Raya's Thrift

2006-10-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Once again, I haven't forgotten the blog. However, the company I work for has been going through interesting times recently, and I quietly worked on my resume and looked for a new job. I found one pretty quickly, and I start Monday. Once things settle back down, I'll write more regularly.

2006-09-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

The artwork is by Goya. Entitled 'Time'
Click on it for the larger version, but the smaller one isn't as freaky.

Trying to lend class to my otherwise classless post. :)

I have been thinking about savings of other sorts. This past summer, I did a cleansing... both of clutter and emotional baggage. Took 4 truckloads of stuff to Goodwill or gave to friends.

I feel so much better. As an added bonus, it's much faster to clean my house now. It's not possible to clean clutter, but when there ISN'T any clutter, it's much simpler to make things look neat. Keeping the dog hair swept up is another story, of course.

Okay. Here's a specific example. We have a king sized waterbed, which means the bed needs to be spread up every morning so we don't lose the heat in the mattress. This used to mean a king sized comforter. The comforter did not fit in my washer. It did not fit in my dryer. Having it dry cleaned was not only time consuming, but 15 dollars! Taking it to the laundromat meant finding three hours out of my busy day to do so. I tried the duvet (comforter cover) but it didn't get clean in my washer either. I finally went to Goodwill and bought two matching twin sized comforters. Each one fits in the washer and dryer. No one sees our bedroom anyway. But it really doesn't look too bad. I have a beautiful quilt I can spread over the top if someone is going to look at it, but that's pretty rare.

Another example... LAUNDRY. I won't sort socks. I will wash them. I will dry them. After that, they all go into the same basket. If you want socks, go look in the basket. If you put your shirt in the laundry inside out, I will wash it that way. I will either hang it that way or fold it that way, too. If you want to wear it, YOU fix it.

Cleaning the bathroom... well, I don't have time to really get in and scrub as often as I should. So when my towel is getting ready for the hamper, I dampen it and wipe down the counter and faucets and the floor. It's going to be bleached anyway.

Any tips for keeping up with dirty dishes?

2006-08-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Outfitting children
You can put together a nice kid's wardrobe for very little money, especially if you're willing to think creatively. At the last baby shower I went to, I watched the prospective parents open gift after gift with clothing the baby would probably wear once (at least a dozen 3 mo size dresses, and the baby was 9 pounds...). I know it's tempting to give cute clothes like that, but it seems such a waste that no one thought to spread the sizes around and give size 6 or 12 month clothes.

Of course, it will vary by your climate, but if you have good access to a washer, a summer baby (up to 6 months) really can get by quite happily with:
8 - 10 t-shirts or onsies
3 - 5 light footed one piece sleepers
diapering (I'll let our diapering expert speak to cloth, but I'm guessing about 3 dozen diapers and about 6 diaper covers)
3 - 5 pairs of socks or booties (these could be omitted in really warm climates)
1 - 2 sunhats
1 - 2 nicer outfits - optional (dresses, pant suits, etc.)
If you live where the summer can turn cool, get fewer t-shirts/onsies, possibly more socks, use the light sleepers on cooler days, and get 2 - 4 of the heavier blanket sleepers.

For a winter baby under 6 months in a cold climate:
3 - 6 t-shirts or onesies (these can be worn under other clothing for warmth)
3 - 5 light footed sleepers
4 - 6 heavy blanket sleepers
1 - 4 warm pants suits (I suggest either a stretchy knit or a sweat suit type)
1 - 2 snowsuits
1 - 2 sweaters or jackets
5 - 10 pairs of warm socks or booties
1 - 3 warm knit hats
1 - 2 nicer outfits - optional
Diapering
Further south, you can skip the snowsuit, and get fewer socks, but you may still want the blanket sleepers. In really warm climates, 1 or 2 blanket sleepers for the few cold nights should be enough, but more of the footed sleepers

All of these items (except possibly diapering) can be commonly found almost new at yard sales and thrift stores. Just be sure to wash them a couple of times appropriately before using. I could probably outfit a summer newborn or size 6 month baby for less than $20 (barring diapering) from most of the thrift shops near me, and with clothing that was hardly worn. For a winter baby, it might run $25 - $30 (other than possibly a snowsuit) if I was unlucky that day. Oh, this list is based on the idea that you'll be able to do laundry at least every 3 or 4 days (there should be enough to go longer, but babies sometimes go through clothes incredibly fast). If you may be going a week between washing, you may want to double the t-shirts, sleepers, pant suits and socks/booties.

For a 6 - 12 month baby, you'll want clothes they can crawl in. For summer, about the same clothes as for the under 6 month baby, except probably 4 - 6 pairs of light pants to protect their knees when crawling and 3 - 10 bibs. For winter, again about the same, except skip the lightweight footed sleepers, and get 4 - 6 pants suits with long sleeves (short sleeves in warmer climates) and the bibs. My opinion is that a baby that isn't walking still doesn't need shoes, but that's between you and your doctor. If you live where the summer can turn cool, get fewer t-shirts/onsies, possibly more socks and pants, and add 2 - 4 of the heavier blanket sleepers and maybe a jacket. I really recommend thinking against putting a crawling baby in a dress unless you really enjoy frustrating the poor thing and want her physical development slowed. For a photo or something like that, fine. But I challenge YOU to get in the floor and try to crawl in a dress.

From one on up, most kids can get by with:
6 - 10 t-shirts or onsies (long-sleeved in winter)
4 - 8 pants or shorts
3 - 6 sleepers
diapering or 6 - 12 training pants or underwear
4 - 8 pairs of socks or booties (these could be omitted in really warm climates)
1 - 2 pairs of shoes
1 - 2 hats
1 - 3 nicer outfits - optional (dresses, pant suits, etc.)
2 - 4 sweaters or sweat suits in winter
Winter gear appropriate to the climate

Most of us like to get our kids SOMETHING nice, but keep in mind how fast young kids grow out of things. And ask yourself are you dressing them up for THEM or for yourself. Remember most of those outfits never get worn more than a couple of times, you can buy those nice items almost new. Also, if you're frugal in buying their everyday clothes, you'll have extra to buy something extra nice when you do want it. If your child is in a school situation, you may start getting pressure to buy clothes that are more "fashionable". How you handle that is up to you. As my kids were never in school, we never had any real pressure about clothes.

If anyone spots where I've left out something vital, let me know...

2006-08-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note, I haven't deserted the blog, I've just been tied up with some other things lately. I hope to have a couple of new posts up this week...

2006-08-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye to fast food. Well, mostly anyway.

We watched the Supersize Me documentary this week. Wow. Heartily reccomend it. With our food restrictions we fall into the fast food trap too easily, it's very hard to feed our family safely at a reasonably priced regular restaurant. If we add up all the $ we could save by not buying fast food, we could easily go out to one of those nicer restaurants that are celiac friendly once a month.

This week we focus on kicking the habit. Today's paycheck we let the kids spend the $ that would have gone to McDs. After the movie they were more on board with the decision, but this solidified the deal for them. They chose to go to Target and each of them picked out a new toy. We came home with a new Bionicle for big ds, some toy food for big dd's toy kitchen, and lil ds picked out a large train that has mega blocks (large legos) in it. They all made good choices. Those are toys that will get many hours of play in this house.

Then we came home and made our own darn burgers. They were *very* tasty. No one had to order their burger without a bun, because the bread was gluten free. No one had to order plain, the condiments are safe for everyone. No one had to go without cheese, there was goat cheese available for the casein free kid. Why don't we do homemade burgers more often?

2006-08-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Think Free

The next time you decide you want something, instead of popping out to a store to buy it, take the time to think over alternatives first. Is there some way you can get the item free or almost free?

If there's a book you want to read, try the library. If your local branch doesn't have it, ask about interlibrary loan. Sometimes that's free, sometimes there's a small fee. If you live near a public university, often their libraries are open to the public. You may or may not be able to check books out (some will let local residents check out a small number), but at most of them you can take the book off the shelf and read it there. That may be less useful for fiction unless you read quickly, but it could be quite handy for evaluating non-fiction before buying (I once weeded out about 95% of the books on a list that I'd considered buying that way).

Check on-line. There are a number of books available on-line (make sure it's legally available before downloading it or reading it on-line. Consider borrowing the book. I hesitate to suggest this one, because I have a real pet peeve about people borrowing books that they don't return. Use good manners, and return the book promptly if you do. If you know someone who buys lots of books, reads them once and gets rid of them, they might be a good source.

For other items, can you make it? Do you have something already that you can use? And before spending money, ask yourself do you REALLY want or need this item?

If you can't find up with free, look at second hand stores, thrift shops and garage sales. Then look for a bargain source. Only pay full price if there's really no other way. Even if you want high quality items, you can usually find them on sale or second hand with a little work.

2006-08-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

More recycling.

I started with a $3 100% lambswool sweater from the thrift store. After giving it a good felting I cut it apart at the seams. I used the front and back panels to make soakers custom fit to baby (yes the carpet needs vacuumed, and it's a lousy pic, but you can see how it fits her). After giving them a bath with wool wash that has lanolin in it, they'll make awesome covers for her cloth diapers. Then I used the sleeves to make her a pair of pants. There is quite a bit of growth room left in them so they should still be fitting by fall.

So that's 3 diaper covers total, for $3. Well, $3.33 if you count the yard of elastic I would have had to buy for the pants, but I grabbed a small piece from stash. Even if I purchased recycled from sweaters covers straight from a wahm, I would spend around $35 for all three of those. Hand knit would more than triple that amount. I couldn't knit one myself for that amount.

2006-07-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

Lentils! Lentils lentils lentils.

With a 1lb bag of dry lentils, a cup or so of rolled oats, some seasonings, 3 xl eggs, and maybe half a package of garbanzo bean flour, I made 19 good sized lentil burgers last night.

How I did it: First I cooked and drained a 1lb package of dry lentils, they only need to boil for 30 minutes. Then I ran most of them through the blender (not all of them, to give it a lumpier appearance), in three loads, each load with an egg. If you don't want to use a blender just mush them well with a wide spoon, they do not have to be blended, I only do that as a time saving measure. After mushing the rest up and stirring them all together, I sprinkled about 1-1.5 cup of oats in. For seasonings I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Stirred that in, then added about 1/2 cup flour and mixed it in, I did this twice. Then I just kept adding flour in bits and stirring it in until it has a nice thick doughy texture. Squish some into a ball, flatten it, and fry like normal. Works best if it fries with a lid on the pan I think.

I made some biscuits from scratch for buns. Very cheap, kid and hub pleasing, meal. There were enough left over for hub to take to work for lunch today, and there's still more than enough in the fridge for the kids and I to have for lunch. Your cost can most likely go even lower with using a lightweight wheat flour, plain unbleached would be groovy. I haven't cooked with wheat in years so I don't know how whole wheat flour would affect the taste.

Lentils are very low cost, and they're so easy! If you work your seasonings right you can sub lentils for meat in many, many recipes. I've even done this basic recipe, using taco strength seasonings, deep fried it in smaller "meatballs". My kids *devoured* them.

UPDATE: The day after we had lentil burgers, I crumbled 4 patties into a creamy white gravy and served it over toast. Also known as SOS. There are still enough lentil burgers left in the fridge to use as our meat for tonight's dinner too. I'll update again when I figure out what I'm going to do with them.

SECOND UPDATE: The next morning I crumbled one into my omelet with some goat cheese and zucchini chunks. Yum! That night we had a "Mom and Dad are pooped everyone fend for yourself" kind of dinner, and they didn't get used up. There's still 4 in the fridge though.

In answer to the question in the first reply: I don't suggest freezing them unless you plan on putting them in something like omelets or SOS. They're very crumbly when they thaw. For just tossing them in the fridge and then reheating them however, they've passed my hub and kid test with flying colors. You don't have to cook the whole package at once though. It's cooked just like rice, twice as much water as there is lentils, boil for half an hour.

2006-07-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Thrifty Crafts from Junk

I was reminded of this part of our thrifty lifestyle when my daughters got really excited about an exhibit at a local museum featuring art from "found" materials - old plastic cups, bottles, cans, etc. (Being my daughters, they proceeded to plan their trip for a Tuesday, when admission was two dollars, and they had one dollar off coupons). They really enjoyed it, especially my younger daughter who loves to be creative. I should note, though, that they didn't think it was quite as impressive as a local house we saw last Christmas that was on a street that does a HUGE display of decorations. This house had the back and side yards open to gawkers, and every decoration was made from "found" materials. I'm always amazed at the things people throw away. So, I thought I'd include some ideas for taking items headed for the garbage can and putting them to new uses.

Old clothes
T-shirts - Nola posted about diapers, including a link to using old t-shirts to make fitted diapers. Old t-shirts also make great dust and cleaning rags, or if enough of the fabric's in good condition, they can be remade into children's clothes.

Pants - if the knees are ripped out, but the pants are still sound above the knees, everyone's familiar with cut-off shorts. But if the pants below the knee are still sound and the fabric isn't a stretchy one, use them to make book bags - just cut off the damaged area, sew shut at that upper end, let the hem become the top of the bag, and add a handle or two. If you don't want to make one, most fabric stores sell some kind of strapping cheaply. I find it for about $1.50 a yard, and I get handles for at least three bags from a yard. Or, if you want a larger shopping bag, take both pant legs, cut out one matching seam for each, sew them together, and continue as above. This works best with heavier pants, especially denim. If the damaged area is too high to make shorts from them, but the body of the pants are sound, you can turn cut off the legs entirely, sew the cut edges and any front pockets shut, and add straps for a novel purse or shopping or diaper bag, especially if the pants have hip pockets.

I've also remade the legs from adult pants into simple toddler pants. And of course pants from appropriate fabrics can be cut into patches for quilts.
Stretchy pants can be cut in a spiral up the leg to create a single long strip from each leg, and then used to crochet or as weft for weaving.

Old sweaters - in theory, these can be unraveled for the yarn. I haven't figured out the trick myself, and as I live in an area of the country where good wool sweaters aren't common, I don't have much incentive. But it could be a great way to get wool yarns if you're broke. They can sometimes be cut down into children's clothes. I've also taken good sleeves and turned them into bottle covers.

Almost everyone knows many non-stretchy old clothes can be cut into patches for quilting, but I was surprised a few years ago to find out very few quilters actually do this. The theory appears to be that if they're going to put that much work into something, they want the materials to last and look good. And I can understand that. However, my quilts aren't terribly complex, and are intended for heavy use more than display, so good patches from old clothes suit me perfectly. One thing I love to make for kids is a quilt top made with simple, large patches so it goes together quickly, then I use a sheet for the backing, and either tie it or quilt it on the machine. The child doesn't need a top sheet, and making the bed (unless it's winter in a cold area) is a matter of spreading out the quilt on the bed. And a quilt this simple and easy means you won't be tempted to shriek when you find the quilt on the muddy ground as the floor to a "blanket" tent, etc. You can also make pillows and hangings from quilt patches. I have a tree of life hanging I made that I use over a sunny window in my bedroom.

Small pieces of fabric, either from old clothes or remnants, can by turned into headbands or pony tail holders. For a pony tail holder, all you need is a piece of fabric about 10 inches long and about 2 inches wide, and a piece of elastic about 1/2 an inch longer than you want the pony tail holder to be. Sew into a tube, turn inside out, thread the elastic through (I like 3/8 inch wide elastic), sew the ends of the elastic together, then overlap the fabric, fold the visible edge under, and sew. Using the sewing machine, I can finish one of these in under 5 minutes. The principle for a head band is the same. Measure your head as you want the band to go around it, take a piece of fabric about twice that long and 3 or 4 inches wide. Then follow the same procedure as for the pony tail holder, except you'll probably want wider elastic for this, and measure the elastic by pulling it around your head to just the tightness you want, and add 1/2 an inch or so for sewing the ends together.

Before you throw out a piece of clothing or give it away, take a second look at it. Pants that are too short can have a decorative band added to the bottom to add length, or be cut a little shorter for capris. Skirts can be lengthened or shortened sometimes too. Adult clothes can sometimes be recut for kids. If there's a small stain, can you cover it with a bit of embroidery or applique? Or redye the item? Can the item be mended? If the repair will be obvious, can it be hidden with trim or embroidery or applique? If the item is just "dated", can you alter it?

Items can be remade into doll clothes and blankets. Old towels can be cut into dish towels and wash cloths. Stained towels and washcloths can be recut into washable baby wipes, just throw them into the diaper pail with the diapers. If you live in a hot region, cut an old towel into strips about 4 inches wide, wet the strips and put in the freezer (either in a recycled plastic bag or on a cookie sheet). When you have to go outside to work on something, pull one out and drape it around your neck (this assumes you don't have any medical condition that might react badly to sudden cold...) If you live without AC, and it gets hot, you can take a piece of gauze, hang it over an open window that's getting a breeze, and use a spray bottle to wet it down. Cheap swamp cooler. Whatever fabric you use, be sure it "breathes". An old sheet MIGHT work, if it's 100% cotton and worn thin. I read about this in a description of how Indians traditionally keep cool. You could also hang the wet fabric in an open doorway with a fan on the other side (keeping the fan a safe distance, etc.)

Quilts and comforters that are stained or otherwise not "presentable" but in good shape can be used as batting for new quilts. This assumes you're making a utilitarian piece, and not one of the lovely show pieces. An old quilt can also be into several baby quilts, however be conscious of fire safety when you're remaking adult items for an infant. Don't forget comfort blankets and play quilts for toddlers and young children. I've even seen a quilt remade into a child's jacket, but that's trickier sewing than I can do. However, that may be a good use for an old blanket.

Well, I've already covered a lot of ground, and I never got past reusing clothes and household linens. Hopefully, one of my co-writers will pick up and expand with other ideas now...

2006-07-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

If you have a freezer, I highly recommend buying a Food Saver. (That exact brand... I tried the Rival knockoff and it was terrible.)
When things are on sale, I stock up and freeze a bunch. We like chicken breasts.

(Hub likes all kinds of breasts, but I digress)

When breasts are on sale, I buy as much as I can, and then spend an afternoon de-boning and bagging them. I ate some this week that were frozen almost a year ago, and they were still as fresh as the day I put them in the freezer. Take all the bones and throw them in a soup pot with onion, garlic and whatever else you like in chicken soup/broth and boil them. I take the broth and freeze it in big flat square containers overnight, then put it in food saver bags the next day and freeze them. They last a long time that way.
This summer, I froze a bunch of strawberries for shortcake this winter. There's something really nice about strawberry shortcake when the weather outside is frightful.

The food saver has also helped me with fresh food. Sometimes we buy lettuce, and it doesn't get used fast enough to keep it from getting all brown and mooshy. Then we want some on a sandwich and the lettuce is dead and decomposing in the drawer in the bottom of the refrigerator. I have a Food Saver canister, and we take the core out of the lettuce and put the rest of it in the canister. (We wash it as we use it). I have kept a head of lettuce for more than a month in the refrigerator.

Another really good use for it is as a marinator. Put the meat and whatever marinade you're using in the canister, seal it and leave it for half an hour or so. No more bowls of juice slopping all over the bottom of the fridge... and no more waiting all night long for it.

This whole thing sounds like a Food Saver ad, but it has really helped me save money. I never have to throw out freezer burned food anymore.

Hubby adds that he's packaged many things for backpacking trips. He uses it to package boil in a bag dinners. All he does is boil water and pour it right into the bag. Wrap it in a sweatshirt, and 15 minutes later he has a hot meal on the trail.

2006-07-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

OK, so you're working 60 hours a week, plus commute time. A lot of the things I've suggested are hard to put in place for someone who's already strained for time. Does this mean you can't cut expenses? No, the trick is to carefully choose your timesavers.

If even the 5 minutes to fix a lunch seems overwhelming, what other options do you have besides eating out? First, is there someone else who can fix your lunch? How about paying a pre-teen/young teen to make your lunches for you? I pay one of my daughters $.50 to fix a sandwich or salad for my lunch. That may sound a bit cheap, but it takes her less than 5 minutes. $.50 for 5 minutes work is $6 an hour, better than minimum wage. And the $2.50 per week I pay her still keeps my lunch costs much lower than eating out, especially since my cheapest lunch choice near my job starts at $5. If that's not an option, what inexpensive pre-made lunches can you take? How about putting a can of soup in a lidded microwave container and keeping it in the fridge at work until lunch? How about a finger food lunch? Take a block of cheese, a box of crackers, and a bag of baby carrots to work on Monday, leave the cheese and carrots in the fridge through the week, and grab an apple or other piece of fruit to go with your lunches. Don't forget leftovers. There are some inexpensive frozen meals that you can take, but I hesitate to suggest them, most of them are bland and generally not very nutritious.

Instead of grabbing take out on the way home, consider a few healthy convenience foods that eliminate time. There are prepackaged salad mixes (even prewashed sometimes) that eliminate that time. Some grocery store salad bars are quite reasonable. Spaghetti sauce in a jar is easy (though it lacks in flavor to my mind). A loaf of French bread can be sliced in half length-wise, cooked meat or sandwich meat and cheese can be layered on each half and then broiled in the oven. When you do cook, make a double or triple batch and freeze it. Make 4 or 5 meatloafs at once, and freeze those for a ready to heat meal. On the weekends, at least in cooler weather, make a large batch of something easy, like roasting a turkey or a couple of chickens or pork loins or frying up hamburgers for several meals, then freeze meal sized portions. If you really don't have time to fix something some nights, instead of restaurant take-out, pick up a rotisserie chicken from a grocer's. Several places near me sell them for as little as $4. But remember to take into account how much time it takes you to get the take-out. There are meals that can be fixed in 10 minutes, and a crowded store may take longer than that.

Don't just budget your money, budget your time as well. During the week, run errands on the way to and from work, or during lunch if possible. Keep a list of the things you can't do, and take care of them Saturday morning. Plan what order you'll do them in for the most efficient use of driving time. This saves both time and gas. Find what the most efficient approach to laundry is for you. Some people like to throw a load in every night there's enough as they come in from work. Others like to do it all at once on the weekend. Plan to do other things around the laundry, so when you're DONE, you have time to enjoy your family.

Pick the time-savers that give you the most bang for your buck. If you don't have kids, consider whether there's a nice neighbor kid who can help you out with housework for a few bucks. Keep in mind that it's probably cheaper to get a kid to help with light cleaning and the kids than it is to pay someone to mow the yard.

2006-07-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Creating an inventory.

How to eat for less has been covered a few times, but I'm going to put my personal spin on it.

When I was first married, I was given $200 to feed 4 people a month. 2 of those 4 were teenagers. I managed to do this by knowing what I had in my cupboard, "shopping" there first and then buying bulk as much as possible.

Here are some easy steps.

1). Sit down and think up 30 meals you like. This is the HARDEST step to do, but if you start asking everyone, you'll do it. They don't need to be "cheap" ideas either. I"ll show you why later.

2). Do a shopping list for those 30 meals. Figure out what you would need to have in your house for the full month to cook those meals. Make sure you combine everything together (you would need 12 eggs for the whole month for all meals, not 1 egg for this one and 2 for this one {this is why you can do the more expensive meals, also}). See a trend starting?

3). Now, create an inventory of what you would need to keep in your house to cook those meals. Plus, you need to add breakfast meals (see Raisya's earlier post on what you can make for an inexpensive breakfast) and lunch. These 2 meals do not need to be different every day. You can have a "French Toast" day, "Pancake Day", "Eggs and Ham" day, etc. Just choose a week of these meals. Keep the "Cereal Day" to one day a week. Pound for pound, boxed cereal is too expensive to eat daily. Times these meals by 4 (plus 2 days) and add them into your inventory.

4). Now that you have your inventory done, it's time to go shopping....BUT....leave your checkbook/cash/credit card at home. This is a price comparison shopping trip only. Choose 1 "Megamart" type store and 1 "Wholesale" type store that you would shop at. Don't choose a place that's not going to be easy to get too or that you wouldn't normally shop at, as this will defeat the purpose. It will work. Do not be surprised if you find prices are cheaper at the Megamart sometimes. People assume that "Wholesale" is cheaper, but not always. Bulk is not always cheaper either. Take your typed up inventory (oh, did I tell you to type it up, in nice little columns?) and put the price from each store for each item.

5). Now, in the comfort of your home, pick where you're going to buy things.

6). Plan 2 weeks worth of menus from your 30 days list. It is ok to serve the same thing twice during that 2 weeks. I know you're only doing 2 weeks and I've been talking about keeping an inventory for 30 days. This is where buying in bulk comes in. You see Pork chops for a really great deal. You only need 6 for 1 meal in the next 2 weeks, but you buy 18 for the price of six. Go home, seperate into Meal-sized packages and viola! You have 2 meals you can "shop" for at home.

7). See what you have in your house (ie, do an initial inventory). Plan your shopping lists. Shope at Home FIRST! Again, this is where bulk shopping comes in.

NOTE* When you are first starting out, don't try to put a full inventory in your house all at once. Unless you've won the lottery! You can slowly build, as you shop your list.

8). The next step is vital. EAT BEFORE YOU GO SHOPPING! A good meal, with dessert. Do not be hungry!

9). While you are shopping, be aware of what things cost at the other store. Sometimes, the Megamart may have a good deal, and you'll know it is because you've got the Wholesale price infront of you! Don't be afraid to buy something at the "wrong" store, if you find it for a better price.

10). Stick to your menus! Pull out any meats a few days ahead and thaw in the fridge. If you plan on doing that Sunday and Thursday, you won't forget and you won't be faced with dinner time and no meat thawed.

A few notes. I've not mentioned anything about eating out. I think it's pretty obvious that this should be avoided. That is included in your food budget and since eating out is usually 10 times more expensive per meal, this could get costly quickly.

Avoid all stores during peak hours and during hours they are sampling things. That leads to impulse buying. Middle of the day, Sunday afternoon or Early morning are great times to shop.

I've also not said anything about taxables. Cleaning, personal care, and paper products are usually included in the food budget and it's wise to figure out how much you use of them, price compare and buy in bulk when you can.

I also didn't mention coupons because they are usually brand specifc and with this type of shopping, you can't be brand loyal. If you price compared Brand A because it was the cheapest, but Brand B is suddenly 50% off, then you are going to buy Brand B! If you find a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupong that would lower the price to very low or nothing, then go for it, but that just seems like a lot of work to me.

That last sentence is funny, I know, considering how much work I'm asking you to do. Set up does take time, but once the system is in place, it makes life so easy. Menu planning is easy because you have 30 planned meals to choose from. Shopping is easy, run your inventory, see what's getting low, know what you need to get and what needs restocked. Go shop and watch your grocery bills come down.

2006-07-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Being thrifty doesn't generally mean giving up the things you like (except maybe things like tobacco). But it can mean looking at them differently. For example, stock up on hobby supplies when they're on sale, and find free sources of materials and patterns. Also, if you do something you enjoy to supply something you would have bought, you've combined two things. I'll use knitting for instance, since there are several knitters contributing here. The typical way to start a project is to decide you want X, go out and buy a pattern (or two or three), and the exact same yarns and needles used in the pattern. The leftover yarn (usually quite a bit if you buy what's recommended by the pattern) gets tossed into a box and forgotten, or even thrown out.

Instead, buy your yarns and needles when you find them on sale (if you find a really good sale on a yarn brand you like, stock up with enough for at least a year or two of knitting in your favorite colors), and watch for yarns at thrift shops and yard sales. Browse the internet for patterns (there are sites with hundreds of free patterns), and check books out from the library. I only own two knitting books, one a beginner's book with basic info, and a book of sock patterns, including a very basic one. When you're ready to start a project, go "shopping" in your stash of yarns, and find a free pattern. Also, when you decide you need something, consider whether it's something you can make instead of buying.

If you like sports, can you get your equipment second-hand or use facilities at "off" times for reduced fees? If you like movies, shop for the theater with the best matinee price, and plan to go to that one for new releases (this is assuming you can't wait for the DVD).

If your passion is your appearance, make it a point of pride to look spectacular for as little as possible. Shop resale shops (there are a wide range of quality, including some that specialize in reselling designer clothes), learn to sew so you can make your own alterations, and study what "makes" an outfit. I once sat in a fascinating class that centered around accessorizing. She showed photos of people in just the clothes, and then photos of them with appropriate jewelry, scarves, belts, etc. The difference can be dramatic. Also, plan your wardrobe around multi-use items - pants, skirts, jackets and belts in neutral colors that can be mixed and matched, classic jewelry like simple gold chains with a pendant and strands of pearls, and blouses, scarves and hats that center around one or two favorite colors so they can also be mixed and matched. Remember, you really pay for trendy, and it goes "out" just as fast. Also, consider probable resale value of clothes - classic, well-made clothes will be worth more at resale time.

2006-07-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Cloth Cloth Cloth!!

Really. What else did you expect my first post to be about? ;)

My favorite cloth being cloth diapers. You could spend as little as $200 up front, for an entire package of prefolds and covers that could last your child all the way through their diapering career. Or spend that much in four months of buying the paper stuff. If you sew you could spend even less. (That might go up if you're kiddo gets up to extra large sizes before potty learning, most kids don't though. If you've taken good care of the covers for the lower sizes you could easily resale them to pay for the larger sizes.) Fern and Faerie has complete instructions for making prefolds from tshirts, and making wool covers from thrift store wool sweaters. If you knit or crochet wool covers are easy peasy to make.

After diapering my first two kids with nearly all prefolds, pins and those pull up vinyl pants, we've chosen to go with the more pricier fitted diapers for my younger two. Though I'm as frugal as I can there too. I hunt around to find the type that I know I'll like, then watch for those used on ebay or other parenting boards. And I knit their woolies. And I'm working on converting my toddler's old prefolds into fitteds for the baby.

My love of fluff on my babes is just the beginning. We have no disposable paper products in our house at all. Well, unless you count printer paper and art stuff for the kids (more printer paper, coloring books, notebook paper, etc). I haven't counted up the savings by doing this, as our motivation is primarily to tread as lightly as we can on this earth, but we don't buy paper towels, tissues, baby wipes, etc. at all. I could ramble endlessly about the different types of household cloths we use, so I'll hit publish now! :)

2006-07-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

Thrifty menus

The first thing to realize is that the best thing you can do to save money on your food budget is to learn to cook. In most instances, cooking without convenience foods is much cheaper. Lots of us don't get shown the basics as kids, my own mother was a great cook, but had a low tolerance for anyone else in the kitchen, except when baking for Christmas. I probably learned more basics from my dad fixing Sunday breakfast or grilling sandwiches for lunch. I can cook reasonably well now, and if I can turn out an edible meal, almost any one can. Fortunately, my daughters, who were turned loose in the kitchen at an early age, are much better already than I am.

If you're just starting to learn to cook, look for a cook book that covers the basics in simple terms. One source a lot of people don't think of are kids' cookbooks. Some of them are really gimmicky and useless, but some of them are excellent for instructions on making basic things like scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, grilled sandwiches, salads, and burgers. Try your local library and check out anything that looks good. If you can't bring yourself to start with a child's cookbook, the older editions of the Betty Crocker cookbook are a good place to start. If you have a few basic skills already, two of the best general cookbooks are The Fannie Farmer Cookbook and The Joy of Cooking. These may be a little intimidating for those who have never even grilled a cheese sandwich. Over the years, I've collected several cookbooks useful for lower budget cooking. One is the Vegetarian Epicure (my first cookbook, a gift from a high school friend). Her focus isn't thrifty, but there are some real gems in there, and the food is yummy. We're not vegetarians, BTW, but good food is good food. The other is a 1950's Pennsylvania Dutch cookbook, long out of print, but there are some wonderfully thrifty recipes there, including a progression of soup recipes starting with one for "poor man's soup" which is a simple dumpling soup that could be made for about a dollar (less if you use powdered milk instead of fresh) for four servings.

Everyone's tastes differ, but the following can be made for a reasonable cost and aren't difficult - scrambled eggs, French toast, pancakes, omelettes, grilled cheese,
dinner salads*, spaghetti, hamburgers, pizzas, tacoes, shish kebabs, BBQ, baked beans, cheese quesadillas, grilled chicken, biscuits and gravy, and potato soup. Don't forget to make sure you also have some fruits or vegetables and whole grains with the main dishes that don't include them. Using some convenience foods like canned cream soups can be a time saver, but if you're really pinched for money, they're an expensive addition, plus they're very high in sodium.

For more experienced cooks, stir fries, casseroles and soups are great both for nutrition and thrift. But don't just rely on cookbooks, find a basic, generic recipe and create your own without the pricey ingredients. A quiche, for example, doesn't actually REQUIRE cream and expensive cheeses. You start with a crust (we microwave a potato and slice it into the bottom of a pie plate for a crust), put in a layer (about a cup) of some chopped vegetable (I like spinach) and about 2 ounces of grated cheese. You can add some chopped cooked meat (a couple of slices of crumbled bacon or a little ham work well), beat together two eggs, about a cup of milk, and a little salt and pepper, then pour this mix over the other ingredients, sprinkle some more grated cheese on top, and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. It's supposed to take about 45 minutes at 350F, but ours tend to be done in as little as 30 minutes.

Ground turkey bought frozen in one pound chubs is one of the cheapest meats you can buy now. Ground turkey needs different seasoning than ground beef; for those who aren't used to it, don't try cooking it up in to a burger first thing. Start with substituting it in dishes with a lot of seasoning or a sauce, such as spaghetti and meat balls. You can make decent turkey sausage for biscuits and gravy out of it if you season it well with some of the same spices used for sausage. We really like ground turkey, but I don't think we'd use it for burgers even now.

*dinner salads - Usually called a chef salad. Start with whatever base salad green or greens you want, usually lettuce and/or spinach. Wash everything, then tear the greens up and cut up whatever raw vegetables you have and want to add - tomatoes, carrots, squash, radishes, onions, cucumber, etc. For protein, add some diced cooked ham, chicken, or turkey, if you like, and/or shredded cheese. This is a good way to use up leftover meat, but if you don't have leftovers, you can cut up a piece of sandwich meat. Top with the dressing of your choice, toss, and serve. For a family, you can put the ingredients in separate bowls, and everyone picks which ingredients to add for themselves.

2006-07-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, hub got a salary cut. Things were tough all over ( I know everyone remembers that time... our national economy, already in the toilet.. and Osama hit the flush button). We had to do some expense cutting. I cancelled the newspaper. I downgraded our cable service to the 12 buck a month plan. (no reception otherwise)

One of the things I looked at while trying to cut expenses was our telephone bill. I learned that not only was I paying a charge every month to have a long distance plan ($6.95) but I was paying Verizon for the privilege of being billed by a third party for long distance! (also $6.95 a month!) I called them and told them I no longer needed long distance service. "Why", you ask? Well, because of this place.

OneSuite

It's basically a calling card that causes my long distance to be 2.5 cents a minute. So when I recharge my account (online only) I get to talk a LOT for only 10 bucks. I've used it ever since. If you figure I have saved $14.00 a month on my telephone bills for the last five years, that adds up to, well, it adds up. :)

2006-07-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Just a note about the last post - Shea decided she didn't really want the stand, so I have a new phone stand in the LR. It fits in perfectly.

2006-07-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today's decorating bargain, I spotted a garage sale around the corner from our house and since they had a work table set out, we stopped to look. They wanted too much for the condition the table was in, and it was a little bigger than we wanted, but we found they also had a small wicker stand for $3. Shea needs something in her room next to her bed, so we bought it even though she was still asleep. If she decides she doesn't want it, it would be perfect as a phone center in the LR (I'm half hoping she doesn't want it, LOL). I should go out and buzz around and see if there are any other garage sales (we need both a computer desk and a small work table), but the humidity's going up fast today...

On other thrifty fronts, I finished a hat in four days, knitting mostly during my lunch at work, that I'll use as a XMas gift for a friend up north. Cost was about $2.50 in wool blend yarn. I've started another one, an experiment with patterns with two colors that's going well. And I cut up an old pair of my blue jeans into pieces for four shopping bags, then took the elastic waist band and made a head band for me. I suspect the shopping bags will disappear into the girls' rooms, but maybe they'll give me back some of the last batch of bags I made, LOL. I also have some smaller scraps of denim from this project that I may make into pony tail holders for myself. I wish I could find a supply of torn jeans, I'd love to cut out patches for a denim quilt.

2006-06-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

I've invited a few of my friends to post their own ideas and experiences with thrift. We're an eclectic and diverse group, with a few things in common. We all are, or have been, stay-at-home moms, we all homeschool, and we all have lived on small incomes. Our kids range from almost 21 to under 1, two of us are single moms, two are married, and we're scattered from Texas to the Pacific NW. There are lots of great ideas on how to live thriftily and why.

2006-06-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

I can't say enough about Thrift Store Shopping!!
Last week, I spent 48 bucks in one trip to Goodwill. What did that 48 buy? Two pairs of denim shorts, one with a designer label, a long skirt and a short skirt, three shirts, one pullover with a hood, three books, a shirt for me, and a yoga video. That's a lot for the amount of money. Just the two shorts would have been that much in a retail store. I've shopped at Goodwill and other thrift stores so long that when I look at a shirt or pair of pants in a retail store (and we're talking discount store, too... no department stores for me, thanks) I get sticker shock. 40 dollars for a pair of jeans???? EEEEEKKKK!

2006-06-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

Rethinking decorating

I'll start by admitting that while I like my home to look nice, I have no ego tied up in whether it looks like a magazine showplace or not. My home is for living, it's supposed to serve me and shelter me, not the other way around. My home is clean and comfortable, and my kids say it's a place you can have fun in.

However, I'll start with mild advice for those who are obsessed with appearances. First, plan! I suggest starting by looking as some of the minimalist styles (i.e. very uncluttered decorating). I think this is one of the most striking styles of decorating, and gives the impression that rooms are larger than they are. Decide what pieces you actually need. LR as an example - couch, a chair, a coffee table or a couple of end tables, book shelves if needed, entertainment center if you insist, rug if needed, curtains if needed. Be creative too. Two love seats or three or four comfortable chairs instead of a couch and chair gives you more flexibility to rearrange.

Now DON'T run to the nearest furniture store and buy a perfectly matched group on credit. What do you already have that's nice enough to use, at least for a while? Keep those things, and instead of buying the other things new, start looking for second hand pieces. People who buy expensive furniture often resale it two or three years later when they move or just redecorate. Start checking the "for sale" ads in the newspaper and on-line (I highly recommend Craig's List for this kind of shopping). If decorating is really important to you, this can be a fun treasure hunt. Make sure you know what the fancy pieces you want go for new, and try to find someone selling them for half or less the new price. Don't expect to find exact pieces, pick out a general scheme (all cherry wood, and a pale green base color in the fabrics for instance). This may take months, but think treasure hunt! Plus, your decorating is on-going, which will reduce the urge to completely replace everything in two or three years.

For things like paint in the LR, stick to simple, classic things. Frankly, I like neutral, light colored walls, preferably washable. Add color with fabric - throw pillows, afghans, etc. Really lovely curtains can be "made" from good quality sheets, just slide the rod through the sheet's pocket, and drape it however you want it. For your ornamentation, pick a theme - a set of photos of flowers or mountains, etc. Or baskets. Or whatever, but keep it unified and simple. By the way, if you stick to classic neutral colors for the large things, and use fabric to change the color and theme, you can redecorate for a couple of hundred dollars or less any time you get tired of what you have by replacing pillows and throws and rug and ornaments and rearranging the pieces. Think long-term with furniture.

There, you've decorated for probably less than half of what you would have spent, and hopefully you won't need to spend on anything major for at least 10 years.

For more plebian tastes, be creative and eclectic. Several chairs are more easily placed or rearranged than a couch. Wicker outdoor furniture is cheaper, sturdy and comfortable (plus light if you move a lot). A coffee table can be a trunk or something else that doubles as storage. My end table is an old night stand. Entertainment centers can be anything that holds up a TV and accessories - we use a piece intended as a closet organizer. Plan loosely what you want and need, then try on-line, the papers, garage sales and thrift shops. Our local Goodwill has nice (sanitized) loveseats in good condition for $35. If your budget is really strapped, pile pillows in the floor for seating and use lawn chairs while you save and look. PAY CASH. For rugs, if you can't find a single one for a large area that you can afford, look for two or three smaller ones and overlap them. If you live in a border state, you can often find wool Mexican blankets cheap, buy half a dozen of these that coordinate, and use two or three as temporary rugs (weighted or with a non-skid mat to avoid slips) and the others as throws. Instant them. If someone gives you a seating piece with upholstery you don't like, take it then find a second hand comforter to cover it with (this is good for hiding fabric damage and wear too). I spent $7 for the attractive comforter covering my loveseat.

For bedrooms, I highly recommend efficient furniture. If you're young and like the idea (or are really strapped for space), consider Japanese style bedding - a couple of thick comforters or sleeping bags as mattress on the floor with whatever blankets and pillows you want. In the morning, pop it in to a closet out of the way. If you're like me, and arthritis makes that a daunting idea, my favorite are day beds. These are high enough for lots of storage underneath. If you need more room than a twin bed, consider some way to raise your full/queen/king to create more storage underneath. Consider a short bookcase as a "nightstand". To me, bureaus are inefficient. I prefer chest of drawers. However, be creative. If the closet's big enough, get all your clothes in there on shelving or organizers (don't spend a lot of money to customize this, though). I've used wire cubes in a closet as clothes storage. If you already have blinds (many places come with them), just add a swag of fabric over the window for accent. You don't even need a rod, you can tack up a swag.

Minimize knickknacks, and go for found objects and things you or a family member makes or were given. My current living room has a built in alcove that I think was a window once upon a time. We change the display from time to time, currently it has a hand-painted Russian tray, a tile I was given at a bar mitzvah, an Indian figure of a camel, a large conch shell, and a glass candy jar with a miniature still life my younger daughter created. The bottom is filled with tumbled amethysts (before your eyes widen, you can buy these for probably less than $10 for a pound), and a few tumbled tigers eyes, and the still life consists of small shells and tiny driftwood. I really love this piece. On our walls are Texas landscape photos we were given set in frames we got second hand. I think I've spent less than $10 for all of them. Admittedly, the photo of a tornado raises eyebrows, but I have a daughter who loves meteorology.

Oh, you need to think differently if you rent, own but may move frequently, or own for long term. If you rent, think flexible, easy to move and small pieces (chairs rather than couch or love seat). That way, you won't have to turn down a great rental in a good location because your 7 foot couch won't fit. Also, it's really essential that the furniture be in neutral colors, and the color added with fabrics. The same goes for owners who move frequently. If you're going to be moving long-distances (and your employer isn't footing the bill), you can invest in good second-hand pieces that you can resale easily before you move, then start over with a couple of chairs, a table, and comforters on the floor while you shop for replacement furniture in the new location. Be sure the pieces are things that resale easily. One of the nice things about this method is if you bought the pieces second hand, you can often resale them at almost the same price if you maintained them. Then you don't have to pay to move them, and you have the fun of shopping for replacements at the other end (you may lose a little money on this, but you should save more in reduced moving costs). If you own and you don't expect to move, you can invest in pieces that fit your spaces more exactly, but don't overdo it. Huge heavy pieces are hard to rearrange, and limit your redecorating.

2006-06-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Radical Thrift (continued)

OK, so now you have an income of some sort. Do NOT spend any of it, except in reimbursing someone you're staying with for food or gas to get to interviews. The first thing you need is enough money to get back in a place of your own, that means deposits on a rental and for utilities. At this point, virtually everything you don't HAVE to have for survival is a luxury. If you're making even minimum wage for at least 30 hours a week, you should be bringing home at least $500 a month now. You should be able to save almost all of that. Talk to the charities that have been helping you for assistance in locating a place to live and assistance with deposits. Forget your own apartment, consider efficiencies, a camper, a room in someone else's home, etc. It has to be something you can afford and have enough money left to pay other bills. If you're working less than 40 hours a week, start looking for additional work, even if it's mowing a couple of yards a week. When you do get moved in, if your income is still really low, start applying for low-income programs for utilities. Unless you're still job hunting, settle for only the most basic phone service (and make sure you get one of the lines for low-income people).

When you get a place, your next step is furnishing it. Forget furniture stores, even if you've just landed a good job. You aren't any where near out of that hole yet. Scrounge furniture. Look for people who are throwing damaged but usable furniture out and ask if you can have it. A bed can temporarily be a mattress or even an air mattress. Try yard sales and thrift shops (oh, and if a charity's been helping you, wouldn't it be nice to repay them by looking first at their thrift stores so they can help more people?) You need something to sleep on, if only a couple of worn comforters for padding. I see these (sanitized) in the thrift stores for less than $10 all the time, and decent blankets for a dollar or two. You can outfit an emergency bed, even for the cold north, for less than $25.

You'll need something to sit on, if you don't have a refrigerator, consider a cooler as a temporary chair, it can serve a double purpose. You'll probably need some surface for eating on, but initially, that can be a plastic storage tub (which can do double duty). You'll need at least a couple of bowls and cups and flatware - you can outfit this need for less than $5 at a thrift shop. A couple of towels and washcloths, dishsoap, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb or brush, toilet paper. If you have access to some kind of stove, even a hot plate, you'll need at least a pot of some sort. Just enough work clothes to get you from wash day to wash day, and a decent second-hand coat if you live in a cold climate. Just about anything else is a luxury for a while longer. A TV, even free, is absolutely a no-no at this point, you need to make your time productive for now. A second hand radio is OK, you can do things at the same time you listen. Every penny you can, for now, should be saved. You need at least a month's expenses in reserve before you think about luxuries.

If you possibly can, manage some access to a stove or hot plate (unless barred by your lease). There are lots of food banks and most of them will be able to continue helping you during this period. Cooking your own food, especially from scratch, is infinitely cheaper than almost any other option. If you've never cooked, it's time to learn. Anyone can make a sandwich or warm up a can of soup. (BTW, if it's against your religion for a man to cook, then as far as I'm concerned, you deserve to starve.) If you get fruits and vegetables from the food banks, many of those can be washed, cut up and eaten raw. Remember, right now, you can't afford to pay for convenience, you're getting ahead by spending your time. If you know how to cook, consider breakfast foods for supper (French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs, etc). Those are some of the cheapest and yummiest foods, and generally pretty cheap. Take food with you to work, do NOT buy fast food or anything like that. For now, no sodas or anything like that. If you're getting food from a food bank, you may be getting milk or fruit juices, drink those! If you're buying your food, especially with food stamps, stick to milk and fruit juice. Avoid convenience foods, especially things like small juice boxes. Buy a quart of fruit juice and pour it into a thermos to take to work. If you must have caffeine, buy the cheapest instant or bagged teas you can find (and if your job offers a coffee service as a courtesy, have your coffee there).

Aim for maximum nutrition. Whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables. You can feed one person with reasonable nutrition for $20 a week, even if you have marginal cooking skills. If your access to a stove is limited, but you can get a really cheap used microwave, you can still do a lot without resorting to convenience foods. Some grains and cereals can be cooked in a thermos by pouring in boiling water, stirring, and sealing for a couple of hours. There are some ethnic foods that most Americans aren't familiar with that are great in this situation. Couscous is basically a tiny pasta that cooks very quickly and can be used in place of rice for many things. Bulghar wheat can be soaked and used to make tabouleh without any cooking (it's basically pre-cooked).

When you aren't working, sleeping, cleaning, cooking, or searching for an additional part time job if needed, make your time productive. On days off, if you have no other work possibilities, find pleasant ways to make your time productive. It'll probably be at least a couple of months before you have an emergency fund saved, spend that time finding creative solutions to furnishing your new "home", however humble. Learn to sew (a package of needles and two or three spools of thread can be bought for under $5), and convert usable fabric from damaged clothes into useful items - anything from a pot holder to a quilt. Before you sneer at this, remember that you're working toward being independent of assistance. And by the way, you may be able to sell that handmade quilt later, and every penny you can bring in right now helps.

For entertainment, develop productive hobbies - cooking, quilting, knitting, woodworking, etc. DON'T spend a lot of money starting these things, however. You can start knitting with a $3 pair of needles and $.50 of yarn from a thrift store. Use the library for books on how to do these things, to self-educate yourself in work skills, and for entertainment. Free libraries are one of the most fantastic gifts we have in this country, use them! They also have computers that you can use to research on the internet.

If you took a job that pays a lot less than you have reason to expect and need, continue looking for a better one. If it doesn't pay benefits, and your field generally offers them, look for one with benefits. If you're really only qualified for the job you're in, but really need a better income, start educating yourself so you can get that better job. If you can get funging into a technical school or community college, do it! If you just need to build your emergency fund up quickly, look for temporary and short-term extra work, even things like doing repairs and yardwork for neighbors.

Save, save, save! After 2 to 6 months, if you're really avoiding luxuries, and taking extra work when you can get it, you should have at least a month's expenses saved. If you're OK with your living quarters for now, and your job pays enough, set up a budget. First, figure out your necessities, and subtract from your take-home pay. If the remaining amount is less that $150 a month, then you should continue saving all of it, and look for extra work or a better job. If the remaining amount is $150 - $250 a month, set aside $150 a month to put in to your emergency fund FIRST, and divide the remainder between furnishing your quarters, and a few luxuries (be very careful with these). If the remainder is over $250, allow yourself $50 a month for furnishing your quarters, and $10 a week for luxuries, and save the rest. If the difference is over $500 a month, allow yourself $75 for furnishing, and $15 a week, and save the rest. Slowly buy second-hand CHEAP furniture - bed, table, chairs, kitchen ware and clothes. Keep this up until you have three months of living expenses saved.

At this point, you can be considered completely back on your feet, but use the lessons you learned to keep your expenses down, so you can continue to save and get yourself ahead. As soon as you realistically can, stop taking assistance from charities and government agencies (the exception to this may be low cost state health insurance if your job has none).

2006-06-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

Radical Thrift

Most of what I intend to talk about is aimed at the average person, trying to deal with debt and just get a grip on how they deal with money. But occasionally, I'm going to detour into discussions of things for people who've hit bottom. Buying ground turkey instead of steak just isn't going to do it for these people, and I think it's good for everyone else to think of what the options are (a lot of people who hit bottom didn't start anywhere near it). BTW, if you think these people aren't going to be on-line browsing, most libraries have free internet connections, and I see people using them all the time.

Before anything else, deal with why you hit bottom. Sadly, this is often due to illness, and all I can suggest is get whatever help is available, don't be too proud to go to public clinics and get whatever assistance there is with getting insurance. This country tends to ignore the fact people who are healthy are much more productive. If you hit bottom because of job loss leading to loss of home, your first steps will involve finding emergency shelter and some source of income (though take care of bankruptcy if that's needed as quickly as possible). If your problem involves some kind of addiction (including spending), get help. Bandaids don't help if you've hit an artery.

So, first, start with shelter. I'm assuming you've lost your shelter or it's emminent. Start checking for emergency shelters - charity shelters, friends or family who might let you stay for a few weeks, etc. (By the way, if a friend or family member takes you in, be a GOOD guest - don't abuse their hospitality and when you aren't out looking for a job, do everything you can to help them out as a kind of rent.) If you belong to a church, start there. Taking care of their own members in crisis is supposed to be a major part of their purpose, and I frankly see that as the only (and often dubious) justification of their tax exempt status. If your church doesn't help it's own members get back on their feet, then maybe when you are back on your feet, you need to look for one that would.

Next, register for any government help you might qualify for, and get help to locate charities that can help as well. There are a lot of food banks and free clinics, as well as groups that supply free legal help and assistance with all sorts of things.

Most of the time, finding shelter will solve the problem of eating temporarily too. So the next thing is a job. If you're already employed at least full time, skip this step. Somehow, get yourself one good outfit for interviewing (if you lost almost all your possessions and have NO money, there are charities that can help with this). Even if your work is blue collar, get one NICE shirt and pair of pants (not blue jeans) or a clean, newer uniform. Register with the state employment agencies, including help with a resume if you need it, then temp agencies that place your kind of work and be willing to consider almost anything you can do. Treat your job search AS a job. Get up in the morning, call the agencies to see if they have anything, then as soon as the library is open, get down there and go through the Help Wanted ads in the newspapers, and use their computers to search on-line. If you don't know much about computers, ask if they have someone who can get you started. Make notes of anything you think you could apply for, and then start contacting them. Send resumes to the ones that ask for them, call the ones that specify phone calls, and make a list of the ones that request application in person. Note that you can often apply or send your resume on-line now, take advantage of that. Make certain you supply GOOD contact information in resumes and applications. They can't hire you if they can't find you.

You should be able to finish that by lunch time. Spend the afternoon calling employers and applying in person. If you apply in person, be presentable. If you have more than one interview outfit, show up in it. Use a map to plot a route to each location so you use your time efficiently (if you don't have a map, try www.mapquest.com on line). Be upbeat and as polite as possible when applying. Be honest, but avoid answers that critisize former employers, etc. I've left one job because my boss, after a career set-back, frankly went off the deep end, and additionally, I was being exposed to extreme and unexplained hostility from someone. However, in interviews, I simply say that I found the opportunities for advancement severely limited, which was also very true.

If it's summer, and you live where it's very hot, reverse the pattern, hit the streets in the morning, search for the next day's contacts in the afternoons. And a word about pride. This ain't the time to be proud. I don't care if you have a PhD, if you've reached this point, you need an income, even if you temporarily have to bus tables or bag groceries.

(continued)

2006-06-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

There are lots of small things you can do to cut your spending, and many of them are relatively painless. Here are just a few things you can examine:

I - Housing - If you rent, can you move to a place a little smaller and cheaper (no, moving isn't painless, but we have to start somewhere)?If you're renting a house, can you move to a duplex? If you're renting a three bedroom place, can you move to a two bedroom? This saves more than just the difference in rent. If the quality of insulation and weatherproofing and AC/furnace are roughly equal, a smaller place costs less in utilities too. You might be surprised at just HOW much difference it can make. Can you downscale neighborhood (without sacrificing safety, of course)? If you like your rental too much to move, is there some weatherproofing you can do yourself cheaply? Or make a deal with the landlord to split the cost?

If you own, have you overextended yourself on mortgage and utilities? If so, and you've been in the place long enough to appreciate some equity, it may be worth selling and moving "down" a bit in size and neighborhood. Again, you'll also save on utilities, but you'll also save on mortgage payment, taxes, and insurance. And when you own, that weatherproofing and other improvements will make a longer-term payback. If you can move closer to your workplace, you'll also save in commuting costs (and time!)

As a note for weatherproofing, many cities have programs to assist with this. Look in to it!

2 - utilities - first thing, see #1. Evaluate weatherproofing and AC/Furnace. Turn off lights and electronics when you aren't in the room. Change the filter for your furnace/AC regularly. Turn down the thermostat in winter and put on socks and a sweater. Turn it down a little more at night in winter and during daytime periods when no one is home. During the summer, set the temperature a degree or two higher each week until you find the warmest you can stand and still do anything. Wear as few clothes as possible at home in the summer. Use fans to make the warmer temps more comfortable. If your bill seems high, have your AC and thermostat inspected. Set the thermostat slightly higher during the day, to whatever amount the AC can cool your home back down within 30 minutes of getting home. Avoid the use of the oven during the summer. Unplug items you don't use regularly. During nice weather, hang clothes outside to dry and limit dryer use, particularly in hot weather.

3 - Food - Some people have a lot of room to save on this, some don't. We've fed 3 people (two of them teens) on $40 a week without feeling deprived (and we could have taken it to less), but it's work-intensive. There are lots of ways to get this under control, our favorites are

Plan a menu a week ahead, based on what you have in the freezer or is on sale
Shop for groceries once a week, with a list
Alternate more expensive meals with simple, cheap ones
Cook from scratch (avoid most convenience foods)
Eliminate sodas! (if you replace soda with milk and fruit juice, you also really improve your nutrition)
Cook in quantity and freeze
Buy in bulk when it's a good deal and won't go bad
Use a list to evaluate which stores have the best prices on which items
Check out day-old bread stores
Reduce the amount of meat
Garden, or make friends with a gardener
Take lunch to work
Strictly limit eating out
Balance quality with value
There are lots of other ideas, but these are our favorites. These days, we don't HAVE to feed ourselves on $40 a week, but our average is around $60 for three people, and that includes an occasional pork tenderloin or steak, and many organic vegetables. I don't count meals out in that amount, BTW, I consider that entertainment, which keeps it in perspective.

4 - Transportation - Get rid of the gas guzzler. Period. Whatever you're being told, gas prices are not likely to ever go back down much, other than briefly. It's called China. They want gas, and they're buying it, at any cost. And there are a whole lot more of them than us, if they want to motorize even a tiny fraction of their population, they need a lot more gas. The gas guzzling high status SUVs are shortly going to be a perogative of the rich and the mathematically stupid. Also, if at all possible, either move close to your job, or look for a job close to home. I have friends who spend something like $800 a month just on gas to commute, and it's killing them (not to mention the travel time). If your family has two cars, consider getting rid of one. If you need a replacement car, consider buying a used car, preferably in cash. If there's a decent bus service, consider using the bus for some things (in my city, you can get an unlimited pass for a month for $10, if it went anywhere near where I work, I'd take it). Have the routine maintenance done - oil changes, check air pressure in tires, etc. Those things not only protect your gas milage, they reduce maintenance costs. When it's practical, walk or bike places.

2006-06-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going to take a brief detour from my principles of thrift and wander down an idle lane...

Today on the way home, I saw, as usual, a couple of people standing at a busy intersection panhandling. I thought, how sad, especially since the job market is supposed to be pretty good here. Then I thought, well, what makes it worse than many of the minimum wage jobs here? True, in one you're earning your money, but are you treated better? More respect? I've seen some minimum wage workers treated like criminals. Or worse. There seems to be some illusion of supervision of the treatment of criminals. Not so with many minimum wage jobs (I exclude a lot of fast food places because they mostly hire minors, and mistreatment of minors gets attention). I've heard a lot of stories, most of which I believe. Yes, there are plenty of people who are lazy, incompetent, unreliable, dishonest and just plain dumb as dirt. But there's no higher percentage of them in minimum wage jobs than in professional or executive jobs, or business owners. I've met some fine people in executive positions, but I've met others who obviously had a parent with the money to buy them a degree and a job.

Ooops, sidetracked. Anyway, would panhandling really be more humiliating than the way many minimum wage employees are treated? The panhandlers probably make more money, frankly. They only have to work when they want to (or are getting too hungry).

Would I resort to panhandling or take a minimum wage job? Probably I'd take the job, but I'd be finding SOME way out of that job as quickly as possible. Actually, I'd probably find a way to do neither unless I had to have money NOW, but that's another question. If I did have to take the job, I'd start making things after work hours to sell and look for a part-time job as well so I had an exit. But I've been very fortunate, I've been given a lot of gifts that many other people haven't.

Can I honestly blame someone for panhandling rather than taking a minimum wage job? No. But it's a very sad thing that in a country as rich as ours is supposed to be, that's a better choice for some people.

2006-05-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

6 – No one should put up with a job they hate

You hate your job. Your boss is abusive, the hours are horrendous, and your vacation always gets canceled. So, why do you stay? “I can’t afford to quit.” Why not? For a very few, it's because their family has had a catastrophic event, and by that I mean huge medical bills or possessions wiped out in a disaster that their insurance didn't cover. A small percentage more may sincerely be so poor that they barely pay for genuine necessities from month to month. But I believe for 95%, it's because you have a house with a bigger mortgage than you can afford; you bought an "ego" car with a big payment, big insurance, and lots of repairs; you took out too much in college loans; and/or you ran up lots of credit card bills.

Let's ignore the "experts", and use some common sense. A house may be an investment, but it's a stupid place to speculate. It's your home. Instead of the conventional wisdom of buying the most home you can qualify for, I think people should aim for a payment no more than HALF the maximum they can "afford". For cars, evaluate your real needs, and buy the least expensive one you can find based on that. Factor in cost of repairs and gas and insurance for that model too. And strongly consider buying a good-condition used car if you can find one. An even better suggestion, buy what you can afford to pay cash for.

Conventional wisdom is that money spend for education is always a "good thing". However, the results are becoming tragic. Two years at a good community college is a LOT cheaper than even a state university, and the eventual degree is still from the 4 year university. Bargain shop housing (live at home is even better), realistically weigh transportation needs, and encourage the student to work to pay part of his or her expenses. Total loans should be an amount that the total could be paid off in less than 4 years with a modest job.

And running up credit cards. You know, the world isn't going to end if you buy used furniture instead of new, shop resale shops and your kitchen is 3 years out of date. There are consignment shops with like-new things for half or less the cost of new.

Let's face it, all these mistakes tie you in to a pernicious form of indentured servitude. Our founding fathers saw this as a free country of independent small farmers, and by the way, they opposed corporations. Power was supposed to be in the hands of the citizens (though sadly they limited who they defined as citizens), and government was supposed to be very limited. I think Patrick Henry's question is very applicable to our current government, "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" Surrendering the freedom they bought us from fear is the worst disaster we can create because once the government takes a freedom from us, they'll never give it back voluntarily.

2006-05-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

5. The trap of “Deserving” something

This one gets more people in trouble than anything else, I think, and probably accounts for a high percentage of the people who say “Our bills are only $2100 a month, and we make $3000; why are we always broke at the end of the month?” Because you “deserved” yourself out of that $900. “It’s been a long week, I deserve a dinner at El Swanko ($70).” “The kids have been terrors today, I deserve a trip to the spa ($80).” “We worked on the house last weekend, we deserve to go somewhere this weekend ($400).” “So-and-So got the promotion I deserved because he kissed up to the boss, I’m going shopping ($200).” For those with less income, it comes out in things like trips to the snack or soda machine and taking the kids out for fast food.

Yes, we all want a few things beyond the bare necessities of life. But what you really deserve is to keep your money for yourself so you can enjoy freedom. The concept of "deserving" something as a reward has been marketed to Americans so thoroughly that very few question it. Even fewer question just how much it really costs them. For the lowest income people, you actually spend almost 10% more than you think you do. For people with larger incomes, the real cost may be 30 - 40% more than you think it is. How do I figure that? Easy, that's how much you had to earn in order to spend that much. If you want to spend $10, you had to earn at least $10.83 before social security taxes to have $10 left to spend. If you're self-employed, that's about $11.66.

That's one of the reasons you'll hear many budget writers tell you the best investment you can make is to cut your expenses. If you make a $1 lunch for work as opposed to buying one for $3 (which is really low end for a purchased meal), you've not only saved $2, you've really saved $2.17 because that's how much you'd have had to earn for that $2 difference in lunch. And the $2 you didn't spend can earn interest, so you do even better. A nice lunch can be put together in 5 minutes, which means you can make 12 lunches in an hour. $2.17 x 12 is about $26.00 an hour, which is a good return for most of us, even if you discount the time you spend buying your lunch at work.

2006-05-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

4. A pebble can start an avalanche.
That's a nice way of saying a single choice can effect dozens of others. Here's one: someone decides their time is too "valuable" to make lunches for work. So, every day, he walks down to the sandwich stand at work (3 minutes each way), waits in line (5 minutes) to buy a sandwich and soda for $3. That's $15 a week. After 3 months, that's $195. After 6 months, that's $390. After a year, that's $780. Then he has to have work done on the car, and puts that $400 on his credit card, making minimum payments at 25% interest because he forgot to mail a payment on time 3 months before.

His co-worker makes up a sandwich, adds a piece of fruit and pours some iced tea into a thermos (5 minutes a day). Costs about $1 for the same meal. About once a week, he takes leftovers, which cost nothing because they'd have been thrown out. His cost per week is $4. After 3 months, that's $52. After 6 months, that's $104. After a year, that's $208. He's got $572 in cash that his buddy spent on lunches, plus interest, which brings it close to $600. When his car needs work, he has the $400 in cash, and still has $200 left over, earning interest.

So, how "valuable" was their time? Well, the first person actually used twice as much time to provide his lunch, and he ended the year owing $400 at 25% interest. The second person had about the same lunch, plus a piece of fruit (and not limited to the sandwich stand's menu), for half the time, and he ended the year with no debt, and $200 earning interest. And I kept this simple because the rest is my opinion based on experience with this sort of personality. I suspect the actual difference would be closer to $1000. Would you spend 25 minutes a week for that?

2006-05-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

3. The concept of "enough"

I first read about this in a book called "Your Money or Your Life" by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin (a book I highly recommend), and it struck me as something I'd been trying to define for years. Few Americans ever even ask themselves "Do I have enough?", they believe that they should push for ever more. They often don't even ask "is this something that I really want, or just assume I should have because everyone else has it?" The girls and I asked that about a number of things, and came to the conclusion that we didn't actually want cable TV or cell phones or even soda. It just happens that we like milk and fruit juices and teas more than soda, and they're better for us. These days we occasionally buy a really good root beer, and my younger daughter has been getting a single bottle of some novelty sodas about once a week as a sort of taste adventure. On an even more shocking level, I concluded I didn't really want to own my own house, which "everyone" is supposed to want in this country. In two to seven years, I expect my kids to both have moved out, and that's a lot more space than I'll need for just me.

Next - Rule 4 - A pebble can start an avalanche

2006-05-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

2. Deprivation is relative.

This is absolutely true, beyond the barest necessities of survival. In this country, people often act as if a child is deprived if they aren't wearing the latest fad, going to half a dozen summer camps, has a cell phone, half a dozen hand-held games and, as a teen, a car. How deprived would that same child - adequately dressed, well-nourished, living in a heated and cooled home with electric lighting, with a bed and lots of toys of his own, riding in a car or on his own bicycle, with access to public libraries and education - look to a parent in rural Mexico or even parts of Eastern Europe? (though some of these parents might consider many American children deprived in intangible ways, such as the time and attention of their parents). And I won't even go in to what many adults I know consider "deprivation". Oh, our clothes "dryer" is solar - $3 of clothesline strung in the backyard.

Next - Rule 3 - the concept of "enough"

2006-05-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

I want to start with the basic question most of us hear - Why be thrifty?

Well, my first reaction is - Why not? Americans have so bought into the marketing in this country that they really, truly believe that they have to have every toy and convenience that comes on to the market, and that the STATUS of their purchases really matters. They never, ever weigh the COST of playing that game. One of the basic rules I've taught my children is:

1. Debt equals indentured servitude, savings equals freedom.

I've had people repeatedly ask me how I could spend a year working only part-time? And I won't even repeat what they said about us packing up and moving to a new city before I located a job so my older daughter could continue to live at home while going to a major university. The answer is as simple as rule 1 - savings equals freedom. Very few people could conceive of how we could have saved money. After all, we lived without such "necessities" as cable TV, caller ID, convenience foods, sodas, cell phones (we now have one set up with a pre-paid card for my oldest), etc. Living without those things is WHY we had savings.

Next - rule 2

2006-05-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

Hi, let me introduce myself. Online, I'm Raisya, a name I've been using since I took Russian in the early 80s. I'm a middle-aged, happily divorced mom who lives in central Texas with two wonderful teen daughters.

I've started this blog to share my love of, and ideas about, thrift. Part of what I write may be practical ideas, part of it philosophy. First, a brief history:

For many years, I practiced thrift quite seriously in order to have a lifestyle that was incredibly important to me - limiting outside work in order to stay home with my daughters and homeschool them. Then, I found myself starting over with nothing but my two daughters (which I still think made me rich) when I got divorced from a very unthrifty man who'd wiped out every penny I'd ever managed to put by (this blog isn't about that, but I just want to set straight that that was not one of the main reasons for the divorce, it just added stress). Fortunately, although I had to start full time outside work, my daughters were old enough to work at home without me, and I found a job that let me work 6AM til 2PM, with enough time left in the afternoon for doing things with them. The pay was only so-so, but we still managed to save money on that job. Then I found a better paying job, but sacrificed the early schedule, and 30 months after moving out without even a job, we replaced the old clunker (debt-free though) with a 21 month old Saturn sedan, paid for in cash. I've since spent a year working only part-time in order to spend more time with my younger daughter, and now work in a job that's a combination of HR and bookkeeping, with a bit of data mining thrown in, which suits me very well. I could get jobs that paid better, but I consider some intangibles more important, like working for someone who treats me well and is flexible.

So, here we are, and although we no longer need to be seriously thrifty, I find that we like being thrifty with most things. I hope you find what I post on this blog useful or thought-provoking.