Category Archives: Frugality

TGIF Link Round Up: Film Festival Edition

This weekend, Tony and I are getting out of the house. I was able to get free tickets to an independent film festival through my work, so we’re spending the weekend watching movies. Usually this type of thing isn’t my cup of tea, but I knew my movie buff husband would love it, so we picked out some movies that look good to both of us. I’m just excited to get out of the house without spending any money.

At some point between film screenings we’ll have to fit in our regular weekend errands, including groceries, the last of our Christmas shopping, and cleaning. Hopefully we’ll have time to get it all done!

It’s been a great week in my reader. Here are some of my favorite posts to kick off the weekend:

  • J.D. at Get Rich Slowly has 34 do-it-yourself Christmas gifts. There are lots of great ideas here, and the best part is they seem easy enough that anyone could do them.
  • Trent at the Simple Dollar has a compilation of the 25 best money-saving tactics. This is a great place to start if you’re just getting started with the frugal lifestyle.
  • Lynnae at Being Frugal shared an interesting guest post from Amy at My Daily Dollars about how blogging helped her save $13,000 without bringing in any direct income. It’s hard to quantify, but I know blogging has helped me save thousands and given me the tools to save thousands more in the future.
  • Simple Mom cools off house fever with a long term plan. We’re already looking ahead to a house purchase even though it’ll be years before we can do it, and having a solid plan in place makes it easier to wait.
  • When Emily at Remodeling this Life wants to get away, she looks to her own town for fun tourist activities. Sometimes there’s a lot of frugal fun right under your nose.
  • Kelly at Almost Frugal shares a guest post from Nicole at Breaking Even about how losing weight can save you money. It’s amazing how much getting healthy can save, not just in food and bad habits but also in health care costs down the road.
  • Penelope Pince at Pecuniarities writes life is too short to sleep on low thread count sheets. I’m constantly asking myself where I should cut corners and what’s worth a little extra money. I think bedding is one of those things that’s worth a little extra money. Of course, if you shop around and look for a deal, you’ll be surprised at how little you pay for high-quality sheets.

Whew! Lots of great posts to read. I’m off to the movies (after work of course). Happy Friday!

Would you buy it if it wasn’t on sale?

Photo by theogeo

clearance saleThis time last year I was working in retail in a clothing store. I wasn’t making much money, but one of the “perks” of my job was an employee discount.

I bought a lot of clothing during this time. Not only did I take advantage of my 20% discount, but I scouted the sales and clearance racks. I never paid full price for anything. I thought I was getting a great deal. In all honesty, I really was. I usually paid about 20% of the original price.

As I look back, though, I’m reminded of the strange psychological effect of sale prices. Sale prices can turn a ho-hum item into something you must have.

Since I worked in the store every single day, I was in a unique position. Instead of stumbling on these great deals, I was aware of my changing perspective as the prices dropped. Many of the items I bought off the clearance racks, I didn’t even notice at full price. Though I stocked them, rehung them in the fitting room, and straightened the shelves after closing each night, I barely noticed them at all. But as soon as they hit the clearance shelf, I suddenly had to have them.

Looking back, I realize I wasn’t really shopping for clothes; I was shopping for bargains. It wasn’t that I really wanted the items I bought for such a great discount. I just loved the rush of knowing how much money I had “saved” compared to the original price.

Shopping for bargains is dangerous, though. If you’re not careful, you’ll go broke saving money.

Don’t get me wrong, there were items that I coveted from the day they came into the store. A beautiful cashmere sweater that originally retailed for $60 comes to mind. I absolutely wasn’t going to pay full price for it, but I kept a close eye on our inventory, hoping my size would be there when the sweater finally hit the clearance rack. It was, and I paid $8 for that sweater at the very tail end of the winter season in March.

For the most part, though, it wasn’t the price that deterred me from noticing full price items. It was that I just didn’t particularly like or want them. But as soon as the price dropped and it was a “deal,” my mindset changed completely.

Sale prices can be blinding. As the holidays approach and prices start to drop, it can be tempting to buy buy buy. I’ve said it before, though — if you don’t need the item, you’re paying too much (even if it is on sale).

Next time you’re tempted by a sale price, take a hard look at the original price. Ignore the sale price for just a moment. Try to ask yourself, “Would I want this if it was $60 instead of $10?” Regardless of whether you can afford to pay full price, would you even want it if it wasn’t on sale?

I absolutely wanted that cashmere sweater even at full price — I just couldn’t afford to pay full price. When I finally bought it for the clearance price, it was incredibly rewarding. It’s still my favorite sweater of all time. I can’t say the same for 90% of the clearance items I bought during my time working in retail.

Frugal ways to make your dreams come true now

Photo by darwinbell

washer and dryer

Being frugal involves a lot of waiting. But frugality isn’t just about planning, saving, and waiting. Sometimes it’s about finding ways to get the things we want now without going into debt or spending a lot of money.

Yesterday I wrote about the dreams my husband and I have for all the things we want to do with our money in the future when our debt is paid. Today I want to share what used to be on the list of things we want, and the frugal ways that we found to get them now.

Washer and dryer

Every time we trudged our laundry to the laundromat and spent hours washing, drying, and folding, we dreamed of having a washer and dryer of our own. A few months ago, I bartered with a co-worker: she and her husband had an extra washer and dryer, and they needed help moving. In exchange for a Saturday and some heavy lifting, we got a nearly new washer and dryer for free. Now we do our laundry at our leisure in the comfort of our home without having to schlep it to the laundromat. Best deal I ever made.

Furniture

When we moved out of our college apartments, we left behind the furniture that belonged to our roommates. The nice thing about college towns, though, is recent grads are always trying to get rid of decent furniture for next to nothing just so they won’t have to move it.

I spent my last year in my college town collecting furniture. Some of it we bought for very cheap; some of it was given to us by generous friends and family members. As I said yesterday, we dream of the day when we can replace it with new(er), nicer furniture. For now we have a comfortable place to sit and sleep even if it’s not the prettiest or the roomiest. Most importantly, we didn’t have to go into debt to furnish our home.

A good set of knives

For people who love to cook, good knives are an important investment. For years we used dull knives and dreamed of chopping with ease with a good quality sharp knife. We thought it would be a while before we could afford a nice knife set, but a few weeks ago we found a clearance knife set at a Linens n Things closeout sale. Using birthday money and a little from our regular spending budget, we finally got the knives we’d always wanted at an affordable price. We’re still on the look out for cookware, though.

A dog

For as long as we’ve been together, Tony and I dreamed of welcoming a dog into our family. When we moved to North Carolina, we knew we wanted to adopt a puppy. We saved up enough to pay the adoption fee at a shelter (significantly less than we would have paid to adopt a pure bred puppy). We also negotiated with our landlord before we signed the lease to reduce the pet deposit.

Once we adopted Howie, we found frugal ways to care for him. We bought a nearly new kennel on Craig’s List for 1/4th what we would have paid at a pet store (the previous owner’s German shepherd puppy had only used it 3 months before she outgrew it). We found a vet that offers a 20% discount on vaccinations every Thursday, and we continue to make his appointments on Thursdays to save a little money. We buy his flea and heartworm prevention medicines online to save money. We spent a lot of time training him so he doesn’t have destructive habits that cost us a lot of money. Despite our best efforts, pet care is still expensive. It’s worth every penny, though.

What about you? How have you used your frugal skills so you don’t have to wait for the things you want?

I just earned $8 for buying $57 worth of toys

Photo by .bean

Christmas giftWhew. I got a lot of Christmas shopping done this weekend. Well, not a LOT since we’re not buying a lot, but I’m about 75% finished with my list.

This year we decided to cut our shopping list down to our parents and our 5 nieces and nephews. Unfortunately, we have huge families, and we don’t a lot of money in our budget for gifts (or anything other than bills, debt, and savings, really). I’ll do some baking for my sisters in the spirit of the season, but we just couldn’t afford to shop for everyone.

In true frugal holiday spirit, I found a way to get a great deal on toys for my nieces and nephews.

I redeemed about 7,500 MyPoints for a $50 Amazon gift card. (Have you joined MyPoints yet? If not, email me so I can send you a referral link! I’d love to get some points for telling you about it! :))

I found 4 of the 5 toys we need at Amazon. We bought one of the toys last month when we came across something that we knew one of my nephews would love. I made sure everything shipped directly from Amazon, so all the toys qualify for free shipping since my total was over $25.

My total came to $57. I used my Amazon gift code to bring the total to $7 and some change.

Here’s the best part: Right now, Amazon is offering a free subscription to Cookie magazine when you spend $25 on toys. (Thanks Kacie at Sense to Save for letting me know about this!) According to the promo information, you can pass on the subscription and request a $15 rebate instead. I should be receiving an email about it in the next few days. According to the promo, all I have to do is send a form along with my order confirmation to Amazon and they’ll send my $15.

If it works out, I’ll actually end up earning $8 on this transaction. Even if it doesn’t work, I bought Christmas presents for all 5 of my nieces and nephews for just $7. Not too bad considering I got $57 worth of great toys. :)

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Planning a frugal Thanksgiving for two

Photo by dennissylvesterhurd

Thanksgiving turkeyWith the election over (thank goodness!), we’re all turning our attention to Thanksgiving, which is now exactly three weeks away. (Where did the time go?)

I’m no exception. Tony and I won’t be traveling for Thanksgiving. We’re making a big trip to see family for Christmas, so we’ll be home in North Carolina enjoying a quiet holiday. We may invite a culinary-challenged friend or two if any of Tony’s classmates stay behind and want to join us. If not, it’ll be just the two of us.

That doesn’t mean we’re not cooking a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, though. My amateur chef husband wouldn’t miss roasting a turkey for the world. We had the most wonderful holiday last year. We invited a friend over for dinner and enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast. The leftovers lasted days. I’m looking forward to continuing our tradition of a low-key, no-stress Thanksgiving holiday cooking and eating good food, watching movies, and relaxing.

Last night we began preparing by putting together our Thanksgiving menu. We’ll be making all the traditional dishes, including turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry dressing, stuffing, greenbean casserole, fresh bread, and pumpkin pie. It’s a lot of food for two people, but we plan to eat nothing but leftovers all weekend. :)

Last year we didn’t roast a whole turkey. Instead, we bought a small bone-in turkey breast. I highly recommend that you do the same if your dinner party will be small.

To reduce the impact on our budget, we’ll be spreading out purchases for the menu over the next few weeks. At some point in the next week or two, I’m expecting a big sale on turkey at the grocery store. We’ll pick up our turkey then, and pick up an item or two for the meal on every shopping trip in the coming weeks.

Here’s how some of the bloggers from my reader are preparing for the holiday:

How are you preparing?

Eating out doesn’t have to be all or nothing

Photo by vox_efx

When times are tough and it’s time to cut back, restaurant meals are often one of the first things to go. We try to keep eating out to an absolute minimum. Cooking at home is not only healthier but also more economical.

Cutting back doesn’t have to mean cutting restaurant meals altogether. We enjoy eating out, and we like to go out once a month. The problem with limiting restaurant meals is that it’s often tempting to go overboard when you do get to eat at a restaurant. Drinks, appetizers, desserts … adding those things can double the cost of your meal.

Eating out doesn’t have to be all or nothing, though. There are ways to keep the costs low and still enjoy the fun of a good restaurant meal. Here’s how:

Go out for lunch.

Prices are often lower, and many restaurants offer lunch specials. If you’re craving a restaurant meal for a low price, lunch is often a better option than dinner.

Drink water.

Alcoholic beverages often cost almost as much as an entree. Even fountain sodas can tack on an extra $2 each to your bill. Ordering ice water with a slice of lemon is not only a healthier option, it’s also free.

Don’t order more than you’ll eat (or more than you should eat).

Restaurant portions are usually ridiculously big. Even if you have the willpower to resist overeating, you’re still paying for food you can’t finish. Many restaurants are now offering smaller portions for a lower price.

If they don’t, I ask if they’ll allow me to order from the kids’ menu. I’ve never had a waiter tell me no. Sometimes they’ll add a dollar or so to the price since I’m not under 12, but most of the time they let me order the kids’ portion at the kids’ price. It’s just the right amount of food for me, and it usually only costs $4 or $5. That’s a huge difference from the regular entree prices of $8-$12.

Order an appetizer instead of an entree.

Appetizers are often just as filling as entrees at a lower price. My husband and I sometimes order one appetizer each and split them.

Take advantage of specials.

A lot of times certain entrees are on “special” for a lower price. Take this opportunity to pay less for your meal and try something new.

Many restaurants also offer special deals like reduced-price appetizers or entrees on certain weeknights. If your favorite restaurant offers specials like this, try to schedule your meals out on these nights.

Fill out comment cards and mail them in.

At the end of the meal your bill often comes with a comment card or survey. I always fill these out and mail them in. In return, I often receive coupons for money off or free appetizers just for giving my opinion. They even pay the postage.

Use gift cards.

If you’re enrolled at MyPoints, there are a ton of restaurants that offer gift cards for points. (If you’re not already enrolled, email me for a referral link!)

Another option is Restaurant.com. They offer “gift certificates” for restaurants at a reduced rate (usually $10 for a $25 gift certificate). They sometimes offer promotions for even more money off, and you can often get $25 gift certificates for as little as $2.

What’s the catch? You have to spend a certain amount on your meal to redeem the gift certificate. You might pay $2 for a $25 gift certificate, but your total bill has to be $35 not including taxes, tip, or alcohol in order to redeem the gift certificate. You’re still getting a $35 meal for $12. Not too bad! Check the site to see if any restaurants in your area offer gift certificates through Restaurant.com.

$1 tarts and votives at Yankee Candle

Now through Tuesday, you can use this link to get Yankee Candle tarts and votives for $1 each. As I’ve explained before, tarts and votives are a good opportunity to try a variety of scents. Even at the regular price, they cost just as much as the larger Yankee Candles per hour of burn time. Unfortunately, at the regular price of $1.99 each they’re pretty overpriced for candles. I usually stock up during these sales.

I received a printable coupon to take advantage of this deal in the store because I’m signed up for Yankee Candle’s mailing list. If you’re a candle person, I suggest you sign yourself up. They send deals like this one every few months.

If you didn’t receive this coupon in your inbox, you can take advantage of this deal online using the link above. The discount should automatically be applied to tarts and votives in your order. If not, use the coupon code XF810TS. Unfortunately, their shipping rates are a little high (flat rate $6 for orders up to $100), but if you plan to stock up on a lot of tarts it might be worth it even with the shipping.

Tarts and votives make a wonderful addition to Christmas gift baskets. Enjoy!

Victoria’s Secret bras for cheap

I’ve admitted before that I love to shop at Victoria’s Secret for bras. I can’t afford the high prices there, though. So how do I fund my Victoria’s Secret habit? I wait for deals like the one Thrifty Mama posted yesterday.

Using the coupon codes at Thrifty Mama, I got two bras and a pair of underwear for about $20 including shipping! My total before coupons was almost $60. And that’s with the sale price for the bras. I think retail value for this order without the sale would have been over $100.

Thrifty Mama suggests going with the 2/$40 bras, but the deal will work with more expensive bras, too. It’ll just be a couple dollars more. I bought he 2/$44 bras, and it worked fine. She also gives a specific item number for black panties, but the deal will work for any style of cotton panties as long as they’re a plain color (white, black, ivory, buff, or whisper pink).

These deals only come once or twice a year, so I suggest you hurry before it expires!

TGIF Link Round Up – Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween! On the right are the pumpkins we carved last weekend. The scared one on the right was mine. Sorry about the crummy quality. I just grabbed the camera and snapped a picture for posterity. :)

Tony and I have a full night of scary movies and popcorn ahead of us tonight! But first a link round up!

I hosted the Festival of Frugality this week, and it has an appropriately spooky theme. If you haven’t had a chance to browse the best of frugal blogging this week, I suggest you check it out. Lots of great ideas!

And here are my favorite posts from my reader this week:

  • Lynnae at Being Frugal shares her frugal moving tips. We’re already looking ahead to our next move in a year and a half, and I’ll definitely keep these ideas in mind.
  • Mercedes at Common Sense with Money crunches the numbers and uncovers the real cost of layaway offers. Yikes! Very timely as many retailers bring this practice back.
  • Paid Twice offers an interesting perspective about dieting and food costs. I find that one of the number one ways to reduce the food budget is avoiding overeating.

I hope all of you enjoy your Halloween tonight! Be safe and have fun!