Frugal Friday: Challenge Your Assumptions! (rerun)

Welcome Frugal Friday readers!I'm buried under papers that need to be graded, so I'm rerunning some of my best work! Originally published in January of this year, I explore challenging my assumptions about what stores are cheapest. Enjoy!

Gentle readers, I am a recovering Wal-Mart addict.

I used to shop for nearly everything at Wal-Mart. When my husband and I got married, I would peruse the sale fliers from other stores and occasionally go pick up a particularly good buy, but my general routine was to hit up Wal-Mart once a week for our grocery needs. I’ve never been a fan of the place. The vastness of the store, the constant crowds no matter what time you go, the fact that only three checkout lanes have cashiers…it drove me nuts. But I went. Our first few years of marriage, we were both grad students with part time jobs. Our combined income was under the 20,000 mark, and we still had to buy books, keep the apartment heated, and manage to feed ourselves relatively healthy foods. Plus the gas in our limping along cars- I commuted 40 miles both way Monday-Friday- plus health insurance, supplies, and savings. I had to shop at Wal-Mart. They were the cheapest.

When I shopped at Wal-Mart, I spent about 55 dollars a week, maybe 65 if we needed cleaning supplies or laundry detergent. Every week I would vow to get our grocery bill lower. I made menus and tried to plan around what we had. The 55 dollars, while it fed us pretty well for a week, did not seem to stock our pantry. But what could I do? Besides a few deals I would find after glancing at the sale fliers, Wal-Mart was so cheap. In my mind, we simply could not afford not to go to Wal-Mart.

I vowed that when my husband had a job in his generally well paying field, I was never going to set foot over the Wal-Mart threshold unless I absolutely had to. When we moved to Wichita, my No More Wal-Mart dreams came true!

Something funny happened when I stopped going to Wal-Mart. My grocery bill went down. Not just a little bit- drastically. Part of it was that I was moving more to the pantry method of cooking, where I stock up on deals and plan my meals around that. But I had been doing that before. There just had not been a pantry as nicely stocked.

I think that Wal-Mart’s supposed low, low prices are pounded into our heads. I know a lot of people who say that they can’t get anything cheaper than they can at Wal-Mart or Sam’s…but like I did in college, they rarely, if ever, step into a non Wal-Mart store. When you repeat anything over and over, you can start to believe it, regardless of what is actually true. I had been repeating “I hate Wal-Mart, but they are cheaper than anywhere else” over and over, without really challenging my mantra. I thought they were cheaper, but I rarely challenged their prices. I just assumed that it was cheaper.

When I stopped going to Wal-Mart, I noticed that their prices are not always as great as I thought they were. When I started combining loss leader sales with coupons, I found that I was spending far less on name brand items than I spent on the Wal-Mart generics. I noticed manager markdowns that I never saw at Wal-Mart. While Wal-Mart does match prices on fliers, I have never seen ten cent markdown milk. I've never seen a Wal-Mart that doubles coupons. It does take a little time to match coupons to sales and manager's specials, but once I learned how and got organized, I found I was spending far less time doing that than I was waiting in line at one of Wal-Mart’s three open registers.

I still occasionally drop into Wal-Mart, but it’s maybe twice a year now, instead of once a week. I don’t miss fighting the crazy parking lot, the loud, oversized store, and the endless waits. And I spend 20-40 dollars a week now for a LOT MORE food than I ever got at Wal-Mart. This is not to say that your family will save a ton of money like mine has by not going to Wal-Mart. It may not. I challenge you challenge your assumptions, consider sales, consider coupons, consider other options.

What assumptions have you challenged in your frugal journey? What new things did you learn? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or feel free to e-mail me at Frugal.Homemaker.Plus (at) gmail.com

Do It Now! (Rerun)

This originally ran on August 12, 2006.

Being organized and not saying "I'll do it later!" can save you money! The past two weeks have been a little hard. It's been nearly unbearably hot, I'm just kind of meh anyway, and I've also had a lot of things to do outside the home. I've lost money in these past two weeks because I looked at a few things that would not have taken all that long to do and thought "I'll do it tomorrow."

From my life:

Air Mattress: I deflated it after we had guests, washed the sheets, and left the deflated mattress in a heap on our guest room floor. Enter Annie the house rabbit. While I've been ignoring it, she's been happily chewing it up. I may be able to patch it, but the damage is pretty extensive, so it may be a total loss. (Update- it was a total loss. She had chewed GIANT holes into it that I did not see until I started trying to fix it. 08/08)

Annie likes to chew.

Chicken: I had ten pounds of chicken in a big bag. I defrosted it, used some in various recipes, and figured I'd vacuum seal the rest into meal sized portions with my awesome Foodsaver. So about two weeks ago, I stuck it in the fridge and promptly forgot about it. This morning, I opened the fridge and was hit with a horrific smell. Yep, the chicken had gone bad. I got the chicken nearly free on sale, but still, that's a lot of food wasted because I did not take 10 minutes to Foodsave it, or 10 seconds to put it back in the freezer.

Let me be a lesson to you! What are you putting off? Take ten minutes and go do it now!

Frugal Friday: Quote of the Day

Wow, a lot has happened in the past week, including me getting hired to teach at two local colleges! I've been trying to get my new classes prepared before school starts next week, so I've decided to take a brief hiatus from blogging. New content will be up on Monday with Monday Morning Mention! In the meantime, enjoy this rerun from June 15, 2007:

I read the most inspiring quote the other day. It is a Turkish Proverb-

No matter how far down the wrong road you've gone, turn back.

This quote has been rolling around in my head the past few days. It can apply to so many situations in life, but I've been thinking of it in terms of debt.

I sometimes get e-mail from people asking advice. They say they are so far in debt, they have so many expenses, or they want to stay home but they are so dependent on both the incomes they do not know how they will possibly survive. And the debt and expenses and fear is all real, and there, but it does not mean that you cannot turn back.

There is still time to reform your life and change things. I know that there have been times in my life that I have been so afraid to do something that I would avoid it and say that there was no way out- there was no way out I could see. But gentle reader, there is always a way out. When I realized that there was indeed a way out and I took steps to get out of the situation, it was often much easier than I expected to be. And even when it was harder than I thought it would be, I still was able to get out of the situation. I just had to turn back.

You can turn back, even if you think you will never get out of the mess you've created. Are you drowning in debt? Are you hiding? Turn back! Open your bills and make a plan. Cut back on expenses. I've had people write and say that there is not one single expense more than can be cut, but I can almost guarantee that there is. I laugh now when I look back at myself at some of the times when I thought we'd done all we could. There was always a small way, I was just refusing to see it!

If you're going down the wrong road, it may be very stressful to turn back. However, turning around and going back will be much easier in the long run than continuing down the wrong path. If you are in debt or are making choices that you know may haunt your finances later, turn around! There's still time.

Frugal Reruns: Bridesmaid Beauty on the Cheap

It's my frugal reruns week! Since we're approaching wedding season, I thought I'd dust off my old Bridesmaid Beauty on the Cheap article! It originally ran on May 24, 2007. Enjoy!

This weekend I'll be on the East coast to be a bridesmaid in one of my dear friend's wedding! This is the first time I've been a bridesmaid, and I've discovered that it is rather expensive! Here are some small ways to cut down on the cost of clothes and staying there-

Beauty:

• If at all possible, buy your dress, shoes, purse, etc on E-bay. If the bride is using a chain like David's Bridal, this is a bit easier. Try on the dress in the store to be sure of the size, then try to find it on E-bay. Be sure to know the style number and the color. The same goes for shoes and accessories. Get that worn once dress at a fraction of the cost!
• Even if you buy the dress new, get the alterations done by a local seamstress. The bridal stores charge an arm and a leg.
  
• If the bride wants you to have your nails done, get them done at a local beauty college before you travel to the wedding. I got silk wraps for 15 dollars (I had a coupon!) at the beauty college. If the bride wants you to have a specific polish color that you can't get at the beauty college, get the fake nails at the college and do the polish at the bride's salon. A polish is much less expensive than acrylics or silk wraps.
• Getting your hair done at a beauty college can save you a small fortune as well.
• After the wedding, have your dress cleaned and sell it on E-bay. If you bought it on E-bay, you may well be able to get back all the money you paid. If you bought it new, you still will make something back. Be honest: will you really ever wear it again?
  

Hotel tips:

• If you stay in a hotel, try to stay in one with a kitchen. I have a long week- the rehearsal is on Thursday and the wedding is on Sunday. I am staying at a place with a kitchen, so I can go buy groceries and cook most meals for myself. Even if I buy full price things, it will be more healthful and less expensive than eating out three meals a day for four days.
• Use services like Priceline to find a hotel. If the bride and groom have reserved a block of rooms, compare the price to nearby hotels. Just because you're sleeping somewhere else does not mean you can't hang out with everybody.

Since I live so far away, I did not have to do any of the hen parties or showers, which I hear are getting quite ridiculous these days. Maybe my readers can leave some cost cutting tips for those in the comments.

Frugal Reruns: Have a Goal

Welcome to my week of reruns! I'm out of town at Exotic Location...so enjoy a blast from the past until I return! In this entry, from February of 2006, went over why I started to be consciously frugal:

For me, frugality started with a goal.

I always knew that I wanted to live alone at least once before I married. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, if need be. I wanted to have time to reflect, to be by myself, to do everything without somebody there to help me. I did not anticipate getting married so young- I thought I had lots of time!

Enter my engagement during my junior year of college. The wedding was set for just after my graduation. To attain my goal, I would have to live alone during my senior year of college. My favorite roommate ever was graduating anyway, so it seemed extra appealing to not do roommate roulette again.

My parents were not as keen on the plan as I was. They did pay my room and board in the college dorms, and said they would help me find an apartment as well, if it did not exceed the cost of the dorm. (Dorms are very, very expensive, so that was not hard.) After doing some research, they said that I could live alone if I could do the following:

1. Find an apartment within walking distance of campus. (There were no single dorm rooms at my school. We were so overcrowded that people were living in the study lounges.)

2. Find an apartment for $350 or less. (Which was the going rate of a room in a shared house or apartment in that area.)

3. Pay my own utilities.

4. I had to pay the deposit and such by myself.


These things seemed impossible. I worked every summer, but my money always started getting low by the end of the school year. I had no loans, and had to buy my books and pay all fees, etc out of my money. Apartments in my area were not cheap, and in walking distance of the school? Very hard. My mother suggested that I find a roommate and just have my own bedroom. I reminded her that this defeated the purpose of living alone.

I was determined.

So, long story short, I found a hole in the wall tenement studio apartment three blocks from the school, for 325 a month, utilities paid. (Paid utilities was unheard of in that area.) My parents were shocked to say the least. They set forth those conditions because they thought them impossible, and that I would be forced to find a roommate. Parents out there- if you don't want your kid to do something, just say no. If they are determined, they WILL find a way!

So I had my 200 square foot apartment, with utilities. What I did not have were cabinets (really- none!) or any decent closet space, except one very small one that was 15 inches wide and 15 inches deep. I had a fridge that was slightly bigger than a mini-fridge, with one of those tin freezers inside the fridge part. I had no bathtub, just a small shower. No cabinets in the bathroom, just a shelf over the toilet. I truly sympathize with people who say they cannot bulk buy because of lack of room and freezer space. I've been there.

My parents grudgingly gave me the promised 350 a month, which left 25 dollars extra for my other expenses. I had a job at the library where I got 200 dollars a month, paid on the last day of the month. (Even now, I hate getting paid monthly.) I needed to survive, and save money for my upcoming marriage. I had to make this work. I was determined to make this work with no debt.

If I knew then what I know now, I'm sure I could have done much better, but everybody has to start somewhere.

Rerun: How Can I Be Frugal When I Have No Time?

My goodness, I am tired! We had out of town guests this weekend, and instead of being able to regroup today, I went to work. I'm always amazed at how sitting and staring at paperwork makes me so tired. I can barely function right now, so it looks like an early bedtime for me! But you can still save money when you have no time. I'm rerunning and article I wrote in 2006 on that very theme, as a reminder that it is possible! This very minute, tomorrow's meatloaf is all ready in the fridge to be popped into the crockpot tomorrow morning. Lunches are already packed. Breakfast is in the freeze-muffins freeze beautifully and melt in no time in the microwave. Do not despair if you think you must be a homemaker to be frugal. It does make it easier, but that does not mean working people have no hope!

From 2006:

How Can I Be Frugal When I Have No Time?

My sister and I were discussing frugality the other day on the phone. She and I have always been opposites when it comes to money. My sister would always have her allowance spent the second she got it, from the time it was .50 cents a week until it was 16 dollars a month. (When we turned 10, we got however old we were a month until we turned 16 and could get a job.) She got herself into a ton of credit card debt in college. My parents helped her make a budget, and she paid off most of the cards. I'm so proud of her progress. She recently asked me for advice on how to save money, since she wants to start a better cash cushion for an emergency fund and pay off her remaining cards before her wedding next year. Ecstatic that somebody I knew actually wanted me to talk about frugality, I promptly sent her a copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

A few weeks later I got, "These were very good ideas, but I don't have time to do all this frugal stuff! You stay at home! You don't know what it's like to be tired at the end of the day."

My sister works very long hours and currently lives alone. She frequently works 12 hour shifts, and she often works weekends and holidays.

Yes, it's true that I stay home currently, but that was not always true, nor will it always be true. I will say that it is much, much easier to be frugal now that I'm not out of the house 50+ hours a week. It's harder to be frugal when you're busy and tired, but it is not impossible. Even if you can only do a few things, something is better than nothing. If you read something like the Tightwad Gazette and expect to suddenly do all your own car repairs, bake all your own bread, eat food you grew in your own giant garden and shop only at garage sales, you will set yourself up for failure. Take small steps with things that you can fit into your lifestyle.

Here's some frugal things that were not terribly difficult to do even when I worked. They are small things, but a few small savings here and there add up.

Using a crock pot. I love my crock pot. I have two crockpots, so I can make and entree and a side dish, or one can be in the dishwasher while the other is cooking dinner. The secret to me actually using my crockpot was putting it together the night before. I would assemble the dish, put the crock part in the fridge, and put the heater part out on the counter so I would remember to start it. When I came home tired and hungry, dinner was ready. The internet has many recipes for the crock pot. My favorite crock pot cookbook (check the library) is Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. It has great recipes that do not rely only on large cuts of red meat and canned cream soups.

Using Cloth Napkins. We got them for wedding gifts, but I see them at thrift stores all the time. Even if you buy them new at Wal-Mart, the cost is fairly small. We each have our own, and I throw them in the wash with the rest of the laundry when I do it. I do not change them for each meal or even each day. If it's more than the two of you, color coding may be helpful.

No cable TV. I was not home to watch it anyway, so why shell out the money?

Sign up for the auto pay option on your bills. This saves time and money. It saves on stamps, and if you're prone to paying late because you're so busy you forget to write a check, it can save you a hefty late fee. I was nervous about doing this at first, but all the places that I've signed up to do this send me a bill before they draw on the funds, so I know exactly how much they'll be taking. One of the best things I ever did.

Secondhand stores. Assess your needs. If you know you're going to need some new work outfits soon, start looking. Don't wait until you *have* to have a new outfit, then go out and buy one. Watch for signs of wear and tear before you need it, and start keeping an eye out at secondhand stores. This does take more time, but the savings are amazing.

Failing that, check out discount stores like Ross and Gordman's. I've gotten some of my best work clothes at these stores. Try to make sure everything you buy can be more than one outfit. Can you wear that blouse with your skirt and your slacks? Will that jacket go with more than the skirt is comes with? This really helps stretch your work wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Do the dishes and clean up the kitchen before you go to bed. I know you're tired. But keeping the kitchen even halfway clean will do wonders for your desire to be there. If I knew I was coming home to three days worth of dishes piled up in the sink and the breakfast mess on the table, I was far more likely to stop off at Qdoba for dinner. Frugal Mom mentions how keeping her kitchen clean helps her stay on track. If you keep it fairly picked up, it becomes easier to keep clean.

There are tons more ideas. The trick is to do small things that you can incorporate into your lifestyle and the time you have. It does not take longer to use a cloth napkin. It saves time to use a crockpot. It takes just as long to spend 2 dollars at Goodwill as it does to spend 20 dollars at Ross or 200 dollars at a fancy store.

My sister has dusted off her crockpot, and has reported that she already spends less at Wendy's. I'm so proud of her!