Tag Archives: Frugal Fun

The List: Fun goals to accomplish before 2011

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. Just generally kind of blah. It’s taken me some time to figure out what could be causing it, especially since everything is going so well for us right now.

I’ve always had a tendency to be preoccupied with the future. Instead of enjoying what I have right now, I’m looking ahead to a new home, a baby, and everything else that’s coming up in the next stage of our lives.

Unfortunately, all this looking ahead is a good way to miss out on what’s good about right now. We have almost two years before we close this chapter in our lives and move on to the next. It’s two years of time together to experience new things and enjoy each other’s undivided attention. That’s a pretty good place to be.

Lately we’ve been talking about ways to make the most of this time. There are so many things we want to do and see before we settle down and start a family, but we’ve been so focused on lofty financial goals and day-to-day life that we’ve lost sight of those things.

We’re in a good place financially. We’re debt-free except for our student loans, and we’ll be paying off that debt for quite some time no matter how I crunch the numbers. That’s okay with me. We’re on track to complete our emergency fund in about a year, and we should have the money saved for our trip to Europe in a little under a year.

When we decided to plan our trip to Europe, it was partly because we realized this is the best time in our lives to do it. With no children and few financial obligations, we have more freedom now than we’ll have for quite some time after we have a baby and buy a house.

Acknowledging this freedom made us start to think about other things we’d like to do. We may not be able to accomplish them all, but focusing on the list will be a nice diversion for me in the coming year and a half while I count down to the next chapter of our lives.

Some of the things on The List won’t cost us a thing; others are quite expensive. We’re still committed to our other financial goals (living debt free, saving for retirement, and completing our emergency fund) and we don’t want this list to distract us too much from those goals. By setting priorities and being more frugal in other aspects of our lives, we should be able to focus a little money on travel and other things we’ve always wanted to do without detracting from our other goals.

I put up a rough draft of The List on a separate page where I can track what we’ve accomplished and add to it. We have about 20 months to do as much as we can before Tony graduates. These are fun things, so you won’t find any financial goals here.

The challenge is to accomplish them frugally without getting into debt or affecting our savings too much. We may discover that some of these things aren’t possible at this point in our lives. We’ll have to examine our priorities and plan ahead to make some of them happen. Whether we’re able to do it all or not, I’m really looking forward to trying and sharing our experiences with you as we cross things off.

What do you think we should do before we settle down? Take a look at The List, and let me know if you have any suggestions!

Entertaining guests for the weekend (again)

We’re expecting visitors again this weekend. Our friends from back home are staying with us Saturday and Sunday nights.

When it comes to entertaining visitors, I tend to have a pretty relaxed attitude. After all, they’re coming to see us, not for a nonstop agenda of activities. But it does help to have some fun activities planned to make sure that we all have a good time together.

Here are some budget activities I’ve come up with:

Give them a tour.

Now is the perfect time to view your city through the eyes of a tourist. Normally mundane things (like your city’s downtown area or landmarks) may be interesting to your guests. Check out museums and historic sites in your area. If you live in a small town, consider a day trip to the nearest metropolitan area.

Take the scenic route.

If you live in a small town, you probably live near some beautiful countryside. Take a mini-road trip through the country and stop for a picnic.

Have a dinner party.

Since your guests have traveled to see you, chances are they don’t live close enough to pop in for a traditional dinner party. Now is your chance to have one. Plan a special meal, break out your best dishes, and have a fancy dinner party.

Play a game.

When all else fails, board games are a good way to keep everyone entertained while continued to socialize. If you run out of ideas, maybe it’s time for Scrabble.

How do you entertain your visitors?

What do you think about Netflix online movie watching?

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photo by katiescrapbooklady

We love renting movies from Redbox. For only a dollar a night (often free with Redbox promo codes) we can rent recent releases.

For older titles, we rent from the library. Tony’s university library has a wide array of art films, mainstream titles, and TV series. They’re also pretty good about adding new titles quickly, but there’s often a long wait list for newer films that become available. We’ve rented a ton of great stuff from the library for free. It’s our favorite way to rent movies.

While Redbox and the library are perfect for new releases and mainstream titles, we often want to see art films and TV series that aren’t available through Redbox.

Lately, we’ve been considering other options for movie rentals. Online movie rental sites like Netflix and Blockbuster now offer online movie watching. Instead of waiting for a movie to be shipped to us, we can select what we want to see and watch it right on our computer. We like this idea, because it would allow us to watch a lot of movies even with the minimum one-DVD-at-a-time membership.

We’re considering joining Netflix with the minimum membership so that we can get art films and TV series either mailed to us or streamed to our computers. (We looked into Blockbuster, too, but their streaming service requires Internet Explorer on a PC, and we both have Macs.) For $8.99 a month, we could rent one DVD at a time and watch unlimited movies online.

We’re going to do a free trial first. Before we sign up, though, I just wanted to see if any of you have used this service. Are you happy with it? What is the selection of online movies like? I know they have a huge selection of movies by mail, but are all of the titles available to watch online? Do you still find yourself using Redbox or other rental services for convenience?

Our frugal (and not so frugal) trip to Washington D.C.

We’re back home now after a wonderful weekend in Washington D.C.

A little getaway was exactly what we needed. We left our laptops at home and spent the weekend just enjoying each other’s company. With two visits from family and friends and a business trip coming up this month, we really needed some time away.

I booked and paid for the hotel room in November ($120). Then I budgeted $200 from our tax refund for food and fun while we were there. It’s a high number, but we get away so rarely so I wanted to really enjoy ourselves and be (just a little) frivolous for once.

Here’s how we did:

Frugal

  • Our hotel was in a fantastic location right downtown, so we spent the entire weekend on foot. We didn’t use any money for cabs or the Metro. Bonus: I didn’t feel so guilty for missing my daily workout.
  • We visited free museums and sites. We went to the National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of American History, and Ford’s Theater (which ended up being closed, but we saw the house where Lincoln died, a national historic site).
  • We ate relatively frugal breakfasts and lunches (coffee and pastries for breakfast, Subway for lunch), so we could afford the high price of downtown D.C. restaurants for dinner.
  • We ate at a moderately priced pizza place on Friday night, where we enjoyed delicious wood fired pizza. On Saturday night my brilliant husband found a “certified-green” restaurant owned by a partnership of family farmers. It has a modern, casual, and family-friendly atmosphere; amazing organic food; and the prices were unbelievable considering its downtown D.C. location. Our meal with an appetizer and dessert was only $55 with tip included. Most of the places we considered in that area would have cost twice that at least. It’s called Founding Farmers, and I highly recommend it if you’re in the D.C. area.

Not so frugal

  • It was unseasonably warm in D.C. on Friday evening, so we walked to the Georgetown neighborhood where we stayed on our honeymoon. We stopped at our favorite sidewalk cafe. Since we’d already eaten dinner, we decided to order a bottle of wine. It ended up costing $32. Ouch. But we had a wonderful evening sitting outside drinking wine, and I don’t regret it. The memory is worth $32 to me. But the frugal thing to do would have been to stroll through Georgetown and skip the wine. :)
  • Around lunchtime we were only halfway through the Museum of American History. We were starving, so I broke my own advice and grabbed a snack at the museum cafe. We split a single slice of pizza and a soda, and it ended up costing $10. Doh. Always pack a snack!

So did we stay on budget? Here’s the tally:

Gas: $30
Breakfasts: $15
Lunches (including stops on the road): $40
Dinners: $85
Wine: $32
Boarding for dog: $65 (I budgeted $50 since he was only there two nights, but because we were running late this afternoon we were charged for three.)
Parking: $30 (I wasn’t expecting this because I mistakenly assumed parking would be provided by the hotel, but it cost $15 a night.)
Gift card used to pay for meals: -$50
Total: $247

We overspent by $47. :( Luckily, the overage can be worked into our March budget.

While we technically stayed within budget (the unexpected costs for parking and boarding surcharges weren’t in my original budget), better planning could have helped us include or avoid those extra costs.

While $248 for a weekend trip ($368 if you include the hotel) isn’t frugal, sometimes — sometimes — it’s ok to be a little frivolous. After all, isn’t that why we work so hard to scrimp and save? We spent a fraction of our tax refund to have a fantastic time, and we’re still putting a huge chunk into savings this month. I’d call it a success.

Planning a frugal, educational mini-vacation

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Sometimes you just need to take a step back and take a break. That’s where we are right now. Though we’ve taken several trips to visit family (including Seattle in October and Indiana in December), Tony and I haven’t gotten away together, just the two of us, since our honeymoon 9 months ago.

In November, I found a great deal on a hotel room in Washington DC at HotelClub (about $60 a night for a room in a fantastic location). I knew that after spending almost two weeks on the road and visiting family then heading right back into our routine, we’d probably need some time away around this time. A frugal mini-vacation is the perfect solution.

Here are some tips for saving money if you want to plan a family-friendly mini-vacation of your own:

Choose somewhere close.

Choosing a destination close enough to drive reduces the cost of your trip significantly. It’s much cheaper to drive than fly (especially if you’re traveling with a family). Closer destinations also mean lower gas costs and the ability to stay for just a night or two instead of a whole week, which means more affordable lodging.

Choose a destination with historical significance.

Historical cities are the most frugal places to visit. National and state historic sites and museums rarely charge for admission, and when they’re state or federally funded they’re usually better than independent tourist attractions.

We’re lucky to live within driving distance of Washington DC. It’s one of my favorite frugal vacation destinations. With tons of free museums and historical sites, there’s a lot to do that costs very little or nothing at all.

These destinations exist in every state, though. When I was a kid, my family lived in Michigan. We held a season pass to Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Those weekend trips remain some of my favorite vacation memories (even more than a huge trip to Disney that probably cost my parents a couple thousand dollars).

When Tony and I lived in the Midwest, we took a similar trip to Springfield, Illinois. We visited a ton of Lincoln sites, toured the state Capitol, and had a fantastic time for cheap. Be creative. Whether it’s a state capital or historical city near you, these cities are fun, frugal, and educational for kids.

Travel during the “shoulder season.”

Historic cities and state capitals offer a lot of free and cheap attractions, but the trade-off is often high prices for hotels during the busy tourist season (especially summers and vacations when kids are out of school). Part of the reason we got such a great deal on our DC hotel room is because we planned the trip for February. Just two weeks later, the price would have been $25 more per night. If we had planned our trip for April, we would have paid $50 more per night. If you plan a weekend trip between January and mid-March, you’ll find the best deals on lodging. An added bonus is that museums are a lot more enjoyable when they’re not overcrowded.

Pack a lunch.

Museum cafeterias often overcharge for food that isn’t that great. They usually don’t mind if you bring your own food, though. Save some money by packing some sandwiches and drinks. If the museum doesn’t allow it, then plan for a mid-afternoon break to head back to the hotel for lunch. Even if you end up at a restaurant off site, you’ll probably spend less for better food than you would get at the museum.

Keep it fun for everyone.

I was a nerdy kid. I loved museums and learning. I still do. Two of my sisters didn’t share my enthusiasm for field-trip-like vacations. Even the most educational museums usually cater to children of all personality types with hands-on activities that keep everyone happy. If your kids aren’t into musems, blend educational activities with other frugal things they’ll enjoy (maybe a baseball game or an afternoon playing outside at a park).

It’s not always about money

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Yesterday, Tony and I took our dog for a hike at the state park, then for a walk along the beach. We had a wonderful time, and it didn’t cost a penny. It also allowed me some time to think and reflect on some things.

  • This may not be my favorite place I’ve lived, but it certainly has some perks. And most importantly, I am happy here because I’m with Tony.
  • I should be appreciating every second of the time that we have together, just the two of us.

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  • I’m not taking nearly enough pictures to document this time in our lives.
  • I shouldn’t worry so much about that which I can’t control.
  • Exercise is a lot more fun when it involves sunshine and fresh air.

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  • Most importantly: There are many things in life that are more important than money. That’s why I’m so glad we’re frugal, and we don’t have to worry so much about money anymore.

How we’re spending our no spend weekend

Most of the spending we do — from groceries to unnecessary extras — takes place on the weekend. Because we work all week, we typically don’t have time to do any shopping. Trips to the grocery store, Target, and the occasional recreational window browse often lead to extra spending. We try to limit unnecessary spending, obviously, but even items like dog food, tooth paste, and other necessities can add up.

We’re already nearing our budget limit for spending and entertainment, but we’re headed out of town for the weekend for a frugal trip to Washington DC. Because we’d like to have some extra money for a meal and other extras, we’re attempting to have a no spend weekend. That means no recreational browsing, and no shopping even for the necessary items if it can wait. We’re buying the bare bones minimum groceries to get us through the week, and that’s it.

Setting this goal made me realize that we spend more time on the weekends spending money than I’d like to admit. No, we don’t go on wild shopping sprees. But the little bit of spending we do adds up, especially when you consider the fact that we spend $0 on the typical weekday.

To keep ourselves busy, we’ve come up with a no-spend itinerary for the weekend so we can have fun without spending any money. Here’s what we’ve come up with:

Friday: We made a homemade pizz, rented a free Redbox movie, and relaxed on the couch.

Saturday: After breakfast, we’re going to put on some warm clothes and take the dog for a hike at the state park. It’s beautiful and sunny outside today, and I think he’ll enjoy sniffing the hiking trail. The best part is I get to skip the gym for today since we’re getting exercise outside.

Sunday: Unfortunately, our Sunday plans aren’t really fun, but they are frugal. Tony’s parents are coming to visit the week after next, and since we’ll be out of town all next weekend, we’ve got to do some major cleaning and preparing. We want to get a head star on Sunday, clearing clutter out of the guest room, and deep cleaning all the nooks and crannies of our apartment. I’ll also squeeze in a trip to the gym, which isn’t exactly free since I pay $20 a month for the membership, but won’t cost anything extra.

I hope you’re all enjoying a lovely frugal weekend, too!

My favorite sites for free music online

online-musicphoto by abletoven

Are you always looking for new music? I listen to music for hours at a time when I’m working, so I get sick of my iTunes playlist very easily. Luckily, I don’t have to spend a ton of money at the iTunes store to find great new music. There are a ton of resources online for free music.

Here are my favorites:

NPR Music

NPR is my absolute favorite form of free entertainment, but their music channel is particularly nice when you’re looking for something mellow and unobtrusive. (As much as I would love to listen to This American Life while working, it would probably be a little distracting.)

It’s also my favorite way to stay on top of new music. You can stream stations live, listen to particular playlists in their archives, or sign up for weekly free podcasts with new music and playlists. If you’re into folky rock or new world music, you’ll love their playlists. (I also recommend signing up for the This American Life, Fresh Air, and any of NPR’s other podcasts if you’re interested in news, current events, human interest stories, and generally good reporting.)

Pandora Radio

Pandora Radio is an amazing free service that allows you to build personalized radio stations by selecting artists and songs that you already enjoy. I’ve discovered a lot of great music by plugging in my favorites and listening to what the station recommends. You have some degree of control as it allows you to build multiple stations and skip a certain number of songs every hour, but you can’t choose a specific song or artist and listen to it. Listening to Pandora reminds me of what it’s like to listen to a great mix tape that I made years ago — I don’t remember what’s on it, but every song is a pleasant surprise.

Last.fm

I’ve only recently started using Last.fm, but it’s similar to Pandora in that it offers recommendations based on your music preferences. Last.fm has some additional features that are really cool, though.

It offers a community aspect that Pandora lacks. You can find other users with tastes similar to your own, and discover new music through their playlists. Last.fm also allows you to search for specific artists and listen to playlists with only their music, which Pandora doesn’t allow. So far I’ve found that Last.fm is perfect when I’m in the mood to listen to a specific song or artist, or listen to a playlist of specific artists.

iTunes Music Store

Most of the songs on iTunes are available for purchase. Sometimes (rarely) I find an artist I really enjoy on a free site, and I pop over to iTunes to buy more music from them or maybe even download an album. iTunes also offers some free downloads, though. In addition to the free single of the week, they have a huge list of free downloads from lesser known artists. Just look in your iTunes store under “Free Music & Videos.” If you’re looking to permanently add to your music collection instead, then you’ll like iTunes.

What about you? What are you favorite places to find music?