Entries Tagged 'Frugal Living' ↓

I have such severe allergic reactions to ragweed in the fall that I have to take meds. I’ve tried them all and Zyrtec has been fairly effective (my eyes still itch but it’s tolerable). It’s another cost though that I’d rather avoid.

When I read that Bragg – Organic Apple Cider Vinegar works as an antihistamine, I was skeptical. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try though. It worked even better than the Zyrtec. It costs less than $5 which is a huge bargain as it will last you the whole season.

I didn’t really see any “rules” about dosing so I tried a teaspoon mid-morning. Then I tried another teaspoon mid-afternoon. Somewhere along the way, I realized my symptoms were totally gone. I started taking a teaspoon whenever the itchy eyes started and it worked out to be 3 teaspoons a day (I added a third an hour or two after supper). I also read to try to keep it off your teeth so I positioned the spoon towards the back of my throat.

Organic apple cider vinegar has strands of culture in it (called the “mother”). It doesn’t have to be this brand but it does have to be organic and unfiltered.

I can’t tell you how awesome it was to be able to get out and enjoy the fall weather without feeling drugged and without allergy symptoms. Saving a boatload of money in the process just made it that much better.

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The recent storm Sandy got me thinking about preparing for emergencies.

I think about it a lot but get overwhelmed. It seems like so much to do and we don’t have extra money right now. We mostly eat free-range chicken and fresh organic produce and I knew the only way to stockpile chickens (with our tiny freezer) was to start raising them. Since we live right in town, I don’t think the neighbors are going for that option!

For some reason, this time I thought about breakfast. Unsweetened almond milk is sold in containers that don’t need refrigeration. Oatmeal is cheap and easy to store. I can add jars of unsweetened applesauce and cans of unsweetened pears. Raisins are another option.

I also realized I could start by building up a month’s supply of breakfast and get an idea of how that’s working.

It’s a start. Oatmeal made in unsweetened almond milk and fruit would put warm food in our bellies. It’s better than not having anything on hand. It also seems like a good combination of protein (the almonds), fat, and carbs.

Having a generous stockpile of food would also make one’s emergency fund go further. I decided it’s a goal I need to go after.

Do you have food stored for emergencies? How do you approach it?

Small update: I just got back from the grocery store. Rolled oats were on sale so I bought a large container plus a container of almond milk, unsweetened pears and applesauce. Every time I go to the store, I’m going to try to pick up more almond milk. One quart will last two people two days for breakfast so we need 15 for a one month supply just for breakfast.

Anyone can lurk on the DR boards but you have to cough up some cold, hard cash to participate. I saw this post and almost ponied up just to be able to respond. I felt so badly for this guy and wanted to tell him that his issue isn’t money – his issue is respect.

This one really got me hurting. I already catch flack from my family and friend, but tonight I was literally surrounded by coworkers and they basically were making fun of me like I was in freaking grade school again! My real name is Tom but they have all taken to calling me Dave…it is not a compliment nor will I take it as one.

“If your friends are making fun of you, you’re right on track!” I’m calling BS on that one….this was downright hostile. Consider if every day that you walked in to work somebody walked up and punched you as hard as they could in the face and you we unable to defend yourself….how long before you stop going to work?

Money can’t buy respect. We’ve all snickered at tales of lottery winners in the south who proudly proclaimed they could now buy a trailer. We’ve all seen tacky new money and we’ve all rolled our eyes at it.

We’ve all also looked at people (often a single mom with several mouths to feed) who didn’t have much money but amazed us with the way they managed what they did have. Respect has been heaped on kids who came from a disadvantaged background but still managed to graduate from college with honors. Our hearts burst with pride over the heroic efforts of our military personnel and those who serve our communities as outstanding educators, police, and fire people. We call them our finest. We all know they don’t earn much money.

That’s why this post gripped me – it was written by a policeman who is trying to follow Dave’s plan to the letter.

If you run into him, thank him for his service and encourage him perhaps along these lines:

• I’m guessing you’re on baby step 2 now. Ask yourself – how many of your co-workers have a thousand dollars in the bank? Keep the answer to yourself but know that you can already walk half a foot taller.
• How many of your co-workers know how to live a disciplined life on a budget? Yeah that’s what I thought too.
• Do you know the balance sheet of your co-workers? How much debt are they actually carrying? There’s a good chance it’s way more than yours.

Money is one way we earn the respect of others. Since it’s not kosher to walk around with our bank balance printed on the back of our shirt, we find other ways to telegraph this information. The ad companies know this so they hit us with tons of commercials letting us know we won’t measure up unless we buy lots of their stuff (because people will see what we drive, where we live, and what we wear).

I think the best defense is to use the tactics of the single moms, poor college kids, teachers, and our service personnel. Refuse Madison Avenue and let your natural talents communicate to others that you are worthy of respect.

Here are a few ideas to get you going:

1. Don’t talk about money. Let them guess. Let the confident way you carry yourself keep them guessing.
2. Start doing push ups when they go to lunch. Gradually add more until you can do so many that it would kill them to even try to compete with you. Besides, your bulging muscles will make them think you are paying for a personal trainer. It also gives you an acceptable excuse for not eating out.
3. Pay attention to how you dress. Make sure your clothes are clean and pressed. Shine your shoes. Brush and floss religiously. Look sharp! Along that line, keep your car and personal areas at work clean and neat too. (Clean, neat, and sharp look high dollar.)
4. Keep your hair cut. Find someone who does a great job at a lower priced place (even a beauty school) and don’t get shaggy between cuts. (When you do find that person, make sure he or she has your phone number and make them promise to call you if they move to a different location.)
5. Perform your job with excellence. If you just can’t, find out where your true talents, aptitudes, and passion lie. Get a job where those line up.
6. Understand that completing the baby steps may take more time if you aren’t making six figures. Accept that and focus on your progress, not on what’s left to do. If it’s going to take more than two years, don’t go scorched earth. Live a balanced life. Just don’t do debt ever again. You’ll get there eventually.
7. Start learning tricks from frugal shoppers. I know many people who have the best of the best by haunting yard sales and thrift stores.
8. Find fun things to do with others that don’t cost money. People who pursue this path often find richer friendships and more enjoyment in life than those who depend on money to provide their entertainment.
9. Is there something you love to do on your time off that you could possibly use to earn more money? For example, could you teach gun safety classes? Gun sales are exploding.
10. Become a leader. Be the one who calls everyone to organize a weekly basketball game with the guys. Speak up when gossip starts and put a stop to it. Suggest everyone chip in three dollars and grab one or two of the best buys to buy a turkey to drop off at the community kitchen. Be the one with something positive to say and then speak up!

It won’t happen overnight but if you drop the money talk in the workplace and focus on your strengths, you’ll have the wind at your back. Respect will surely follow.

Reject the thinking that the baby steps are an all or nothing deal. Every dollar saved and every debt that does get paid off is a load off your back. Let the financial peace kick in and raise your confidence level. If others at work keep digging in the debt, it will eventually collapse on them. You’ll just continue to grow stronger and stronger and believe me, people will notice.

I can’t afford to be on the Dave Ramsey boards right now but I do lurk on Money Talk.

Someone posted that their biggest budget buster right now is food. They want to eat better but it costs more. When they do splurge on lunch meat (instead of PB&J), they can’t face another sandwich and end up going out for fast food.

I wanted to respond so badly. Did you know that lunch meat is one of the costliest foods at the grocery store? Don’t waste your money buying it if you aren’t going to actually eat it!

Someone responded to make your own bread and that was a great suggestion. Another one would be to make extra at dinner to take for lunch. You can also make some really good hearty soups to warm up at lunch. Potatoes and even sweet potatoes cook quickly in a microwave. They make nutritious lunches that are tasty and filling. They also don’t cost much. Home fries reheat well.

I think the area of food is one place where frugal really can be better. Do you have any good tips for saving money when you’re forced to eat lunch away from home?

While we’re finishing up paying off the house, we’re trying to maintain our home to a respectable level. We’ve put off a lot of updating but the carpet that was in the bathrooms when we bought this house had to go!

George tiled the upstairs guest bath. He was able to get high end ceramic tile for a song as he works for a major flooring company. The project went so well, we decided to tile the master bath next.

We learned a few things about remodeling an older home on a tight budget. The biggest thing is to decide what has to stay. We live in a custom built colonial home (picture the set on “Leave it to Beaver”). We’re fortunate that it’s well built but things like the cabinets are downright ugly now. They aren’t old enough to be retro cool. When well built ugly cabinets have to stay, choosing paint and floor colors that make the cabinets look better really helps. We did that upstairs and it was amazing how the right colors toned the heavy dark cabinets down helping them to recede. I wish I had thought to take before pictures of that room.

The master bath had its own problems. It had old wallpaper that was starting to look garish to me. The tub is fiberglass and showing some serious wear. There’s a fireplace in the adjoining master sitting room that points to nowhere. If the tub was moved across the room, you could actually enjoy the fire with the door open. A pocket door would widen the view considerably. If the tub was moved, the double vanity (more ugly cabinets with just a Formica counter) would have to be scrapped. These seemed like good ideas but we had to put the brakes on. All of these changes are wants not needs! Getting carpet out of a bathroom (especially the water closet) was a genuine need.

But tiling the room seemed like such a waste as it will have to be torn out to do the remodeling later (we hope in just a few years).

We stood in that room trying to figure out what to do! We finished painting and it’s time to move forward! George got the brilliant idea to put in snap and lock laminate. He can handle the installation (saving labor costs) and it’s a low cost alternative that will do until we’re ready to gut the bathroom. It will be easier to take out at that time too.

We’re going tomorrow to pick out the laminate. We’ll take a paint swatch and a drawer from the vanity so that we can pick a shade of wood again will complement the existing fixtures. We want to find something that will also help to make the tub recede instead of pop.

If you’re fighting these battles, here are some tips that may help:

• Updating one thing in a room may make the rest of the room look worse. Choosing colors carefully may minimize that effect.
• We saved time and money dealing with old paper by mudding over seams, sanding them smooth, and priming with Kilz. It worked well for us and may work for you too.
• Don’t be tempted to change everything. Stick to your list of needs and avoid the wants until you have the cash!

(photo by George Cavanaugh)

Like most people, George and I love to shop. We also love to cook and we’re both suckers for kitchen gadgets.

Have you ever noticed that many things that look cute or fun bought on impulse end up being junky and disappointing? After a few years, we started wising up.

We started playing a game trying to figure out how we could get the functionality of a new gadget using something we already owned. If we could do it, we’d win three ways:

1. We’d gain the new use.
2. We wouldn’t have to store more stuff.
3. We’d put the money saved to better use somewhere else.

The first time we played this game, we were going to buy an egg slicer. We realized the pastry blender we already owned could probably slice an egg so we tried it. It didn’t make perfect slices (the egg tended to crumble). But since we were going to turn the egg around and slice it again (we just wanted to chop eggs for egg salad actually), the pastry blender did an acceptable job.

At that point, we realized that an old fashioned knife worked even better!

(photo by George Cavanaugh)

This was asked on one of the boards and I thought it was a great question.

For us, we started reading our utility bill. We used to just pay it and not even glance at it. Once we read it, we realized we were spending a ton of money on water. We made the following changes which lowered our utility bill by over $100 every month.

• George went around to see if there were any leaks. He found one leaking faucet and a toilet that ran and fixed those pronto.
• I started keeping a record of when it rained. If it rained, we skipped watering the yard.
• I started paying attention to the washing machine since I add vinegar to the rinse. Paying attention meant I could catch the rinse cycle instead of running a second rinse.
• I resisted the temptation to linger in the shower. (George is a lot more disciplined and he doesn’t take long, long showers.}
• It takes forever for hot water to start flowing from our faucets. While I wait for the water to warm up, I fill a bucket and use that water to water the oregano and thyme in our garden.

What area saved you the most? I’m all for saving pennies but saving a hundred of dollars is a lot of fun (especially when you get to take that money after paying the bill and actually do something with it!)

$15 Amazon gift card give away

This is a reminder that a $15 Amazon gift card will be given to the top commenter in February. Please don’t be shy! Leave a comment and consider sharing this blog with others. Any comments you write during the month of February will count (you may comment on older posts too).

How much do you really know about home insurance?

I read the experiences of someone who recently endured losing her home in a fire and everything she learned from that experience. I realized I don’t know squat!

I’m on a mission to learn though and I’ll post what I learn here.

One thing I think we all know is that we need to inventory our home’s contents. Think of what is your master bathroom right now. You may think a few towels and toiletries may not be worth much but I challenge you to go in there today and do a quick estimate of everything you have in that one room.

With a digital camera, you could take pictures of one room a day and upload them to the cloud using Google or Amazon. Upload a document itemizing the contents and referencing the contents. There are many other ways to do this. It’s important to store your inventory away from your home.

Also, please do this whether you rent or own.

My confession is that I haven’t done this and we’ve been official grownups for quite a few years.

If you have any tips or better ideas for doing a home inventory, please share them in the comments!

$15 Amazon gift card give away

This is a reminder that a $15 Amazon gift card will be given to the top commenter this month if there are at least 3,000 unique page views for this blog! Don’t be shy! Leave a comment and consider sharing this blog with others. Any comments you write during the month of February will count (you may comment on older posts too).

A member of the Dave Ramsey boards posted a link to Food on the Table.

This is a free meal planning service. You will need a code (FEBFREE through February). I didn’t think it would be much use for us as my food choices are so restricted but decided to give it a shot so I could talk about it here.

I wasn’t expecting it to check the store I use the most and also find me great deals! It presents choices of different meals based on choices you select at the beginning. Recipes are linked along with reviews. The recipes seemed straight forward and I knew I could easily modify them to suit my dietary restrictions.

Then it gets even better! After you select the meals you’d like to prepare for the week, you are taken to a new screen with everything you’ll need to buy. You can delete any items you have on hand, and add anything else you need for the week. You can also use this feature to delete any items you need to substitute (I took out white rice for example, and added brown rice back in). Once the list is the way you want it, it can be printed or sent to your smart phone.

I like it as it showed me many more things I could be making for dinner. I didn’t realize what a rut I was in until I saw all the choices that were available!!

$15 Amazon gift card give away

This is a reminder that a $15 Amazon gift card will be given to the top commenter this month if there are at least 3,000 unique page views for this blog! Don’t be shy! Leave a comment and consider sharing this blog with others. Any comments you write during the month of February will count (you may comment on older posts too).

Go to a big grocery store right after work and watch the guys making their mad dash! I promise – it’s very entertaining! Go with your honey (a coffee is optional) and just walk around holding hands watching all the action. The card aisle is the best!

Then go home and snuggle with smiles on your faces knowing you aren’t beholden to marketing or Hallmark holidays. You can give your nice big fat wallet an affectionate pat too.