Clean Simple Finance

Chase Update

2009-08-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

So, I went into a branch and talked to an actual person (Matt), who helped fix the problem lickety-split. Whew!

This is why I want a bank with actual branches; to have the option of face-to-face contact.

Chase Nightmare

2009-08-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

So, I used to bank with WaMu. Happy with them, no problems, friendly service. Now, though, with Chase, I expected some problems. There've been a few, but today's debacle tells me I need a new bank.

I've got a small business and have a business debit card. It stopped working (was rejected, despite there being plenty of money in the account). It's not expired, just doesn't work.

So, I called them up. Got bounced to EIGHT different people, including one who wanted to transfer me to a division I'd already talked to! I took down the phone number which is how I knew it was a repeat.

Throughout the call, the audio quality deteriorated until at the end, I was practically shouting to be heard.

This is simply not the way to do business. Each representative told either "oh, that's a WaMu account, I have to transfer you" or "Oh, that account has already been converted to Chase, I'll have to transfer you".

No one even came close to solving my problem.

School Supply Time

2009-07-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, yes indeed. Back to school is in the air and all the big box stores are having sales on back-to-school supplies. We've had our lists for a month now and I've kept them handy for checking the sales.

Thanks to good deals at Staples, Target and Walgreens, I have all that my kids will need for back to school, with the exception of baby wipes. Still waiting on a good sale for those.

Keep an eye on Money Making Mom, A Full Cup and Chief Family Officer for deals and links.

Taking a Break from the Drugstore Game

2009-06-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a summer break from the Drugstore Game. I used my last Walgreens Register Reward the other day (for Haagen Daaz--on sale 2/$5). I'm stocked up on pasta sauce, shampoo, conditioner, razors, shaving gel, hair gel, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and tuna fish.

The only item I see us running low on is sunscreen. That I'll get on sale or at Costco.

How to save $80 in an hour

2009-05-14T12:47:00.001-07:00

I just colored my hair this morning. I'm prematurely grey and unfortunately, it does not suit me. So, I color my hair. I used to go to a salon, pay $80+ (yes, around here, I'd pay close to that even if I went to a beauty school--go figure!), and do it all again in 6 weeks.

I hate going to the salon.

So, I started doing it myself. I use L'Oreal Excellence (the pink box). I tried Preference (the gold box) one time, but I guess it's not really meant to cover grey because a) it didn't and b) it left my hair dry as a slice of leftover pizza.

I color about every 5 weeks, let's say 10 times a year. If I went to the salon, that would be about $900, depending on how much I tipped, and which salon.

Since I watch the sales, and since I use the same color, I can stock up. Recently Walgreens had an in-store $2 off coupon which I used along with a $2 off manufacturer's coupon, making my final price only $5.99 + tax per box of color. Say $6.50 total. Times ten, that's $65. That's right, for less than the cost of ONE salon visit, I can color my hair for an entire YEAR.

It takes about an hour, start to finish. It would take at least that long at the salon, plus the waiting around ahead of time. And did I mention that I hate going to the salon?

It's a new month

2009-05-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

Do you know where you money is going?

If you don't already do so, keep all your receipts for a month. Every single one. Gas, food, that quick stop at Krispy Kreme, oil changes, etc. etc. Keep them all.

It's Earth Day!

2009-04-22T08:10:00.001-07:00

My top tip for Earth Day? Don't buy anything you don't need!

Great deals at Safeway/Vons

2009-04-21T17:44:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Chief Family Officer, I saved a bundle today at Safeway.

For every $30 (Before Coupons!) you spend on products designated Living Well, you will receive a $10 Catalina coupon at checkout. That's effectively getting $30 of groceries for only $20. Now, if you also use some coupons, you get even better savings.

I stocked up on Electrosol dishwasher soap and pasta sauces; the detailed list of participating brands is here. Note that not all varieties of each brand will count toward the $30 total so check the signs carefully.

Simple meals

2009-04-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Last night for dinner, we had roasted chicken with lemon and herbs, braised kale with garlic and asparagus, with apple crisp for dessert.

The kale came from some plants the kids had put in a raised bed in our back yard. It's sweet and delicious and everyone loved it. Asparagus and apples came from our bi-weekly produce bin delivery and the chicken was from a huge buy at Safeway ($.99/lb so I stocked up and packaged in freezer bags).

Home cooking saves money and is better for your health. Keep it simple and you can have a meal on the table each night with just a bit of kitchen work.

Quick Walgreens Trip

2009-04-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday, the last day of the weekly Walgreens ad. I stopped in briefly with my older DD for a quick trip.

Transaction 1
Edge shaving gel for $2.99+tax. Paid with my Walgreens gift card (which was loaded up from rebates) Received a $3 Register Reward coupon which I used for...

Transaction 2
2 Red Baron pizzas (2/$5) I had a $1 off 2 manufacturer's coupon
2 Arm & Hammer deodorant ($.99 each with Walgreens in-ad coupon)
2 Mentos gum (on sale for 2/$2) I had 2 $1 off coupons

I used the $RR and paid $3.16 out of pocket. Total cost of the two transactions was $6.42. Not bad for all that I got!

Stocks up

2009-03-23T14:07:00.001-07:00

Stocks are up based on news of some economic recovery and a rising housing market. Still a good time to buy, if you are looking at the long-term.

CD rates have been super low recently. I've been keeping an eye on BankRate.com's chart of CD rates.

Doing the Deals

2009-03-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the tips from Money Saving Mom and the forums at A Full Cup, I got some great deals today from Target and Walgreens.

Target has Quaker products on sale and if you buy 5, you get a $5 Target Gift Card. I used coupons from the Sunday paper inserts and got 5 bars of various types of granola bars. Total out of pocket? $8.25, less than $2/box. And I have the gift card for my next trip to Target. Those will go in my kids' lunch boxes.

Time to start tax preparation

2009-02-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

This is a good time to gather your materials for 2008 tax year returns. For those of certain income levels and return complexity, there are free filing options available online.

Free Finance Book from Suze Orman and Oprah

2009-01-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

Suze Orman's latest book, 2009 Action Plan is available for free download for a limited time. In English or Spanish.

Thanks to Suze Orman and Oprah for making this resource available free.

Saving with Coupons

2009-01-06T18:49:00.001-08:00

In today's local paper (may not be in all markets) was a coupon for a free Tazo Starbucks tea drink. I had mine today and it was yummy, even tastier for being free!

Lately, I've made many Walgreens trips. Two sales this week are especially good. Garnier hair care products are on sale for $2.99 and there's a $2 off coupon in the Walgreens Easy Saver coupon book (available in their stores, usually near the front door). Also on special (with a coupon from the weekly flyer) is Quaker instant oatmeal 10 count package. Couple it with a manufacturer's coupon and your total price is $.99 per box.

Time for end of the year decisions

2008-12-27T11:36:00.000-08:00

There are a few days left 'til end of the year. Time still to make those last minute donations or to sell any stocks to lock in losses or gains.

Use up your flexible spending account funds and health care savings account dollars too--check your plan for rules about carry-over.

Walgreens quickie

2008-12-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

I hit Walgreens last night for the last day of the 4-day sale. Biggies on the list were: Arm & Hammer laundry detergent for $1.99 (I got two, the max and had a $1 off coupon), bagged candy (Hershey's Kisses and Brach's both had $5 rebates for buying 4 bags and I need these for our holiday gift giving), Danish butter cookies (ditto, gift giving), a stocking stuff that won't be named in case the intended recipient is reading this.

I had a $5 Catalina, the store coupon for the Arm & Hammer and the manufacturer's for same. Total with coupons was just over $25. I received a $5 Register Reward, since my purchase was $25+. After rebates, the out of pocket is $15--that would have been the cost of the laundry detergent ALONE.

Free Shipping Day is December 18

2008-12-08T12:12:00.001-08:00

Many online merchants are offering Free Shipping on December 18th. Christmas delivery is guaranteed-bonus!

Free Shipping Day! More merchants are added daily.

Entertainment Book on Sale

2008-12-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

The popular Entertainment Book is now on sale for $10 off with free shipping. It's a great deal--you'll easily save the current price of $15 with use of just one or two of the coupons.

If you are a MyPoints member and go through MyPoints' link (search for Entertainment on the MyPoints page) you'll get 750 points!

This is the sale I wait for every year to buy my book.

Black Friday

2008-11-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

Did you get any bargains? Steal any deals? Or did you just sleep in?

I'm still in my jammies, so guess what I did?

Restaurant.com 80% off sale

2008-11-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

Restaurant.com, which sells gift certificates for restaurants around the U.S. is having an 80% off sale! Use coupon code SURPRISE.

If you're a member of Mypoints.com or eBates.com, be sure to click through there to get your points as well as the discount!

These certficates are great for date nights with your sweetie or when traveling--type in the zip code of your destination to find deals on local restaurants.

Giveaways Galore!

2008-11-18T11:26:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year, and the blogs are fruitful and full of giveaways to make your season bright.

Over at Chief Family Officer, you could win Build-A-Bear swag!

Money Saving Mom has a whole list of giveaways on various personal finance and homemaking blogs--enter away!

Black Friday is just around the corner!

2008-11-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

Yay for coupons

2008-11-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks for a 30% off coupon at The Gap, I've got holiday gifts for two off my list. Here's the link--it's still good through today, online and in store at all Gap stores & Banana Republic, Old Navy & Piper Lime too.

Playing the Drugstore Game

2008-11-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

I've been playing the Drugstore Game a bit lately. Today, since Walgreens had a special $5 off $20 coupon (good only yesterday and today), I made a couple of trips. They had deals on wrapping paper and other Christmas items--these I stocked up on for the girls' schools' holiday bazaar.

Also, due to a free after rebate item, some manufacturer's coupons and the above mentioned Walgreens coupon, I got all this for free: L'oreal moisturizer, two bags Hershey's kisses, two dozen eggs, and four cans of Progresso soup. I do have to wait for the rebate, but it's done online and is quite fast.

Whew!

For tips on how you can play, check some of the links in my sidebar, especially Money Saving Mom--she has links to many more blogs that help one to figure out the Drugstore Game.

What will Tuesday bring?

2008-11-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

Tuesday will bring change to our country, one way or t'other.

Don't forget to Vote!

Handling this ecomony

2008-09-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

It seems that things will be slow for a while yet. Personally, I'm hoping that a new presidential administration will lead to a change for the better in the economy, but whoever wins the election will inherit quite a mess.

Can you feed your family for $3 a day?

2008-07-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

Grocery Outlet thinks so! (caution: their site is noisy at first). For those who have Aldi's, Grocery Outlet is similar. It's overstocks, close-to-expiration, and out of season foods. Everything is still technically good, even if it's up to or after the sell-by.

I was there the other day picking up some frozen meals for my sweetie to take to work for lunches when I noticed some placards they'd put up around the store. Each one had a day's menu using only items from a frugal Grocery Outlet shopping trip. At the register, they had little booklets with tips, recipes and a shopping list for a week's worth of meals for 4 at $3/day per person.

Could you do it? I'm going to try it and see how it goes. I'll have to make some modifications to accomodate my food allergies, but it shouldn't affect the cost much.

Key Bank iPod promotion

2008-07-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the quick: open a new account at Key Bank (not available all over the U.S., only in select markets) and get a free iPod Nano or Touch.

This is the promotion that I used last year to get my iPod Nano, which I love.

Bargain Summer Camp...

2008-07-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

if you don't mind a little bit of Jesus with your paper mache! This week, the kids are enjoying Vacation Bible School, essentially summer camp (crafts, outdoor activities, sing-a-longs and snacks) with a Christian twist. Many churches have them, some require you to volunteer at the camp, some only request a donation. I paid $7.50 per child for a week, 9-noon, of fun activities. I'm volunteering daily because of my younger one's age, but it is fun to help out. Today, I got covered in Elmer's glue.

Free Movie Ticket

2008-07-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Jonathan over at My Money Blog has a post about an Entenmann's Contest--you could win a free movie ticket.

Not Buying It

2008-07-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

We've been keeping our non-essential shopping to a minimum. Food, gas, and sunscreen are the only recent purchases. I've continued avoiding the thrift stores (where temptation lurks). I've taken the kids to the park almost every day. Our local city parks offer free lunch for kids 1-18, so we've timed our visits for lunch time. Every bit helps, right?

Target

2008-06-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

I've been encountering more and more negative stories about Target. The Consumerist is rife with them. First the return policy changed from generous and understanding to draconian. And now it's simply inane.

Anything I actually need I can find someplace else. It won't always be as cheap as Target, though I'll bet just as often the price I find will be lower.

Ending my Walgreens experiment

2008-06-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've decided to end my experiment in the world of the Drugstore Game. Although I did get some good deals (shampoo, chocolate to give as teacher/library gifts, razors & shave gel), I also added some stress to my life. I will continue to check the Walgreens Easy Saver catalog each month, since I do have a Walgreens gift card now that has been reloaded twice thanks to rebates.

In our city, sales tax is now 9%. I know there are folks who do primarily the Free After Rebate (FAR) items each month, and because they choose to have their rebate loaded onto a Walgreens gift card, they get a bonus of 10% on top of the rebate amount. If your sales tax is less than that, there's a profit there. For me, a profit of 1% is not enough to overcome the hassle of remembering to enter my rebate receipt information.

Gas is >$4 a gallon

2008-05-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Every station I passed yesterday had prices of over $4 a gallon. Diesel was closer to $5. A year ago, we were pricing gas in preparation of our cross-country road trip. Prices were just under $3 a gallon, usually $2.75 or so, so we used $3 for our calculations to allow for variations. And just a year later, it's up $1.

I've been contemplating a California road trip. We live in Washington, so it's quite a ways. I grew up in California, and would like to take my kids to see the places I used to visit as a child. Other than Disneyland, we haven't taken the kids to California yet. Lots of planning still to do though.

But back to that $4 a gallon gas. Have you changed your driving habits? I have, in that I avoid unnecessary trips, plan my errands for efficiency and walk when we can. Those are things I already did though. Things I won't do? Take public transport. It just doesn't work for me when I have a kid or two in tow. I love to Rollerblade and Razor scooter, and have ridden my scooter to the market (fun fun fun and faster than driving). I don't love riding my bike, because gunk gets in my eyes even with shields on. I do drive the speed limit (and get tailgated which irks me to no end). I try to go easy on acceleration and deceleration.

When you really need a human

2008-05-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

Like I did today. I got a strange email from my bank, about an address change on one of my accounts. Of course, I called them up right away to take care of it. Turned out it was for an account for a non-profit that I'm a signer on, but not currently an active user. The treasurer post must have moved to a new member.

Trying to get to a real person took FOREVER. I had to call back three times, increasingly frustrated each time. I finally came to my senses and looked up "get a human". I love it. I really do. Bookmark this site, because you will refer to it all the time. In just two shakes, by following the instructions, I had a real person on the line who helped me sort out the problem.

Once I actually reached a live human, she was pleasant and helpful. Kudos to the bank for that at least. Curses for forcing me to go through heck to get through.

A must read book

2008-05-15T11:54:00.001-07:00

Anyone who wants to lose weight, improve their health or who has been told to use drugs or diet to lower their cholesterol should read this book. I warn you, it's a fairly academic tome. The author spent five years researching and writing this book. It's an eye-opener!

The simplest way to save money

2008-05-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Don't buy stuff. Stay out of the stores. When you do shop, go in with a list, preferably written. Avoid looking at catalogs--get off the mailing lists (check out Catalog Choice for an easy way to opt out of multiple catalogs at one time). Skip those aspirational magazines, like Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living and worse, the "shopping magazines" like Lucky. They're pits of desire just waiting to trap you in longing for more and more.

'Nuff said.

Fun items from The Consumerist

2008-05-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

This first one cracked me up. Want something? Send $10 to the Somethingstore and they'll send you ... something. They pick it from their inventory. Recent somethings sent include: gourmet tea gift basket, leather wallet, duct tape wallet, Zippo lighter, hair trimmer. The list goes on!

And on a more practical note, CNN Money has a short & sweet article on the only seven investments you need for a balanced portfolio. Ready? Here ya go!

A blue-chip U.S.-stock fund

A blue-chip foreign-stock fund

A small-company fund

A value fund

A high-quality bond fund

An inflation-protected bond fund

A money-market fund
They provide examples of all seven. Grab a Zecco account and get started today!

Save money on postage

2008-05-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

First, get thee to a post office and stock up on "Forever" stamps. They cost $.41 until Monday (when postage rates go up). "Forever" stamps though, can be used for first class postage forever. Even if the rate increases, if you use the "forever" stamp, no need to add extra, it's covered.

Did you know that stamps don't expire? If you find your childhood U.S. stamp collection, you can still use those $.15 or $.19 stamps as legal postage today. You'll probably get more value out of them that way.

Some folks have gotten good deals on stamps on eBay. I haven't tried it yet; I stocked up on "forever" stamps and should be good for at least one more postage increase.

What's up with the frozen yogurt?

2008-05-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

Suddenly, there's frozen yogurt all over! Pinkberry this and Red Mango that. Didn't we do the frozen yogurt craze already? Like, back in the late '80s & early '90s? Now it's the latest thing in Hollywood and spreading to the 'burbs.

Frozen yogurt is dessert. That's all. It's not particularly healthful. If you want a healthy yogurt, try some plain Greek-style yogurt or plain organic yogurt. My personal favourite is Cascade Fresh. The fruity flavours have no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial sweeteners. The plain is tangy and light, with a slightly gritty (rather than creamy) texture. Serious yum.

For an easy cheap dinner, marinate some cheaper chicken pieces in a cup or two of plain yogurt that you've mixed with 1-2 Tablespoons of Panak's mild curry paste (available at specialty asian & Indian markets or better grocery stores). Marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve with Basmati rice and a lightly cooked vegetable, like green beans, broccoli or whatever is in season and cheap.

Making Saving a Habit

2008-05-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal has a nice little article on simple ways to make saving a habit.

I'm a fan of automation--once it's set up, you can (mostly) forget about it. Most banks and brokerages allow you to customize your automatic savings, so you can choose a day and amount that works for you. Have your savings stowed in a mutual fund or a money market account, or choose to save with bonds. It's creating the habit that's key, more than the specific choice of where to stash the cash.

I find that mindfulness is the key to keeping a handle on expenses. Make active, aware choices. Keep your goals and vision in mind. Once you've practiced that, you'll automatically run your options through a "goal filter" before making a decision.

Food Costs!

2008-04-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Food costs are rising. I've noticed that even at the bakery thrift store, where we buy our bread, prices have risen a bit. I've always kept a pretty good lid on the food costs. I shop primarily at our local walking-distance independantly-owned market, and fill in with bulk purchases at Costco. For me, doing the Grocery Game wouldn't save us anything, as we buy very few convenience products. Most of our meals are cooked from scratch.

We do have an upright freezer, so I'm able to stock up on the items we use frequently and can thus avoid extra trips to the store. We use a produce delivery service, not so much because the cost is less than buying the produce at the grocery store or the farmer's market, but to AVOID trips to the store and thus temptation. What we get in the bin is what we'll eat as fruits and veg for the two weeks. If we run out, then I'll throw in a trip to one of our many local farmer's markets.

We have a kitchen faucet!

2008-04-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

The faucet arrived! We ordered online from eFaucets.com. Not only did they have the only faucet that both of us agreed we like, they had free shipping, and there was a sale with an extra 8% off. AND, by going through eBates.com, we saved an extra 4%. Not bad. We did check with out local plumbing source to see if we could get a better deal wholesale and the answer was "No", due to our insanely high sales tax and because the one we wanted would need to be special ordered.

Also arriving at the door was our nifty new instant hot water faucet. We drink a lot of tea, and we have one of these wonderful Japanese-made hot pots. I bought it as a present to myself over ten years ago, and it's still going strong. However, in the new kitchen, we will have LESS storage room (I know, the reverse of the usual kitchen remodel--trust me, it's a Good Thing). So, when we realized that with our four-hold drilled sink, if we chose a faucet that has the spout and handle coming out of one hole, we'd have space for not only a sprayer and a soap dispenser, but also a hot water gadget, well, we were thrilled! We picked a medium priced one from Lowe's (they were able to order the one we wanted and ship it to us gratis, and they had the best local price). It has a tank where the water is heated; with our corner sink, we had plenty of space for it.

I'll share some pictures once Blogger fixes the image bug, so check back!

Tax Day ... Postponed

2008-04-19T13:01:00.001-07:00

I filed an extension to file for this year's taxes, and sent along the good ole' estimate of what is owed. We just didn't have the mental energy to handle it right now, with the kitchen remodel in full swing.

I married a genius!

2008-04-18T15:45:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a certain someone's ingenuity, we have a working gas stove. Extra cost due to the poorly placed gas line? About $3 in parts. Below is the new; below that, the old "argh" one.

DIY Pitfalls

2008-04-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

We tried to install the stove today, tried being the operative word. Turns out the gas line we had installed (by an installer, we didn't do it ourselves) is too far away from the wall by about an inch and a half to accomodate our new (to us) gas stove. ARGH! We had the line installed about ten years ago, when we switched to a gas dryer and we were optimistically thinking we'd get a gas stove soon. No idea who the guy was, contact info is long shredded or tossed.

DH is planning on moving the gas line closer to the wall. I'll update on how that goes. It is very handy to have a husband who enjoys systems--give the man a plumbing, electrical or gas project and he's happy. Ask him to paint and you'll get an "are you crazy?" look. Since I love to paint, we're a good team.

The range hood installed just fine. Another of our Craigslist finds.

Floor: Done. Sink: Installed. Dishwasher: Installed

2008-04-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Family: Happy!

Seriously, we're thrilled to be in the final days of the kitchen remodel. I'm calling it a remodel since we've changed so much, more than I had originally planned. Cost so far is still less than $3000, including appliances, so again, we're happy.

Still on the to-do list though (and some will up the final cost) are: kitchen faucet, install range hood and range (gas line is ready!), paint cabinet doors (still debating the final colour choice), clean hinges & knobs, shelf paper, triangle shaped shelf unit for behind the sink, new cupboard organizers (the old ones are stained and dingy).

We're debating adding one of those hot water on demand taps for the sink, since we have space for it. It would eliminate one of our countertop appliances, and would be convenient for cooking too. Still, it adds about $400 to the cost, and may not be worth it. Also, we could add one later, since we already have the 4-hole drilled sink.

Here's a reminder of what the floor used to look like. Isn't the transformation amazing?

Professional Development

2008-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from the kitchen, and heading off to the National Association of Professional Organizers conference. While I'm gone, the floor refinishers will refinish the kitchen floor. DH and the kids will hold the fort away from the fort (due to flooring fumes!)

Back on Sunday with pictures of the new floor!

Kitchen Cost Update

2008-04-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

DH came home with a gas stove so, to update the costs...

Gas stove: $100 (Craigslist)

And I forgot to list the plumbing, which was $50 including tools, since we did it ourselves.

Kitchen Cost Update

2008-04-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't worked the full numbers to date yet, but here's my estimate of what we've spent so far. Numbers are rounded for ease of calculation (since I happen to have a napping 4 year old on my lap:-)

Appliances
Vestfrost Fridge: $1000 (the biggest expense so far)
Kenmore Dishwasher: $125 (used)
Unknown Gas Range: ?? (not yet purchased, DH is looking at one as I type!)

Paint
Benjamin Moore Paint: $100 (includes some brushes and two dropcloths, most gear I already had)

Countertop & Sink
Kohler Sink: $228 (friend has a friend, yada yada yada)
Formica laminate countertop: $70 Formica and $40 high-grade plywood

Floor Refinish
Christian Brothers Hardwood Floors: $800 (the minimum charge, since our space is pretty small)

Other
Stripper: $80 (money not well spent, stripping was a bad idea)
Misc. tools: $20 (scraper, sandpaper, spackle)

That totals $2463. Not bad for essentially a whole new kitchen. What do you think?

ROTFL

2008-04-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

Just go to Think Your Way to Wealth. Just do it.

Rethinking the Big Picture

2008-04-01T08:01:00.001-07:00

So, with the economic downturn, I've realized we all need to re-think the big picture. In that spirit, I've decided to replace my old car with a new, leased model. I was thinking of this one: Of course, leasing is always the best decision for us drivers who put a lot of miles on our cars. It just plain makes economic sense, don't you know?

While the kids are young, it doesn't seem fair that they not enjoy all the best things. Since our current furniture (dark plum couch and oversized chair) are showing their wear, I wanted to invest in some new pieces. These will go very well in my living room, and the furniture store even has a store credit card! Score!

Keeping a Firm Hand on the Food Budget

2008-03-29T10:43:00.001-07:00

We've been renovating the kitchen since March 7th. Just over three weeks now. Without a kitchen, cooking has been, let's say, interesting. Before starting the project, I loaded up our upright freezer with 35 $1 (on sale) Banquet frozen dinners, hoping that would get us through. When the project expanded, of course, we had to re-stock. Since frankly with the Banquet dinners, you get what you pay for, I decided to go a bit more upscale with our next batch. I hit a local bargain haven, the Grocery Outlet where you can find great deals on such brands as Amy's Organic, Seeds of Change, Stouffer's, etc. I went up a bit more on the price point, paying as much as $1.99 each. Most were still in the $1.49-$1.79 range though. I bought $40 worth; a week later, as the project had expanded even more to include countertops, I had to head back to the Grocery Outlet and stocked up on 40 frozen meals. The Seeds of Change ones are especially tasty--they taste like real food, not a frozen dinner.

Other than lunches here and there, and Friday Pizza Night, we haven't gone out to eat. Until this morning, we hadn't even hit our favourite breakfast place! We've thus been able to stick fairly closely to our usual food budget, despite the lack of a kitchen.

I really miss cooking! I miss the smell of sauteing garlic and olive oil, the rich scent of baking sweet potatoes, the caramel smell of bar-b-que pork in the Crock-Pot. (Yes, I know I could still do Crock-Pot meals, but frankly, it's just too much to handle right now.)

If you can do it, do it yourself!

2008-03-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

My goal with this kitchen makeover originally was to do everything I could myself except for the floor refinishing (I have no interest in learning to use a floor sander!) That changed when we added the countertop project of course.

We did know that some plumbing was needed. The previous previous owners did a poor job of retro-fitting the plumbing when they added a dishwasher. We needed to remove the old pipe it's improperly placed junction and put in new pipe with a properly located junction for drainage of sink and dishwasher. We'd called a plumber, heard back once, but not to our reply message asking about price and scheduling. So, off to the plumbing supply store!

DH always thought he could do it, but we didn't have a pipe wrench. Turns out they cost about $13 and our neighbor (Mr. Tool) had one as well. Good, since we needed two as it turned out.

The cost of the supplies? Just about $50 including the wrench which can be used on other projects.

The Project Creeps Even More!

2008-03-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

So, well, the kitchen counter is off. It's been delivered to our friend who has ordered the new sink (from a buddy who is a plumber and can get a trade discount) and the Formica (ditto on the discount I hope!). Turned out that there were some reason to use a new undersurface for the countertop rather than just re-doing the Formica on top of the old plywood, so that's the current plan.

The kitchen looks...naked. !

(oh, the odd icky picture up there? It's the inside of the kitchen sink drain pipe. Serious gunk builds up in there! It'll be replaced with new, possibly PVC.)

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

I hope the Easter Bunny paid you a visit. Easter Blessings, Peace be with You!

Dishwasher!

2008-03-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

Finally found the right dishwasher via Craigslist. We were all out and about today, took the kids to a (free) Easter Egg Hunt at the local community center. Then, off to check the Sears Scratch & Dent outlet (no gems found). We did take down a few model numbers and did some quick online research on them out in the parking lot. DH has internet via his TMobile phone USB interface, so hooked up the laptop and off to Epinions etc. Found zip zilch about the few models in the right colour that the outlet had, but, I also checked Craigslist and found just what I wanted in a new ad. Sent a quick email with our offer and phone number and got a quick call back! Sure enough, it turned out to be just the dishwasher for us and our offer of $125 was accepted. It's now in our garage, awaiting installation once the counters are finished.

Walgreen's Update

2008-03-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

I used up my last Register Rewards from my first Walgreen's Deal. They expired on the 18th, so I didn't want to lose them. I ended up buying my painting gloves (I use gloves when I paint, always, as I hate getting paint on my hands, so I go through a lot of latex gloves!) and some ice cream (Haagen Daaz was on sale, and the kids wanted Root Beer Floats:-). I won't be doing any more Walgreen's shopping until I get my gift card from the rebates. Then, I'll do the free-after-rebate items only for next month.

Cost Creep

2008-03-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, there's been progress on the kitchen project. I've bought the refridgerator, got 2% back via EBates and an extra $10 from a coupon code I found just before I checked out. It's the biggest expense so far. I also bought paint for the walls and cabinet, $100 for a gallon of wall colour and 3 quarts of trim and cabinet paint. I prefer Benjamin Moore and the paint store guys are always helpful and friendly over at Seattle Paint Supply. I had some ceiling paint left over from the last paint job I did, and I'll use that for the kitchen ceiling.

But here's what happened today. We had a friend over, a contractor, who has been suggesting strongly that we consider replacing the countertops and sink. I'd been resisting, because, well, gee whiz, I can't do that myself! All the other aspects of the project were things I could do or DH could do (like the plumbing/electrical). Countertops are strange and mysterious. I didn't want to open that can of worms. But contractor friend has offered to help, so, well, take a look.

Cost of a Kitchen Makeover

2008-03-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to do my makeover on a realistic, but small budget. I'm not moving any plumbing, removing any walls or even putting in new counters. It's supposed to be a small-scale refresh of the existing space.

Well, let me tell you. That can be done. But don't ever try to strip paint on a small project like this. I've spent almost $100 on stripper (less thanks to a 20% off Entertainment Book coupon) and countless hours scraping and brushing. Had I merely scraped the bits that were truly failing and decided to forgive the rest, I'd be done priming by now. As it is, I'm working on the third coat of stripper, and am close to fully demoralized.

Now, I'll have to do some plaster patching as well. It's called project creep and it sucks.

That said, it's really not so bad. I've got about another day of stripping, then some washing, plaster patching and a bit of sanding. I am still hoping to be able to start priming by Friday or Saturday.

So far, I haven't spent much, but again, more than I wanted to. I've bought: primer (2 gallons for $9, special at Home Depot and a poorly worded sign:-); stripper, brushes, scrapers, drop cloths, latex gloves, paint tray liners, wood filler and paint remover.

I've got my eye on three new appliances: fridge (Vestfrost compact $1000); dishwasher (Kemore Ultra-Wash--price will depend on whether we buy it new or used); range (gas of some sort, again, price will depend on whether we buy it new or used). I've been scouring Craigs'List for appliances.

Kitchen Makeover Part 1

2008-03-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

I finally did it--I packed up the kitchen and started the makeover! Here are a few before pics just so you can see what I've been wanting to change.

Now, I'm trying to do this on a budget, but frankly, I've gotten a little discouraged as I browse the Internet and the home makeover magazines. I keep seeing articles on budget remodels that include countertops, painting, and even an appliance or two for less than $2000! I have no idea how they're doing that, unless they already have a lot of the materials and equipment. I've spent close to $100 so far just on prep materials: paint stripper, scrapers, drop cloths, primer, wood putty to fill holes in the trim. I've budgeted $1000 for a refridgerator because I want this one, and $500 for a dishwasher (but I'm willing to pay less for a used one; I want a Kenmore Elite Ultrawash). A new range is needed too, and we're switching to gas. We've got the venting and the gas line already. Again, I'm willing to go used for that, but haven't yet found the right one.

The floor, which had vinyl tiles, will either be refinished ($1000, since that's the minimun at the refinishers and it's a small space) or replaced (probably with click-in bamboo, such as this). We'll find out on Monday if it's refinishable.

So far, I've cleared out the space, moved the refridgerator, and started the stripping process. Why strip? So much of the old paint is failing--flaking or cracking--that I know from experience that new won't adhere properly. Also, I am changing to a lighter colour and don't want that old green to show through. I'm going to strip the cabinets and the trim and parts of the walls. Then, at least one coat of primer. Haven't yet finalized paint colours, but right now, it's looking like it'll be white trim and cabinet fronts, with a bolder colour for at least one accent wall. All the new appliances will be white, so the kitchen will seem airier and cleaner.

I'll write about the emotional aspect of this on my Decluttering Blog.

Walgreen's Experiment #1: Part 2

2008-03-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

So, later that day...
I went to the Walgreen's closer to my house to see if they had the Mach 3 disposable razor. I had a coupon for $3 off and Walgreen's was offering a free can of Mach 3 shaving gel with purchase, a $3.29 value. They DID have it, and I also found a paperback book for .34! Yes, a random find on a clearance end-cap. The total with razor, free gel and bargain book was $4.98. I paid with a $5.00 Register Rewards certificate earned earlier in the day, and got back $.02.

I'm going to send in my rebates tomorrow. There are a couple of other rebateable items that we use, but frankly, the sooner it's in the mail, the less chance that I'll forget to mail it. You can submit only ONE per household per month, so for some, it would make sense to keep loading it up throughout the month and send it in at the end.

Another thing...the Register Rewards expire about three weeks from the date they are earned. Not as good a deal as I was hoping, but still, it's a deal. I plan on using them to stock up on butter (on sale now for 2/$4), milk and other staples that have gotten so expensive at the grocery store.

Soon, a special edition that will appear here and on my Decluttering Blog: Kitchen Makeover!

Drugstore Deals: Walgreen's Experiment #1: Part 1

2008-03-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

Today, I started a Walgreen's Experiment. Money Saving Mom is, as far as I can tell, THE Walgreen's (and CVS, Rite-Aid, etc) guru. Using her beginner's guide, I decided to give it a try.

First, I went through the circular and the Easy Save Coupon and Rebate booklet looking for deals (that we would actually use!). I found several including Pantene shampoo/conditioner, women's and men's razors, Kleenex, Garnier moisturizer and a couple of others. I'll post the full list soon, promise! I wrote down the deals, including which I had a manufacturer coupon for, which I had a store coupon for, which gave a Register Reward and which were rebate items.

I was able to find most of the items on my list. Some, like a Noxema razor (there's a rebate going on from Noxema and I had a coupon), could not be found. They may just not carry them.

Before going up to pay, I totaled rougly what my items should cost and what I should get right then and there in $ off from coupons and in Register Rewards. It all worked out just as planned, and although I did spend $63 out of pocket, I got $21 in Register Rewards and will get almost $21 back in the form of rebates. MSM suggests taking the gift card option for the rebate. You get an extra 10% back, and then you just use your gift card to pay for future purchases. The idea is that with the gift card, and with Register Rewards, you'll spend very little out of pocket and be able to stock up on all your drugstore needs.

Trying out the Walgreens Deals

2008-03-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

One of my fave frugal bloggers, Money Saving Mom, is a big fan of the drugstore deals. CVS (which we don't have here in the NW), Walgreens, Rite-Aid. They all have weekly circulars, rebates, etc. MSM is an expert at getting the most for her money from these stores, and, bless her, she has a tutorial on Walgreens so you too can learn how to do the deals.

Now for me, someone who has hoarding tendencies (see my Decluttering Blog for more on that:-)I've avoided even looking closely at those deals. But, I did spot a coupon this Sunday for a Venus razor and for the Mach 3, which the husband likes. And I remembered seeing something about those on MSM's site. I decided to risk a Walgreens deal and give it a try.

I'll report back on the results! In the meantime, why not pop over to MSM and take a look at her tips?

Get Thee to The Consumerist!

2008-02-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

If you don't already read it, pop right on over the The Consumerist! This site is a gem. Yes, it's part of a group of corporately owned sites, blah blah blah. Corporate customer service management reads it. It's taken seriously. And if you are being screwed by a company, check The Consumerist. Someone else may also be in the process of being screwed.

You'll find tips for how to get out of your crappy cell phone contract, tricks to reach a real person on a phone tree, and the private phone and email addresses for corporate head honchos.

The Consumerist!

How to Save Money: Stay Home!

2008-02-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

So, my kids have been sick this weekend. Lots of puke, yup. Not much fun for anyone. But, due to staying home, I've saved a lot of money! I did have to spend a couple of dollars to pick up some saltines at the market...

Here's hoping your weekend was just as frugal, but for more pleasant reasons!

Frugal Lunch & Road Trip?

2008-02-15T16:18:00.001-08:00

I love this post by Clever Dude on how he makes his super-frugal lunch. Check it out!

This coming week is mid-winter break so the kids are out of school. I'm thinking about a road trip...the question is, how many miles am I willing to drive in a day and how many will the children tolerate? Flying with four frankly costs too much for my wallet right now.

Using an External Aid: Lent

2008-02-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not aiming to talk about religion here, so just hang in there! Last Wednesday was the first day of Lent. Lent is the 40 days (Sundays aren't counted) between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Go to Wikipedia to learn more if you're so inclined.

Anyway, one of the things those who celebrate Lent do is to set an intention, something we'll either add to or subtract from our lives in order to move closer to the spirit/God/whatever you call it!

This year, I've chosen to stay out of the thrift stores and out of Target. I was finding too much there to tempt me and ruin my budget.

A Lenten intention can help set or re-set a habit. If you're aiming to stop smoking, for example, doing it during Lent can really help. Because millions of people all over the world are pulling for you, as they work on themselves and their own Lenten intentions.

Anyway, back to pure Personal Finance!

Blogs to Look Out For

2008-02-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

Here are a few blogs I've enjoyed recently.

Cutting Back--biting musings on life with an anti-shopping agenda

Waiter Rant--if you've never worked customer service, you haven't yet lived through hell. Waiter has a great sense of humour and a light touch with the sarcasm. Bon Appetit!

The Consumerist--The place to go if you've been wronged by someone who took or wants your $$.

Cocktail Doll--a must read for anyone going to Las Vegas hoping to score some comp cocktails. No, gambling may not be frugal, but heck, ya gotta have some fun once in a while.

Enjoy!

Tracking the Spending: Focus on Food

2008-02-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

Last month, I kept track of our food spending. Grocery store, warehouse, dining out, coffee, all of it noted down. Turned out for the month we spent just about $500. We didn't eat out much at all, a few lunches, snacks and coffees. No major dinners, no ordering in.

So far this month, we've spent about $125 (I've been rounding to the nearest dollar). That includes one small warehouse trip, a few lunches out and a produce delivery. I was hoping to keep it to $400 for this month, and that's more than the first week's amount should be.

Curious about the produce delivery? I decided to try getting a bin of produce every other week, both for health reasons and to keep myself out of the grocery store. The fewer reasons I have to browse the less I'll spend. We'll see if it ends up saving money. It has already enhanced our diet: last night's dinner? Roasted butternut squash with a lacinto kale-chicken-bacon-sage saute. Delicious! The day before? Shrimp with baby bok choy and broccoli in white wine sauce with brown rice. The shrimp were frozen, from Costco, purchased in December and still tasty!

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

Today's contests could bring us closer to decisions on presidential candidates. The real answers won't come until January though, when the new president is sworn in and the agony begins. How to end the Iraq conflict (is it a war if Congress didn't actually declare war?), how to fix the mortgage crisis, the health care crisis, and the coming employment crisis. Fun fun fun.

I'm for a balanced budget. I'm for assisting other nations in crisis, but against getting involved in their internal affairs (so long as they're not invading us). I'm all for universal health care, but not provided by HMOs. I'm against a generic mortgage bailout, but all for increasing standards in the mortgage industry.

Which candidate do I support? It's tough. There are some strong, determined, people on the campaign trail this year.

Reducing Clutter: Junk Mail

2008-02-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

Part of keeping your financial house in order involves keeping track of your mail. Unless you've switched entirely to estatements, you'll need to watch what comes into the mailbox.

And guess what gets in the way? That's right, junk mail! Today's tip? How to get rid of those pesky ValPak coupon packets.

Sure, they sometimes have a good pizza coupon. But, really, how often do you actually use them? I sometimes spend a few minutes browsing the coupons and magnet them to the fridge only to remove them months later, expired and unused.

Go here and follow the instructions. Note that it's best to have a recent ValPak so you get the codes off of the address label. Mine came in yesterday's mail and I deliberately saved it and set it next to the computer so I could get off the list before recycling it.

Have fun!

Much Ado About Nothing: or the Starbucks $1 Cup of Coffee

2008-01-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

So, it was all over the blogosphere last week, that Starbucks was going to sell its short brewed coffee (8 oz) for $1 and offer free refills. Well, Starbucks Gossip was on the story, as were some of the finance blogs and the news magazines (Business Week and Newsday.

Well, what a non-starter. For such a widely distributed story, it turns out that is was only a one-week test, and only at select stores. How do I know? I tried to buy a short coffee for a buck today! No such luck, it's $1.40. So, I got a Tall instead.

Moral of the story? Don't make purchases based on something you read on someone's blog.

Menu Planning to Save Time and Money

2008-01-29T10:59:00.000-08:00

Cathy, over at Chief Family Officer writes about menu planning today. There are so many advantages to planning your menus! For me personally, having planned menus helps me avoid impluse purchases. You know, you go to the grocery store and my, that asparagus sure looks good. And it's on sale! So you buy some, forgetting that your fridge already has enough veggies for the week and buying more means something will go bad.

I use a tool for menu planning called the Menu Mailer. Created by Leanne Ely, the author of the book Saving Dinner: The Menus, Recipes, and Shopping Lists to Bring Your Family Back to the Table, the Menu Mailer is a weekly email containing a menu for the week, along with a shopping list, separated by type of food. For example, all the meat is in one section, the produce, canned goods, etc. Also noted by each ingredient is the day it is used, so if you're not making one of the dishes, you can easily avoid buying the items for it.

I found I was saving money on my grocery bill because I stuck to a list. With the Menu Mailer, dinner was decided already, there was no last minute fuss or desperate dive into the pantry to look for a package of pasta and some jarred sauce (Scarpetta Barely Bolognese, 20-Ounce Jar (Pack of 4)).

Sure, you say, but for $30, I can buy a couple of cookbooks. Why pay for this? Why? Well, Leanne has done all the work! She's done the shopping list, created the recipes, and put it all together in an easy-to-use package. I balked at first, but after actually using it, well, money well spent. I know I saved more than $30 in the first month, just by avoiding impluse dinner buys.

You can try a sample menu, to see if you like it. In addition to the Regular mailer (which is what we use), she also offers a Heart Healthy option, a Low-Carb, a Body Clutter menu to go with her book, written with Flylady Marla Cilley, Body Clutter: Love Your Body, Love Yourself, and a few others. I've been wanting to try the Crock-Pot menu...

It's Tax Time!

2008-01-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

We have a tradition in our family of doing our taxes on Super Bowl Sunday. We keep the game on, and work on the taxes during the pre-game show, and during the game itself if it's not going well for the side we're rooting for (this year, we're for the Giants).

Are you ready for tax time? Do you use your computer to do your taxes or are you atraditionalist and prefer to use the paper forms? I always know it's tax time when I stop in at the local library and they have three large racks of paper tax forms.

Do you have your tax software? Some of the office supply stores offer good deals on other products when purchased with tax software. I use Tax Cut, mostly because way back when we changed our IRAs from regular to Roth, Tax Cut was the only tax software that could accomodate that.

I live in Washington state, where there is no state income tax. We have a killer sales tax though, so imagine how happy we were when Congress (finally) decided that we could deduct the sales tax we paid, to make if fair for us in comparison with those folks in states with an income tax.

Should You Buy an EBook Reader?

2008-01-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

Ebook readers have been around for over a decade. I remember attending a Book Festival here in Seattle, and seeing several booths featuring ebook readers. I was vaguely interested, but I am old-fashioned and I do like my paper. So, I never went any further toward learning more about them.

The latest entrant into the ebook reader market is Amazon, the Internet King of Books. Amazon's reader is called the Kindle, and it's quite nice to look at. They've chosen white for its case colour and it looks, to me, very retro-futuristic, a la 2001 or Minority Report. You can buy books for it, or even magazines and newspapers (the New York Times sans the newsprint marks on your fingers). It features an internet link, allowing for remote purchases. Say you're at Starbucks, hanging out and you just finished a great book and want another right away. Well, Kindle will get you one.

I think it's expensive. It's about $400, and that's before buying any books. Still, if you like to read books on the go and can tolerate the interface, it might save you money (and will certainly save you space) in the long run.

Markets are Down, Time to Buy

2008-01-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

So, seriously, the market is heading for a downturn. Housing down, stocks in general down, we're bleeding money to the Iraq war (over $250 million dollars PER DAY). So, what's the average Joe or Jane investor to do?

DON'T panic sell. It happens with every market downturn. People panic when they see their accounts going down and they sell. If that's your pot of money that you need to use in a year or two for something (college, car or home purchase, etc), well, selling might be the right decision. You may need to lock in your gains and avoid further losses. But, if that's your retirement account that's going down and you're nowhere near retirement age? Let it ride!

DO purchase bargains. When the market goes down, it's like a fire sale for those with some free cash they don't need to access for some years. If you have some sitting around in a savings account, now might be the time to take care of setting up an investment account. For those with a Costco card, Sharebuilder (now owned by ING) is offering a bonus of up to $90 on a new account (you must make a deposit and one trade to secure the bonus).

DON'T become obsessive about checking up on your account. If you've chosen your investments with care, you'll have chosen stocks and funds that you like enough to hold for the long term. If that's the case, just let them be. For buy and hold investors who aren't planning purchases, times like these are a good time to take a break from market watching. Hey, the Super Bowl is coming up, how about those Giants?

DO keep an eye on the big picture. The market goes up and it goes down. It's a cycle. Consider doing some reading on historical ups and downs. Read about the Great Depression, pick up a book by one of the great economists (here's a cool timeline, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco) or learn about another country's economy, say South Korea or Taiwan.

Prospective Homeowners Avoid Subprime Meltdown

2008-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

"Homebuyers sidestep subprime trap
By Joanne Cleaver Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MILWAUKEE — Keith and Vicky Newson appeared destined to become subprime-lending statistics.

Three years ago, at the height of the housing and lending boom, the longtime renters and parents of three children started house hunting in Milwaukee in earnest.

They quickly found real-estate and mortgage brokers intent on persuading them to take on more house and more debt than they thought they could afford."

I love this couple! They knew what they could afford, and despite temptation from all sides (real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and banks) they stuck to their budget and bought a house they could actually afford. They saved up money to cover at least the first three months of payments, so that if something happened (emergency repair etc.) they wouldn't be faced with financial disaster.

The real question is, why are people like the Newsons so rare?

Read the whole article here.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

A fiscally responsible holiday is my wish for you!

Stock Ups and Downs

2007-12-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to make a habit of looking at single stocks, but Starbucks (SBUX) is trading just a few cents above its 52-week low. Read the reports, do your research, but if you like the company, it's a good time to buy.

I like to buy and hold. I don't like to fuss with my stocks, so I choose funds or individual stocks that I will want to hold for at least five years. When you're buying securities, it's important to know why you're buying, what your plans are for that money, and how long you plan to hold the security.

It's a good practice to sit down with your end of year financial report and really look at it. What did you sell and why? Was that decision in keeping with your overall goals? What did you buy and why? Again, double-check that your decisions agree with your goals. Sometimes during the year, a stock report or an article in the Business section of the newspaper might inspire you to make an impulsive decision. Make sure that those impulses aren't costing your portfolio money.

Eat Simply Eat Well

2007-12-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Food is an expense that can easily get out of hand. Forget to shop for dinner, heck, just order some pizza. If that is happening to you more than, say, once a month, your food budget could skyrocket.

It's not that hard to eat well on a budget. But it does take some work. Some cost-conscious folks take the grocery price book angle and keep track of prices at several grocery stores in their area. Then, they check the circulars each week and make up their list, focusing on what is cheapest that week. Some parts of the country offer double coupons, which can make couponing actually pay off.

I personally avoid coupons. I try not to look at the circulars. I also don't shop at many stores. I do the bulk of my grocery shopping at two stores: the local market two blocks away that is part of a small, local chain and Costco. If you've come here from my other blog, Confessions of a Hoarder, you'll know why: I tend to stockpile. I'm one of those strange people who really lovees to grocery shop. I'd do it everyday if I could. I'd shop for others! So, for me, going to more stores doesn't guarantee a bargain, it only guarantees that I'll have more opportunities to buy stuff. The more you see, the more you'll want, and the harder the decisions will be to make.

Thus, to save more on food, keep it simple. Choose one or two stores at which to do your shopping. Make a list and stick to it. Plan your meals for the week (or month if you like to plan ahead). Make use of tools like the Crock-Pot and the freezer. If you find an item you often use on sale for a price lower than you usually see it at that store, consider stocking up, but only if there is money available for it in that week or month's budgeted amount for groceries. If *will* go on sale again, believe me.

Another reason to shop at one or at most two stores is that you'll learn their patterns. For example, I really like Cascade Fresh yogurt in the 32 ounce size. It's normal price is $2.99. I know that about once a month, it goes on sale for $1.99. So, I wait until it's on sale, and then I'll often buy two or three containers, which can sometimes even last me until the next sale. You'll get to know the patterns at your local store, and then you won't need the hassle of a price book or the weekly circulars.

Avoid buying convenience foods and junk foods. They cost more per serving and they have less nutrition. They do save time, I'll give you that. And sometimes, you need the help of a packaged mix or pre-made item. Use them in moderation.

How have you saved on your food budget?

Banking Decisions

2007-12-03T11:15:00.001-08:00

I think of there being two major ways to manage one's money: keep it all in one place or spread it out among many institutions.

The trend of banks and brokerages offering bonuses for new accounts can lead to a dispersal in ones funds. I personally am always tempted by the various offers (My Money Blog has a lot of the good ones...), and often succomb. The problem then is, you have another account to keep track of. Another user name and password, more statements, more potential tax consequences.

The simple me wars with the frugal me on this issue. The simple me wants just one institution, maybe two (a bank and a brokerage). The frugal me wants to get as many extras as possible, whether it be free trades, account bonuses or iPods. Who will win? So far, it's frugal me, but when it's time to do this year's taxes, well, simple me may need to take over!

Sharebuilder Bonus for Costco Members

2007-11-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

Sharebuilder is offering a bonus of $55 to Costco members who open a new custodial account. Give the gift of a strong financial future and start your kids/nieces/nephews/grandkids off right! Use the promotion code: CSTOCKGIFT07

2008 Financial Goals

2007-11-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

Patrick over at Cash Money Life is running a contest to encourage formation of financial goals for the next year. In order to set a goal that has a hope of being met, he's asked that everyone use the SMART mnemonic to make sure that our goals are: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

My most pressing financial goals really are organizational goals. I have accounts at several different brokerage houses and banks. I use several online-only banks and financial institutions (i.e. Paypal). Do I know where all my money is? No! could I find out if I really had to? Yes, but...

Ah, that but. See, here's my goal. By the end of 2008, I want to have fully implemented a financial organization system. This might just be a Word table, an Excel sheet or even a Notepad file. It might involve using one of the newer online services, like Mint or Wesabe. It might just be a notebook filled with information. The means isn't as important as that it gets done.

To do this, starting in January of 2008, I'll gather the information from each bill and statement that comes in through paper mail. In February, I'll tackle those that come via email. In March, I'll seek out the ones with no statements at all (i.e. Paypal, which only sends me information if I use it). Thus, by the end of March 2008, I should have a clear picture of how much I have, how much I owe and where I hold and spend my money. I'll be able to make changes to my portfolio based on actual information rather than on what looks good in the financial section of the newspaper. And, I'll better be able to track expenses.

There's another component to financial organization and that's the brutal reality of all the paperwork that we get. I have two Rubbermaid bins full of several years' worth of bill stubs, check registers, bank statements, and what have you. Why aren't they filed neatly? Well, that's a good question. If you've peeked at my other blog, you'll know that I'm a hoarder. I love stuff, and I hate letting go of things. But I also despise disorder and clutter. Ironic, eh? In the past, when I tried to set up a financial organization system, I would try to make it perfect. Everything in chronological order, alphabetized...you get the picture. Guess how much of my filing I got done? Yeah, not much. In fact, I have two large Rubbermaid bins full of unfiled, unorganized paperwork. Why? Because my system was too labor-intensive. I just couldn't keep up.

My new system will involve a simple rack for my desk, those manila file folders, and a file tray. After a bill is paid or a statement opened, it will go into the file tray. Once a week, I'll take what is in the tray and sort it into its appropriate folder. Once a folder is full, it will go into the file cabinet and a new one will take its place.

The true test of how this all works will be at tax time. I'll update you then!

Mega Returns Master Buffett

2007-11-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

So, you've heard of Warren Buffet, of course. Master investor, buddy of Bill Gates, Bridge player, general nice guy. Master philanthropist (gave away a huge chunk of his money after being inspired by Bill G.).

A recent Bloomberg news article discusses just how good a stock picker Warren Buffett is. "Buying whatever billionaire Warren Buffett bought, often months after his share purchases, delivered twice the return of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index during the past three decades." The best bet for an individual is to buy class B shares of Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway. Of course, the price for a single share runs around $4,475.00. Luckily, you can buy partial shares.

If you wanted to have some fun, you could open an account through a company like Zecco, which offers ten free stock trades per month if you have an account balance of at least $2,500, and set up your own little Mini-Berkshire Hathaway.

Black Friday!

2007-11-23T18:17:00.001-08:00

So, yes, I went out today, Black Friday, the most infamous shopping day of the year. I deliberately planned our departure from home to miss the most common doorbusters. That is, we left around noon, at least an hour after the end of the craziness. We ventured into the downtown core of our not-so-fair city, visiting two bookstores, a Starbucks, a brief stop at the Gap, and a peek into the window at Nordstrom to see Santa (he waved at us).

Along the way, we encountered some environmentalists (no, I don't have "a minute for the environment today"), a sax-playing Santa, and the oddest group, well-dressed folks carrying black signs with white lettering that say "Buy More Stuff" and "Buy Stuff". They seemed cheerful, and completely serious. A gentleman in a camel overcoat handed me a card, which merely said "Buy More Stuff" and listed a url.

Now, I've heard and read about Buy Nothing Day and that makes perfect, lovely sense. I want to believe that the Buy More Stuff folks are being delightfully ironic, but if you look at the site, well, the serious tone doesn't slip. They're devilish, eh? Lots of photos on their site, here's one from my own not-so-fair city.

And, to be truthful, I'll tell you what I bought today. Two small items for holiday gifts, coffee and hot cocoas for the family, and a math workbook for my older daughter (actually, DH paid for that). I checked two books out of the library. I windowshopped. I tried on a ladies undergarment. Ooo La La!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

This holiday has the grocery stores hopping! You can find some great deals, and if you have a stand-alone freezer, you can really take advantage of the sales. If you have the space, and have the ability to plan, go ahead and stock up. Buy an extra turkey, cans of pumpkin (great for soup, quick breads as well as the pie), cranberries (freeze the fresh ones right in the bags to use later for cranberry bread, extra sauce...hmmmm...I have a great Crock-Pot recipe for cranberry beef...)

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your day, don't eat too much, and don't watch too much football!

Year End Activities

2007-11-19T12:44:00.000-08:00

We're closing in on the end of the tax year, if your accounting year follows the IRS's that is.

That means it's time to make those last donations (before end of calender year), think about your IRA and Roth IRA (due by April 15), and make any stock or other security sales you want to count for this tax year.

It's time to go over your portfolio, and check your holdings, see what you have too much of and what you'd like more of.

Preparing Financially for the Holidays

2007-11-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Ah, the holidays we say these days. The winter holidays. Can't say the religious ones, can we? The stores are mostly full of holiday trees and winter themes. Be bold and talk about what you actually celebrate!

But, anyway, on to the money aspect. The Christmas season is huge for retailers. It's when they make the bulk of their profits. It's gold for them. They need us to buy. But always remember, it's our choice whether we buy or not.

The Consumerist has a report from All Financial Matters with six tips for surviving the season with your budget intact.

The Consumerist takes issue with the last item, which involves actually (gasp) talking with your family to coordinate gift efforts. I think that is a great idea, although it's quite a loaded issue for many families. I finally had the talk with my extended family a few years ago. Essentially, I asked if we could please stop the obligatory gift giving amoung the adults. Keep giving gifts to the kids, but don't feel that a gift must be bought for each adult. Most took it not just well, but as a relief and ever since, the gift tide has ebbed. Less clutter, less unnecessary spending, more happiness.

Welcome to Clean Simple Finance

2007-11-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Since 2006, I've been blogging about clutter reduction, hoarding, the tyranny of stuff, and moving toward a cleaner, more simple lifestyle. Throughout, I've had a sub-focus on finance, since having a clean house is so closely linked with having clean and clear finances.

To that end, I've started this blog to discuss finance. The clean and simple side, the complicated side, and most important, the necessary side.

Join me here to hear more about my philosophy on finance. I'll be posting several times a week on various financial topics.