May
13
A few years ago I was watching Clean Sweep when I made a horrifying discovery: makeup lasts a maximum of three years. Most products don’t last nearly as long as that. Shortly after that, I started to clean out my makeup case. Some of my products had been there for more than ten years.
Here’s a quick review of the shelf lives of various products. Remember this next time you shop - unless you can use it up within the allotted time you’re better off opting for a cheaper drugstore version. That way you won’t waste as much money when you have to throw it away with half left in the container.
Makeup Shelf Life Times
The following list reviews major product categories with shelf life times and info on how to find out how long it’s been in your makeup box.
Mascara: 3 Months
Mascara is an ideal environment for bacteria, which can easily be transferred to your eyes. Throw out your mascara every three months to avoid eye infections.
Liquid Eyeliner: 3 Months
Once again, liquid eyeliner is moist, which makes it prime territory for bacteria that can transfer to your eyes.
Moisturizer: 12 Months
Some of the essential oils or natural components break down quickly, so moisturizer that’s more than a year old may not be as effective.
Nail Polish: 12 Months
The chemicals start to break down after about a year, which could cause the color to change. You’ll also notice that the polish doesn’t hold together well or apply smoothly.
Oil-Free Foundation: 12 Months
These foundations tend to dry out faster than cream or powder foundations. The oils on your fingers can also introduce bacteria into the liquid. Use a sponge or brush to preserve it. Storing it in the fridge can also extend its life. When the color changes, it’s past its prime.
Concealer: 12-18 Months
Stick concealer lasts longer than liquid concealer, but both become lumpy after 12-18 months. Lumpy concealer won’t cover as well, and may contain bacteria from your blemishes. You may also notice color changes.
Cream Blush: 12-18 Months
Cream blush will dry out after about a year. It may also start to change color or not go on as smoothly.
Cream Eye Shadow: 12-18 Months
Like all other cream products, it dries out over time. It may also harbor bacteria. Never use it while you have an eye infection to avoid contamination. You should apply it with a clean brush to extend its life.
Cream Foundation: 18 Months
Cream foundation will dry out after about a year and a half. It may also start to change color or not go on as smoothly. If you apply it with your fingers, the oils on your skin could also introduce bacteria into it.
Lip Gloss: 18-24 Months
Lip gloss dries out fairly quickly because it’s thinner and contains less fat than lipstick. If it becomes clumpy, dry, or changes color, throw it out.
Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
Powders last longer, but the oils in your skin will alter the texture and make it more difficult to apply after a couple years. You may also notice changes in color.
Lipstick: 2 years
After two years, the fats in the lipstick will start to break down, which will make it dry, crumbly, and probably change the color. To make it last longer, apply it with a clean brush. Never use lipstick when you have a cold sore or share it with someone else.
Lip Liner: 2 years
Lip liner can last up to two years if you sharpen it regularly to prevent bacteria build-up and avoid using it when you have a cold sore.
Powder: 2 years
Powder tends to get clumpy after more than a couple years because it mixes with the oils in your skin over time. If you take excellent care of it, it can last up to three years.
Powder Eyeliner: 2 years
Powder eyeliner will last longer than cream or liquid liner because it doesn’t dry out, but you should always use a clean brush to avoid contaminating it with bacteria. If they’re in stick form, sharpening them regularly prevents bacteria growth. If the color changes or it becomes hard to apply, throw it out.
Powder Eye Shadow: 2 Years
Powder eye shadow lasts as long as powder eyeliner if you always use a clean brush and avoid using it while you have an eye infection.
Perfume: 3 Years
Cheaper perfumes and eau de toilettes may only last two years, but good perfumes should last up to three years. You can extend the life slightly by storing them in the fridge. If the color or scent changes, throw it out. If you’re not sure how old it is, check the stamp on the bottom. The number at the end is the year it was bottled, for example, a number ending in 6 means it was bottled in 2006.
If you’re not sure how old your makeup is, check the consistency. If in doubt, throw it out and start fresh. Mark the date on the label with a Sharpie so that you always know how old your makeup is.
Mar
10
How to Reduce Car Expenses
Filed Under Cars, Expenses, Saving Money | Leave a Comment
In addition to using a Goodyear card to reduce my car expenses, I have a few other ways of keeping my car costs down. As I mentioned yesterday, Goodyear sometimes offers a “12 months same as cash” offer. I learned Saturday that they’re offering it now through April 5. The manager made sure to remind me that the finance charges will apply if I don’t finish paying the bill before the 12 months was up - that’s what I call good service.
And now, without further ado, here are my nine tips for reducing your car expenses.
Follow the Recommended Maintenance Schedule
Although auto shops want you to change your oil every 3,000 miles, most newer cars don’t need service nearly that often. My eleven-year-old car requires service every 5,000 miles or four months. Because I only drive 8,000 miles a year, I go in for service every four months, more often if your dealer recommends it because of where you live. To keep your car in good condition, I would use the lower of either the mileage or time recommendation as a guide for service. By going three times a year instead of four, I save $20 a year on maintenance.
Don’t Delay Tune-Ups
When I was younger, I delayed my 30,000 mile tune-up because I was poor. I later learned that delaying my tune-up and other maintenance probably actually added to my car expenses because the car ran less efficiently. I don’t delay my tune-ups anymore.
Buy Tires at Costco
If you have a Costco membership, then this is the best place to buy your tires. Not only are they discounted, but they have an insanely good warranty (for free). I’ve tested the warranty several times, because I have very bad luck with tires. I’ve gotten a nail stuck in my tire, and they replaced it with a new tire for $1. I had a tire that was losing air, and they replaced it for free. The downside is that there can be a long wait, so if you get your tires on a Saturday, I recommend arriving the minute the tire shop opens, and then going inside to do your Costco shopping (with a list, of course.)
Keep Tires Properly Inflated
If your tires are under-inflated, you’ll burn more gas. If your tires are over-inflated, you have less control of the car. Accidents are costly.
Don’t Get Service at the Dealer
My husband insists on getting service at the dealer, even though his car is out of warranty. I insist he’s throwing money away. We haven’t worked that one out yet, but I always go to Goodyear. They know how to work on most cars and have the same equipment. What they don’t have are overpriced factory parts and overpriced labor. I save at least 50% on tune-ups, and nearly 70% on struts, brakes, and other routine maintenance costs. I also save on major service. For example, this weekend I took my car in because it was making a bad sound. They said I need to replace the wheel hub bearings, at a cost of $831.40. Toyota would charge me $1260.
Get a Second Opinion
If a mechanic recommends a major service that doesn’t sound reasonable to you, take it to another mechanic to have it checked out. You could just go in and say you hear a strange sound from under the car and see what they recommend. Just make sure it’s a mechanic with a good reputation for honesty. I want to get a second opinion on my wheel hub bearings, although it seems reasonable that a car with 116,000 miles might need that. I was considering taking my car to Toyota, but they want to charge me $99 just for the inspection.
Keep Your Car At Least Ten Years
Of course, this only applies if you have a good car. My first car was a Pontiac built by Isuzu. It was also a former rental. I will never buy any of those again. I only kept the car for five years because by the end it had developed the annoying habit of stalling at on-ramps and red lights, and overheating the brakes. It was replaced by a brand new Toyota. (I had a friend at the dealer who got me a very, very good deal and financial help from my Dad.) The loan has been paid off for six years now. I haven’t had any major issues, like the transmission or the engine blowing.
Replace Old Gas Guzzlers or Cars that Break Down Often
If you have an old car that is unreliable or guzzles gas, then I would consider replacing it with a late-model used car that gets good mileage and has a good safety and reliability record. Personally, I would stick with Japanese cars. I’ve compared gas mileage between Japanese and German cars and Japanese cars definitely get better mileage. I haven’t considered American cars. I know it seems counter-intuitive to save money by buying a different car, but if your car is in the shop every other week, belching smoke, or only gets 15 miles to the gallon, you’re spending far more to keep that car than you would if you bought a more reliable, fuel-conscious car.
Buy Late Model Used Cars
Late model used cars tend to be leased cars. They’re better than rentals because leases have to be return in excellent condition and have mileage limits. I might consider buying my next Toyota or Honda new, because they hold their value well, but if I can find a good former lease, I’ll buy it. By buying a car that’s a few years old, you not only avoid the immediate loss in value, but you also have lower insurance and registration costs, both of which are car expenses you don’t consider on a daily basis but that do add up.
If you use these nine tips to reducing car costs, you could save thousands of dollars in maintenance, insurance, and car payments. Do you have other tips to reduce car expenses?
Mar
6
Manage Car Expenses with a Goodyear Card
Filed Under Expenses | 2 Comments
I drive a Toyota with over 100,000 miles on it and it still runs great, but obviously a car with that many miles has also needed a lot of routine maintenance over the years. I’ve had to replace the tires, brakes, struts, belts, starter, and a few valves and sensors. Nothing major or unusual, but auto repairs can get expensive even if you expect them.
A few years after I bought my car, I discovered a great way to manage my car repair and maintenance expenses: the Goodyear card. After I took my car to Toyota for my 30,000 mile tune-up, I never made the mistake of getting maintenance at the dealer again. I’ve only visited them for recalls, dealer specific license plate screws, and brake lights (which they swapped out for free. Sometimes it pays to be a girl.)
Instead, I go to Goodyear. In addition to selling tires (which I actually get at Costco), they license Goodyear Gemini repair shops. I’ve found that Goodyear mechanics are reasonably-priced and honest, unlike Midas or Jiffy Lube. The card includes discounts and an interest-free billing program.
Working the Goodyear Card Billing Cycle
If you use your Goodyear card, you get a discount on your oil change. Just mention that you’re a cardholder when you bring the car in. You also usually get “90 days same as cash” terms on all repair bills. That’s either two or three billing cycles, depending on when you got the service and when the payment is due. For a very large charge, I once got “12 months same as cash.” Some of my statements have also included coupons for that deal. Here’s the trick: the interest does accrue from day one (and it’s a high rate), but it isn’t applied if the balance is paid off within 90 days. All the interest is added on day 91.
To stretch out your payments into equal amounts without earning interest, look at the charge date and count 90 days forward. Now check the bill due date. Let’s say you got service March 1. That means the last payment must be received by May 28 to avoid interest. If your bills are due on the 22nd, you can pay one third in March, one third in April, and one third in May. On the other hand, if you made the charge March 21, then the last payment would be due June 19. That means you can pay half in April and half in May.
Certainly, if you have the cash to pay the whole bill, you could do that, but if they’re going to let you pay over time for free, why not let the money sit in your savings account a little longer?
Feb
28
How to Buy Discount Clothes
Filed Under Expenses, Frugal | Leave a Comment
I never pay full price for clothes unless I’m buying a gift for someone else (and even then, I save if I can.) I know many people buy their clothes on consignment or at closeout stores like Ross and Marshall’s, but I’m not one of them. I always find shopping at these stores to be more effort than it’s worth. Instead, I stick to stores I trust.
Major department stores always have clothes on sale, but you can also find deals at the boutique chains if you know when to shop. Here are my tips for finding discount clothes:
Discount Women’s Clothing
I generally wear clothes from one store: Ann Taylor Loft. They’re well-made, they fit me, and they last a long time. Because I’m loyal, I never have to pay full price. In addition to shopping their sale section twice a year to refresh my seasonal items, I also receive regular discount emails. If you don’t receive discount emails, sign up at their website or look for coupon codes.
Here’s the trick: Shop only at a store with online shopping and in-store returns. Buy enough to qualify for the highest discount possible and receive free shipping. Then return what you don’t like to the store. In the fall, they also offer $25 off a purchase of $50 coupons. If you watch the dates, there’s usually a slight overlap between the start of the offer period and the end of the discount period so you can buy clothes at a discount and still receive the coupons.
Discount Baby/Kids Clothing
Target is the first choice for young parents. Even at full price they’re cheap, but they frequently have sales. When the price ends in a 4, snap it up. That’s the lowest it will go. Wise Bread offers additional tips for shopping smart at Target.
I’ve also spotted great prices and sales at Old Navy. Kids grow fast, so there’s no reason to spring for the pricey duds. However, if you like expensive clothes, watch Craigslist for warehouse and consignment sales like the one in Los Angeles. These happen all over the country and I’ve seen reports of moms buying $50 Gymboree outfits for $5.
Discount Seasonal Clothing
Did you ever wonder why department stores put clothes on the floor months before you want to buy them? It’s actually a century-old practice. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, clothing had to be ordered in advance. The wealthy would travel to Europe in the fall to buy their clothes for the spring. Although we don’t do that anymore, department stores still buy their clothes two seasons early, which means they hit the floor at least one season early.
In general, the clothes will already be on sale if you wait until the proper season to buy them. You can save even more by buying your clothes a year early. If you’ve worn something out by the end of a season and you want a classic replacement, buy it at the end of that season and save it for next year. For example, you can score cheap winter coats in March. Always stick to classics when buying early. Trendy items will probably be out of style by the time you pull them out of the closet next year.
Discount Shoes
Shoes are another area where it’s easy to save big. I buy them from shoe warehouses and I buy them late in the season to save as much as 50% off retail. For example, I recently bought two pairs of boots. The original price was $70 each. The warehouse price was $40 each. Because it was late in the season, they were 30% off. I then used an additional coupon. I bought both pairs of boots for $55 with tax, and received a $5 coupon for next time.
Discount Men’s Suits
Items like suits can be expensive, but you can still shop wisely. We’ve found that it’s best to avoid the uber-cheap suits. They wear out quickly, which means you replace them more often. Instead, we shop the semi-annual men’s sale at Nordstrom, big suit sales at Macy’s, and local suit discounters like 3-Day Suit Broker. We buy high-quality name brand suits for 50% off retail. When shopping for suits, look for super 100 or 120 wool. Although the higher grades sound better, they actually wear out more quickly.
These strategies save me at least 30% off my annual clothing budget. I buy clothes that will last a long time, which also keeps my spending down. If you have other strategies for saving money on clothes, let me know in the comments.
Feb
16
Creating a Cash Flow Budget
Filed Under Budget, Expenses, Marriage and Money, Money Management, Personal Finance | 1 Comment
This month, the Money Blog Network’s group project is budgets. I’m not in the MBN, but I’ve decided to post a blog about my method for creating a cash flow budget. It’s far more effective for my husband and me than a traditional category-based budget. MBN lists several other budget posts on their site, if you want to test a few different budgeting, and anti-budgeting, methods.
The Monthly Budget by Category
My husband and I use Quicken to track our daily spending. About once a year, my husband and I run out a Quicken budget, just to see how our actually monthly category spending has changed. Then we copy it into Excel so we can play with the numbers: how much more we would have if we paid off this loan or reduced that expense.
This is an example of what that would look like. If I were studying this, I would see that I could cut the dining budget and might consider reducing utilities expenses if possible.
The monthly budget is a helpful way to get an idea of how and where we spend money on average, but it isn’t necessarily useful for planning our monthly cash flow. The budget averages out our expenses rather than showing the blips as they actually occur. For example, auto-insurance isn’t paid monthly, but it appears that way in a budget. We have to plan for the blips, not the even keel budget. Instead of a line-item budget, we use a cash flow statement to plan our monthly bills and spending.
The Cash Flow Budget
The cash flow budget is a much better picture of our expected income and expenses for the month. These are actual bills we must pay, rather than categories that may vary every month. For example, if it’s an auto insurance month, then we know to reduce our spending in other areas to make up the difference. It also helps us plan our debt repayment because we know how much we’ll have leftover at the end of the month.
This is a sample of a cash flow budget for February. You’ll note that the numbers above don’t match the numbers here. There are two reasons: 1. I made many of the numbers up, and 2. Most of our recurring charges (utilities, cell phone, gym, etc.) are on one of the credit cards, so we don’t pay them as a separate monthly bill through our checking account.
Expected bills with variable due dates (like a bi-monthly utility) go at the bottom because we know they’re coming at some point, but not when.
At the beginning of the month, we look at our Quicken account balances for variable bills like credit cards and ballpark the payment amounts in our cash flow chart. We adjust with exact figures as the month proceeds and the bills come in. At the end of the month, we take the end number and add it to our debt payments for the next month. Once our debts are gone (except some student loans), that end number will go towards other goals like savings or investments.
In addition, it helps us see where the bills fall in relation to our income. For example, if we plan to make a big credit card payment, but know that the deposit that covers it doesn’t occur until two days later, we can reduce the payment. Then we can schedule another payment after the deposit.
Creating a Cash Flow Budget
If you want to create a cash flow budget, follow these simple steps:
- Get out your checkbook register.
- Create an excel chart with payment dates and amounts for all expenses for the last six months. Rather than the generic terms I use above, use the names of the payments, like Amex, Discover, and Sallie Mae.
- Use three columns for each month like in the above chart. We go across the sheet for each new month rather than down so several months fit on the screen at once. Although you’ll have to tweak it as time progresses, this gives you a good overview of when your various bills are due.
- Just before each month, review the expected expenses for that month and make adjustments for changes in your finances. Also review the previous month and carryover any remaining balance to the next month.
- At the end of the sixth month, copy the last month over to new columns and update the dates and amounts for month seven.
Once you get used to this system, you’ll probably find that you feel more comfortable with your finances because you always have a snapshot view of them. It doesn’t require special software and no one else has access to your data. If you don’t have Excel, you can use an OpenOffice or GoogleDocs spreadsheet, instead. This is very different from the system I used when I was single, but I much prefer it. Give it a try, you might like it!
Feb
7
Save Money on College Books
Filed Under Expenses, Saving Money | 3 Comments
Yesterday I reviewed strategies for saving money on personal books. As a recent grad student, I also have several strategies for saving money on college books. These are my top methods, but you can also use sources like on-campus exchanges, off-campus exchanges, and Craigslist to find books.
Request Books from the Library
Years ago, I was contracted to write a how-to book. It was an area I had expertise in, but I needed to heavily research some side topics and related history. I’m fortunate to live in Los Angeles, which means I can search the massive LAPL catalog online and request that any book not in the reserve section be sent to my nearest branch. I ordered and checked out 40 books. By tracking due dates online, renewing online, and scheduling regular trips, I avoided any late fees. I believe I spent a total of $12 on books to research that project.
If you have access to a college library, you’re in even better shape. Most college libraries are more extensive than public libraries. In addition to a massive print collection of obscure academic titles, my school had some books available electronically, either directly through my library or through their associations with other university libraries. They can also borrow print books from many other major universities, so you can find almost any book you need. There may be a fee for undergrads, so you may want to ask your professor to order it if you really need it for a big project. If you don’t know how to find these resources in your library, ask the librarian in the reference section for help. They’re more than happy to show you how to find what you need or help you track down alternative sources.
Buy College Texts Online
Half.com is an excellent way to save money on books for students, especially humanities students. You can often get them from the library, but I preferred to own them so I could mark up relevant passages. Nothing angers me more than checking a book out of the library and discovering that someone has written in it. I found that most books from Half.com weren’t written in. If they were, the description indicated that.
I’ve also found some science textbooks in the used section of Amazon and Half.com. Here’s a little known fact about the real reason textbooks cost so much: updated editions. Publishers will release an updated edition with only a few changes, but it forces many students to buy books new. For most majors, you can probably use a textbook that’s a few years older and get the same information for much less. Shakespeare’s words haven’t changed in 400 years. There’s no reason to buy the brand new, updated compendium when you can get one a few years older for less. Obviously, some majors like computer science might require new texts because of the frequency of important changes. If you’re not sure, ask your professor if the older edition still applies.
Some textbooks are also bundled with workbooks, CDs, or software that you’ll never use. Unless your professor specifies that you need them, buy a copy without the extras and you’ll save serious dough.
The key to this strategy is ordering ahead so you have the books on the first day of class. Here’s how I did that:
- Check the online synopsis, if available, 3-4 weeks before the class starts. Note titles, authors, edition numbers, and whether the book is required or optional
- Check the online college bookstore for the book list. Note the above information and the ISBN number.
- Search Amazon and Half by ISBN number for the required list and decide whether you want the optional books. See if you can find all the books you need from just a few different sellers to reduce shipping costs. In most cases, you can buy the books cheaper online, but if you only need a few, it may be worth it to stop by the school bookstore a few weeks before class and buy the best used copies there.
- Factor in shipping and tax (where applicable) when comparing the online and campus bookstore costs, then go to the cheaper place.
- If you’re buying online, order the books at least two weeks before class starts to ensure they reach you in time.
Access Free Books Online
If you’re really strapped for cash, look for public domain books online. The biggest source is Project Gutenberg. They offer over 17,000 ebooks (pre-1900 mostly, but some early 1900s texts have now fallen out of copyright). You can also Google the title to find all free online sources. I’ve also used this for poems and short stories where I didn’t want to buy a whole book for just three poems or one story. Author society websites (e.g. the Jane Austen society), academic websites, and fan websites are good places to start.
Using these strategies, I spent no money on research texts for various papers and projects during my grad school career. In preparation for my comprehensive exam, I spent about $100 on 40 books. Once the exam was over, I resold most of them and earned back most of what I’d spent. I probably spent around $50-100 per semester on books, but I was able to resell most of them for nearly what I paid for them.
Feb
4
Small Expenses Do Add Up
Filed Under Expenses, Money Management | Leave a Comment
One of my financial resolutions for the year was to track my spending for one month. I chose January in order to start the year off with a bang. Recording my purchases wasn’t really that challenging. It helps that I’m something of a miser, and therefore don’t really spend much money to begin with.
For my records, I only tracked money I personally spent. I didn’t track the bills my husband paid or his spending. He probably does more day-to-day spending than I do and does much more business travel than I do.
I normally carry a small notebook with me, so I designated two pages for tracking spending. I recorded the date, store, general purchase category, amount, and whether it was cash or charge. I didn’t break my numbers down further, so there might be non-food expenses in the grocery expenses if I bought them at the grocery store (items like cleaning products.)
Books: .94 (plus $25 gift card)
Groceries: 393.90
Dining Out: 23.59
Post Office: 5.69
Fuel: 55.68
Charity: 4.90
Clothing: 90.32
Travel: 11.32
Home Office: 70.08
Laundry: 10
Household: 34.29
Total spending: $700.71
Of that, $580.76 was charged. I’d say that $104.11 was discretionary spending, the rest were necessities.
The stores I visited were Borders, Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, El Torito, Exxon, Staples, Amazon, Target, USPS, a disabled homeless man outside the post office, Shell, Shoe Warehouse, Rite Aid, CVS, airport restaurant.
Over the course of the month I was comforted by the fact that I don’t have much wasteful spending, but I also spent more than I thought I did. If I were looking for places to cut my budget, it would have to be in the $104 of discretionary spending. Over the course of the year, that would amount to over $1200, which is not a small number. I could also try to trim away at food expenses, although $100 a week to eat good, healthy food isn’t excessive. It works out to about $2.77 person/meal. I’ve already cut back my driving as much as possible.
In all, I’m fairly happy with my spending levels. Recording my spending didn’t really alter my habits because I don’t overspend to begin with, but I see how it could make some people reconsider purchases. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend it for one month just to get a better idea of where and how you really spend.
Jan
28
Five Ways to Save Money on Valentine’s Day
Filed Under Expenses, Gift, Holiday, Saving Money | 5 Comments
I’m not a Valentine’s Day scrooge. I have celebrated the day with great fanfare in the past - usually early in a relationship. Now that I’ve been with my husband for nine years, the day is becoming less important to me. Also, I don’t find being surrounded by hordes celebrating enforced romance the least bit romantic.
I also recognize that most of the Valentine’s Day pressure is a result of women’s expectations. If men had their druthers, the day would vanish. I see their point. We women have been trained to expect diamonds, roses, and lavish dinners on February 14. That can get quite pricey for men.
Five Inexpensive Valentine’s Day Ideas
Here are a few simple ideas to make Valentine’s Day cheaper and yet still enjoyable.
Change the date: This year it falls on a Thursday. Who wants to rush out to dinner on a Thursday? Instead, go out on Friday or Saturday this year. Not only will the restaurant be less crowded, you’ll probably get the same food without the special, overpriced “Valentine’s Day menu.” True, you might sacrifice the rose or little chocolate the restaurant gives you, but are those little extras really worth the additional cost? We did once go to a very nice restaurant on Valentine’s Day and get the prix fix meal, but we found the service harried and the dinner not quite worth the price. I didn’t even get the promised rose.
Enjoy a romantic dinner at home: Light candles, set a nice table, and then serve up your favorite foods. Chicken Marsala with roasted red potatoes and a nice wine would be delicious, and remarkably easy to prepare. Or you could kick the romance up a notch and choose foods you can feed each other, like cheese fondue or a dessert of chocolate fondue.
Skip (or delay) the flowers and jewelry: Both of these are significantly marked up for Valentine’s Day. The price of roses doubles, especially since they’re not in season this time of year and have probably been flown in from Ecuador.
If you still want flowers, order them the next day. One year, my husband bought me a pretty bouquet on February 15. I returned home from work to find it on the kitchen table. I was stunned and delighted, and it cost him 50% less. If you opt for this, skip the roses. They will be leftovers from the day before and probably not in great condition. Instead my arrangement had irises (my favorite) and “filler” flowers that lasted for over three weeks.
Buy a card: I like to receive a card from my husband on Valentine’s Day. He has yet to fully grasp that “not doing anything” means “exchanging cards,” but I do buy him a card. Apparently 85% of Valentine’s Day cards are bought my women. I prefer funny cards, which are usually around to $2. Sappy cards can get as high as $10, but I’d aim for $5 maximum for a card that will only wind up in a recycling bin in a few days.
Buy small yet decadent chocolate gifts: At least for women. My Dad loves a See’s chocolate assortment. My mom and I would rather receive one really decadent piece of chocolate than deluxe Valentine’s Day gift baskets. If you have a chocolate-lover in your life, visit a gourmet chocolatier to buy one or two very good truffles. That will run you about $5.00 and no one has to feel guilty about the calories and fat. They taste better, too.
Some people insist on going all out for Valentine’s Day, but I don’t think you have to focus all your romantic energy on one day. I’d rather find small, affordable ways to celebrate our relationship year-round.
What are your ideas for saving money on Valentine’s Day?
Jan
18
Reduce Your Family Entertainment Cost
Filed Under Budget, Entertainment, Expenses, Saving Money | 1 Comment
There are a few TV shows I love. I make an appointment to watch them every week, but I don’t watch much TV beyond those. But now I have a problem - because of the writer’s strike, most of those shows I watch are off the air. A few of them have only recently started, but I know they’ll be gone in a few weeks, too. I’m so accustomed to watching TV at a certain time that I find myself endlessly channel surfing just looking for something to watch. That has to stop, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money going out to movies. It’s too cold to engage in outdoor activities, so I’m stuck inside looking for stuff to do that doesn’t involve the computer.
Here are a few of the ways I came up with to reduce my total entertainment cost now that there’s so little good TV to watch:
Subscribe to Netflix or Blockbuster Online
There aren’t many TV series I want to watch that I haven’t already seen, but you can get full seasons of TV shows from Netflix or Blockbuster online. I’m thinking of adding season one of “Psych” to my list because I’ve only seen some of them. Then you can watch them one hour a day to fill a slot where you used to watch some other show. You can also catch up on all those movies you’ve been wanting to see, but missed in the theater. I figure that we can watch 100 movies this year if the strike goes through the fall TV season. It’s certainly better than “American Gladiators.”
Read
I know, a lot of people don’t like to read. Fortunately, I’ve been a voracious reader my entire life. Currently, I have a pile of 26 books that I’ve been meaning to read. I own them, but I got most of them for free at various events. The local library is one reason I haven’t gotten through them. Whenever I hear about a book, I order it online from my library system, and then I can pick it up a few days later. The downside to having such a huge library system available is that I’ve ordered so many library books that I haven’t had time to burn through my TBR pile!
If your kids think reading is boring, let them choose the book, and then read it together as a family. You can all read aloud, or you can read one chapter a week together and set a time to discuss it. I hear the latest Caldecott winner, Brian Selznick’s “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” is a big hit with kids. Your library may have a waiting list for it, but the librarian can recommend alternatives while you wait.
Take Up an Inexpensive Hobby
Besides, reading, you could also take up a few inexpensive hobbies. If you’ve always wanted to learn to cook, get some cookbooks from the library and teach yourself. Visit an art store and buy inexpensive art supplies to practice painting, ceramics, or another hobby. I don’t recommend scrapbooking if you want to be frugal, but you can find other options.
Exercise
Since there’s nothing good on, why not go to the gym? If you have a low stool and a couple free weights, you could work out at home instead. My cable provider offers free exercise classes in the OnDemand section. You can also find free online routines at many women’s magazine sites like Self and Women’s Health. You could test-drive videos through your Netflix or Blockbuster account or the library. I use a printed out routine and watch the Food Network while I workout at home. For some reason, it motivates me.
Play Board Games
I have several board games, ranging from Checkers to Risk. If you have a simple dominoes set, you’ve got several games right there. These are fun all night long and also count as quality family time. Schedule a game night with some good munchies and I doubt you’ll hear many complaints. I loved playing games with my family when I was a kid. I still do.
Attend a Free Cultural Event
Sometimes, the local symphony will hold a free family night, or the library or bookstore will hold a reading. Pack up the family (for family appropriate topics) and take everyone along. If it’s just you and your spouse, you have more options to choose from. Find a free local paper and check the calendar section for upcoming events.
Invite Friends Over for a Potluck
Entertaining can be expensive, but not if you ask everyone to bring something. Every time I have people over, they always bring food even if I don’t ask. This way, you can suggest a course so you don’t have six entrees and a bottle of wine. As a bonus, you can keep the leftovers and have food for a few more days!
These are just a few things you could do to reduce the entertainment cost section of your budget. I’m sure if you get off the couch, or away from the screen, you can find a few more frugal ways to entertain yourself and your family when there’s nothing to watch on TV - and even when there is. Consider this your opportunity to wean yourself from the box.
Jan
14
Reducing Winter Energy Costs
Filed Under Energy, Expenses, Home Maintenance, Saving Money | Leave a Comment
I’m blessed to live in Southern California. The shiny brochures advertise it as the land of the sun, sand, and surf. That’s true - in the summer. For those of us who live here, winter is cold. Visitors from say, Iowa, may be content to walk around in shorts in January, but Southern Californians are ready to crank up the heat when the temperature dips below seventy. (I never said we were a hardy people.) Certainly, our heating costs aren’t as high those for people who live in Minnesota, but thanks to California’s screwed up energy regulations, our costs aren’t small, either.
So here are my tips for reducing winter energy costs:
Install a thermostat with a timer. My heater is set to turn on about half an hour before we get home at night and half an hour after we go to bed, then to turn on again half an hour before we get up and ten minutes after we leave (to allow for running late.) That means our heat is on for approximately seven hours a day, but not continuously. It only warms the room when it falls too far below our preferred temperature. Since my thermostat is also somewhat broken, that’s 72 degrees. I know that some experts recommend 68 degrees, but our apartment isn’t well insulated and that doesn’t get the chill out of the air.
Dress warmly and use blankets. Before you go turn the heat up any further, put on a sweater and socks. You might even consider a ski hat. That will reduce the heat loss from your body and will make you feel warmer. If you’re just sitting on the couch watching TV, use a throw blanket to keep warm. We have two chenille throws in the living room so we can cover up when it gets a little chilly. As an added bonus, the throws are also excellent ways to cover gaps in the sofa slipcover from that time the dry cleaner shrank it. Just artfully drape the blanket over the gap in the zipper and now the damage is hidden from guests.
Seal pipes, doors, and windows. If you own your home, check the pipes, doors, and windows for leaks, and then do what you must to repair them. This could mean replacing old windows with new, more energy-efficient models, re-caulking, applying duct tape, or putting a film over the windows to lock in heat. If you rent, you can at least close the drapes at night to keep the heat in. Ask your landlord if you can film the windows.
Check your furnace. You should change your air filter at least twice a year. Mark it on your calendar. You may also want to vacuum the vents. The easier it is for the air to flow through the vents, the faster your home will heat. If you have an old furnace, consider replacing it with a new energy efficient model. Although a new furnace is expensive, over time it will more than pay for itself.
Close the fireplace damper. If you’re not using your fireplace, close the damper to prevent cold air from blowing in or warm air from drifting out.
Close vents in unused rooms. If you’re not using a room, close its vent. There’s no reason to heat an empty room.
Replace lightbulbs and old appliances. Remember, that although winter heating takes up about 50% of your energy bill, your lights and appliances still impact your energy bill. By using more energy-efficient appliances and buying Energy Star appliances, you can reduce your total energy bill. By the same token, turn off the lights when you leave a room and turn off any appliances you’re not using. The printer doesn’t need to be on all the time. Unplug your cell phone or battery charger. The little things do matter.
If you follow all of the above tips, you can reduce your energy costs without feeling cold. Visit the following sources for more tips:
For everyone: SmartMoney
For homeowners: Consumer Energy Center
For renters and condo-owners: Focus on Energy
