Do Frugal Men Ride The Greyhound?

February 29, 2008 · Filed Under · 5 Comments 

The man in question is my Dad. As I have documented on my blog before, my Dad is one of the more frugal people I know. He was up last week visiting us here in Redding, CA. He lives about a 5 hour car ride to the south of us in Watsonville, California. With the high price of gas, he opted for the more frugal Greyhound bus service. Was it extreme frugality? I will let you be the judge. On Monday morning I dropped him off at the Greyhound bus station in Redding at 7am. Holy smokes, what a long day he ended up having trying to get home. So now in my Dad’s own words, here is how his day went:

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7:30 am: Bus left Redding, CA.
9:55 am: Bus arrives in Sacramento. Scheduled to leave at 10:45am to catch a 1:00pm bus from Oakland.
12:15 pm: Bus finally leaves Sacramento. I was then told that since I would miss the 1pm bus in Oakland to go on to San Francisco and catch a 5:15pm bus to San Jose. Other option was to go on to Oakland and catch the 11:30 pm bus from Oakland directly to Santa Cruz arriving God knows when. Yikes, this is getting ugly.
2:30 pm: Bus arrives in San Francisco.
5:15 pm: Bus leaves San Francisco and heads towards San Jose.
7:05 pm: Bus arrives in San Jose. Walked 5 blocks to the Am-Track station where the Highway 17 Express Bus station is located.
8:05 pm: Left San Jose on Highway 17 Express Bus towards Santa Cruz.
9:00 pm: Bus arrives in Santa Cruz. I then caught a local bus for Watsonville immediately. I had decided to call my wife from Santa Cruz if a Watsonville bus was not readily available.

The Rest Of The Story: So I got off the bus at a rural corner where only one business exists thinking it would still be open at 9:30 pm. SORRY NO DICE. DOUBLE SORRY, NO PAY PHONE! I do not want a cell phone because they go off when I am doing something equally important. So I started to walk home in the dark carrying my suitcase (2 mile walk) when a car pulled into the tiny parking lot. It seems two ladies had carpooled to some place (doubtful it was Redding) and one was letting the other out at her car. I seized the moment and inquired if they knew if there was a pay phone in this parking lot. The one lady gave me a look as if I had inquired to Einstien’s theory of relativity. Then she graciously asked if I wanted to use her cell phone. I called my wife and arrived home at 9:40pm about 14 hours after leaving Redding.

Would I Do It Again: Many would say my trip was an absurd waste of time. I rather think of it as an adventure. Being retired, I do not have to account for every minute or day for that matter. In addition, not taking this awesome bus trip would have left me the options of:

1) Missing my 6 year old grandson’s last basketball game of the year, the only one I got to witness.

OR

2) Driving a second car on a 750 mile round-trip at at a cost of about $125.

My route cost me the following:

  • Greyhound Bus Ticket-$39
  • HWY 17 Express $2
  • Santa Cruz metro $1, for a total savings of $83. 

I would definitely do it again given those options. THINKING MORE ABOUT A CELL PHONE THOUGH!

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Frugal Tips To Help Get Your Garden Growing

February 28, 2008 · Filed Under · 7 Comments 

garden.jpgWe are getting a really nice taste of Spring here in northern California. Today it is in the low 70′s and crystal clear. I finally have my office window open and am getting some nice fresh air! Days like today get me excited to get out and work in the yard and also to to get a small garden planted. The fresh air motivated me to write a post on getting your garden ready frugally! I love lists and here some that I found which will really be of help:

Happy gardening. Please feel free to add any other resources in the comments section!

Photo Credit: MoonshineBluebird

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Chevy, I Have A Problem

February 26, 2008 · Filed Under · 3 Comments 

What is the fine for going 120 in a 55 mph zone? I was driving down a road near my home last week and looked down and the speedometer on my truck read 120! Since an old lady on a Rascal actually passed me, I knew I had a problem. Yeah, finally get to take advantage of my 8 year, 75,000 mile extended warranty that I bought with 2004 Chevy Silverado, that I bought new. Is it healthy to want something to go wrong with your truck so you can get it fixed for free? While I may not be that bad, I was kinda tickled when I got my truck fixed today and did not have to pay a cent!

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When I bought the extended warranty, I did a lot of second guessing as to whether or not it was a good decision. Sure it gives me a little piece of mind but it did cost $1200. So I may have to break my speedometer another 10 times to get me money’s worth out of it. The jury is still out. Have you ever bought the extended warranty on a new auto? If so, would you do it again?

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Coupon Monday – Volume I

February 25, 2008 · Filed Under · 2 Comments 

Volume I – Hot Spoon Edition

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Have you ever been so mad that you wanted to heat up a spoon on the stove top, and stick it on somebody’s face?

No. Really? Am I the only one?

Flashback 20-something years ago. I was around 11 years old. There I was standing in our family kitchen heating up the spoon on our electric stove top. The victim, my older sister. The crime? To this day I cannot remember what possessed me to do it. We were always fighting and something must have happened to put me over the edge. Geez, I can’t believe I am telling this story, I have a feeling I might lose subscribers over this. But rest assured I turned out to be a good guy.

So back to the story, it was around 7am and my spoon was hot, not red hot or anything, but hot enough to do some damage. I enter my sister’s room where she was sleeping and crept up to her bed. The rest is kind of a blur but I do know that it involved alot of screaming, a burnt nose, and a burnt forearm. The screaming and nose belonged to my sister and the forearm belonged to yours truly. You see, my Mom heard the screaming, ran into the room, grabbed the spoon and stuck it on my arm. Smart move Mom! I probably would have done the same thing if my children were up to no good with hot utensils.

Memory was preserved forever as my sister had soccer pictures the following day! To this day, the story comes up at almost every family get together. Somethings you can never live down. But my sister has since forgiven me and we actually get along really well now. I did chase her from the country though, she now lives in Australia with her husband. Can’t say that I blame her!

Now go use the following coupons to buy some “room temperature” stuff for your kitchen:

Cooking.com
Save $10 OFF your $75+ order (Affiliate Link)
Coupon Code: C98835
Expiration: 3/15/08

Sur La Table.com
FREE Shipping on Select Items thru this LINK ONLY (Affiliate Link)
Coupon Code: None Needed
Expiration: 3/31/08

Home Click.com
Save $100 OFF your $1000+ order (C’mon, that is a lot of spoons!) (Affiliate Link)
Coupon Code: HCFEB07AF
Expiration: 2/29/08

Photo Credit: Spacepleb

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Are You A ‘Frugal Fun Suck’?

February 22, 2008 · Filed Under · 9 Comments 

karma.jpgI stumbled across an article in the Chicago Tribune titled There’s smartly frugal … and then there’s just cheap, where the author discusses some folks who are not only cheap, but complete jerks. People who I believe will have karma come back too bite them in the butt! Here is an excerpt from the article about a real loser:

Jane: We attended the county fair. He insisted we go in the exit to avoid paying the entrance fee. The few times we went out to eat, he told me he wasn’t hungry and had us split a sandwich. I never once got my own dinner. He would also steal the ketchup and mustard packets off the table in restaurants.

Jane’s boyfriend is obviously cheap, and not frugal in any way. He is what I call a “frugal fun suck”. He takes all the fun out of saving money, and ends up making somebody elses life experience worse because of it. You see, I am a big believer in keeping good karma. Doing the right thing when you know that nobody is looking. Easy to say but often hard to do. Here are a few ways that my wife and I try to practice ”frugal karma”:

  • Pass It On. Share books, movies, magazines, and CDs with others who you think might enjoy them. Do this with all your friends and neighbors, not just those who you think might not be able to afford them.
  • Help Someone Out. Do you ever see a neighbor working on a home improvement project and could use a hand? Go for it, especially if you have already done something similar to your home. Who knows, maybe that same neighbor will be there for you when you can use the help. This is especially true with caring for each others pets when you or your nieghbor go away for a few days. The cost of boarding dogs and cats is ridiculous and so avoidable if you have good frugal karma with your neighbors.
  • Don’t Horde A Good Deal. Ever been at the grocery store or mall and see a great deal on something that you know would really help another family or friend? Take a moment and give them a call and ask if you could pick it up for them and bring it by their house. I know my wife does this a lot at Costco. She will also call another busy mom and say, “hey, I am going to Costco today, is there anything I can pick up for you?” It almost always gets reciprocated as well!

How do you practice good frugal karma in your day to day life? Please leave a comment below!

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5 Shopping Brain Farts

February 20, 2008 · Filed Under · 6 Comments 

To quote the great Homer Simpson, “How come things that happen to stupid people keep happening to me?”  I have done some pretty stupid things over the course of my life. Some call them mental lapses, I call them brain farts! They often happen to me when I am shopping or buying something for some reason. Here are my top 5 brain farts!

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  1. I ordered a Big Mac from Burger King. I was about 10 years old and we were on a family vacation in Washington, I was starving and stepped up to the order lady at a Burger King and said, ”I will have a Big Mac, fries, and a coke, please.” The lady just looked at me with this blank look on her face. I think she thought I was pulling her chain. She just said “we don’t have Big Macs”. Being 10 years old, I was pretty embarrassed.
  2. XL Shirt From Ross. A couple years ago I found a long-sleeved shirt that I really liked at Ross, and being a guy, I did not try it on, just paid for it and hit the road.  A couple days later, I ripped the tags off and “tried” to put it on. Tried being the key word. You see the head hole was too small to get over my cranium. There was no give in the material, it just plain would not fit over my head. It was the weirdest thing ever. I ended up giving it to my Dad for Christmas as a gag gift. He went to try it on, and same thing, he looked like the head-less horseman.
  3. Basket Full of Groceries, No Money. When I was a senior in college I lived in a townhouse with five other guys. It was the first time I really had to do any substantial grocery shopping for myself. The first time out, I had a basket full of food, stood in line, she rang me up, and I had no wallet. Long line behind me with everyone tapping their feet and staring at me. I just said, “can I come back for these”. I wanted to dig a spider hole and hide it in for a couple hours, perhaps suck my thumb and use my shirt that would not fit over my head as my ‘blankee’.
  4. Mr. Goodwrench (NOT!!!). I had just started dating my wife when this brain fart occurred. We were both seniors in college, and just before Christmas my family had rented a cabin up in Lake Tahoe for a few days. So I was driving my then girlfriend up to Lake Tahoe from the San Francisco Bay Area in her car (I can’t remember why I did not drive my car), and the roads were wet and dirty as they tend to get in the snow and her car was out of windshield cleaning fluid. I pulled over to a gas station, determined to show her my expertise in automobiles, I go into the store and reappear with a jug of cleaning fluid. Fill up her reservoir (get your mind out of the gutter), and get back in and start driving. I then activate the fluid and this thick fluorescent green stuff shoots on the windshield!!! Turns out I bought radiator fluid and was attempting to clean her car windows with it. The cat was out of the bag, she quickly learned that I am gold star member at Jiffy Lube!!
  5. Payment Optional. And by far the biggest lapse in judgement happened when I was in the 8th grade. I still cannot enter the Kmart in Capitola, California, because of it. Yes, I decided to do the “five-finger discount” with some baseball cards. And yes I got caught red-handed with a Mark McGwire rookie card in my shaking hand. Wow, did I get in trouble and I never even considered doing that again. Last time I was in Capitola, I noticed that the Kmart in question does not exist anymore. No longer could I reminisce with that big ol’ ugly store in the parking lot. It was a bitter sweet moment….

Now that I have beared my soul for all to read, it is only fair that you leave me your biggest brain farts!! Please leave a comment below!

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5 Best and 5 Worst Costco Buys

February 15, 2008 · Filed Under · 11 Comments 

costco.jpgI love Costco, I hate Costco. You can score some great deals, no doubt about that. But if you are not careful it is very easy to over buy and end up with food that will go bad before you actually consume it. The huge jar of Best Foods mayo. The frozen foods that become freezer burnt icebergs before you get around to eating all of it. We have fell victim to both. So when I stumbled across the ‘Top 5 Best and Worst Warehouse Club Buys’, on AOL Finance, it caught my attention. In case you missed it, here are both lists, followed by a little commentary by yours truly.

Top 5 Best Warehouse Club Buys

  1. Prescription Drugs - Can save up to 50% off your prescription drugs. OK, now it makes sense why there is always a huge crowd around the Costco Pharmacy. I tend to avoid that section of the store like the plague.
  2. Milk, Eggs, Butter – If you are feeding the Brady Bunch or getting ready for the Church pancake breakfast then I would agree. Otherwise, not sure if my family will drink 2 gallons of milk before it goes bad.
  3. Web Deals – I have noticed that Costco.com does seem to have some pretty decent deals. Never bought from their website before though. Have you? If so, did you get a good deal?
  4. Gasoline – The article says 10 cents a gallon cheaper. Is that true? My Costco does not have a gas station so it hard for me to comment on this one. I do get the best deal on gas in my town at a Safeway gas station though, so this does not surprise me.
  5. Wine, Beer, Liquor – I have bought beer from my Costco and you can save quite a bit. But you better make sure you like it because you have to buy it by the case! Not a time to start experimenting.

Top 5 Worst Warehouse Club Buys

  1. Coupon-Rich Items – If you can use coupons on certain items at the grocery or drug store you can often save more than by buying at Costco or Sam’s Club. The article uses this example “At Sam’s Club, a 36-pack of Charmin Ultra is $16.28, or 45 cents per roll. At Shop Rite, a 48-pack is $15.69 on sale. Tack on a $1 manufacturer’s coupon, and you’ll pay just $14.69, or 31 cents per roll.” Makes sense.
  2. Gasoline – Say what? I thought this was a good buy? The article says that when gas prices are heading up, warehouse prices move up very quickly. Has anyone else noticed this as well?
  3. Unfamiliar Brands – If you buy a brand that you have never tasted before and it sucks out loud, you are going to be stuck with 330 nasty fish sticks, for example! This is where the free samples may come in handy, plus you can just wander the store and eat dinner. Not recommended as a ‘date night’ idea!
  4. Dust Collectors – This one goes back to the notion of never using a product before it expires. The article uses the example of “that 116-pack of Alka Seltzer at Costco for $9.49 may not be as good a deal for you as the 36-pack for $5.29 at Drugstore.com. Both expire about a year after purchase.”
  5. Bulk Bags - The article makes the argument that big ol’ bags of stuff is often hard to manage and store properly. Like the 25 pound bag of sugar or flour. Unless you are starting your own cookie company, this one makes sense to me. Or if you have a bunch of large storage containers.

I welcome your thoughts and comments!

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In Order To Receive, You Must Give

February 13, 2008 · Filed Under · 7 Comments 

begenerous.jpgI want to be able to teach my 3 young kids to be well rounded individuals. I want them to treat others how they would like to be treated. I want them to be generous, to be humble, and to be thoughtful. One of my favorite books is Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I never read the book all the way through, I tend to pick it up from time to time and read a chapter that interests me. I find myself doing this when the mood strikes, often when I am looking for a little inspiration. I am always looking for little nuggets of wisdom that I can pass down to my kids. But it is ironic how when you least expect it, you say something truly memorable to your child and they actually get it. It always happens when you don’t force it.

It happened the other day in the car and it gave me goosebumps. My 6 year old son was whining about why he could not have some toy (I can’t even remember what it was). Tired of his whining and without thought or hesitation I quoted Rich Dad, Poor Dad, “If you want something, you first need to give.” Silence. I let that thought just hang in the air for at least 15 seconds. I could see in his eye through the rear view mirror that his mind was working overtime trying to understand the concept. This led to a great conversation about giving, whether it be toys you don’t play with to a shelter, or time spent teaching your sister how to ride a bike, and how these things will bring you much more in return than you could ever imagine. I then explained that by being generous, people are going to want to be generous to you. By taking time to help someone, others are going to want to take the time to help you when you are in need. As a father, it was a great moment. I know this post is kinda off topic from my normal banter but I just had to write it down and maybe inspire you to teach the same things to your children if you don’t already.

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Welcome ‘Cool Site Of The Day’ Visitors

February 12, 2008 · Filed Under · 1 Comment 

I Got Voted Cool Site of the Day!Today is a very COOL day! I got elected Cool Site of The Day. What a great honor, thanks guys! My main website is all about saving money with online coupons and this blog is about not only coupons, but many other smart ways to save money, including frugal living advice, and a personal finance tip from time to time. To give you a taste of what my blog offers, I have highlighted a few posts that you might find interesting. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and click around for a few minutes. Thanks for stopping by and check out these posts:

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Frugal or Bad Pet Owner? My Trip To The Vet

February 11, 2008 · Filed Under · 11 Comments 

Annie and BoWe have a couple family pets, both dogs. One is a Basset Hound, Bo, totally healthy, never had a problem with him. Then we have a Golden Retriever, Annie, who has something weird going on with her skin and fur. Her fur is really rough and dull and she has a couple fur-less spots on her body. One is on her tail and the other is on her knee. The spot on her knee is about the size of a silver dollar and raw. It never seems to heal because she licks or scratches it, she has had it for a couple months.

Our Vet thinks it is a Thyroid problem, so we did some blood work this morning ($75) and should get the results back in a couple days. He also says that a course of antibiotics and some liquid medicine drops for the knee are the only thing that will heal the knee. Total for the 30 day medicine treatment, $100! He says this is the only way to treat this type of wound but he says we may need more than one month of medicine to take care of the problem.

This is looking really ugly. I am starting to picture Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in ‘The Money Pit’! $100 worth of medicine and it still may not be enough. Plus, she may have a Thyroid problem that will probably require medicine.

Here is my issue: I have a really hard time saying, “No, that is just too expensive”. I think I am worried of looking like a terrible person/pet owner. If we could in fact not afford the medicine I think it would be easy to say “No”. She is a very happy dog, does not appear to be in any discomfort, so part of me says “let it go, forget the medicine” she is just a dog. But the other part of me wonders if her leg really does hurt and since she is a great dog, only 5 years old, deserves to be treated. But up to what costs? Is it inhumane to say I will only spend X amount of dollars on treatment?

I am really having trouble reconciling this issue and could benefit from some advice from fellow pet owners out there who have been through similar situations. Thanks and I look forward to your comments!

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