“Ways I Save Money” Archive

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Odd way to save cash…

I wear 6” heels every day to work. Before you jump on me for the future damage to my feet, ankles, and legs, hear me out.

I’m short and my leg to torso proportion closely resembles a crossbred Welsh corgi and a dachshund. I buy petite short pants… and have them hemmed.

Sure, I could ‘accept my God given shape’, ‘celebrate my uniqueness’, and believe all the other feel good sayings my mother told me OR… I could wear really, really, really tall shoes and live in denial.

Denial is the name of my game.

I never thought tall shoes would save me money until my co-workers started to ask me to accompany them to lunch. With the fantastic food offerings of downtown San Diego, it’s impossible to pass up… unless you can’t walk. It’s easy to say no when walking more than three steps causes me to beg God to take me from this earth and save me from pain.

So, I kick off my shoes, put on my slippers, and toast a sandwich.

Before you insult that lady at work with the ridiculous shoes, remember… she may be saving money… or maybe she’s self-conscious about her tiny legs… or maybe it’s both.

Posted by Beks on March 19, 2010 at 5:00 AM in About Me, Ways I Save Money, work | 7 Comments »
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Reining in Mr. Fix-It

In the process of spending half our grocery budget on a ‘loaf of bread’, my husband purchased a plastic dog food storage container. In all fairness, the recent storms and moisture have molded the dog food and we’ve had to throw some away. Not realizing the container was too small, my husband dumped the entire bag of dog food into it – a large portion of which landed on the floor. Frustrated, he went back to Target to return the container and purchase a larger size. They didn’t have a larger airtight one so he brought home a cheap plastic bin with a lid. Putting his hand to his chin, he stared at it and said, ‘It’s not air tight. I refuse to lose anymore dog food to bugs or water!’

Today at work, I received an e-mail from my husband with a ‘solution’ to our problem.

From: Chris
To: Rebekah
Subject: Dog Food Storage
What do you think of something like this for dog food storage?

Dog Food Storage

Um. I don’t think food containers are even that complicated at the San Diego Zoo. A ‘blast gate’ on the bottom? Was he planning to build a dog food container or a launch pad for NASA?

I showed my co-worker the sketch from my overachieving Mr. Fix it and she laughed… then offered to give me a dog food bin from her dog who passed away 6 months ago. She wasn’t planning on getting a new dog and was throwing the bin away.

In the end, my husband came through, just not in the way we expected. We were able to return cheap bin. Woo Hoo for returns! More grocery money!

Posted by Beks on March 4, 2010 at 9:46 PM in Ways I Save Money | 11 Comments »
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The Cost of Disorganization…

We have a linen closet at the end of our hallway. I tried to keep it organized but every time I reached for something, I knocked a bottle of shampoo over or hit a bottle of hairspray. After a while, I just threw things in and slammed the door before something fell out.

Um, this is what it looked like. Please don’t tell my mother.

DSCF0124

I didn’t realize this disorganization was costing me money until I decided to spend $20 on little clear boxes from Walmart and organize the closet over the three day weekend.

I found, among many other things, two thermometers (last time I checked, I only need one), 6 boxes of daytime cold medicine (4 expired), 4 boxes of Benadryl (3 expired), 3 bottles of pain reliever (1 expired).

My disorganization has made many pharmaceutical companies very happy. Last time I checked, I need the money far more than they do.

No more. Here’s the closet now.

DSCF0125

Please make me feel better. Misery loves company. Tell me you have a messy, wasteful closet too.

Posted by Beks on February 15, 2010 at 8:04 PM in Ways I Save Money | 30 Comments »
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25% off Cosmetics at Rite Aid…

If you’re like me, you don’t like to spend a lot of money on cosmetics. I don’t shop in department stores; I get what I need from Target or Rite Aid.

Today, tomorrow, and Saturday, Ride Aid is offering all cosmetics for 25% off. This offer is also accompanied by their Risk Free Beauty Guarantee. If you don’t like it, take it back!

They have a few restrictions – no coupons, no restocking, no rain checks.

So if you’re running low on your Maybelline or Cover Girl, don’t wait until Saturday but do me a favor – don’t spend $5 on cosmetics and $57 on Chia pets, valentine’s candy, slankets, and topsy turvys.

Posted by Beks on February 11, 2010 at 5:00 PM in Ways I Save Money | 5 Comments »
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Time to Purchase Tax Software at Sale Price…

For those of you who are using TurboTax software this year… the sale prices have begun.

Amazon.com has reduced their price by 25% (to 44.99)
Costco has a $10 off coupon until Jan. 24th (to $39.99)

If you find a better deal (on any software), share! I think we could all use a break this year.

Posted by Beks on January 23, 2010 at 12:13 PM in Ways I Save Money | 10 Comments »
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The Least Expensive Way to Check Your Credit…

OK, so I’m about 5 days too late but I failed to clarify exactly WHERE to get your credit report.

Your free credit report can only be obtained through www.annualcreditreport.com

If you are interested in obtaining your credit score, use the www.annualcreditreport.com site as well. Credit scores on this site run about $6 – $9.

If you use the direct website for the credit reporting agency, the cost of your score will be more than twice as much.

Posted by Beks on January 14, 2010 at 8:28 PM in Credit Reports/FICO, Ways I Save Money | 4 Comments »
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Stretching Cash Flow…

In order to survive unemployment for the next 6 – 9 months, we have to really limit our spending. We absolutely can’t spend a dime more than our weekly allotment.

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.

Posted by Beks on December 3, 2009 at 5:00 AM in Saving Money, Spending Money, Ways I Save Money | 20 Comments »
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