What Would Amber Do?

That was what I asked myself when I was driving home, tired and hungry after running errands. DH is on a long business trip so it's just me, and I wasn't in the mood to cook because I was hungry and just wanted food. I started hearing the siren song of the Whataburger drive-thru calling to me.

Then I started thinking about our friend Amber, and how she has done such a great job over-coming the eating out habit ... She's a real inspiration ... Hence the question I asked myself:

What would Amber do?

I don't actually know what Amber would have done, but thinking about her inspired me to go home and zap a Smart Ones frozen dinner (that I had bought on clearance at Super Target for $1.18) in the microwave. Saved myself a few dollars, and probably did my health some good as well.

Thank you Amber!

1. Fresh Produce: After cutting back some on fresh produce over the winter (and substituting with frozen stuff ... generally speaking much better nutritionally than canned), I really started missing it, and am so glad that it is now "in season" time and I can finally start finding deals on fresh again. I feel like DH & I are on a fresh fruit & veggie binge! On Saturday I went to a local farmer's market where I got a squash (a local variety whose name I forgot ... something like tatate), corn (is there anything better than fresh-picked), onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers (another local variety, name forgotten), and a huge grocery bag full of leaf lettuce. I spent $11, and felt it was worth every penny! Not only am I enjoying the flavors and nourishment, but becoming familiar with the local products is a way to learn about a place, so the farmer's market trip was part of my immersion in to life in my new state & town. (On a side note, whenever I travel I love to visit grocery stores. I always get a kick out of learning how people in different regions and countries eat at home. To me it's as fascinating as visiting a museum. And hey - it's free, so I guess that qualifies it as a frugal bit of sightseeing, doesn't it?)

I've also found moderately good deals on fresh fruits other than the old standbys of apples & bananas: $2 for a pint of blueberries, $2 for a container of raspberries (6 oz), and $1 for a whole pineapple (sale + coupon combination). I've been told I must buy Fredericksburg (TX) peaches as the season here comes early, but I've yet to do that ... I was disappointed when the farmer's market did not have any.

2. Grocery Shopping At Randall's: Here in Austin, the biggest grocery store chain is HEB. There is also Randall's, which is a bit more expensive but has very nice meats & produce and I've been told has the reputation for being a tad more "upscale." (We also have Whole Foods, which is headquartered here and is appropriately also know as Whole Paycheck ... for obviou$ reason$, I do not shop there.) I think Randall's is in some way a part of the Safeway family because they have the same private labels (such as Lucerne). Since it's a bit out of the way and more expensive, I had not shopped there. However, as new residents we received two coupons in the mail for $10 off if we spent $50 or more (pre-discount). So, off I went twice recently with my list & the store circular & coupons & a notebook where I kept a tally of all of my purchases as I shopped, because I did not want to go over $40 ($50 - $10). I succeeded; spent $41 both times. Both times, I got funny looks from the store managers, but both cashiers gave me "Atta Girl" type comments. The receipts said that I saved 51% and 53% respectively, but I thought that was a crock since the prices were a bit higher than the stores I would normally shop at (HEB, SuperTarget, and Costco), and since I always shop sales and use coupons. I felt like I truly saved 17-18% over what I would have spent elsewhere, and so it was worth the trip! Does anyone else think that some stores inflate their pricess so that they can trick consumers into thinking they are saving a ton of money when they look at a receipt that says "You saved 53%!"?

3. Bye-bye Sub-$100 Power Bills ... Hope to See You Again: Just got our power bill for May ... $98. Since we are in AC season (Texas has been in an early heat wave for the past couple weeks where every day is mid to high 90's), I know we can kiss power bills of less than $100 bye-bye until fall. We definitely used the AC during May, but will certainly be using it more in the months ahead. We really try to walk the line between comfort and frugality when it comes to the AC. We keep it at 80F during the day and move it up to 85F at night (because for some reason our bedroom stays a couple degrees cooler than the rest of the apartment). That may seem a tad warm to some of you, but we have ceiling fans that help and we're willing to live with feeling a bit warm and are just grateful to have AC at all. I am hoping to keep our power bill under $125 for June, and under $150 for July & August, but since this is our first year in Texas I really have no idea what the final numbers will be.

When I was fresh out of college, I "inherited" 2 cats. Not knowing any better, I started out feeding them an el-cheapo brand of food from the grocery store. Then one of them developed a bladder stone and had to have surgery. The vet thought the stone developed because of her diet, and so the el-cheapo brand went in the trash, and I started paying much more attention to the kitties diet and making smarter choices. Thankfully, they never again had a diet-related condition. I learned the hard way (through pain & suffering for my poor cat and a big hit to the wallet for me) that when it comes to pets diets, prevention is indeed the best medicine.

Kitties crossed the rainbow bridge many years ago, and shortly thereafter destiny brought a dog into my husband & my life.

Now definitely older and hopefully wiser, when buying food for our dog, I put the emphasis on buying the healthiest possible food, but of course I also try to buy it at the lowest possible price. I shop for "value" rather than "cheap." He eats twice a day ... 12 meals each week are dry food, but twice a week he gets a can of wet food as a treat and as a way to provide variety (and hopefully improved nutrition) to his diet. He gets one treat in the evening (his reward for "doing his business" and then letting me brush his teeth), but even those are the healthy variety. His weight is perfect, and it is my sincere hope that he will never have a medical condition that is because of poor diet (because that would be my fault).

So I'm feeling like a good doggy mommy / minder of the family finances today ... I had a successful shopping trip to the pet supply store.

The Haul:
12 Large Cans of Homestyle
6 Large Cans of Wellness
4-lb bag of dry Science Diet Nature's Best

These were the deals:
Homestyle: case discount (10%) plus $5 off coupon
Wellness: buy 3, get 3 free rebate
Nature's Best: Rebate for full purchase price
Total Order Discounts:
- $10 store certificate received in mail
- 10% store member discount (which was free)

Net Cost (once the rebates come in): $12.50 (plus tax) plus $0.84 to mail in 2 rebate coupons.

For those of you without dogs, the Homestyle and Wellness brands of canned food are premium brands that normally cost a bit over $2 a pop. The Nature's Best dry food retails for $11 a bag ... it's not my dog's usual brand ... I usually buy him Costco's Kirkland Signature brand which is MUCH less expensive but also very good quality IMHO ... but when it's free (well, actually 42-cents for a stamp to mail in the rebate), then why not?

The rebate coupons are in the mail already ... I learned years ago to mail them as soon as I get home from the store (otherwise I forget).

Gonna try to get caught up on a big list of things I have been wanting to blog about. Please pardon the long and varied "everything but the kitchen sink" type post.

1. "Journey to Balance Sheet Affluent" Update: Did my end-April Net Worth Statement while the guys were out golfing on Sunday, and updated my number there to the left. Obviously, I fell short of my first-year goal. Ironically, the main reason was a very good year last year income-wise, so when I plugged in our new average income, the goal (number to reach) jumped up. The reason for the bigger than expected 4th quarter drop was due to taxes owed on said earnings. Quarterly income and non-tax spending were fine. This led me to question whether or not this is still a realistic goal. For the time being, my answer is a qualified yes. I'll be posting my 2nd year (5/1/2008 - 4/30/2009) goals soon, and for the time being I am going to continue to pusue the goal of becoming "Balance Sheet Affluent" by the time my DH is 50; however, I am going to revisit this within the next year, and would not be surprised if I wind up dropping my goal to something like 1.8 instead of 2.0.

And for those of you who like to compare numbers, please let me remind you that I have set the bar extremely high for myself, which is necessary if DH's dream of trying out for the senior golf tour is to have a chance of becoming reality. If not for this dream, I would be happy with any number at 1.0 or higher.

2. Investments = Decided to Stay the Course: Thought I would be switching my STAR Fund to Vanguard Conservative Growth, but after studying that possibility I decided to leave things where they are. If I made the switch, I feel I would be under-invested in international stocks. And besides that, my STAR fund shares are where I give myself permission to be a tiny bit daring.

3. Work: My current work assignment ended today. My next work assignment begins ... day after tomorrow. Perfect. One day off and then back to work. Instead of paying bills & doing laundry tonight, I'll be curling up with a book and putting those chores off until tomorrow.

4. Groceries: YES, YES, YES ... prices ARE up! Here are 2 specific examples on prices of items that are consumed almost daily in our home:
- Bananas: Up from 33 to 44 cents per lb. That's a 33% increase!
- Rice: 20-lb bag up from $14 to $17. That's a 21% increase!

I think what is so "big" about the current price increases is that they are so across the board, rather than commodity specific. We're all used to seeing prices on certain items spike due to crop failures or seasonality. But when that happens, we just make substitutions, right? For example, in the past, if I had seen that bananas were up 11 cents per lb overnight, I would have looked at an alternate fruit. But guess what? Apples are also up, 20 cents per lb, and no other fruits come close to giving me the same bang for my buck. So, I buy bananas at the higher price.

I feel fortunate that even if my vigilance to "shop smart" is not enough to compensate for the increases, I am still able to absorb the price increases, and don't have to take exteme measures (such as giving up buying fresh fruit). I cannot believe that the increases are not affecting those less fortunate, and I am sympathetic.

One thing that I am doing to keep my own grocery bill down is teaching my husband some of my shopping techniques (for example: combine a sale w/ a coupon or skip buying that item this week) so that when he goes to the store the bill will be lower. Just recently, he used coupons for the very first time.

4. Speaking of Good Cheap Food: I recently discovered a great side dish ... Texas Caviar! No, it's nothing like Rocky Mountain Oysters ... It's a spicy black eyed pea salad. Nutritious and Delicious! Fantastic with BBQ or really as a side dish with anything. If it sounds like something you'd like to try, just Google it and you'll find recipes.

5. The Jonses House: Previously I blogged about "The Jonses" house in my old neighborhood that went in to foreclosure. After being foreclosed on, listed by the receivier for well under what was owed on the mortgage, and having a couple price drops, the house finally went under contract. I don't know the sale price, but given the latest list price it is very likely it sold for at or near the "lowball" price DH & I threw out about a year ago. This reinforced 2 things in my mind:
- We should continue to trust ourselves and our sense of where the market is.
- By all means look at buying & selling a house as a business transaction. Regardless of how you feel about it while you are living there, while you are buying and selling you are making an investment! Once the receiver took over, they approached the sale of the Jonses house in a very businesslike manner ... Pricing to market (no ego or emotion involved) and dropping the price as needed.

6. Interesting Retirement Tidbits: Saturday's Wall Street Journal published some very interesting survey results ... Definitely gave me some things to think about when considering retirement. Here are some of the items that gave me the most food for thought:

Q: What percentage of retirees say they left the work force earlier than planned?
A: 51%
My Thoughts: Wow! Sounds like it might be a good idea to chop a few years off of the age you enter as your expected retirement age when you run those calculators. For example, if you plan to retire at 65, plug in 60 or 62 to be safe.

Q: Surveyed adults ages 55 to 74 said they spend the greatest percentage of their leisure time doing which of the following? (choices were Socializing & Communicating, Watching TV, Reading, Relaxing & Thinking, Traveling)
A: Watching TV
My Thoughts: That is sad. Note to self = Make a plan pre-retirement for a life of meaningful activities!

　Q: What percentage of workers in the US say they or their spouses currently are saving for retirement?
A: 64%

Q: What percentage of workers age 55-plus report having $250,000 or more in savings and investments (not including primary residence or defined-benefit plan)?
A: 23%

Q: What percentage of US households are at risk of being unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement?
A: 44%

My Thoughts on the Above 3: Wake up America!

I think the first rule of sensible spending is "know yourself." Do you like to change things up once in awhile, or are you happy wearing the same things until they wear out? Me ... I'm happy wearing the same things until they are no longer functional. So, I try to shop accordingly.

A watch & my glasses (and my wedding ring of course) are the only accessories I wear most days.

I have 2 watches --- The 2nd was a gift. 2 watches aren't necessary, but after I received the 2nd I realized it is nice to have both brown (Guess) & black (Seiko).

Anyway ... The older watch, the Guess brand, is I-don't-know-how-old ... I am guessing around 18 years. I just got the battery replaced ($10) and realized I have lost track of how many times I've replaced the battery or had the strap changed (because it broke or wore out).

Will most watches last forever, as long as you're just giving them normal wear and tear? Will the battery need to be changed more and more frequently as the watch gets older? Are watch batteries so standard that I can expect to always be able to find a replacement battery that fits my watch? Can I keep wearing these watches indefinitely?

How old is your watch?

I will be perfectly happy if I can keep wearing these same 2 watches until the day I die.

It's the same thing with my glasses. I get my prescription updated every few years, but I don't change the frames unless I have to. I have had to change the frame because either the frame broke (walked in to a bike rack sticking way out off of the back of a car and didn't see it - ouch) or I can no longer get lenses that fit the frames. Last time I bought new frames I narrowed it down to 2 frames, then asked the gals at Costco to help me choose. Knowing myself, I told them I'd like to update my look a bit, but not be too trendy because I would probably be wearing those same frames for at least 10 years, maybe more. They pointed out something about one of the frames that made it a bit trendy (was it the shape?), and that was all I needed to know to make up my mind. I bought the other pair.

New jobs always come with "issues" don't they? I hesitate to use the word "issues" in this case because it sounds so negative, when really I just have "things that need to be worked out."

1. Auto Deposit: Friday was my first payday for my new job. I signed up for auto deposit. No deposit yet. Probably just a glitch somewhere, something that I need to get worked out either with my bank or the payroll department. Glad I wasn't desperately waiting for that money to pay bills!

2. To Buy or Not to Buy a 2nd Car? DH just returned from a business trip, so tomorrow will be the start of my needing to get to work every weekday and us having only 1 car. Taking the bus is not an option (the nearest bus stop that goes to my office is 70% of the way to work, so no point in driving that far and not driving all the way in, and I haven't been able to find a carpool. [Parking is free BTW.] As far as I'm concerned, the pay for the job does not justify the cost of a 2nd car, not to mention the fact that it's temp work, so I don't want to buy a 2nd car just because of this job. The distance from home is so far that it doesn't make sense for DH to drive me every day. I've suggested that we try something like I drive myself 3 days a week, and 2 days a week DH drive me in & pick me up so that he can have the car for golf, errands, etc. We are probably just delaying the inevitable of buying a 2nd car eventually, but I do still want to delay it as long as possible. We'll see how it goes ... Hopefully being home without a car (and unable to go hit balls at the driving range) won't be too hard on DH.

3. Clothes = Not Want or Need but "Kinda Sorta Ought to Get"???: I think we need a word for something that is neither a want nor a need but something in-between. I could really use some new clothes for this new job. I have never been what you'd call a clothes horse ... sssh, it's a secret, but DH has always had at least twice as many clothes as me! For a long time I worked in the corporate world, then when I owned my own business the "dress code" (or lack of) was very very casual. Prior to our move, not knowing what would work in the new climate or what type of work I would be getting in to, I did things like let my one remaining pair of tennis shoes wear down to where there were holes in the bottom of the soles, then I just tossed them before we moved. [Didn't buy replacements as it would mean one more thing to move.] Now I'm working in a casual office environment, where the corporate suits don't work and the super casual clothes might not get me fired but probably wouldn't enhance my rep either. I do have enough clothes that fit in to the "in-between" world and work in this much warmer climate where I don't actually NEED to buy new clothes(I could keep wearing the same things over and over if I honestly did not have the money to buy anything new), and I don't like clothes shopping or spending money unnecessarily so I certainly don't WANT new clothes. However, it probably would be a good idea to buy a few more pieces so that I can have a bit more variety in my wardrobe, don't end up wearing the same things over & over, and don't have to panic if the laundry doesn't get done right on schedule. [Although this work is temporary, I should have recurring temp assignments in the same work environment.] I do have the money to buy clothes, and haven't bought any for such a long time, that there's really nothing to stop me other than my dislike for clothes shopping.

Well ... I went ahead and made a list of what I could buy that would add the most variety to my wardrobe, and I've come up with a shopping strategy (hit Goodwill first, then a consignment store where I'm going to sell some things as well as look for some new for myself, and finally the clearance rack at a couple retail stores). I'm going to try to find a day when I have enough time and energy to get everything I "need/want/???" in one day. Just get it over with!

Today is one of those days ... I have the time and energy ... But glory halleluiah many stores are closed because of Easter so I have a reprieve until at least next weekend!

DH is on a business trip, and had to lay over in Washington DC. [That was the only routing available to get the free ticket he wanted using his mileage.]

I had to practically NAG him to get him to go downtown and take in some of the sights. (I suggested he spend one extra day in DC, since he had to fly through there anyway, but he wouldn't hear of it.) He has never been there, and he is not a US citizen, so he didn't get what the big deal was, even after I showed him my pictures and brochures and tourist book souvenier and raved about it. I told him it's like The Louvre, Champs Elysee, Eiffel Tower, and Versailles all rolled in to one, only better! Since he only has this evening, I strongly encouraged him to take the Grayline nighttime bus tour so he could see as many sights as possible in a short time, even tho' it would mean buying a ticket and he would have had to take a cab back to his hotel from a Metro station. I told him "I know that will cost money, but I promise you that it is money you will never regret spending for as long as you live."

I'm happy to report that after much encouragement he finally decided he was willing to spend the money.

Unfortunately, the bus tour was sold out. But he did head downtown as soon as he checked in his bags. He rushed around seeing as much as he could (White House, Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, etc --- unfortunately I don't think he saw any of the monuments) and ended up with blisters on his feet! He called me from the Air & Space Museum quite exhilarated, saying "I could stay just here for hours!" And he has decided that if his flight tomorrow is overbooked, he will volunteer to get bumped!

Hopefully if something like this ever comes up again, he'll listen to me a little sooner! I'm all for saving money (and I certainly would have asked for the AAA discount from Grayline), but goodness, when you have the opportunity to have such an enriching experience, if it causes no strain on the budget, just go ahead and spend the money already!

Are you surprised to hear me say that? Some people think I'm a total tightwad, but I disagree. I will squeeze a penny till it screams, but I also am willing to spend when I truly think it's worthwhile.

Great Brunch Out: Today DH & I went to Olive Garden for an early lunch; we both had the all-you-can eat soup/salad/breadsticks combo ($5.95). We had a $4 coupon, so the total with tax & tip for 2 of us came to $10.34 ... Not too bad for a tasty lunch with lots of veggies (tho the lettuce was iceberg), no dishes to wash, and a date with my favorite guy! We don't eat out a lot, so it's always a much-relished treat when we do! [And in case you're wondering, we combined our brunch out with running other errands, so there was very little gas expense.]

Broccoli: Oh I'm still smiling about this... It's been so long since I found a good deal on FRESH veggies! Super Target had a sale on broccoli, the cello-pack bunches for 2 / $3. I had a coupon that I had printed out on-line for $1 off, so I got 2 big bunches of broccoli for $2. Since they charge by the bunch instead of by the lb, of course I chose the heaviest bunches!

Staying Put: We decided to renew our lease, so we'll be staying put for awhile. We do think home prices will drop a bit more, we are completely contented where we are, and it's lovely having our costs so low, so why not wait?
I am kind of burned out on househunting, and am relieved that there is no reason to do any more of that until the fall, when we can get serious about looking (and then hopefully buying) again.

New Job: Forgot to mention that I got a job. It's intermittent full-time ... not contract work, but off & on temp assignments, challenging & enjoyable; I will likely stick with just this until we buy a house.

Chocolate fans - Time to go buy that Valentine's candy on clearance!

DH will be heading off to the store soon to buy 1/2-price gourmet chocolates. He buys the most generic-looking (un-Valentinesy) boxes he can find, and gives them to his customers when he travels overseas on business.

He usually buys a box for me too. And no, I don't mind one bit that it isn't presented on "the big day." In fact, I like knowing that he didn't pay full price. Society in general probably thinks we're unromantic, but I know you guys understand.

DH finished his on-line defensive driving course yesterday evening, then took the test and passed (w/ a fantastic 95% score ... pretty darn good in any circumstance, and really terrific considering the course was in English, his 2nd language). We immediately get a 10% discount on our auto insurance, good for the next 3 years. The course cost $20, and at the discount (based on our current premium) is $125 over 3 years, for a net savings of $105. It took him about 6 hours to complete the course, so that means he netted about $17.50 per hour of work ... Not too bad! Also, he seemed to really get in to taking the course and learned a lot ... He's not a bad driver, but if the course makes him even less likely to get in to an accident, then it definitely was worth the time! [When / if we purchase a 2nd car, I plan to take the course also.]

We filled our gas tank for the first time since getting our new tires at Costco. DH does a rough calculation of gas mileage each time he fills up (he uses the odometer to keep track of mileage between fillups) and he says our gas mileage improved from about 26 MPG to 28-29 MPG. Not sure if we can call the results of one fillup a trend, but I sure do hope it stays that high. I don't know if it's because we now have better (new) tires, or if it's because Costco fills their tires with Nitrogen ... I had never heard of filling tires with Nitrogen, but there was a brochure at the Costco Tire Center explaining how Nitrogen is supposed to improve handling & improve gas mileage. The tires on our car now have little green caps on them instead of black, which apparently is the symbol for nitrogen-filled. I can definitely say that the car handles better, tho' again I can't say whether that's because we now have new tires, they are filled with nitrogen, or both. I'm not a car person, so I can't offer an intelligent opinion on the "filling with nitrogen" issue, but would love to hear what others think. By the way, we didn't have to pay anything extra for the Nitrogen. That's just what our Costco Tire Center is using now.

I splurged this past week when grocery shopping. I bought a carton of Tropicana orange juice, and a bag of fresh baby spinach. Each was $2.99, and neither were on sale. [With the soaring cost of produce, we've been eating much more frozen lately, and buying fresh only when we find a "bargain."] They were both on my grocery list, so neither was an impulse buy but was a planned splurge. Hard to believe I spent that much, and hard to believe buying fresh produce that is not on sale is now considered a splurge! Funny times we live in, eh? They sure tasted GREAT, and they are good for us too ... DH & I both enjoyed every sip and bite...Yum!

Yesterday evening I got a chi-chi hairdo at a fancy salon for only the 2nd time in my life. The first time was about 30 years ago, when my mom took my badly-in-need-of-a-confidence-boost-adolescent-self to a nice salon for a Tony Tenille style cut. At all other times, I've either let a family member (mom, sister, husband) cut it, or have gone to an inexpensive chain salon. For the past many years I've just let my hair grow long, and then once in awhile I'd get some whacked off for free at one of the chain salons to send to Locks of Love. Thanks to good hair genetics, I only rarely get a grey hair, so I plan on continuing donating as long as I can.

I've been overdue for a cut, but hadn't had any luck finding a place that would cut my hair for free. I was thinking about letting DH just cut it and mailing the hair off myself. But as luck would have it, my proscratination paid off and I found out that a fancy-schmancy salon here in Austin was giving free haircuts for Locks of Love donors! I went in yesterday and told the very nice young man who cut my hair that he could do anything he wanted with my hair as long as it was age-appropriate, that could be "wash & go" (no styling or product required), and that he left me enough so that it will be long enough to put up in a pony tail when the weather gets hot. I got a nice shampoo, conditioning treatment, cut that took what seemd to me a really long time (much longer than the usual 5 or 6 snips I'm used to), and professional styling with blowdrying. For me, all of this was a real luxury!!! [I know some people treat themselves to something like this often, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but for me things are much more special & appreciated when they only an occasional thing ... As in once every 30 years!]

What I thought was really cool was that my hair is thick enough the stylist decided he could do 2 ponytails, which means that the hair cut yesterday will make hairpieces for two kids. And he was able to cut off a whopping 14-1/2 inches. Yes - Proscrastination does pay sometimes, and not only for me!

Of course, I tipped the nice young man generously ($5 --- I hope that's generous --- Come to think of it I don't know what the going rate is!) since he did such a nice job. And I had to drive to the salon, but it was right by Costco so I made up a list before I went and did a Costco run to make the trip more cost-effective. All in all, I'd say it was money well spent.

Oh ... In case you're wondering what the new 'do looks like, think Diane Keaton without the highlights when she uses less styling product:



And do I plan to keep getting my hair cut at fancy salons? Naw ... Not unless I can get another free cut. But it sure was fun.

Since I don't have kids, I've never caught the scrapbooking bug. I've thought it would be fun to do a small scrapbook of my dog, but didn't want to: 1) put the effort in to learning how to scrapbook, and 2) invest in all of the tools and cute doodads that seem to be required to scrapbook well.

Now, Costco Online is offering a "complete" kit for making a small dog scrapbook for $12.99 including shipping & handling. That seems like a very reasonable price to pay if that's really all I'll need. However, I'm skeptical that the kit is really all I will need, so before I spend my money I'd be grateful if any of you experienced scrapbookers could tell me:

1. The kit includes brads & charms. Will I need special tools to use those?

2. If I get the kit and check out a couple books on scrapbooking from the library, will I have what I need to make a fairly decent looking scrapbook? Or, is this something that takes classes and lots of experience to master?

Thanks!!!

Monday I'll be joining the hoardes at the Post Office, getting my holiday gifts mailed off. Today I got my gifts wrapped. I've been done with my shopping for awhile, but I waited to get the gifts wrapped until today. A dog rescue organization was doing gift wrapping as a fund-raiser at a nearby store, and I decided to take the 2 gifts that needed to be wrapped in there. I've always done my own wrapping, but I sold my wrapping paper at our pre-move garage sale and am waiting to buy any new until we are out of our tiny apartment and in to a house. I gave them 2 dollars ($1 per gift seemed to be the going rate), and that included gift tag & bow. Sure, I could have bought the wrapping supplies for the same or cheaper, but I'm avoiding purchasing anything other than essentials until we have a house, and it was an organization I was more than happy to support.

So, my holiday shopping & wrapping is done. Yea! I spent $175 on gifts this year, $2 on wrapping, plus whatever I spend on postage.

Within my family we have mutually agreed to really limit our gift-giving.

1. DH & I have no children. This is of course the biggest reason why our holiday spending is so low.

2. DH & I don't exchange gifts with each other. Back when we were saving for a house, we decided to save more for the down payment instead of buying gifts. We realized we weren't missing anything, and not exchanging gifts has become a tradition. [Today I was talking with a couple that has been married for 30+ years about holiday gifts. They also don't exchange. The man said that their present to each other is that they are PRESENT for each other. I loved that.]

3. My sisters & I decided several years back that we would stop exchanging gifts, except from time to time if we found something we thought the other(s) would really love. But there is no keeping score, and no "obligation" to give.

4. When my sisters & I had the "let's stop gifting" discussion, we also discussed with our mom. She said that it means a lot to her to buy us gifts, so she continues to give us a gift each year (but she usually spends much less than what she used to). But she said that since she doesn't need anything, there's no need to buy anything for her. I do buy her a gift about once every 2 years (and that includes birthdays and mother's day, so not much gift-buying for her). I only buy when I find something that I think she will REALLY love and use.

5. My younger brother is DD, and he gets a real kick out of exchanging gifts. So, we all buy gifts (both Chirstmas and birthday) for him every year.

6. I have a young niece and nephew here in the USA. They get gifts... of course! My sister has specifically requested donations to their college funds, and I am tickled to honor her request. [My overseas niece and nephew get gifts too, but not at Christmas.]

So, here is a rundown of the gifts I'm giving this year:

- Brother joined me on my recent trip to DC. We agreed to skip birthday & Christmas presents this year, and make the trip together our gift to each other.

- My mom did get a gift this year, a 2-lb basket of assorted organic gourmet mushrooms, ordered through Costco for $45 including shipping. Mom has a major mushroom obsession, so when I saw this gift I knew it would make her very happy. And it did --- She called me all excited right after it arrived!

- Older sister is getting a handmade bracelet, purchased at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art in DC for $21. Sis loves African jewelry, and she will appreciate that it was made by a South African group that allows woman to make jewelry while staying home with their children. This will be a surprise for her, since I usually don't buy her anything. She wanted to go to DC, but decided to stay home and fund her EF instead. (I have written in the past about her messed-up finances.) I was really proud of her decision, and thought a little gift from DC would be a way to show my support.

- Niece & nephew are getting $50 each for their college funds. I also purchased a gift for their whole family to share (and so they'd have something to unwrap), a book that I purchased new through Ebay for 35% of retail, including shipping.

And that's it! Some mushrooms, a bracelet, a book, a check, and happy memories of a shared vacation. No shopping frenzy, no spending hangover, no credit card interest, no hit to the net worth. And no unwanted gifts that end up collecting dust or getting tossed or donated.

I've never once shopped on Black Friday --- Generally speaking, I'd rather have elective surgery than face the crowds!

However, since moving to Austin, DH & I have been talking about getting a GPS to help us navigate the maze of roads here (it would be especially useful in our house-hunting efforts), so I contemplated putting on my shopping armour and fighting the hoardes if I could find a screaming deal.

I've been reading up and know what sorts of features are desirable, and got a general idea of prices. When yesterday's paper came I went through all the advertisements and looked at all GPS on sale. I looked at everything, including (but not limited to) the door busters.

Generally speaking, the sale prices were not any better than what I could find on-line or elsewhere. There was one door buster item that was $30 less than the next-cheapest price (and $30 is not an inconsiderable savings, so I would have been willing to muster my courage and venture out), but the model that was offered in that case wasn't very highly rated and seemed to be an out-dated and not very desirable model.

I started thinking that Black Friday is just a bunch of hype, and that people aren't really getting the deals they are lead (by the retailers and even the media) to believe they are.

End result = I'm still sitting here at home, blogging. My record of never once shopping on Black Friday stands.

P.S. - Maybe I'll find the sort of deal I'm looking for on Craigslist after the holidays, when someone is trying to unload an unwanted gift or has buyer's remorse??? If anyone wants to unload a good GPS at a fantastically discounted price, let me know!

Who doesn't hate spending money on things that are completely unnecessary?

I avoid bank fees, late charges, penalties, and interest like the plague.

Even tho' it's sometimes a pain in the "you-know-what" I know one of the best ways to avoid those things is to stay on top of government rules.

The fact that I got 2 parking tickets in my 20's still bothers me --- What a waste of money --- If only I had been smarter I could have avoided them! [Knock on wood, I've never had a moving violation.]

Since we arrived in Austin, my dog has been licensed, and my car has had it's safety inspection and has been registered. Next stop: Driver's license! When all is said and done, I will have "rendered unto Caesar" about $145 not to mention the expense of driving around to take care of those things.

But just imagine the costs of not doing them and paying fines or penalties ... I can most definitely file these expenses under "money well spent."

If anyone is planning a move and could use a little guidance, I highly recommend the book "29 Days to a Smooth Move" by Donna Kozik and Tara Maras. It's written in a workbook format with lots of checklists and spaces to write notes, so you don't just read it, you actually use it as your master moving organizer.

The authors spell out the major categories of things to do before a move as:

1. Readying the house for new occupants
2. Condensing your goods
3. Packing your possessions
4. Preparing the children (in our case we can substitute the much much easier "preparing the dog")
5. Organizing paperwork (estimates, change of address forms, etc.)
6. Saying goodbye

I have these written on a board in my office, and I make sure I am making progress on all of the categories (except number 4, the one about the dog) every single day.

No doubt this book falls under the "money well spent" category.

Well, time to get back at it ...

Today DH & I met with a CPA / Pension Consultant to discuss his self-employed retirement plans. We got some really terrific guidance, and it was definitely worth the time and cost. This is something I've been wanting DH to do for a couple years, and I'm so glad he finally agreed to do it.

He was reluctant because back when he set up his business he did hire a CPA to "do his books" regularly but we relaized all she was doing was recycling the information he was inputting to QuickBooks, and when he did ask her for advice what she told him wasn't very helpful. Since then, he hasn't hired a CPA for anything.

The woman we met with today was an entirely different story ... As DH said, "She is as sharp as my pencil."

The difference between a so-so, inexpensive CPA and a sharp-as-tacks but more expensive one is night and day. Just because a professional's hourly rate is higher doesn't mean they will end up costing you more. A well-qualified professional will be able to get the work done in a fraction of the time and probably save you money on top of doing a better job.

When doing laundry today I started thinking about how I have never in my entire life followed the detergent manufacturer's recommendations for how much to use. Depending on the condition of the load, I use between 1/2 and 2/3 of the recommended amount, and everything always comes out perfectly clean. The only time I use close the recommended amount is when I am washing my cleaning cloths, because they are so dirty. I think it was my grandmother who taught me this trick ... She was a child of the Great Depression and learned frugality out of necessity.

I wonder how much money I have saved over the years by adjusting the amount of detergent to what I think is necessary rather than what the company with the profit motive tells me to use?

I do the same thing with dog food. I've never given my dog the full recommended amount. Even tho he gets LOTS of exercise, if I gave him the full amount recommended on the back of the bag he'd be ... well, he'd be fat and the dog food company would be richer. I monitor his weight and adjust his food volume when necessary.

Come to think of it, tho' I very rarely take over the counter meds, when I do I will usually start with a half-dose and see if that works. That is probably more about not wanting to overmedicate than with wanting to save money and resources, but it's another example of where less can be just enough.

Haven't done a real blog entry for awhile because so much has been going on ... I've been busy and unable to organize my thoughts well ... I decided to do just one big long entry that covers a whole lot of things ... Sorry.

1. Business Closing / Moving Countdown: One-and-a-half weeks to go until I shut down my business. I've been saying many good-byes. I am glad they are spread out and not all coming at once; it's easier to take emotionally, absorbing just one or two good-byes per day. Five-and-a-half weeks until we leave for Austin. Got a free map of the USA from AAA and plotted our route on it, then hung it on the wall above my desk. It's exciting to look at it, knowing the date our new adventure begins is getting closer and closer.

2. No, I really don't have 4 weeks to prep for the move: I'll be travelling out of town for one week (going to Austin to choose an apartment, attending my alma matter's Reunion weekend, and going to my Mom's to help out with some things). I'll also have wrap-up work on my business, and my DH needs some help with his business. Also, my family is coming up for our final weekend here which of course is wonderful but takes up time. So, I estimate that gives me 2 weeks (broken up a bit here and there) to prep for the move. Should be plenty of time as long as I draw up a good plan/calendar, stick to it, and get enough help from DH. [Thank goodness I have the book "29 Days to a Smooth Move" ... It is the best resource for moves!]

3. Farewell Party: Reservation has been made; Guest list is 28; Invitations get mailed on Monday; final budget is $500. A nice restaurant near us does a very nice and reasonably-priced buffet once a month, and I chose to do our party on that day. I will pre-order some decent but moderately-priced wines and have them out on the table. Of course, people will be free to order other drinks, but knowing the wonderful group we are inviting (not a wine snob or big spender in the bunch), they will be perfectly happy with my selections. My goal is to put on an event that is both a really enjoyable event for our beloved guests and a wonderful send off for DH and I, but that doesn't break the bank. Given the plans made so far, I think all criteria will be met.

4. Ebay Sales: Still plodding along. Some things selling for more than expected, some for less, some not at all. Will be glad when it's done.

5. $20 Garden Challenge: Still enjoying plenty of fresh herbs and microgreens. It's been quite cool here, and I'm starting to wonder whether I'll actually see a tomato before the move! There have been lots of blossoms and some have dropped, but not one piece of fruit yet.

6. DC & NYC Trip: Booked my plane ticket and accomodations! I'll be travelling a total of 9 days ~ I'm so excited!!! I decided on a budget of $2,000. Yes, it's a lot of money, and yes, it will be worth every penny. I am renting a studio condo with a kitchen in downtown DC. I'll be flying from Austin to DC, and between DC and NYC I'll take the bus. [ThreeBeanSalad kindly suggested the Chinatown Bus, but I was able to find an even cheaper fare on Greyhound thanks to a fare sale, plus the scheduling with Greyhound is much better.] My younger sister & brother will be joining me in DC. They have both always wanted to go, and decided that since I was going already they may as well tag along. I'm super happy they will be coming. I'm not going to let them pitch in on the accomodations, but told them they could stay with me (my treat) in exchange for them feeding me one meal per day each. My sister will get groceries and cook dinner for me (say ... I'll have my own personal chef for a couple days ... outstanding!) and my brother will treat me to lunch while we are out sightseeing. My older sister is not going to join us because ...

7. Older Sister is Taking Baby Steps Towards Financial Security: Awhile back I wrote on the forums about how my sister's financial life was a wreck. She had to have her cat euthanized and did not have the money to pay for it.
Well, since then she has made some progress but it has definitely been a "2 steps forward and 1 step back kind of thing." A big breakthrough was when she thought about joining us in DC but decided that she really should not because her priority is building up her EF. Oh yea! While it would have been great to have her with us, I really respect that she seems to be getting her priorities straight.

8. Caught Another Checkout Pricing Mistake: I know this entry so far has had a lot to do with big spending, but as I have said before I believe in focusing on the big AND small things. The other day at Office Depot when I was buying envelopes to mail the party invitations, the price rang up at $7.29 even tho' the posted price was $5.99. I had them cancel the sale and went over to customer service. They were very nice, walked over to the posted sign with me, admitted that the sign was wrong (apparently the price had increased but they hadn't changed the sign), and honored the posted sign. They also took the sign down and changed it, so I was the last person to get the envelopes at that price. [Yikes - I thought $5.99 for 50 envelopes was a huge amount of money. But I decided not to waste time & money driving to another store.] I couldn't begin to count how many times I have caught mistakes like that; I am always courteous, but never shy about letting the cashier know about the error, and I have never had a store fail to honor the posted price. Always check the prices!

9. "Subprime Mortgage Meltdown in the News": I agree with those who say, come on, what is the news?!? A few years ago when DH & I started reading about the types of mortgages people were taking out we couldn't get over how insane it was. That was years ago. Frankly, we were surprised it all didn't happen sooner; we were expecting it about a year earlier. I'm glad we sold our house when we did, and I know that this will not make me popular with people who are facing difficulties with their ARMs, but we may end up in a pretty good bargaining position when we buy our next house because we will be paying cash while other potential buyers will be facing the credit crunch. We'll either be able to get a deep discount from someone who needs to sell fast and has a shortage of potential buyers, or we may end up buying a foreclosure.
BTW, when we bought our last house we made sure that we could not only easily handle the mortgage payments, but that I could easily handle them on my own if (God forbid) something happened to my DH. My income is less than my husband's, and we thought it prudent to make sure the lesser income alone (mine) could easily support the house payments, so that I would never be in a position where I felt pressured to sell the house in a hurry. And we did refinance our mortgage once, but we refinanced for a LESSER amount and we went from a 30-yr fixed to a 15-yr fixed at a much lower rate. Never had a HELOC or a 2nd mortgage or a piggyback loan. Eventually, we paid off our mortgage early. Goodness, no one could imagine why we were being so conservative. They thought we were being downright silly. But I am here to tell you that you should never be afraid to go against the crowd, swim upstream, dance to a different drummer, etc, etc... Conventional wisdom isn't always so wise.

10. "The Jonses" Foreclosure House: I sent an Email to the bank that now owns the foreclosed house in our neighborhood letting them know we might be interested in buying it, but a real estate agent friend told me not to expect to be able to get a great deal on it, so I'm not holding my breath.

11. Feels Like Fall: I've covered a lot of ground in this post, some of it a bit heavy and/or preachy. I'll end on something light. It's been cool here, really starting to feel like fall. I have been thinking about changing my blog's color scheme to more fallish (instead of springish) colors ... But that may have to wait a bit, as I have bigger projects to tackle ...

If you actually read all of this long and rambling post, bless you!

Yesterday when I went grocery shopping, bread was on my list.

I always stop off at the half-price (day old) bread rack first to see what they have. I try to eat healthy, so I only buy 100% whole grain bread with no corn syrup. If there is something on the half-price rack that meets my criteria I will buy it; if not, I move on to the "regularly-priced aisle" to see what might be on sale. I'd say 2/3 or more of the bread I buy is from the half-price rack.

Yesterday there was a 4-pack of bagels on the half-price rack that fit the bill, so I bought those. [Shared one with DH this morning and it was delicious. I left one on the counter for tomorrow and put the other 2 in the fridge so they'll keep until I eat them.]

I realized that I have never seen anyone else buying things off of the half-price bread rack, even tho' I see them cruising the bread section all the time. In fact, I've never even seen anyone stop to look at it. Obviously things on that rack sell or the store wouldn't have it, and I am grateful that it's not more popular because it means I'm more likely to find something for myself there, but I can't for the life of me figure out why so many people won't buy off of it.

Bread can keep for a long time if you put it in the refrigerator. It is true that it gets a bit dried out that way, but it's perfectly OK if you're not a bread snob. It's not at all a health hazard, and it tastes just fine!

Why don't folks buy it? Are they unwilling to compromise one day's worth of freshness to save some money? Are they embarassed to be seen buying day-old bread? Do they think that saving a buck here & there doesn't add up? So many of here on this site are living proof that it does!

The pooch's 4+ year old harnass busted when he lunged at a bicyclist (tsk, tsk) so my DH went to Petsmart and bought one of the "Gentle Leader" ones for $25 plus tax. It makes me cringe paying full retail, but this is one of those times when I want to get a replacement immediately, instead of waiting for something I find cheaper on-line to show up.

Tomorrow same poochie is getting his teeth cleaned (estimated cost $145 + any follow-up medications needed) at the vet's, and as long as he is knocked out, I am going to have them trim his nails as well. [He is one of those dogs who is an absolute terror about getting his nails clipped. I can't use cutters on him. I use a Dremel tool to grind them down but it takes forever and is a big battle of wills. In my mind, this will definitely be an extra $10 very well spent.]

At his annual exam, I found out that he has a broken molar. I would prefer not to have it extracted, and I don't want to just "let it go and see what happens," so I looked in to alternatives and found out that a root canal might be an option. I got an estimate of around $1,500 ... gasp! Since we are moving to Austin in the fall and Texas A&M has a Veterinary School where they teach veterinary dentistry, I am going to have my vet call the dental professor and see if they could perform the root canal and give me a ballpark estimate.

Oh, our 4-legged children can be expensive, can't they? Of course, they are worth every penny!

Okay ladies (and maybe some of you men), I need help!

Because I am going to be moving to hotter-than-hot Texas, I want to cut my hair short but have absolutely no idea how to go about choosing a style. The last time I had my hair cut in a "style" was about 15 years ago. Since then I've just let it grow; every couple of years I get a bunched whacked off and send it to Locks of Love (and I get a free hair cut for doing that). I usually just wear it pulled back by a barrette or a scrunchy. (I know, I know, not very stylish, but hey, it suits me fine.)

I know I could go in to a hair stylist and ask for suggestions, but I'm hesitant to do that because:
- I don't care all that much about my hair, and I think that saying to a hair person that you don't care about hair is insulting to their line of work.
- I'm afraid they'd suggest something too trendy for my taste. I want to choose a style and stick with it for a good long time, so I don't have to think aobut it anymore.
- I'm also afraid they would suggest something that would require more frequent trips to get hair cuts than I am willing to do.

So, I am looking for suggestions, either style suggestions or where I could go to get some information on basic styles.

Here's the 411 on me and my hair:
- My hair is medium thickness and wavy. However, it's not an even wave. It's light-wavy in the front and medium-wavy in the back.
- I wash and condition my hair every other day, comb it out, and let it air dry. That's it. No styling brushes, no blow dryer, no curlers, no hair spray or gel, nada. I would like to keep it this simple.
- I'm 43 years old and do not care about the trends; however, I guess I'd prefer not to look like an 80-year-old.
- Hair is not an area of my life where I care to spend a lot of money. So, I'd like a style where I can go to a basic walk-in place (like Great Clips), and I'd like a style that wouldn't need to be cut very often or where my husband could give me a little trim in between cuttings.

So, any suggestions??? TIA!

A couple of recent threads on the forums prompted me to add a new category to my blog: "Sensible Spending." Spending is obviously a big part of personal finance, and spending sensibly is important for achieving my financial goals. Spending sensibly does not necessarily mean choosing the cheapest thing that meets your needs. Like most of you, I strongly believe in looking at "lifecycle costs" when making purchasing decisions. Sometimes it makes sense to spend a bit more now to save down the road...

I recently made what I believe was a sensible purchase, tho' I won't be surprised if some of you say "You spent how much? On what?"

I bought a Porcelain Nail File for $25.

Background: I'm extremely low on the "glamour scale." I don't have my nails done and I don't polish my own nails. I just file 'em short and keep 'em plain. A couple weeks ago my last emery board was literally falling apart, and I knew it was past time to replace it. But I didn't need anything else from the store, so I started thinking "I'll be damned if I'm going to the store just for emery boards, and why can't they make something that lasts forever for filing my nails besides those awful metal things?" So, I got on-line and started looking for alternatives. That was when I found the Tweezerman Porcelain Nail File: $25 from Drugstore.com with free shipping. Didn't take me long to decide to buy it, even tho' the cost is many times more than buying a cheapie emery board, when I realized it would probably (hopefully) last me for the rest of my life, which would mean no more emery board purchases, less trips to the store, and less stuff (used emery boards) going to the landfills.

It arrived last week and I have to say I love it. I do expect it to last me for the rest of my life, and it makes me happy knowing I'll never have to buy a gosh-darn emery board for as long as I live! I just wish they had been available back when I was in my 20's!