So I just went to my first high school reunion. (Seven year...they couldn't get it together enough to have a five year. lol).
And I actually had fun!
I suck at posting lately, and I know this. I think everything is just going to be on hiatus for a few months while I finish school--it's taking EVERY OUNCE of willpower I have to do my job well and do my homework well.
And yes, I still struggle with the whole frugality thing, but I am also still doing Dave Ramsey's plan and almost have one credit card gone. Wish me luck!
Showing posts with label frugality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frugality. Show all posts
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Random Thoughts
I've been more spendy lately. I broke down and bought clothes in Savannah (me, mom, and sister went for Memorial Day weekend). And I've been eating out more, and I got some "stuff" in Savannah too (2 pairs of shoes, a quilt, and some kitchen towels).
I think it's because I'm unhappy on some level: I feel fat, I never get to spend time at HOME because we're going back and forth to Carrollton on the weekends, and during the week I work or go to school long hours. So I spend, and am temporarily happier, but then I just feel guilty for spending money that I either don't have or shouldn't be spending.
Monday, Mom came up to hang out and spend the night. She provided the impetus to start putting away the piles (and piles and piles) of folded laundry that I hadn't put up in probably a month or two. It was during this that I realized I have WAY too many clothes (not the first time I've realized this). But I wear almost all of them, at least those that we put up, because they were washed and in order to have been washed, I had to WEAR them. But I still have too many clothes. I think I may bag stuff up and let it sit for 6 months or so, and if I don't miss it then I'll give it away. I have tried going through the closet and each time I do get rid of stuff, but not much. Maybe the bag it for six months approach will be better.
And the crux of the whole spendy thing is, it doesn't make me feel better long term, because then I just have MORE clutter. For example, kitchen towels....I probably have 20. I really only need 5 or so, MAYBE 10 if I wait a long time to do laundry. I think I will freecycle the ones that don't match anymore instead of being such a pack rat.
Then the question becomes, when the hell am I going to do this?? (Because we will be gone all the damned time this summer). Sigh. It's an uphill battle and I'm losing.
I think it's because I'm unhappy on some level: I feel fat, I never get to spend time at HOME because we're going back and forth to Carrollton on the weekends, and during the week I work or go to school long hours. So I spend, and am temporarily happier, but then I just feel guilty for spending money that I either don't have or shouldn't be spending.
Monday, Mom came up to hang out and spend the night. She provided the impetus to start putting away the piles (and piles and piles) of folded laundry that I hadn't put up in probably a month or two. It was during this that I realized I have WAY too many clothes (not the first time I've realized this). But I wear almost all of them, at least those that we put up, because they were washed and in order to have been washed, I had to WEAR them. But I still have too many clothes. I think I may bag stuff up and let it sit for 6 months or so, and if I don't miss it then I'll give it away. I have tried going through the closet and each time I do get rid of stuff, but not much. Maybe the bag it for six months approach will be better.
And the crux of the whole spendy thing is, it doesn't make me feel better long term, because then I just have MORE clutter. For example, kitchen towels....I probably have 20. I really only need 5 or so, MAYBE 10 if I wait a long time to do laundry. I think I will freecycle the ones that don't match anymore instead of being such a pack rat.
Then the question becomes, when the hell am I going to do this?? (Because we will be gone all the damned time this summer). Sigh. It's an uphill battle and I'm losing.
Monday, May 4, 2009
I Caved
I am now actually, REALLY, completely following Dave Ramsey's plan. I quit contributions to my 401(k) as of the paycheck I will receive on Friday and all of that money (somewhere between 200 and 300 dollars/month) will go to credit card debt. I'm sick of having stupid bills that I wouldn't have if I just paid it off.
I have roughly 8 grand in credit card debt (3 grand from appliances when we bought the house, the rest is mostly tuition). My interest rates are between 9 and 13 percent. I'm ready to knock it OUT.
I will update monthly-ish on progress with that. I might even make little graphs and stuff.
I have roughly 8 grand in credit card debt (3 grand from appliances when we bought the house, the rest is mostly tuition). My interest rates are between 9 and 13 percent. I'm ready to knock it OUT.
I will update monthly-ish on progress with that. I might even make little graphs and stuff.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Musings
Since I've become aware of the fact that one has to spend less than one makes, I've been making (small) strides to improve my spending habits. I'm doing well in some ways and really crappily in others:
Doing Well:
-I have $1500 in a high-interest savings account with HSBC.
-I generally spend less than I make in a month, with the only exceptions being when I pay for car insurance and/or tuition, which I try to save for in other months.
-I have not purchased any clothing items since last August, with the exception of that one $12 pair of leggings that would transform a sundress into fall/winter wearable (remember, I live in Georgia and "winter" is more like fall elsewhere).
-I pay $50 extra on my car payment every month and am attempting to snowball my credit card debt. (And none of my credit card debt is above 11% interest--one is 0%, one is 9%, and one is 11%).
Doing Crappily:
-I only have $1500 in my HSBC account, and car insurance and tuition are coming up this summer. I have an extra grand in my secondary checking account and can use that, but really don't want to. (But it beats using savings!)
-My credit card debt has increased in the last year because I keep putting tuition on them. My work reimburses half, but the other half is still on there. We also put all the appliances that we needed when we bought the house on credit cards.
-I still WANT to shop for clothing and house stuff just as badly as I used to, even though intellectually I know that I don't NEED any more "stuff." I just really enjoy the act of shopping, and the way new things look in my house. I am going to have to find a more sustainable way to enjoy shopping in the future when I have a little extra money--maybe thrift stores combined with a "one in, one out" policy? How do you prevent clutter from building up?
On a non-financial note, I have 1 week and three days left in this semester, and I'm not hyperventilating. I'm a little stressed, but I think I can get everything done that I need to in the time that I have. And I only have 1 final (in one of my classes, we have a project instead).
Then I get a week off before the summer semester starts, and I will only be taking one class this summer--Timber and Masonry, both of which I've had a little of before and both of which I enjoy, especially from an aesthetic point of view. I must say, if I ever get to be really picky and CHOOSE what projects I work on, I'd choose residential coastal engineering.
Since husband and I want to live on the coast someday, I've been thinking a lot about how I'd build a house were I to ever be able to afford building my own beach house. I've come to the conclusion that I'd likely design it with straight up reinforced concrete, but instead of using steel (because it corrodes so easily if any water gets in), I'd use FRP or carbon fiber reinforcement. Slightly more brittle, sure, but it would NEVER corrode, which is a huge problem with reinforced/prestressed concrete structures in coastal environments.
Sometimes I can't wait for the rest of my life (READ: GETTING OUT OF SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND HAVING TIME TO CARE ABOUT WHAT MY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT I EAT). But I only have EIGHT MONTHS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EIGHT MONTHS.
Till I can have a LIFE again. I am so excited.
Doing Well:
-I have $1500 in a high-interest savings account with HSBC.
-I generally spend less than I make in a month, with the only exceptions being when I pay for car insurance and/or tuition, which I try to save for in other months.
-I have not purchased any clothing items since last August, with the exception of that one $12 pair of leggings that would transform a sundress into fall/winter wearable (remember, I live in Georgia and "winter" is more like fall elsewhere).
-I pay $50 extra on my car payment every month and am attempting to snowball my credit card debt. (And none of my credit card debt is above 11% interest--one is 0%, one is 9%, and one is 11%).
Doing Crappily:
-I only have $1500 in my HSBC account, and car insurance and tuition are coming up this summer. I have an extra grand in my secondary checking account and can use that, but really don't want to. (But it beats using savings!)
-My credit card debt has increased in the last year because I keep putting tuition on them. My work reimburses half, but the other half is still on there. We also put all the appliances that we needed when we bought the house on credit cards.
-I still WANT to shop for clothing and house stuff just as badly as I used to, even though intellectually I know that I don't NEED any more "stuff." I just really enjoy the act of shopping, and the way new things look in my house. I am going to have to find a more sustainable way to enjoy shopping in the future when I have a little extra money--maybe thrift stores combined with a "one in, one out" policy? How do you prevent clutter from building up?
On a non-financial note, I have 1 week and three days left in this semester, and I'm not hyperventilating. I'm a little stressed, but I think I can get everything done that I need to in the time that I have. And I only have 1 final (in one of my classes, we have a project instead).
Then I get a week off before the summer semester starts, and I will only be taking one class this summer--Timber and Masonry, both of which I've had a little of before and both of which I enjoy, especially from an aesthetic point of view. I must say, if I ever get to be really picky and CHOOSE what projects I work on, I'd choose residential coastal engineering.
Since husband and I want to live on the coast someday, I've been thinking a lot about how I'd build a house were I to ever be able to afford building my own beach house. I've come to the conclusion that I'd likely design it with straight up reinforced concrete, but instead of using steel (because it corrodes so easily if any water gets in), I'd use FRP or carbon fiber reinforcement. Slightly more brittle, sure, but it would NEVER corrode, which is a huge problem with reinforced/prestressed concrete structures in coastal environments.
Sometimes I can't wait for the rest of my life (READ: GETTING OUT OF SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND HAVING TIME TO CARE ABOUT WHAT MY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT I EAT). But I only have EIGHT MONTHS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EIGHT MONTHS.
EIGHT.
(8--a ONE DIGIT number)
MONTHS.
(8--a ONE DIGIT number)
MONTHS.
Till I can have a LIFE again. I am so excited.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Random Stuff with Links
Live in Atlanta? Want to "do stuff" but need to save money? There's a pretty awesome new website: Atlanta on the Cheap. After perusing it, I bookmarked it, and you might want to too. Free IMAX, cheap art, cheap show tickets and stuff. I was actually pretty impressed. The little box to the right of the blog posts has TONS of stuff in it.
Also, if you're into poring over loooong lists of completely random stuff in search of that perfect....forklift, exam table, laptop, or truck chassis? The (Atlanta) airport surplus website is here. You can bid on stuff and view it before buying. Interesting, if nothing else!
THIS is the coolest lamp ever. I totally want to make one (WITHOUT the fruit--my cats would probably hang themselves accidentally...the spastoids...).
And finally, someday I'm going to use this to plan a food-based road trip all over the entire US. It's a website that showcases "The most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America." Sounds AWESOME. Also, yes, I do plan on making myself lose 50 pounds before starting this road trip and gaining it all back during, why do you ask?
Also, if you're into poring over loooong lists of completely random stuff in search of that perfect....forklift, exam table, laptop, or truck chassis? The (Atlanta) airport surplus website is here. You can bid on stuff and view it before buying. Interesting, if nothing else!
THIS is the coolest lamp ever. I totally want to make one (WITHOUT the fruit--my cats would probably hang themselves accidentally...the spastoids...).
And finally, someday I'm going to use this to plan a food-based road trip all over the entire US. It's a website that showcases "The most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America." Sounds AWESOME. Also, yes, I do plan on making myself lose 50 pounds before starting this road trip and gaining it all back during, why do you ask?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Beach and Cars
I want to live at the beach someday. Husband and I decided that this is not just a pipe dream and that we are going to try with everything we have to live at the beach within ten years(we were discussing it at Amelia Island this weekend).
So I opened another savings account that will be called Beach House Fund. When husband gets a job after finishing school, we need to save $2500+ per month in order to move to the beach within ten years. Hopefully as the years go by we can save more than that because my income should increase at least a little.
However. I also want:
-Sway bars
-An exhaust system
-A short-throw shifter
-Eventually, new wheels
-etc....
So I have to decide if my car is going to be the main splurge in my life between now and then, or if I even have the money for that--all of it will have to go for the beach house for a while. I also have to decide if that takes precedence over other things that I like spending money on (home decorating, food, clothes). Of course, this is all with the understanding that I will do none of these things until I/we pay off consumer debt and fund a 6-month emergency fund and max out retirement savings. However, if large groups of my adoring friends and fans want to get together and buy me stuff that I want but won't buy for myself, you can start with these:
-front sway bar
-rear sway bar
My birthday is September 30. No autographs, but you can come watch me at autocross anytime!
I crack myself up.
Anyway, I apparently have some serious thinking to do about my priorities for money, and where my car fits into that relative to other things. Autocross (and fun cars in general) can either be a cheap hobby or a really, really expensive hobby. I have to decide if the fun is worth the payoff. I think for the swaybars and short shifter, eventually, it will be. Not sure about the other stuff.
I think it is a matter of stress relief, for me. Autocross is GREAT for stress relief...but it is very short term, whereas LIVING AT THE BEACH would be great stress relief ALL THE TIME. I need to balance my short term stress relief needs with the eventual long term stress relief of the beach. But I don't think I'll ever give up Autocross. I love it too much.
Hey, if any of you women ever want to learn how to work on your car, let me know! I'm decent at it, and love it, and would love to show you/teach you.
And finally, here's a tidbit from the Concours d'Elegance from this weekend. I love this little car, and would like to at least drive it someday.
Monday, December 22, 2008
I Need a Constant Reminder
Whenever I want to spend money, which is pretty often, I get this weird feeling--I get excited, soon followed by guilt over spending (especially now, with our budget stretched to the breaking point), then I have an internal argument over whether to actually do it or not. I usually have about a 50/50 chance of spending or not.
But I read this today: "You don't cut out things that you value," Rob said. "The most important thing (about spending money) is can you remember it? I vividly remember those trips years later." (from an interesting article on MSN Money). And it stuck...I am going to add this to my repertoire of things to say to myself when I think I want something. Because usually, purchases aren't memorable. Yay another step to Financial Independence!! Or something. We still have an astronomically long way to go, but I'm chugging along.
But I read this today: "You don't cut out things that you value," Rob said. "The most important thing (about spending money) is can you remember it? I vividly remember those trips years later." (from an interesting article on MSN Money). And it stuck...I am going to add this to my repertoire of things to say to myself when I think I want something. Because usually, purchases aren't memorable. Yay another step to Financial Independence!! Or something. We still have an astronomically long way to go, but I'm chugging along.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
More Saving Tips from the 30-Day Challenge
Tip #25: Earn more money using your God-given skills.
Basically, use the skills you have either freelancing, being a tutor, babysitting, whatever. Just DO it instead of thinking that you can't. I will try to tutor...I'm great at math and good with kids, and I like the "aha!" moments...Ramit suggests looking on Craigslist for tutors needed. I'll do that in a minute while still on lunch break!
Tip #26: Gardener? Cleaning lady? DIY instead.
We don't have any of these services...I guess the closest thing that might apply is that I sometimes get my car washed and vacuumed at one of the cheap $20 places. But that's because a) I have very little time and I'm so anal it takes me about six hours to get my car the way I want it and b) I live in Atlanta and WE CAN'T USE WATER RIGHT NOW. I may sneak and do it anyway.
OOH! I know what applies! Shaving my cat! I use a groomer! I think I might get husband to help me with that this weekend. She needs it and it's $45 bucks and I think we might be able to do it ourselves....
Tip #27: Use barriers to prevent yourself from spending money.
(i.e., remove yourself from shopping related email lists, force yourself to eat the food in the fridge before it goes bad, etc.)
I get e-mails from Overstock, Target, Banana Republic, Gap, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel...those are just the ones I can think of offhand. I don't even usually look at them, so why not just unsubscribe, period? That's a GREAT idea. Off to check my e-mail and start unsubscribing!
Basically, use the skills you have either freelancing, being a tutor, babysitting, whatever. Just DO it instead of thinking that you can't. I will try to tutor...I'm great at math and good with kids, and I like the "aha!" moments...Ramit suggests looking on Craigslist for tutors needed. I'll do that in a minute while still on lunch break!
Tip #26: Gardener? Cleaning lady? DIY instead.
We don't have any of these services...I guess the closest thing that might apply is that I sometimes get my car washed and vacuumed at one of the cheap $20 places. But that's because a) I have very little time and I'm so anal it takes me about six hours to get my car the way I want it and b) I live in Atlanta and WE CAN'T USE WATER RIGHT NOW. I may sneak and do it anyway.
OOH! I know what applies! Shaving my cat! I use a groomer! I think I might get husband to help me with that this weekend. She needs it and it's $45 bucks and I think we might be able to do it ourselves....
Tip #27: Use barriers to prevent yourself from spending money.
(i.e., remove yourself from shopping related email lists, force yourself to eat the food in the fridge before it goes bad, etc.)
I get e-mails from Overstock, Target, Banana Republic, Gap, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel...those are just the ones I can think of offhand. I don't even usually look at them, so why not just unsubscribe, period? That's a GREAT idea. Off to check my e-mail and start unsubscribing!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Life, Oh Life
I am almost done with this semester! Yay! Then only TWO MORE TO GO!
And I get profit share on Friday, which will go toward tuition and car insurance. (Won't cover all of them, but is a nice reprieve from paying for them lol). Sure beats having to use savings!
I cannot WAIT for school to be done this semester. It's so nice to be able to do whatever I want in the evenings...it makes me feel like cooking and cleaning and reading and stuff, unlike when I'm in school and I just come home and do homework and crash.
I also did a focus group for Focus Pointe Global (They pay for you to talk about your opinion! How perfect is that for me??) a couple weeks ago and got $100 for a 1.5 hour discussion. I have another one on Thursday that is going to net $75 for another 1.5 hour session. This freaking rocks. I've registered with a couple other focus group sites too, but so far haven't gotten to participate in anything yet.
I'm trying to think of ways to boost my income (other than asking for a raise...can't do that till April when the formal annual salary review happens)...so far all I've thought of is babysitting, dog walking, and making freezable meals for busy people to eat during the week. Haven't actually DONE anything about any of them though, because I feel so strapped for time right now. And most people want babysitters on weekends, which is the only time I have to spend with hubby (Seriously. THE ONLY TIME. I don't see him at all during the week, because he's in another town). If I did the meals thing, I'd have no idea how much to charge and what to put on the "menu". Just mulling stuff over right now.
Also, hubby and I discussed the future, and it has me all excited. (We both agree that after we've lived in the city for some years, we will move somewhere a bit more remote...like in the mountains somewhere). So I started daydreaming about the big (but not extravagantly so) mountain house we'll have, where our families will all (maybe?) come stay for thanksgiving or Christmas, and I'll drink coffee on the porch every morning and admire the scenery, and we'll hike and the blue ridge parkway will be RIGHT THERE for me to go drive on whenever I want, and we'll have a family centric life and I'll cook a lot and basically, it will rock. We will also have friends come visit for getaway weekends a few times a year--well, ok, I will....hubby may want to run screaming when he reads that sentence, but if he does he can go camp with the guys that weekend. And we'll have a garden and a fainting goat. Well, the fainting goat is a maybe, but we both think that'd be a great way to a) have goat cheese, b) not have to cut grass, and c) be entertained whenever the goat faints.
Um, also, I might want to teach high school math at whatever time we decided to move to the boonies. Amen.
And I get profit share on Friday, which will go toward tuition and car insurance. (Won't cover all of them, but is a nice reprieve from paying for them lol). Sure beats having to use savings!
I cannot WAIT for school to be done this semester. It's so nice to be able to do whatever I want in the evenings...it makes me feel like cooking and cleaning and reading and stuff, unlike when I'm in school and I just come home and do homework and crash.
I also did a focus group for Focus Pointe Global (They pay for you to talk about your opinion! How perfect is that for me??) a couple weeks ago and got $100 for a 1.5 hour discussion. I have another one on Thursday that is going to net $75 for another 1.5 hour session. This freaking rocks. I've registered with a couple other focus group sites too, but so far haven't gotten to participate in anything yet.
I'm trying to think of ways to boost my income (other than asking for a raise...can't do that till April when the formal annual salary review happens)...so far all I've thought of is babysitting, dog walking, and making freezable meals for busy people to eat during the week. Haven't actually DONE anything about any of them though, because I feel so strapped for time right now. And most people want babysitters on weekends, which is the only time I have to spend with hubby (Seriously. THE ONLY TIME. I don't see him at all during the week, because he's in another town). If I did the meals thing, I'd have no idea how much to charge and what to put on the "menu". Just mulling stuff over right now.
Also, hubby and I discussed the future, and it has me all excited. (We both agree that after we've lived in the city for some years, we will move somewhere a bit more remote...like in the mountains somewhere). So I started daydreaming about the big (but not extravagantly so) mountain house we'll have, where our families will all (maybe?) come stay for thanksgiving or Christmas, and I'll drink coffee on the porch every morning and admire the scenery, and we'll hike and the blue ridge parkway will be RIGHT THERE for me to go drive on whenever I want, and we'll have a family centric life and I'll cook a lot and basically, it will rock. We will also have friends come visit for getaway weekends a few times a year--well, ok, I will....hubby may want to run screaming when he reads that sentence, but if he does he can go camp with the guys that weekend. And we'll have a garden and a fainting goat. Well, the fainting goat is a maybe, but we both think that'd be a great way to a) have goat cheese, b) not have to cut grass, and c) be entertained whenever the goat faints.
Um, also, I might want to teach high school math at whatever time we decided to move to the boonies. Amen.
More Tips
Tip #23: Go Cash-Only for 15 to 30 days.
I've been meaning to do this and haven't yet. (Because my paycheck is direct deposit and getting to the bank is kind of a pain in the ass for me, and I use a debit card for everything and track it anyway)...BUT. I need to do this. I want to do this. I know it will help me THINK even more about every penny I spend. I think I'm afraid I'll run out of money halfway through. But I get paid on Friday. I will take out enough to pay everything for an entire month (except bills I pay online already) and DO IT. Stay tuned!
Tip #24: Save 40% on your commute.
We are supposed to carpool or work from home to attain this one. I know of only one person in the office who lives anywhere close to me...I will email and see if they are interested in carpooling. No one here works from home, really, so I don't feel comfortable asking about that. (Plus, I'd need a company laptop because of the software required, and I don't have one of those).
I've been meaning to do this and haven't yet. (Because my paycheck is direct deposit and getting to the bank is kind of a pain in the ass for me, and I use a debit card for everything and track it anyway)...BUT. I need to do this. I want to do this. I know it will help me THINK even more about every penny I spend. I think I'm afraid I'll run out of money halfway through. But I get paid on Friday. I will take out enough to pay everything for an entire month (except bills I pay online already) and DO IT. Stay tuned!
Tip #24: Save 40% on your commute.
We are supposed to carpool or work from home to attain this one. I know of only one person in the office who lives anywhere close to me...I will email and see if they are interested in carpooling. No one here works from home, really, so I don't feel comfortable asking about that. (Plus, I'd need a company laptop because of the software required, and I don't have one of those).
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Oh! And Exciting News!
I got my car insurance renewal notice today....and....
The coming six months is $200 cheaper than my last six months! (Because I turned 25, got married, and lost a couple tickets off the old record all in the last six months). That's even more cheap than I'd dared hope! I'm so excited!
The coming six months is $200 cheaper than my last six months! (Because I turned 25, got married, and lost a couple tickets off the old record all in the last six months). That's even more cheap than I'd dared hope! I'm so excited!
More 30 Day Challenge
Tip # 21: Save thousands by pre-paying your debt.
Ramit says to pay more than the minimum on debt even if it's just a little. I already do this on my credit cards, but today I set up an automatic house payment with my Chase account--and I added $20 toward principle for each payment. (Don't laugh. It's all I could do at the moment).
Tip #22: Review Progress.
It's going ok. A lot of this stuff I'm already doing though, but it does give me a little boost when I see how far I've come from even just a year ago, and definitely from a couple years ago. Go me!
Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!
Ramit says to pay more than the minimum on debt even if it's just a little. I already do this on my credit cards, but today I set up an automatic house payment with my Chase account--and I added $20 toward principle for each payment. (Don't laugh. It's all I could do at the moment).
Tip #22: Review Progress.
It's going ok. A lot of this stuff I'm already doing though, but it does give me a little boost when I see how far I've come from even just a year ago, and definitely from a couple years ago. Go me!
Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Way Behind, But Stil Chugging Along
First, the new tips:
#11: Never pay full retail for clothes/eyeglasses again.
My clothes buying moratorium is taking care of this. In the last three months, I have spent exactly 12.51 on clothing/eyeglasses, and don't plan to spend any more till August.
#12: Save on eating out with Restaurant.com.
I already do this, AND I only buy when they are 80% off, so a $25 gift certificate is only $2
#13: Negotiate Car Insurance.
I usually check a bunch of different insurance companies online every six months or so, and have negotiated my rate down by about $200 every six months, but when your record looks like mine there's only so much you can do. However, I will try this again soon (because I am close to when my insurance would renew) because I'll be 25, married, and only have 2 tickets on my 3 year record as of December 20th-ish. I will use the phone as suggested in this tip and see if it helps any. Stay tuned!
#14: Use self-persuasion to share how much I've saved so far.
-Not eating out for lunch for the last two weeks (blew week 1, but did good 2 weeks): $20 saved, will be $30 at end of month.
-Thermostat temp redux: assumed 10% of heating costs, so $8 saved.
-Sell something on e-bay (I used Craigslist): $20 earned.
-Tell friends: $0, but accountability, which is good.
-Optimize cell phone bill: $5 saved, unless I go over texting, but so far so good.
-Gas price hedge fund: $20 has been transferred into savings ($10 per week), by end of month it will be $30.
-No spending day each week: $0 saved because I don't normally spend on Wednesdays anyway, but it makes me more conscious of spending, so good tip anyway.
-Cut subscriptions: $0 saved. I have no subscriptions.
-Only buy new if you will get rid of old: $0 saved, but more conscious of buying things in general, and giving old stuff if decent to people who need it.
-Use rewards programs: $0 saved, but only because I rarely buy stuff anymore. I need to keep this in mind if/when we travel again.
-Don't pay retail for clothes/eyeglasses: Technically, the tip didn't save me anything since I'd already been not buying clothes for three months, BUT if you count those three months and take the average I spent on clothing in the 17 months prior to that, by not buying clothes (except the leggings) I saved about $112 per month for three months, minus the leggings, for a total of 323.49. Pretty good! And when I'm allowed to shop for clothes again, I'm going to try thrift stores. :)
-Use Restaurant.com gift certificates bought at 80% off:
This (and having a kitchen) has helped me go from an all-time high (living by myself in the apartment) of (oh my lord this is staggering).....get ready.....$376.50 last July to between $30 and $50 a month now. (ASIDE: OH MY GOD I SPENT THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS ON EATING OUT--JUST EATING OUT, NOT GROCERIES TOO, OF WHICH I PURCHASED AS WELL--IN ONE MONTH. ONE. MONTH). Wow. How far I have come. Just wow. Average this year, before the house, was about $200 per month (remember, I didn't cook, and didn't buy many groceries. But yeah, that is still A LOT). So for argument's sake, we'll say I saved $150 by eating out less and getting GC's from Restaurant.com.
-Car insurance: Since I do this every so often and it's saved me about $200 / six months, I will call that $33 saved this month.
So total, I have saved $375.49 (I only counted one month's worth of the clothing savings in there) this month. Pretty good, no?
Tip #15: Forget going to a bar - ask people over for dinner!
Doing that with friends now instead of meeting places, usually. It has saved lots of time AND money. And it's easier to talk at home on the couch than in a crowded noisy dining room. I need to work on not cooking elaborate stuff that causes me to stress out though. :/
Tip #16: Cancel any large purchases this month.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....oops. Sorry. I know I'm not supposed to be laughing at the money-saving tips, but....um....all the large purchases in our house are canceled for at least the rest of the year. We got the alarm system--much needed--but it blew our budget and cut into savings, so we are holding out on anything else. Including replacing the laptop that was stolen (especially since kind, wonderful friends gave us one that will at least get me through homework!).
Tip #17: Buy generic for stuff you don't care about.
I do this with body wash, paper towels, kleenex, peanut butter, milk (though I do care, but it tastes fine)...but I could probably do more. I will keep that in mind next time I'm at the store.
Tip #18: No Christmas gifts this year:
Our families are pretty inexpensive as far as Christmas goes, and I just can't see not giving gifts to our neices and nephews, who a) wouldn't understand and b) are just as happy with inexpensive gifts. We will opt out of adult name drawing (my side of the family) and the dirty santa game (his side) if necessary, but since we are already sparse with the giving and I am ok with who we do give to, we will keep doing Christmas. It just might be smaller than normal this year. And I think we are giving each other gifts of TIME, not things.
Tip #19 (paraphrased): Use online shopping to save money on name brand clothes, organic food, etc.
This tip just made me want to buy stuff that I wouldn't have normally...but for things I already buy this might be a good deal. Just have to watch myself and not buy stuff just because it's cute and on sale.
Tip #20: Change the date of Christmas
The gist of this is do Christmas earlier (or later) depending on when it's cheaper to fly. I don't have to fly, so this does not apply to me. I guess we could be REALLY cheap and do Christmas a couple days after the actual date, shopping the day after and saving money, but really. That's a bit too much, to me.
On to other stuff:
I think buying the house was my wake up call. I LOVE our house, I love coming home to it every day, I love the wood floors, I love the kitchen and cooking, I love that my cats are happy, that I have a bedroom separate from everything else, that I can have people over and they have somewhere to sleep, that I can host gatherings and have dinner parties, that I HAVE A CHRISTMAS TREE (free from freecycle! it rocks!) and could decorate...
But most of all, I love that it forced a monumental shift in the way I spend money and think about money. I don't really miss eating out or never being home. Husband and I went out to eat on Friday night and it was insanely good because it was such a treat, BUT it was much saltier than I remembered and much greasier, and my stomach felt strange the next day (only mildly, but still). I also think I am healthier now. I lost weight from being sick (not much, but a little)--but even aside from that, I feel better, I eat better, and I'm not gaining weight anymore (which I had started doing over the summer from all the restaurant food). Also, my quality of life is SO much better--it's like night and day. Home is once again a place of solace rather than being depressing. I also don't miss spending lots of money on clothes and stuff--I have PLENTY, probably too much, clothing as it is, and not room for it all anyway. (Still weeding out).
So yay house. So far so good.
School is, however, NOT so good. I'm not doing badly (I don't think) but I HATE it. With every fiber of my being. It's stupid and pointless and not as important to me anymore what with a house and a marriage and a job, but I'm going to finish now because I only have two semesters left. I do at least like my job and engineering, which means the degree will actually help. I think I'll be glad that I have it when I finally finish. I'm becoming very, very good at just not thinking about it (...like when I started. I decided to apply, got in, and simply refused to question the decision again until I get done...maybe not always the best philosophy, but my usual way, and in this case it will work out).
#11: Never pay full retail for clothes/eyeglasses again.
My clothes buying moratorium is taking care of this. In the last three months, I have spent exactly 12.51 on clothing/eyeglasses, and don't plan to spend any more till August.
#12: Save on eating out with Restaurant.com.
I already do this, AND I only buy when they are 80% off, so a $25 gift certificate is only $2
#13: Negotiate Car Insurance.
I usually check a bunch of different insurance companies online every six months or so, and have negotiated my rate down by about $200 every six months, but when your record looks like mine there's only so much you can do. However, I will try this again soon (because I am close to when my insurance would renew) because I'll be 25, married, and only have 2 tickets on my 3 year record as of December 20th-ish. I will use the phone as suggested in this tip and see if it helps any. Stay tuned!
#14: Use self-persuasion to share how much I've saved so far.
-Not eating out for lunch for the last two weeks (blew week 1, but did good 2 weeks): $20 saved, will be $30 at end of month.
-Thermostat temp redux: assumed 10% of heating costs, so $8 saved.
-Sell something on e-bay (I used Craigslist): $20 earned.
-Tell friends: $0, but accountability, which is good.
-Optimize cell phone bill: $5 saved, unless I go over texting, but so far so good.
-Gas price hedge fund: $20 has been transferred into savings ($10 per week), by end of month it will be $30.
-No spending day each week: $0 saved because I don't normally spend on Wednesdays anyway, but it makes me more conscious of spending, so good tip anyway.
-Cut subscriptions: $0 saved. I have no subscriptions.
-Only buy new if you will get rid of old: $0 saved, but more conscious of buying things in general, and giving old stuff if decent to people who need it.
-Use rewards programs: $0 saved, but only because I rarely buy stuff anymore. I need to keep this in mind if/when we travel again.
-Don't pay retail for clothes/eyeglasses: Technically, the tip didn't save me anything since I'd already been not buying clothes for three months, BUT if you count those three months and take the average I spent on clothing in the 17 months prior to that, by not buying clothes (except the leggings) I saved about $112 per month for three months, minus the leggings, for a total of 323.49. Pretty good! And when I'm allowed to shop for clothes again, I'm going to try thrift stores. :)
-Use Restaurant.com gift certificates bought at 80% off:
This (and having a kitchen) has helped me go from an all-time high (living by myself in the apartment) of (oh my lord this is staggering).....get ready.....$376.50 last July to between $30 and $50 a month now. (ASIDE: OH MY GOD I SPENT THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS ON EATING OUT--JUST EATING OUT, NOT GROCERIES TOO, OF WHICH I PURCHASED AS WELL--IN ONE MONTH. ONE. MONTH). Wow. How far I have come. Just wow. Average this year, before the house, was about $200 per month (remember, I didn't cook, and didn't buy many groceries. But yeah, that is still A LOT). So for argument's sake, we'll say I saved $150 by eating out less and getting GC's from Restaurant.com.
-Car insurance: Since I do this every so often and it's saved me about $200 / six months, I will call that $33 saved this month.
So total, I have saved $375.49 (I only counted one month's worth of the clothing savings in there) this month. Pretty good, no?
Tip #15: Forget going to a bar - ask people over for dinner!
Doing that with friends now instead of meeting places, usually. It has saved lots of time AND money. And it's easier to talk at home on the couch than in a crowded noisy dining room. I need to work on not cooking elaborate stuff that causes me to stress out though. :/
Tip #16: Cancel any large purchases this month.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....oops. Sorry. I know I'm not supposed to be laughing at the money-saving tips, but....um....all the large purchases in our house are canceled for at least the rest of the year. We got the alarm system--much needed--but it blew our budget and cut into savings, so we are holding out on anything else. Including replacing the laptop that was stolen (especially since kind, wonderful friends gave us one that will at least get me through homework!).
Tip #17: Buy generic for stuff you don't care about.
I do this with body wash, paper towels, kleenex, peanut butter, milk (though I do care, but it tastes fine)...but I could probably do more. I will keep that in mind next time I'm at the store.
Tip #18: No Christmas gifts this year:
Our families are pretty inexpensive as far as Christmas goes, and I just can't see not giving gifts to our neices and nephews, who a) wouldn't understand and b) are just as happy with inexpensive gifts. We will opt out of adult name drawing (my side of the family) and the dirty santa game (his side) if necessary, but since we are already sparse with the giving and I am ok with who we do give to, we will keep doing Christmas. It just might be smaller than normal this year. And I think we are giving each other gifts of TIME, not things.
Tip #19 (paraphrased): Use online shopping to save money on name brand clothes, organic food, etc.
This tip just made me want to buy stuff that I wouldn't have normally...but for things I already buy this might be a good deal. Just have to watch myself and not buy stuff just because it's cute and on sale.
Tip #20: Change the date of Christmas
The gist of this is do Christmas earlier (or later) depending on when it's cheaper to fly. I don't have to fly, so this does not apply to me. I guess we could be REALLY cheap and do Christmas a couple days after the actual date, shopping the day after and saving money, but really. That's a bit too much, to me.
On to other stuff:
I think buying the house was my wake up call. I LOVE our house, I love coming home to it every day, I love the wood floors, I love the kitchen and cooking, I love that my cats are happy, that I have a bedroom separate from everything else, that I can have people over and they have somewhere to sleep, that I can host gatherings and have dinner parties, that I HAVE A CHRISTMAS TREE (free from freecycle! it rocks!) and could decorate...
But most of all, I love that it forced a monumental shift in the way I spend money and think about money. I don't really miss eating out or never being home. Husband and I went out to eat on Friday night and it was insanely good because it was such a treat, BUT it was much saltier than I remembered and much greasier, and my stomach felt strange the next day (only mildly, but still). I also think I am healthier now. I lost weight from being sick (not much, but a little)--but even aside from that, I feel better, I eat better, and I'm not gaining weight anymore (which I had started doing over the summer from all the restaurant food). Also, my quality of life is SO much better--it's like night and day. Home is once again a place of solace rather than being depressing. I also don't miss spending lots of money on clothes and stuff--I have PLENTY, probably too much, clothing as it is, and not room for it all anyway. (Still weeding out).
So yay house. So far so good.
School is, however, NOT so good. I'm not doing badly (I don't think) but I HATE it. With every fiber of my being. It's stupid and pointless and not as important to me anymore what with a house and a marriage and a job, but I'm going to finish now because I only have two semesters left. I do at least like my job and engineering, which means the degree will actually help. I think I'll be glad that I have it when I finally finish. I'm becoming very, very good at just not thinking about it (...like when I started. I decided to apply, got in, and simply refused to question the decision again until I get done...maybe not always the best philosophy, but my usual way, and in this case it will work out).
Monday, November 17, 2008
I'm back! Finally!
I was really sick most of last week and spent lots of time in my bed.
Anyway, on to the newest tips and what I've done (or not) about them, and updates:
Tip #7: Have a "No-Spend" day once a week.
I have decided Wednesdays will be my "no-spend" days...and as an added bonus, being sick all week meant I didn't spend much money or use much gas! So I got a jump-start on this one.
Tip #8: Get rid of monthly subscriptions and go "a la carte" for a month.
Unfortunately, the only monthly subscriptions I have are necessary: cell phone (I have no land line, and I already pared down my cell phone service. And husband and I are going to cancel our individual plans and get together on a plan soon, which will save even more), power bill, water bill. I have no cable, no internet, no magazines, etc.
Tip #9: Only buy something new when replacing something old.
I bought brown leggings this weekend (I know, I know, I wasn't supposed to buy any clothes for a year...but they were on sale for $12.51, and by buying them I have made a summer dress winter-wearable). My mom also got me a sweater. So tonight I will go home and get rid of two things from my closet/drawers. I'm thinking of one sweater that isn't very flattering, and either a pair of pants or a skirt that I don't wear/fit into.
Tip #10: Use rewards from your credit card, job, memberships, etc to get discounts.
I will have to see if any of my credit cards or memberships give me discounts on something I would buy anyway. If so, yay! Money saved! If not, I just won't spend the money. But with Christmas coming up, hopefully I'll get discounts on presents I have to buy. :)
Anyway, on to the newest tips and what I've done (or not) about them, and updates:
Tip #7: Have a "No-Spend" day once a week.
I have decided Wednesdays will be my "no-spend" days...and as an added bonus, being sick all week meant I didn't spend much money or use much gas! So I got a jump-start on this one.
Tip #8: Get rid of monthly subscriptions and go "a la carte" for a month.
Unfortunately, the only monthly subscriptions I have are necessary: cell phone (I have no land line, and I already pared down my cell phone service. And husband and I are going to cancel our individual plans and get together on a plan soon, which will save even more), power bill, water bill. I have no cable, no internet, no magazines, etc.
Tip #9: Only buy something new when replacing something old.
I bought brown leggings this weekend (I know, I know, I wasn't supposed to buy any clothes for a year...but they were on sale for $12.51, and by buying them I have made a summer dress winter-wearable). My mom also got me a sweater. So tonight I will go home and get rid of two things from my closet/drawers. I'm thinking of one sweater that isn't very flattering, and either a pair of pants or a skirt that I don't wear/fit into.
Tip #10: Use rewards from your credit card, job, memberships, etc to get discounts.
I will have to see if any of my credit cards or memberships give me discounts on something I would buy anyway. If so, yay! Money saved! If not, I just won't spend the money. But with Christmas coming up, hopefully I'll get discounts on presents I have to buy. :)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tip #6: Gas Hedge Fund
Basically, because gas is a little cheaper now, Ramit suggests creating your own little gas "hedge" fund, saving the money that you would have been spending on gas a few months ago. So I started transferring $10 a week into my savings account (fill-ups are around $50 for me now, and at their highest they were $60, and I usually fill up once a week).
Yay saving money!
You should participate.
And tip #5: Optimize your cell phone bill.
I'd already gotten rid of internet on my phone, but I went online and changed my text plan from unlimited to 1000 per month, since I used 953 the month prior. We'll see if that helps. It was a $5 savings!
Yay saving money!
You should participate.
And tip #5: Optimize your cell phone bill.
I'd already gotten rid of internet on my phone, but I went online and changed my text plan from unlimited to 1000 per month, since I used 953 the month prior. We'll see if that helps. It was a $5 savings!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The "Save $1000 in 30 Days" Challenge
So I'm participating in this. Here's how I'm doing so far:
Tip #1: Pack lunches for the rest of the week.
I blew it two days ago (yes, Monday, two days after the tip was given)....BUT. I pack lunches nearly every day, and the reason I went out with co-workers yesterday was threefold: one of my BFF's in the office has been out for three weeks doing site walks and he was FINALLY back, and we got a new engineer Monday and he came out to eat with us, AND it was one of the regular lunchers' birthday. Since I only eat lunch out twice or three times a month at most, I decided that it was ok. I just won't do it anymore this month. :)
Tip #2: Turn your thermostat down 3 degrees.
Done. It's now on 66 instead of 71 (I went a little overboard the first night, and found it wasn't that bad and left it there).
Tip #3: Sell something on Ebay.
Listed a chest of drawers and a stand mixer on Craigslist yesterday. So far, no takers, but may list other stuff tomorrow.
Tip #4: Involve your friends.
I'm telling everyone I know that I'm doing this, and they can all check my progress here. I'm trying to get hubby to do it too. :) (He's already much more frugal than I am, so he's already off to a great start!).
Those are all the tips so far. More updates to come!
Tip #1: Pack lunches for the rest of the week.
I blew it two days ago (yes, Monday, two days after the tip was given)....BUT. I pack lunches nearly every day, and the reason I went out with co-workers yesterday was threefold: one of my BFF's in the office has been out for three weeks doing site walks and he was FINALLY back, and we got a new engineer Monday and he came out to eat with us, AND it was one of the regular lunchers' birthday. Since I only eat lunch out twice or three times a month at most, I decided that it was ok. I just won't do it anymore this month. :)
Tip #2: Turn your thermostat down 3 degrees.
Done. It's now on 66 instead of 71 (I went a little overboard the first night, and found it wasn't that bad and left it there).
Tip #3: Sell something on Ebay.
Listed a chest of drawers and a stand mixer on Craigslist yesterday. So far, no takers, but may list other stuff tomorrow.
Tip #4: Involve your friends.
I'm telling everyone I know that I'm doing this, and they can all check my progress here. I'm trying to get hubby to do it too. :) (He's already much more frugal than I am, so he's already off to a great start!).
Those are all the tips so far. More updates to come!
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