Frugal Fridays: Trimming Your Budget To The Bone

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday October 23, 2009 · 12:40 PM PDT

2009/10/23 · 12:40

Although there have been some promising signs that the US economy as a whole may be rebounding, it's going to be quite a while before those trends (if they are, in fact, truly positive) make their way down to the household finances of many individuals. So lots of people are still looking for ways to trim their already frugal budgets even further.

If you have already been cutting back, you may think you have no further to go, but there may still be areas you can reduce your costs that you haven't thought of. The best way to find these areas may be to have fresh eyes look at your budget. Show your household expenses to a trusted friend or family member and together you may be able to spot waste you previously overlooked. If you don't have someone you can trust to help you, make one up. Sit alone in a room with your bills, and look at each one and explain out loud why this expense is necessary to your health and happiness. Just the act of putting such an argument into words may be enough to help you spot some expenses you can do without.

Poll

430 votes Show Results

Are you trying to reduce your household spending?

430 votes Vote Now!

Are you trying to reduce your household spending?

I am happy with how much I spend and don't need to change.

48 votes

I did cut back already, but I'm not looking to reduce any more.

83 votes

I have been trying to cut back, but I don't see any real change.

51 votes

I am cutting back every day that I can.

129 votes

I have slashed my budget to a minimum, but I still am in trouble.

69 votes

I have trimmed my pie budget significantly.

50 votes

Books by Kossacks

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday October 13, 2009 · 5:40 PM PDT

2009/10/13 · 17:40

It's been a few couple since I last posted the canonical list of books by kossacks (or former kossacks or close relatives of kossacks). If you haven't seen the list before, be sure and check it out.

As usual, if you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email. Please be sure to let me know whether you would like your dkos ID included or if you would prefer to be added anonymously.

Don't forget, if you like to talk about books, be sure to check out the weekly diary series What Are You Reading and Bookflurries. For writers, check out the new series: Write On!.

Special shoutout to the sole new addition to the list this week: Greg Callus.

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday October 09, 2009 · 12:43 PM PDT

2009/10/09 · 12:43

Most of us know we should spend less and save more. Just like we know that we should eat less and exercise more. Unfortunately, it's really hard sometimes to stop yourself in the moment from spending money you regret later. I thought this would be a good week to devote to all the tricks and techniques I've used and some I've just heard about to help you control your spending urges. Please share your own favorite ideas in the comments and if you have any good ideas for helping make me eat less and exercise more, feel free to pass those on too. That's one area I of my life that could really use improvement.

Poll

49 votes Show Results

Pick the caegory that best describes you

49 votes Vote Now!

Pick the caegory that best describes you

My spending/saving and eating/exercise are both well in control.

3 votes

My spending/saving is in control, but I need to work on my eating/exercise.

29 votes

My eating/exercise is in control, but I need to work on my spending/saving.

5 votes

I am out of control with both spending/saving and eating/exercise.

9 votes

I only spend on pie, and then I eat it.

3 votes

Frugal Fridays: Retirement Savings

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday October 02, 2009 · 1:32 PM PDT

2009/10/02 · 13:32

I was having a discussion with some friends the other day about retirement accounts, and I realized that there is enough confusing terminology and conflicting theories of advice, that it would be a good idea to go over some of of this stuff in detail. If you don't yet have a retirement account, or if you have one, but you don't really know what to do with it, follow me below the fold for some basic info. I'm focusing in this article on tax advantaged plans, ones that are subject to IRS regulations, because they generally provide some extra tax advantage, but keep in mind that there is nothing stopping you from putting your retirement savings into a standard savings or investment account or instrument.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional in any financial field. If you catch any errors I've made below, please correct me in the comments.

Poll

92 votes Show Results

Do you have a retirement plan?

92 votes Vote Now!

Do you have a retirement plan?

I have a pension plan.

5 votes

I have a 401K.

11 votes

I have some combination of accounts (IRA, 401K, pension, ...).

58 votes

I have a can of money buried in the back yard.

4 votes

I will be selling pie on the street corner.

14 votes

Books by Kossacks

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday September 29, 2009 · 5:55 PM PDT

2009/09/29 · 17:55

It's been a few weeks since I last posted the canonical list of books by kossacks (or former kossacks or close relatives of kossacks). Although there aren't any new additions, if you haven't seen the list before, be sure and check it out.

Don't forget, if you like to talk about books, be sure to check out the weekly diary series What Are You Reading and Bookflurries. For writers, check out the new series: Write On!.

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 18, 2009 · 12:14 PM PDT

2009/09/18 · 12:14

A few weeks ago I did a diary on various free stuff you can get over the internet. Since then, I've found a few more that should be included on that list. I know that this isn't quite enough to warrant a real diary, so use this space to share your free (and cheap) ideas as well.

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 11, 2009 · 12:12 PM PDT

2009/09/11 · 12:12

Most everybody can think about money issues when they are sitting at home writing checks to pay bills, but it can be more difficult to keep track of your spending when you are out and about. This is unfortunate, since this is when most of us rack up charges where savings are important. With the new popularity of smart phones, I thought this would be a good time to look at some of the ways you can use that phone to help you save money in your everyday life. Since I myself have an iPhone, that's what I know best, but to take advantage of most of these tips you don't need any iPhone specific software. As a matter of fact, most of these could be done just by carrying a small notepad with you wherever you go.

Poll

50 votes Show Results

Do you have a smart phone?

50 votes Vote Now!

Do you have a smart phone?

I don't even have a cell phone.

11 votes

I have a pocket computer or PDA, but it's not a phone.

0 votes

I have a cell phone, but it has no smart features.

13 votes

I have a cell phone with a camera.

19 votes

I have a smart phone, but I only use it for games.

3 votes

My phone is my auxiliary brain.

3 votes

I order pie on my phone and have it delivered to me on the go.

1 vote

Books by Kossacks

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday September 08, 2009 · 5:27 PM PDT

2009/09/08 · 17:27

Welcome to the canonical list of books by kossacks (or former kossacks or close relatives of kossacks). As usual, if you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email. Please be sure to let me know whether you would like your dkos ID included or if you would prefer to be added anonymously.

Don't forget, if you like to talk about books, be sure to check out the weekly diary series What Are You Reading and Bookflurries. For writers, check out the new series: Write On!.

Special shoutout to the new additions to the list this week: Barrett Brown, Sally Schneider, Jane Stillwater and Michele Swenson.

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 04, 2009 · 12:19 PM PDT

2009/09/04 · 12:19

I seem to have completely drawn a blank on coming up with a new topic for today, and since I also ran out of time, I decided to just repost a diary from a couple years ago on how to save money when shopping for clothing. If you've seen it before, you can skip to the comments and add your suggestions on where to find bargains for your wardrobe.

I'm afraid that this will be heavily slanted towards women's clothing, since that's what I mainly shop for, but I hope that some of the commenters will have some good suggestions for men and children as well. The one thing that I want stress is the most frugal option is not always the cheapest option. When trying to decide whether something is a bargain or not, I try to project the CPW factor (cost per wearing) and determine how that compares with other items of a similar purpose. For example, the CPW for a fancy dress is going to be much higher than one for a shirt, no matter how great a bargain you find on that dress.

Poll

24 votes Show Results

What do you think of reposting old diaries?

24 votes Vote Now!

What do you think of reposting old diaries?

You should never do it. It would have been better to put up an open thread diary.

1 vote

I'm not against it in principal, but this one isn't helpful.

1 vote

It's OK to do it once in a while, but don't make a habit of it.

7 votes

I love it. I wasn't here years ago, so I really want to see things I missed.

13 votes

It would have been better if this diary was about pie.

2 votes

Frugal Fridays: Freshman Finances

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday August 28, 2009 · 12:51 PM PDT

2009/08/28 · 12:51

This is the time of year when students are heading off to college, so I thought this would be a good week to pass on some financial hints and money saving tips that would be useful for those young adults just starting out.

Somebody wise (hi mom!) once said that going to college was how the middle class in America runs away from home. There is a lot of learning that goes on in this transition period where one grows from being a dependent child to an independent adult. Much of this learning has nothing to do with classrooms. For many young people, this is the time when they first learn how to cook a meal, how to do laundry, and how to handle their own finances. The way most people learn something new is to try an approach, note the consequences of mistakes and correct those mistakes in the future. While there are few long lasting consequences to errors in cooking or doing laundry (as long as you don't count wearing pink underwear), this "learn by doing" approach can be very detrimental when it comes to matters of finances. Bad decisions in finances can haunt you for years or even decades.

Fortunately, most of the critical information you need to know can be summed up as the 3 C's of financial health: Compounding, Credit, and Coupons.

Poll

49 votes Show Results

Does the fall season mean back to school for you?

49 votes Vote Now!

Does the fall season mean back to school for you?

No. I haven't been in school for a long time.

25 votes

Not for me, but it's back to school time for my kids (or spouse).

11 votes

Yes, I'm still in school, but not college yet.

0 votes

Yes, I'm in college.

0 votes

Yes, I'm in graduate school.

0 votes

Yes, I'm a teacher.

8 votes

I'm starting my own pie eating school this week.

5 votes

Frugal Fridays: Is There Such a Thing as a Free Lunch?

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday August 21, 2009 · 12:10 PM PDT

2009/08/21 · 12:10

I'm back from my Netroots Nation hiatus and as the summer draws to a close, I'm sure most of us are feeling like it's time to start tightening the old financial belt after some vacation excesses this summer.

My mother always told me there was no such thing as a free lunch. If somebody is giving you something for "free" they usually have a hand in your pocket you don't see. While that is true, for the most part, there are times where the thing you have to give up to get your free gift is of so little value to you, that it is essentially free.

There is this newfangled thing out there called "the internet" and, believe it or not, you can use it to access all sorts of free or low cost items. Follow me below the fold to see some of what you can find.

Poll

74 votes Show Results

What are you willing to give up for something "free".

74 votes Vote Now!

What are you willing to give up for something "free".

Nothing. I just don't trust those kinds of offers.

22 votes

I'll watch an ad on my computer.

11 votes

I'll give out my email address.

9 votes

I'll give out my home address.

2 votes

I'll give up some of my time.

11 votes

I'll drive across town in rush hour traffic.

1 vote

I'll do something even more extreme.

2 votes

I will do whatever you ask, as long as there is pie.

16 votes

Books by Kossacks

sarahnity

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday August 18, 2009 · 6:08 PM PDT

2009/08/18 · 18:08

Don't forget, if you like to talk about books, be sure to check out the weekly diary series What Are You Reading and Bookflurries (on hiatus till August). For writers, check out the new series: Write On!.

Special shoutout to the new addition to the list this week: Steven Axelrod, Maria Bustillos, Tim Wise, and Leigh Stringer.

Newer
Older

RSS

Frugal Fridays: Trimming Your Budget To The Bone

Books by Kossacks

Frugal Fridays: Controlling the Urge

Frugal Fridays: Retirement Savings

Books by Kossacks

Frugal Friday: Free for All

Frugal Fridays: Being Frugal On the Go

Books by Kossacks

Frugal Fridays: I Haven't a THING to Wear! (redux)

Frugal Fridays: Freshman Finances

Frugal Fridays: Is There Such a Thing as a Free Lunch?

Books by Kossacks