change in our financial scheduling!

Plus we really wanted to get into the habit of paying extra every month while we're in our "interest-only" payment period. In approx. 8 years we'll be forced to pay more anyways, so why not get to it and start erasing some of that "good debt" as they say (which, in all honesty, isn't all that "good" feeling right now - but we've already covered that one)

And what do ya know? I *finally* got off my a$ and started working on this. Yup, "Operation Pay Off Mortgage" is in full effect and it's feeling great. We can even see the difference it's making already! The one principal payment of $165 this month already lowered our future monthly payments by almost $1 :) So what, it's only a dollar right? Yes, but it's a dollar that you don't have to pay EVERY SINGLE MONTH for the rest of your loan! Which, in our case, has 28 years left on it. That means a savings of $336 (336 months) w/out including the 6.875% interest that would have compounded on top of it.

The point is - A one time payment of $XXX dollars shaves off money for the REMAINDER of your loan. So even if you went back to paying just the minimums, your initial savings are now already in effect :) Of course, we're not stopping now. Nope, we're gonna keep applying that extra money every month until we get that bastard down to zero. It's not gonna be fun dropping that money every time, but it's sure gonna be smart.

Labels: challenges, money management, mortgages, saving ideas

As my loving mother always says, "it doesn't hurt to ask". And this time I'll agree with her :) Especially because she just tried this herself and came out with some pretty surprising results.

She wanted this fancy pants coffee maker but it was all sold out at Bed Bath and Beyond. So what does she do? She brings her clipped out coupon (showing the coffee maker at $20 off) into Best Buy and proudly finds a manager. Now, if I were accompanying her this is usually at this point where i'd be squirming and thinking stuff like, "geez mom, you ALWAYS do this!" or "this is SO embarassing!" like a little 13 y/o girl. Luckily though I wasn't there -my dad was. And like most men, he quietly walked away and just let her do her magic ;)

And what do ya know, it worked! The Manager gladly accepted it and offered her the best customer service she had hoped to receive. Wow, she is good. And so is that manager! Perhaps we can all get away with this stuff now that the economy is in shambles? Or maybe women are the only ones that could work this charm? I'd be curious to see the outcome if my mohawk'd self were to give it a try ;) Either way though, it's awesome. Good for you mom!

I can't promise you that it'll work at all stores, but there surely isn't any shame in at least TRYING to use a coupon at a competitor's store. After all, they'd much rather have your business. It may take a little talking or threating to leave the store, but if you've got the balls to try you just might save yourself some cash. Which is perfect, cuz then you can treat me to a few beers!

Labels: coupons, money hacks, saving ideas

Yup, 'tis the season to break out the ways to save! Last week I reviewed Kiplinger's list of $50/day savings tips (which wasn't all *that* impressive), so this week I try again & dig around Real Simple's List (March ed.) for some better finds. And boy was it chock full of some interesting stuff.

Before I get into the list though, i couldn't help but to notice a quick excerpt on page 8 which showed "5 Bizarre (but actual) excuses employees have given for missing work".

OMG. If it weren't done through CareerBuilder.com I would have totally thought this was a joke. Although it very well could have been - sorta like those kids who "try out" on American Idol only to try and make it to TV w/ their crazy randomness. But anyways, here were their weirdest lines:

• Dog was stressed out after a family reunion. (wtf?)
• Swallowed too much mouthwash. (haha...okay, i can *sorta* see this one)
• Hit a turkey while riding a bike. (that would def. hurt! i wonder if it was around Thanksgiving? Cuz then there's no way in hell i'm believing that..)
• Got kicked by a deer (around Xmas? shooooot.)
• Psychic said to stay home. (just plain weird.)
  

And apparently 1/3 of the 6,800 workers interviewed admitted they played hooky too. Now THAT I believe ;) Although sadly i wasn't one of them. I always feel bad cheating the company like that, although I also really enjoy going to work too so that probably has something to do with it. Either that, or i'm getting old.

But okay, back to this list of "71 ways to spend smarter". So yeah, some of these tricks I didn't relate to all that much (probably because I'm a guy and this magazine seems to be geared towards women), but overall I was pretty impressed by it. The designer in me was also wowed by all the colors and layout, so i could also be pretty biased here...

I actually wanted to breakdown the list of all the ones i hated, followed by all the ones I enjoyed (like my Kiplinger's post) but none really hit me over the head like that - at least in the hating department. So instead, I present to you my list of the top 6 ideas that either intrigued me, or at least seemed smart to do - whether I used them or not :)

1. Buy a house plant that blooms throughout the year. They suggested Angel Wing begonias, Kalanchoes, and Flowering maples instead of spending $20 on fresh flowers every week (or $1,040/year). I'm not one to spend $ on flowers, except for my gentlemen duties of anniversaries and bdays, but if you're one to shell out the money here it's probably not a bad idea to check out some of these weirdly-named plants.
2. Measure your dollops carefully. Hahha.. "dollops" - that word gets me every time :) The Mrs. can tell you how much I SUCK at this game. I use like a quarter of the shampoo every day, as well as half the body wash...i dunno, it just feels that the more i use the cleaner i can get! if i could master this one, i'd probably save at least $200/year no joke.
3. Check out the best websites for scoring deals. Etsy.com, Overstock.com, Aandmshop.com (that's a first), and a bunch more on the list. See, in *theory* this works, but not in the real world. And that's only because once you log on you can spend hours digging around and spending way more than you initially meant to! So yeah, killer deals there, but only hit 'em up if you have the willpower.
4. Share a babysitter with a neighbor. Similar to one of Kiplinger's ideas, except it's to help shave the costs of day care by splitting the cost of a nanny with a friend. The nanny would watch both children at a friend's house and could save you up to $400 a month! Not sure how much this stuff costs anyways, but that would be awesome if you could work it out.
5. Use your library card! Get books, new releases, and even a go at Amazon's Kindle - all for free. Might even get free delivery too! I like this idea a lot, but for some reason i don't ever do it...but at least i know where the closest one is....more than I could have said 2 years ago.
6. Donate food - for FREE! All you have to do is go to thehungersite.com and click on the big yellow "donate" button and the site will donate a cup of free food to the needy! How the hell have i missed this one? It's totally going on my list of daily links now. (in fact, I actually JUST clicked and donated! you couldn't tell because this wasn't posted yet, but if you could you'd realize how fast i was....and i was pretty damn fast)

There's a whole bunch more on their list, but those were the ones that stuck out to me. But even cooler was their "day in the (frugal) life" spread on page 130 where they show how you can apply some of these skills even more in a given day. Here's a miniature snapshot to give you an idea of what i'm talking about - it's pretty creative:

• 7:37 am - Swap out your latte for a "misto". Brewed coffee w/ steamed milk, as opposed to espresso with steamed milk. That will save you $1 off the bat.
• 12:15 pm - Bring your lunch. Instead of boring sandwiches though, cook up a pound of pasta the night before and create 5 different meals out of it! (listed in the magazine, which actually look pretty tasty)
• 6:10 pm - "Sip on recession-minded varieties (of wine) at $3." Woahhhhh nelly! $3.00? You've def. got my attention now ;) Yup, accordoing to Real Simple you can pick up a bottle of Trader Joe's Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon for 3 George Washingtons. They also list 5 others for less than $8 if your interest is piqued.
• 7:12 pm - Break out the ramen and create some new dishes. Yeah, at first this one had me stumped, but i read on and found out that someone took the time to write up a book of 101 things to do with ramen - one of which is making chicken lo mein (recipe in mag)

So yeah, a lot more money-saving ways to digest and add to your collection. I hope you enjoyed them, because I think I'm overloaded with ideas now...whew, so much to take in all at once, ya know? But I must admit, this one was much easier and fun to go through than Kiplinger's...must be all the bright colors and pictures ;)

Labels: advice, reviews, saving ideas

I don't know, but I sure would like to try it! According to my good friend Kim Kardashian though, it works like a charm ;) Any of you remember that whole hoop-lah about her saying she takes showers w/ her BF to save water?

For whatever reason i'm only now coming across these articles, but it's freakin' hilarious. What a helluva PR stunt though, eh? And HOW did i miss it? Man...

But in all seriousness, I don't think it would do the trick. Here's what I gots ta say on it:

• When 2 people get in the shower together, it usually isn't to "save water". (it's to talk)
• It still takes you the same amount of time to wash all your body parts. Only now there's the two of you in there, so it'll still take doublish the time. Esp. with all that talking going on!
• Logistically, it's a nightmare. Unless, of course, you have double-sided shower heads!
• The average person doesn't try to take quick showers in order to save money. You might believe so before jumping in there, but usually at that point it's so refreshing you try and enjoy it as long as possible.
• All that "talking" could result in a baby. And babies cost money! And then you'd have to shower with 3 people to save even MORE money! haha....

And to help back up my no-fact hypothesis, here's what FOXNews.com says about it:

"The Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey & Water Science for Schools found that the average American uses two gallons of water per minute while showering, so obviously cutting that in half is helpful. But some experts argue that sharing the faucet with someone you're pretty fond of could lead to activities that prolong the time spent in the shower, therefore doing even more damage."

Of course, I'm always up for the challenge! Ya hear that Mrs. Budgetsaresexy? Wanna do a month-long test case? haha...unfortunately I already know the answer to that and it's not a Yes. I've been told that I need to buy her a shower with TWO shower heads in it (1 for each wall) before we can satisfy this dream of mine...something about getting "too cold" in there? Must be a girl thing ;)

Labels: celebrity finance, cockamamy indeed, saving ideas

As many of you know, I'm a huge magazine addict (i like all the pretty pictures). So it's no surprise that I devour about 4-5 personal finance magazines every month, all of which excite me.

Every now and then though, I come across some "advice" that I personally have a hard time agreeing with. The cover story - "Save $50 a Day (and Feel No Pain)" - in this month's Kiplinger's Mag (March) being one of them.

Now, before I get into it, keep 2 things in mind. 1) My opinion is certainly biased, and 2) I still think Kiplinger's is a kick a$$ mag (although not my favorite - that would be Money Mag). That being said, not everything you do to "save $50/day" is necessarily going to be smart, and I'm feeling feisty enough today to explain why ;) But because I'm also a lover, I'll also share the tips that I happen to agree with as well...but let's start w/ the bad ones first:

The 3 Tips I hated:

1. Boost The Deductibles on your Insurance: "Increasing the deductibles on your comprehensive and collision coverage from $500 to $1,000, or even $2,500, can reduce your premiums by 12% to 18%" possibly saving you $648/year. You mean to tell me every time you cause a car accident you'd be willing to spend $2,500 to get it taken care of? NO. WAY. IN. HELL. That's like saying you can go 4 full years w/out incident - no siree Bob, not for me.
2. Cut Your Commute One Day a Week: "If you reduce your driving time by one day per week by telecommuting or carpooling, you'll drive 3,120 fewer miles per year." Yes, and you'll also be on the top of the list when it comes time to downsize! Of course, this is totally based on your employer and given situation, but during times like this I wouldn't risk it. If you wanna save on driving, then I'd suggest going w/ the carpooling idea :)
3. Ditch the Old Fridge: And pick up a brand new one to save energy costs (they recommend a Figidaire 18.2-cubic-foot model for $750)! So you want me to spend $700+ so I can save $100 a year? No thanks. My current fridge is doing just fine and I'm not about to trash it for a newer version. Now if I *needed* a new one, then yeah i'm open to the suggestions, but how many people reading this mag will be in the market for one? (Not many)

The 3 Tips that made me ponder:

1. Cut Your Hair Off! haha...yes, I suppose this would indeed save you some bucks, but good luck convincing the laides of this! For men, Kiplinger's suggest using the Hair Cuttery at $15 a pop (I used to go there all the time before I got the Mrs. to do the dirty work), and for women they brought up beauty schools like Paul Mitchell's for around $50 instead of $90. I've heard both excellent and horrible experiences using stylists in the making.
2. Travel Last-Minute: They say you can save around $500 a year by using sites like Lastminute.com. Pretty sexy in theory, but most people like to plan for this sorta stuff - at least the big vacays. I'd be up for giving it a shot for quick getaways though.
3. Buy a Fuel-Efficient Car: This may or may not belong in this category depending on what your idea of "fuel-efficient" is. If we're talking about Hybrids, there's a good chance you won't make up the difference in what you spend vs. what you pay at the pump. But going w/great efficient cars in general is totally a good call on your part.

The 5 Things that made me cry with joy!

1. Eat at The Bar! Yup, apparently you can get the same food at a fraction of the price by dining at the bar instead of the normal dining area. I wouldn't wanna do it all the time, esp. if i'm in a fancy place to enjoy the atmosphere and good talk w/ some friends, but I'd totally do it when in need of a quick bite. In Kiplinger's test over at the Cheesecake Factory, McCormick & Schmick's, and Morton's Steakhouse, they were able to cut the bill in half.
2. Swap Sitting Services: Get your friends to watch your kids once a month while you and your lover go out on a date! Then, do the same for them each month and save yourself about $40 from not using baby-sitters. Don't have kids at the moment, but this sounds like a most wonderful idea :) Any of you all do that already?
3. Pick up Generic Medications Over Brand-Name: They say the average person can save up to $797/year by doing this. I don't take much meds myself, but I can see how it would add up like that. And actually, I'd throw in ordering your meds via mail too! A lot of health insurances allow you to order 3 months at a time too - cutting your bill down by at least a 3rd in most cases.
4. Rent Cars Off-Site (and fill up your own gas): You can grab a better deal by not renting them at airports or hotels, as well as topping up the gas yourself before dropping it off and paying their insane rates. Of course, the money you'd be saving for convenience might not be worth it depending on how much time and stress you have going on at the time ;)
5. Install a smart thermostat: This allows you to program the temperature yourself and allowing it to go on autopilot. A lot of newer houses already come with this, but if not I'd totally recommend picking one up as it can save up to $180/year. And you can probably find them for way cheaper than that too, so you'd make up the money in no time. The tricky part is determining the degree to set it at where everyone in the house is happy ;) Our magical number is 72 in the winter, and 75 in the summer.

So yeah, I actually agreed with more of what was on their list than originally thought when I started this post ;) But I suppose that's a good thing, right? Just keep in mind, however, that what works for one person may not work for the next. So as long as you've got that straight, get out there and start working the system!

Labels: advice, reviews, saving, saving ideas

Although it's very likely I just haven't put in the time or effort to maximize my earnings ;)

But you would think having 4 credit/debit cards & 3 grocery savings cards signed up would have produced more than $7.08 in an entire year! Sheesh -kabobs. Perhaps I'm too frugal to reap the benefits? After all, I do limit as much shopping as necessary. And w/ Upromise, the less I shop the less i can earn back in tuition. It would still be nice to earn a bit more though.

If you're not familiar with Upromise, here's how it works (copied from their site):

"Every time you make an eligible purchase, our partners return a portion of that money back to you. Those earnings accumulate in your Upromise account until you decide to use it to invest in a 529 plan, help pay down eligible student loans or assist with college expenses—all tax-free!"

Basically, every time you swipe your credit card or grocery savings card when out and about shopping, a portion of what you spend (*on eligible items) goes into an account in your name. It's a freakin' brilliant idea if you really think about it, esp. since it doesn't cost you, the consumer, anything to do! You just go about our business collecting "free" money for your college/school tuition.

From what I can tell, however, this money really doesn't add up all that much unless you change your habits. For instance, if a package of applesauce lands me 5 cents @ Safeway, then whenever I need applesauce I better remember to pick it up @ Safeway every time - and the same brand. Same thing goes w/ hamburgers @ McDonalds, books @ Borders, etc. Not everything counts, and not every store participates.

Still, it's definitely worth looking into. Here are some of the pros and cons I could conjure up just from my own experiences thus far, but by all means let me know if I've missed something entirely! The more info and thoughts the better :) Here's what I've got:

PRO: You don't have to DO anything to get this money! Sure you have to spend a few minutes signing up and getting your credit cards and grocery card #'s in place, but when you're done that's it - You're free to swipe and start racking up that dough! If I recall correctly, it took me about 15 minutes from start to finish, so I guess that's about $28 buck/hr so far if I look at it that way ;)

CON: Yet another database out there with my credit card info on it :( Yeah it states a billion times the site's safe and verified and all, but it's still a scary thing to think about. At least the cards give us some protection though. Plus, I haven't heard of 1 story yet against Upromise, and it's been around for years now.

PRO: You can earn even more if you get your friends & family to join! The more people who sign up their cards to our account, the more you earn. So now Uncle Joe and Cousin Joy can help you build up some money too every time they swipe away! The more people you have signed up, the more passive money you get to earn. Of course, the same *eligible items* still play a factor here - but maybe your family members pick up those items that you yourself do not?

CON: There's still that database of everyone's info out there! haha...yeah, sadly enough i can't think of another Con here, but obviously the more cards you have signed up to our account, the scarier it becomes if ever hacked.

So is Upromise worth it? Yeah I suppose so. All this money can really build up if you can get off your a$$ and market it all around to your contacts ;) Shoot, even if they all earn just $7 a piece for you - that's still free money towards your tuition! All in all I think it's at least worth a shot if you haven't tried it already. And if you have, let us know if you broke my $7.08 record! haha....

Labels: free money, grad school, saving ideas

One day until you know what! You all prepared & ready to go? Yes? No? Maybe? Like questions? Think I can stop asking them now? ha ha...okay, i'll stop. (Boy this coffee is hitting me in all the right places)

Getting back to the task at hand, your boy J. Money's got a few last-minute tricks up his sleeves. I posted 10 cheap ways to woo a few month back, but w/ Valentine's day coming up and all, thought it was worth expanding a bit - esp. since i *know* we've got a bunch of slackers out there. Myself included ;)

Luckily, the Mrs. and I decided to forego the presents this year, and instead we'll be cooking a nice dinner together. And I'm hopin' a little dessert too if ya know what i'm sayin'! Aww yeahhh....perhaps a "10 cheap tricks in the bedroom" should follow? Oooh, I may be on to something here! Crap, off track yet again...STAY. FOCUSED. (oye)

Okay, 10 More Ways to Woo on Budget:

1. Set up camp in your living room! This is one of my favorite ideas cuz you get the best of both worlds :) Pop up a tent, gather a few sleeping bags and blankets, and enjoy some peace and quiet in the comfort of your own home. Could probably even do s'mores depending on your stove.
2. Make her/him a mixed CD! Man, this just brought back crazy memories from high school! haha...but seriously, who DOESN'T like music? And you don't necessarily have to go w/ only romantic songs or anything either - you could hook it up with those that remind you of each other, or simply just your favorites.
3. Pick up a bag of hershey kisses & get creative. Replace the white taggy looking things w/ your own words! It might take a bit of time, but it only costs about $6 and you'll score mad points.
4. Place Post-It notes all over the place! Write some lovely memos, and plop them bad boys throughout your home - on doors, closets, mirrors, cabits, tv's, you name it. I did this randomly once for Mrs. Budgetsaresexy and she loved it :) Of course, it may have been the beer i bought her too...
5. Create a scavenger hunt! Yup, draw up a map and have your man/woman searching around the house for hidden goodies. And make them worthwhile too ;)
6. Cook dinner WITH each other. Find a good recipe, go shopping together, and spend some good quality time together. Shoot, even whip out the fancy silverware and never-opened candles! Anyone can pay for a fancy dinner, but hookin' it up yourselves makes it much more special.
7. Bring her/him a Vase with a single Tuplip in it. Attach a card that says something like, "I've got two lips to share with ya!". haha...only worth a shot if your relationship flourishes on the cheezy factor.
8. Hook it up with a cheap chocolate fondu set. They sell them pretty cheap at Target or Wallmart (like around $10), and you it's super easy to use. Melt some chocolate and share some nice strawberries & other nice treats together :)
9. Get some pix together and create a simple calendar. Kinko's is crazy fast at this, and all it takes is finding pictures of your "favorite moments" together. It'll probably remind you of when you used to do this for your mom, but it's still works like a charm :)
10. Check out a drive-through theater! I know they're slowly fading, but I highly recommend seeing if there's one in your area cuz they're romantic as hell. And I bet they have some pretty cool specials on V-Day too while playing the best of the lover movies.

That's all i've got for now - I hope it helps! Remember to check out last year's if you're still stuck. And you won't be alone - I'm pretty sure I'll have to do some of these now since the Mrs. will be reading this ;) But whatever, it's all good...as long as i get that dessert at the end!

Labels: love, one of my lists, saving ideas

I got an email the other day from a Turbo Tax person (this is *not* a sponsored/paid article btw), and it had some pretty good tax tips up in thurrr. I figured i'd share them w/ you considering a) we only have a few weeks left in the year, and b) i'm too stuffed/tired to post anything original today ;) Plus i'm on Holiday, - woohoo!

So here are the 3 Tax Tips, interspersed w/ some personal commenting by yours truly:

1. Sell losing investments.
Taking a loss this year may help taxpayers offset tax from other gains or income, but that loss is limited to $3,000. Any amount in excess of that must be carried over to their 2009 tax return. I think this is a great idea, if this pertains to you of course - all my stocks/mutual funds/etc are either in my 401k, or Roth IRA so no luck for me in this department.

2. Donate to Charity.
Donating clothes, toys, household goods and other items to charity before Dec. 31 may help taxpayers who itemize claim bigger refunds while helping someone else. Using software like TurboTax helps taxpayers accurately value donations in accordance with IRS guidelines so there’s no need to guess at an item’s fair market value. Done, and done! Actually took my last batch over to The Salvation Army last Saturday :) Not only do you get the tax write off, but you clean up your place AND feel good at the same time! Not a bad deal my friends...

3. Prepay some bills.
Taxpayers can prepay a few of their 2009 bills in 2008, and get to write them off on this year’s tax return. This includes mortgage payments and predictable medical expenses, like braces for the kids. I never thought of this one! Unfort. my budget is pretty packed in, so unless i get a mad bonus this Xmas (ya never know), I'll have to skip on this one.

All GOOD things to know, eh?! Now, if you'll excuse me, i'm off to eat some more leftovers....and/or continue shopping on this black Friday...but only for Xmas gifts -can't be slurging these days ;)

Labels: charity, one of my lists, saving ideas, taxes

What a weasly way out of a question, huh?! haha...it's true though, i can never lock down just 1 answer. Maybe you have a good one? Drop a comment for sure so we can all ogle it ;)

At any rate, this was one of the questions i was asked during my interview w/ Holly the other month. I was happy with my answer (spouting my love for 401ks and living a constant lifestyle throughout raises/promotions), but I was also tempted to answer it with another trick i find helpful:

Whenever i need some new & juicy advice, I simply ask those around me what THEIR #1 tip for saving money is!

haha...it may sound silly, but i always get some goodies outta that :) Everyone's looking for the same thing - having enough money to live a happy and fulfilling life. Family, friends, office-mates, they all have experiences with money (both good & bad) and they will all usually share it with you. Just be sure that ya trust them and they're not one of *those* kinda of people who are nutso w/ their dollars ;) We all have one or two of them in our group!

Checking around with us bloggers is also a great idea, especially if you're looking for something specific. We, too, have our own crazy experiences, and if we ourselves don't have the answer you're looking for, we probably know someone who does.

So that's today's #1 tip for saving money - Get answers from those around you. We're all working for financial security, and if they truly care for you they'd be glad to share the wealth!

Labels: advice, saving ideas

The Dollar a Day challenge was all about dropping a dollar in my cup every work day (i stole the idea from Counting My Pennies), thus easily saving a few hundred each year.

I initially rocked it out, getting up to the early $100's, but sadly i have tuckerd out...You know that site failblog.org? Well, stamp a big ol' Pwnd on me cuz I ain't added a single $1 bill in over 5 months! I blame it all on my memory. It's a shame too as it was one of my first blog "challenges". Maybe you all had better luck?

At any rate, rather than give up on it 100%, i figured i'd give it another go - except this time taking a different route. I'm gonna try unloading all my $1 bills from my money clip each Friday, and putting them into a cup @ home.

Tweaking a similar idea from SmartSpending, I'll add them all up at the end of 6 months and pad my sexy Savings account! A bit of a twist, eh? The amounts would probably be lower than the $1 a day idea, but i'm hoping the "following through" part will take over, thus leaving me with MORE money than planned.

You see, the hard part about the other plan was mainly REMEMBERING to place a dollar each work day in my cup. This new route only requires me to remember something ONCE a week ;) And on a Friday, when i'm nice and relaxed. Plus, i don't have to worry about breaking a $5'er or $10'er if i don't have a dollar in my pocket every work day.

If i end the week with zero Washingtons in my pocket w/ this game plan, i simply deposit nothing in my cup. But if i have 8 singletons hanging in there, then i drop all 8. Nice and simple, just how i like it ;)

Will i tucker out like the last challenge? Perhaps, but at least i'm still hangin' in there.

Labels: challenges, saving ideas, updates

Yesssir, you got that straight. I can't remember for the life of me where i stumbled upon this link, but it's from 2006 and talks about this "extreme saver" who does just that - thinks of saving as just "another bill" to pay. Genius!

While i've never really thought of it like that, it's pretty much what i've been doing each check.

I have all these categories to xfer the money to every 2 weeks, and "savings" is one of them! Literally speaking, we put $100 into our House Savings account each month (it used to be $200, but we had to cut back since the Mrs. is now in grad school).

In general, however, i pump in much more than 10% into savings - mainly my 401k. i'm seriously in love w/ those things, just so damn easy to inject money! I throw 19% of my total paycheck in it every 2 weeks - Scary, huh? The amounts used to shock me, but it's been a good 2 years so i'm thankfully used to it by now. It sucks not having that extra few hundreds each check, but i know it'll be well worth it down the road!

The point is that it's all budgeted into "bills" really. The mortgage, the credit card, the utilities, the savings, the 401k, etc.

I really like this "way" of thinking, so it's totally going into my back pocket for the next time someone asks for advice ;) A nice and simple concept to get your mind right. You gotta like that.

Labels: budgets, money management, saving ideas

I know it's October 14th, and not Feb 14th, but can't you feel the love in the air?!

Maybe it's because of the market surge yesterday, or the fact that i'm tired of being pissed off at our wedding photographer, but today's a new day, and it's time to celebrate!

And while Valentine's day is still a good 4 months away, I figured it can't really hurt to list a few ways to impress your other half. Us guys need all the help we can get anyways ;) And $hit, you can even try some of these out on any old day if you're a Valentines hater - it can only help your chances of being a p.i.m.p/princess!

I'd like to warn you, however, that if you're not in a lovey/gooey mood at the moment, you might want to avert your eyes as it may make you barf ;) in which case, check out who PT Money's voting for in November. (you'll enjoy it)

10 Cheap Ways to Woo Your Other Half:

1. Spend the day at a mall, and take some silly Photo Booth pics together! You win with this every time :) Especially when you look back at it down the road.
2. Pick up two matching goldfish, and name them after yourselves. Cutest/cheeziest thing i've ever written. (but damn if it's not sexy!)
3. Lightly spray some of your sweetheart's favorite perfume/cologne in the bed. Key word being "lightly" here. If done right, however, it does wonders for the sensory glands!
4. Guys: Write a love note on the back of your business card and slip it in your girl's purse. Just make sure to make it out to HER name, and not another...you slimy ba$tard.
5. Sprinkle some rose petals from your door to your dining room. Then enjoy a super romantic dinner together...or dessert! hahaa....ahh, i crack myself up.
6. Ladies: Slip a dirty note in your man's wallet when he isn't looking! This one seriously rocks! I have yet to experience it (hint, hint), but it would be a totally great surprise.
7. Always look your sweetheart in the eye when you tell them you love them. It seems simple, and i have no idea if i do this at all, but ima start doing it and see where it leads me :)
8. Celebrate your anniversary by putting a "Just Married" poster on your car. Pretty cool, eh? Dorky, but cool.
9. Write a poem to your sweetheart and have it framed. Then give it to your other half on an ordinary day! Or on Christmas eve like i did...when i proposed to Mrs. Budgetsaresexy (it works!).
10. Pretend to pick up your girl/man at a bar! This is one of my all time favorites :) I like to use pretty lame one-liners and see if i can get the Mrs. to crack. And it's not like it really matters, i mean she's gonna go home w/ you anyways!

And there you have it - 10 ways i woo'd Mrs. Budgetsaresexy! haha....she wishes ;) I actually have tried out a few of these w/ great sucess, but something tells me i'll be doin' the rest in the very near future! As for you all, complete them as necessary my friends (in the voice of John McCain), but either way - have a splended rest of your day out there!

Labels: girl stuff, love, one of my lists, randomness 3000, saving ideas

FiveCentNickel had an excellent post this morning on improving your gas mileage by slowing down.

It's one of those "theories" out there that people are always trying to prove themselves, and Nickel did it!

To be honest, I really dont' have the patience to track it myself, BUT his post DID remind me of my newest challenge.

It's kind of dumb really, but it's one of those things that i feel good about *if* I accompish it ;) it doesn't take much to get me excited - I'm one of those kids that would do anything if it meant getting a lollipop or slurpee afterwards. haha...

But back to my little driving challenge. For whatever reason, the Mrs. one day tried to drive from the entrance of our townhouse complex, all the way to our townhouse without touching the gas pedal once. She accomplished it on her first try, and it intrigued me. So i started doing it too! But after a cple weeks the challenge bored me, so i kept extending the length in road, leading me to my biggest challenge:

Going the last 1 and a 1/2 miles to our place without hitting the gas pedal once!

Now, i've got to tell you that it's quite a feat to accomplish. The first is trying to figure out how fast you'll need to be going at the start to get to the end. I've won this race only ONCE so far, and i started out at 29 mph. I KNOW i could make it more, but there are a ton of other obstacles in the way:

1. There are 2 up hills! Luckily, at the end of the 2nd one there's a nice down hill which shoots you right into the complex, so as long as you make it up that 2nd hump, you're smooth sailing!
2. There can't be any cars around you. That last hill REALLY kills your momentum, and i can tell you from experience that people do NOT enjoy watching your car litterally inching up it! I mean, i'd be pretty pissed about it too. This leads us to the 3rd major obstacle...
3. At times you will look like a P.I.M.P. creeping along @ night. Since there are always cars around you, the only time that really works here is going at night. And usually later in the night too. So, depending on what car you drive, you have to pass houses going 3-5 miles an hour until you read the top of the hill! And in my Caddy? Shoooooooot, i'd be pulled over in a sec. So far so good though! (watch me get pulled over tonight...)

I'm guessing it might be easier for others to try this depending on where you live, but i have to warn you that it does get addicting :) You'll find yourself trying to make even more challenges and crazy rules wherever you drive! Sometimes i catch myself trying to go a certain length with only 1 brake touch - it's bad. Whatever you do, just remember to be safe.

As Nickel said, driving slowly and more efficiently will def. save you some money. But make a challenge out of it and do it for the sake of entertainment too! It's a helluva fun way to spice up the drive home, that's for sure. Try it, you'll crack yourself up! ;)

------
You can check out my other challenges here.

Labels: car stuff, challenges, money hacks, saving ideas

Wouldn't you agree? haha...I don't think i'd ever pick up an iPhone to be honest with ya. And not so much because it rids me of a few benjamins, but because i'm afraid of getting "sucked in" to techno-land!

I already have a pretty bad habit of checking email, myspace, my stats on this blog, and everything else now built into our daily routines. So while it would be "cool" to have one, I just don't see it happening...plus, I REALLY love the sidekick!

That's a cooler, cheaper, phone in my opinion that still allows you to stay connected, but gets you excited to make a phone call or send a text :) Totally a matter of personal opinion of course, but I think it's more of a phone-phone than the iPhone. I guess it depends on what you think you need it for though. I'm more into texting and im'ing on a phone than searching on the web, so the sidekick seems like a better fit (plus, i think it's sexy as hell!). But if you were to ask my co-workers, they'd laugh in my face and say how superior the iPhone is - 50% of them own iPhones, but then again they're all techies and coders ;)

Unfortunately/Fortunately, however, my favorite carrier in the whole world - Verizon - supports neither phone so there's really no temptation whatsoever to upgrade here. So for now i'm stuck (and pretty much content) w/ my LG VX6000. It's a simple black flip phone, and I can still get online and do my texting and all anyways...it's just not as "fun" as I see it with Sidekick, but maybe Verizon will get hip one of these days?

So what's the point of this post then? I couldn't tell ya....i just decided to write this morning and for whatever reason the whole iPhone craze popped into my brain. Although I suppose I could wrap this up nicely and say something frugal like:

"If your cell works, don't upgrade! Save the money and invest the money you would have spent into your Emergency Fund". Oooooh, that's good! Yeah, let's go with that :)

Why fix it if it ain't broke, right? Do you really NEED that new phone/piece of techy goodness? Chances are you don't. I say today we appreciate what we HAVE, over what we WISH we had. A day of appreciation, if you will. So as I depart here, I happily wish you and yours a very merry Happy Appreciation Day! (didn't see that one coming when i started writing this! haha)

Labels: iphone, phone service, saving ideas, sidekick

One of my all time greatest annoyances (i refuse to use the saying "pet peeves"), is getting gypped by cashiers. It's one thing to have it done every once in a while, but it happens allllll the time for me! Maybe i'm just super unlucky, but i seriously have to question a receipt at LEAST once a week.

Just the other day I was picking up a bbq sandwich with mashed potatoes, and it rang up as $13.00. Being in DC i didn't think much of it at first, but then a co-worker's meal rang up at $11.00, and he got MORE than i did, i was like wtf!, right?

So i asked the cashier why mine was more, and i got back a very annoyed "well i'm Sorrrrrrry okay, i thought you got something else!" wow. Anyone who knows me can tell you i'm a pretty un-confrontational guy (you know, those who curse people out in their head, but never to their face), so why this girl had to get all uppity was beyond me.

At any rate (a saying that i do like), she had a manager correct the bill and i gladly accepted my $3.50 back. That's a HUGE difference!

So, what do YOU do when this happens? Do you go back, cut in line, and begin your questioning - others call this "bitching" - or do you simply let it slide? I don't think there's a solid answer here, but i do know there's a way to avoid it altogether.

How do you avoid this? Simple. Review your total BEFORE you pay.

That's all there is to it. No one else is gonna look out for your wallet, so making it a habit to pay attention can go a long way. And if you slip, don't worry about it - you're only human like the rest of us. That being said, it's not always easy. A whole bunch of variables can play a part in speaking up:

The point at which you notice this discrepancy.
For me, this is the determining factor. If i've made my purchase and am now sitting on my couch back at home realizing that an error has occurred, there's no way in hell i'm going back to raise a stink about it. I usually blame myself for not catching it earlier, and try to take home a nice little lesson from it ;) which i will no-doubt repeat again at another time anyway...haha.

If i notice it while mid-swipe of my credit card, however, you better believe i'll bring it up! These occurrences are the best because i don't even have to think about it - i just react naturally.

The actual amount in question.
I'm willing to guess this is the biggest one for people. If you got gypped a couple of pennies, i doubt you'd bring it up no matter where you notice it, it's just not worth your time. As the amounts go up though, i say from about 50 cents and up, the odds you'll speak up go along with it.

For me, this amount is usually around 75 cents - once it hits that mark, i'll start asking questions right away. Now, if i'm at home realizing this, then forget about it. I'm not gonna waste my time going back. BUT, if i'm at home and the amount is a good $4.00+, i'd be tempted to turn back around! Or at the very least call the store and see if i can do something about it over the phone.

The strictness of your budget.
A couple of dollars to one person can mean a whole lot more to another, especially if you have a family to look out for. At least that's what they say ;) I think your age also plays a big part in this. My grandma would hold up a line for 10 cents, bless her heart, while i was to lazy to pick up a dime yesterday on the street (sorry Mr. Change Race!).

The Confidence you have, or do not have, in yourself.
It takes balls to speak up when this stuff happens, no doubt about it. It's one thing if you're the only one in the store on a weeknight, but you drop that person downtown in DC/NYC during rush hour to complain about 25 cents, you better know how to take it! Every once in a while i can pull this off, but i wouldn't stake any money it.

In a perfect world we wouldn't have to worry about this, but unfort. employees have been known to smoke crack every now and then.

This time around i happened to stand my ground, but I've been known to let more than a few dollars slip out of my pocket in the past. And the only thing i can do to cope is to hit myself upside the head and tell my self i shoulda had a V-8!

Labels: money management, saving ideas

Dear Readers,

Well hello! And welcome to my guest post :) As our impending nuptials quickly approach, I figured I would throw in a few of my frugally-minded wedding experiences to share with those interested. And, as I am MUCH more charming and interesting than the regular writer of this blog, you will probably find reading this to be the greatest experience of your life!! Haha, just kidding....it will be closer to the second or third greatest experience of your life.

I keed, I keed!

So as the oh-so-handsome Mr. BudgetsareSexy (aka J.) had previously mentioned, our initial wedding budget from my lovely and generous mother was just around $10K, and then we planned to pitch in the rest ourselves. It may be hard to believe, but most weddings, particularly in our (*cough*snobby*cough*) area, cost a great deal more than this, so we had to work hard to make ends meet and still make it a beautiful day for all to enjoy.

The following are some of my friendly and frugal tactics for cutting costs:

1) The wedding dress. Some brides want (and can afford) a dress that costs thousands of dollars; I am not one of them! I meandered over to David's Bridal, tried on 6 or 7 dresses and luckily found one I liked for a reasonable price. Some other tips for brides looking for their dream dress would be to check out second-hand bridal stores (where you can find a gorgeous pre-worn dress for a fraction of the cost), or for the hardier ladies, even the "running of the brides" annual event done by Filene's Basement. I did this years ago with a friend of mine who was getting married, and it was chaos! But, to some degree, it was fun--and indisputeably thrifty! If you are one of the lucky ones, you just may end up with a dirt-cheap designer gown, with only alterations and cleaning costs to cover.

2) Accessories. It's pretty easy to run up wedding costs with bridal accessories---headpieces, shoes, lingerie, handbags, etc. can put a considerable dent in your budget. However, keeping an eye out for sales and prioritizing your "must-haves" in light of your "can-do-withouts" is always important. Personally, I hit up Target for my reception shoes ($5.09 on clearance), eBay for my veil ($23 from an original $179), and the cheapest shoes/dress combo I could find for my rehearsal dinner outfit ($20 shoes from payless, and a $22 dress from Forever 21). It's definitely a special day and worth spending a little extra money for things you want to preserve for posterity (ie, i spent about $150 on a pearl necklace and earring set--on a 60% off sale, of course), but for the rest, give your wallet a rest and comb the clearance racks!

3) Online coupon codes. I ordered all of my bridesmaid gifts on overstock.com ($ saver in itself), and just today ordered disposable camers (on sale for only $2.99 each) and bubbles ($8.49 for a pack of 48) from theknot.com. Before checking out online, I did quick google searches for promo codes for both sites. Lo and behold, I found them, and wound up saving 10-15% off the original cost just by finding a little code to type in! Just as those little dollars here and there add up to the total wedding cost, saving those dollars wherever possible can also add up big in the long run.

4) Wedding favors. Who ever uses those crappy throwaway items that many people give away as wedding favors? I mean, seriously...when you get a cake-topper to bring home from a wedding, do you really ever do anything other than toss it in the garbage when you get home? The frustrating part about favors is, even though people don't tend to use their $2-3 momento for much, they expect them, AND, it winds up costing us hundreds when factoring in 170 guests or so. Our plan? Tentatively, we are planning to donate a tree for each guest from the Arbor Day Foundation. 1 tree costs $1, and even though it will still end up costing us a fair amount, it's A) tax-deductible, and most importantly, B) going to a good cause. We will then type up some small cards to place at each setting, letting the guests know that a tree was planted in their honor.

5) Stationary. Once upon a cold February evening, Mr. B and I headed off to a meeting at a fancy-shmancy stationary store to discuss wedding invitations. It was a night that we will not soon forget, but that is only because they basically ignored us after shoving some books of overpriced paper samples at us and walking away. We promptly returned home, and Mr. B found some much more reasonable online invitations for us to order (check out Exclusively Weddings). If you do your research, there are plenty of options out there in the online world for all kinds of budgets. And in lieu of buying matching thank you notecards with the invitations, we opted for non-matching (but still cute) notecards from the dollar bin at Michael's. 10 notecards for $1 is an awesome deal, and I guarantee you that no one is going to mind if our thank you notes don't match the invitation pattern. It's what written inside them that counts!

As this is turning into less of a blog posting and more of a book, I'm going to stop here. If you're getting married soon, I hope a few of these tips and experiences are helpful to you! And for the rest of you readers....well, hope I didn't bore you to tears!!

Happy Blogging to all!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Budgetsaresexy

Labels: guest post, money hacks, mrs. budgetsaresexy, saving ideas, wedding

Oh yeah, that's right! The thought came to me on a whim yesterday, as I rounded the aisles of Petco looking for a new goldfish.

You know how they sell all sorts of exotic fish in the back? Well, instead of picking up those fancier ones for $3-$7 a piece, save some from the "feeder tank"! Every store's a bit different, but if they're selling fish, they're selling "feeder fish".

What are "feeder fish", exactly? They are usually smaller, not as sell-able fish used to feed the hungry fish-eating fish (think piranhas), and are usually found in a huge long tank w/ literally HUNDREDS of others...all swimming around w/ nothing to do except wait to be eaten...or be saved ;) They're still fish-fish, just not the crazy exotic type (although sometimes you can get lucky!) that can bring the store real money.

And the best part - they only cost 2 cents - 26 cents each! Now THAT's the kind of money i like spending. And, as you can see from the picture above, that i did. I picked up two of the biggest & prettiest ones I could find, handed over my 55 cents (52 cents + tax), and filled up my 10 gallon tank!

What about this "FREE" talk? Oh yes, you have two ways of making this happen:

1) When you go in to look for the fish, find a manager and explain that you just wanna try 1 or 2 to start your tank. Then, when you locate the feeders, explain you'd just like two of them to "test it out". Usually, and esp. if you're a young lady and he's a guy, he'll end up scooping up more than 2 AND hand them over for free! i mean, they're only a few pennies, right?

2) If this doesn't work (aka you're a guy), ring out your purchase as usual, and then check the end of the receipt you get. More often than not, it'll have a "survey request" attached to the end of it, esp. if you're a savings card holder. Take the 5 minute over the phone survey, and you'll be rewarded with a nifty little coupon for $2.00 off your next purchase! Even BETTER than free.

And that's all there is to it. Of course, you may need a little luck on your side for one of the above to happen smoothly, but I find that a nice smile and plenty of compliments help bring more of this "luck" your way.

Worst case? You'll walk away w/ a handful a fish for under a $1.00! it's win-win, especially for your brand new non-eaten pets ;)

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ps: If you're looking to fill up a larger aquarium with fish, grab a dozen or two of the little babies you'll usually find in the feeder tank. More often than not, they are assorted breeds of tropical fish, and they will procreate like none other! I kid you not, the last time i did this was a year and a half ago....and my original 14 babies turned into 100+ breeds of all kind!

Labels: bargains, money hacks, saving ideas

BOOK: The Automatic Millionaire
AUTHOR: David Bach
SEXINESS: To the max!

The fastest book i've ever read! And this is super impressive as a) i'm a sloooooooow reader, and b) it wasn't even a fiction book! haha... of course, i did just come back from a 4 hours plane trip :) But still, there was no way i'd finish it if it wasn't interesting in the least.

Was i impressed? Y-E-S. I give it an A+ overall! SUPER easy to read, SUPER easy to follow, and SUPER easy to act on. I'm a big fan of action over theory (most times), and the author listed simple step-by-step items to follow after each chapter. Which also makes it easy to put down, and pick up at any time. And unless you're already a millionaire, i'd recommend at least skimming it at the bookstore.

The general concept: Save at least 10% of all income for yourself, and automate EVERYTHING. he breaks it all down nicely, and even gives out the names and contact info of those he rates as pretty high.

According to Bach, there are only 3 things you REALLY need to do:

1. Decide to pay yourself first 10% of what you earn - We've all heard it, but not everyone follows it. Pick a % that works for you (he recommends at least 10%, but even 2% is a start), and let it build. automate it.
2. Make it automatic - Set up direct-deposits from your paycheck into your retirement fund. Automate cash xfers into your "rainy day fund" (3 months of expenses). Automate bill payments through your checking acct. Basically, handle all financial transactions automatically.
3. Buy a home and pay it off early - A MUST in his eyes. While this step is the hardest of the group, he's pretty adamant that if you rent you'll almost never become a millionaire. No matter your current situation, buying pays off in the long run. Once you own, use the "bi-monthly" payment plan to pay off the mortgage 7-10 years earlier.

There's a TON of other good information in the book, like how to get rid of credit cards faster, and finding your "latte factor" (daily expenditures that could easily cut in half), but I really enjoyed the stories on how people have actually followed this! These days, it's easy as pie to automate everything. As long as you have a steady stream of income, you're golden. Even if you don't, following the main rules will still guide you nicely.

To be honest, it's just nice reading something that is not only do-able, but extremely easy! And you know what? I actually believe i'm going to be a millionaire! Not 100% because of this book, although the motivation is killer, but because if you can learn how to save it's just a matter of time. It won't happen next week, or even 5 years from now, but I'll tell you one thing - when i'm leaning into the mid-life stage, you better believe i'm not gonna have a crisis!

The only thing i didn't like hearing was that "you don't need a budget". Psshhh, come again? I think all he's trying to do is to get you to focus on the 3 main points above, and basically forget all else you've tried & failed at. I see his point, but i'm not listening. Doesn't he know budgets are sexy!

At any rate, take what you will from all of this. Everyone's different, but i'm fairly confident you'll at least get one thing out of it. I personally put my stamp of approval on this bad boy, and about to pick up another copy for my bro. $4.15 used on Amazon?! Shoooooot....i'm keeping mine ;)

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* You can buy the book here: The Automatic Millionaire
* And you can check out other book reviews here: Book Reviews

Labels: book reviews, retirement, saving ideas

That's right, you heard it here first. Starbucks is my new best friend. Not that it wasn't top of the list before, but it's now been moved to BFF status. haha....

Why the sudden upgrade? Welllll, from now on you get MAD hook ups as long as you use your registered Starbucks card when ordering! All for being a good little customer.

Check it:
1) Syrup and milk options are now on the house.
2) Brewed coffee refills are F-R-E-E!
3) You get a FREE beverage when you buy whole beans.

SWEETness to the extreme :) now you may be saying to yourself, "Self, but i don't have a starbucks card, so what am i supposed to do?". that's a valid question, so let me propose a solution to that - walk to the nearest starbucks, and pick one up! Or, if you really wanna be creative, create your own online and order it at the same time. The card i have posted at the top is one my sister did for Mrs. Budgetsaresexy. It's fun!!!

if you go on a continual basis, you KNOW you'll be using it, and not only that I bet you'll realize REAL FAST how much you actually spend on coffee when you have to refill your giftcard every other week!

Sooo, by using your new starbucks gift card (which you'll use every visit), you could now:
a) Save up to 80¢ for a fancy pants drink (40¢ for syrup & 40¢ for milk).
b) Save up to $2.50 on a free refill of normal coffee. More if you're a thirsty little badger.
c) Save up to $5.00 on a fancy pants drink if you buy a bag of beans!

Plus, no more searching around your pockets for exact change, or just throwing it on your credit card. The latter adds up fast, and sometimes you don't even realize it! This is a Win-Win situation: Save money AND Budget better!

Now, if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go put my money where my coffee beans are.
*for more info, check out their site.

Labels: bargains, money hacks, saving ideas, starbucks

I came across the Change Race the other night and i just HAD to give it due credit. Although the word "Entertaining" defines it entirely, let me tell you a bit more about the genius behind it....or perhaps what the site's about since i don' t actually know the person behind it :)

The concept is simple:

We will being collecting any money that we find on the ground. It must be found, and must be change. First one to $100 wins. The trophy you ask? It is a parmesan cheese shaker that we stole from the pizza place where we hatched the idea. It will be filled with 100 pennies and will be a symbol of our victory.

The blogger, Baily, sends in a post every time he finds change, and talks about exactly what he's come across (quarters, nickels, etc), along with an interesting story or two behind it. They've since made it past their $100 mark, but are still going at it! and why not? it's a helluva unique blog idea, as well as a great way to get you to think twice about pickin' them up next time. on top of it all, it's freeeeeee money.

It's now been 3+ years, and although he doesn't post daily, it's still updated every now and then & continuously cracks people up....well, at least me! I think the random pix he throws in from traveling and such (see Grover in Paris), is what seals the deal. GENIUS! I might have to put up a "change counter" myself one day...hum...

One thing's for sure, that classic saying definitely holds true: Change Adds up!
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For similar reading, check out their inspiration: Change Quest .This guy's a little more hardcore, posting every day. awesome.

Labels: link lovin, saving ideas

Well that's a mouth full, eh? Fun Fund in itself is a hard one, but funding my fun fund, well that's just crazy talk! but i digress...

My "Fun Fund" - An allocated place to hold all side monies earned; to be spent on anything my heart desires, no questions asked.

Mine officially started a good 4-5 months ago, even though i've always bought myself a thing or two a month as I see them. Nothing huge like over $50, but things here and there for like $20 or $35, etc. It feels good knowing you can buy yourself nice things w/out putting much thought into it.

I think it's important for everyone to have a certain amount set aside for anything he/she wants, with no worries or psychological strings attached. Sorta like that "pay yourself first" mentality. Some people add $20 per paycheck to it, or $50 a month, or simply fund it w/ outside money brought in like myself.

Currently I have exactly $265 in it. I know this cuz it's a huge wad of cash in a cool pirates-chest-looking thing on my night stand at home. Although hardcore pf'ers might think it's better to invest it somewhere, and then take it as you need it, it just wouldn't work for me....i'll never want to spend it! This way, i take the cash w/ me when i go out shopping and use it when i find something. And if i forget to bring, i just re-imburse myself from it so all is even.

This is how i got the $265, or rather the $350+ (when i first started): I SELL THINGS! haha...here's how:

1. I walk around the house looking for things i don't need and/or want. Seriously! i think it drives Mrs. Budgetsaresexy crazy sometimes :) Be sure to peruse your OWN stuff though, not those of others. Drawers are also a great place. If you're like me and randomly throw stuff in them, only to forget years later what's actually in them. If you're not sure about parting w/ an item, just ask yourself this: "Would i rather have $XX in cash for it?"
2. Clean/brush off said items, and snap 3-4 pictures of them. This is important, as a pretty picture definitely helps sell the item...even if said item is ugly or super-old. Someone will usually want it!
3. Sell them! I prefer to use Craigslist first, and then eBay if i don't get any hits. Although there are more flakers on CL, i find the face-t0-face action much more pleasant, and i usually dispose of the item quicker as well. Plus, it doesn't cost you anything and you don't have to worry about mailing issues. If i don't sell it on CL after two weeks (includes 1 re-post), then i'll give eBay a shot. I tend to list a "buy it now" price and to also upload all the pics i have of the item in order to get rid of it quicker. There are tons of other options out there too like yard sales, estate sales, and more if you do some quick research.

The $ you get in return is not only nice, but makes you feel like you really EARNED it! I think there's a great deal of pride in that, even if it's silly :) Out of the 4-5 months doing this, i've now sold 5 track jackets, 2 winter coats, a baseball jersey, pair of pants, picture frame, super old stove, printer/fax machine, and a sword! hahah....

I'm telling you, there are people out there that want your stuff. and Stuff = money, money, moneyyyyyy!

Labels: fun fund, money hacks, saving ideas

Of course, none of this really matters unless you have plenty of coins to share with it. This shouldn't be a problem at all though. If you take a few minutes to search around your house, cars, jackets, purses, and even your couch cushions, you'd easily conjure up a nice collection. Or, even better, you can start throwing all your lose change in a central place. I use large funky vases (great for decorating too), or those antique candy bowls to gather them all. Either way, if you save up for a few months, you can come out with a good $30+ easily!

And sometimes, just sometimes, you get mad lucky and come out a huge winner! This is what I ended up with after 6 or so months of collecting. Check it:

Now that is what I call some exciting news. Of course if you were truly frugal you could wrap all 1,000+ coins in those bank rolls and come out w/ 100% profit (by taking them to your bank), but you gotta be pretty hardcore for that. It would just kill my motivation in my case.

But there you have it - Take some time out and be pals with Coinstar. I mean, it's already your money to begin with, but it FEELS like it's free! And that's all that really matters these days :)

Labels: saving ideas

I've been scouring all sorts of personal finance blogs lately as i'm fairly new to the game here, and i just came across a lunch challenge posted by the mastermind behind krystalatwork.blogspot.com (i take it her name is krystal?) aka "Give Me Back My Five Bucks. I love that name, clever right? At any rate, if you peruse this sexy little article you will notice that a good 28, TWENTY-FREAKIN'-EIGHT PF'ers are currently giving this a shot!

Man that seems like bonkers. Wait what? what's that you say...I'm listed on there too? Why yes, look at that i sure am. Well what's a newbie to do but to follow the crowd and gain some pointers right? Right.

So, i pose the question: Is it possible not to spend a dime on lunch, snacks, tea, or coffee during a normal 9-5 workday for an entire month? I can gather that it's at least fathomable due to the amount of responders alone on her posting, but can i myself, J. Money, do this? The simple answer is i haven't a clue. I've never tried, and i never thought i would to be perfectly frank.

Like others, however, i thrive on personal challenges and am willing to give it a shot....just not starting now :) I will be starting March 1st and going throughMarch 31st. (out of all the months to pick right? the one with 31 days in it!). I already have a hardcore challenge i'm working on for Lent, and i honestly don't think i can do both challenges at the same time w/out preparing a little first. What's the point on starting something you know you won't be able to finish right?

So, i will stare down this "no spending during work" nonsense, and report back w/ status checks in the near future. I can't promise they will be all that exciting, but there's the off chance i'll get cranky and rant a little....in which case you'll probably enjoy it a bit more ;) I'm sexcited!

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I challenge you to give it a shot as well! If you're all in, go ahead and add your name to her list or simply holler (comment) on this good blog and make your intentions known.

Labels: challenges, saving ideas

With our wedding coming up in May, my fiancée and I decided to go a different route this year when it came to purchasing gifts. We challenged ourselves by setting a limit of only $20.00!

I mean, we know how much we love each other, and we just had both of our birthdays & Christmas not too long ago so it's not like we need more gifts ya know? Plus this forced us to be wayyyy more creative and really think about what the other would appreciate, not to mention help save a little more in the Wedding fund.

We also plan to cook a nice dinner together on Saturday (while we're both relaxed and caught up on deprived sleep), so that we can enjoy "togetherness" in the spirit of Saint Valentine. So, what did we get each other might ask? Well okay, it's exciting! I hope you can take it!

Yours truly got one kick a$$ LP! Timbaland to be exact, and it's a double album set too. I collect old records and have a player, but i really didn't realize that artists these days still go that route. I'm guessing they're for DJ's to scratch up and stuff in clubs and what not. Either way, I was elated and it was probably one of the most thoughtful gifts I have gotten from a young lady before :) Oh, I also got a little box of candies which is always cool.

After perusing a few stores, I ended up getting her this plushy/furry cream colored stuffed animal dog. I think it had some sort of heart around it's neck too that read "Sweet". I know it's not the most original gift, but you KNOW girls love stuffed things! haha.... it looked like she was pretty happy snuggling up to it last night, so hopefully i did good.

Hopefully your V-day went well too!

Labels: challenges, saving ideas

I'm sure it's been done a bazillion times, but what a SUPER easy way to save. I actually found it on a fellow PF blog on Dollar a Day. It really doesn't take much and anyone can do it starting the minute this is read. In fact, if you'd like we can do it while you read along with me. Ready? Okay, here we go.

Step 1 - Reach into your pocket and take out a wrinkly ol' George Washington. If you don't have one, dig around for some change (it's at least something) or pull out a $5-er. In the last case, take a 3 min time-out and ask someone around your office to help you break it...or better yet, just ask for one. It's only a dollar right?
Step 2 - Now, look around your desk, or the streets if you're reading this on your Palm, and find some sort of container with enough room to place said dollar into it.
Step 3 - Lastly, place your friendly dollar into it and you're all set!

Bada bing, bada bang! You'll have $365 by this time next year (or roughly $269 if you do it just at work). If you're feeling even more gutsy, deposit it into a high-yielding savings account at the end of each month, or year, and watch it grow. The hardest part is really just remembering to do it each day, and not touching it. I advise keeping the container close by your desk to remind you of it each day, believe me it works.

I started this yesterday (2-12-08), and so far i have....wanna guess? A whole $2.oo! Your turn, good luck!

Labels: challenges, saving ideas