Tag Archives: Frugality

Moving on a budget? Consider staying where you are

moving-boxes
photo by mtmiller

I think I hate moving more than anything else. It’s expensive, stressful, and exhausting. But since we’re renters, we’re always tempted to look for something better when it’s time to renew our lease.

We don’t love our apartment. It’s comfortable, but the building is old. It costs a fortune to heat and cool because our entire living room wall is a sliding glass door. We’re constantly calling maintenance to patch leaks and fix problems. We also kind of hate the neighborhood.

Last year when it was time to renew our lease, we strongly considered moving. We did a lot of research to find out how much other apartments in our area cost, and what kind of deal we could get. In the end, we decided to stay put. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons:

  • Even though we don’t love this neighborhood, it’s less than a mile from where Tony teaches and attends classes. He’s able to easily take a bus to campus, so we only need one car.
  • The building is old, but rent is cheap. Our two-bedroom apartment costs the same as smaller one-bedrooms in newer, fancier buildings. We like having the extra bedroom for guests.
  • We’d lose $300 in non-refundable security and pet deposits if we moved, and then we’d have to come up with the money for additional security and pet deposits for the new place.
  • We’re probably going to be making another big move in less than 18 months, so we decided we’re better off saving our money for that move and dealing with the problems here. After all, no apartment is perfect. If we weren’t dealing with these problems, it would be something else in our new place.
  • I hate moving. I moved seven times in four years during and after college, including an 800-mile move. I’d really like to stay put as long as possible now.

Since we knew we wanted to stay here for another year, we decided to ask our landlord what kind of deal they could give us for signing early.

Of course, we didn’t tell them we’d made up our minds. We just told them we were starting to look at other options (even though our renewal isn’t up for another two months), and asked what they could offer us. I’m so glad we did.

Not only did they offer us another year with no rent increase (it usually goes up about $15 a month), but they knocked $300 off the rent for the first month of the new lease. We were expecting our rent to go up $35-$45 this year, because last year we negotiated with them to get washer/dryer hookups installed in our apartment. Our rent should have gone up another $30 then, but they cut us a deal. If we had waited to renew, they probably would have added that $30/month to our rent plus the normal increase of $5-$15.

Honestly, if you’re renting and considering moving, take a serious look at why you want to move. If you just have normal gripes about apartment life, I encourage you to consider staying put for as long as possible. Not only will you save the money it costs to move, but you might be able to negotiate a great deal with your landlord.

Love don’t cost a thing

valentines-heart
photo by Grant MacDonald

I’m not a J.Lo fan, I promise. But with Valentine’s Day coming up this week, there’s never been a better time to remind ourselves of this simple concept: love and money have absolutely nothing to do with one another.

I have nothing against Valentine’s Day. It’s a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, like most holidays, it’s gotten all wrapped up with money and gifts and extravagance. It’s ironic that the holiday centered on love has become so extravagant when love is is the most frugal idea ever. Love costs nothing. It offers so many wonderful benefits, and they’re all absolutely free.

This Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to celebrate love without spending any money. I’m not talking about spending less money or a little money. Try celebrating the person you love most for free.

Spending money is easy, but we all know the best things in life cost nothing.

  • Take an extra moment out of the day to stop what you’re doing, embrace your significant other, and tell him or her exactly how you feel.
  • Write a letter letting him know what he means to you and how he changed your life.
  • Make a list of all of the things you love most about her.
  • Turn off the TV and spend the evening talking about where you’ve come from and where you want to go next.
  • Remind yourself of your first days as a couple, and try to remember the time when your partner was just too good to be true. Hopefully, you haven’t forgotten, but if you have, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to remind yourself.

If you’re planning a money-free Valentine’s Day, leave a comment and share your plans!

Having fun with a limited entertainment budget

Lately I’ve been struggling with my ho-hum routine. It’s not that I’m not busy. It’s just that I’m so busy, that the only way I can get everything done is to stick to a pretty strict routine. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for excitement.

On top of that, our recent (and exciting!) decision to start saving for a trip to Europe next year has given us a new reason to stay home and avoid spending money. I’m thrilled to be working toward that goal, but I’m already feeling some cabin fever.

Typically we budget $50 a month for entertainment, and that money goes to any and all extra entertainment expenses. Sometimes we catch a Sunday matinee or two. Other times we use it to go out to dinner at the end of the month. It really doesn’t go too far.

I’ve been looking for fun activities to break up my routine without breaking my budget.

My best friend and I decided to start a long distance book club. She lives 800 miles away, but we talk on the phone regularly. We’re choosing books we can borrow from the library, reading them, and discussing every week.

What about you? How do you break up your routine without spending money? I’d love to hear your ideas.

Where do you draw the frugal line?

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about degrees of frugality.

For instance, many of you probably think it wasn’t very frugal of me to join a gym and buy new running shoes. On the flip side, some of you might be like my husband, who believes you can never spend too much when it comes to your health. (For the record, I’m somewhere in between.)

Some of you can’t imagine spending money on disposable diapers, and some of you would rather use coupons to get disposables at a low price instead of paying close to $20 for one all-in-one cloth diaper.

For some, time is worth more than money. Maybe you’ll willing to spend extra money on things that buy you more time.

We all have different ideas about what’s really frugal. As I’ve said many times, frugality is not one size fits all. Not even close. There are a million different degrees of frugality.

Whatever you decide, the important thing is that you draw yourself a frugal line in the sand. Figure out what’s important to you, and try your best to stick with it.

For me, frugality is about balance. It means most of the time I can’t have it all. If I want to spend money on a gym membership, I have to cut some of my entertainment spending. If I want to go to a movie on Saturday night, I can’t go out to dinner, too. That’s where I draw my line. I cover the necessities, and find a way to balance the extra stuff.

Where ever you draw the line, try to be consistent. If you decide to give up meals out so you can afford to go to the movies, don’t look at your frugal friend who spends her entertainment budget at restaurants and convince yourself that you can have it both ways. Remember your priorities, remind yourself of the decision you made, and stick with it.

At the same time, don’t feel guilty if you’re spending money on paper towels or disposable diapers while your other frugal friend uses rags and cloths. Trust your decision, and balance your budget accordingly.

It’s ok to change your mind. It’s ok to change your priorities. But always make sure you’re doing it for yourself and your family. Don’t base your decisions on someone else’s frugal choices. If you’re frugal, I’m sure you don’t believe in keeping up with the Joneses. But you also shouldn’t try to keep up with your frugal neighbors across the street.

Everyone’s line is different. Just make sure you stay on the right side of your own.

Frugal extras that bring me joy

Between the economy, the freezing temperatures throughout the country, and the post-holiday blues, everyone can use a pick-me-up right now. I know I can.

In the past, I often used money as a method of cheering myself up. If I was feeling down, I’d spend. But that only led to guilt and more depression when I realized I was broke.

It’s possible to treat yourself without breaking the budget. Here are the little extras I splurge on when I’m feeling down.

Gourmet coffee

It would be too expensive to drink gourmet coffee every morning, but sometimes we buy enough beans for one pot. For about $3, we create our own coffee house at home.

Movies

Most of the time we rent from RedBox (which is usually free with a code), but sometimes we see a movie at the cheap theater for $2 or splurge on a matinee for $5. Watching a good movie with my husband takes me back to the days when we first started dating.

Dessert

Sometimes after dinner we go out to a local bakery for a cup of coffee, and we split a slice of pie. For about $6, we’re out of the house enjoying something sweet.

Cooking fancy meals

If we’re craving a restaurant meal, we buy the ingredients in the grocery store and try to make it ourselves. Cooking together is fun, and it’s so much more rewarding to enjoy a meal you made yourself (not to mention cheaper).

What frugal extras bring you joy?

Spending money to lose weight … is it worth the investment?

photo by nataliej

All over the blogosphere, I’ve been reading posts with very helpful ideas for frugal weight loss. I’ve even written on the topic myself (basic budgeting can help you lose weight without spending money). I once lost 40 pounds without a gym membership or any special equipment (though I did spend a fortune on convenient diet foods at the grocery store, but that’s another story). I absolutely agree that it’s not necessary to spend money to lose weight.

In the past few weeks, though, I’ve made a few investments in my health to make it easier for me to get in shape. I joined a gym, bought new running shoes, and added healthy snacks to my grocery list.

All of these decisions were pretty tough for me. The last thing I want to do is spend extra money if it’s not necessary. At the same time, getting back in shape is important for my health and my happiness.

When it comes to weight loss and frugality, everyone is different. Back when I had more free time, less stress, and a faster metabolism, these types of investments weren’t necessary to help me lose weight. The past 6 months have been a struggle for me, though, as I battle time constraints, a slowing metabolism, and the absence of expensive diet foods. I made the decision that if I was going to meet my fitness goals, I’d need a little help.

A little over a week into my fitness resolution, I’ve lost 3 pounds. I’m feeling healthier, working out every single night after work (with no painful blisters on my feed), and making healthier decisions about what I eat. I absolutely believe that the investments I made have made all the difference.

If you live far away from your support network, maybe joining a weight loss support group like Weight Watchers would be helpful for you. Maybe you work long shifts and investing in some convenience foods would help you eat healthier. You may have to make some sacrifices in other discretionary spending to balance your budget and reach your financial goals, but you can make it work. With planning and budgeting, it really is possible to have it all.

I’ve been careful not to go overboard, though. We haven’t dipped into our emergency fund to purchase fancy exercise equipment or spent a ton of money on a “get thin fast” diet plan. We also haven’t reduced our debt and savings contributions every month.

So far I’ve spent $20 for the first month of my gym membership, $40 on new shoes, and about $10 extra on groceries for the week (I’m working on reducing that). The shoes were a one-time investment, and I’m wearing them only to the gym to increase their lifespan.

Frugality is as much about balance as it is about budgeting. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided it was worth it to me to spend $30 a month on my health. I also determined that with a few cuts here and there, it doesn’t have to delay our savings and debt goals.

The bottom line is that you have to do what works for you in your budget. If there’s absolutely no room in your budget for diet aids, then you have to improvise. We have a little wiggle room, and I’d rather invest a little money in my health now so I’ll be more likely to live long enough to enjoy the money I’m saving for retirement. :)

Maybe I was being a little too frugal

photo by hlakhani

I think I went a little overboard with my frugality. I know, it’s hard to believe that’s possible, but hear me out.

Last week, I made the decision to join a gym. For the record, I went with the 12-month commitment at $20 a month. Because we were already paying for the membership, I didn’t want to put any extra money toward my exercise budget. Even though I was primarily jogging, I didn’t want to spend money on new sneakers. So I pulled out the old pair I’ve had for 9 years.

My feet were killing me after every work out. At first I chocked it up to being out of shape. You’re supposed to be sore at first, right?

It was particularly painful Thursday night, though. I found myself limping on my way home. When I finally took off my shoes — excuse me for being too graphic — I found that my ratty old sneakers had drawn blood. Ouch.

When Tony saw what had happened, he was angry with me. “I thought frugality was about making smart choices with your money, not depriving yourself to the point of physical pain.”

He’s right. The frugal choice would have been to shop around and find a good deal on a good pair of running shoes. I shouldn’t be spending hundreds of dollars on sneakers, but I also shouldn’t be working out with old shoes that tear up my feet and threaten damage to my knees and other joints because they don’t offer proper support.

Last night, Tony and I went to several shoe stores. We found a reasonably priced pair of running shoes on clearance for $40 and used some of the Christmas money that I was going to put toward my gym membership to pay for them.

I was concerned about investing too much in working out because I was afraid of not sticking to it. Tony made a good point, though. Even if I don’t stick to it, a good pair of sneakers is a good investment. Most importantly, it’s an investment we can afford right now.

One perk of the shrinking economy — everything else is shrinking, too


photo by Mr G’s Travels

As the stock market crumbles and the job market shrinks, it’s easy to see the negatives of the troubled economy. After all, they’re right in front of us every day on the news, in our friends’ and neighbors’ struggles, and in our own homes.

Despite all of this, I can see one upside — America’s obsession with bigger and better seems to be waning out of necessity.

We’re all looking for ways to downsize:

  • Smaller houses are becoming the new trend instead of huge homes that cost a fortune to buy and maintain.
  • Though gas prices have sharply decreased in the past month or so, we’re still driving less.

I hate that more people are struggling with job loss and home foreclosures, but I love to see people spending smarter, conserving resources, owing less and saving more.

Though I know that these trends correlate with the struggling economy, I hope that newly frugal people will take away some valuable lessons from their new frugal habits. Though unnecessary spending will most likely surge again when the economy bounces back, I hope the memory of these uncertain times motivates people to at least save more and live within their means — even if they are spending more than now.

Shave your grooming budget with a safety razor

This is a guest post from my wonderful husband, Tony. You can read more from him at his movie review blog, Screen Savour. But first read about his experiences with an old-fashioned safety razor.

When we began to live the frugal lifestyle, I started looking for a way to become a frugal shaver. Shaving is something that’s required of me (growing a beard isn’t currently an option in my world), and if I’m going to do it, I think my face should feel good afterward. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to drop a fortune to do it.

When I began shaving as a teenager, my first razor of choice was the electric razor for its quickness. But the skin on my face has always been too sensitive, and the electric razor not only irritated my skin but it never gave me the smoothness I wanted. Furthermore, for an electric razor to function well, the mechanical blades inside need to be replaced at least annually. Depending on the make and model of your razor, those can set you back. It wasn’t worth it to me.

Bags of disposable razors are cheap. I’ve used them before, and believe me, the little torn-off pieces of toilet paper covering up my shredded face are proof enough that there’s a reason they’re so cheap. So they’re out, too.

Replacement cartridge razors were my choice for most of my life. I initially used the three-blade model, then upgraded once to the four-blade and again to the five-blade. As the number of blades increased, so did the price of replacing those cartridges.

Replacement cartridge packs for the last razor I used were running me more than $25 for eight cartridge heads. If one cartridge head lasts for two weeks, that means I’m still spending about $100 (depending on the deal) to buy enough cartridges to shave for one year. And that’s not even counting the cost of shaving cream and aftershave!

Earlier this year, I found the solution to my shaving problem in the unlikeliest of places: a pro-environmental lifestyle magazine. The magazine urged readers to abandon the replacement cartridges (which waste tons of plastic each year) and convert to using a safety razor.

The safety razor is the cast-iron skillet of the shaving world. If you buy one and properly care for it, you’ll never have to buy another.

It’s an old-school device that screws together and sandwiches a single sharp, steel blade between two layers of polished and brushed metal. All that is exposed is the thin edge of the steel blade. When the blade becomes dull, the safety razor unscrews and all you throw away is a thin piece of steel (which is completely recyclable).

The device is very retro in appearance, and although it takes a little while to get used to, the shaves have been unparalleled.

You pay up front for the safety razor. The actual handheld device cost me about $25, which is on the lower end of the spectrum. (Editor’s note: Price of one safety razor = price of 8 disposable cartridges. Just saying. :) )

The real savings come in the replacement blades. They’re very sharp and functional, but also thin and cheap. Amazon is selling a pack of 30 razor blades right now at less than $15. That’s 50 cents per blade, compared to over $3 each for replacement cartridges. Even if I changed the blade every week, I would only spend $26 a year on razors. If I changed the blade as often as I did replacement cartridges for my old razor (every other week), I would spend just $13 a year.

I can’t speak to how well a safety razor works on shaving legs, but my face and wallet have been thankful for the change.

So there you have it. If you’re tired of filling up landfills and spending a fortune on plastic replacement cartridges and you’re willing to try something new, the safety razor might be right for you. It would make a great gift for the frugal, environmentally conscious man in your life.