These are the times when I hate the fact that I’m finally living below my means – even though it’s good for me.

But, that didn’t stop us from booking a great place just steps from the Pacific Ocean. The gentle sea breeze and the sounds of the ocean will caress us as we drift off to sleep.

How did we fit this into our budget?

Hello beach camping.

Sure I’ll have sand in my ears and hair for a week straight but… I’ll be soaking up the sunshine, grilling 97 cent chicken while spending $90 for the weeklong campsite.

As San Diegans/Californians, we are fortunate to have beach camping sites within a few hours of home. With very careful planning (6 months in advance through ReserveAmerica.com), a great California vacation can be very inexpensive. Didn’t reserve 6 months in advance? A lot of these campsites have last minute cancelations. Sometimes you can get an unclaimed campsite for the same day.

I know California isn’t the only place with good, inexpensive campsites.

Name your state and share the best cheap vacation spot. America is a BEAUTIFUL place. Let me know what your neighborhood has to offer. I want to know where to go next year!

Looking for a good California beach site? You can’t go wrong with Carlsbad State Beach, San Clemente State Beach, and Doheny State Beach. All three will put you steps from the ocean and run about $35 a night. You can put multiple tents on each site and can split the cost like we did. You can (and need to) book the sites 6 months in advance. Sign on to the Reserve America website at 7:55 am on the 1st day of the month. Example: We booked a site for a week in July on February 1st a 7:55 am. Happy camping!

In short? A lot!

A few benefits of exercising (tip of the iceburg)?
Reduced blood pressure
Reduced feelings of depression and anxiety
Helps to control weight
Helps to build and maintain healthy joints, muscles, and bones
Reduced risk of diabetes

What do these have to do with finances?
Have you had to pay for doctors and medication recently?!? Ouch!! Also, exercise helps you sleep, puts you in a better mood, helps your self confidence, and gives you energy – all very important things in the work world where your paycheck comes from! Plus, people with a BMI of less than 22 get sick less often and miss less work.

I’ve been fortunate to have been physically active and healthy for most of my life. Running a marathon is just another way to push myself and stay active. Sure my sore legged walk makes Frankenstein look like a graceful ballerina but it’s important to encourage you to gain control in your finances AND in your health – they are closely connected.

Tomorrow is Saturday, take a walk with your dog, play with your kids, or ride your bike. Take a break from staring at that checkbook and balancing numbers to get some fresh air.

It’s good for you.

Some free sites to help you out?

www.Mapmyride.com
I use this site to calculate mileage and read elevation changes on my bike rides/runs.

www.Mypyramid.gov
This free site helps to guide you on better eating habits.

I’m warning you… these sites can be ADDICTIVE!!

What is your favorite FREE health related site?

I excitedly went to our local nursery and realized the 15 bucks I budgeted for landscaping each month would allow me to complete my dream backyard sometime in 2037.

Um. Someone forgot to tell me how expensive plants are.

Disappointed, I went to work and lamented to a co-worker about my landscaping situation. She sweetly offered me some cuttings of her plants – several of which were on the list from the landscape architect. While we were talking, another one of my co-workers walked by and joined the conversation. He suggested I contact local garden clubs including water saving cactus clubs. He happened to be moving and offered to bring in several of his plants that matched my list. Let’s just not tell these generous co-workers about my history of plant killing OK?

Inspired, I can home and did some research and thought I’d share it with you.

I found several garden clubs – some of which offer spring plant sales.

Our local college offers a degree program in Ornamental Horticulture. Students grow plants and sell them for less than half of what they retail for at nurseries.

Our local dump (should I be politically correct and call it a ‘Solid Waste Disposal Site’?) offers high quality mulch in several different colors and sizes. If you are willing to load it yourself, you can save a fortune.

And perhaps the most odd place to find plants… our local 99 cent store!

Any ideas I missed? Where do you get your plants?

I don’t have enough pics on here, so I decided to show you how I am resourceful. Prepare yourself – I love using duct tape!!

First of all, the problem that needed to be solved…

We are fortunate to have cherry trees in our yard. We were also fortunate to have been left a decent ladder by those we purchased our house from. With that ladder, we can pick a lot of cherries. The problem lies with the last 1/4 of the tree. We cannot get to those cherries. The birds eat some, but as soon as the cherries get dark purple, they seem to stop by less often and if we don’t pick them they go bad.

The dark ones are the real juicy and sweet ones. It’s hard to see them go to waste. Sure, we could buy a higher ladder or a fancy gadget that could help us pick the high ones. We could even buy a cherry picker truck (which would thrill our son), but there’s no way we should be spending money right now. Money is tight.

What’s left? Making something new from things we already have.

I sat down the other night and started brainstorming ideas of how to make our very own cherry picker. While I won’t be rushing to patent this idea (it definitely has its flaws), it is working as I had hoped and my son cannot quit talking about how neat it is. He wants to use it every chance he can get.

Here it is (you can click on the smaller pics to see the full picture).

Here’s what I used to make it:

• The handle from a Swiffer Sweeper (which can be put back after cherry season)
• Cardboard to make the box
• One rubber band
• Two shoelaces (which also can be put back after cherry season)
• And the best thing of all…duct tape

How does it work?

The rubber band on the back of the cherry picker keeps the lid semi-open. I find a cherry, get it inside the box, then pull the shoelace to close the lid. Pulling on the entire picker causes the cherry to come off the stem and stay in the box. The box is lowered to an anxious hand and a lovely cherry rolls out.

I totally impressed my son, we didn’t spend any money, I stretched my imagination a little and we have more cherries to eat this year. It may not be the prettiest cherry picker, but it works

There is always room for improvement, but for the most part we are frugal people

Here are my top frugal posts of 2006:

Ways I Save Money – Skip the Professional Haircuts – I’m gettting so good at cutting mine that my husband didn’t even need to straighten it for me the last time I cut it

Twelve Frugal Wedding Tips from my Wedding – In all, our wedding cost $2,000 with $1,000 going towards my dress and ring.

The Best Things in Life are on the Side of the Road with a “Free” Sign – Another person’s trash is another person’s treasure. We ended up getting a couch that we definitely could use.

A Few Cheap Ideas to Spruce up the Look of an Old Home – Our home was stuck in the 50s in terms of the decor. We didn’t have much money when we moved in, but we did a few cheap things that made a HUGE difference.

Saving Gas and It’s Good For You Too – We purchased a reel mower and we love it!

Tips for Finding Clearanced Items – I love getting things I need on clearance. Here’s what I’ve learned.

A Frugal Tip for Broken Eyeglasses – My glasses broke, but the replacement didn’t cost much money at all.

Six Money Saving Tips for the Grocery Store – I used to work at a grocery store, so here’s some insider tips on how to save money while shopping.

There are more frugal related posts in my archives, but these are ones that I thought were more helpful. I hope you enjoy!

A few days after Christmas, I go to the local department store. They always have holiday items at half off. I browse what they have left, and take a good look at what’s there. I may purchase a few things that I feel may sell out, like cute teacher ornaments. But for the most part, I’m just scoping out their inventory.

I go back every few days and watch and wait. I know they will be marking the holiday inventory to 75% soon. When they do, I purchase more things. I wait, though, to purchase anything that they have a lot of because it gets better.

A little while later, they mark things to 90% off. BINGO! That’s my cue to start buying like crazy. Sure, these are things that may have been less desired this year, but who knows? They could be in high demand next year

When I get home, I put everything in a box and put it in a safe and dry spot. It sits there till next Christmas.

I spent $40 last year for at least $120 worth of items. I was able to make 6 gift bags (which I bought those on clearance too) filled with ornaments, stuffed animals and candles. Just a nice gift that doesn’t break the bank.

The main theme of MacGyver, if you are unfamiliar with it, is that the main character, MacGyver, is very resourceful. He is out battling bad guys and he can make almost anything using the things around him. As kids, we would actually play a game called MacGyver where we would have a pile of odds-and-ends and try to make something useful from it. Sure, our creations weren’t that pretty but for the most part they did somewhat work.

As an adult, I do find myself trying to think like MacGyver when there is something that I need or want but I don’t want to go out and buy it already made. This past summer, my son really wanted a swing.

We found some rope in our garage and then used an old floor mat from our car for the seat. The end result was something he has had a lot of fun with. Oh yeah, I can’t forget that duct tape was an ingredient as well There are a million uses for duct tape LOL.

I find that when I create things like that, I feel good about it. I like to be resourceful and making new things out of old things. It’s fun, and it saves us money.

Let me explain…

I am a bargain shopper. If I see a good deal, I am temporarily blinded the fact that maybe I do not need that item. Perhaps I think I can use it – but really it’s probably going to sit around the house and never be used. Bargains only really work if you need to purchase something regardless.

When I have “bargain blindness” at the department store, I can return things. At a garage sale, if I have buyer’s remorse when I get home I am stuck with an item unless I try to sell it myself.

I think overall I went to about three garage sales and one estate sale this year. The estate sale was one that I just went to last month, so I will talk about it because it’s still fresh in my memory. Many things there caught my eyes. An endtable here ($10.00), old records there ($make an offer), books all over the place ($0.25 each for the bigger ones), pretty pictures on the wall ($5.00)…but I just said no. I didn’t really NEED any of those things.

I did walk out with one thing, though. It was a little clipboard that has a compartment underneath it where you can store extra paper and supplies. I bought it for a quarter and my son absolutely loves it.

I think going to that estate sale helped show that I am getting better with things. I am not being so blinded by bargains. I can walk away, knowing that even though it may be a great bargain, I do not necessarily need it.

I’ve said it a few times before, but I’ll mention it again. Even though my main journey is to eliminate debt – there are many little “side-journeys” I have to work on as well. I’m glad to see changes in myself, because I know they will be beneficial long after the debt is gone.

Basically, if it’s something that I would like to get but it isn’t something that we absolutely need, I wait about three months. After that time, if I still want it and think it could be useful I will buy it.

The wait may seem like a long time and it can be in the retail world. A few things can happen to that item in the meantime…

1.) The item goes on clearance, and you end up saving money on the purchase (a super-bonus!).

2.) The item is no longer available (I usually shrug and say it wasn’t meant to be).

3.) The item is there and still at the regular price.

4.) You no longer want the item.

EDIT: 5.) You completely forget about the item (thanks Jen )

You don’t really save money with #3, but at least hopefully using the time to make sure you want it will result in a good purchase.

There was a time that I really wanted one of those rubber squeegee mop/broom combinations that I saw on TV, and was later available at a local department store. I thought that thing was so neat and I almost bought it when I saw it in the store, but I didn’t. A few weeks later, it didn’t seem as neat anymore and I ended up saving on that purchase. Once the “neatness” factor wears off you often view things differently.

I believe there are similar rules out there that have a 30-day waiting period, but for us, 90 days gives a little more time and has been working well to reduce our purchases.

But all that plastic does cost money (we use the window size shrinking plastic sheets).

What I do is buy ahead for the next year. Usually around March the weatherproofing materials are on clearance at Walmart. That’s when I purchase our plastic. If I happen to catch them when they are really cheap I even buy more for another winter.

Right now, we are set for the next two winters for plastic. And the cost was $5.00.

Just keep an eye out and watch to see if those prices get marked down

For me, I’m not sure what is realistic for the visit frequency for a female, but I’ll guess once every three months. Total savings from me – $72.00/year.

Grand total possibly saved = $288/year

We bought a good pair of hair cutting scissors for $7.00. I cut my husband’s hair and he helps cut mine. For my hair, I start it by cutting it to the length that I want. Then, my husband comes in and evens out my cut. I’m getting better at making it even first try so eventually he may not even have to help. I should note that we both have straight hair and receive straight cuts. Nothing fancy with our haircuts.

As for my son, he’s never had a professional cut. His hair is cut by mommy. I have no idea what the going rate is for a child’s haircut so I didn’t factor that into the savings. I’m sure it would put us at saving over $300/year.

I also have been my natural hair color for some time now.  I used to dye it blonde but it really wasn’t worth it to upkeep the color.  Plus, after abusing my hair for a while I’ve come to appreciate it’s natural state (it has blonde, light brown and red in it).  So I guess that would put the savings up a little bit more

When I say “Be Proactive,” I am meaning that one should try to anticipate expenses that can be prevented and take steps to prevent the events occuring that would create those expenses. Hmm, I think I confused myself with that explanation – LOL.

Here’s a few examples….

A heavy thunderstorm is moving towards our area. The news reports are claiming that there has been damaging hail with the storm. Meanwhile, our car is parked in the yard and not in the garage. I want to move the car in the garage – just in case. My husband is more along the lines of leaving it out there because we have insurance. Yes, we have insurance, but there is still a deductible to pay. My way of thinking is that a few minutes now can save money later.

Here’s another one (which makes my husband moan EVERY time I do it but I STILL do it EVERY time ). It’s lightening out, and I go around the house and unplug every major appliance except for the fridge, stove and freezer. That means no computers and no TV during a lightning storm. Why risk having lightning fry our electronics? Again, my husband says that insurance will cover it. My thought is just unplug everything so we wouldn’t have to worry about it.

Lastly, I keep my car doors locked all the time even though we live in a very safe neighborhood. Why even give someone the “go ahead” to get in our car and root around? My husband is amazed at my zealousness with making sure the doors are locked. He would keep them unlocked if it was up to him.

As I read what I wrote, my husband sounds pretty bad. But really he isn’t. I sound pretty bad as well, perhaps a little neurotic when it comes to protecting material posessions. But I think we end up balancing each other out so it works for us.

I just think being a little proactive protects the things you have already spent money on, and can save you from having to spend money to replace them.

My husband needs to keep his computer up to speed and needs to upgrade to a newer and faster computer every so often. One way that we have helped curb this expense is to purchase refurbished computers through Apple. They have a strict process that they go through to ensure all refurbished products are in great running condition. We haven’t been disappointed with the quality yet.

The last time we purchased a computer we saved about $400. Before that it was around $200. That’s a significant amount and sometimes the savings are even higher if they happen to have a lot of refurbished in stock. I think they must have a lot in stock so that’s why they are having a great sale now (shh…don’t tell my husband LOL).

Right now the savings are running $500 for a refurbished PowerBook and they have a refurbished 512MB iPod shuffle w/ armband for 51% off. You can see that refurbished are a great deal over buying new. But remember, saving money with these deals only really works if you were going to buy one anyways. I have to keep reminding my husband of that

Note: We weren’t aware of this fact when we bought our first refurbished computer, so I thought I would mention this. You can still purchase their AppleCare Protection Plan to extend the one-year limited warranty that already comes with each machine. That means three years of coverage is available.

As a sidenote, I gave my old Performa to my niece and nephew for them to use. Unfortunately, during a thunderstorm it was zapped by lightning and met it’s demise. Thanks to my mom who can smell a bargain a mile away, she found the exact model and now I have it for my son to use

1.) We only need one car. Even before I began working from home, one car was all that we needed with our alternating schedule.

2.) Because the working spouse has the car, the other spouse stays at home. Most days are “no spend” days because of this.

3.) No daycare costs because one of us is always home to watch our son. An added benefit is that we have been able to watch him grow up and at least one of us was home to witness the major milestones.

It is rough having a schedule like this, and only recently we both have obtained weekends off together. We just make sure we try to do at least one fun thing on the weekend like go to the Lake or sometimes go for a hike. Things that are inexpensive, but things that we enjoy doing as a family.

At some point, perhaps when our son is in school full-time we will be able to work the same shifts but who knows? Maybe then we will have another child. That is something that is still being decided upon

If you think about it, it makes sense that brand names are more expensive. They advertise more! That’s why you can see a logo and be able to tell what brand it is associated with. The swirls of Coke…the swish of Nike. We see tons of ads a day and that costs A LOT of money. So brand name products cost more to recoup the company’s advertising costs.

Whereas, the generic “no-name” brands do not advertise. They do not spend thousands (sometimes millions) of dollars perfecting the graphics on their packaging. They basically put out a product as inexpensively as they can and they pass the savings onto you.

Okay, there are sometimes differences with the taste of generic versus name brand. One thing I can think of is store brand mac & cheese versus Kraft mac & cheese. The Kraft version generally does taste “cheesier.” Personally, though, I like the more muted taste of the generic when made with the right amount of milk and margarine. So sometimes it is personal preference that needs to “rule” when deciding what product to purchase.

All things considered, we are largely a generic household. The only real exception would be when the brand-named items are on sale and they cost less than the generic. But overall, we are pretty happy with the bland packaging but not so bland taste of generic items. In fact, sometimes I think they taste better.

If you are willing, give generics a try and see if they work for you.

I also head straight to the meat department for marked down ground beef. Our store calls it “yesterday’s beef” and I have found it as low as $1.69/pound. That is a great deal for where I live. I buy up to 12 packages if they have them and freeze them immediately when I get home. That lasts us quite a few weeks.

It’s also good to shop in the morning because the department managers are usually working. They are the ones with the authority to mark down products. If you happen to find a poor looking (but still good) head of lettuce among better looking ones, you can probably negotiate a lower price if you ask.

While trying to think of things, I realized that many of them are second nature. So, between my husband and I we are going to try to document everything that we do to try to make the most of our money.

I decided to make a series out of them and place them in a new category called, “Ways I Save Money” which can be found on the right side under the categories. Each “tip” will be a separate post, so they can easily be looked through.

I will be posting the first post in the series in a little bit.