Readers' Tips
Eleven years ago, I found myself going through a divorce and
suddenly single. I had a $1200 mortgage payment and a job
making $10.50/hour. The first thing I did was find a roommate.
It wasn't my preferred way of living, but it did add $6,000 to
my yearly income, plus cut my utilities in half. Then, I
looked for a better paying job. After a couple of years, I was
able to drop the roommate and live alone again. As soon as I
could, I started saving $100/month into a mutual fund, and I
kept increasing my contribution rate as I was able to. That
fund has over $80,000 now and will cover me in the worst of
scenarios in case of job loss and possibly pay off my mortgage
early. I've changed jobs three times since then, always
looking for companies that offer better opportunities. I now
make over four times what I did 10 years ago. It's possible to
live well as a single, but it takes sacrifices at times. I
still drive my 1987 Honda, for example. Be frugal and be
proud!
Stephanie
more suggestions for living frugally as a single
Being on a budget can feel a little stifling. You feel like
you can't go out to eat or to a movie. My suggestion is to ask
family/friends to give you gift cards as presents for
birthdays or holidays. If you're like most people, you already
have pretty much everything you actually need. So asking for
the things you want and are trying to cut back on as gifts can
really help to keep you on track with your budget. Ask for
gift cards to the movies, fast food and gas! Ask for the books
you've been wanting or a subscription to a magazine. These
will not only help you out and make you happy, but it can be
more affordable for your family and friends to get for you.
DeAnna D.
For those of us who itemize deductions, I had a revelation
this year. The IRS says that you can either compute an average
deduction, or claim the actual expense you have in paying
sales taxes on everything throughout the year. Normally I
would choose their computation. However, this past year I
happened to have gotten lazy and had just thrown every receipt
I ever got into a folder. Since we are on a more limited
budget now, I decided to add up all the sales tax we had paid
and compare it to the IRS' average. Imagine my shock when it
turned out that I would have cheated myself by more than $580
if I had taken the average. I will now save every receipt I
get as documentation and take what I actually pay on sales tax
each year.
Kamia
Sometimes bargains can be found in unexpected places. In the
past, it never used to occur to me to ask for a special deal
when taking "adult education" classes. I was about to enroll
my son in a course that would ordinarily cost $650. This time,
I called up the school and asked whether there were
scholarships available. To my surprise, the answer was yes,
and they emailed me a very short and undemanding scholarship
request form. We filled it in and asked for a scholarship
based on his status as an unemployed young man who is
presently not attending school, our own high medical bills,
and the fact that he plans to build his career around the
subject matter contained in the course. We got the
scholarship, a 50% reduction in the price, and he will now be
taking this class for $325! My motto has always been, "There's
no harm in asking!"
Celeste L.
We have car rules for when traveling under one hour, one way.
They include no radio, CDs, I-Pods, MP3s, DVDs, hand-held
games or other electronic devices. People may bring books,
toys (whatever they are willing to lose parts for) or crafts.
Conversation is always welcome and it shows up. Friends coming
with? No problem. They have to follow the car rules as well.
We have solved the world's problems in our car. Everyone is on
neutral ground. Our son returns from college and asks to run
errands with us, so he can talk. I pick up our daughter from
school, and she immediately tells me about her day. When life
goes sour for them, they ask if we can go for a drive. We have
driven ten hours straight, and no one thought about putting on
the radio or stopping to buy batteries.
Jan F. in Minnesota
One idea I have started using lately is to skip going to the
store at least once a month. You get what you need but not as
much of the other stuff that balloons the bill. This saves at
least half of the cost of a trip to the store for that month.
Judy S.
About once a month, we check our local salvage store. I find
great bargains. People think that when an item is sold in a
salvage store, it is not safe to consume. I have found
packages of cereal, dog food, pasta, etc. for sale at rock
bottom prices simply because the package is a little crushed.
The contents were fine, not damaged. My store charges $1.25
for a box of Rice-a-Roni. At the salvage store, I pay 59 cents
simply because the box is a little unattractive.
Cindy C.
I live in a small town (pop. 1000) and felt like the lone
thrifty person around for years. I started teaching classes on
frugal living through our local community education. In ten
years, I have met dozens of like-minded souls who have become
friends, resources, and great support. Even if you don't feel
called to teach, look around for classes, clubs, or groups
that might meet.
Deb J.
I've found a couple of websites that pay cash for used books.
They are cash4books.net and bookemporium.com. Both are
mainly for non-fiction books, old textbooks, technical
manuals, etc. But I have also sold a few fiction books to
them. You look up the ISBN on their sites to see if they are
buying it, and if so, they will tell you the price that they
would pay. Check both sites, as sometimes one site will buy a
book and the other isn't interested, or they will offer
different prices. Cash4books.net does not have a minimum
order, and bookemporium.com requires a minimum $10 order. It
is completely free. You print off a packing list to include in
the box, as well as prepaid mailing label, so you don't have
to pay any shipping charges either. You get an email when they
receive your books, and about a week after that, you get your
check in the mail! Cash4books even adds an extra 3% to your
payment amount if you choose to use PayPal instead of them
cutting you a check! So far, I've made about $100 and have
been able to declutter some of my older books from my
bookcases.
Marla B. in Holland, MI
I keep a spray bottle of 2/3 white vinegar and 1/3 water next
to the kitchen sink. When I have dishes or utensils that need
extra scrubbing because of dried on grime, I simply spray with
my spray bottle, wait a few minutes and wash as usual. No more
elbow grease needed!
Jacqueline K.
I work for a medium-sized law firm. My buddy was heading to
the Verizon store to pay his bill and I tagged along. While
there, I decided to purchase a cell phone holster for my
mother (she is on my cell phone plan for savings purposes and
I had recently convinced her to upgrade her phone for free).
When the sales clerk was ringing up my purchase, he asked if I
had a workplace discount. I assured him that I didn't and he
asked where I worked. When I told him, he said, "Oh, I set up
their account. You have a 10% discount." He applied this to my
purchase and to my monthly statement. The monthly savings will
pay for a little more than one cell phone bill per year!
Perhaps others out there work for mid- to large-sized firms
and are also unaware of discounts they are eligible for
through their workplace. My compliments to the Verizon clerk
for taking the time to check!
Zane
One way to get good, even great quality furniture is auctions.
You can find solid wood dining and living room sets from the
30s, 40s and 50s. Maybe Grandma has passed on and relatives
don't want it (they would rather spend thousands for particle
board). With a little Old English scratch polish, one has a
beautiful set that still has value. You can resell at auction
when tired of it.
H.
I like the idea of the reloadable gift card for spending
money. I have done that with my "clothing allowance." Being an
avid clothes shopper, I budget for the clothing I may want
with whatever percentage that works for my budget. I put that
on the reloadable card. When the clothing allowance is gone,
it's gone until next time. This way, I can get a garment
anytime from almost anywhere on the Internet or at the store
or a catalogue. It goes on this budgeted gift card. This works
for me! I don't feel like I've overspent, and I'm not guilty
of bringing something new home without thinking about it
first. My "wants" no longer interfere with my "needs."
C in South Carolina
According to the United States Postal Service website, on May
12, 2008, postage is going up one cent on first class stamps.
However, if you purchase stamps now at 41 cents with the
"forever liberty bell" logo, you can send your mail after May
12 with them being honored for the 41 cents you already paid.
It's time to stock up on stamps. A two-ounce letter will be 59
cents and postcards will be 27 cents. I don't believe there
are forever stamps for anything but first class. Check with
the post office or go to www.usps.com for more information.
Those pennies add up as we all know! Skip the pretty picture
stamps, get the forever stamps, and save!
Jacque Z. in Iowa
My husband leaves early for work and leaves the coffee pot on
for me. He doesn't completely empty the pot with his morning
coffee. So, there is usually about a cup and a half left
there. When I get up, I just add two cups of fresh water and
brew more. The coffee that has been in there is usually very
strong from being heated so long and adding the fresh water is
like brewing fresh coffee. So, it has really saved me money on
not needing fresh grounds to be brewed. A scoop a day does add
up.
Brenda
Don't want to pay for the movies? You can "enlarge" any movie with a computer projector. Most projectors will have plug-ins that will work with a DVD player or VCR. If you use a DVD or VCR, then you'll want to plug the sound into a set of speakers. If you use a laptop, then you can plug a set of external computer speakers into it. You can use a white wall to project the movie on and then show the movie for a party or large group.
Note that you can not charge a fee or advertise the "showing"
because of copyright issues. Our local community does an
outdoor movie. It is free to the public, but they have to pay
a fee to use the film, equipment and movie rights. With some
planning, you can enjoy a movie with a group of friends for
maybe the cost of renting a movie.
Monica
What would you do with an extra $100? One lucky Dollar Stretcher "tipster" will win a $100 check each month just for sending in their favorite time or money saving idea. It could be you. Just send your suggestion to Tips@ stretcher.com. If we use your tip in any of our publications, we'll send you the next three issues of our print newsletter as a "thank you" and you'll automatically be entered into our monthly $100 drawing!
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Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips@ stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers!
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