Category Archives: Frugality

You may have more money in your travel budget than you think

The casual vacation mentality makes it easy to forget your spending inhibitions. That’s why it’s more crucial than ever to create and maintain a travel budget for trips, no matter how short they are.

Obviously, you shouldn’t take fun trips that you can’t afford. If you’re heading out for a vacation, you’ve hopefully been saving for some time. You should have a set amount that you can spend outside your regular budget.

Our travel budgets usually include set figures for airline tickets or gas, food, transportation (for cabs, buses, trains, car rental, etc. in the place we’re visiting), hotel, and entertainment.

Due to the hospitality of my sister and her family (thanks Mary!), our travel budget for this trip is very small. We’re staying with them, so we won’t be paying for a hotel. Our food costs will also be much lower than they would be if we were eating out three meals a day. We also won’t need to rent a car. As you can see, this particular trip will be relatively inexpensive aside from the plane tickets, but we still know exactly how much we can spend without going over budget.

I figure out how much I can spend based on what we’ve saved for the trip, but there’s something missing from these numbers, though. What about the money from our regular budget that we won’t be spending since we’ll be away from home?

If you’re leaving for a week, that’s 25% of your monthly budget for a number of expenses that you won’t be spending while you’re away. You won’t be going to the grocery store that week, so that’s a fourth of your monthly grocery budget that you won’t use. If you make sure all your appliances are unplugged (except for the refrigerator, of course) and your air conditioner is off, then you’ll also see a decrease in your electric bill for the month. You can also plan on saving a week’s worth of gas or other transportation costs. Depending on your personal expenses, you may be saving on other things while you’re away from home.

To figure out how much you’re saving on your monthly budget while you’re away, just take a look at your budget. Divide the number of days you’ll be gone by 30. This is the percentage you can subtract from weekly expenses such as food, gas, and entertainment.

I just did the math for us, and almost $100 of our regular budget will be saved during our four-day weekend away from home. That’s a pretty substantial chunk of change in addition to the money we’ve already saved for the trip.

You don’t necessarily have to tack this extra money onto your vacation budget. You might choose to use it as a snowflake to pay down debt or kick start your savings for your next vacation. Regardless of what you choose to do with it, it’s important that you account for it. When money isn’t properly accounted for, it may end up being wasted.

We typically add some, if not all, to our vacation budget. We’ll need food and transportation on vacation, too, so why not put this money toward that? Of course, we’ll spend more than normal for these expenses on the road, which is why it’s so important to have enough vacation money saved to cover these costs.

In this  particular case, we’re spending about $100 to board Howie while we’re gone. I like to think our regular budget money is going toward his super-nice kennel since all of our vacation costs are covered. :)

Preparing your kitchen before you leave for vacation

Photo by betsyjean79

In the mad dash to finish packing, make sure nothing is forgotten, and get out the door, it can be easy to overlook some important aspects of travel preparation, including thorough cleaning of your home.

I usually try to thoroughly clean every room before I leave, not only because it’s nice to come back to a clean house after vacation, but also because it allows me to ensure that I haven’t forgotten anything.

If you’re short on time, the one room you should never overlook is the kitchen. Here’s a short list of how I prepare my kitchen before I leave.

1. Plan ahead to avoid leaving a fully stocked freezer behind.

Because I stockpile meat, it’s not uncommon for me to have $40 or $50 worth of food in the freezer at any given time. I don’t like leaving this kind of investment behind when I’m leaving town. If the power went out while we were away, not only would we lose all that meat, but we’d come home to a stinky, unsanitary mess.

To avoid the unthinkable, I spend the weeks leading up to a vacation clearing out my meat stockpile. I stop buying bulk meat for a month or so before vacation, and start using it up in meals. Since we rarely leave town, this is relatively easy for us to do.

2. Clean out the refrigerator before you go.

Try to use as much of your food as possible to avoid waste, and leave your refrigerator free of perishable foods. We usually remove all leftovers and anything that will expire before we return. You don’t want to come home to a smelly refrigerator.

Condiments with a long shelf life like ketchup and mustard are fine to leave. Items like milk, cheese, and eggs should probably go depending on how long you’ll be gone. A power outage may be unlikely, but do you really want to risk having to clean up that kind of mess? Spoiled dairy can leave your refrigerator smelly forever.

3. Don’t leave unsealed food on the counters, in the pantry, or in the sink.

This is particularly important in the warm summer months. When we’re leaving town, we typically shut off the AC so we’re not paying to cool an empty apartment. If you’re going to do this, it’s essential that you completely clear your kitchen of any unsealed food items or fruit to avoid bugs.

Make sure items like sugar are sealed up in airtight containers. If you have open containers of crackers, cookies, bread, or other foods, you should eat them, take them with you, or throw them away before you leave. If it’s sealed airtight, it should be safe. Otherwise, don’t leave it in your kitchen.

Make sure all garbage cans and recycling bins are empty and clean. I also run my garbage disposal one last time and pour some bleach or other cleaning solution down it before I leave. I learned this lesson the hard way in college when I returned home after a weekend away to find a rotten piece of watermelon in the garbage disposal and a kitchen full of fruit flies. We didn’t get rid of them until fall when the weather cooled down. It was a nightmare.

4. Make sure all dishes are clean, dry, and put away.

Dirty dishes, standing water and warm temperatures can lead to mold and bacteria. Not to mention, nobody likes to come home to a sink full of dishes to put away or, worse, wash. I always do one last load of dishes the night before I leave, dry them, and put them away. I wash any last-minute dinner or breakfast dishes by hand, dry and put those away, too. Don’t leave any dishes, dirty or clean, in your dishwasher.

5. Unplug everything but the refrigerator and the oven.

Appliances like toaster ovens, blenders, and stand mixers are not only fire hazards when left plugged in unattended, they also drain extra energy. If you unplug everything before you go, your kitchen will be safer while you’re gone and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by a lower electric bill upon your return.

How to avoid high luggage fees at the airport

Photo by geishaboy500

It’s bad enough that airline tickets have skyrocketed in the past two years, but recent hikes in luggage checking fees have made travel even more expensive. Some airlines, including American, Northwest, United, and US Airways, are even charging for your first checked bag.

Here are some tips for avoiding these excessive fees, or at least reducing their impact on your travel budget.

1. Be familiar with the airline’s policies before you buy your tickets.

Online ticket brokers like Expedia.com and Priceline.com have made it easy to compare major airlines’ prices before purchasing tickets. (Keep in mind, they also charge fees for their services, so I recommend purchasing your tickets directly through the airline.)

Unfortunately, when buying through these sites, it’s easy to forget extra add-on fees in your quest for the cheapest price. You may purchase a ticket from United because it’s $15 cheaper than Delta, but you’ll end up paying the same after you check your bag.

This handy chart from Travel Insider compares all of the checked luggage policies of major airlines as of July 2008. Be familiar with these policies, and bear in mind the length of your trip, how many bags you’ll have to check per passenger, and the likely weight of each bag. Figure all of this information into the final ticket price so you’ll have a better comparison when purchasing.

2. Avoid checking luggage all together by carrying on if possible.

According to this carry-on luggage policy chart, all of the major airlines still allow a free carry-on bag and “personal item” for each passenger. Personal items include purses, laptop cases, backpacks, etc. It should be easy to fit all of your necessities in a carry-on and personal bag if your trip is short. Take advantage of this, especially if your airline charges for your first checked bag.

The airline we’re traveling on doesn’t charge for the first checked bag, but we prefer carrying on anyway to eliminate the risk losing our luggage during a layover. Luckily for us, our trip is short. We’ll only be staying for three days. So all of our luggage will be with us for the duration of the trip.

3. Minimize your toiletries, especially for carry-on bags.

Staying in a hotel? Then you probably don’t need to worry about toiletry items like shampoo, conditioner, soap, and mouthwash. Most hotels will provide these for you. This is good news if you’re carrying on since current Transportation Security Administration restrictions limit liquids in carry-on bag.

We’re staying with my sister, so we’re bringing our own toiletries. No problem for frugal folks like us. We’ve been collecting free samples for months. We also have some leftover hotel toiletries from our honeymoon. Samples easily meet the 3 oz. or less requirement for carry-ons, and they’re compact enough to fit into the TSA-approved quart-sized zipper bag. Plus, it’s fun to try some new toiletries on vacation.

Here’s three day’s worth of mini toiletries:

And look how nicely they fit in a 1-quart bag:

4. If you must check luggage, weigh your bags before you leave.

The surcharges for extra weight can cost a fortune. You can refer to this chart again for luggage weight limits and costs. Save yourself some trouble, and money, by putting your suitcase on a scale before you leave for the airport. Move some items to your checked luggage or to a backpack that you can carry on as a personal item if your bag weighs too much. If you can’t get around the extra weight, at least you’ll be prepared for the high fees when you check your bag.

5. Pack light!

This one is last on the list because, well, duh. The best way to save money on checked luggage fees is not to check luggage, even for longer trips.

If you’re very careful about how and what you pack, you should be able to get a week’s worth of necessities into a carry-on suitcase and personal bag. Notice, I said necessities. Obviously you can’t scrimp space on items like underwear and socks, but everything else is up for negotiation. Do you really need more than one pair of shoes? What about that extra sweater?

For long trips, most hotels offer coin laundries as a courtesy to guests. Doing laundry might not seem lik a fun vacation activity, but it’s certainly a lot cheaper than paying $15-$25 per checked bag. That money could go to something a lot more worthwhile on your trip, like a nice restaurant meal or a museum admission. Take that into consideration when deciding whether it’s really worth it to check your bag.

Ahhh … vacation!

We’re on our way to airport right now after a mad dash of last-minute packing, rushing out the door, and dropping the dog off at the kennel. We should arrive in Seattle this afternoon.

I’m looking forward to some much needed quality time with my sister, brother-in-law, my adorable niece and nephew, and my parents. I haven’t seen my sister and her family in 16 months, and I haven’t seen my parents since the wedding in May.

In my absence, I’ve scheduled some appropriate posts related to travel, particularly some of our experiences in planning this trip. I hope you enjoy them!

I’ll be back Tuesday. Enjoy the weekend!

Get a great price on wedding bands online without getting ripped off

My husband and I agreed that we didn’t want to spend a fortune on wedding bands. I know, it seems counter-productive to spend less on something you’ll keep forever. I’m just not into jewelry, though. Anything flashy (read: expensive) would have looked out of place on my hand. The same is true for my husband. We opted for plain, white gold bands.

We were disappointed by the prices in brick and mortar stores even for plain gold bands. The prices online were much more reasonable, but buying jewelry online just seemed so risky.

After much deliberation and research, we ended up buying our rings online. We paid about half the price we would have paid in the store, and they engraved them for free. Here’s the process we went though to make sure we were getting the right rings from a reputable dealer at a good price.

Shop in a brick and mortar store first to find the right style.

Jewelry is a lot like eyeglasses; you never know what’s going to suit you until you try it on. I originally wanted a much thinner band than I ended up buying. After trying one on in the store, I realized the thin band looked weird on my hand. That’s why it’s important to shop in a brick and mortar store, try on a lot of different rings, and find the style you like best.

Have your ring finger professionally sized.

Many women already know their ring size. Most men don’t. If you’re unsure about either of your sizes,  just ask a jeweler to size your finger while you’re shopping in a brick and mortar store. Some online stores offer free resizing, but you’ll still have to go through the hassle of sending back the ring and waiting.

If possible, have your finger sized on a hot, humid day. Your fingers swell in the heat and humidity and shrink in the cold. Sizing your finger on a humid day will ensure a comfortable fit year round.

Compare prices and special offers at several online wedding band retailers.

We had a lot of different options since we wanted plain bands; everybody carries plain bands. Most of the prices we saw were comparable. However, the site we chose, iweddingband.com, offered slightly lower prices, free shipping, and free engraving.

Make sure you’re buying from a reputable online jeweler.

There are several things you can do to check up on an online seller. First, look for a Better Business Bureau online seal. Clicking on the seal should take you to a unique verification page specific to that site at the Better Business Bureau website. Here’s what it looks like:

Beware of sites where the logo is a dead link. As you can see, it’s easy to copy and paste the BBB logo. The logo must be linked to a unique verification page in order to be legit. Most reputable sites also link to secure transaction sites like VeriSign, GeoTrust, or Authorize.net to ensure that your credit card information will be secure. Be sure to click on these logos to verify their legitimacy, too.

4. Find out what other customers are saying.

Just because a jeweler is legit doesn’t mean they offer good customer service. I researched potential sellers exhaustively for customer reviews.

Many online businesses list their products on Amazon. This is a good place to find credible reviews for online sellers. You can see the Amazon profile for iweddingband.com here. I’d say 100% positive reviews in the past 30 days is a pretty safe bet to me. The comments say things like, “Fast shipping, great product,” etc. Seeing all of those happy customer reviews made me feel pretty secure.

We ended up paying a total of $150 for both of our 14K white gold wedding bands including shipping and engraving. They are also the “comfort fit” bands that are designed for a better fit without cutting into your finger.

Here’s a list of some of the other sites I considered. Don’t take my word for it, though. Be sure to do your own comparison shopping and research on the companies before buying so you can feel secure in your purchase.

E-Wedding Bands – Offers free shipping and free sizing. 30-day return policy.
Blue Nile – Huge selection of wedding bands and diamond engagement rings. Free shipping and 30-day return policy.
James Allen – Loose diamonds, engagement rings, and wedding bands. Free insured shipping. Free sizing up to 60 days.

123InkJets update

Just wanted to give you a quick update on my experience with returning defective printer cartridges to 123InkJets.

Last week, about three weeks after my initial request for a refund, the money showed up in my account. I was relieved since I wasn’t actually expecting the refund.

This isn’t to say it was an easy process. Their customer service is done completely online, which meant several confusing emails back and forth with a different customer service rep assisting me in each email.

I followed all of their instructions and sent an email with all of the required information (my name, address, order number, item numbers, and whether I wanted a refund or replacement). Two days later, I received a reply that said, “Thanks for your request. Now just send us your name, address, order number, item number, and whether you want a refund or replacement.” What?

So I sent the information again by copying the original email and saying, politely, “Um, I already sent that information to you.” I don’t understand how they didn’t see it. The required information was the ONLY text in my email. It was very odd.

Two days later I received a reply from a different person that said, “Thanks for sending the information. Here are the instructions for receiving your replacement cartridges.” They attached a shipping label to the email. Postage would be paid, which is nice. But the name and order number on the shipping label they sent me was incorrect. I also clearly told them I wanted a refund, not a replacement. Twice. Sigh.

I responded again telling them that I didn’t want a replacement, I wanted a refund. I also told them the return address and order number on the shipping label provided were incorrect.

The customer service rep who responded this time actually read through all of the emails before replying. She was very apologetic, and acknowledged that the situation had been handled poorly. She assured me that the return for my order number (the wrong order number) had been changed from a replacement to a refund.

I had to email them again about the incorrect shipping label.

Finally, about two weeks after I sent the original refund request, I received the correct shipping label with my name, address, and order number marked for a return. I boxed up the cartridges and taped the shipping label onto the box.

The process would have been simple if they had gotten my information right the first time. Honestly, the most complicated part was just dealing with 10 different customer service people who clearly had no idea what was going on.

When I sent the cartridges back, I paid 75 cents for a delivery confirmation. I wasn’t taking any chances on not receiving my $60 refund due to a “lost package.”

About 10 days later, the refund was credited to my account.

I’m glad that I received my refund. Honestly, I didn’t think I would. However, I will never buy ink cartridges from 123InkJets again, not only because the cartridges didn’t work, but also because their customer service is horrible. I eventually received my refund, but it was nowhere near as simple as they claim it is on the website.

Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I always get the sense from companies with this kind of return process that they’re trying to wear the customer down. If they can make the return process complicated enough, maybe the customer will give up before they receive the refund.

In the future, I’ll pay a little extra to get my ink cartridges from a reputable dealer. I don’t know if the problem was that my printer doesn’t like refurbished cartridges or if the cartridges they sent me were defective. Either way, it’s worth it to me to pay a little extra for ink cartridges that I know will work.

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We’ve come a long way

Tony and I had a lovely time yesterday celebrating his birthday. We slept in, enjoyed some coffee cake for breakfast (something he loves, but I never let him buy), and then headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather.

He received some cash from his parents to buy himself a gift, so he wanted to browse the bookstore. We ended up at the mall where we browsed Barnes and Noble, Banana Republic, and the closeout sale at Linens n Things, among other stores.

This type of browsing used to be a typical Saturday for us. Except three years ago, we would have ended the day with a car loaded up with shopping bags.

Though we debated whether we should buy something at each and every store we browsed, we didn’t buy anything yesterday. It wasn’t until we were in the car on our way home that we realized that we almost spent money in every store we visited.

I really wanted some framed artwork at Linens n Things on sale for 30% off (final price would have been $30). Tony wanted to buy a collection of short stories at Barnes and Noble for airport reading ($15). I’ve been looking for a deal on some khaki pants. I found a pair of brown plaid dress pants on the clearance rack at Banana Republic. They weren’t really what I was looking for, but everything in the store was 30% off the lowest ticket price ($30. Yeah, that’s with 30% off the clearance price. Why is Banana Republic so expensive?!)

Instead of impulsively purchasing, we discussed each item.

Sure, the artwork was a great deal and we’d been looking for something just like it to hang in the kitchen, but we’d already reached our shopping budget for the month. The final verdict? We’ll head back to Linens n Things in two weeks. If the artwork is still there and we still want it, we’ll work that $30 into our budget.

I told Tony he should buy the book if he wanted it. After all, it was a birthday gift from his parents. Ultimately, he decided he’d rather order the book on Amazon for less and wait a little while for shipping.

As for the pants, I’ve been shopping around for a pair of khakis to wear to work in the cooler months. I have plenty of dress pants from my last job that I rarely wear because my office is casual. I’m looking for a comfortable pair of business casual khakis. While the pants at Banana were really nice and on double sale, I decided against them because they weren’t what I was looking for. They were too dressy. Buying them wouldn’t have satisfied my need for casual khaki pants, so I’m going to continue looking for the right pair at the right price. That was tough, though. I shouldn’t have tried them on.

I also stopped in at Victoria’s Secret where I used a coupon for a free pair of underwear (no purchase necessary)!

In the past I might have gauged the success of a shopping trip based on how much we saved. If we had bought everything we wanted yesterday we would have “saved” $60. The problem with that is you’re not really saving anything if you’re spending money on things you don’t need. Even with the discounts, we would have spent $75 that we didn’t need to spend. Now I judge our success by our ability to avoid spending money on unnecessary items and get a good deal on the necessities.

Oh, and we won’t be going back to the mall any time soon. The temptation to spend is just too great. :)

Luxury on Less Tip: Cut down your coffee consumption

(Photo by gwpriester.)
I love to start my morning with a hot cup of fresh ground coffee. Any more than one cup gives me the jitters for the rest of the morning, but one cup is just enough to wake me up.

Brewing coffee at home instead of stopping at Starbucks every morning is half the battle when it comes to saving money. But what about the high price of coffee beans?

For months, Tony and I were throwing our money down the drain with expensive coffee … literally. Not only were we paying $10 a pound for gourmet beans, but we were brewing a whole pot every morning and pouring half of it down the sink.

You don’t have to brew 12 cups just because your pot will hold it. We cut the beans and water in half, making only 6 cups. It’s the perfect amount for each of us to have a cup. Most importantly, nothing gets wasted.

We also buy our coffee beans at Costco where we pay $10 for two pounds. They’re high-quality organic beans at half the price we paid at the grocery store. Since we only brew half pots every day, we usually only have to buy coffee once a month.

Of course, the easiest way to save money on coffee is not to be so picky. Pre-ground beans are usually less expensive than whole beans, and brands like Folgers and Maxwell House are often on sale.

If you can’t get by on one cup a day, your best bet is to buy the cheaper, pre-ground coffees. Don’t like the flavor of Folgers? Try some different brands until you find the flavor and price that works best for you.

You can also try experimenting with the amount of grounds you use. You may be brewing your coffee stronger than it needs to be. Cut back a little every day until you notice a difference in flavor quality.

Bonus tip: Always make sure your coffee pot is clean! Running a vinegar solution through the pot once a month will make a world of difference in the flavor of your coffee, even if you’re brewing cheaper brands.

Luxury on Less Tip: Fresh scents without paying more

I love to burn candles, especially when I’m hosting visitors or relaxing at home in the evenings. I’m especially partial to Yankee Candle. Unfortunately, anybody who’s ever shopped there, or for any candles for that matter, knows they’re incredibly overpriced.

The nice thing about Yankee Candles is they do burn for a long time compared to other candles. The problem with investing $20-$30 in a candle is that you’re stuck with that scent for as long as it takes to burn the candle.

I like to try different scents and change them up with the seasons, but I certainly don’t want to spend the money on several full-sized candles. My solution is burning votives and tarts instead of full-sized candles. Votives and tarts are regularly priced at $1.99 each, but I never pay full price. I stock up during seasonal clearance sales or by using coupons. If you register online, you’ll frequently receive coupons and other offers from them by email. I think the first one they send is $10 off a purchase of $25.

You would think that a larger candle would be more economical than several tarts or votives, but they actually cost the same amount per hour of fragrance. The largest jar candles cost $25 for 150 hours of fragrance. That’s about 17 cents an hour. Tarts provide about 12 hours of fragrance, and regularly cost $1.99 each, which also comes to 17 cents an hour. At the same price per hour, you can get a wide variety of scents.

Votive candles don’t require any additional investment to use them; as long as you have a votive candle holder, you can burn them.

I prefer tarts because the scent is stronger, and they burn cleaner than candles. They require an initial investment of the tart burner, though. If you buy them in the store, you’ll pay $12-$20 for a tart burner. I’ve bought generic knock-off burners at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for as little as $2.99. Unless you buy an electric burner, they also require tea lights to melt the tarts. I usually pay $2.99 for 100 tea lights, and because I only burn candles on certain evenings and special occasions, they last me months.

For me, buying tarts and votives is like buying samples. When I find a scent that I particularly love, I might consider investing in a full-sized candle. Maybe. But most of the time, I’m content to burn a wide variety of tarts.

Right now through Sept. 21 at YankeeCandle.com you can buy tarts and votives for $1 each – 50% off the original price. Just use the coupon code XF809B2. Unfortunately, this deal is only worthwhile if you’re really planning on stocking up, because they charge a flat rate of $6 to ship orders under $100.

I received a printable coupon for $1 tarts by email for in-store use, but I can’t find it on the site. If you receive emails from Yankee Candle, check your inbox to see if they sent you a printable!

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