By
Yo Prinzel
Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 06:48 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
I’ve been dreaming about summer dresses. This happens to me every year around this time. In Florida, we are enjoying 70-80 degree days. Our legs are freshly shorn, toenails shiny with paint, and our skin exfoliated and soft. The only thing missing is that ever elusive, perfect summer dress.
Maybe it’s not an elusive thing for you, but I can never find the ultimate dress—you know, the one that manages to combines figure-flattering form with flowy casualness. The one that doesn’t make me look like a whale at the beach, but that looks good while I’m at the beach looking for whales (okay, I know, we don’t have whales off the Florida coast).
Another factor that makes me really want to find the perfect dress this year is that the sales are unbelievable. My old standby, Old Navy is currently offering 40% off some summer dresses—they’ve even got some as cheap as $15.00. Macy’s is having a dress sale too, and they’ve got some significant markdowns—up to 40% off . Not to be outdone, JCPenney has marked their dresses up to 50% off. Oh, and let us not forget Sears' dress extravaganza.
So, the first problem is that there are too many options to choose from what with everything everywhere being on sale. Next comes the accessory issue. I mean, it’s not like I can buy a new dress and not have new shoes, a bag and jewelry to go with it—that would be lame. Nordstrom has many sandals on sale at up to 50% off and so does Piperlime. Overstock.com is killing me with their clearance sale jewelry selection. Kmart is also having a blow out sale with up to 70% off. eBags, Banana Republic and Nordstrom all have up to 50% off some handbags.
So what’s a girl to do? With all of these choices, how can I possibly pick just one perfect summer dress, shoes, handbag and jewelry? Looks like I’m going to have to clean out my closet to make room for a few….dozen…
Yolander Prinzel
Picture of a non-Floridian whale by matthew_hull.
By
Yo Prinzel
Monday, March 30, 2009, 05:02 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
I almost accidentally offed my husband this weekend. No, no—it wasn’t like the depressing plot of yet another Lifetime movie. It was an unexpected and sudden accident involving an ultra-cheap office chair.
About 2 months ago, Hubby and I redid our home office. We bought new desks and new chairs. Because I am so thrifty, we bought the cheapest office chairs known to man (or woman). They were $49 each and have done nothing but squeak and roll wobbily since we bought them. But they were cheap, so I just put in my earplugs and ignored it.
I ignored them successfully until I heard a thunderous crack on Saturday morning. This crack of doom was accompanied by two fur balls running for their lives from the direction of the office, and one shocked shout by my husband. I ran into the office ready to defend Hubby from the as-yet unseen assailant and found him on the floor next to a completely jacked-up chair.
The arm of the chair had cracked in half and, since the arm keeps the seat together with the back of the chair—had thrown my husband into a pulled- muscle heap on the floor.
After this happened, sweet Hubby was still not quite ready to give up on the chair. He went to Home Depot, bought some heavy-duty screws and washers, came home and tried to make it work.
It didn’t work. The arm of the chair is completely broken in half.
So now, we have to buy a new chair—and if I’d bought a more expensive one to begin with, we wouldn’t be in this mess and we would have saved the cost of the original chair.
So, be careful which items you go too cheap on—your life may be at risk. For items like furniture, food, and any health-related products, make sure you buy inexpensive, quality merchandise. Some clothing, household decor and entertainment items can be cheaply made and have a cheap price tag and STILL be good buys, because your safety isn't necessarily dependent on the quality of the product.
Yolander Prinzel
Ominous killer chair photographed by the very brave weblux.
By
Yo Prinzel
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 08:45 PM
Category:
Deal Gossip
Last week, the CheapToday thrifty shopper Lulu started her 3-part series on not taking “No” for an answer. She’s got some great tips in the first installment about getting what you want from people over the telephone. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series because I have a lot to learn when it comes to, as Lulu calls it, assertive shopping.
The only place I’ve really tried to shop assertively is at the flea market. For some reason, it just feels right to stand there in the humid Florida heat, sweat pouring down my face, trying to talk a fresh vegetable vendor down in price on the basket of tomatoes I want to buy.
I generally get the short end of the stick in these situations. The vendors seem to know that my sweat isn’t just from the glaring sun—they know it’s actually from performance anxiety. They squint their eyes as though their lids are heavy with consideration, scrunch their mouth up to one side, then sadly hang their heads slightly and shake them slowly from side to side.
“Nope, can’t reduce them there ‘maters, what with the drought and the gas prices we gotch ’ere.”
So, I pay full price and walk away with my ‘maters, happy that I at least tried to score a discount, even if I failed miserably. Eventually, disappointment creeps in and I vow to do better next time.
I guess that’s why I like shopping on the web so much. There is no opportunity to haggle so I never feel like I failed in scoring a better deal. My comparison shopping and discount resources are enough to help me sleep at night, comfortable in the knowledge that I paid the lowest possible price for that watch / DVD set / hoodie / whatchamacallit. Here are some of the cheap deal resources I use before I buy:
Comparing Prices: I like to use BizRate, NexTag, or PriceGrabber to compare prices on products.
Unbiased Opinions: Visit Epinions before you buy so you know you are getting the best product and brand.
Biased Opinions: I sign up for store e-mail newsletters and RSS feeds for those unadvertised specials. Sometimes you can score something really special that the rest of the world will never know about.
Additional Discounts: Once I've decided what store I'll be purchasing from, I check my email to see if I've gotten any email discount codes or special deals from them that could also be applied to the purchase. If you re less lazy than me, you can set up a separate email for these types of communications--it'll make it easier to find what you're looking for. Also, if it's a store I have a store credit card for I check my mail to see if I've gotten any cardholder special deals recently that I can use to increase my savings.
Yolander Prinzel
Photo of a squirrel assertively scoring himself some dinner by Flickr user Fowlbotz.
By
Lulu Thrift
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 09:44 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
Back to Part One...
Lulu comes from a land not known for treating its' customers to a cheery welcome. A place that rightly upholds the American culture of service as the zenith of its kind.
In Britain we're used to grumpy sales assistants who act as though they're doing you a gigantic favor by taking your money. But here in the States there's a legacy of wonderful customer service. And my friends, amidst the doom and gloom of a failing economy, that is good news.
Now more than ever is the time to stand tall and remember that age-old adage: the customer is always right. However hard that might be to remember sometimes.
Let me walk you through a familiar scenario. You've been on hold to a call center for your entire lunch-break and are now half-crazy from listening to force-fed pan-piped schmuzak. Every few tantalizing minutes the schmuzak is punctuated with a momentary pause of silence. Your heart leaps as you imagine yourself finally at the front of the virtual queue. Then the machine voice cuts in: "Thank you for holding. We appreciate your business..." Yeah right. So much that you've gone AWOL with my refund and I'm growing old on my ever-expanding butt in call center hell.
At this point of course, it's hard to believe there's a real live person at the other end of your transaction. Someone with a human heart placed your order, packed up your shoes or processed your return. And someone with a pulse will, one day, answer this flipping phone. Won't they? They will.
Want the bad news about this first? Human nature means we screw up from time to time and people make mistakes. Which is why your order got messed up in the first place and why there never seems to be enough human beings to answer your phone call as fast as you'd like.
Now the good news. Human nature also means there's no one way to solve a problem, there's room for flexibility. It's what I like to call "wiggle room". You're not dealing with a robot so to hell with what the small print says, there's usually, more often than not, a way to get round the barriers and get what you want.
Let me give you an example. Johnnie Call-Center connects hundreds of calls a day from his cubicle. He makes minimum wage with crappy benefits (not all call center assistants are this unhappy, but go with me on this...). He's pissed off with the world and wonders why he should be helping some hormonal woman in the American suburbs (that's me folks) with her too-small shoe return when he'd like some help himself, thank you very much.
Then Lulu calls. She makes a joke to put him at ease. She's charming as she shares her problem with Johnnie and she makes him feel important. She wins him over and guess what? This company's returns policy said Lulu couldn't get an exchange on her sale-price shoes. But she does. And she gets shipping thrown in for free.
This may sound like a lot of effort to you, but it can all be achieved in just a few moments on the phone. It might take practice and a little confidence. But try it. You've got nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Like those shoes I mentioned.
So my fellow bargain hunters, the secret's out. You need never take no for an answer again. But how, you may ask? In my next and final post on the subject I'll give you a blow-by-blow account of how to take back control of your shopping experience and turn call-center hell into happy-shopping nirvana.
Or at least a huge discount on your next pair of shoes.
Keep smiling and stay tuned....
Yours Thriftily,
By
Yo Prinzel
Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 05:53 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
This weekend I went on an MP3 buying spree. Amazon.com is my new BFF (that’s Best Friend Forever for you folks who’ve forgotten your high school days).
I downloaded songs from David Bowie, Fine Young Cannibals, Hall and Oates, Right Said Fred, and other ultra-cool artists that make music connoisseurs cringe.I did not, however, buy anything from the Twilight soundtrack.
I love that I can load these songs directly onto my MP3 player and go jogging. Okay, well, I love that I could do that if I was one of those jogging types. Instead, I listen to my MP3 player while I write. If ever some song lyrics accidentally creep into my blog posts, you’ll now know why.
The best thing about downloading MP3’s is that I no longer end up buying an album full of crap. I remember in the 80’s we used to order records from Columbia House. We were totally not into tapes and exclusively bought big, scratchtastic records.
Every single time we bought a record based on having liked one song by the artist, we ended up hating every other song on the album (Dexy's Midnight Runners would be one example of this). If we bought an album because we liked a few songs from the band, then we would invariably love one side of the album and hate the other (sorry INXS, but this honor belongs to you).
With MP3’s, you never have to worry about that. You can listen to the songs before you buy, and you can buy just that one song from an artist rather than buying a whole album full of crap. MP3’s are also a great way to treat yourself.
Remember last week when we talked about indulging your vices in a way you can afford? MP3’s are about $0.99 each at Amazon.com. Now, that’s an affordable vice! Oh, wait—you want to save even MORE money on your music downloads? No problem if you've heard of Aime Street (and if you haven't, you sure are now). At Aime Street you can download songs for up to 50% off the Amazon.com price. You can download entire albums and collections at a sub-atomic fraction of a regular priced CD.
iTunes is of course one of the all-time champion sources of MP3s, and iTunes recently released their downloads from Digital Rights Management, so their songs can be downloaded and stored on most non-Apple MP3 devices. They have three price points for their downloads- $0.69, $0.99, and $1.29. Take THAT, Amazon!
Whichever service you use, they are all reasonably priced, legal and flexible enough to work with most MP3 devices.
Yolander Prinzel
Picture by val-j
By
Joe Wallace
Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 11:31 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
It sounds like a riddle, doesn't it? You'd expect the answer to "What do smart travelers and the Air Force have in common" to involve something with circus monkeys and a motorbike. But the answer, while fairly mundane, can save you some money. Want to shave nearly $100 off your next air fare?
Yeah, I thought so.
Once upon a time, I was flying all over the world as a reporter for Air Force News Agency. I was a one-person crew shooting the video, doing the interviews, writing the stories, even putting myself on camera to wrap things up ala CNN. As you might expect, I racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles covering all those natural disasters, military exercises, and breaking news. I also learned a trick or two about getting good prices on airline tickets.
Military culture is full of lingo and slogans. In the Air Force, one of the best known goes, "Flexibility is the key to air power." Some of my friends in uniform say "Semper Gumby" instead. As in, "Always flexible". If you don't know who Gumby is, never mind.
But how does "Semper Gumby" save you money when you're booking cheap air fares?
Most everybody who's traveled at least once knows to book a flight two weeks in advance, but what's not so common knowledge is that there are peak days of the week for flying. Ever try to fly out on a Friday afternoon? Crowded, ain't it? Ditto for trying to come home on a Sunday. Everybody wants to come home on Sunday and the airlines know it. I recently tried to book air travel departing on a Thursday and returning on Sunday. But the price of coming home while there was still some weekend left was far too high--edging close to $500 the way I had booked it. Not smart when there was a perfectly good return flight on a Monday afternoon for $350.
I originally wanted to go non-stop all the way, AND fly home on Sunday. That, my friends, is a recipe for a $500 plane ticket. In the end I compromised and got a Monday afternoon return flight with one quick layover. Result? No $500 charge on my credit card.
The moral of the story is always try to be flexible with those travel dates and don't be afraid to take a layover. The difference in price will amaze you. For experienced travelers, this advice is old hat. For anyone not accustomed to flying the friendly skies, this little secret will add some extra cash to your vacation fund. Spend it on beachwear, not on airfare.
---Joe Wallace. Editor At Large
By
Yo Prinzel
Monday, March 23, 2009, 07:45 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
This weekend, I had to buy my grandmother a birthday present. Grammy is an interesting person, and she’s very difficult to buy for since she rarely uses the brand new items that you buy her. According to her, they’re too “good” to use and she simply must wait until a special occasion.
Since she grew up on the tail end of the depression, she has many of the ‘quirks’ we once associated with that generation and are now developing ourselves. This penchant for used items is one of them--and one that I have completely embraced over the past 5 years.
Grammy is a New Englander. She is a strong woman who, until recently, was doing her own yard work. She doesn't believe in doctors, spas, or any pampering. She can swear like a sailor, has a heavy accent and never says my name correctly. “Yuh-lan-duh,” she always says, her tongue unwilling to go back and curl up to form the “er” that makes my name so unique.
Grammy also has a devilish sense of humor and the eating habits of a four year old. During a recent visit, I took her to a pizza joint that she loves for lunch. I ordered a grinder and she ordered coffee, french fries and onion rings. I chastised her for her poor eating habits, and she just laughed that cute, kid-gone-wrong laughter and showed a certain pride in her defiance.
She has enough money to live on, but loves to get things for free. She will drive 100 miles to get a free basket of food that some obscure church she has never attended is distributing. Since my grandmother buys almost everything used that she doesn’t get for free, I always want to get her affordable, but extravagant gifts for her birthday. I want her to feel luxury—at least as much luxury as I can comfortably afford to help her feel.
This year, I was thinking about getting her a reasonably priced cashmere sweater. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that she would never wear the sweater. It would be a prized possession, hanging in the back of her closet waiting for an event special enough to wear it. Of course, none would come and the gift would prove impractical and wasteful.
Then I realized that luxury to Grammy is different than luxury to me. To Grammy, having food and tea is luxury. Growing up poor, on a farm in the 30’s shaped her definition of luxury and made it something easy for me to provide her with, if I pay attention. So I bought her an adorable tea for one set. It was inexpensive, cute and contained a matching tea cup, saucer and ceramic pot. It is the perfect gift, and was the perfect price.
I’ve learned a lot about money from Grammy over the years. I’ve learned not to take money for granted, I’ve learned how thrift stores can be our best friend, and lately, I’ve learned to buy presents that bring actual value to the recipient’s life—not just a perceived value. The next time you’re buying a gift for a friend or loved one, ask yourself what value that gift will add to the recipient’s life. If you’re hard-pressed to think of one, maybe that’s not the right gift.
Yolander Prinzel
Picture of Grammy Kees with her devilish grin.
By
Lulu Thrift
Friday, March 20, 2009, 03:49 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
There's no good reason on Earth that Lulu can find to do it. Those two little letters "n" and "o" when placed together, especially out of the mouth of a call center phone jockey simply serve as a red rag to a bull in World Lulu.
I feel my chest swell with indignant breath and the cool mist of absolute certainty descend on my brain: YES. I. WILL. HAVE. THAT. BAG/ DISCOUNT/ REFUND/ EXCHANGE. Dammit.
And you know what? I always do.
You have to understand I am not an unreasonable woman. I know my boundaries. I am always charming, but assertive - polite but firm when dealing with my friends the customer service people whether here in America or in a call center in Delhi.
In my vast wealth of experience in dealing with strangers on the phone I've found it pays to be polite. Whether it's to fix my Internet service, which mysteriously got shut off with no reason or warning (more on this at a later date) or to order up an exchange on a pair of sunglasses, it's my opinion that charm works. My sister always says: "kill them with kindness", which may sound a little alarming to you until you think about it.
Which of the following scenarios sounds most familiar?
1. You're angry on the inside at the injustice of being wronged by that erroneous late fee or faulty on-line sale but you don't want to "cause any bother" or risk making a fuss. You silently rage and mutter about the shoes that fit all wrong, but you never do anything about it.
2. You're fuming over a mistake in your billing or the dead-on-arrival DVD player you ordered. Looking for a fight and someone to blame you get onto the call center to rant and rail offering up all kinds of threats and insults. Your mind is a blur of indignation but you never quite articulate what it is you want.
3. You take a deep breath and think through the problem you want to sort out ahead of making the call. You jot a few key points down on a pad in front of you that you can refer to. Once connected to a human being you're calm, friendly and respectful, you stick to your guns and offer up a proposed solution.
In scenario # 1 you get nothing. Nada. Zip. Just a closet full of unworn shoes, a big fat credit card bill and an eventual ulcer.
In scenario # 2 you'll shut the door faster than you can say "no-refund" to any negotiations by making this person hate you and never want to help you. Ever.
In scenario # 3 you kept the lines of communication open by making the customer service representative like you. You got them on your side. You didn't take no for an answer and you got a result.
I've had late fees waived more times than a Macy's sale. I've made handbags that were labeled "out of stock" magically appear (Boden) and even old socks new again (thanks L.L. Bean). I've stayed the course when I knew I was right and not given up the first time someone tried to get me off the phone without the result I was looking for. In short, I didn't take no for an answer.
In the next part of this post you'll learn exactly how. I'll share my tried and tested top-tips for assertive shopping, steps to ensure you get the most out of your deal-buying, never get taken for a ride and finish up satisfied and happy.
Stay tuned....
Yours Thriftily,
By
Yo Prinzel
Thursday, March 19, 2009, 08:12 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
The other day Hubby and I were shopping at Big Lots. We wanted to pick up some fake plants—you know the kind you can’t kill, and some other household goods.
Big Lots, while often hit or miss in terms of supply, brand, and quality, usually has the best price on everything they carry and they pretty much remove the need to comparison shop. I like that because it saves me time—which is sometimes more valuable than any discounts I might find.
While we were there, we picked up a few cheap DVD’s, some hair conditioner, and a big fake palm tree (that our cats are scared of, incidentally). Since we’d worked so hard shopping and maneuvering a tree around the crowded store we made the executive fatty decision to get a Ghirardelli treat to share.
As we went to the checkout counter the cashier scanned the Ghirardelli box and, instead of bagging it, handed it directly to me. This cashier knows her customers. I started laughing and mentioned that yes, we did plan to eat it on the car ride home, and somehow we all started talking about vices.
Apparently, this cashier was a paragon of virtue. She said that she had no vices. I started to name all the vices I could think of that one might have: Chocolate? No. Pie? No. Cigarettes? No. Booze? No.
Wow. A vice-free individual. Between you and me, I think she was either lying to me or to herself. Which is sad because why shouldn’t we all have vices? As long as you handle them responsibly and don’t end up in debt or danger because of them.
My biggest vice is shopping for clothing, shoes and bags. In order to indulge in my vice, I watch for sales and specials and visit the web pages of my favorite retailers daily. I also sign up for the mailing lists and e-mailing lists of those retailers (shameless plug--you can save some time by signing up for the CheapToday Weekly Wow Newsletter) in order to get first dibs on any specials--especially those unadvertised specials! Then, to control my spending while indulging myself, I buy gift certificates to my favorite clothing stores in small increments each week. When the GC's add up, I let myself have a mini shopping spree. Now, if only someone could create a way to help me avoid gaining weight while indulging my chocolate vice...someday maybe?
Yolander Prinzel
My vice in lights, photo by hyku
By
Joe Wallace
Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 09:12 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
I think it's just time to give up and admit that I'm addicted to traveling. There's something exciting about waking up in a new city, whether it's a fun getaway at the very aptly named Peaceful Pines in Apple River, Illinois or a stay in Times Square.
Everybody needs to get away from it all, even if it's just for a couple of days--the change of scenery does wonders for your outlook. Travel can be pricey, and in today's economy I always rely on five basic notions to save a buck everywhere I roam:
1. I religiously check out online travel mags and cheap fares sites for inexpensive travel ideas. If you're traveling on a budget, sometimes it's good to let the prices tell you where to go--especially if you have an obsession like golfing and the destination doesn't matter as much as the chance to indulge. One great example--this golfer's getaway to Williamsburg, Virginia. Free golf at one of the country's top 18-hole destinations? You bet.
2. I love reviews on travel essentials like hotels and restaurants. Want to know the inside scoop on the quality of a particular hotel you want to book? Check out sites like RealTravel, which features "The Real Deal on 250,000 hotels." A penny saved is a penny earned, but one well-spent is even better. You can also browse Frommer's Deals and News section for hot tips and great values.
3. Along the same lines, but with destinations firmly in mind, scope out your chosen getaway city with sites like Not For Tourists. You could learn that big attraction you want to hit is really a dud, or get some advice on alternative venues.
If you want to visit Chicago and don't feel like braving the lines at the world-famous Second City comedy club, Not For Tourists recommends checking out the smaller (but just as funny) comedy hotspots like ComedySportz. By hitting Not For Tourists, you also get insider dirt that can really pay off; did you know ComedySportz is much more family-friendly than Second City? No dirty jokes allowed! My sister's kids thank you.
4. One of my best cheap travel secrets--being open to different kinds of travel. Why fly when you can drive? Check out a deal or coupon code on a discount car rental and try roadtripping instead. Or catch a Greyhound bus package deal and try something new. I personally wouldn't want to go coast-to-coast unless there are wings and jet engines involved, but for shorter trips, Greyhound could be the cheap travel solution you've been looking for.
5. I always book at least two weeks in advance. This is old news to veteran travelers, but if you don't get away as often as you'd like you might be shocked at how different the fares are when you book ahead. Even Amtrak is cheaper if you book early!
Try my top five, you could find an amazing deal like the one Jet Blue offers for a limited time only. One way under $50? Yes, it's true! Now go take a trip someplace and don't forget to drop a comment here when you get back to let us know how you saved a buck and had a blast at the same time.
P.S. If you check out Peaceful Pines, be sure to tell Larry and Nancy that Joe Wallace sent you...
By
Yo Prinzel
Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 06:38 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
When I was 18 I had a problem bouncing checks. Actually, let me rephrase that—I had no problem bouncing checks, I did it all the time. This, of course, turned into a problem.
I wasn’t nefarious about my bouncing, no evil plans to steal merchandise and food. I was “floating” checks that I knew I’d have money to cover in a few days. Floating check, wow, it sounds so gentle and serene.
“Here, let me float you a check. What does that mean? Well, it means that right this very minute this check is not good…but eventually—if you just wait a few days, oh, this check’ll be so covered!”
Unfortunately, the incoming money I expected didn’t always pan out and I had to balance on a tightrope of writing bad checks, taking out cash advances on credit cards, depositing the cash into the bank to cover checks I'd written, writing a bad check to free up some money on my credit card—you get the drill.
It is exhausting to live that way. Every moment of every day you spend trying desperately to remember whether or not Check A is supposed to clear today or tomorrow, what your available balance is on your credit card, what you’re going to do if you exceed your credit limit. Then, in one forgetful moment, you neglect to deposit some money and you bounce a check. That's how my story went.
After the initial check bounced, ten more checks bounced. At that point, I was so far in the hole with bounced checks, bounced check fees, outstanding checks about to bounce, and over the limit fees on my credit card that I could barely see straight.
Eventually, I had to go visit my State Attorney’s office, make good on all the checks and attend a check writing course. Unfortunately, the check writing course didn’t actually solve any of my problems. I already knew what they were “teaching”: Don’t write a check unless you’ve got money in the bank. I knew that before I set myself up for disaster and so did everyone else in that class with me. Knowing something and doing it are two separate things. What I needed to learn about was impulse control and the reasons behind my habit.
Here are some of the things I wish they had taught us in that class:
1. Just because you want it doesn’t mean you need it. Learn to take pride and get joy from saying, “No” to yourself once in a while.
2. Take pleasure in the little things. If you can’t afford a new DVD player, then buy a book instead. A book is just as entertaining, but costs a lot less. You don’t have to sacrifice all joy to control your impulses.
3. Stop comparing yourself to others. For me, it was clothing. I wanted to be dressed as well as everyone else my age, but I couldn’t afford it. The key here is to invest in a few nice pieces that you can afford and wear those with less expensive items.
4. Things are not going to make you happy. If you are not happy, buying something may make you happy for a few hours—or even days. But eventually, you’ll be back in that consumer shaped hole and you’ll look for outside things to fix it. Outside is the wrong place to look for happy, take it from me.
Yolander Prinzel
Picture of a thing that should float by a_kartha
By
Yo Prinzel
Monday, March 16, 2009, 07:47 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
I have a tendency to be my own worst saboteur. Right now, right at this very moment, I am saving money in a special account (separate from my emergency savings) to fund my departure from my day job. My plan is to save a certain amount of cash to fall back on if my writing career doesn’t pan out.
I should have had all the money I needed by the end of February. Right this very minute, I should be working from home with comfortable shoes on. I should be getting up well after the sun has already ascended high into the cloudless Florida sky. I should be losing social skills and becoming less personable than I was to begin with.
But I’m not.
Whose fault is that? Well, it’s mine--I told myself that I would begin to save money after I bought a new laptop and MP3 player. Then I told myself I really needed to have a bigger TV before I could seriously consider saving any money. Then I realized I needed new furniture to go with the TV, I mean, what’s a nest egg without a comfy nest?
Then I thought I should invest in a new coffee machine, bean grinder and bean storage unit set. I then realized that I wanted my cars tuned up, new office furniture, new speakers and some cool freelancer threads. I'm a one-person economic stimulus.
And I spent all my money. One of my most crucial errors was not even comparison shopping for the items I did purchase. Instead, I impulse bought my way into an empty nest egg. If I had taken the time to comparison shop, look for deals, or even waited until I found an item on sale, I might still have some loot in my job freedom fund.
I’m on track now to have the magical independence nest egg together at the end of May, but I almost ruined it for myself again this weekend.
On Saturday, I decided we should buy a couple of new furniture pieces for our bedroom. I mean they were on sale, they were okay looking, but most of all, they would give me some kind of immediate gratification. All this time, I’ve been sabotaging myself because I want some immediate gratification.
Waiting until I have money saved apparently holds no appeal to me. I feel like a hamster spinning in a wheel, so I get off the wheel and blow my wad of cash. Luckily, Hubby pulled me out of the wheel. He didn't encourage me to buy the $400 furniture, but to readjust my priorities and remind me of the rewards patience and perseverance bring.
Between you and me, I don’t really regret the purchases I made. I love the TV, love the laptop, all of it. But I would be even happier if I had none of it and was working from home instead, flanked by kitties, Hubby and a very, very small TV.
Yolander Prinzel
Photo of the fountain I'll be stealing pennies from by Shaun Fowler.
By
Yo Prinzel
Friday, March 13, 2009, 07:14 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
Unless you’re a student at a major university, St. Patrick’s Day will probably be one of your most drink-centered days of the year. On this sacred day, many folks generally belly up to a bar (or pub) in the neighborhood with an Irish theme--preferably one that's giving out fake gold coins from a black plastic pot located under a poster board rainbow.
They load up on Guinness, Jameson Irish Whiskey and Bailey’s Irish Cream; they speak in their best (?) Irish brogue and repeat, “I’ve lost me lucky charms” well past the point at which it stopped being funny; they somehow make their way home to pass out with fake gold coins clutched tightly in their sweaty, drunken hands.
With the economy in a state of upheaval, you might not have the money to go bar hopping this year (if you do have enough money, The Bachelor Guy has information about the ultimate St. Patrick's Day pub crawl in New York). Don't let a tight budget stop you from fully enjoying St. Patrick's day. Instead, why not put on your best Guinness tie, stay home and enjoy this holiday on the cheap with all your friends? Using these St. Pat's Day party ideas, you can:
1. Cheap eats: Every party needs food and St. Patrick's Day offers a great opportunity to serve a lot of food (homemade or pre-made) without paying a fortune. Cabbage, corned beef, and potatoes are all inexpensive and versatile. The Food Network’s recipe for corned beef cabbage pizza puts a whole new spin on traditional St. Patrick’s day fare. You can also create cabbage, corned beef, and potato kabobs for people to snack on. For something sweet check out the ultimate cupcake blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake. They compile amazing cupcake ideas and links year round and they've got some great ones for St. Patrick’s day along with some enticing pictures.
2. Cheap Drinks: Who doesn’t love green beer? It’s not hard to dye beer green, you really just need food coloring and beer- but don't take my word for it--visit She Knows for complete instructions and some amazing green cocktail recipes. Sticking with beer keeps any party super cheap. On St. Patrick's day you’ve got to have a little Guinness for your guests. Serve the pricier Guinness in smaller cups so you can spread one bottle to two people.
3. Cheap Entertainment: Get all the ambience of your local Irish pub without the import beer prices. Download free Irish music to your iPod or MP3 player and put it on the stereo. FreeIrishMusic.com's got a ton of music to choose from and, like it says, it's all free. You could also invest in an Irish music CD or box set.
Put some Irish-themed movies on all the TVs in your home during your St. Patrick's Day bash. You can play serious titles like 'Waking Ned Divine', and "Angela's Ashes'. For those who need their fix of bad cultural stereotyping, try 'Leprechaun in the Hood' (We liked it, in spite of ourselves.) The 'Leprechaun' series is probably best enjoyed after the green beer has been flowing for a while. Read a full review of this cheese-fest at the Horror Movie a Day blog. Playing movies at a party not only provides some entertainment, but they can be great conversation starters.
Hold the St. Pat's Day party at home this year--you can save a bit of coin on food and fun, and there's no taxi fare to worry about at the end of the day.
Yolander Prinzel
Thanks to SteveFE for the 'Alcohol Menacing a Tiny Leprechaun' photo.
By
Yo Prinzel
Thursday, March 12, 2009, 05:03 PM
Category:
Deal Gossip
Lately, the word on the streets has been that people need to take vacation time from work and use it to stay home, thereby enjoying a "staycation". Staycations--generally domain of married couples who've just bought their first home or families with young children too small to travel--are now a worldwide phenomenon. If you live in a state like Florida, a staycation can almost be as good as vacations thanks to Disney and Sea World located nearby.
But if you live in a small town or a state with very little in the way of tourist attractions (unless you the World’s Largest Twine Ball a tourist attraction), how can you make a staycation fun? With proper planning, your staycation can have all the elements of your ideal vacation – minus the locale.
1. Beach getaway: It doesn’t matter if you live in the middle of a land-locked country and don’t even have a lake nearby, you can still get all the same joy from a staycation as you would a beach vacation. Buy a swimsuit and some books so you can spend your day barely clad, slathered in sunscreen and reading in the sun. Download some beach sounds to your iPod and you’re all set. Throw some salt and gritty sand on yourself to get the full effect.
2. Spa trip: Get a neck massager and electronically soothe all your cares away. Buy some facial masks, nail polish and makeup for 70% off. Once you are thoroughly relaxed and pampered, get yourself a latte or a cup of hot chocolate and do some contemplating. Make sure to eat organic veggies and chastise yourself for loading up with toxins the other 360 days of the year.
3. Mountain cabin retreat: Try to spend some time hiking in your local woods or open fields. If you're really bent on seeing mountains but you live near flat lands, tape a picture of some mountains to your forehead (make sure the pretty part of the picture is facing you). Be sure to stay on a popular trail because getting lost in the woods is no vacation. Walk around until you're good and tired and then go home to enjoy the stuff people really do during mountain retreats- play games, eat unhealthy food, and (since mountain retreats often don't have cable) watch TV on DVD with your family.
Yolander Prinzel
Thanks to leonbidon for a picture of the palm trees we won't see while on staycation.
By
Yo Prinzel
Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 06:11 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
I’m going to make a confession….I’m a tightwad. One of my male coworkers recently told this funny joke about me,
“What does the bird say as it flies over Yolander’s house? Cheapcheapcheapcheapcheap.”
Hardy-frickin’-har-har.
This joke came about because I was making fun of him for spending $80 on some Ray Ban non-prescription sunglasses. He claims that these Ray Bans will last for years and will hold up under the massive abuse he apparently inflicts on his face gear. These are the types of expenditures that I just can not handle. Whenever I catch wind of a friend or coworker making unnecessary, extravagant purchases I make note of it and then I wait. I wait until they complain about not having enough savings, about their credit card bill, about not having enough money to go out for lunch…and then I launch into nosy-neighbor mode. I lecture the friend or coworker on their irresponsible, short-sighted use of money. I needle them to force them to look at their behavior. I make fun of them with the hope that it will change their spending habits and priorities. I am completely merciless- and no excuse will shut me up. No extolling of the virtues of the over-priced impulse item will make me change my mind.
All of this judging, lecturing and superioritying is fun, but one thing I neglect to do is to look in my own backyard at my spending issues. Like the fact that I waste over $20 a week on coffee from Starbucks. So, let’s see, $20 a week on Starbucks, 52 weeks a year…wow, that's over $1,000 a year on Starbucks. You know, I’m no math whiz…but it looks like I owe some coworkers and friends an apology. I’ll have to mull that over with a latte- a free latte.
Yolander Prinzel
Photo of well-accessorized dog by duchesssa.