Cut The Crap! Shop at Thrift Stores!

So, in my quest to cut the crap, I’m not sure I’m actually cutting the crap in my house.  I did do something cool recently, though, to keep crap out of the landfill.  I propagated some plants and re-potted them in pots I bought from thrift store.  I also bought some used children’s books and a few home décor items… all from the thrift store.  Not only did I get some great items for a fraction of the cost, but these items are getting a second (or maybe third?) life at my house.  It’s a win win. 

Let me start with my plants.  I have a huge spider plant that I affectionately call Big Mama.  This plant has survived several “murder” attempts, and we’ve given countless of her “babies” to friends and family.  She continues to make babies, though, and I have to do SOMETHING with them. 

I went to Walmart to look at cheap pots.  All of the “cheap” pots  were just that.  Cheap.  The inexpensive ones were plastic or terrible plaster things.  The nicer pots were obviously more pricey.  This was the case everywhere I went: Home Depot, Lowes, Target, etc.  I found a few cute pots, but really didn’t want to spend a lot since I had about 10 (you read that right. 10.) baby plants to transplant.  So I went to my favorite thrift store and found these. 

I repotted them this weekend and so far everything is looking great!  I’ll post more pictures of the happy little plants soon… and THEN I’ll have to go buy some additional pots because Big Mama has even MORE babies coming!  Does anyone want a plant?  Hahaha!

If you’ve read my previous blog posts, you know I love books.  My entire family loves books.  So when I saw these, I jumped at the chance to buy them.  Who can resist when they are less than $2?  My daughter had so much fun picking books that from now on I’m going to bring her with me to the thrift store.  She can pick up as many books as $10 will buy!  Why not?  We should always encourage reading!  AND when we’re done with these gently used books, they’ll go right back to the thrift store so another child can enjoy them. 

That brings me to the home décor… I bought a tray and a jewelry box.  I thought the tray would be perfect for Christmas cookies during holiday get-togethers, AND it only cost $4!  Can’t beat that!  It’s in perfect condition, too. 

Here’s the jewelry box.  It’s beaded and has a small mirror and tray inside.  This, too, was only $4!  It looks great with the colors in my bedroom, and I needed an extra place to stash my growing jewelry collection.  LOVE IT.

I’m sold on the merits of thrift-store shopping.  J  You can find unique items at low prices and keep said items out of the trash heap.  Why buy everything new when you don’t have to? 

Domestic Production is Making a Comeback! Cut out the imported Crap!

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, domestic production is making a comeback!  This is great news for families here in the US. 

I haven't always been one to check labels to see where things are made, mostly because I shop at places like Walmart.  Don't hate me.  My family is on a budget, and I'm doing the best I can.  Lately, however, I've been a little more conscious of what I'm putting in my grocery basket.  Why?  Because I'm learning that cheaper isn't better.  It's usually just cheap. 

Before the holidays, I started shopping online with Melaleuca.  They have concentrated cleaners/detergents/etc that are not only better for the environment, they're better for my house.  They have more natural ingredients than many cleaners out there, and they don't cost an arm and a leg.  In fact, I'm getting better quality stuff for about what I pay at Walmart. 

Why do I bring this up, you ask?  Because these products are American made!  The only thing imported is the Melalueca (tea tree) oils.  These come from New Zealand and Melaleuca (a US company) owns the farms there.  So, the bottom line stays here in The States!  Good stuff! 

All of this is to tell you to start looking at labels.  One of the BEST ways to boost our economy and help reduce the crazy debt our country is in (Fiscal Cliff, Anyone?) is to buy domestic to increase our GNP (Gross National Product... I think).  You CAN get quality goods made right here in the US!

2013. Here I go again.

I at first thought I was the worst blogger ever.  I've been gone since August, and when I came back to look at this, I cringed.  Then I realized that there are MANY other bloggers our there that take breaks.  Maybe they don't do it as frequently as I do... or for as long, but that's okay. 

Here I go again. 

2013.  It's a new year.  It's time to start afresh.  Time for resolutions, goals, hopes... Losing weight is always at the top of our lists.  After that we want to save more and spend less, spend more time with our kids, live life to the fullest, and so on and so forth.  And in three months very few of us will be doing them any longer. We lose steam.  Give up.  Spend our money on other things. In fact, did you know that only 8% of the people who make resolutions actually accomplish them?  Where do they get this stuff?  Apparently, someone actually collects that info. Check it out.  Interesting stuff.

So this year I'm cutting the crap.  I'm not going to make any resolutions I won't keep... except one:  LIVE.  If life is what we make it, then I'm going to make it great! 

So talk to me, People.  What are your new year's resolutions? 

Fewer people see college as good financial investment

Fewer people see college as good financial investment

Really?  I think college is an awesome investment.

If you can afford it.

In this day and age, college tuition prices are rising at a seeming exponential rate.  For-profit institutions offer flexible class schedules at a premium... and then unscrupulous lenders swoop in offering unsubsidized money (AKA LOANS) to pay for said flexible schedules... and then students are in debt faster than they can blink an eye.  Tens of thousands of dollars later (and in some cases, this reaches into six figures) these students have a degree and then a HUGE loan payment.

But prices at the non-profits are also going up.  Books are ridiculous.  On-campus housing isn't as cost-efficient as it used to be.

And then you have the glut in the market.  Every summer recent college grads flood the market hoping to find a job.  In fact, I think many of them unrealistically expect to get six figure incomes as soon as they're handed their degrees.  They quickly realize that all those loans have to get paid somehow and so they take what they can get.  I don't know how to fix this.  It's just an observation.  

Still, most employers want to see that you have a degree in SOMETHING.  I think a lot of employers want education AND experience.  So what are we to do?  Whatever we can.  Get experience because that is less expensive but also get an education at the same time.  I guess.

I say all of this and I had a full scholarship for ALL FOUR YEARS of my undergrad education.  I busted my butt, though.  I had to keep my GPA above a 3.5.  I think there should be more scholarships from the private sector.  More corporations should offer internships so people can get valuable experience.  I also think there should be more work-study programs to help students work off what they owe.

Education.  This is a passion of mine and has been since I can remember.  Our society seems to value it to a certain extent because employers like to see a college degree on a resume.  Yet, we don't value it enough.  If we did, there would be more options for people to gain an education/trade/career.  Right?

*SIGH*

I have no idea how this should be fixed.  I'm just venting.

The Primal Diet: Day 3

So I started the Primal Diet and have already lost 3 pounds.  I'm sure it's just water weight I'm losing at this point, but it's a start.

I have noticed that I'm much more hungry with this diet.  I'm eating fruits and veggies all day long, and it's as if my body is processing it so fast that I stay constantly hungry.  I'm sure I'll adjust. 

Yesterday at work I completely forgot about being on my diet and did my normal routine.  After I got in, I went straight to the breakroom and got a bagel.  WITH cream cheese.  Only later at lunch did I realize, "Hey! I'm not supposed to be eating bagels or cream cheese!"  I experienced my normal afternoon dip in energy, too. 

Today I stuck to it.  And you know what?  I didn't have that energy dip in the afternoon.  I was actually pretty even energy-wise.  All day. 

Will all of this primal stuff reduce my cholesterol?  I'm hoping.  Even if it doesn't, I'm already seeing small gains just after 3 days.  My neighbor said I looked better, too... my skin was "glowing" she said.  :)  Thanks, Michiko! 

Granola Cereal Bars - How one family broke its junk food addiction on Shine

Granola Cereal Bars - How one family broke its junk food addiction on Shine

Now THIS is what I'm talking about! We need to cut out all that crap! I checked out their blog, and they have some pretty interesting takes on things. I'm now a follower. :) Have a look: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

Don't know if I can pull this off, but this really has been my goal for over a year now. I'm just not as disciplined as these people are. LOL

Extreme Couponing... Should I do it?

I can't decide if Extreme Couponing is a way to cut the crap or if it would actually complicate things. I could save money, yes, but I don't really want to drive all over town to get a few good deals. AND I don't think buying stuff I don't use is a good idea. I mean, really? That just doesn't seem sane to me. So I decided to do a little research on extreme couponing.

Here's what I found:

• I learned there is a show on TLC called Extreme Couponing. Who knew? Since I cut cable, I hadn't heard of this show. There are people on there who border on the insane, I think. They hoard. I'm not kidding. People actually dumpster dive for coupons. Yes, you read that correctly. And they go NUTS on things they don't need. WHERE oh WHERE do they store all this stuff?
• This college student is trying to help her parents save money. Can someone please tell me WHY she bought so much baby formula if she doesn't need it? I'm happy that she donated the formula to Joplin tornado relief, but just where does one store 30 containers of baby formula? Or 288 rolls of toliet paper? Yes, she slashed her family's monthly grocery bill from $400 to $100. That's an awesome accomplishment. But again, where does one store all this STUFF?
• There are multiple sites devoted to extreme couponing and couponing in general. You can get check for coupons, print them, do whatever, all from your PC.
• Krazy Coupon Lady
• Coupon Mom
• Grocery Coupon Free
• Extreme Couponing

So... I think I might try out some couponing, but I'm not going to get extreme about it. I'll share my successes and failures in this new venture. In the meantime, give me your feedback.

BTW, for those of you worried about whether or not I was working this morning... I was.  I crammed this little bit of writing into the nooks and crannies of my free time between meetings and reading/answering email. HAHAHA  I'm getting my writing fix one measly minute at a time, but there it is.  

When is the best day to buy things?

According to this Yahoo Finance video, Wednesday is the best day to get some good deals.  :)  Most grocery stores start their sales on Wednesdays and many gas stations haven't hiked up the prices for weekend driving.  Good to know.

I do all my shopping on the weekends... with the crowds and everything.  That's one thing I'd like to cut out of my life, but taking my kids to the grocery store by myself is a daunting thought.  The hubby works.  However, I can certainly get gas on Wednesdays.  That's easy.  LOL

When do you all get groceries and such?

P.S. Email update #1. 
My work email inbox has over 14k things in it.  I seriously need to clean it out!  What I've been doing lately is immediately put read emails into folders so I can find what I need easier and faster.  I'm also starting to delete anything I don't think I'll need in a month's time.  Now if I can just start weeding through everything else... bleck.   

First Person: The 6 Surprising Money Savers Hiding in My Home - Yahoo! Finance

First Person: The 6 Surprising Money Savers Hiding in My Home - Yahoo! Finance

Wow! I hadn't heard of any of these ideas before, so I'm going to try them... especially the mesh bag thing so I can scrub my pots. :) Here they are for those of you who don't want to click on the link:

1. Use mesh bags onions and potatoes come in to scrub pots and pans.
2. Use cheap coffee filters in place of paper towels to clean things like windows and mirrors.
3. Use baking soda splashed with vinegar to clean toilets, showers, etc.
4. Pour about half a cup of baking soda into a small dish, add 12 drops of essential oil to get rid of odors.
5. Use an unused toothbrush to brush the cornsilk out of corn cobs.
6. Use a cheap shower curtain liner under picnic blankets to keep things dry during summer events like concerts in the park.

Do you have any cost cutting ideas?  Share them!

What do wealthy people cut out when "inflation" hits?

This article is laughable at best.  This author says she can save $12,975 THIS SUMMER by cutting certain things out of their budget.  When I read that I thought, “WHAT?  She can really trim that much fat?”  Turns out she lives a pretty posh life, and she didn’t want to tell her children they couldn’t have their normal $5k vacation this year due to “inflation”.  They’re going to get a $400 vacation instead. 

While all of these tips are great ways to cut back (and yay that they can live comfortably), I really don’t think they resonate with most people who simply don’t have that kind of money to throw around in the first place.  I mean, this family normally spends money on things like repainting their house every year or feeding all the bbq guests steaks instead of hamburgers at their 10+ bbqs per summer.

Thoughts?    

 

First Person: Living a Six-Figure Lifestyle on a $30,000 Salary - Yahoo! Finance

First Person: Living a Six-Figure Lifestyle on a $30,000 Salary - Yahoo! Finance

I thought this was a great article to show that IT CAN BE DONE. You don't have to spend a fortune to live well. Like the author, Rob and I bought a short-sale home in a FANTASTIC neighborhood that we could not have afforded otherwise. Like the author, Rob and I now only buy used cars, and if we can, we pay cash for them. I think thrift stores are a great idea. My favorite winter coat was a thrift store find, and I got it for only $15. I had it dry cleaned, and it's perfect! When I was preggers, I couldn't see spending hundreds of $$ on a wardrobe I wouldn't continue to wear after the baby got here. So I went to the thrift store yet again and got some fantastic clothes for very little.

Comment here and let me know how you all CUT THE CRAP by buying used... share ideas, great places to get clothes, smart negotiating tips for buying used cars... ANYTHING!

Cutting the Crap: Cable TV Edition

Today we severed our cable and phone ties with Comcast, and we are now Netflix subscribers.  We aren’t really saving a lot, since we had a bundled package that included cable, internet, and phone.  We’re keeping internet, because frankly, we use it for work.  When we canceled the other two services, Comcast wanted to charge us $150 for getting out of our contract.  Rob got that negotiated to NOTHING, AND they gave us our internet at $24.95/mo for the next 6 months.  It CAN be done, People.  We went from a $130/mo bill to $24.95 for internet and about $10 for Netflix per month.  I’d say we really cut the crap.  Here’s the kicker: because I use my internet for work, my company reimburses me $50/mo.  You do the math.  Even after the promotional period ends, I’ll be paying next to nothing. 

I’m almost giddy now that we’re getting rid of all those useless cable channels that we don’t watch.  You know, those channels that are thrown into the package but provide no value whatsoever?  No more wading through sports and foreign language channels (which numbered in the hundreds).  Now we can look at the Netflix library and say, “I feel like an action movie.” And find that.  Much more simple.  Less expensive.  This also gives us a GREAT deal of control over what our children watch.  More than the savings, more than the simplicity, to me that is the best thing.  I mean, have you guys checked out the content on Cartoon Network lately?  OMG.  It’s AWFUL. 

I’m learning that we’re not the only ones getting rid of cable these days.  My best friend cut cable last year and hasn’t looked back.  My brother doesn’t use it.  His best friend never had it.  The one thing these three families have in common is Netflix.  They pay about $10/month to stream and/or get dvds in the mail.  That’s all they need.  And you know what? They’re happy with that.  I think we will be, as well.

My internet research suggests that many people are going down the cable-free path as well.  Here’s another blog that explores this idea and offers some pretty good links to boot.  The comments show a good discussion as well.  http://www.tvonthecheap.com/ has some interesting ideas.  Take a look if you’re interested.   This article at Lifehacker.com lists some of the other services (like HULU) that are available to people willing to cut the cable.   

Overall, I think our cutbacks are necessary for our family to enjoy other things (Megan has been begging for dance lessons), and really.  We don’t need all the crap that’s on TV anyway.  I encourage you to have a look and really decide if you can live without cable.  It might be the best thing you’ve ever done. 

Does eating healthy cost more?

Last week we got a membership to Sam’s Club.  We had one before, and now that we again live within a reasonable distance from one, we decided to get another membership.

I like Sam’s as much as the next person.   It has a pretty good offering of things that you can’t get elsewhere, and the produce is great.  I also like their selection of meat.  I’m not necessarily seeing better food prices, though, so I’ve come to a dilemma.  As you know, I want to eat better.  I want my family to eat better.  You also know that we are on a tight budget.  All of that being said, do we dig into our budget so we can spend more money on better food?  

To some of you this is a no-brainer.  Of course we should spend money on food that’s better for us.  For me, though, dealing with a tight budget… what do I do?  In my experience fresh food is less costly than processed, preservative-laden food, but I’ve found contradictory articles on this.  This article states that calorie for calorie, healthy food costs more.  It also states that people with lower incomes are likely to be overweight for this reason.  However, THIS article in Shape Magazine says that you can avoid higher costs by simply following a few guidelines.  It also says there are no “bad” foods.  Hmmm… I think I need to chew on that a bit.  As you can guess, most of what I read fell into either of these two categories.  Didn’t help me much.  And I didn’t really see anything different coming from nutritionists or doctors.  I found that odd.    

Certified Organic food is more expensive.  Period.  I’ll leave that one alone, even though I’m going to try to move in that direction.  That’ll be fodder for another article.  

After all of that soul-searching, I’m hungry.  So I’m munching on some grapes.  And I’ve decided that I’m just going to go for it like I’ve wanted to all along.  I’ll let you know what my experiment produces.  In the meantime, let me know what YOU think.  Are healthy foods more costly? 

SoCal, here we come! Hopefully.

As some of you have heard by now, we’re planning a trip to SoCal for Spring Break this year.  We haven’t seen our family there in AGES.  In fact, the grandparents haven’t even met X yet, and he’s 18 months old.  Yes, we are overdue for a visit!

As we have eagerly been anticipating this trip, we started to make a list of all the things we wanted to do/see/show the children while we’re there.  My hubby and I grew up in SoCal.  We know the ins and outs (speaking of which, we’ll DEFINITELY be eating a meal at In-N-Out), and we know we can enjoy some time at the beach without spending too much money.  However, we do have a limited budget.  So, we had to cut out the crap from our activity wishlist.  We won’t be going to San Diego.  We’re trying to see which relatives will let us crash a night or two at their place so we can whittle down the hotel expenses.  

I think what we’re learning is that we need to figure out what we want most out of this trip.  We want to see our families, AND we want to go to Disneyland.  All that other stuff… whale watching, Queen Mary, etc, can be done later.  Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone should cut stuff from their vacation itinerary.  I’m saying we had to for the sake of our budget.  LOL  

ON that note, does anyone have any cheap suggested for activities in SoCal?       

Rain Barrels

So we're hoping to buy some rain barrels with some of our tax return.  I've been pretty excited about the idea of harvesting rainwater to water our garden.  I feel green all over.

But have any of you actually PRICED rain barrels?  They're not cheap.  In fact, I'd venture to say they are pretty darned expensive for the most part.  Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting.  The cheapest I've seen so far is $89 for a 40gal barrel.  That's not too bad, I suppose, but it's ugly.  There are plenty of choices out there, though.  I just have to decide how much money I want to spend. 

Do any of you have any suggestions? 

Cutting out your bank? Could you live without that crap?

I hate banks as much as the next person, but I found this author's experiment to be an eye-opening one. I'm convinced that financial institutions are out to get our money any way they can. All of them.


Living without a bank: Fees and confusion galore - Yahoo! Finance

Decorating Ideas - Budget Decorating Ideas and Links

I still have some decorating to do in our home... downstairs anyway. Upstairs is a disaster and will take some real re-imagining, I'm afraid.

I have a feeling that with our current budget I'll be frequenting thrift stores to see what I can find. I also need to break out my sewing machine and make it pay for itself. LOL For those of you who like the DIY aspect of home making, this link (which has other links) might be of interest to you.

Decorating Ideas - Budget Decorating Ideas and Links

Yahoo! Finance - Financially Fit

Yahoo! Finance - Financially Fit

I'm doing most of this stuff already. Any new ideas?

Over a MONTH! BUT there are good things to report... good things...

WTH is wrong with me?  I've been writing on the side, and perhaps this has satiated my need to update my blog.  Perhaps I should start a "writing" blog like my friend and colleague Brett.  Then maybe I would be inspired and motivated to keep a running tab on this blog as well.  Or that could backfire... and this blog would become obsolete for me...

Since last I posted, I have lost 5 pounds.  Not much for a month of better eating, but it is good.  My husband has lost more than 20lbs, and that's a very good thing!  My family and I continue to eat more healthy foods, and I'm certain that's having a positive effect on our well being. 

We've started taking advantage of a program called Helping Hands in our neighborhood.  For $55 a week, we get to fill up a grocery cart with food and household items.  It's been an interesting journey since foods are never the same.  You get what you get.  It has saved us a tremendous amount of money on groceries, however, and since our budget has been tight, this has been a good thing.  We've gotten a lot of produce from this place, and since it has been necessary to eat it quickly, our meals have had less preservatives!  We continue to cut the crap!

My best friend Jenna and I have decided that together we're going to eat as fresh as possible.  I know that was the initial goal postulated in this blog, but I haven't had anyone to actually do that with.  My hubby isn't for it... and sometimes fast is easier when you have kids.  I wish I had more time to prepare fresh meals for my children... they deserve that... but working 45+ hours each week doesn't leave much time for that.  So... Jenna and I are going to hold each other accountable as much as possible.  I hope it works!

Home projects are going well, too.  As I posted before, we picked up some patio furniture from the curb and Rob started spray painting them to give them a new life.  Again, we're cutting stuff from the landfills AND we're saving money.  Can't beat that!  I'm hoping to post pictures of our recycled bistro set soon.  Nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose!  We (meaning mostly ROB) put some steps in our backyard.  For those of you who haven't seen our yard, it is severely sloped and terraced.  We have one section that -- for lack of a better word -- is a slope that leads to the uppermost portion of our yard.  It was nothing but dirt... so we installed railroad ties and are in the process of filling those in with river rock.  It looks great, and the whole project cost only $50!  The river rock was free on Craigslist, and the railroad ties were given to us by our friends who no longer needed them!  We paid for rebar and garden tarp.  Cutting the crap has never been so cheap.  It's been hard work, but as I said, it looks GREAT!

I also promised some opinions and comments on said opinions... when I posted the question "What would you do to cut the crap?"... I'll get to those next time, and I hope next time is sooner than a month from now.  Those were silly and interesting and deserve a little more time than I have to go over them right now. 

So that's the post for now.  I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! 

Cut the Crap Days 6 and 7

I’ve lost more days. I need to write more than this… because I liken this blog to a pressure relief valve. If I don’t write, the pressure builds. What kind of pressure, you ask? ALL kinds of pressure. Writing makes that all easier to deal with.

As a side note, I’m not sure if it’s the eating better or the writing, but I seem to have much more clarity recently. I have a focus I didn’t have before. Don’t know what that means, but I’m embracing it.

So… How did I cut the crap these past few days? Well, my family and I are eating better. For desert the other night we had fresh mangoes. For dinner we had homemade turkey burgers will real cheese. In fact, the bread on which we placed said burger patties was the only thing that wasn’t “fresh”. Store-bought bread usually lasts longer than the bread I make in the bread machine at home… and I rarely bake in the summer.

AND that brings me to my next idea. Should I bake my own bread every few days? I love homemade bread, but I’m not sure how much time I really have for this. The ingredients are simple, and the recipe is easy for basic white bread. This would get rid of the preservatives, most certainly. AND it would taste better… but I estimate I’d have to bake at least twice a week. If not more.

Now I’m off to eat steak and potatoes for lunch. Not too shabby, eh?