Carnival Time for Britney Spears!

January 31, 2008 · Filed Under · 3 Comments 

I participated in a couple carnivals this past week. My post about Britney Spears even made it in, and judging from the picture below, she is horrified by the news! I took the time to read through many of the posts and must say that I was impressed with all the knowledge. If you get a chance, go visit the carnivals for yourself.

britney.jpg

First was the 110th Festival of Frugality hosted by Mrs. Micah. Nice job MM putting this thing together, I know how much work it is. Here are a few entries that grabbed me by the ears and shook me.

  • Jeremy over at Destroy Debt has a post titled 20 Ways to Save on Your Utility Bills. Some great tips on saving energy. I have been freezing my huevos in the mornings here in Northern California trying to keep the furnace off, instead I have been starting a fire. Takes awhile to get the house warm. (and my huevos for that matter)
  • Catherine of Frugal Homemaker Plus caught my attention with Challenging Assumptions. So Walmart is really not that cheap after all? Must be those end-cap, low price losers, that form our assumptions.
  • Patrick laid down the truth with his post What Does Being Frugal Mean to You? over at Cash Money Life. He states the importance of creating healthy frugal habits and still giving yourself a break from time to time. Otherwise you might succumb to frugality burnout.

Next, I participated in the 137th Carnival of Personal Finance over at The Dividend Guy. I was proud (I think) to have my post Financial Q&A with Britney Spears included! Who knew that Brit would ever get included in anything about personal finance! Here are a few entries that grabbed me by my feet and tickled my toes.

  • Ryan from Millionaire Money Habits presents You’re in Your 50s – Wake Up and Start Saving!, what….how….it seems like just yesterday I was in my 30’s and spending money like it was growing on trees. But seriously, Ryan presents some great options for you old timers out there.
  • Pinyo at Moolanomy tickled a few of my toes with his post What Is Your Thought On Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)? It all comes to to personal ethics and morals. For me, some things are more important than my rate of return a company may bring me.
  • Lastly, Peter at Plan Your Escape has a well crafted post dealing with Finances For Couples. Peter documents an interesting strategy in which they have a joint account and then they each have a personal account. Works well for them, plus he has a cool diagram that looks like a fun, “adult only”, board game! Go check it out for yourself!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Can Frugality Become a Habit?

January 30, 2008 · Filed Under · 7 Comments 

Can frugality become a habit? Absolutely. I have not always been frugal. When I got into major credit debt I knew I had to make changes in the way I was living, changes that not only cut back on living expenses, but also would lead to permanent frugal habits. It did not happen overnight, it took time to develop these new frugal habits.  Aristotle once said:

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

Aristotle understood that in order to do something exceptionally well, you had to do it over and over until new habits developed. With Aristotle in my head, I slowly incorporated new frugal habits in my life that helped me not only get out of debt, but also increased my overall happiness. My new habits made me healthier, helped me sleep better, and made me look at the big picture. Here are 25 of my Frugal Habits:

  1. Turn the lights off when you leave a room.
  2. Open the dishwasher before the dry cycle; air dry the dishes.
  3. Leave oven door open after using; free heat in the winter.
  4. Order water only at the restaurant; free and much better for you.
  5. Start compost pile; use it to fertilize flower beds/garden.
  6. Bring my own lunch to work; easy since I work from home. ;-)
  7. Pack our lunch when going to amusement parks/fairs/beach, etc.
  8. Redeem my aluminum/plastic/glass for cash.
  9. Stock up pantry when we find good deals on non-perishables.
  10. Buy used books/DVDs/CDs; great online deals for these.
  11. Maintain autos; change oil every 3,000; rotate tires; follow maintenance schedule.
  12. Drive the speed limit; avoid quick accelerations and stops.
  13. Shop online; only when coupons are available.
  14. Shop at Ross/TJ Maxx/Marshalls for quality clothing at discounted prices.
  15. Maintain things around the house before they become big expenses.
  16. Turn the thermostat down and burn free firewood.
  17. Cut way back on junk food; healthy move and much easier on the pocketbook.
  18. Sought out cheaper recreation for myself and the family.
  19. Reduced or cancelled subscriptions that we rarely use.
  20. Cut back to the most basic satellite cable package.
  21. Stopped using vending machines.
  22. Only go to Starbucks/Jamba Juice on special occassions.
  23. Bought quality furniture for kids room; no re-occuring replacement costs.
  24. Utilized the public library.
  25. Limited vacations to small weekend trips; stay with friends when possible.

Oxford defines hardship as “a state of misfortune or affliction”.  I don’t see any of the things on my list as a hardship. If anything, the frugal things that I choose to do help me save money and relieve many financial pressures, which in turn gives me the time to reflect on the good things in my life; in particular, my family and friends. What I like to call the “state of my fortune”, is looking better and better everyday!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

3 Comments That Made Me Go Hmmm…

January 29, 2008 · Filed Under · 1 Comment 

I have doing this blog for about 6 months and the other day I was looking back at all the great comments I have received. So I decided to put together this post detailing 3 comments that either made me laugh or just gave me some great insight that I had been missing.

  1. Ever hear of a compost hot water heater? Aaron from On Financial Success.com told me all about it in his comment:

    “A composting water heater is simply a huge compost pile with a hose running through it. This site has some pictures and a quick description of their composting water heater. A composting water heater does require attention (new material, stirring the pile, etc), but it sounds like a great idea if you have the space, time, material, and a desire for rich dark dirt.”

  2.  Figuring Out What Is Important In Life. Peggy supplied some great advice on this topic. Peggy’s comment really spoke to me: 

    “I got an email from www.FlyLady.com the other day about a woman’s aunt. When the aunt passed away- all she owned could fit in the trunk of a car, with room to spare. But at her funeral, everyone there was talking about her many kindnesses, how she helped so many people, touched so many lives- in spite of her infirmities and having little in the way of financial resources. The niece believes our clutter sucks the life right out of us… that there is a direct correlation between the clutter in our lives(all kinds) and the good, kind things we never have the time to do… My question is, when will people, especially in this country, realize that ’stuff’ is not the value in life? ‘Perceived value’ is not tangible. It’s like the heat waves off a highway in the summer- visible, ‘perceived,’ but of no use to you. Get a hold on real value in your life, and you’ll really have something, whether you have any ’stuff’ or not. -just my 2 cents.” Well said Peggy!

  3. Get That Stain Out Every Time! Awhile back I wrote a post asking for some help with some ants, stains, and other odds and ends and Jennifer from Lords Of The Manor gave me some great answers for stains:

    “For stains I have tried zout, oxy, fels-naptha, homemade stain remover, etc. And I don’t like any of them as well as my current systems. We haven’t had an article ruined by a stain in a very long time…here’s what I do:Required products-Biz, Shout, & Enzyme Cleaner (found in the pet department at walmart, nice because its safe for kids & pets)

    For all Bodily Fluid based stains I use the enzyme cleaner. This would be blood, urine, feces, vomit, etc from either person or animal. I saturate with enzyme cleaner & wash in cold water, check the garment to see if it is all the way out before drying. Blood stains that aren’t removed in one washing with enzyme cleaner can be removed with hydrogen peroxide as long as they haven’t been set with heat. Enzyme cleaner also sometimes works for grass stains and tomato stains and is a good back up stain remover when you are out of Shout.

    All other stains= Shout + Biz.The nice thing about Shout is you can leave it on the clothes after you spray it, even if you don’t wash for a week, so I spray the stain as immediately as possible and then toss it in the hamper until wash day. Add 1/4 of a scoop of Biz to the wash water (as warm as the fabric & stain will tolerate. (IE-no hot water for blood, etc.) Check the garment after it comes out of the wash, but *before* drying. *IF* that doesn’t get the stain out I make a paste of Biz powder & Shout & work it in with an old toothbrush. Rewash in cold water & evaluate again before drying. (I usually have a stain stubborn enough to do this step once every 2 months or so.) If it is still hanging on (this would be like a once in a year to 2 year occurrence that the stain is still not out) I get a big bucket of warm water, put in Biz and soak it for a few days, replacing warm water & Biz a few times a day. I don’t do just one article to the bucket, I also throw in anything that needs brightened (socks, undies, etc), or old hand me downs that are ready to be used again that have had stains magically appear while they are in storage, the Biz soak for a day or two makes them look like new. No need to waste all that water & Biz on just one item!”  -Thanks Jennifer, this advice really works for us!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

10 Reasons Why I Would Take A Job At Starbucks

January 28, 2008 · Filed Under · 6 Comments 

This Guy Loves StarbucksI recently read an interesting post by Sharon at The Frugal Duchess where she documented 10 very logical reasons why she would work at Starbucks. Sharon inspired me to write my own list, but from a slightly different point of view. So without further ado, or with no ado at all, here is my list:

  1. Could finally add ‘Barista’ to my resume.
  2. Only way to re-coup the money spent on my $4 coffee milkshakes over the years.
  3. Could listen to Norah Jones all day and not have to question my sexuality.
  4. Could make $8/hour and not have to ask “Do you want fries with that.”
  5. Would make it easy to finally incorporate ‘Venti’ and ‘Grande’ into my everyday vernacular.
  6. Could take home the leftover brewed coffee and use it to kill the poison oak on my property.
  7. Could use my employee discount to get the newest version of Cranium at a great price.
  8. At the end of my shift, I could ring out my socks for a nice cup of Toe Java.
  9. Could finally wear a green apron in public.
  10. And the tenth reason I would take a job at Starbucks, two words, “free whippits.”

Feel free to add your reasons or just go away and pretend you did not waste your time on my blog today!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

5 Wise and 5 Stupid Things To Do With Your Tax Rebate

January 25, 2008 · Filed Under · 12 Comments 

This Economic Stimulus Package is not meant for me. For me, it should be called the ‘Better Life For Me and My Family Package’. I am looking at my rebate check as a normal paycheck with a twist. I am not going to go buy a 50″ Plasma, or use the money for an excuse to do a huge shopping spree. The twist is that I am going to use it to grow my children’s 529 college plan. That is where my money is going. It looks like I am going to get $2,100. My wife and I make less than $150,000 combined, and we have three kids. Finally these kids are making me some money! ;-)

5 Wise Things To Do With Your Rebate

  1. Invest In Yourself. This is not free money. This is a Tax Rebate, meaning the U.S. Government took this money from you awhile back and now they are giving you some back. Treat it that way. What better way than to use the money to go back to school and improve yourself. Check out your local community college catalog and find some classes that interest you and would further your career or start a different career path. The community college where I grew up offered great computer classes for the novice all the way up to advanced programming. Improve your skill set which will in turn increase your earning power.
  2. Start An Emergency Fund. I error to safety on this one and shoot for having six months living expenses available. I will tell you what, when I was able to accomplish this I could sleep much better at night. Especially with three small children. This fund covers loss of job, washing machine going kaput, major car repair, all that stuff in life that happens when you least expect it. Heck, let your rebate check start or pad your own emergency fund. This will provide a lot more security than a 42 Inch LCD or some other new gadget or gizmo. Although I would love an iPhone…..Kyle, stay focused.
  3. Improve Your Children’s Future. Starting a 529 College Savings Plan if you have not already. These plans let you invest money for your child’s college tuition and it grows tax-deferred, and when the money is taken out, for college costs only, it comes out federally tax-free. I like the 529 because if my oldest child decides he does not want to go to college, (and assuming I don’t kill), he cannot take the money out and buy a motorcycle and a tattoo, I can use the money for my other children’s college tuition.
  4. Pay Down Debt. Use your tax rebate to pay down a big chunk of your credit card debt. Better yet, do you have a credit card where you could pay off the entire balance with your rebate? I remember being able to do that once when I was getting out of debt and it felt great to be able to completely pay off a credit card in one swift payment. Sweet!
  5. Fund Your Retirement Account. Put your tax rebate in your retirement account and let sweet time do its thing. Thanks to compound earnings, your tax rebate is going to grow substantially over time, especially if you are a young whipper snapper like myself.

5 Stupid Things To Do With Your Rebate

  1. Thirsty? Buy Some Water. Not just any water, buy a case of Bling H2O! At $40 a bottle you will surely quench your thirst for studipity. If not, try drinking this stuff from a dog bowl with your canine.
  2. Levitating Hover Scooter. Skip The College Savings Plan and buy your child a levitating hover scooter from Hammacher Schlemmer. Albeit it cost more than your rebate amnount, but hey, that is what credit cards are for. Afterall, you want your kids to have the best. Your child will never have to exercise again, they can just levitate around the house.
  3. The Invisible Canoe-Kayak. This made me laugh. Also from Hammacher, not only can you see into the murky water a couple feet but you are also invisible to all motor boats, wave runners, etc. For only $1600 you can have this accident waiting to happen all to yourself.
  4. Double Your Money! Scratchers, Lotto Tickets, slot mahines, blackjack tables, pick your poison and press your luck. Afterall, why be happy with what you have when you could possibly have so much more.
  5. And last, but not least, what many are going to do with their tax rebate:

Don't Be Stupid!

What do you have planned for your tax rebate?

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Voyeur For A Day….

January 24, 2008 · Filed Under · 3 Comments 

peeking.jpgOK, get your mind out of the gutter. Not that kind of a voyeur! I have been snooping around some blogs though. Peeking in the windows of other peoples life’s and trying to learn something. Sometimes learning from other people’s mistakes. Here are a few that really caught my attention.

  • Gather Little by Little discusses how a communication gap about finances and budgeting has created some frustration with his wife. Because of the holidays and a heavy work load, the monthly budget meeting had been put off and created some tension. This post serves as an excellent reminder to make it a priority to keep the lines of communication open, especially when it come to money, with my wife. This is crucially important around Christmas when we are doing some extra spending that my spouse might not know about, and vice versa.
  • A new blog I have been enjoying, Sense To Save, had a great post with practical tips on how to save money on your fixed bills. This is a very detailed post with many tips I had never considered. She even challenges others to put her tips into action.
  • I have always disliked the office gift that everyone feels an obligation to “chip in” for otherwise you look like a cheap-ass. Brip Blap had a post on this topic that hit the nail on the head for me. Sometimes saying no is just making a statement that your money has a hierarchy of needs and chipping in 10 bucks for a ‘wine of the month club’ for the secretary you hardly know doesn’t make the list and that is OK.
  • A post by LJ over at Mommy Gets PAID, shed a little light on her life. Her husband loves to hunt and uses his hobby to feed his family. He can hunt enough meat in a long weekend to feed his family for an ENTIRE year. He learned how to do his own butchering and the proper way to store the meat. LJ makes a great point when she talks about how healthy the meat is, steroid and hormone free. I want to try an Elk Burger now!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Financial Q&A with Britney Spears

January 23, 2008 · Filed Under · 7 Comments 

Professor's Car?If public health crisis Britney Spears walked into a college finance class looking for advice, here is how I hope the conversation would go:

Professor: “Students, please welcome today’s special guest, singer Britney Spears, to our class.”
Applause
Student: “So how much money do you make every month?”
Britney:“I make like a lot per month, and that is totally cool because I have a lot of expenses.”
Student: “What kind of expenses do you have, and can you write them off.”
Britney: “Off where? Your funny. I did write them down, not off, on this handout for you all to see because I was hoping y’all could help me figure out why I don’t have any money at the end of every month.”

Britney’s Expenses Handout

My Monthly Expenzes:
• $102,000 on entertainment, gifts and vacation
• $49,267 on mortgage payments
• $16,000 on clothes
• $4,758 on eating out
• $2,500 on phone bills

Student: “Wow, so that is like over $150 a day on eating out?”
Britney: “Well yeah, I don’t know how to cook.”
Student: “OK, but the big one is entertainment, trips and gifts. Can’t you cut down on that stuff?”
Britney: “I need my trips, I get so bored at home by myself.”
Student: “OK, but you seem to live in hotel rooms and your car, how about selling one of your 2 houses and lower your mortgage payments?”
Britney: “I could do that, hey that is a good idea! I have not even been in one of my houses for a long time anyways.”
Student: “That would really help. Also, do you save any money?”
Britney: “What do you mean?”
Student: “Do you put any money in savings account? Or investments? Or for your kids college education?”
Britney: “No, but I have a Starbucks card with like $4,000 dollars on it!”
Student: “Not exactly what I mean. If I were you, I would put the money you are going to save in mortgage payments into a savings account and start to build an emergency fund in case your earning power declines.”
Britney: “No way, have you even heard my new CD, I am here to stay.”
Student: “Yes, I have heard your new CD. So I would go and open an account as soon as you leave here. if not sooner.”
Britney: “Cool, like at a bank? Will they give me a free teddy bear?”
Student:“Maybe you will get lucky. Another suggestion, with your wealth you have the opportunity to do a lot of good. Have you ever considered selling some of your clothes and donating money earned to charity?”
Britney: “I did that after Hurricane Katrina and was able to help the victims.”
Student: “I remember that now, that was great. How did it make you feel?”
Britney: “It made me feel awesome to do some good and help people.”
Professor: “That reminds me of my favorite quote by Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Britney: “Thanks, I will remember that.”
Professor: “Thanks for coming in today and I hope we were to give you some good advice.”
Britney: “You totally did, thanks! Now can I get some help getting through the photo jerks and back to my car?”

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Top 5 Tuesday – Head Scratchers Edition

January 22, 2008 · Filed Under · 9 Comments 

Head ScratchersMy Top 5 Frugal Living Head Scratchers! - Me Kyle, I come in search of knowledge. If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that I know very little. With that in mind I have written down some questions that have been fluttering around in my skull, sometimes getting caught up in cobwebs. I call these questions “head scratchers” and today I have 5. If you can help answer some of my head scratchers with proof, please leave a comment and weigh in!! I would love to hear what you have to say.

  1. Boiling Water. Does it cost more money in terms of energy used to boil cold water on the stove, or to bring your kitchen sink water to hot and then fill your pan with hot water before boiling it?
  2. Running The Furnace. Is it better in terms of energy used to leave your furnace off while you are at work and then come home to a cold house and then turn the furnace on, or to leave the furnace on all day at a more moderate temperature and have a warmer home to heat when you come home?
  3. Driving The Car. Do you use more gas driving 65 mph or 55 mph? The obvious answer is 65mph, but you also get to your destination quicker. So my question would be: By driving faster, does the actual time you are not driving the car make up for the difference in consumption? In other words, by driving 55mph you are using gas for a longer period of time than if you were driving 65mph, so is the overall gas usage a wash?
  4. 30 or 40 Year Roof. Should I really invest the money in a 30 or 40 year roof? People, including myself, often say that frugality sometimes means spending more money for certain things to insure quality merchandise. But heck, if I invest in a 30 or 40 year roof (won’t be for awhile), there is a good chance I may not even be around to get the full value out of it!
  5. Paper or Plastic? Which is better. Paper disintegrates much faster in the landfill but plastic bags are recyclable (often at the actual grocery store). I have a feeling I know the answer to this one: None of the above, bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store!

Give me your thoughts!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Fat and Rich OR Thin and Poor?

January 21, 2008 · Filed Under , · 8 Comments 

I heard this question the other day. Which would you rather be?

Rich and Fat

People always make the argument that it is better to be rich and fat because you can always buy some exercise equipment and work off the fat. As if somehow being rich is going to make you want to get your body healthy! Money alone is not going to change your state of mind and all of the sudden make you health conscious. I really doubt that. If you were overweight without money I would think that gaining sudden wealth would make you more of what you already are. You see this all the time with people who win the lottery, it often ruins their lives.

scale.jpg

Thin and Poor

Believe it or not, this is the option I would pick. Let me try and explain. First off, being overweight, along with smoking, are two of the worst things you can do to your health. Leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, hearth disease, and osteoarthritis. I think it is better to get rich slowly. Go to college, work hard, find your passion, develop your skills, save more than you spend, build your net worth, work hard, and be happy with who you are. By doing all of these things you are going to develop wealth, the sustainable way. You will not only grow your savings account, but more importantly grow your self-esteem and self confidence. Both of which are going to make you feel better with who you are and make you want to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. A much better way to live in my opinion.

Which would you pick and why? Thanks in advance for your comments on this interesting debate! Also, if you have a blog and our reading this, feel free to discuss this post and my opinion with your readers.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Are Credit Cards Really The Problem?

January 17, 2008 · Filed Under · 10 Comments 

I noticed a few bloggers are experimenting with the idea of not using plastic for an entire month in an effort to cut back on spending. Some folks even recommend cutting up their credit cards. Here is why credit cards are a good thing and not the root of debt problems:

  • Time Saved. At the gas pump, in line at the hardware store, at the restaurant. All places where using a credit card is so much more convenient and can save you time. You don’t have to go into the mini-mart to pay for your gas before you pump it. You don’t have to dig through your purse or wallet for the correct amount of cash at the restaurant.
  • Credit Cards Provide Safety. A rarely carry much cash, if my wallet was stolen I would lose very little unrecoverable money. But if I did not have a credit card I would by necessity have to carry more cash. Credit cards could be cancelled with one phone call and you would be protected of any fraudulent charges. No such luck if a wallet full of cash was stolen.
  • Booking Reservations. I use my credit card all the time to book travel plans and reservations. The Internet has some pretty amazing travel deals that I would be unable to purchase without a credit card. Correct me if I am wrong on this. Can you use a bank account or PayPal to book airfare or hotels?
  • COUNTERARGUMENT – But I will spend more if I have credit cards in my wallet? I used to believe that as well. But today I believe that if you are an over-spender and live beyond your means then I don’t care if you have zero credit cards or ten, you are still going to find ways to overspend until you make the conscious choice to change your behavior. I had credit cards when I was in major debt, and I have credit cards today completely out of debt. It follows the old adage of the Indian who keeps missing his target, “It’s the Indian, not the arrow.” Or in the case of this post, “It’s the over-spender, not the credit card”, that has many in debt. It comes down to taking personal responsibility for your finances.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Next Page »

Bad Behavior has blocked 967 access attempts in the last 7 days.