I figured this craziness was genetic. A rare strain inherited from my mother who used to grind her own wheat for fresh bread in the morning. I, on the other hand, take after my dad who could pull out a fork, open a can of cold Chef Boyardee, and call it dinner.

I mean really, NORMAL people don’t bake everything right?

I went to a friend’s house over the weekend. She had invited my husband and me over for hamburgers and fries. I watched in amazement as she carefully molded ground beef into patties, peeled and sliced potatoes, and pulled fresh buns from the oven. We drank homemade Kombucha and devoured fresh cookies after dinner.

She started talking about saving money and how they lived on less because she cooks everything from scratch. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that while, yes, I make dinner at home each night, the closest I’ve come to making cookies from scratch in months is slicing them off a premade roll I bought with a coupon.

Am I the crazy one here? Are all of you out there baking away while I’m buying hamburger buns and crackers instead of making them?

The article shared ways Anthem is working to save you money by helping you stay healthy. Sure, healthier members save Anthem money, but there’s nothing wrong with a little win-win right?!?

I browsed the website was surprised at the free offerings from his insurance provider including free workout plans by Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser, health tips, ways to save on prescriptions, free health assessments, members only discounts on vitamins/eyeglasses/hearing aids/gym memberships/etc., doctor ratings, and lifestyle improvement programs.

I checked into my health insurance provider and they offered tons of freebees as well. Save a little cash and check with your health insurance company. You may very well be paying for something you could get for less!

We’ll be spending the week beach camping with family and friends. Beach camping is my favorite type of vacation because it doesn’t usually cost us anything. We cook BBQ meals using our regular grocery budget and we all split the cost of the camping space between the group.

Have a good weekend! I know I will!

If you want to camp at some GREAT spots, check Reserveamerica.com. My top three: Doheny State Beach, San Clemente State Beach, and Carlsbad State Beach.

when they have to pee.

Shoppers feel rushed and spend less time wandering stores, thus, add less to their shopping carts.

Somehow, I just can’t see myself hurriedly downing a couple quarts of water so Target would have a less painful hit on my pocketbook BUT, I know it would work. How? This weekend, I ran a couple errands while my husband watched our sleeping baby at home. I’m nursing the little guy so my window of time away is TINY. I found myself power walking (and admittedly, occasionally RUNNING) through the grocery store, the shoe store, and the library. There wasn’t one item purchased that wasn’t on my list because I simply didn’t have the luxury of time to wander. My husband laughed at my new ability to shop quickly and cheaply.

So, if you aren’t trapped by a nursing infant…

try drinking lots of water.

THREE hours later, I slipped my final can into an organized row.

And for the part I am ashamed to admit…

I had to toss 6 trash bags of food. I easily wasted several hundred dollars of grocery budget by letting my food expire. As someone who worked in a grocery store, I guess I missed the lesson on first in, first out.

It’s not that I don’t know how it happened. I come home from work, exercise, tidy the house, and tiredly open the pantry doors to grab whatever food is in front. I simply lack the energy to move things around – especially in the last 9 months.

Off to Walmart I went to purchase $15 worth of plastic bins. Using plastic bins as drawers in my linen closet has helped to keep my shampoos, lotions, and body washes organized so I figured I’d give it a shot in the kitchen. Pulling out 10 individual cans to find one in the back? Not going to happen. Pulling out one clear plastic bin? Pretty darn easy.

Ugh. Why didn’t I think to do this years ago! I wouldn’t have to live with the guilt of all that wasted food!!

I can’t believe I forgot to mention that!!

Shopping around is important but don’t forget to mention your employer since many cell phone service providers give fairly good discounts to large organizations (and some small ones too!).

The agency I work for negotiated a 20% discount with the provider we chose.

Or so I thought.

The water bill did drop a little, only about $20. Since our water bills are sent every two months, this wasn’t a full cycle for two of us, but it’s a pretty good indicator of what we’ll be paying next time.

The cable bill dropped more than $30. They took their cable box and DVR with them and I didn’t realize the monthly expense of the extra cable box. That’s what I get for writing checks and not reading bills!

The most shocking bill of all? Electric. Since we’ve had roommates from the day we moved into our home, we never knew what the total would be without them. The statement would always hover between $135 and $160 per month. This month? $78.

We don’t have roommates to cover half the bills BUT…

Overall, we aren’t that far from what we’ve been paying.

Who knew we were so ‘green’!!??!!

Some wonderful ladies at work have approached me about throwing a baby shower at the office. Need I bring up my other issue? The one where I struggle accepting gifts?

Limelight and gift acceptance? Sounds about as awesome as my latest root canal.

BUT, hubby and I have nothing for the baby, we really need the help, and we could save money if we accepted their offer.

I’ve turned my co-workers down twice, gently and sweetly of course, but they asked yet again on Friday.

I guess this is the part where I work on getting over my pride and start appreciating that the folks in my life are genuinely interested in offering a great set of helping hands.

The only problem? I’m a bit miffed as to whether it is ‘proper workplace etiquette’ to accept their offer. This wouldn’t be the first baby shower thrown at work but I was a bit flustered when a co-worker said, ‘I heard the some ladies are trying to throw you a baby shower at the office and you turned them down. Good idea. Baby showers at work are so tacky!’

Well shoot! Now I don’t know what to do! Advice?

The Wall Street Journal podcast this morning talked about using store rewards programs as a good way to save money. We, the consumers, are left to decide how much of our personal information we are willing to part with to get a deal.

An e-mail?
Phone number?
Gender?
Mailing Address?

Weirdly enough, as an oversharing blogger, I under-share my information with stores. All you’ll ever get from me is an e-mail and my gender. Dream on if you want my address or phone number. How do I solve the dilemma of wanting to use store programs that demand more personal information than I’m willing to give?

I use my mother’s.

Whoa now. Don’t jump to conclusions and assume I sign my poor, innocent, mother up for garbage. I don’t. She simply signs herself up for everything and I piggyback by using her phone number.

Last I checked, my brother does the same thing.

I have a feeling there are a lot of stores across San Diego that wonder why one household is purchasing diapers, feminine products, and Centrum Silver in the same day across three cities.

Sharing or not, the Washington Journal had some recommendations:

1. Download an iTunes app called ‘The Keyring’ so you don’t have to carry all those plastic barcodes on your keys

2. Keep track of your rewards points. Many rewards go unused.

3. Keep a separate e-mail for rewards programs. They have a tendency to fill e-mailboxes quickly.

As someone who rarely pays full price for anything, I do belong to a good number of reward and coupon programs. While I don’t shop often, you won’t catch me strolling into Old Navy without a 30% off coupon or into Kohl’s without at least two coupons I can use congruently.

I have two questions for you –

1. How much are you willing to share?
2. Which rewards program is your favorite?

Proud of my savings, I opened my linen closet doors to store my stash and…

discovered there were already 4 sticks of deodorant, 5 tubes of toothpaste, and 2 bottles of store brand mouthwash.

That’s what I get for chastising the TLC Extreme Couponing show. Stupid Karma.

My husband gets slightly annoyed when he discovers that I have 8 bottles of shampoo but can’t seem to stock a decent bottle of aspirin – it’s not my fault they don’t offer aspirin at 90% off and I have no motivation to pay full price for anything. I know some women who hide their shopping discretions from their husbands… sadly, I include myself in that group. But it’s no Coach bag or Hermes sweater stuffed in the back of my closet, it’s 4 bottles of discounted body wash. I cringed when I caught my hoarding, *cough*, ‘savings’ mistake and quickly shoved the deodorant behind some sheets. Regardless of the savings, I’d have to have one heck of a sweaty summer to burn through 9 sticks of deodorant.

I learned my lesson. All coupons are going straight to the trash until I run out of deodorant… which should be sometime in 2015.

If you’ve seen the show, you know it’s about men and women who spend a good portion of their lives clipping coupons and purchasing crap… *cough*… I mean, purchasing ‘stuff’ and ‘saving huge amounts of money’ while doing it.

I was excited to watch the show somehow thinking it would be informative and help me in my own shopping endeavors.

The only thing the show ‘informed’ me was that these people are nuts and I’ve got a pretty good handle on my sanity comparatively.

This week, I watched the episode with Missy, who spends 35 hours per week couponing. According to her, she saved $60,000 in one year. Um… I DON’T SPEND $60,000 ON GROCERIES IN ONE YEAR!! I spend about 5% of that. Theoretically, I saved $57,000 by not buying junk I didn’t need… and I don’t have to stockpile. Plus, let’s not forget to mention that I spend 40 hours per week working and made real money – not fake ‘saved’ money. The math doesn’t add up for these couponers.

In the episode, she purchased 54 bottles of laundry detergent. She also purchased hundreds of bags of cat treats…and she doesn’t own a cat. Who needs 54 bottles of detergent?!? Or 93 bags of croutons? Or cat treats without a cat? Unless that detergent can double as salad dressing and the cat treats as a weird form of bacon bits, I see a disconnect here.

Admittedly, I keep around 5 containers of shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, and hair gel at any given time. I wait for a three or four dollar coupon, combine it with a sale, and buy a couple at a time. I never pay for these items. But do I keep a collection of several thousand bottles in my organized garage that I couldn’t use in 15 lifetimes? Not even close.

Let’s just call ‘Extreme Couponing’ what is really is…

Organized hoarding.

This month, I accidentally took a little more than I should have and noticed a mere $30 to cover more than a week. I spent an hour digging through the pantry and refrigerator and worked to pair what we had with recipes. I stopped by the grocery store to purchase some fresh fruit, veggies, and dairy items and spent $27. Proud of my achievement, I spread the recipe cards for my husband and told him he could choose what he wanted for dinner.

‘I’m leaning toward the Tilapia with fresh tomatoes topped with feta or the turkey burgers and grilled asparagus but I’m up for anything you choose’ I said a little smugly.

He stared at each then said, ‘Actually, I’ve been thinking about a Stouffer’s frozen chicken dinner thingie. Can we just do that instead?’

I stared at him in silence.

A minute ticked by.

‘Or we could do tilapia. That sounds g-g-g-good’ he stuttered.

I didn’t think I had but, yes, I have perfected the look of death.

The crummy Stouffers frozen dinner is still tucked safely in the back of the freezer… where it belongs.

I felt like I had failed all my picket fence dreams.

Several of my friends are having babies and they share their stories of shopping for furniture at pricey stores and picking out themes. Meanwhile, my ‘theme’ is – buy study wood furniture that matches… sort of. Don’t get me wrong, it will look great and I’ll spend 90% less than my friends, but I couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed that I spend my weekends at garage sales and traipsing through people’s homes asking for deals.

Yesterday morning, the head of HR stopped to chat. He and his wife are expecting their third… and ‘very, very, unexpectedly, accidental’ child. They have to start over on purchasing baby goods and he mentioned the ‘killer deal’ he got on a crib from Craigslist.

I choked on my caffeine-free tea. ‘What?!?’ I gasped, trying to take a breath.

Keep in mind, this guy makes well over 100K a year.

“Yeah, it’s great. Why should I take the hit on retail? Let some other sucker pay it” he said with a huge grin. He saw the shock register on my face, grabbed my arm, and said, “Oh my gosh Rebekah. Please don’t tell me you bought something new right? It’s such a rip off!” he said.

“No. The room is furnished thanks to Craigslist and garage sales” I said.

“Thank goodness! I knew you were smarter than that” and he continued to chat away.

Do you even know what a relief it was to hear that – especially from someone who can afford nice things? I was flying high finally thinking I hadn’t failed, I’d simply been smart about my finances… for once.

All the furniture is paid for with cash. I guess I do have a theme…

Financial Responsibility.

‘I’m remodeling’
‘I’m cleaning out my garage and don’t have room’
And…
‘My wife isn’t home and I can’t remember how much she said to sell it for but I’m sure we’ll figure something out.’

I had been watching for deals on Craigslist for much needed baby supplies for a couple months but hadn’t found anything. I’m not picky… but I’m not particularly interested in your great aunt Myrtle’s crib that is ‘in great shape – but missing a few semi-important parts.’

Then, one lucky Thursday morning, I found ‘the one’. It was a crib in the perfect color, great condition, and offered at a reasonable price.

My husband and I went to take a look on Friday and the seller said, ‘I’m remodeling our home and I want to get rid of everything. I’m storing the remodeling supplies in my garage and don’t have room for all this baby stuff. My wife is not here, but I kinda remember how much she said she wanted.’

Cha-Ching! I hit the Craigslist trifecta.

He opened his sparkling clean garage and in a carefully covered corner was a stack of baby items.

The heavens opened and I heard the Hallelujah chorus.

The seller kept piling items into my husband’s truck until we had no more room. What did we escape with?

A travel system stroller, car seat, and base, nearly brand new with all the manuals and a note that read, ‘This car seat has never been in an accident, has not been recalled, and has never been placed in a shopping cart’ (Hmm. Someone is a little OCD like me!).
A heavy duty crib and a new mattress with the manuals and the orthopedic information on the mattress.
Adorable spotless bedding for a baby boy.
A medium duty stroller for when the travel system stroller gets too heavy.
A toddler car seat that read ‘This car seat has never been in an accident and has not been recalled’.
A Red Flyer wagon with off-road tires and wood siding straight from the box.

All for $170.

The wife called just before we left. From our end, we heard…

‘Yes. They decided to buy the crib and stroller.’
‘How much?’
‘ Oops. They already paid.’
‘I gave them the other stroller and toddler seat too.’
‘Free.’
‘Oh. Well, it’s already in their car.’
‘No. That’s rude.’
‘Sorry. It’s gone honey.’
‘They are driving off right this second.’

He hung up. ‘Whelp. I’m in trouble. But it’s worth it. I’ve got space! Have a great day guys.’

And off we went.

Score!!

My husband, aka Mr. Fix-It, wanted me to remind you to change your air conditioner/furnace filter at least once every six months depending on your usage. Changing this filter helps to make your unit run more efficiently and prevent costly repairs. Plus, those with allergies may notice it helps reduce those nasty symptoms that rear their ugly head this time of year.

Don’t know how? Let e-how help: http://www.ehow.com/how_2043782_change-air-conditioner-filter.html

I’m facing my biggest foe this weekend… the IRS. This is the second year we have decided to prepare our taxes ourselves with free tax software. It’s a huge savings from the $200+ we were spending on our accountant but I’m always a little leery about dealing with the government on my own… and I work for the government.

That should tell you something.

We will still have to consult with a friend about some questions we have, but I’m hoping we’ll come out on top again. We got a huge chunk of cash back last year but we didn’t adjust our withholdings since our deductions were changing this year. I know Dave Ramsey yells at people who let the government withhold too much money, but since our deductions are far from predictable, we have to take a safe route.

I’ve cleared my schedule (and the living room floor), chilled a 6-pack of beer to keep hubby interested, and I think we’re ready.

Poll time!

Do you prepare your own taxes or pay an accountant?

A few months passed and I still found myself easily able to walk by any and all baby sections without even a slight draw toward them. I thought, perhaps it’s because the baby didn’t seem real to me and after we actually saw the first ultrasound, that was when I would go crazy with spending.

Four and a half months in, an ultrasound and a heartbeat later, and I still have yet to spend a dime.

Sure, I glance around Craigslist for killer deals on baby furniture (I haven’t found anything) but I have yet to feel the need to spend.

I thought it was just me. Maybe I’m simply too cheap? Then, late one night as my husband was rubbing my little belly, he said, ‘I hope we have a boy.’ I smiled at my ‘macho’ man who wants his ‘manly’ boy until he said, ‘We can get way more hand-me-downs if we have a boy.’

The realization that he’s becoming fearfully frugal brought a tear of joy to my eye *wink*.

Maybe things will be different when the kid arrives. Maybe I’ll feel the need to spend, spend, spend. But for now, I’ll keep plugging away at my debt and worry about cartfuls of clothing later.

Seriously awesome name for a bad experience. Totally worthy of a blog title.

A few people brought up the dog sitting/roommate mess and to be honest, yes, that is a big part of the reason my husband is done with roommates. Even now, we both grumble a bit when mopping our warped floors and we were disappointed we couldn’t sell our old couches because of the pee stink.

I forgot to mention that our raises will cover the amount we usually receive in rent (when you don’t charge much in the first place, you don’t miss it) and will actually enable us to pay a little more than we usually do on debt. Our emergency account is fully funded again.

We came out ahead!! Yes!

And for the inquiring minds… the person who house-sat for us and caused ‘the great pee debacle of 2010’ is moving in with my brother when they close escrow.

My husband, who is normally the sweetest man on the planet, let an evil grin slip out when he heard the news. I think I even heard him sing a song about Karma while mopping the warped floor.

SERVERS.

*gasp!*

I guess someone is tired of the fact that only food places we visit (and even then, we rarely go out) ask if we would like our order supersized.

Off we went to participate in ‘motivating’ the economy. I was ecstatic.

Thirty dollars later, I sat with fully content at the table after thoroughly enjoying warm bread, caesar salad, filet mignon, and crème brulee with fresh strawberries.

I crawled into bed thinking… ‘Best Christmas gift ever!!’ Three and a half hours later… I was thinking, ‘WORST Christmas gift ever!!’ as I suffered the nastiest bout of food poisoning I have ever had.

I don’t believe in karma but at 1 AM, when brain function is a little on the fuzzy side, I start to think that karma has taken vengeance on me for my frivolous spending. By 3 AM, I demand karma stop being mean because I’d really like to part ways with the porcelain god.

I finally struggled back into bed around 3:30 and angrily pounded at my alarm when it started beeping loudly just over an hour later. I skipped a shower, threw on clothes that didn’t match, and dragged my sick body into work, the whole time feeling guilty about my spending.

My boss walks in and does a double take. I start to explain about my shambled appearance when he interrupts, ‘Didn’t you get food poisoning?’

‘Huh?’ I ask.

‘Everyone we sent offsite for training got food poisoning from the free chicken burritos. They all called in sick.’

HAH! Take that karma!! It wasn’t my $30 dinner! It was my love of free food!! Well… free anything for that matter.

Ugh. I’m going to bed for the weekend. At least the guilt from spending is gone.

My sister bakes the world’s best cookies (no exaggeration) from scratch and as awesome as that is, it’s not the best part of her gift. She also includes all the dry ingredients for a complete dinner and prints the directions on beautiful holiday paper. This year’s selection: tortilla soup with corn bread.

Sure, nothing makes me feel older than getting far more excited over a pre-mixed dinner than the new Lady Gaga CD but… we all have to grow up (somewhat) sometime.

So, steal the idea for next year and claim it as your own. There is no shame in stealing good ideas.

Thanks Cole.

Due to the dwindling daylight hours, I’ve been forced to exercise indoors. I lift a few weights and run on my treadmill while watching TV. The TV in our spare bedroom doesn’t have a cable hook up, just an old DVD player. Since we went on our debt diet, we haven’t bought DVD’s in a very long time. How long? I bounce back and forth between watching John Tucker Must Die and There’s Something About Mary. As enthralling as our movie selection is (ha ha), I force myself to work out for at least 45 minutes a day.

Our computer is also in the spare bedroom so I decided to watch Hulu instead – and don’t ask why I never thought of this before. I told you, I’m a tech idiot.

I turned on a decently recent movie and ran…and ran…and ran.

The credits rolled and I glanced down at the treadmill timer.

Two hours.

I was on the treadmill for two hours. Sure, there are people who work out that much in one stretch… they’re called ATHLETES. I am not one.

No, Hulu didn’t really give me a stress fracture. Actually, I can’t say for sure. I don’t know what happened. All I know is, my feet don’t work today. Maybe they’ll work tomorrow. I really want to watch the new season of The Office.

Hulu (and my feet) presented a pretty strong case. Watch out expensive cable company, when the roommates are gone… you’re going with them.

Fortunately, our roommates cover half the bill plus their pricey premium channels but once they move out, I don’t think I can justify spending so much on a luxury.

I decided to look into other options.

We don’t watch TV much, but we both really enjoy staying in on a Saturday night and laughing at our favorite comedies. It sort of makes us less miserable about the whole “we don’t spend outside the budget” thing we’ve got going. Sure I could say we will start playing card games, doing crafts together, or cooking by candlelight but… um… we won’t.

I’ve heard about Hulu.com and Netflix streaming via the Wii but I haven’t actually tried them. So, I’ve got two options. I, the tech idiot, can try to figure it out on my own OR, I can see if any of you folks have made the switch and see how it worked for you.

I may be a tech idiot, but I’ve got common sense at least.

Share your cable cutting ideas!

This was the first week we had to expose our ‘no dining out’ policy to friends. Hmph.

My husband and I joined my brother and his wife while they searched for a new home. After a few hours of driving neighborhoods and meeting with realtors, we were starved. My brother drove down a fast food laden street and said, ‘Where do you guys want to go to lunch?’

My husband gave me ‘the’ look. The look that said, ‘You came up with the no dining out policy, therefore, you should explain it.’

I flubbed out something Yoda-ish, ‘We can’t…uh… 60 days of no dining out… money…tight…save, trying to …err…uh…home, eat at.’

‘OK Captain Crazy’ he replied, paused, then added, ‘We need to save money too since we’re buying the house. Good idea – well, what I could understand of it.’

We’re getting there. A little bit at a time. Sure folks think I’m nuts but since I’m so close to the debt free finish line…

I could care less.

Each year, when the movies for the series are announced, my husband and I laugh and nudge each other because inevitably, we have already seen all the movies.

This year was different. It was the first time we had only seen one out of the six – and even then, we watched that one because my brother had lent it to us. We don’t go out much anymore since we are saving each penny and we cut out watching movies in the theater completely.

We didn’t realize how different our lives were until looking at this list. Suddenly, we aren’t hip, we aren’t cool, and we have no idea what is going on in pop culture but…

We are closer to being debt free than ever.

And I’m willing to trade pop culture knowledge for that any day.

Far more people showed up than expected and throughout the day, about 35 people passed through our front door. I guess when you slow roast pork drenched in seasoning and sauces for six hours, you attract the neighbors as guests.

It was one of those days where I didn’t think about how much I hate my crummy couches, the little patch of peeling stucco, or the square of brown lawn I can’t afford to water in my backyard. All I could think was how blessed I am to have such a wonderful group of friends in my life. All those bodies with smiling faces covered the crummy couch, the friends sitting in chairs on the patio playing Phase 10 hid the patch of peeling stucco, and the square of brown lawn was the perfect place to play a competitive game of horseshoes.

When Dave Ramsey is asked how he is, he always responds, ‘Better than I deserve.’

I know the feeling.

How was your weekend? Did you spend or save?

The VERY NEXT DAY, the electrical went out in our garage. My husband said he was more than willing to prolong repairing it but couldn’t because he thought it was ‘potentially life threatening’ blah, blah, blah.

I offered to avoid the garage area, the open electrical box, and the live wires near the light switch but for some reason, he didn’t trust me to remember not to touch the switch while hungrily running to the garage freezer for a pint of Ben and Jerry’s – plus, there was some mention of a ‘potential fire hazard’.

The cost of the repairs? $150.

The amount of cash in our account? $162.

The amount of food in our fridge? None.

Our grocery budget funded the repairs.

It’s times like these, we are supposed to dive into our emergency fund. Electrical/housing/safety problem definitely qualifies as an EMERGENCY but for some reason, I can’t touch that cash without feeling uneasy.

Instead, I looked around my house for something to sell.

My eyes fell on a lamp, still in the box with a receipt taped to the top, which I purchased 2 weeks ago. The lamp in our living room broke and all we have is a fixture with a bare bulb. I bought a $40 floor lamp from Target to replace it but felt uneasy about spending money so I left it in the box while I debated it.

While I stood in the returns line to get back some cold hard cash for groceries, my sister called. When she asked what I was doing, I told her I was returning a lamp for grocery money.

You know you’ve reached a certain consistent level of crazy when your sister doesn’t hiccup over the above statement and simply says, “Cool. Anyway, are you coming to mom and dad’s today?”

The statement was always a bit annoying to me. What am I supposed to do, befriend expensive lawyers and doctors while kicking my sweet but underpaid school teacher friends to the curb? Um. I don’t think so.

This weekend, I was reading an old copy of the ever mature, wise, grown-up magazine… Cosmopolitan… which added to Ramsey’s statement. Cosmo agreed that our salaries would match our closest friends but went on to say that our attitudes about our finances and about our lives will also mirror our closest friends.

Hey Dave, maybe you should focus on the attitude – not the salary.

My sisters and I started paying debt around the same time. Not only are my sisters dedicated to reducing debt, they are efficient – and often funny to watch – frugalistas. Shopping with my sisters is like going shopping with the worst version of Dave Ramsey.

‘Yeah the dress is cute but debt is ugly. Put it back on the hanger.’

No, my sisters don’t make a lot of money but their attitude toward reducing debt is contagious and in the end…

isn’t that what matters?

The magazine is called ‘All You – Enjoy Life for Less’.

While I have never seen a hard copy of the magazine, I took some time to visit their website. They offer tips on making low cost meals, budget shopping, fitness (all workouts you can do from home), and coupons, coupons, coupons!

On the home page, they list the top coupons for the day. On the day I was browsing the site (Easter Sunday), Bear Naked Granola & Lean Cuisine were offering great deals.

Even if you can’t afford a subscription, check out the site at http://www.allyou.com/ for some great tips.

A co-worker in my department lives 2 blocks from the transit stop I wait at each morning. About 4 months ago, he started pulling over and picking me up on his way to work. I felt guilty about the free rides and my lack of desire to share the expense, so I changed my hours to use public transit again.

A week later, he changed his hours to match mine.

Over the last few weeks, he has started to complain about gas prices. I asked him why he doesn’t use the free public transportation and he responded, ‘Eww. No. I wouldn’t be caught dead on public transit.’ I used this opportunity to tell him that I use the money I save in gas to pay debt. He rolled his eyes.

Yesterday, I told him I was driving to work because I had to meet my sister and needed my car. He snapped, ‘Well, it would be nice if you offered to drive me once in a while.’ I was unsure of what to say so I dumbly said, ‘I’m sorry’ rather than explain myself…again.

I already know changing my hours won’t work. I’ve tried to sneak out of the building and hide at the bus stop but he always finds me and gets offended if I turn down a ride home. He makes my turning down his offer for a ride home to be a personal insult – and then talks about it at work. It appears as though I have to talk to him about it (more clearly than the first time) but I’m not sure what to say or how to bring it up.

Any advice?

I’m a fan of daily fitness so I will be the first to tell you, if having a gym membership is the only way you will exercise, spend the money. The monthly gym fees will be far less expensive than poor health now and in the future.

We were able to temporarily cancel our monthly gym dues when my husband lost his job. Now that six months have passed without a trip to the gym, I’ve discovered something surprising…

I work out more now without a gym membership than I did with one.

I spend a quick 20 minutes running with the dogs or doing a workout video before making dinner each night. I do sit ups while watching TV or I jog in place. Before, if I didn’t have an hour to workout at the gym, I simply wouldn’t workout at all. Now, if I have 10 minutes, I use it!

I have always clung to my gym membership even in the leanest financial times. Looking at the impact of working out at home, I’m not sure why I held on so tight. We decided to make the temporary cancelation permanent. Rather than redirect all the money toward debt reduction, we’ve decided to keep part designated to fitness. The money can go toward new tennis shoes, marathon entrance fees, or exercise equipment. If we get desperate for a group class or a swim, we can sign up at the community center for $30 for a 3 month, two hour, twice weekly class.

Try working out at home this month. It may not work for you – but maybe you’ll be surprised at the results.

**If you do decide to cancel your membership, you may need to cancel several times. These companies (especially large gyms like 24Hour Fitness and LA Fitness ) can be very sneaky and ‘accidentally’ automatically deduct your dues for up to six months. You may need to consult with your bank to stop payments.**

The deadly season of Easter.

It’s not the peeps that make my heart go pitter patter; it’s the tasty chocolate Cadbury Mini Eggs. I can’t resist them no matter how much they cost financially or physically. Sure the $2.50 price tag isn’t terrible but literally, I can’t fit into my pants after eating them. This is likely because I can eat a bag in less than a week and there are 56 grams of fat and 1,330 calories in each bag of yummy goodness.

I had to go to Target to buy a bag of dog food and couldn’t resist the bright sale sign resting on the heavenly purple bag (why don’t they ever put flax seed on sale?). I took the treasured chocolate eggs to work with my lunch and set my carrying bag on the table to pull out my food for the refrigerator. Distracted, I left the chocolate eggs in my carrying bag on the lunch table. 20 minutes later, I realized my mistake and went back to the lunch room to retrieve my food.

My carrying bag was there… the eggs were not.

My heart was broken (but my hips were thankful).

I’ve been hit by overspending Karma. I knew I shouldn’t have wasted the money (or the calories) and it was taken from me. Sure it seems silly to feel guilty for spending $2.50 when I’m planning on heading overseas – but saving for the trip has renewed my penny pinching ways to an unprecedented level. Since I don’t have the willpower necessary to resist the minefield of temptation, my husband will be doing the shopping for the next four weeks. Sorry Cadbury, our love affair is over.

Alas, I will eventually discover which of my co-workers has ‘sticky’ fingers – I’ll simply look for the one who can no longer fit in his or her pants by Friday.

And I’m kidding about Karma… well… kind of.

Target Stores (along with Henry’s, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, and Whole Foods) offer 5 cents off your bill for each bag used. The program started in November but somehow I missed the giant glowing red signs posted at eye level on each check stand until today.

Obviously I’m a very observant person.

The bags don’t have to be Target brand recycled bags but they cannot be regular plastic bags that you happen to be reusing.

If you know of any stores around you offering the same incentive – let me know!

He finally carved out Saturday to build a large portion on the fence. Since it’s not a task he can complete by himself, he called my brothers and his brothers to help.

No one was available.

He looked at me, his last hope (his very last and desperate hope since I’m afraid of sunshine, bees, saw blades, splinters, and manual labor)… and said, ‘Hon, do you think you could help me out this weekend? I need strong helpers but everyone is busy.’

I thought about pulling the ‘I’m recovering from pneumonia’ card but quickly decided I should make an attempt at being a decent human being.

We worked together for a few hours. I drew lines on the beams and things seemed to be going well until he started calling out construction terms when measuring.

‘142 – 3 strong!’ He yelled.

‘Hut hut hike?’ I asked confused. Were we playing football?

Things only went downhill from there. I tripped repeatedly, accidentally broke boards, misfired the nail gun, and inaccurately measured several times.

Fortunately, his brother freed up his afternoon and stopped by to help for a few hours. His brother knows construction terminology and they moved like a set of skilled craftsmen. I was demoted to weed puller and water girl for the afternoon.

Despite the botched morning, the fence is nearly done and it’s beautiful thanks to the hard work of my husband and his brother. It’s times like these that I am thankful for the talented men in my life. Without them, I’d be a mess. Well… more of a mess than I already am.

And in case you were doubting the stability or reliability of our old fence… photos are more valuable than words…

and the last photo – the saw blade start to our new fence.

My husband bought me the Wii Active More Workouts game for Christmas so I figured that would be a good place to start. Users are given the option to choose easy, medium, or hard workouts. Given my current situation, I chose… medium.

The overachiever in me is incapable of choosing any option labeled ‘easy’.

And maybe, this choice would have been fine… had I not exchanged the flimsy resistance band from the package to my ultra strong 3 layer band.

31 minutes later I was sweating, gasping for breath, and wishing I had taught my dog to fetch my inhaler. Just thinking about the ‘hard’ level gives me night terrors.

I’m cancelling my gym membership.

How much is the hike for us?

$50 a month.

I stared at my already lean budget and tried to find a line item to reduce. I’m already dancing with danger in my necessity line items. My ‘check engine’ light came on again but unless I can fix it for the $37 I have in my car repair fund, it won’t happen. I sadly looked at the non-necessity line items, pulled out my ugly red pen, and started scratching off our once monthly dinner out, my Saturday morning bike ride icy lemonade stop, and stretched the distance between haircuts to 14 weeks.

Thank you California.

I think lawmakers are hoping residents will forget about the painful tax hike 10 months from now when they are up for re-election but I have this to say…

My ratty split ends will remind me.

I’m off to send good vibes to my car. Maybe if I wash it lovingly and talk to it sweetly, it will fix itself.

This year, our taxes have simplified a bit and I think we may be able to prepare them using tax software. I’ve never done this before and I’m a bit concerned about my abilities. Heck, I hardly trust myself to calculate the proper tip at a restaurant – and miscalculations of tips don’t generally result in jail time or huge fines.

But I’m motivated by one thing…

$6.65

Doesn’t seem like much… until I realized that is how much we pay our accountant per MINUTE to prepare our taxes. It adds up very quickly.

Suddenly, TurboTax for $53 on Amazon or $49 at Costco seems like a steal.

How do you prepare your taxes? Have you somehow managed to prepare them yourself without a Masters in Accounting?

What do we generally report? Mortgage/taxes, student loan interest, student books and fees, car registration, etc.

My top four:

1. Replenish savings. Our bank accounts turned to rubble after the job loss and I find myself uncomfortable without a safety net. We do still have cash – but a trip to Taco Bell for two 89 cent burritos may cause an overdraft.

2. Pay off at least $19,000 in debt. We paid down over $17,000 this year and I think we may have a chance at $19,000 if we are able to keep our jobs.

3. Continue to find ways to live below my means. To start the new year off in the right direction, I registered for classes at our nearby community center rather than at a community college. I won’t get college credit (I don’t need it since I already have a degree) but I’ll save around $300 a year without having to give up my love for learning.

4. Take another budget vacation. Tent? Cheap motel? Roadtrip? Become a train hobo? Whatever we decide, it will be an adventure.

Do you have your goals planned for the year?

We’re still working our way through those 37 meals hidden in our pantry and freezer and it’s likely to get a whole lot worse from here but I’m ready for the challenge.

Before you express concern for our health, we are still purchasing perishable items like greens and dairy products and my parents having been sharing the fruit from their apple and orange trees.

So here’s the question…

These are desperate financial times, what is your cheapest (and somehow still healthy) dinner?

We had been looking forward to becoming debt free in about 12 months, but our schedule has been delayed due to the bout of unemployment. I could tell you that I’m not disappointed… and I could also tell you I was excited to see my check engine light pop on this morning – but I’d be lying.

Setbacks and adjustment are just a part of the journey.

How are we dealing we ours?

Rather than jump straight into reducing debt, we are going to rally up our depleted savings. Depending on my husband’s actual start date, we should be back up in about 2 months. After we have a stable amount, we’re going to jump right back into the fight against our debt.

The good news? My husband will start working at construction prevailing wage rates in February or March. Prevailing wage rates are higher than he is currently earning and should help us get back on track faster.

Let me make something clear, I am a very tidy person. Bleach and Windex are more pleasing to my nose than fine perfume. I actually get physically uncomfortable in disorderly places but…

The back of my pantry hasn’t seen the light of day since about 2007.

I figured I’d throw it all away… until I discovered loads of canned goods and boxed foods that weren’t set to expire for a few more years. In my bottom of my box freezer, I discovered frozen chicken and ground beef only a few months old.

I created a spreadsheet of foods and categorized them by meal type and location. Want to know how many meals we have stashed in the backs of cabinets and the bottom of the freezer?

37.

Yes, some of them are a stretch to be called a meal (example: the combination of boxed noodles and canned black beans I pretend to be soup or the egg flower soup with no eggs – which I guess is just technically broth) but we can survive the next 37 meals for free.

I know what you’re thinking – ‘I can’t possibly have 37 meals stashed around my house’. Clean out that pantry and freezer before you laugh at me. See if you can beat our 37 meal score. You’ll save some money this season by shopping in your pantry.

My best advice to the recently unemployed, be ready for a long ride. Prepare your finances immediately and don’t assume a check is coming anytime soon.

Our finances took a hit since we were carrying our mortgage and bills on my paycheck and savings alone but we’ve been able to level out a bit since the checks arrived. Whew!

Looks like I can finally buy some splurge items – and by splurge, I mean an occasional sale priced ground beef instead of a cart full of Ramen alone.

Trouble has started to present itself on the hydration front. There are no water sources on the trails or in the parks.

Unfortunately, I’m limited on how much I can carry. Once I mix in my necessities (granola bar, house keys, and shimmer lip gloss), my hands are full. I’d carry a backpack but I get quickly overheated – and if you’ve ever run with a backpack, you know how awful it feels.

Instead, I hike or run a little, walk back to my house, drink water, and head out again. I figured it was something I’d have to live with. But then, while out on a trail, a girl ran past me with a water bottle belt with tiny little pockets for necessities.

I never dreamed I’d be ogling a glorified fanny pack.

I went to the sports store and found one just like it… for $19.99. It’s not a life changing amount – unless you’re dealing with unemployment. That $19.99 would look better as four meals than an optional piece of sports equipment.

I debated with myself for a good half hour then finally, the accountant in me won the battle and I left empty handed. As I kissed my runners fanny pack goodbye, I promised I’d be back as soon as my husband was gainfully employed.

In the mean time, I will stick close to home or… duct tape a water bottle to my arm.

When my husband and I married, I participated in his family gift exchange as well (turns out, his family of 10 was interested in saving money too). It was a great way to feel a part of the family.

Now that the economy has tanked, everyone wants to do a gift exchange rather than a mass gifting. Aunt May, Grandma Joy, and co-worker Suzie want to exchange gifts this holiday. While it’s easy to bow out of work related exchanges (‘My husband is unemployed’ is always a fabulous and acceptable reason), it’s difficult to get out of extended family exchanges. Family members say “it’s only $20 or $30!” but I can’t afford toothpaste much less a $20 Sham Wow. $20 or $30 multiplied by ten or so exchanges just isn’t happening this year.

I know what you’ll say, “Hey, it’s family. They’ll understand.”

Um. Hello?

It’s family. The very definition of people who are allowed to make fun of you and feel no guilt.

Wait. Maybe that’s just my family.

Whatever.

Since I don’t particularly want to say, “Yes, I bought you the Sham Wow but I can’t afford to buy deodorant until February”, I’m going to hold off on gifts entirely this season.

Whew. I said it. No gifts.

For the most part, this isn’t a problem. If we run out of food, we invite ourselves over to dinner at our parents…er.. um… I mean, we visit our parents because we love them and the free food is just an added benefit.

This week presented a new problem…

We ran out of toothpaste and mouthwash.

Determined to stay on our budget, I robbed my luggage of two travel size tubes of toothpaste. We’re running low but we have enough to last until Friday when our new budget begins.

I dug through our closets but failed to find any mouthwash – travel size or otherwise. I went into the kitchen to see if I could find anything there. Soap? Comet? Dishwashing liquid? And then I stumbled upon a bottle of vodka.

“Sweetie?” I called to my husband in the living room “Do you think I could use vodka as a mouthwash? They’re both essentially alcohol right? Either way, the results will be positive. It will work or it won’t and I won’t care that we don’t have mouthwash anymore.”

My husband laughed as if I were making a joke.

I wasn’t.

I put the vodka back in the cabinet and figured that regular brushing and flossing will have to do until tomorrow.

But this morning, I searched my hypothesis and…

http://www.ehow.com/how_4524768_use-vodka-as-antibacterial-agent.html

So if you ever run out of mouthwash, you can make your own – and yes, you use vodka.

And just in case my mother reads this, let me clarify – you don’t actually have to drink the vodka.

“I have good news!” he said with delight.

Did he get a job? Did he find a thousand dollars in change while cleaning the couch cushions? I thought.

“The neighbor rented an industrial size rototiller and if I help him at his house, he’ll bring it over here and we can use it! We can dig up the backyard!” he said.

It has become painfully obvious that my husband and I have differing meanings of ‘good news’.

In his defense, we have wanted to tear apart our backyard for months but we haven’t had the time or the money for a giant rototiller.

I don’t know how you spent your weekend but my hours passed painfully. I followed my husband with a shovel and a water hose while he smiled with glee pushing the manliest piece of machinery our yard has seen. The layer of dust is so thick on my scalp, I’m on wash number two and I can still do a good impression of Pig Pen from Charlie Brown. I may have ‘accidentally’ sprayed my husband’s face with water a few times out of sheer spite but it failed to wipe off his giddy look.

Next weekend our neighbor is renting a cement mixer… and has made the same offer. My husband said, “Sweetheart! We can finally widen our driveway – for FREE!! All it will take is a little bit of elbow grease!”

How is it that in less than a week, the Swine Flu is suddenly looking like a good way to spend Thanksgiving weekend?

No seriously. Stop laughing.

It IS cold to us thin skinned folks. The temperatures have been dipping down to the low 40’s at night. Last night it hovered at 60 degrees… inside our living room.

Yes, I could turn on the heater but since we’re trying to stretch our cash, we simply do without. We had two blankets on the bed but I was still chilled. I tried to snuggle with my husband to stay warm but his coughing kept shaking me awake. And no, I will not admit his cough is from the frosty internal temperature – well, not to his face anyway.

Our dogs have a heated floor in their dog house so they stay more toasty warm than we do. Please don’t tell my husband – he may ask to join them.

I added two more blankets last night and slept well. When my alarm goes off in the morning, I dress myself in three sweaters, a pair of sweatpants, and slippers. Sometimes, while putting on my make-up, I catch a glimpse of my Michelin Man appearance in the mirror and start to giggle.

Sometimes the circumstances of life are just funny.

I’m trying to beat my all time record internal house temperature of 56. Based on our new standard of living and the fact that the coldest month is still yet to come… I think I may just have a chance.

I hope you’re staying warm!

Perhaps it’s because my husband is blaring Amy Grant’s ‘Tender Tennessee Christmas’ in the other room.

No. I’m not joking.

His happy-go-lucky Pollyanna ‘I love the earth and all holidays’ attitude is for the most part a wonderful thing…

But thoughts of Christmas in October simply make me (and anyone within 50 yards of his subwoofer) suicidal.

I have to give him credit… it is an important reminder that we have to start thinking about Christmas gifts now. Since I’m broke and can’t spend 50 bucks on the last remaining blockbuster gift card in the Vons checkout on December 24th, I’ve got to make my plan of action. I’ve got to start taking left over change from payphones, digging through the neighbor’s garbage for recyclables, or compiling leftover foil for a life sized foil ball. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 29 years on this earth, it’s the fact that everyone needs a foil ball the size of a Honda.

No?

Hmm. Well, what was the best low (or preferably) no cost gift you ever received?

Last year my siblings and I compiled letters from us to our parents telling them how much we appreciated and loved them and had them printed and bound at Shutterfly.com (Walmart.com also provides the same photo type books we used). But I’m out of ideas! Help!

First, we cut our dental and vision insurance. This is something that can easily be re-instated but the $25 a month can help me now.

Second, I cancelled all my appointments health related or otherwise. None of my appointments were an emergency and I requested that my doctor renew my prescriptions without the annual check-up since the last 6 years have been clear of any problems. These appointments and tests run in the neighborhood of $500.

Third, I called my cable company to cancel our cable, reduce our internet speed, and reduce our phone service. I explained our situation and was surprised when they offered reduced internet costs, reduced phone costs, and added free services and free channels for a 12 month period. I would tell you how much I’m paying – but I’m afraid they’ll figure out they made a huge mistake and ‘correct’ the discount… or fire the guy who gave it to me. I would have cut out the internet and phone entirely but my husband needs internet for school purposes and job searching late at night when he gets home (free internet at the library is closed) and I’m uncomfortable without a home phone for emergencies.

Fourth, I contacted my student loan company for a deferment.

Fifth, my husband and I contacted friends and family and let them know we’d be available for odd jobs. Since unemployment doesn’t start for nearly a month after a job loss, my husband has done everything from pulling weeds to insulating walls. I have been helping a company with paperwork at night after work. We use this money for groceries and for the important bills like electric and water. At no time should you feel you are ‘too good’ for any type of job.

Sixth, we cut off all our subscriptions and memberships. If you’re like us, you may not even remember you have some of them since they are automatically billed to your credit card and you may not look at each item on your online statement. Some examples: gym memberships, club memberships, magazine and newspaper subscriptions (some automatically renew unless you cancel). Savings – $50 a month.

Seventh, we’ve been using more public transportation. It takes twice as long to get somewhere, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s far from fun, but it saves $50-$75 a month.

It’s not a lot, but each item buys us a little more time.

A 7 pm bachelorette dinner time that coincided with a 7 pm baseball game start and the 7 pm Saturday night party crowd shot parking rates and traffic to a premium. Unable to find an overnight parking place, I parked in an hourly rate spot (a spot that makes more per hour than I do). All throughout dinner, I checked my watch thinking, ‘Tick tock goes the meter – and my $50 allowance.’

I ordered the cheapest item on the menu, a $9 greek wrap, and had 2 – $2 beers. I dropped in $20 to cover my meal.

$30 left in my wallet.

We went to a club where I used $6 from my ash tray to have a Corona with the girls. As I sat nursing my beer with ‘Bridesmaid’ bedazzled across the chest of my pink tank top, guy came up to me and asked me to dance, he mentioned it was his 21st birthday… which had me thinking, ‘What is the official definition of a Cougar? And dear Lord… I’m not one right?!?’

A few more hours passed and I realized that I could not afford $35 for the hotel. Parking costs had chewed threw my money. When I pulled out of the garage, the kind and generous parking man gave me a discount from $54 to $30. Maybe he saw the shock register on my face – or maybe it was because I had my car loaded with bridesmaids in the same pink tank tops giving him Colgate smiles while winking flirtatiously.

I survived the weekend on $56.

And… it wasn’t so bad.

Well, I didn’t want to take an empty can of sunblock back to the store so I wrote an e-mail to Target. It was friendly and praising of their other products but asked for them to consider dropping or changing this particular product.

I didn’t expect to hear anything…

But I did.

Target wrote me an incredibly friendly e-mail and promised to look into my complaint. Two short days later, I received a full refund and yet another friendly letter in the mail.

I have always been a HUGE Target fan. They donate to local charities, have impressive customer service, and they save my budget every month. Add this surprisingly friendly response and…

Target, you have my lifetime stamp of approval.

A special thanks to Fern who let me know that, yes, it’s OK to complain sometimes.