It Takes Guts To Move Forward.

I was faced with a challenging decision this morning. The electric bill came in and because we are in the midst of a 2nd floor remodel, as expected, the bill increased. It tripled, to be exact. I had warned the construction team (my husband) that he needed to at least install the new energy efficient bulbs (which burned for 16 hours a day) to counteract the extra expense the power tools and electric heat would add. Were my words heeded? What do you think? I've got the battle bill to prove my war scars.

So, the damage is done. Now it's time to repair.

If you are a reader of my blog, you will know that I take great pride in keeping the monthly bills to $2500 a month. $2493 to be exact. Lately, I've been on a campaign to keep my bills under control because DH is a seasonal worker and so far, we're looking at April before any decent contract comes in. Plus we have the remodel expense. I've taken on a part time job to counteract the savings depletion. So, it's been a challenge.

I called our electric company and explained to them our remodeling condition as being only a one-time expense. I worked out a 6 month payment plan with them BUT I would still be $34 over our monthly budget. I needed to cut something else out of our budget in order to make it balance. The almost-last thing left (oh, I've got more things to go, but only under austere conditions) was my cell phone. Realistically, I never use the dam thing. I don't even turn it on most of the time. People call me on it, leave messages and because I rarely use the bloody contraption, they wind up being mad at me because I never return their calls till weeks later. A quick call to the mobile and I reduced our monthly down by $36. With $2 to spare.

This was not an easy thing to do today. I felt like an Englishman surviving WWII. I was trying to keep a stiff upper lip. It's tough to cancel things and admit to yourself something wasn't working or worse yet, it was a failure. Then I had a light bulb moment. It takes guts and determination to keep your finances in order. It's not so easy to part with things, let them go, take steps backward or face brutal realities. But face them, I did. And for that, I deserved some credit. In fact, I've been making choices like this a lot lately. They haven't been easy. Some have been painful but made them, I did. And I patted myself on the back today. Made myself proud and mumbled under my breath 'chip chip and cheerio, you did it, woman!'

It takes guts to keep moving forward.

And so the beat goes on.

Embracing The Newer Frugality.

In retrospect, I’ve always been frugal. Yes, occasionally, I go off the deep end and spend to my heart’s content but those spurts of excessiveness are slowly becoming fewer and farther apart. It’s very obvious from reading my past decades diary entries that in order to survive in life, whether the economy is good or bad, has high or low unemployment, one must be diligent and financially cautious 24/7. It’s a full time occupation. Back in 2003, there was a little bit of a recession going on. Most people didn’t notice. UI was at 8.3% and people were still living off their charge cards, mortgage refis, car loans and massive debts. This was on the heels of the dot com crash in 2000 and the 9/11 bombing in 2001. I was worrying about money back then and I’m still worrying about money today. Back then I was consumed with buying groceries. Not much is different today. I’m still concerned about buying good, quality meals and making sure there is enough food on the table.

I seem, however, to get these little pockets of increased ‘wealth’ and I use that new found money to splurge on all the things I was doing without for the previous years. Apparently, when I come into money the first thing I do is travel. I go to a place I had always dreamed of going. I often make the mistake thinking I can do this travel thing often. Like, every year. Then I come home from my trip, make plans for the next vacation only to realize I really don’t have the funds to travel. Such as, now. I was fooling myself into believing I could go to Florida each and every February. Truth is, over the past decade I only went 2 or 3 times (and one of those trips was paid 100% by my sister). So, the reality is, I truly can’t afford to go to Florida every winter, so why do I fool myself into thinking I can? That I do? And that I deserve it? That it fits my lifestyle?

When I come into money I like to go to NYC Broadway shows and eat out at a fancy, top-shelf restaurants. And I do. But while there, I think to myself I should do this more often. I make plans to really do it more times, so I make reservations or buy tickets only to find that I can’t afford the meal in reality nor the train fare or the pocket change to make it to New York City. Is the solution to never do these things when I come into extra money? Is the solution to save the added financial gain? Save it for what? To travel? To splurge? To do something out of the ordinary? Isn’t the traveling and entertainment something out of the ordinary to begin with?

Truth is, you’re supposed to save up for these adventures but in reality, oftentimes it’s not possible. When you live on a cash-only basis, such as I do, you can’t charge a vacation on a credit card and take the next 5 years to pay it off. You have to save up for the 3-5 years it may take you to come up with the $5000 to afford 10 days in Europe. Can you do it cheaper or for fewer days? Of course. But, I still have to save up the money and it’s almost impossible when you are self employed or even a salaried employee. Most of the money we earn just about covers the bills. There really is no extra. And that rainy day fund, well, it covers the rainy days. We always seem to get them.

So, does my explanation justify my bursts of splurges? The other day I found a $5 bill on the floor. What should I have done with it? Put it in the bank? Or go to my favorite Chinese take-out and order a $4.25 lunch special? I hadn’t been to the restaurant in a year. I missed not being able to go there and I had this golden opportunity. What should I have done? I got the take-out of my most favorite dish, that’s what I did. Was I wrong?

Life is a series of decisions and choices. Working as an assistant accountant, I’ve learned that what one does on one side of the balance sheet must be done on the other. If I spend money on one side of the column, something must be given up on the other. I can’t do both. No one can. And there’s the rub. I want to do both. And I can’t.

Telling myself that I have it better than most others doesn’t do anything to justify the end results of the means. Telling someone they have 9 fingers after having had one digit amputated doesn’t make a person feel any better, to use as an example. (No, I haven’t lost a finger.) So telling me I should be happy I went to Florida during brutal winters 3 times over the past decade is better than someone who went zero times over the same decade doesn’t cut it. My wish and desire was to go every year and it ain’t happening. Adjusting to realities have to be dealt with forever and ever. I have to be brutally honest with myself and face the facts that life is ALWAYS going to be hard. Bills are always going to be a struggle to pay. Buying groceries are always going to be constantly on my mind. That’s the reality. Whether now during The Great Recession or back when I was a teenager (concocting ways to buy 45LP’s or a Barbie Doll) money is always going to be on my mind. I’m not going to find Nirvana and live a 100% financial free life. Even if I married Warren Buffet, I’d still have to be concerned about getting ‘my daily bread’.

Does this mean I should give up dreaming, hoping and scheming? Absolutely, not! To paraphrase a line from the movie ‘Now, Voyager’ (starring Bette Davis) when questioned by her co-star as to lowering their expectations on life, Bette replied “Oh Jerry, why long for the moon, when we have the stars instead?”

I’m content with my little stars and all those little golden opportunities that pop up along the way.

And so the beat goes on.

Saving Money With 'Trash As Fashion'.

I'm not a slave to fashion. I figured out the preposterous world of clothing designs back when I was a young woman just starting out in the working world. I used to scour the latest craze on the pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Harper's Bazaar. Until I started reading the bios of the designers. I noticed one major element all the fashion designers had in common: they ALL developed AND wore their own standard 'look' and never, ever swayed from their uniform. Ralph Loren always wore blue jeans from head to toe. Vera Wang always wore a black body suit. Marc Jacobs always wore ridiculous sneakers. Diane Von Furstenberg is always seen in the same wrap-around dress. Yet, all these fashion divas expect the common woman to constantly go to the store and seasonally keep buying more and more clothes.

Preposterous.

If the fashion designers can develop and wear their very own style day in and day out, then why can't I? My clothes closet, since this great day of reckoning, consists of nothing more than a close selection of jeans, tees and button downs with a smattering of the 'little black dress' and a few business attire ensembles. Throw in a good leather shoulder bag, comfy shoes and voila': timeless, personal style. DH has adopted my keen fashion sense also and the two of us live in great attire harmony with minimal clothing budget expenses.

Currently, DH is in the midst of painting a bedroom. I had originally advised him to wear his defunct jeans while painting but he insisted on wearing his regular, good jeans. I cringed at each paint splatter but DH forged ahead despite all my pleas. Until I received the current clothes catalog from J. Crew. Their new look for Spring 2010 consisted of 'painters' jeans and chinos (pictured on the left) which were nothing more than pants that had been splattered with white paint and hand ripped to shreds, all for the whopping price of $168 per pair!



So, now, each time DH gets a splash of paint on his work jeans, the value goes UP rather than down. Throw in a rip or a tear and we can downright retire on the profits (I paid $9 for his jeans at Wal Mart) from his jean-selling income!

As I have previously stated: fashion is preposterous!

Has the downturn in the economy made poverty-looks chic? Last I looked, it was the homeless in the streets, sleeping in hallways and scrounging in garbage cans who used to wear ripped and torn jeans. Or are the only remaining people working today the tradesmen, the carpenters, the house painters, the electricians and plumbers? Are the service people the new wealthy because they still have jobs? (Last I checked, these folks were being laid off in droves because of the downturn in the housing market). I don't get the connection. Do you?

J. Crew was supposed to radiate good American fashion sense thanks to the trappings of Michelle Obama. Is wearing ripped, stained and tattered clothes supposed to represent the new American look today? Is this what we have all become? To dress and wear the latest fashion trend of the downtrodden and unemployed? All at the outrageous high price of $168 for a pair of repulsive jeans? Is it now considered the latest fashion trend to look like a bum? (Sorry DH, you're just doing your job. I don't expect neither you or I to go out to dinner tonight in our work clothes.)

J. Crew described these jeans in their new catalog as: 'our much loved matchstick now in a repaired indigo wash looks and feels like well-worn vintage without the time investment'. J. Crew goes on to describe the fabric as 'destroyed in busted stone wash'. So, we can now look like bums without the time investment and the jeans have been 'repaired' by the newest modern technology and will give us an instant, destroyed look and feel.

Brilliant.

To anyone who actually goes out and shells out $168 American bucks for these pants (and actually wears them in public) don't bother. Just send me your $9 Wal Mart jeans and I'll have DH get you the look for free.

BTW- he's got a 34 inch waist.

And so the beat goes on.

Valentine's Day Wish List Choice: inexpensive or free

I get hit with a double whammy on Valentine's Day. The first one is, well, it's Valentine's Day. The second one is it's my wedding anniversary. Ah! Ever the romantic person is me. I set out this Valentine's Day to do something completely different. I want to find either something free or inexpensive to do, go or buy. Normally, I used to get a box of chocolates, a bouquet of flowers (roses) and a gourmet restaurant meal. This year, since I refound my frugal roots, I'm aiming for a refocusing on priorities.

At first, I said this challenge was going to be impossible. How can you celebrate Valentine's Day without money? I started at the beginning. I got a sheet of paper and pen and wrote down all the things, if money were no object, on how I would like to celebrate the national day of amour.

Here's what I came up with:

1. Champagne (2 bottles left over from New Year's Eve)
2. Chocolate (factory nearby)
3. Concert (free at local colleges)
4. Dinner at a romantic restaurant (coupons, two-fers)
5. Dinner & dancing
6. Dinner @ home and a movie rental (boring, yawn)
7. Dinner at home and going out to a movie matinee (Crazy Heart w Jeff Bridges. Oh yeah!)
8. Massage (inexpensive at a massage school)
9. Go to a comedy club and have a few laughs and drinks
10. Go to a cafe', have coffee and listen to jazz
11. Go to NYC and visit Met Museum of Art (Picasso & Veneer on display)
12. Romantic, all-inclusive weekend on some Caribbean Island (dream on and on and on)

I looked up on the calendar and discovered Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday this year. That added another option to my list: brunch.

When I looked over my list, I realized most of my options were doable. It wasn't as hopeless as I originally thought. I had 2 bottles of Asti Spumante champagne and a visit to a local chocolate factory would give me my first two choices, for around $10. Next I started browsing my local newspapers, as well as the internet in search of free concerts, club happenings or events. I found out that my local town cafe was having a Comedy Night Event. It featured 4 comics from NYC (coming to my town to test out their routines). I called the club and found out the cover charge was only $5 a person! There was a 1 drink minimum and beers on tap started out at $3! So for under $20 (including tip) DH and I could actually go out on a real date night, have a fun night of laughs and (1) drink. (We are not drinkers, so we can stick to the one drink-but of course, we may buy another one, so the night out may cost us $25. Still a great bargain.) I quickly called the club and made a reservation.

Then I had another brainstorm and called my friend and her husband to ask if they wanted to join us for the Comedy Show. We both agreed to have dinner at my home before the show and each bring a potluck. Afterwards, we could come back to my home for coffee and yes, champagne and chocolates. Wow! DH and I haven't had a real date night like this in years!

Lastly, I got these great (free) gift ideas off the Martha Stewart website. Martha has some excellent choices for cards, envelopes and letterhead to make Valentine's Day just a little bit extra (and free). I scrounged around my home and found a pile of multi-colored construction paper left over from my daughter's grammar school days (she's 30 now. gulp). A white background with a red cut-out heart, a touch of glue, a little ribbon, a button and a bow and I can make DH a lovely card to show him how much I love him and 27 years later, how much I still care.

And so the beat goes on.

January Budget Wrap Up.

I had a very successful month reducing my monthly and/or annual budget. What I had first thought to be impossible, became probable. First off was my food budget. I had been spending $500 (more like $600, but I'll keep my figures conservative) a month on food purchases. With a little menu planning and bulk buying I got my monthly food expenditure this month down to $317! If I keep up the vigilant work, I estimate I can save around $2200 annually this year over last year.

I shopped a local supermarket's semi-annual canned goods sale and stocked up 6 months worth of canned fruit and vegetables, especially beans. I also stocked up on canned tuna, low-salt, low-fat soups, broths, tomato products and olive oils, all for around $85 (which comes out to $14 a month). I am cooking more meals from scratch, especially soups and baked goods. The biggest aid has been menu planning and shopping the weekly supermarket sales.
The largest coup was getting an 8 pound pork tenderloin (no fat) for only .99 a pound. I got it cut-to-order, free of charge from the butcher. It provided 16 chops and 1 roast (great for a Sunday family dinner for 4 people) all for less than $8. I split up the chops into groups of 4, wrapped them for the freezer and stored them. I bake them in a self-seasoning panko mix and serve them with unsweetened apple sauce. Yum!

I also lowered my landline telephone service by $51 a month. DH and I also started a compost pile thus reducing our garbage by a substantial amount. I placed a call to our sanitation service company and asked for a re-price on our garbage pick up. They quoted me a new cost of $23 per month, down from $72 a month. The new reduced bills will give us a savings of $100 a month, or $1200 a year!

Overall, with just some minimal effort, I was able to lower our annual budget by $3400 per year ($283.33 a month)!

What will I do with this new found money? Two things that I had eliminated out of the budget, which I love dearly, will be brought back in. The first one is travel. I realize my days of European jaunts and air travel are over. What I am going to aim my travel interests towards are my neighbors to the north: Canada. I picked up a travel book from the library yesterday on Montreal and Quebec. I've been to Montreal a few times and loved it. Both cities have a French/European feel and are within driving distance from my home. Who'd a thunk? DH and I will probably head up north this spring. I also picked up a travel book on the Catskills and upstate New York. There's a plethora of small towns and art galleries within driving distance. With a little planning, DH and I can take day trips to local communities and towns nearby.

The other thing I had eliminated were my savings and retirement programs (it was kind of hard to save money with the remodel going on). I need to restart putting money away again. I had also eliminated restaurants and video rental. I had lowered my cable bill from $30 to $25, so the $5 savings went to restarting my Blockbuster video rental ($4.99 for 2 rentals per month). The DVD public library waiting line has turned into a 6 month gig, so I am glad to be back with renting current releases. DH and I have no desire to return to restaurant meals. When we do, it's always an establishment that offers coupons, two-fers or discounts. Right now, I'm researching things to do for Valentine's Day. But that's another post.

My 3 year/36,000 mile warranty will be up soon on our primary vehicle. This is how this whole monthly budget reduction started. I needed to cut something out of the budget to make room for the additional $65 per month extended warranty (interest free) 17 month payment. It feels good to have made this accomplishment. I will admit that in the beginning of the month, I was a little upset making more cutbacks. A few times, I had tears in my eyes, but I kept moving forward and seeking solutions. I found a lot of inspiration from 2 fellow bloggers: No More Spending and Frugal Gal. These two ladies are terrific!

Tomorrow, I'll share some Valentine's Day ideas I've come up with.

And so it goes.

Fighting Breast Cancer With A Prepaid Debit Card.

October has always been The National Breast Awareness month. Realistically, every month should be about Breast Awareness. The following article was submitted to All Doors Considered by our new sponsor, ACE Cash Express:

Breast cancer is diagnosed in almost 200,000 women annually, with more than 40,000 of those women losing the fight. The National Breast Cancer Foundation has made huge strides to provide breast cancer education and mammograms to all women. NBCF partners with many corporate sponsors to provide awareness, support, and most importantly hope, not just the individual, but to all of those who are effected by this disease.

ACE Cash Express has partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation with their Pink Prepaid Visa Debit Card. How does this work? With the purchase of a Pink Prepaid Debit Card, a portion of the purchase is given to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. These cards can be used anywhere; online, ATMs, and anywhere Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Often their use is even safer than cash, because your purchases are being protected. When you use the Pink Prepaid Visa Debit Card you can know with ever dollar you spend, you will be providing hope to a woman in need.

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For the past two years, ACE Cash Express has donated $350,000 from the proceeds of the Pink Card. This latest contribution provided NBCF the creation of an Early Detection Plan to give women the ability to detect breast cancer. The Pink Prepaid Visa Debit Card can be purchased online through ACE Cash Express, and can also be set up using direct deposit to automatically put your paycheck on this life saving prepaid debit card.

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Note: This is a paid advertisement.

DIM: Doing It Myself. Some Projects To Share.

I was a busy little bee this past week. Here are some of the projects I was working on (in addition to helping DH with the 2nd floor remodel).

Every month I take a sewing class. This month we made a reversible jacket. The outer shell is blue denim and the inner side is a cotton print. Can't wait to wear it this spring over a pair of comfy jeans.

Next month we are making a wrap-around skirt. I've already purchased more print fabric ($2.50 a yard) to match the jacket's inner shell. So, the total outfit will look more like a suit. If I have enough material left over, I'll put together a French styled over-the-shoulder bag to mix and match. I won't wear all three pieces together. That'll be overkill. Maybe just the handbag and the skirt. Or just the jacket and handbag. That's what so great about designing and making your own clothes: you can be creative.

Sunday is cook-up-a-storm day. In an ongoing effort to get my food budget under control, I've been menu planning and doing more cooking at home.

Sunday mornings started off with buttermilk pancakes (a few teaspoons of flax seed thrown in) with fresh blueberries and pure maple syrup.

Lunch was split pea soup filled with carrots, celery and onions.

Dinner was Italian-spiced turkey sausage with garlic, peppers and onions over brown rice.


Dessert was home made french-styled crepes filled with Bonne Maman strawberry preserves and topped with organic Greek strawberry yogurt.

All of the food products were purchased on sale (the peppers & onions were bought from the day-old bin at the supermarket).

And so the beat goes on!