(and their human parents)
This blog started as The adventures of a D.I.N.K. family where the two "kids" are four legged and how we are going to retire early. Now it's a 1 income, 1 entrepreneur, and 1 pup getting closer and closer to retirement.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The Other Side of the Frugality Fence
I just found this blog about a week ago. I so understand this entry. Fortunately, we do spend money on things that are important to us (and splurge also).
Where are you on here?
Where are you on here?
Sent to you by Ronalyn Wentz via Google Reader:
via The Simple Dollar by Trent on 12/31/09
In a recent post at Get Rich Slowly, J.D. defined the "basic law of frugality" as this: "Decide what's important to you. Give yourself permission to spend on these things. Pinch pennies on everything else." That's a pretty spot-on definition, in my opinion.
The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that it speaks to the problems that both overspenders and cheapskates have.
Overspenders?
In most situations, it is easily possible for a person to spend substantially less than they earn. So what causes a person to spend more than they earn?
The answer is hidden in that phrase. Overspenders stretch their definition of what's important to them to cover a lot of things.
I'll use myself as an example. Back in my overspending days, there were a lot of optional things in my life that I defined as being important enough to throw my money at. I went golfing a lot. I bought gadgets by the truckload. I bought more video games than I could ever possibly play. I bought carts full of books.
The end result was twofold. First, I often didn't have time to actually enjoy all of the stuff I had bought. Second, because of all of the spending, my life was in a rough place.
My definition of what was important in my life was skewed. I had elevated too many things to the threshold of "permission to spend freely." Because of that, I spent much more than I needed to spend, but I had too many things in my life to actually thoroughly enjoy the things I was spending money on.
The solution? Cut back. Ask yourself what things you most enjoy doing and toss the rest of it. Look for ways of minimizing the costs of the things you do enjoy.
Frugality is often said to be miserable because you have to give up so much. In reality, frugality means not giving up the things that are actually important to you. The trick is stepping back, looking at your life, and figuring out what things are important and what things are not.
Cheapskates?
On the other side of the coin are cheapskates, a role that I've almost fallen into a time or two over the past few years.
Cheapskates apply principles of penny-pinching to every aspect of their life, even the important ones. Although they have financial stability in their lives, they do it at the expense of other elements of their life that could add a great deal of value.
Here's an example from my own life. I love to read books. I read several books a month beyond what I review on The Simple Dollar.
For the better part of a year, I refused to buy a single book. Instead, I just reserved books that interested me at my local library and patiently waited for them.
Several titles came out that I was eagerly anticipating. I was able to read some of them fairly quickly (within three months) of their release. Others? I'm still waiting.
Even more noteworthy is that at least two of the books I checked out and read during that period were books that I strongly fell in love with and wanted to read again (and I was quite sure I would read them many times in the future, as I love returning to books that really make me think).
But I was cheap. I didn't buy these books. I resolved to just check them out at the library when they became available again.
One Saturday afternoon, I was sitting at home, having just finished a book. I looked at my unread books and realized that the book I most wanted to read wasn't there – a book I had read before and returned to the library after thoroughly enjoying it. The library didn't have it, either. I checked on Amazon and realized I could have the book for just $7. And I talked myself out of buying it.
That's when I realized I was being a cheapskate. I was avoiding spending $7 on something that I knew would give me many hours of enjoyment now and quite a few hours of enjoyment later on, plus it would be a book that I could recommend to friends and loan to them while they loaned me books as well. To not spend $7 on something I cared so deeply about – and it was a $7 I could easily afford – was pure cheapness.
It's okay to spend money on things that are truly important to you. In fact, it's good, because spending money specifically on things truly important in your life directly raises your quality of life much more than any other way you could spend your money.
Reading is important to me, so I'm no longer afraid to spend money on it. Yes, if I see a book I want to read, I'll check to see if the library has it and read it from them first. Yes, I use PaperBackSwap religiously. But if those outlets don't connect me with a book I'm passionate about, I'm no longer scared to go to the bookstore and pick up that book that I want. Doing so raises my quality of life quite a lot.
The Winners Are in the Middle
The best place to be is at that place between the overspenders and the cheapskates. People who know what's truly important to them and aren't afraid to spend money on it enjoy a higher quality of life than people who spend themselves into debt (adding a lot of stress and challenge to their lives) and people who never spend a dime (missing out on things that they truly value in life).
What are your central values? What's really, truly important to you? Give yourself some permission to spend in those areas without worry – but then lock down the ship in the other areas of your life.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to The Simple Dollar using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
What $0.05 can buy u at CVS!
I out did myself at CVS! I can’t believe it! I spend $22.05 BUT got $22 back in Extrabucks! WOOHOO!
How I did it:
• Diet Coke – 3/$11 – no coupons
• (4) VO5 shampoo/conditioners – 77 cents each – no coupons
• Revlon Lipstick - $6.99 – used $2 coupon & got $5 in Extrabucks
• Listerine - $3.99 each - used $1 coupon & got $3 in Extrabucks
• Schick refills - $8.99 each - used (2) $2 coupon & got $3 in Extrabucks
• Oral B floss - $2.88 each - used $1 coupon & got $2 in Extrabucks
• Nivea Body Wash - $5.99 each - used $3 coupon & got $5 in Extrabucks
• Neosporin lip - $2.89 each - used $2 coupon
• Used $4 Extrabucks when you spend $20 coupon
• used $30 in Extrabucks
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Recycle Bank
I just signed up for this - I WISH we had this program with our recycling. I think our community is looking into it though.
Sent to you by Ronalyn Wentz via Google Reader:
via Cha-Ching on a Shoestring by kaleyehret on 12/21/09
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Have you heard of Recycle Bank? It's a curbside recycling rewards program offered in certain locations throughout the country. (Currently, curbside recycling is only open to these states: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia.)
However, now anyone can sign up and receive points toward some great gifts.
I just got 100 points for signing up, which is going to score me a coupon for some free Happy Baby organic baby food and a B1G1 free Huggies wipes coupon! (There are many more great options to choose from!)
- Head over to Recycle Bank and click "Sign In" at the top to register. This will earn you 100 points.
- Go back to the homepage and log in.
- Click on "Get Rewards".
If I were you, I would take some time to look through the rewards being offered.
Here are some other hot coupons I noticed in the Grocery section:
- $1 off Coke or Dasani product for 10 points (That could score lots of free Coke or water bottles!)
- $4.50 off Scott tissues and towels for 100 points
- FREE Happy Baby Organic Baby Food for 40 or 50 points
- FREE Seventh Generation Dish Liquid for 50 points
Let me know what all about your sweet finds!
Thanks, Surviving the Stores!
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Cha-Ching on a Shoestring using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Amazon: Free $4 Credit For Video on Demand!
just downloaded my code - not sure what I'm going to buy with it.
Sent to you by Ronalyn Wentz via Google Reader:
via Cha-Ching on a Shoestring by kaleyehret on 12/22/09
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Amazon is becoming one of my favorite places in the world.
Right now they are offering a free code to use on Amazon Video on Demand. Here's how:
- Go here and then click on "Enter Your Code" and enter AVODGIFT.
- Then browse through their video selection and click on "Rent". The dollar amount of the code will automatically be applied to your purchase.
This promotional offer is valid through January 3, 2010.
By the way, did you download your free Christmas song yet today? It's I Celebrate the Day by Relient K.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Cha-Ching on a Shoestring using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Soft Scrub: get free products!
Just signed up for this - let's see if I get picked!
Sent to you by Ronalyn Wentz via Google Reader:
via Engineer A Debt Free Life by Money Savin' Momma on 12/23/09
I just received an email inviting me to get free products from Soft Scrub! It looks like anyone can apply to be a Soft Scrub Club Captain – and the best part – if you are accepted, they will send you free Soft Scrub product(s) to try! How cool is that? So give it a try – you may get some free Soft Scrub products! Apply to be a Soft Scrub Club Captain
The Soft Scrub website says:
We're looking for 200 influential and digitally savvy Captains to be brand ambassadors for Soft Scrub and help us spread the word about a brand new Soft Scrub product before it hits the store shelves. Club Captains are passionate clean enthusiasts with dynamic personalities, able to provide honest and credible reviews of our products to their network of friends. We would love to be able to offer all of our applicants Captain status however spots are limited to 200 at this stage. We look forward to reviewing your application.
If any of you get accepted, please let us know!!!
Related Posts:
- Get paid to try free products
- Use your own camera to review products and get paid for it!
- Free Holiday Products, hurry!
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Engineer A Debt Free Life using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Free magazine
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Saturday, December 12, 2009
Free pizza!
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Friday, December 11, 2009
What we got in the mail 2day!
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Monday, December 7, 2009
Free movie from Redbox
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009
What we got in the mail 2day!
This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!
To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.
Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.
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