Breaking Even, Inc.

Ladies: Spend $50 And Double Your Wardrobe

A few months ago, you may remember I bought some Danskin leggings as part of my first Ebates experiment. I had worn out my first pair (from Target costing $10) and I wanted something more durable. I bought a brown and black pair... and was floored to realize that I spent $50 on leggings. Yikes. 

Since I've got them, I've worn them at least once a week. And guess what? They're still holding up! And I've found that my $50 investment has helped maximize my wardrobe. Here's why I love my Danskin leggings:

• In the winter, I wear them with skirts and dressses and tucked them into boots for a warmer, more comfortable experience than tights.
• Speaking of winter, I could wear them under my ski clothes as a cheaper alternative to my silk long underwear.
• In summer, I wear them with skirts or dresses with ballet flats.
• On the weekends, I wear my leggings with a longer shirt or tunic. Comfier than jeans, and great for traveling!
• Adding a long top and some great pumps, I am good to go out.
• They take almost no room in a weekend bag.
• If I've gained a little weight, I know I have at least some nice clothes I can wear anyway.
• A light spin in the dryer after they've air dried helps keep their elasticity.
• I can wear them to work out. Cheaper than yoga pants!
• Unlike the cheap pair I had before, I don't have to worry about them falling down from a stretched-out elastic. Always a bonus!

In short, while I felt ridiculous spending $25 on a small part of stretch fabric, I understand the importance of buying quality. Leggings are a "foundation garmet" on which aspects of my wardrobe are now based. I may buy a couple more pairs at the end of the summer for fall and winter wear, though my current pairs show no signs of wearing out.

So if you're going to buy leggings, try Danskin. They are really worth the price, and will extend your wardrobe greatly!

Are Coupons All They're Cut Out For?

First of all, my apologies for the corniness of the title. Even though I usually skirt the edges of corniness, today I just dove right in. Somehow, I just thought "coupon update" was too boring.

I decided a photo would help me summarize my coupon experience so far. Voila.

That's right, my zen experience of coupon cutting has since been trumped by a few facts: 1) the stuff that has a coupon is stuff I never buy (mostly brand name products and prepackaged food) and 2) the whole waiting-for-things-to-be-a-low-price-before-using-the-coupon strategy seems to lead to a lot of crumbling expired coupons into my purse. A few lessons:

Coupon websites will only get you far if you are a certain kind of buyer.

If you do buy a lot of packaged foods or brand name products , here are some sites where you can print coupons:
www.coupons.com
www.smartsource.com
www.coolsavings.com
www.printable-coupons.blogspot.com
www.wow-coupons.com
To be fair, I did find a coupon for Sean's contact lens solution and a coupon for Benefiber that saved us a combined $2. Sean also has a bizarre fascination with the smell of Tide so I'm keeping the Tide coupon in reserve. That was about it.

In-paper coupons seem better in both quality and useability in your area.

My combined coupon savings from coupons I've physically clipped from fliers have saved me much more money (about $6) then searching and printing off of online websites.

Usually there is a reason they are giving a coupon for a product.

As far as deals went, I found the lower unit price was often on a generic product or on a similar version of the product not on sale. The coupon sounded like a good deal...until you had to buy in major bulk (do I need 3 Tide-to-go pens ever?) or try some new gimmick-y product (that cereal that comes pre-poured into a bowl just seems lazy to me!).

That said, there is plenty of useful information online.

Freebielist (free samples by product type)
A great system for keeping track of mail-in rebates (from Sense to Save).
Eating healthy with coupons (from Cheap Healthy Good)

And add these two blogs to your RSS reader:
Money Saving Mom (she breaks down the sales flier for you for the best deals)
Spending Less 101 (how I saved $8 on my senior dog's expensive food)

If you buy online, see my buy online guide. It'll change your life.

Summary: While I'm not cheerleader-excited about coupons, I'm going to only spend my time going for the ones I like.

I'm going to check online coupon sites only monthly; stay subscribed to the coupon blogs above; and read my grocery and drug store fliers religiously. Saving money on food is certainly worth a little effort but only if it pays off.

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Personal Finance.

How I Get Motivated To Save: Reverse Psychology

Do I Really Need More Stuff? I Guess I Just Don't Care

There is a story in our family of my first Christmas, or one of them anyway. I open a gift and begin playing... with the box. After waiting awhile for me to get tired of it (apparently I wasn't), my parents show me the toy in the box so I begin playing with that. They have to practically force me to open my other gifts, which they think is pretty funny. Little Nicole would have been just as happy with the box.

I've been thinking hard of a post to submit to the Summer Savings Contest at Bible Money Matters. One of the categories is motivation to save money. So I've been giving this a lot of thought.

At the same time I'm mulling this over, I think of all the advertising I'm exposed to about Father's Day. The need to make Father's Day special. The need to find Dad that perfect gift.

You may or may not know that my dad died in November at the age of 51. This is my first Father's Day without him. "Well, at least I don't need to get him a gift." I thought, attempting to look on the bright side of a not very bright situation. But wait a minute, I don't usually buy him a gift. . .

When my dad was alive, the thought of buying him one more knick knack did not seem right. Besides going to his camp, golfing, and hanging out at home with my mother, my father had no hobbies. He didn't read. He didn't collect things. He wore the same pair of jean shorts all summer until they wore out. My gift on Father's Day or most any other occasion was often just showing up, sometimes even with a card. He never gave me any indication that this was anything but fine. He was always grateful that I could drive from wherever I was living and just hang out for the weekend.

So I play with boxes; I don't buy my father a Father's Day present; and I move all the time. What a bizarre person, you're probably thinking. There must be a point for my little stories.

Here's my point. My motivation for saving is simple. I ask myself what I'd use the money on. More stuff I'd have to pack in a box a year from now and move a few hundred miles then unpack again? A gift my father wouldn't even use or remember? If I didn't buy stuff, I guess I'd just have money which sits in a bank somewhere. I wouldn't be buying more things to strain the environment, exploit workers, or take up space in my life or others' lives. Saving becomes pretty easy when you look at it like that.

So my motivation is a lack of motivation to buy and need more and more and more. Is that yours as well?

See a great video "The Story Of Stuff" (as blogged by Get Rich Slowly and other bloggers)...

The Three Steps Of Buying Online

A Little Extra Effort Could Save You A Ton

I finally broke down last week and bought myself a digital voice recorder. My boss was supposed to order me one for the podcast I do for our paper but I'm tired of bugging him... plus, I want to use it guilt-free for my own purposes.

When I buy online, I've developed a new pattern. I do three things before I buy anything. I find it's harder to figure out exactly what I want then to do these three things I do afterward:

Step 1: Go to your favorite price comparing website, like www.pricegrabber.com. There is usually quite a range in prices for the item you want. Also it takes shipping and taxes into account, which is nice. Write the three to five cheapest retailers down as well as the price of the item.

Step 2: Check which of the three or five retailers are on www.eBates.com for further savings. Write that down.

(One retailer should stand out to you at this point. It usually does for me.)

Step 3: Go to www.retailmenot.com for coupon codes you can use with your chosen retailer. I don't bother trying the ones with less than a 50% success rate but otherwise, why not?

My digital voice recorder ended up being the cheapest at Overstock.com. (I would have never thought to look there for electronics!) I paid about 15% less for it after doing steps 2 and 3 then if I would have just took the price off of Pricegrabber. Also while Overstock was the second cheapest in the list initially (about $2 more then the cheapest), combining the free shipping with the savings websites put it way ahead in the end.

If there should be another step or two, let me know. I'm working on refining this and making it an easy download...

Why I Love Life Without Television

This was originally my guest post on Bible Money Matters. I had quite a day (which I'll probably get into explaining tomorrow) so forgive me for reusing; I figured since it would be new to Breaking Even, Inc. readers that you wouldn't mind. Happy Friday!

 

“Did you watch American Idol?”

 

“Hey about that guy on the Today Show this morning?”

 

“When’s the game on tonight?”

 

When you start paying attention, it is amazing to find how many conversations rely on television. You only start noticing when you don’t have it.

 

I’ve only had cable television for two years of the last ten. I am now in a period sans television.

 

You wouldn’t know it talking to me. I follow enough news and celebrity gossip online to know what’s going on. I am only sometimes completely out of the loop.

 

“Why don’t you just get cable?” people have asked me.

 

I’ve found there are several reasons (some monetary but mostly personal health-related) to not have cable.

 

1)      I save the money I would pay on a cable bill. The two years I did have cable, it was included in my rent. I find that I can find better ways to spend $60 or more a month. . . like high speed internet.

2)      I save money on electricity to run the television. Sure there is a television that we have to watch movies but not running the television means one less electronic device is running.

3)      If you do have a favorite show, there are plenty of ways to watch it without having cable. You can watch many shows online. You can also rent or buy the DVD of a season of your favorite program. You can borrow from you local library or a friend for free. You can have it all, without commercials, which brings me to…

4)      I’m not constantly seeing commercials that make me want to buy things. While I can’t prove this, I bet people who don’t watch commercials buy less.

5)      Television leads to higher incidence of obesity and depression.  When I had cable, I was headed towards both as I ended up watching hours of it every day.

6)      I have more time to do other things. I walk the dog, I blog, I read… There are so many things in life that I do that not watching television seems like a very small thing to not do.

7)      I have less negative energy in my life. I don’t know if it’s less electromagnetic waves or less reality television but I feel like I have less negativity in my life.

 

All this said, it is clear that I don’t have the willpower to turn off my television. If you can watch an hour or two a day and then turn it off, more power to you. If you can watch television and still do what you need and want to do, good for you. I am not disciplined in that way. And I think maybe at least a few other people aren’t either.

 

No matter what, I know that having at least one no television night is doable by everyone. As kids my family had it. We ate dinner and played games usually. It was kind of fun, since we were purposely not turning the television. My mom usually made a special snack. I highly recommend it for anyone. If you live alone, make it the night you have friends over for a potluck dinner. When I lived alone, having my friends over one night a week forced me to socialize initially but after a few weeks, I was looking forward to Wednesday nights and the happiness that only real people can provide.

 

If you do want to watch less television, 43Folders has some great tips. Actually, I’d recommend anyone who thinks television is too big a part in their lives to skim the article because it’s pretty interesting.

 

So here’s to more money in your pocket and a happier life being less controlled by a box. I'd rather sit outside if I'm going to sit on my butt! 

 

Image from http://www.hoardedordinaries.wordpress.com/

A Clothes-Altering State

Normally, I do keep my work and home life seperate but this week, I helped produce a truly great video about something that I've been putting into practice in my money-saving, style-maximizing life: sewing.

I've had my sewing machine for awhile and I recently took it out to make some alterations on pieces I wasn't wearing. I shortened pants, I brought the hem up on a skirt... In short, about two hours after I started, with just a few alterations, I managed to save ten articles of clothing from the giveaway pile.

Even sewing by hand can save you some money. Whether it's replacing a button or fixing a hole, you can salvage something that would otherwise go to waste or you can make a thrifty find work for your body.

One thing I want to attempt is making my own articles of clothing. My friend Jessica turned me on to BurdaStyle, which is an "open source" sewing site with free patterns you can download.

And if you have no clue where to start with sewing (or just want to see video of me), click here (or on the image above if I did this right).

Bye Bye Y

Suspending My Gym Membership For The Summer

I joined the local Y (which happens to be right near where I live) when I first moved to lovely Ellsworth, Maine. It has served its purpose. I have been getting to the fitness room for some elliptical and strength training on a consistent basis. I have lost ten pounds (but remain firmly there, not losing any more for some reason!) Primary motivation to get to the gym besides avoiding fatness has been free fashion magazines to read while sweating and not wanting to be outside in yucky cold weather.

For several reasons, I have suspended my gym membership for the summer:

1) There is a ton going on. Between day trips and nighttime local events, I feel I should maximize the fact that this time of year, Maine comes alive. I shouldn't be worried that I haven't got in my semi-weekly date with the free weights.

2) The dog needs to walk. Sadie hates do go outside in the winter (mostly because the snow is usually deeper then her little legs) but loves her summer walks. If she doesn't get to go for one, she gets really impatient with me.

3) Longer daylight means it's easier to go for a walk after work, both physically and mentally. The only alternative in the winter to walking outside in the dark is the relative comfort of the Y. So if it's nice out, why not be out? Which brings me to...

4) I'm near cool outdoor attractions. Some places I could be in half an hour or less include Acadia National Park and lots of smaller walking/hiking venues like the Great Pond Fish Hatchery, Birdsacre, and Woodlawn Museum. I can not only walk me and the dog but take in some nature, too.

5) When else but summer can I use my mountain bike?

6) l'll save over $100. And who doesn't like that?

My lack of Y membership will definitely require me to have more discipline. I'll have to make sure to walk (at least) three nights a week and try to do some active crosstraining on the weekends like a hike or bike ride.

But I remind the Y that this is not "goodbye" but only "see you in the fall."

What are your fitness plans for the summer? 

Budgets Are Sexy!

I forgot to mention this morning my crosspost at Budgets Are Sexy. The guy who writes it totally cracks me up so it was fun that I got to put something on his site while he's marrying/honeymooning with Mrs. BudgetsAreSexy. Enjoy!

My First Visit To Trader Joe's

When I lived on Vinalhaven, I discovered Trader Joe's. No, there was no store on the island but my house was stocked: condiments, pasta, spices... all with this brand name on them. I later found out my landlord's wife worked for the company. He told me to eat/use whatever I wanted in the house (I was going to be living there full time for a few years) so I did. First the marinated peppers and then the whole grain pasta... by the time I left, there was a little salt and pepper left but that was about it.  

Trader Joe's was good but felt very unattainable to me. Primarily, it's a city thing (and not online because they want to be your neighborhood store). Since it is a larger city thing, there are none in Maine. I didn't think I'd ever get to one. 

Well that all changed today folks. I'm in Boston for the weekend and since I brought my car this time, I helped my buddy Ally go grocery shopping at Trader Joe's. 

First of all, the tropical theme kind of struck me. "Are they all like this?" I asked. It seemed to put the pizazz back in grocery shopping. Then I started looking through the aisles.

I went to pay and the price was very reasonable. For example, the Emergence-C I usually buy at my local natural food store is normally around $15. At Trader Joe's, it was $8. Luna Bars that are normally $1.25 at the natural food store were $.99. Trader Joe's doesn't use coupons of have sales; according to the website, they just try to buy direct, keep corporate costs low, and sell perishables when they are in season. The result is that I looked at the prices and in addition to seeing a low unit price, nutritional information was prominently featured. Cheap and good, just how I like my food. 

In addition to having some staples that I always need (like a Vitamin C beverage), Trader Joe's seems like a good place to go if you need some fun appetizer to bring to a party. Thai lemon spiced cashews definitely went in my cart and perhaps if you throw a party and invite me, I'll bring them!

So I was happy to help out a friend and have my first Trader Joe's experience. I would have liked to get more frozen stuff to bring home but next time, I guess I'll have to bring a cooler. 

Are you similarly in awe and admiration of Trader Joe's?

Having Way Too Much Fun With Food

The following guest post was written by Randy Devost, my high school penpal and good dear friend. He lives in Quebec, where he lives a cool French and artistic existence. You can email him at randy.devost at gmail.com.

My General Philosophy on Food: I believe most Americans live on a “snacking” diet. Instead of trying to change that by starving ourselves with bland vegetables, “diet” products, and the absence of food, we ought to indulge in healthier snacks! Certain drinks and foods, along with a rigorous weekly exercise of one’s choice, can improve our health enormously.

·        Make your own Italian Sodas! Buying a case of Schweppes brand soda water and adding Torani syrups is an economic and healthy way to enjoy a gourmet soda.

·        For the brave and experimental: mixing teas with floral water, large tapioca pearls, juices, sugars, yogurts, gelatins, milk, spices, etc. (I inspire from Pearl Milk Tea and Lassi drinks.) The goal is to make the most exotic and intoxicating non-alcoholic drink possible.

·        I learned this one from my Mexican friends—a bag of apples with Tajin fruit seasoning is a great way to spice up the ordinary!

·        Forage for your food! Referring to traditional Native American gastronomy is often helpful. (Here’s a list I came up with for us Mainers. We should grow the list as big as possible!)

o       Clams

o       Perrywinkles

o       Mussels

o       Sea Urchin

o       Blueberries

o       Strawberries

o       Dandylion greens

o       Hazlenuts

o       Beach nuts

o       Choke cherries

o       Wild apples

o       Mushrooms

o       Fiddleheads

o       Raspberries

o       Blackberries

o       Wild spices

·        Snacking on toast is cheap! Cheap! Cheap! Depending on the “bread and spread” you use, it can be relatively healthier, and less costly, than a slice of cake or a bowl of ice cream. Here are some spreads I’ve enjoyed over the years:

 

SWEET: butter & Nutella, Peanut butter & fluff, Peanut butter & mollases, Tahini & honey, Butter & cinnamon sugar,

SAVORY: Vegemite, Creton, Hummus,Veggie patés, Cheese-Whiz, Brie or Camembert cheese

·        Popcorn doesn’t have to be boring or bland! I prefer popping popcorn using the classic air popper or even in a pan on a stove. Here are some of my favorite toppings:

 

o       Grated parmesan cheese

o       Lawry’s brand season salt

o       Chili powder

o       Jalapeno oil

o       Sesame oil

o       Black pepper

o       Cayenne

o       Sugar

 

Got any snacks to share? Do tell!

Nicole's State Of The Economy Address

I'll be the first to admit that I have little to no-pull in terms of making people think one thing or the other about the economy. I do, however, come to a point where I have collected some cool links that just need to be shared.

I'll cover the economy in seperate sectors of the agreed-upon needs of all people: Food, Water, Clothing, Shelter, and Love (and I'll throw in Government just for fun!).

Food

Food price inflation may not be as bad as we thought (check out inflation explained at Debt-Free Revolution). I also read a completely hilarious blog about media mass hysteria about food prices meanwhile the average barbeque meal only cost $1.65 more than last year... if you know who wrote this post let me know, because I lost the link! Even the Wall Street Journal has reported rice futures going down.

Water

My friend Sarah sent me this fabulous SIGG water bottle for my birthday. It is amazing. It keeps my water cold and crisp and does not leave a plastic aftertaste in my mouth...and, of course, it's refillable. I don't normally endorse products but here's the store if you want to buy one.

Clothing

Apparently, the New York Times is having a hard time believing that Sarah Jessica Parker's newish Bitten line of clothes is so wonderful. They seem to think that attraction towards inexpensive clothes is a phenomenon in these economic times. Those of us who love women's magazines though have seen a "Bitten" example in every issue for at least the past year. Ok slight exaggeration but SJP (and women wanting cute cheap clothes) is here to stay.

Feeling left out menfolk? Please don't: LL Cool J has got your back! (from USAToday.com)

Shelter

If you want to understand how this whole housing debaucle happened, listen to this hour-long program from This American Life. Great storytelling, which you can expect from TAL but makes this whole thing way more understandable.

And if you're a renter, feel free to get angry. Read this fabulous post by Baglady to see why this housing crisis will effect us all whether we rent or not.

Love

Ah, poor Anne Heche. She may love her kids but can't afford to pay child support. OK, if she can't afford it, I think that pretty much lets everyone else off the hook, too. (I have no sympathy for celebrities who make more money in one day then I have in five years then waste their money. Where I'm from we call that gaspilleuse!)(from People.com)

But in the good news bin about love, people apparently love and appreciate small businesses enough to actually pay in a pay-as-you-wish situation. (from Freakonomics blog)

And according to a recent Gallup poll,almost 50% of us are happy and thriving. How happy? People are working on an index for that! (from Freakonomics blog)

Government

Haven't spent your new government stimulus check on a new Wii or a crazy night in Vegas? Good for you! Here are some more productive things to do with it. (from Mighty Bargain Hunter)

And guess what? The government is doing something about credit card companies (from Debt-Free Revolution).

Need even more government fun? Now you can actually prove if you could do a better job then your Congress people. Balance the federal budget...it's a new game called Budget Hero. (Freakonomics blog)

To summarize: things may or may not be as awful as we thought, but we certianly can't control everything. Might as well smile and wave...

Image from www.shorpy.com.

 

Some Updates On Projects

Project: The Zen And Art On Coupon Clipping
Time Elapsed: Two Weeks

So far, I'm a little discouraged on this project. I find that I haven't been able to use a lot of the coupons I've clipped. Often, it seems the store brand still beats my name brand coupon. My last shopping trip I saved...$2.38 with coupons. My Grocery Game savings the same trip were around $10, and I don't really have to do anything for that except print off the list and pay $5 a month. (and hey, saving me $10 in an average week means that it pays for itself and then some for sure). I'll keep clipping coupons though and give this a solid month to trial to see if it's worth my time

The one exception to coupon discouragement is the $8 Hills Science Diet Dogfood I got from Spending Less 101. That website points you to coupons you can get online. I waited until the food was on sale ($5 off this week) and I saved $14 on my finicky dog's healthy food: $17 of food will now last at least two months for her.

Project: How To Get Rid Of Carpet Odors
Time Elapsed: Two months

Thanks to everyone who participated in this, including Debt Free Revolution and Bouncing Betty who suggested Odoban from Home Depot. As the daughter of a small hardware store owner, I hate HD but I went to get this product. $8 and only about 1/8 of the bottle later, smell is gone. Completely.

Project: Blogroll Update
Time Elapsed: Too Long!

I finally updated my blogroll with new (well, not so much new as new to me) blogs that I read all the time.

Personal finance-y blogs: Being Frugal, Cheap Healthy Good, Debt Free Revolution, Girls Just Wanna Have Funds, My Small Cents, Northern Cheapskate, Spending Less 101, and The Baglady.

Other great blogs: Intelligent Travel, Shorpy, Hoarded Ordinaries, and Satellite Sisters.

If I haven't added your blog or website yet and I clearly read it and comment on it all the time, let me know!

There I got all those updates done like I've been meaning to! Whew! Now anxiously awaiting five o'clock for the weekend to start... Happy Friday!

Travel Special: All Business

A Week-long Series About Travel

In my moment of zen in the breakroom (this is where I sit for ten minutes with a coffee or chocolate yogurt and a women's magazine on my break), I read a tip yesterday: when you travel and, for example, book a hotel, ask if they have a business rate. Just ask like you do it all the time.

Now other than paying for my car mileage to film local events, my company doesn't really make a globetrotter out of me. But apparently, just asking about a business travel discount will usually get it for you, even if you are shopping with your sister.

Speaking of the business of sisters, mine is a first grade teacher (and, by proxy, a saint) and saves a teacher discount of 10-20% on hotel rooms at the Comfort Inn and related hotels when she travels. She even gets a free stay occasionally. (I couldn't find the exact discount on the website... and I'd call my sister but she's at school!) Check with your professional organization or employer if there are discounts they offer. There may be no "newspaper employee discounts" for me but I do get a Ellsworth Chamber card (2-10% of local businesses) and a discount off my monthly YMCA membership. Just ask around the office.

Outside of "the business", you do have other discount travel options, often for which you pay a nominal fee. For students, there is the Student Advantage card which saves you money at many locations (not just travel). I had in college and just saving 15% off for Greyhound and Amtrak a few times more than paid for the price of the card (and now it looks like they have way more sponsors then they used to have back in the day). The adult version of a discount card would be AAA, which I now have. Sean gets a membership for Christmas every year and I added my name to his account (and got my own card) for $40 for the year. And trust me, I drive the backwoods enough to feel safe knowing I can call a tow truck 24-7 (or you know, get 20% off my tour at the Woodlawn Museum if I never do run into a moose again).

So mentioning being all business when you travel may save you some cash. Just ask for a discount and if that doesn't work, whip out your card. Happy trails! 

The Zen And Art Of Coupon Clipping

There are some things we admittedly can't do much about. Gas prices and high taxes are two such things (though I suppose you could convert your car to biodiesel or work under the table but both those things require too much effort for me).

I've been looking for ways to further trim my budget, which is actually quite lean. I have made it a goal though of cutting off $50 a month from my $250 a month grocery bill (that's for two people).

There are a few tips related to grocery shopping that I seem to keep hearing over and over in my research and from talking to people: make a price book and cut coupons.

Price Book
If you look at your grocery list, you are probably buying the same things most every week. A price book is just a book you bring with you to the grocery store and write down the lowest prices you pay per item. This way, when you are shopping and wondering whether something is a good price or not, you can consult a reference specific to where you live and shop. I think I have one of these in my head but I really should formalize it. I may be surprised.

Coupons
Yes, I have been using the Grocery Game for a few months now and it is quite helpful but I really want to step up my game (plus it's $5 a month, I mean, can I do this myself?). I've also used coupons off their website to go with the sales. The idea with coupons is 1) that you wait until something is on sale and use a coupon to buy it and 2) you buy nonperishable things while they are on sale so as to "stockpile" them.

And here's an article if you want to get really serious about the coupons (From The Digerati Life).

Since I haven't given coupon cutting the chance it deserves, I went out on Sunday and bought the weekend paper for $1.50. I then proceeded to cut the coupons from it (probably at least $20 worth). I listened to the radio and had a coffee. I found myself quite relaxed after! I even took a photo to illustrate the experience.

So my financial goal is to reduce my grocery bill by $50 a month using a price book, coupons, and The Grocery Game.

Wish me luck and do feel free to share your own coupon cutting tips and tricks.

Five Tips To Commerce-Free Days

Going Whole Days Without Buying Anything Is Really Empowering

I was baking a cake when I lived out on Vinalhaven a couple years ago. An angelfood cake. From scratch. I didn't realize a springform pan was required until I was halfway through the recipe. What most of us would do at this point is run out and go buy a pan. But on a little island, there is no kitchen store. There was, however, Carla.

I called around amongst my friends for a springform pan. My friend Liz was living with Carla, who had enough cake pans for a cake pan museum. She even asked me what kind of springform pan I wanted. Incredible.

So on Vinalhaven, even when there were days I could have easily bought something, I was forced to improvise or wait until the next time I was in Rockland. There were multiple days were I bought nothing, often at least 3 or 4 in a row. I decided to carry on this practice into my non-island life.

Commerce-free days are days when I don't buy anything. Not a coffee, not a tube of lipstick. You'll be amazed when you see, "Wow, I've gone two days without spending any money!" You feel so disciplined and self reliant. Here are a few of my favorite tips to a commerce free day.

1. Make your own coffee/tea/iced tea/work treat. When I first moved to a town with a coffee shop, I got one everyday. It was a dollar and something I really had missed having access to. Then I realized one month that I spend $30. On coffee!

At the beginning of April, I bought a pound of my favorite coffee from my local coffee shop (in case you're curious Rock City Coffee's Jet roast) and some creamer. I used the french press in the company breakroom to make coffee whenever I felt like it. It's been over a month and about 1/4 of the bag is gone. I think I'm getting my money's worth, not to mention the chance to peruse a magazine while it brews.

Your weakness may not be coffee. But make that reward you give yourself during your work day something you can make yourself. (You'll see it really add up at the end of the month, trust me!)

2. Borrow, don't buy. I'm not a baker. I needed a springform cake pan once, so why go out and buy one? Borrowing from neighbors, friends, and the library is not only economical but a great way to meet people or learn more about people you already know. (For example, in talking to Carla, I found out why my baguettes never came out baguette-y... I apparently need a form!)

3. Have someone teach you. Michaela and my mom taught me to use a sewing machine so now I don't need a tailor. Sean taught me how to beat eggs to stiff peaks by hand so I've never bought a mixer. You are surrounded in your life by people who know how to do things. Rather than paying someone to "just do it", learn the skill yourself. Family and friends also accept a currency that is appreciated by many of us: pizza and never-ending gratitude.

4. Lead yourself not unto temptation. Don't shop recreationally. Stay away from stores, both online and in person. Make yourself stick to the list if you go in a large store where you need just one or two things. Do what you have to do to avoid the commercialism if you are tempted, even if it means taking a different route home from work to avoid stripmalls or taking your credit card out of your wallet before going with a friend to your favorite store.

5. Do what you have to do. This is your personal journey but if you need to buy cold medicine to sedate you enough to sleep through the fog, do it. Commerce-free days should allow you to think about your purchases, not to make you completely miserable.

I urge you to see how many commerce-free days you can get in. Try it in May then look at your budget at the end of the month. You may be amazed by yourself, which you probably should be more often. I mean, you are pretty great, and you don't need extra stuff to prove it.

Photo: No Willams Sonoma for you on your Maine island of choice.    

My New Favorite Website

Looking For A Discount Code Before Submitting An Online Order: Priceless

The last time I bought something online (business cards at Vistaprint last week), I noticed the little "enter promotional code here" field in the shopping cart. I decided to type in "promotional code vistaprint" in a Google search before submitting my order. I got a code that saved me 80%. (FYI Vistaprint does have free business cards but they use the back of the card to plug their website, which I didn't want for my purposes.) Twenty dollars for 500 cards was a fine deal to me.

I had to adjust my Typepad account information yesterday. I saw the coupon field again so in another window, I typed in "discount code typepad" in a quick Google search. I now have 15% off my monthly subscription rate. Why didn't I think of this before? In addition to buying things through places like Ebates and getting money back, I could also use promo codes to get additional discounts. Where am I getting these codes, you ask?

http://www.retailmenot.com

It gives you the promotional/discount code as well as the likelihood for success. For example, the Greyhound codes I tried a couple months ago for my Boston trip didn't work but at 15% success rate, I wasn't expecting they would.

So before you buy something online, especially from a major retailer, give retailmenot.com a shot. It's about 30 seconds of effort but for frugal-minded folks, well worth it.

Why I Don't Have Television

The good news is that I wrote an entire post on this.

The thing is I put it on someone's blog. Peter (he writes for the blog Bible Money Matters) has had some family medical trouble and a fellow blogger (Lynnae at beingfrugal.net) is organizing guest posters to keep his blog going. I put in my efforts for a guest post this morning. Keep him and his family in your thoughts and if you want to guest post, contact Lynnae.

If you want to read why I willingly don't have television,