Focus on big ticket items. Let’s face it, pencils are almost literally a dime-a-dozen. Around the beginning of the school year everywhere you look you’re going to meet amazing deals on back-to-school basics like pens, pencils, and notebooks. Finding basic school supplies deals is not the challenge. That’s why you have to focus on the big ticket items, things like backpacks, graphing calculators, computers, etc. Keeping a focus on those items that are sure to cost the most means you’ll find the deals on the items that matter.

Follow your favorite stores for deals on clothes. In this age of the internet, every clothing store on earth has a website and a mailing list. While getting tons of pesky e-mails asking you to buy things can be annoying, it can also save you money. If you like to do your children’s clothes shopping at a certain store, sign up for their e-mail list; it’s only a matter of time before the deals will arrive in your inbox. With the advent of social media, finding deals at your favorite stores is even easier. Make sure you like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Invest in lunchbox. Let’s face it, paying for a hot lunch everyday at school adds up quickly. That’s why it makes sense to spend a few extra dollars at the beginning of the school year on lunch packing supplies. Make sure you buy a quality lunchbox or bag, something that will keep things hot or cold. Also spend some money on lunchbox ice packs to keep things at the right temperature. It also makes sense to spend some money on a good water bottle that can be used throughout the year.  You don’t want to keep buying replacements for these items so buy quality the first time.

Hit end of summer sales. As the temperatures outside start to go down, so do prices in the stores. Take advantage of this seasonal reduction in prices to get the best deals on the things you know you’ll need for the new school year.

Stick to the list. Sometimes it’s easy to get a little carried away when buying a lot of the little things for the kids. They just seem to make things too dang cute these days. Exercise some restraint and only buy those things that they need and your wallet will thank you.

Hold off on buying trendier gear. This might be the most insightful tip on this list. Trends change fast. The coolest or trendiest pencil box at the end of the school year is probably not the coolest new thing when school starts up again in September. By holding off on buying the trendy gear for later, you can avoid your school-age child coming to you with a perfectly good school items that they want to get rid of because thy aren’t cool anymore. You do not need this headache. Do yourself a favor and wait to buy.

So parents, any other money saving ideas as we approach the start of a new school year? Share away…

Article publié pour la première fois le 10/09/2012

The post Back To School Savings first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

Exercises using your own body weight.  Don’t underestimate good old lunges, push-ups, or even dance. Who needs fancy equipment when you can just use what God gave you?!  In fact, using your own body weight for exercise not only lets you improve specific muscles, it works your overall body, meaning you’ll have better core strength and balance. Sometimes going back to the basics is better than any current fad or fancy fitness fluff.

Making your own equipment using household items.  Need weights to lift? Guess what? Your house is full of heavy stuff you can lift. Weight is weight, be it a fancy weight set or simple milk jugs filled with water or, if you’re feeling strong, sand. Use those annoying phone books they seem to keep printing (who uses those anyway?) for stair steps. With a little creativity, you’ll realize you’re living in a gym already (hopefully with less sweat and a better smell).

Use public parks, trails, and other free amenities. Next time, instead of heading to the gym, go to a public park. You’d be amazed at all the ways to work out with the things you’ll find there. Try doing pull ups on the monkey bars (but first make sure there aren’t any kids around, you don’t want to be embarrassed and it’s just creepy). Many parks have walking/jogging trails you can use. The possibilities are endless. These days, many cities are implementing the new idea of adult fitness parks geared specifically for grown people to use for working out.  Free, fresh air fitness!

Play sports with out equipment.  If you think about it, there are plenty of sports that require little or no equipment to fully enjoy. Running, kickball, yoga, touch football, soccer; all of these can be done with little more that yourself and maybe a few friends. So, get out and play around a little. It’s the most fun way to get in shape.

If you do want to join a gym or fitness club there are ways to save some dough.  Remember your neighborhood YMCA—tons of great facilities and classes at a reasonable price.  Look into smaller clubs or specialty gyms.   Maybe you don’t care if the place has rows upon rows of elliptical machines if all you really see yourself doing is swimming laps.  Often universities will allow non-students to use their gym, track, fields, courts, pools, and weight rooms for a small fee.  Many great fitness spots have family passes so everyone in your house can get in on the action and makes it cheaper overall.  Check any websites local gyms may have, they will advertise any special offers there.

What do you do to work out for pennies? Any other tips for saving money while spending calories?

Article publié pour la première fois le 28/01/2014

The post Free or Affordable Fitness first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

The GREAT Coupon Experiment aims to solve a mystery as old as the Sunday insert itself: Is coupon cutting really a feasible way for people with lives and dogs and families to save money?  My mother would say, “yes”; I would say, “I don’t know, that’s why I’m doing this experiment.” 

My results from weeks 3 & 4 are, well, different.  Starting in week 3 I began to supplement my newspaper clipping with some printable coupons from couponmom.com (you have to sign up, but it’s free, including junk mail, so be careful).  Coupon Mom told me I could cut my grocery bill in half!  But I didn’t.  Yet.

Some notes on the online coupons:

1.  I noticed alot of duplicate coupons online that were also in my newspaper.  So many duplicates, in fact, that I’ve decided to convert to only printable coupons.  Paying $2 for just for the Sunday Times really eats into my net savings.

2. Printable coupons are HUGE, so don’t print them on photo paper or anything.

Other Thoughts:

1.  In Week 3 I was stoked that I used 11 coupons; it was crazy, coupons were flying every-which-way.  But when I went to clip for Week 4, I noticed more of the same coupons (there’s only so much Hilshire Farm turkey that the husband will eat), so I didn’t use as many.

2.  I’m not incredibly happy with the coupons offered in the only newspaper that I have available.  I have good ol’ mom sending me some from her area and they are completely different.  So, just be aware that all inserts are not the same. 

3.  Week 2 is a bit of anomaly because I went to the regular Super Market and they do in-store sales, whereas the Commissary does not.

4.  I bought a coupon organizer this week.  Things.  Just.  Got.  Serious.

Have coupon or other money saving tips?  Share them with the group, don’t be stingy.

Might I Recommend:

The GREAT Coupon Experiment – Week 1

The GREAT Coupon Experiment – Week 2

Wal-Mart vs. Super Market vs. Commissary

Article publié pour la première fois le 22/06/2010

The post The GREAT Coupon Experiment – Weeks 3 & 4; I’m impatient. first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

Last week I told y’all how I’m helping the folks purge their closets, drawers, and cabinets of childhood “relics” that the sisters and I had left behind (either intentionally or unintentionally). 

Apart from some interesting finds – like my 5th grade autobiography/political manifesto (because of which I am now likely on some sort of government watch list; crazy crazy stuff) – most of my discoveries have been, as expected, crap. 

Some of the found items we could have never meant to leave behind, i.e. Hungry Hungry Hippos.  Many of the things, however, we simply couldn’t bring ourselves to throw away; but that didn’t mean we wanted them in our houses either.

So why do we keep junk?  Better yet, why do we buy it in the first place?

1. We are Delusional

I found 20 puzzles in one closet, several of which were unopened.  Did we delude ourselves into believing that we could be some sort of puzzle-doing maniacs?!  No one has ever done that many puzzles before, it’s impossible, which is perhaps why our puzzle goals were soon abandoned.

Puzzles left us with nothing but broken dreams and an incredibly cramped closet-space.

This is the type of crap that you buy because you envision it somehow changing/ enhancing your life in an unrealistic way and/or you overestimate how committed you will be to using it. 

Example:

If I buy this How to Learn Italian book, I will practice it every night.  Pretty soon, people will start recognizing how very cultured and fancy I am.  Then, Italians everywhere will embrace me as their own and give me free spaghetti. 

Anyone want to learn how to speak Italian?  I’ve got a book for ya.

2. It’s For/From Someone Else

Do the world a favor, don’t give crappy gifts gifts of crap.  I know, I know, it’s the thought that counts, but this is why I don’t like office Christmas parties. 

I don’t mind the $15 limit, but I do not want the singing Christmas fish or anything else equally “festive” or “hilarious”.  I feel guilty throwing these unused items in landfills, so they linger around the house even longer than they should.

Great idea: This year at your holiday work parties, everyone buy $15 worth of toilet paper, paper towels or ziploc bags.  Useful and thoughtful, it’s win-win-win.

Obligatory, last-minute, or unnecessary gifts can be dangerous.  If you give them, you may not realize that they could actually be causing more work for the receiver.  If you receive them, you may feel obligated to keep them around, even if you really don’t want to.

3. Crap is Hard to Get Rid Of

You have a junk-drawer.  Why?  It may be just 6 paces from the trash can, and yet it still collects. 

I’ve been through about 100 of ’em this week and I believe I’ve arrived at a sound junk-drawer theory: throwing something away requires making a decision, and sometimes it’s just easier to put that decision off until later – and sometimes the trash can is still too far away.

At times we revisit and past delusions (see #1 above) and start to believe again that we could be The Puzzle Master.  The longer it lingers, the greater our emotional-attachment to unimportant stuff becomes.  I realized this when my mother said we could give away the Christmas pot holders.

“You want to get rid of those?!” I cried.

“Yeah,” she stated.

“But those have been around forever!” I reasoned.

“Yeah, and I never liked or used them,” she stated again.

“Oh, well then, I guess we should get rid of them,” I agreed.

Don’t attach yourself emotionally to crap.  It’s ridiculous to place more value on something just because it has been hanging around for a while. 

Article publié pour la première fois le 02/11/2010

The post 3 Reasons Why We Keep & Buy Crap first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

One hot Las Vegas summer day a customer walked into the store and asked for a free sample of Rocky Road.  After enjoying his free sample, he stopped and stared at the tiny pink spoon for a moment.  Then came the query, “Just how many free samples can I get?”

“Uh . . . I don’t know,” said Matt.

“Well can I have one of each flavor?”

“Umm,” Matt puzzled with that dumb look teenagers do so well, and a lazy shrug of the shoulders. “Sure, I guess it’s okay.”

“Well, how much is a waffle cone?”

“25 cents. “

“In that case, I’d like to buy a waffle cone and get a sample scoop of each of the 31 flavors.”

And with that Matt went to work.  When all was said and done, it actually ended up being about the equivalent of three scoops of ice cream. It took some time to get into every ice cream bucket in the display case but soon the customer walked out smiling from ear to ear with his impressive rainbow menagerie of ice cream, free ice cream.

Friends, there is an easier way to get free ice cream and a bunch of other freebies too. There are hundreds of companies out there, including some of your favorites, which offer free goodies to loyal customers.  I am guessing that you already buy their products, so why not take advantage of some extra rewards?  These are not subscriptions you have to pay for, or a scheme you get roped into.  They usually have no strings attached, no obligation.  Companies just want to get their product in the hands of the people and keep them coming back for more.

These rewards can sometimes be collected when you sign up for their loyalty programs, others on your birthday, or on a special day each year such as National Doughnut Day in June when Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts offer freebies.   Sometimes the rewards may come on a significant day for the company—how about a free Slurpee from 7-Eleven on, you guessed it, July 11th?  Some companies, like Godiva Chocolates even have monthly rewards.  If you sign up for the IHOP email club you get a free meal when you sign up, another on your birthday and another on the anniversary of joining.  Three free meals!

In the category of ice cream, take your pick: Baskin Robins, Cold Stone Creamery, and Ben & Jerry’s all offer a free scoop for your birthday. Looking for something a little beefier for your b-day?  Red Robin offers a free birthday burger to club members.  Applebee’s and Chili’s have free desserts.  And for something a little faster and strictly causal, Burger King and McDonald both hand out happy birthday kids meals, even for adults!  Relive your childhood or rebel and get that cheeseburger mom never allowed.

Just think about which businesses, restaurants, or goodie shops are your favorites and sign up for their clubs.  Loyalty is worth a lot to these companies, so they are willing to give some of it away for free. Offers are posted in stores, on print ads, and certainly on the Internet.

So, my fellow freebie lovers, have you signed up for any loyalty programs? Do you use the rewards? What is the best free offer out there?  Do you find that companies make good on their promises in making your freebie dreams come true?

Article publié pour la première fois le 19/03/2012

The post What’s Better Than Ice Cream? Free Ice Cream! first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

Flipping through the drivel on cable television I stopped on E! because they are always talking about relevant issues and things that are important in my world.  Really, I just like a good bit of gossip, so don’t judge me.  In between hard-hitting news stories, What’s-her-face in the short skirt did a human interest piece about putting together an affordable, multi-purpose outfit; she called it a “Day to Night” outfit, which somehow seemed fancy.

Here’s the breakdown of the ensemble:

Black Dress – $245

Day Shoes – $30

Night Shoes – $79

Necklace – $30

Purse – $250

Grand Total – $634

Many thoughts coursed through my mind as this woman, sincerely serious, looked into the camera and called this an affordable outfit selection.  

1. Do the people at E! actually think I am stupid?

I assumed that they would refrain from judgment until they had actually met me, but I guess I was wrong.  Admittedly, I am not a member of the E! network’s target audience.  These people are preying on weak budgeters who are susceptible to the right suggestion from the rightly dressed girl.

2. Does this tactic actually sell more $250 purses?

Who knows?  It seems that they are selling more of a lifestyle.  Sure $634 is a lot to spend on an outfit, but slap the term ‘affordable’ on it and they reach out to the common woman.  Maybe a viewer won’t go out and buy the exact items on the list, but they might be more likely to get something similar. 

3. Why does it seem like everyone else’s ‘affordable’ is out of my price range?

I’ll go to Target and find a shirt for $3; I consider that a good deal.  In many of the magazines I read geared towards women, there are features like Real Simple’s “10 Finds Under $50.”  I guess I don’t consider $50 a “find” if it’s not some sort of large piece of furniture. 

Do you feel patronized by these types of advertising tactics?  Me too.  Me too.

Article publié pour la première fois le 23/07/2010

The post Budget Saboteurs – E! first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

And so when it comes to leaving the appropriate tip, I tend to be generous. 20% is a pretty standard tip for my family when we’re dining out; if my kids have been particularly messy – and the server has been particularly good-natured about it – I might leave 30%. My dad’s the type of guy who goes even further – he’s been known to leave $100 tips for his favorite servers at restaurants he and my mom frequent week in and week out. So I know what it means to leave an appropriate tip.

Which is why, after a recent meal at a local Italian restaurant, I felt so bad about tipping the waitress well below my usual 20% threshold.

It began innocently enough. We opted for Italian because if was a Friday in Lent and, as good Catholics, my husband and I were trying to avoid eating meat. We thought pizza and spaghetti would be a good choice, both for us and our two young children (ages 5 and 2). We’ve been to the restaurant in question several times before and have always had good (if slow) service.

We didn’t order anything out of the ordinary. My kids split a pepperoni pizza. My husband ordered a sandwich; I ordered a salad.

That’s not what made it to our table.

My kids ended up with a cheese pizza – no biggie, they’re just as happy with all cheese as they are with pepperoni. But instead of getting the caprese salad I’d requested, I ended up with tomato and beefsteak mozzarella on two pieces of bread; my husband didn’t get the portabello mushroom, peppers, and eggplant panini he’d ordered, but rather a salad with those toppings (raw, not grilled). In other words, the kitchen had given us each the inverse of our order.

When we mentioned this to the waitress, she suggested we just “swap” plates. I actually laughed at her, because I didn’t think she was serious, but she totally was. When I explained that I wanted a tomato salad, not a mushroom salad, she realized what was going on. It still took some convincing to get her to accept the fact that she was going to have to take the incorrect meals back to the kitchen and bring us what we’d actually ordered. It took us another 20 minutes to get our actual meals. By that time, the kids were done with their pizza and were antsy to be going (re: they were starting to act like hooligans and disturb other diners). We ultimately took our meals to go.

As we left, I paid the bill, leaving what amounted to a 10% tip. I know some people think that’s an appropriate tip in general, particularly for bad service; I know a few folks who think it’s absolutely okay to stiff a server. Having done the job for a few months, I could never do that. But leaving just 10% left me feeling guilty.

It’s not that the waitress was rude or anything – she was actually just clueless. Things that seemed common sense to me (ie, if you bring out the wrong food to a customer, you immediately replace it with the wrong dish, no questions asked!) puzzled her. My husband suggested I look at my low tip as a way of telling her, “Maybe this isn’t the job for you.” However, if she couldn’t figure out that our meals were wrong and needed to be fixed, I doubt she’d read between the lines of a small tip to see what I was actually trying to tell her.

So my question is, what do you consider to be an appropriate tip for bad service when dining out? Do you stiff a server, and if so, under what conditions? Or do you tip the same percent, regardless of service?

Article publié pour la première fois le 20/10/2014

The post What’s The Appropriate Tip For Bad Service? first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

To Save Money

Personal finance can seem cosmic.  As far as we know, it may actually be cosmic. 

Q: How do people accumulate millions, billions, gazillions of dollars in outer space? 

A: They don’t; the “cosmic” reference was really just a metaphor.

So, how do people accumulate all those dollars on Earth?  In many different ways: they inherit, they win, they gamble, they take out life insurance policies and hire hit men (JOKE).  But for the most part, “rich” people become rich by saving and investing.

Saving is step one.  That’s why I put it first.  I’m making a point here.

It’s Not Rocket Science:

The equation is simple.  Even math-haters read it and say, “well, duh.”  So, why is this equation so important?  Because it’s the only thing you need to know in order to save money: spend less than you earn.

I’ll throw another metaphor at ya: saving is the spaceship that brings you to the financial cosmos.

Terrible metaphor, I’m aware.

Forget the spaceship. 

You mathematicians will note that the ideal equation is limitless.  “More” and “fewer” are infinite; I suppose it really doesn’t take a mathematician to figure that out. 

There is always room to improve your budget and, believe it or not, you can always make more money.   

It’s more like getting kicked in the shins.

I’m not the first to put these ideas together, or this poop in a group if you will. 

The saving equation is simple, but the real trick is it’s execution.  Saving requires self-discipline, which, if you’ve ever been on a diet, you can attest is a both rare and exhaustible commodity. 

Photo Credit: NASA

Article publié pour la première fois le 05/10/2010

The post The Only Thing You Need to Know: first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

USAA Financial Power Pyramid @ USAA

The Power of Delaying Gratification @ Sweating the Big Stuff

The Cash Envelope Spending System @ Smart On Money

Should You Save Before Paying Down Debt? @ Punch Debt in the Face

Also be sure to check out the Carnival of Money Stories over at Nerd Wallet where my post What Would You Do? was featured.

Find more amazing reads by browsing through the Yakezie Blogroll.

Article publié pour la première fois le 24/09/2010

The post Around the Interwebs – Week of September 21st first appeared on Richly Reasonable.

Don’t get me wrong. I like having an afternoon off of work to hang with co-workers and eat, drink and be merry.  Even if the party is in a building conference room that’s been decorated with a certain lack of taste by a well-meaning co-worker rather than a “real place”, it’s still a nice thought. Since my state has faced serious budget cuts and we had our salaries cut 2 years ago, morale is low.  Like REALLY low. Holiday parties try to build back some of that morale and give us a chance to relax.

But my problem with holiday parties is this—there are too damn many. In the next 3 weeks, I will have 3 separate parties at work. And each one is a pot-luck. This where my problem begins.  To be clear, I do not expect my bosses to pay for our holiday parties nor do I have a problem with a pot-luck. I like to cook and bake. I enjoy both activities far more than I should.  However, when I have to shell out money for three different parties as well as devote precious time that I truly do not have to baking for each of these parties, I start to get a bit edgy.  Especially when I get 1-2 days notice.

I like to contribute to pot-lucks.  I also like to keep my budget within reason. To deal with the finances of 3 pot-lucks in 3 weeks, I’ve employed the following strategies:

• Bring desserts. Desserts are actually my specialty so making them is fun for me. What’s also nice about bringing desserts is that they’re significantly less expensive to make than main dishes. I have a few desserts that I use and the ingredients typically cost less than $10 total.
• Purchase ingredients throughout the year when they’re on sale. Most of the desserts I make for pot-lucks involve cake mix in one capacity or another. Throughout the year, cake mix goes on sale for $.89-$.99 per box. I usually keep 3-4 boxes of cake mix on hand because of these great prices, so when it comes to pot-luck time, I only have to pick up one or two items.
• Use what’s on hand. In addition to having cake mix on hand, I usually have the ingredients to make buttercream frosting as well (I make my own frosting. It’s super easy and tastes way better than what comes from a can). This means I can slap together cupcakes or a cake on a day’s notice.  This comes in handy if I don’t have time to run to the supermarket to pick up Reese’s Pieces or candy melts.
• Use seasonal ingredients. On the off chance I’m out of cake mix and other baking staples, I’ll try to locate a recipe online that uses seasonal ingredients like pumpkin or apples or gingerbread.  This helps save money and keeps with the theme of the parties, too.
• Offer to bring items no one else wants to. Pot-lucks are a time for people to show off their cooking and baking skills. Since I know mine are stellar, I don’t feel the need to show off (that much). So, sometimes I’ll offer to bring things like soda, plates and silverware, napkins—things that can be bought for relatively cheap at the grocery store or the dollar store across the street from our building. These things are a huge necessity and no one ever wants to bring them. I have no problem assuming this responsibility.

For me, pot-lucks also bring about the issue of food waste. During a season when we’re often asked to donate food, it hurts my head to see the amount of food that gets wasted during these events. Many people often overestimate the amount that needs to be made and while some people will bring leftovers home or leave the leftovers at work for people to eat the following day, I’ve seen my share of food get thrown out. This happens less with desserts. Selfish as it seems, it eases my conscience to provide a dessert that I know will not go to waste.

I appreciate the effort that goes into organizing an office holiday party. I welcome the idea of a pot-luck. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to spend a fortune feeding people I only speak to once or twice a month.

How do you deal with office pot-luck holiday parties?

Article publié pour la première fois le 12/12/2011

The post Affording the office pot-luck holiday party first appeared on Richly Reasonable.