Dread
Beating Back the Frugal Fatigue
By now wee have all heard of “frugal fatigue” or if you haven’t, listen to any news story as it relates to shopping. Actually frugal fatigue doesn’t have to mean that you are tired of saving money and are going to spend the day impulse buying your way through the Mall of America. It can also be that you are simply tired of washing out sandwich bags and sick of following family around to turn off the lights behind them.
Fatigue isn’t a bad thing, actually it just means you are exhausted by the whole experience and if you were exhausted after a long day, you sit back and relax - the same goes for frugal fatigue, try to relax for a spell and see if the energy doesn’t creep back in later.
Living frugally is not any different than if you were changing your dietary habits, occasionally you fall, but you get back up and get on track. Don’t beat yourself up because you slipped and bought a $200 pair of jeans; enjoy the jeans, make them last and get back into the thrift stores again to get yourself back on track. Habits are made by slipping up but getting ourselves straightened back up and on our way.
Have you noticed how when you are having fun time slips by so much faster than when you dread it? The same idea can be used to fight off frugal fatigue; make a game of it. One of the ways I started to help myself save money was to round up everything I purchased to the next dollar and then move that “extra” money to savings at the end of the month. It was a mystery, a game to see how much I would come out with at the end of the month. Or there is the challenge to see how short of time I can take a shower, I’ve gotten it down to just over 5 minutes.
When the inevitable fatigue does slide in, having something on the ready to pamper yourself and allow yourself a luxury. You could toss your change into a “mad jar” and then you will have some money on the ready when you need it to buy a small expensive box of chocolate, a discount movie ticket or a much desired item from the store.
Since the occasional time does come up where you say, “I want it all, I want it now”; you can plan for it by figuring it into a budget. Make it a bill that you set aside a few dollars so that you have a certain amount of money to go crazy with if the left over change from the day isn’t satisfactory.
Now the one thing that always seems to bring me back on track is to remember why I’m being frugal, for myself it is to pay down debts and the thought of working fewer hours. For another it could be so that your child can go to a certain school or to get through college with as few debts as possible. And if it helps, find pictures that will inspire you on that journey.
Remember, it is a journey and detours do exist and we learn from our successes and our failures to make the next day better than the previous.
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9 Back To School Shopping Tips
Can you feel the excitement in the air? It is almost time for many kids to head back to school. Okay, so maybe it is us parents who are most excited! As a kid I remember feeling equal parts excitement and dread about the upcoming school year. One of my least favorite parts of this time of year was the back to school shopping. I guess some things never change.
Fortunately, my wife is an excellent back to school shopper, and over the years we have improved on our bargain hunting prowess while managing to fully equip our kids for the next school year. It takes a little planning, but the savings make it well worth it to work out a strategy before blindly walking into the mall with store credit cards primed.
Frugal Tips For Back to School Shopping
1. Shop consignment stores in your area. Over the years, many quality consignment stores have cropped up that offer cash or store credits in exchange for gently used clothing. Not only are these great places to generate some quick cash for cleaning out a closet before school starts, they are also a good place to look for deals on designer clothing, if that is something you’re after. Think of it as shopping for a used car - someone else paid for most of the depreciation.
2. Buy articles of clothing that go with (almost) anything. Unless you have an unlimited supply of money, you will discover quickly that coordinating outfits do not have a lot of room in the average kids’ closet. Instead of buying a coordinating shirt, pants, and shoes that go with nothing else, opt for versatile articles of clothing that work well with each other, multiplying the number of potential “outfits” available.
3. Shop for off-season, clearance items. When it is 97 degrees outside it is hard to think about shopping for long-sleeve shirts and coats. However, it’s a great time to pick up clearance deals on these winter items as stores will practically give them away to make room for fall arrivals.
4. Look for bargains on Thursday nights. Many department store sales run Thursday thru Sunday. Most of us who work Monday thru Friday save shopping for the weekends, meaning a Thursday night trip to a department store could yield big savings and plenty of options. By Sunday night all that remains are leftovers, as popular sizes and styles are the first to go.
5. Watch the Sunday paper for store sales and coupons. This past weekend, a department store in our area offered two coupons–one flat percentage off your total bill, and the other offering $15 off if you bought $75 worth of merchandise. My wife and I split our transactions so that each of us could use a coupon to realize maximum savings.
6. Forget about designer labels. Most stores now have their own label that competes with larger, name-brand designer labels. I have found that in most cases the quality of clothing is comparable, and the premium for designer labels just isn’t worth it. That’s especially true when you consider how quickly kids outgrow, or wear out, their clothing.
7. Buy school supplies in 3’s. My wife is a master at shopping for back-to-school supplies. One strategy she uses is when she finds a great deal on basic supplies such as paper, pencils, crayons, binders, etc, she stocks up with at least three of each item. The kids are well-stocked for the first day of school, and we can restock at least twice later in the school year.
8. Shop on sales tax holidays, if you dare. Many states offer sales tax holidays, usually lasting an entire weekend near the end of July or early August. On these days a number of items are exempt from sales tax. The list varies from state to state, but if you have large-ticket items (such as computers) that are included, it might be worth it to fight the crowds.
9. Start a “Back To School” fund. Much like we’ve done for other once-a-year-expenses, we recently started a back-to-school shopping fund. Consider your most recent school shopping experience to set a budget for next year. Divide that number by 12 (monthly), or by the number of paychecks you expect next year. Deposit that amount each month (or payday) into a designated back-to-school at an online savings account. When next summer arrives you’ll have the cash available and a pre-determined budget to limit your spending.
Back to school shopping can be a stressful time for both kids and parents. Make it a happier experience (or at least less painful) by implementing a few of the tips above. Since we have a little shopping left to do, I’m interested to hear your favorite back to school shopping tips in the comments below.
Post from: Frugal Dad
A frugal commute. . . .
Now that summer is almost here, it’s almost time to begin my bus commute from the stop a couple of blocks from my house (rather than the car to train to bus commute that I usually do during colder or rainy weather). Each morning as I pass by the bus stop in my car, on the way to the MAX station, I consider the hour-long bus ride (including a transfer to another bus downtown) that is in my future.
Last year I did this bus commute day in and day out and while I didn’t like it, gas prices were so high then (was gas really almost $4 a gallon last summer???) that taking the longer commute in a dirty, crowded bus seemed like a great deal. I was spending less than $20 on gas per month last summer, which was fabulous, considering how high gas was!
This year, I DREAD the thought of waiting at the bus stop (and exposing myself to car horns and cat calls, as it’s on a major street) and then waiting again for a transfer to the university. Why is this? Maybe because gas is still less than $3 a gallon here in Portland, and I’m not going to save ‘as much’ money as I did last year?
Granted, I’m taking a class this summer that will preclude a late-night bus trip, so I’ll only be commuting this way three times a week. I think next Tuesday will be my first day back on the bus, so I’ll have to see how it goes then. I think my memories of the bus are clouded by the few hot, hot, hot days that I rode a bus without A/C and was simply miserable. For an hour.
I’m going to try to sell myself on the bus commute by reminding myself not only of the money I’ll be saving but also by reminding myself that I’ll get to listen to my digital books on a more frequent basis (which also helps tune out some of the rather unfortunate souls who also choose this particular bus line).
14 Fun Summer Activities For Frugal Kids
“I’m bored!” It’s the two words every parents dread as school lets out for summer. Fear not; I’ve put together two weeks worth of fun summer activities to keep kids busy, and parents sane.
The list of summer activities ranges in cost from free to frugal, but each requires extra quality time with kids - something we can all afford to spend more on!
14 Fun, Frugal Summer Activities
Day 1. See a “one dollar” movie at the theater. Many theater chains around the country offer summer movie programs for kids where they offer a “one dollar” movie every day for a week, or on a particular day of the week all summer.
Day 2. Sprinkler day. Delay your sprinklers for one day so they come a little later in the morning. This way everyone can get on their bathing suits and have fun jumping through the sprinklers on a hot day. But not for too long! This is a good time to teach them about conserving water, reducing utility costs, etc.
Day 3. Attend “story time” at your local library. My kids love to check out books on all kinds of subjects. My son currently has three library books on swimming, pirates and going to the dentist (quite a diverse reader, huh?). Many libraries also have a story time to encourage a summer reading program. Stories are read out loud and the kids have a chance to interact with the story-teller and answer questions about the book.
Day 4. Set up a lemonade stand. This is probably my favorite idea because of the lessons in entrepreneurship involved. Loan your kids $10 as “seed money” for supplies, or better yet, let them use their own money from savings. This way they don’t get used to the idea that borrowing leads to prosperity. Take the kids along to the grocery store one morning and let them pick up the lemons, sugar, cups, and a couple bags of ice to keep in a cooler. Yes, Crystal Light lemonade works, too, but is less authentic and more expensive. This is a great way for neighborhood kids to work together, as they can divide into teams to man the lemonade stand, make the lemonade, handle the money, etc. Please remember that an adult needs to be with the kids at all times, both inside and outside the house, so have a neighbor help.
Day 5. Teach your kids to fly a kite. Check your 10-day forecast and look for a windy day in the coming week. Pick up an expensive kite for the kids. I even recommend springing for the extra spool of kite string on a roller because the string and handles that come with the kites are lousy.
Day 6. Make homemade play-doh. I haven’t run a cost analysis on this recipe to determine it’s “frugalness,” but I can tell you it is a lot of fun! I suppose the next best option would be to pick up some commercial Play-Doh on sale, but what fun would that be?
Day 7. Bake a cake. I remember having a ball helping my mom bake something when I was young. And not all the fun came at the end when I got to lick the icing from the bowl! Let your kids help bake a cake, and surprise mom or dad when they arrive home that afternoon.
Plenty of teachable moments here with opportunities to teach fractions (four 1/4 cups equals one cup, etc.). By the way, my wife made this pirate birthday cake for my son’s birthday last week. Arrrgghhh!
Day 8. Build a “fort” in the living room. When my son was smaller he got the biggest kick out of playing in giant cardboard boxes. We would color them, and cut “windows” out for him to look through. A living room “fort” could be as simple as a few kitchen chairs gathered in a circle with a large bed sheet thrown across them and draped to the floor. The kids can hide from mom and dad, read books, or pretend they are camping out in the living room.
Day 9. Go bowling. My grandfather and I spent many hot, summer afternoons bowling a couple games at the local bowling alley. These days, bowling can be an expensive activity. Call the lanes ahead of time and ask if they have any summer specials (certain days may be cheaper). Also check those coupon mailer packs for coupons for free games. To keep costs down, just let the kids bowl - you can work on your game another time.
Day 10. Declare a “bored” game day. I learned to play chess, checkers, backgammon, and poker (my mom wasn’t thrilled with that) one summer while staying with my grandparents. Few kids today don’t realize you can play games without a computer. Most of these old board games are inexpensive in their basic form - skip the “deluxe” edition to save even more.
Day 11. Have a water balloon fight. My son attended a birthday party recently and the parents had filled several dozen mini balloons with water. The kids participated in games like a water balloon toss - they start close together, but take a step back with each toss to increase the distance. The last one to break the balloon is out. With that was left, the kids had an all-out water balloon battle. Lots of fun, but be sure to pick up the balloon remains, especially if you have very little ones or pets as they could be a choking hazard.
Day 12. Create a “mini-me.” Find a piece of large poster board, or large heavy-duty paper (such as a butcher paper) wide enough for your kids to lay down on. Use a dull pencil (less chance for boo-boos) to trace their entire body to the paper from head to toe. Now let the kids decorate the kids to look like themselves in the same clothes they are wearing, same color eyes, hair, etc. When they are finished, help them cut out their mini-me for proud display.
Day 13. Pajama day. I feel like having these days as an adult! Stay in your pajamas all day long. Make pancakes in the morning, bake a pizza for lunch, and lounge around watching movies. Use your Netflix subscription to have a couple kid-friendly movies on hand.
Day 14. Spend a day volunteering your time. A good way to wrap up your two-week blitz of summertime fun is to allow your kids to donate their time to a worthy cause. Contact a few local charities and find out which ones will allow kids to volunteer some time over the summer (under your supervision). My daughter has worked with Project Linus in the past - an organization that makes blankets for children who’ve suffered a traumatic experience.
So there you have it; fourteen days of frugal summer fun! I’d love to hear your ideas as well.
Photos courtesy of StormyDog, rochelle, et. al, Mrs. Frugal, daveparker, skennel
Post from: Frugal Dad
Having a garage sale?
It’s been a couple of years since I had a garage sale, so it’s been on my mind. I’m not sure I’m up to it, but… if you’ve ever had one garage sale, you probably look forward to the next with a mixture of dread and excitement, so you know what I mean. You can get tired, cold or hot according to the weather, hungry, thirsty and impatient in the space of a few hours… then the hours, which seemed