Frugality In Practice: 75% Off Sale Doesn’t Mean Buy 3

March 31, 2008 · Filed Under · 4 Comments 

sale.jpgEvery time I add a coupon code to my website for 30% off at Footlocker.com or I see Eddie Bauer.com is having a 75% off sale I hear the voice. This voice in my head typically sounds like this, “Ewww, 75% off…..I better see what they have.” Even though I have a closet full of shoes and an almost new snow jacket, something pulls me to a sale anyways. I have developed a few ways to get past these moments of  “It’s On Sale!” temptations.

  • Let some time pass. Don’t immediately give in to the perceived “great deal”. Let your mind forget about it then see if you can remember what they heck it was you “needed” so badly. 
  • If some time passes and you even remember what it was you wanted, then honestly ask myself, “Do I really need this?” My answer is almost always NO. If the answer is yes, then I will look into getting the best deal/coupon available.
  • Just think of all the money we would have if we never bought something just because it was on sale. And on a personal note, it would sure remove a large amount of clutter from my life and garage!

Do you ever hear a similar voice in your head when you stumble across a big sale or great coupon? Maybe I just need to have my head examined. Come to think of it, I saw a 50% off consultation fee for a psychiatrist the other day. Now if I can only remember where I saw that…..

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

Win a Craftsman Cordless Drill Contest UPDATE

March 31, 2008 · Filed Under · 3 Comments 

Happy Monday to all, if there is such a thing! Just a quick reminder that you still have until April 15th to enter to win a brand new Craftsman cordless drill. I only have a few entries so far which make your chances of winning excellent! Here are the official entry rules. Best of luck and drop me a comment if you have any questions. ~Thanks!

Click Here To Win A Drill!

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

Top Ten Wednesday – Edition 1

March 26, 2008 · Filed Under · 7 Comments 

shopping_aisle.jpgIn the wake of my grocery shopping experience with all 3 kids in tow, I present the top ten reasons why I prefer to grocery shop alone!

  1. Guaranteed to NOT hear over the store intercom system, “Clean-up on aisle 3 please.”
  2. I can stop at the magazine rack and check out the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue with no distractions.
  3. I can shop all day long and not get one unapproving stare.
  4. I will NOT be hoarse by the time I get back to the mini-van.
  5. I won’t have to put back that Snickers Bar that somehow ended up in the bottom of the shopping cart.
  6. Won’t have to say “Excuse me please” to one of the kids every time I need to push the cart forward 2 feet.
  7. Won’t have to say “Put that back” 13 times per aisle.
  8. I can push my cart down the cereal aisle without World War III breaking out.
  9. I can actually take the time to organize coupons and use them at the register.
  10. Won’t have to wash my own drool off my shirt when I get home.

Feel free to add reason 11 through 242!

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

Grocery Shopping With Kids: A Dad’s Perspective

March 24, 2008 · Filed Under , · 11 Comments 

dad_shop.jpgI ventured into the grocery store with all 3 kids the other day and came out with my hair standing on end, a hole in my pants, a wet crotch, and other assorted injuries. Here is what I did wrong.

  • Know your territory. I ventured into a grocery store that I was not super familiar with. Thus, I had to travel down a couple aisles more than once to complete my shopping list. When you have the kids in tow, make sure you know the store like the back of your hand, and know at least 3 employees by name. Quickly make them your allies.
  • Put ‘em to work! Next time I plan on giving my 6 and 3 year old jobs so they can feel like big helpers. Have them get stuff off the shelf, tell me the price, etc. I made the mistake of being a dictator and adopted the “don’t touch” policy. This only made the whining and bickering worse. Hopefully, that guy in the canned goods department has forgiven me.
  • Bring a toy for the baby. Our 10 month old was cranky because I had nothing for her, except my watch, which I took off my wrist and attempted to entertain her with. Amazingly (not), it only worked for like 30 seconds. Next time I will bring a couple toys for her plus a snack, and a six pack for me.
  • Reinforce good behavior. My kids always respond well to positive reinforcement. Next time I plan on pointing out every little good thing they do and ignore most of the bad stuff. When I put myself in that mindset, their behavior always improves and they do very little “bad” stuff.

I am open to any other ideas? Looking forward to your suggestions.

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

A Little Spring Cleaning and a Punch to the Crotch!

March 21, 2008 · Filed Under , · 2 Comments 

I have a funny story that I shared in my weekly guest feature over at Mommy Gets PAID! A few days ago was my first practice as coach of my son’s ‘T-ball’ baseball team. As coach, I was given a bunch of baseball equipment like bats, balls, helmets, and catcher’s gear. So the other day I walk out into the garage and my son has the full catcher’s gear on and is hitting himself repeatedly in his padded crotch. I ask him, “What are you doing?” He looks up at me with this huge smile on his face and says “Dad, it is so cool, it doesn’t hurt at all.” Oh how easily kids are entertained these days!

OK, now on to some Spring Cleaning! Here are some blogs and links I bookmarked awhile back and finally am getting around to sharing. Go check out these great blogs!

  • Jenny from My Two Cents has a post on Charitable Giving that I found interesting. She discusses how to keep track of charitable donations and also some great options on different ways to donate. I think we should all do the things she recommends.
  • Jessica at Bargain Banana has a great blog where she shows her readers how you can shop for everyday items without spending a lot of money. I find the CVS thing amazing. The savings that Jessica and other bloggers get at CVS drugstore is truly amazing. I wish I had a CVS here in Redding.
  • Meredith at Stretching A Buck, has a great post called Frugal Fun For Kids that has some great tips for families. I did a similar post a couple days ago, but Meredith has some nice tips that I missed. As a Dad of 3 kids, I have found that kids could care less if an activity is free or cost a lot. All they want is your attention and your time.
  • And Carrie at Money Saving Methods has an article about some great ways to Make Money on eBay. Some of the tips that I really like include having a predeterined day each week where you do your eBay work. What does Carrie sell? Clothes, Toys, Books, DVDs, CDs, and Coupons. Anything she doesn’t need or want that she can make a little bit of money on. Super smart Carrie! I have noticed that the more selling I do on eBay, the faster I get at the process of listing items and getting them ready to be mailed. Carrie has a great blog, full of tips to make and save some extra money. Go check all of these blogs out!

Also, I participated in the 117th Festival of Frugality this week, hosted by Paid Twice and I was proud to have my post A Few Ways To Shop Smart included. For some great reading, head on over to the festival when you have a few minutes!

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

Fun and Frugal Spring Family Activities

March 20, 2008 · Filed Under · 4 Comments 

bikeride.jpgI heard on the radio that today marks the first day of spring. With the nice weather coming our way I have been thinking about some of the fun and frugal family activities that we did last year and plan on doing again.

  • Backyard BBQ with a Twist! - We have a lot of fun as a family eating and cooking outside. Recently I have been adding another fun twist and cooking s’mores with the kids and using the BBQ to roast our marshmallows. They have a blast. Not the best thing for my waistline though!
  • Bike Rides – We take advantage of the numerous bike trails in our area. Typically, we pack a lunch and make an afternoon out of it. My six year old can now ride without training wheels so he keeps up with my wife and I quite well. I have a bike trailer for the girls that I pull behind me. A worthwhile investment, plus it gives me a great workout!
  • High School Baseball Games – With my son currently playing T-ball, he wants me to take him to a couple “big kid” games this spring. The cool thing about high school games is you are so close to the action and the the most expensive part of the trip is the gas to get there!
  • Visit the Public Library – The public library in our town has a weekly ’story time’ where a volunteer reads a story to the children and then does an activity with them. Typically, they do some sort of an arts & crafts activity that relates to the story. My wife has already taken our 3 year old daughter a couple times in the past month and she loves it!
  • Golfer In The Family? - Last weekend my son and I went to a local golf course and just putted around and chipped on the practice facility. It was great and totally free. They even had a sand-trap he could hit out of. Sure beat paying $7 each to play a miniature golf course. I actually think he enjoyed it more because we were on a “real” golf course.

Now I want to hear from you! What are some of your favorite frugal family activities? FFFA’s for short!

Photo Credit: axiepics

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

When Shopping Gets Really Dangerous!

March 19, 2008 · Filed Under · Comment 

Are you a fan of QVC or Home Shopping Network? Whenever I am channel surfing, I always stop at the home shopping channels out of some insatiable curiosity of what people are buying. Well apparently, as this video will show, it can be a dangerous job selling Japanese swords and tall ladders at 2 in the morning. Fortunately these guys were OK. Yikes!! And I love the reaction from the hosts in the last clip when the guy calls in to rave about his new Dell Computer!

YouTube Preview Image

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

Win a Craftsman Cordless Drill!

March 17, 2008 · Filed Under , · 18 Comments 

Things are gettin’ kinda boring around here so I figured let’s do a contest and mix things up a bit!  I have a brand new 18-Volt Craftsman Cordless Drill sitting here on my desk and I want to give it away! I thought of selling it on eBay, but I think this would be a lot more fun. All you have to do is blog about your smartest, dumbest, hardest, or frugalist home improvement project or repair job that you have undertaken. You pick! Why a drill? Well, since a cordless drill has been used in almost every home improvement project I have tackled, it was the obvious choice! The drill has a carrying case, 2 battery packs, a bubble level, a LED worklight, and a bunch of other cool bells and whistles.

Me with the Prize!!

Rules are simple:

  1. Create a post on your blog talking about your smartest, dumbest, hardest, or frugalist (is that even a word?) Home Improvement Project or Repair Job that you have undertaken. Include a link to my homepage, www.rather-be-shopping.com and to this contest page www.rather-be-shopping.com/blog/2008/03/17/drill-contest. Once you have done that, just drop me an email at ratherbeshopping@sbcglobal.net so I can get you entered. This will give you 20 entries.
  2. Since not everyone has a blog, feel free to leave your story on this page in the ‘Comments’ section. This will give you 1 entry.
  3. Deadline is tax day, April 15th at 11:59pm EST. Wow, that sounds so professional doesn’t it! I will then draw a winner at random and announce it on my blog. I will also highlight some of the more original, educational, and darn right strange entries. So be creative and have some fun with this. Looking forward to reading your stories and please encourage your readers to join in!

My Home Improvement Project:

To get things started, the hardest home improvement project I ever undertook was also my most frugal. When my wife and I moved into our newly built home over 6 years ago, all the builder did in terms of landscaping, was put in a front yard lawn and a few plants. The backyard was knee high with weeds and poison oak.

I told my wife, “Honey, I can put in the lawn in the backyard.” I will never forget her response, “Really, you can do that?” She was not exactly brimming with confidence in my landscaping abilities.

About a year went by and the poison oak crept closer and closer to our backdoor. Finally, I took the bull by the horns before it invaded the sanctity of our bedroom. Turns out our house was built on a quarry of rocks and clay! The soil is absolutely horrible. I borrowed my father-in-laws rototiller and got to work. But I soon realized I would need new dirt if I ever wanted a root to take hold. So I had a truck and trailer delivery of “loam” brought in. I felt like such a pro using words like loam instead of dirt and aggregate in place of rock! I even started wearing Dickies and t-shirts with several holes in them to feel like a real landscaper. I also got really tan to look the part.

I took that loam, err…dirt, into my fenced backyard by the wheelbarrow load. 827 loads later I had my dirt. Then I had to dig my trenches for the sprinklers. I did this all by hand and 5 years later I still have the callouses to prove it. I then mastered the art of gluing together PVC pipe. Then I planted seed, watered lightly, watered lightly, and watered lightly some more. I saved thousands of dollars by doing it ALL myself! My grass slowly started to grow and it was the coolest feeling to know that I created all of this by myself:

My Backyard!

Looking forward to your entries and stories!

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

Hope For The ‘Ma and Pa’ Store?

March 17, 2008 · Filed Under , · 11 Comments 

Some economist say we are in a recession right now. Some say we are not. Whatever, make up your minds already! Bottom line is that times are tough, especially for small business owners trying to compete against the likes of Walmart, Best Buy, and Costco. I have noticed recently that a handful of small businesses in my town have closed their doors. A couple restaurants and a beauty supply store most recently.

business.jpg

But not all might be lost! I read an article this morning that gave me hope! It was in the online edition of our local newspaper. The article was about a young man, 30 years old, who moved his ‘Outdoorsman’ store up from Sacramento to Redding (my town) last fall because he thought it would be a better fit since there is a lot of hunting and fishing in our area. It was a nice article about how he strives to provide customized customer service and go beyond the call of duty for anybody that walks through his doors.

Then at the bottom of the story you can leave a comment if you like. This comment caught my eye:

They are very friendly. They even loaned me a CD on duck calls. They have nice gear for a reasonable price. If you want cheap, stay at Walmart. I for one will be back.

There are another 10 comments very similar to this one. Beautiful, just made my day! Maybe the ‘Ma and Pa’ stores still have a chance against the Goliaths. My concern is with the struggling economy; at what point are people going to put up with terrible service in order to get the lowest price at Walmart? Many would say that already happened a long time ago. Perhaps it depends on what you are buying? I know that makes a difference for me.

I typically will do a little research and if a local business can match the price or get close, I will always give them my business. I did this most recently with our washer and dryer. I think we should all do that. We need to support these guys. They boost our local tax base and create good jobs. But most importantly they give us a sense of community that you will never get from the big box stores. How often have you seen 5 guys standing around the sporting goods department at Walmart talking about the huge Bass they caught last week?

Do you support the local businesses in your community?

Photo Credit: bgroodog

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

Printable Coupons……Finally!

March 14, 2008 · Filed Under · 2 Comments 

Printable CouponsI’m a bit of procrastinator. Definitely not one of my best character traits. I was the guy in college who would stay up until 3 a.m. finishing a paper that was due the same day at 8 a.m.

Three years ago, yes, I said three years, I had a great idea! Today, I acted on that idea. I like to think that I needed ample time to consider all my options surrounding this idea. I am of course talking about printable coupons that you can print and take into the store to get your discount. I even made this nifty little graphic for the big announcement!  Up until now, all of my coupons have been for online use only. Not anymore. This list is fairly small right now, but it will get bigger as I find more and I am sent more. (Hint, hint) The full list is here, but these are some of the highlights.

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.