frugal underground

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I was cleaning out the fridge the other day when it hit me just how wasteful it can be.

Think about it for a moment, every dollar you spend on food you throw out may as well have been ripped up and thrown away for all the good it does you.  It’s an enormous waste, and depending on how long you leave it in the refrigerator it could be a health hazard.

So, how to prevent it?

Well the first thing that comes to mind is simple:

Eat everything.

It sounds easy enough, but lots of things sound easy but don’t turn out that way; especially when you have kids involved.  Kids can be notoriously picky eaters, and what’s worse is they can pick it up from the strangest places, so even if  you trained them to try anything they can suddenly decide they don’t want something they loved just the other day. There’s very little more annoying than a teenager who wants to go to McDonalds because he doesn’t want to eat leftover spaghetti; even though spaghetti sauce is often better the next day.

Follow past the cut for a few ideas:

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The common cold is supposed to be just as its name implies – ordinary and relatively harmless. And yet nowadays, the symptoms of the cold and its more advanced “form”, the flu, can no longer be dismissed as plain coughs and sneezes that will pass in a few days.

I was almost unable to come up with this post myself as the whole family came down with the worst bout of flu we’ve seen in years. While I’m fairly confident that none of us has contracted the much talked-about and dreaded A(H1N1) virus, the onset of this new epidemic has led me into thinking about how we should pay more attention to keeping ourselves fit and healthy.

Costs can skyrocket when it comes to the treatment of serious health problems but oftentimes all it takes is a boost to the immune system to keep the viruses away. And let’s do away with the notion that living healthy is expensive. On the contrary, it could cut down on a lot of unnecessary expenses that we currently spend for.

Check out these tips and see what I mean:

Get adequate sleep. What else is there to say? Sleep costs you nothing yet does a lot for your immune system.

Quit the soda and drink water. Water is cheaper, healthier, and doesn’t bombard our bodies with sugars and additives.

Take it a step further and use tap water. I’m sure your purified water expense is way above your regular water bill. Purified doesn’t always mean cleaner though, and sometimes all you may need is a reliable water filter. PUR pitchers for instance are priced no higher than $19 but it does the job of straining out contaminants, and the water tastes great to boot.

Soak in some sun. Healthy sun, that is. Kids especially should get enough exposure to Vitamin D to help them develop strong bones and teeth. So pry them out of their console games and keep them running outdoors for some “sunshine vitamin.” Again, it’s free but the benefits are priceless.

Apply proper hygiene. A bar of soap or a small bottle of hand sanitizer shouldn’t make a dent in our budget but these are actually our first lines of defense against catching any unwanted germs.

Discover the benefits of “free” exercise. Who needs a home treadmill or an expensive club membership when a few rounds of brisk walking or jogging around the neighborhood would do just as well?

Quit smoking. With the recent rise in tobacco taxes, kicking the habit once and for all would do both our body and wallet good.

Skip the junk food and eat healthy. A healthy immune system always goes hand in hand with a healthy diet. Sure, organic fruits, veggies, and meats can be pricey, but you haven’t explored the other cheaper options yet.

As an alternative to the more expensive meats and fresh fish, some great but inexpensive alternative sources of protein are:

Fruits are the best sources for Vitamin C. The richest fruits (and not necessarily the steepest-priced) are the kiwi fruit, guavas, and oranges. Another affordable option would be to take Vitamin C supplements. You don’t get to enjoy the fruit but at least you get your needed dose of the vitamin.

Here’s to a long, healthy and frugal life!

I’m a big fan of Freecycle, it not only leverages the power of the internet, but also works on the local level so it helps build community.

At base it’s not much different than handing something you don’t use down to your younger brother or sister - and most of us have done that.

The way it works is that you go to the main Freecycle website and find the closest local group.  Each group has its own Yahoo! group which provides a mailinglist.  If you have something you just want to get rid of, you post it on the group and if any member has a use for it they can email you back through the group.  If you get multiple offers, you choose whichever one you like best.

The catch is that you can’t accept anything in money or trade for the item.

Everything has to be completely unencumbered and free.  You provide it, they pick it up, no money changes hands.

It’s a great way to be frugal:  you can often get fairly expensive items like couches and washing machines for nothing.  Now the best stuff does go pretty quickly, so if you’re serious about Freecycle you need to set it up so you get immediate notifications and call or email as soon as you see something you want.  The early bird really does get the worm.  (Please pardon the cliche)

I touched on this briefly at the beginning, but I really have to discuss the local aspect of Freecycle because I think it’s one of its greatest strengths.  Humans are naturally social, we’ve lived in groups and communities for as long as we’ve been on Earth.  Freecycle builds on that strength by making sure groups stay relatively small and locally focused.  It builds a community within a community and that helps cut down on “freeloaders,” who would try to game the system to get as much as possible whether they have a need for it or not.

Freecycle works because it’s in tune with human nature and doesn’t try to fight it.  Give it a try, it can save you a ton of money.

If you have anything you want to add - good stories or bad - or even competitor sites - don’t forget the comment box at the bottom.  That’s what it’s there for.

We’ve all heard both sides to the argument on being frugal vs being cheap.

While both can lead to cost savings for a household, the former is more about getting quality products at lower costs, while the latter is getting something simply because it has the lowest price (or comes free!) without much thought to its make, functionality, and how it could affect other people (not leaving a tip in a restaurant for instance IS cheap).

Adults can live without those unnecessary luxuries or make those small “sacrifices” in the name of frugal living and being eco-friendly. But just how much of our frugality should be applied to buying for our kids without crossing the line to cheapness? Here are some great ideas for frugal moms, which can bring in huge savings for you without sacrificing your young ones’ comfort and little pleasures.

Having at least three children or more will definitely make a dent on your clothing budget. When shopping for kids’ clothes, try the following:

A child’s birthday that’s just around the corner can be a stressful time for parents because birthdays are typically associated with costly parties. As frugal moms know, birthday treats don’t necessarily have to be bank-breaking. A few suggestions:

Now, I’d like to think that the ideas mentioned above were certainly within the bounds of frugality. So what for me would be ‘cheap mode’ for kids? Off the top of my head, just two:

As with everything else, it’s all a matter of perspective. What may be frugal for some, could be thought of as cheap by others.

As a parent, do you have these “frugal vs cheap” debates within yourself?

I’m a reader.  In fact, I’m a voracious reader.

I’m also more than a little of a gadget fiend.  I love technology, but I can’t always justify spending the money on a new gadget.   As regular readers may know, last week I went and bought a new Sony Reader at Borders.  I got a good deal on it, I had a coupon so it was $199 rather than $299, but that’s still a lot of money.

So, why was it worth it?

I could go on about the experience of reading on the Sony Reader:  it uses the same technology as the Kindle so it’s much more like reading a book than staring at a screen.  I could talk about the convenience of having 99 books in a device that fits in a cargo pocket on my shorts.

But this being the Frugal Underground I think I’ll focus on the financial justification for buying the device.

Read the rest of this entry »

School will be out soon and while most of us are raring to go on that family vacation, sadly, not all of us can afford to. Or if we choose to go through with it anyway, some of the fun is taken out of the supposedly stress-free vacation because we have to compute and then re-compute the expenses as we go along.

I’ll let you in on a little-known secret: It’s possible to go on a great vacation even if you are on a budget. Don’t believe me? Try out these tips and see how you can still have a fabulous getaway without breaking the bank.

When to plan

We usually start planning our vacation months in advance. Not only does it translate to huge savings and the assurance that you can always secure that place in your intended hotel, the thrill of having something to look forward to is something that makes you feel good long before you start packing up those bags.

On a side note, I find a much-anticipated vacation an effective way to get the kids to calm down – “We won’t go on that trip to Disneyland (or wherever) if you guys won’t behave this very minute!” It hasn’t been Disneyland as yet, and sure, it’s pure bluffing but you get the picture.

Using travel sites

As soon as our destination is planned, or at least the choices have been narrowed down to a shortlist, here are some of the sites that we usually check first.

I love how these sites offer very friendly-user interface where you can just input the data for your impending getaway such as the proposed dates, destination, hotel amenities, and other specifics. Other sites worth checking out are Orbitz.com, BestFares.com, and Hotels.com.

To fly or to drive?

Contrary to what some vacationers may think, flying to get to places isn’t such an expensive option these days. A lot of airline companies now offer airfare costs of less than $100 depending on your base, destination, and your planned travel dates. Booking early can get you even bigger discounts.

When your destination isn’t that far out of state, and especially when you’re traveling with kids, driving can be the best option for you. Taking the car to your destination will not only let you save hundreds on travel costs, you can also make it part of your vacation fun especially for the young ones who would love the experience of taking in new sights along the way.

A home away from home

Hotels can give you some of the best amenities available when on vacation but if you want to save on dining costs as well, finding a hotel or apartelle that comes with a kitchenette will allow you to prepare budget-friendly, home cooked meals. Even if you choose to dine out occasionally, having your own small kitchen will make it easier for you to recycle leftover foods for the next meals.

Don’t forget your rewards points.

For many, going on vacation is also one way of using up all those rewards points accumulated from months of using your credit and/or debit cards. Depending on your cards, earned points can be converted to airline miles, hotel discounts, or cash credits for some souvenir shopping.

So, where are you going this year?

Quick question; how many grocery store discount cards do you have in your wallet?  Or on your key-ring if you’re like me and carry them there?

I have three on my key-ring: also a drugstore cared and two bookstore cards.  We’ve joined other discount clubs, too; these are just the ones I keep with me all the time. In case you haven’t guessed, I believe in membership discounts.

As we all know, membership discounts come in two kinds:  free and paid.  The biggest difference (apart from the annual fee) is that companies that offer paid memberships may not sell your data, and those that offer free memberships almost certainly will.

So, before you sign up for one of these cards that’s one thing may want to consider.  Do you mind having your data out there?  It doesn’t bother me, but there are some people who refuse those cards on principle, just because of the data collection.  One thing you can look into is seeing if they will issue an anonymous card without you revealing personal information.  Not all stores will do this, but I was able to sign up for a card at Albertson’s in Washington State without providing any personal information.  Wegmans in Virginia went to the other extreme and wanted a drivers license number.

Personally I would recommend signing up for every free discount card you can find.  It only takes a few minutes and the savings more than outweigh the effort.  My most recent receipt from one of our local supermarkets (not where we do most of our shopping) shows that we’ve saved over $220 this year at that store alone.

They also offer gas discounts:  every hundred dollars you spend there earns you a $0.10 per gallon discount on fuel at their gas pump.   You earn points over a period of six weeks or so, and can redeem them any time up to about two weeks after that period ends.  It works for us.

Paid cards are a different story:  Any time you think about signing up for one of those you should sit down and to the math first.  For example, a Books-A-Million membership costs $20 a year and gives 10% off everything in the store (and an additional 10% off the already discounted price on their website.)  If you spend less than $200 a year on books it’s probably not worth it.  I belong to a group that meets there every Wednesday morning, so I’ve probably saved the price of the membership on coffee alone.

As a reward for anyone who has read all the way to the bottom of the this post I’m posting a couple of links for Borders members.

First this coupon offers 25% off your entire purchase.

Second this one offers $100 off a Sony Reader.

Both coupons expire on June 14th and the Reader coupon is only valid in stores, not on the website.  I used the Reader one Tuesday night, so stay tuned for a post on saving money with eBooks.  There’s also a 20% off your entire purchase coupon floating around out there, but I didn’t see the point of posting it when there’s a better one.

Happy Frugaling.

The moms have had their day in the sun last month. With Father’s Day just a few days away, shouldn’t we be racking up our brains to make this day as special as we can for the men in our lives? Whether it’s for our own dear dad or our beloved husbands, let’s spare no effort in making the man of the house king for the day.

Serve him breakfast in bed.

Nothing really fancy; just what you and your kids can (literally and figuratively) cook up. Toast with bacon and egg? Swell. And while you’re at it, you and your kids can also throw in some salty pretzels shaped and arranged to spell D-A-D. Whatever’s on the breakfast menu, our men could sure use some pampering too.

Have a barbecue with lots of beer.

Set-up the grill, take the meat out, and share some of your best dad stories over hearty laughter, good food, and lots of beer. If your man is the type to tend to the grill himself, then a gift of BBQ-related accessories like an apron, or cookbooks would be a nice touch. Or if you feel like you could splurge a little more, a new grill or smoker would be great as gifts too.

Go on a camping or fishing trip.

What more memorable family and father bonding than going on a camping or fishing trip for Father’s Day weekend. Not only will Dad enjoy taking some time off, the kids, especially younger ones who haven’t tried it before, would also love the experience of doing something new and adventurous.

Make Dad smile with a bobblehead doll.

Adding some playful humor to the celebration would definitely make this Father’s Day an event he will always look back to with fondness. Not only that, putting a smile on Dad’s face will certainly make our day too! A bobblehead dolls that portrays him in his light and fun side (as a superhero, golfer, action star – you take your pick) is a unique and cool way of telling our man he is the central “figure” in our lives.

Write him a poem and put it in your homemade card.

Bring out the writer in you and pour out your appreciation for Dad. Perhaps it could just be a simple “Top 10 Things I Love Most About Dad” where the kids could also pitch in a line or two. Sounds too cheesy? Believe me, dads could sure use a little more “cheese” in their lives and Father’s Day is good enough a time as any to do this.

Make him a Dad Coupon Book.

Think up of a collection of various special favors. Create coupons for these that he can use up in the next few days or whenever he feels like availing of it. Some ideas: a special back rub, his favorite dish or dessert that you seldom make because it took too much time, a “Kids’ Turn to Wash the Car” voucher… anything that you can come up with that will make life more convenient and pleasant for him.

Go out on an outing that he loves.

Is he a big baseball fan but you don’t care much for it? Or does he just love horror movies but you simply hate being scared out of your senses? Just for this day, surprise him by getting tickets for both of you to the big game, movie, or theater – whatever it is that he loves but you don’t do as often.

Making a day special isn’t always about how much you have to spend. In these times when money isn’t that easy to come by, all it takes to have a wonderful Father’s Day celebration is a few good ideas and lots of love.

It’s called making a change in your life; we’ve all done it.  Sometimes we do it more successfully than other times, and for different reasons, but we all make changes.

With the economy the way it is, it’s no surprise that more and more people are wanting to live a relatively frugal lifestyle.  Some are coming into it blind, having been spendthrifts for years, and now moving to the other extreme.  Some people just want to tighten their belts a little; to get control of their finances before they get out of control.

Many of these people are coming in with existing debt, so they aren’t starting with good habits, they’re repairing the damage done by bad ones.  Their credit cards are limited out, they may even have title and payday loans out.

It’s easy to say pay off your debts, but it’s sometimes not so easy to do.

Let’s start with credit cards, so join me after the cut.

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As a mother and the other member of the two-man finance board in the family, I’ve long since discovered that keeping our credit card level in check can be one of the most challenging household finance issues to deal with. Debt tends to creep up on us slowly before we can even realize that we’ve already created a monster that’s totally out of control. A moment of weakness that happens once too often, can build up our existing debt to levels so high, that recovery can take years.

Even if we enjoy a comfortable enough level of income presently, the anxiety of having to cope with past debts can sometimes cause us to miss out on quality time we could have spent with our loved ones, or even just moments to stop and smell the flowers. Life indeed, is too short to get ourselves saddled with debt.

If we don’t want to find ourselves constantly having to deal with creditors on our door, or jeopardizing our child’s college education fund, these few reminders might come in handy in keeping the bills away.

Work hard, live well, laugh out loud. Whether we get to be forty or a hundred and forty, life can still be enjoyed to the fullest… without signing ourselves up to a lifetime of debt in the process.