Life at 1557 Main Street

Killing Clutter: Magazines

2012-01-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

Magazines are the kind of things that are really interesting. You pick one up at the store and think about how cool (and how much cheaper) it would be to just get the subscription at home.

And who could ever turn down a totally free subscription like that give with your entry to the Auto Show?

But we all know the problem with magazines.

We get them, maybe flip through, and then put them in a pile or on the floor or something.

We don't don't read that much of them but want to, so we don't throw them away.

Sometimes people even get those organizers and keep them indefinitely.

Clutter!!!

1. Don't subscribe to any magazine you aren't REALLY going to read, no matter how cheap. I will likely go to the auto show this week, but will not be signing up for the free Car & Driver magazine because I won't read it. I subscribed to Men's Fitness because it was so cheap, but I don't really read it, so I will not be renewing.

If there is an magazine that you actually read 90% of the articles, that's probably a keeper.

[side question: do you subscribe to a magazine you read the vast majority of?]

2. If there are a couple of articles I want to read, I'll rip them right out of the magazine and put them in a place I have downtime (by the bedside or in that other room where reading happens :-)

Don't keep magazines. Throw them out!!!

What other tips to you have for preventing magazine clutter?

Buying on Craigslist

2012-01-24T05:05:00.000-08:00

If you need (or really want) something but don't want to buy in new, where do you go?''

Yard sales?

You can get some great deals at yard sales, but they are too hit and miss if you are looking for a particular item. You'll waste lots of time.

The paper?

There are still classified ads in the paper. You can get some good deals there as well, but there are problems. The biggest issue here is that you can't see a picture of the item ahead of time. We all know that for every decent looking sofa, there are 30 hideous ones.

eBay?

This is a good option for finding lots of stuff. The problems? Too much buying competition (worldwide) and shipping costs, which make buying large items prohibitive.

The alternative?

Craigslist.

It's free to post and free to buy. You can haggle with the seller. You can get information before you buy.

I will post more in the future about how I use craigslist to both buy and sell to save and make extra money.

Have you ever used Craigslist to buy something? What was your experience?

Moving Beyond the Piggy Bank

2012-01-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

Every kid has a piggy bank, right?

I know that my kids do. It's like their own little bank account. But much like those of us who have one 'pot' with no real purpose, what those funds are for becomes kind of cloudy.

Some time ago our bank had a promo video for kids about saving, sharing and spending. The video suggested three jars for kids - one for spending money, one for sharing and one for saving.

All you need is three re-purposed jars (anybody know what these are from?).

We saved the jars over a few months time, cleaned them up and used a label maker to make the jars. I also cut slits in the top so that the kids can slide their coins in without having to open the lids.

Our kids get coins every evening that they do their 'jobs' (chores). We let them put their coins in whichever jar - or combination of jars - that they choose.

Spending is obvious.

The saving will go into their bank account (or a special purchase)

The sharing can be used for charities (their school sponsors several throughout the year, church offering, or something else appropriate.

What tips to you have for teaching kids good stewardship?

The Cost of Shopping as Entertainment

2012-01-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I want to write about on this blog is saving money and getting ahead financially (Not a strong area for me, unfortunately). Let's work on it together, okay?

"Hey, let's go to (fill in the blank) and look around." It really doesn't matter which store it is. Chances are, if it's a store you like, you'll probably buy something. (Yankee Candle will not tempt me).

When you walk in to waste some time and walk out $50 lighter, that can be dangerous.

This happens to me sometimes at a store around us called Ollies. There are some good deals to be had there, but (as my wife reminds me), just because it's a good deal, that doesn't mean I need to buy it. Doh!

It's a good sign that you wasted money if you can't remember what you bought a couple weeks later.

What about you - do you ever find yourself in this situation?

Where are you most likely to waste money shopping as entertainment?

Our House Being Built

2012-01-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

We certainly didn't have our house built ourselves!! But we bought it from the people that did. Over 50 years ago! I was fortunate enough to get a few pictures from when it was being built.

Does anybody else with an older home have pictures like of it being built?

Welcome

2012-01-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

This blog will be about life. Life raising a couple of crazy boys, working on our house and yard and all of the other crazy adventures that are life!