Economy and $

Hello all,

The last couple of weekends have been pretty much staying at home – and working on the house! I am continuing to declutter and fix it up. I know it takes me awhile but there are many memories to go though! I did have a brief relief by attending the ASU tailgate last week – and saw the best pyramid that I have ever seen! Too bad ASU lost.

Since I have not been doing anything too exciting other than work on my house, I thought to post just some thoughts on saving $. With the economy, I am sure that is on all of our minds! I have great job, and still go on vacations so I cannot complain too much. But – I always remind myself that it may not last and try my best to put away what I can. Here is what I have been doing, I am sure I am just telling you what you already know but maybe there are a few new ideas in here!

1. Thrift shop – Confession time – I love goodwill. Another confession – that fabulous dress that I wore to the Cystic Fibrosis dinner was from Goodwill – it cost more to dry clean than the dress cost. Yes, I even know that if you donate an item there you get a tax receipt which has a 20% off coupon! I go to Terri’s for furniture. Goodwill, Buffalo Exchange, and My sister’s closet for clothes. Changing hands for books, I just heard about a book exchange website that I have not tried yet Paperback swap. I know I should do the library but I have not been consistent about that! Many of the items in my house I got from classifieds including the refrigerator and washer/dryer. I still go to retail stores, I just try to hit these places first.

2. Coupons! – I cannot take credit for this one, but I got the tip from my beautiful and fabulous friend January. Sure I have not kids, but a few months ago enough was enough with spending lots on groceries!! I started a service called Coupon Sense. It matches up what is on sale at every store with coupons. Even if you never use coupons, just shopping and stocking up what is on sale makes a big difference. I stock up on chicken when it is $1.88 rather than 4.99 a lb. A recent trip to Fry’s I spent $63, saved $109. At CVS in the last three months I spent $90, saved $172. Averaging about 45% between coupons and buying what is on sale. I know some other people use Coupon Mom, whatever works for you! My next step for food is the produce co-op Kelly mentioned, Bountiful Baskets. Speaking of food - another website I am just starting to use is http://www.restaurant.com/ to get deals on dining out.

3. Pay with cash – This is one I am recently implementing. That debit and credit card gets way to easy! Sure, I like getting points with my work travels but I am starting a cash method for some of my budget items – like groceries and clothes – that I have a tendency to go overboard on.

4. Learn and read – My two favorite money sites are Dave Ramsey and David Bach Finish Rich for general financial info. Good places to start. If you get more adventurous with investing, check out Fidelity or Etrade. You never know where someone is starting.

5. Do something on the side – For me, that means teaching an undergraduate course at my college. I consider this my fun $ and do not feel guilty about buying something or going out of town. I know others that do consulting, or super Kelly that teach fitness classes (while still starting her masters, seriously superwoman!).

6. Make it automatic – I max out my 401K, and always have since I started where I am working. I also have automatic withdrawals to a savings fund and investing.

7 Look at compound interest calculators – I recently figured out how much my pedicures were costing me in the long run – puts that small amount each month into perspective! A $25 pedicure a month, at only 8% interest for 10 years is costing me $4600! 10 years go by pretty quick - wasn't it just yesterday I was 20??? :) Here is a calculator for you. Compound Interest Calculator

8.Look for ways to cut costs by looking at the yearly cost – Look at the amount yearly to see how much you are really spending – that $25 service each month is really $300 a year. I know you heard it before – starbucks adds up also! I just called a negotiated a $200 yearly drop in my car/house insurance with more coverage. I also get meds every three months now through mail order, instead of each month at the store and that cut another few hundred a year. It all adds up!

9. Guilty pleasures cheaper – ok, most of us reading this are girls and we want some pampering! I love to get massages at Swiha or at the Arizona School of massage therapy . Swiha does facials now too. Sure, they are students but who cares! It is a massage! I have not tried it, but on my to do list for pedi/mani at Earls Beauty Academy or the Classic Beauty College . I also hear facials at Estherics University are good. If you are out of state, check out what is in your area.

10. Recreation - Use community classes! I have been too busy to use them recently but I used to take both belly dancing and tennis from the City of Tempe. For 6-10 weeks it was usually only $30 - $40 dollars. Just check the recreation part of your city's website. Look for free days at your local attactions - the Phoenix Art Museum here has a free day for admission on Tuesdays.

Now….to find a better way to get my hair done...if any of you have tips share the knowledge! As my boss likes to say, you never know what you don't know or who has not heard what you have to say. Have a great week!