Oh yeah, and don’t think the state of Minnesota will send you a reminder or anything about said expiration date.  Because they won’t

So stop what you’re doing and check the expiration date on your card.  Then, figure out a way to remind yourself of that date – perhaps the Interwebs has an automatic reminder app.  You know IPhone does.  Because TRUST ME, you don’t want to find out your card has expired the hard way, i.e. the way I found out today.  I’m just saying.

On a final note, wasting time wastes money, too.  And that’s another one of life’s little lessons.  *sigh*

If I lived in Cincinnati, I’d be totally addicted to Skyline Chili.  It’s just that good, people.

Today’s post/Fox 9 Morning Buzz segment is all about math.  Math and ruining the Buzz crew’s (and everyone else’s) good time.  Because today, I focus on the cost benefits of giving up those bad – and not so bad – habits many of us have.  Like Diet Coke consumption and date night movies.  I know, I know, I can suck the joy right out of life.  But hey!  At least I’m helping you to save money.  And that counts for something, right?

BEHOLD MY MATH SKILLZ, HOMIES.  We begin with the habit no one can defend:

Quit Smoking

2 packs a day (like the Beastie Boys rap about)  = 730 packs a year

Carton at gas station = $55 average price for Marlboro Lights

10 packs of cigarettes in a carton = $5.50 per pack.

Total cost per year = $4,015

The average cigarette takes 5 to 7 minutes to smoke, each.  That’s at least 200 minutes if you smoke 2 packs a day.  That’s over 3 hours spent on smoking a DAY.  Fine, you can multi-task for some of those ciggie-butts, but not all of them.

.

Quit The Coffee Shop Habit*

Let’s assume you’re not me, and you drink just one cup of coffee a day.  Weird.

Cost of one large Fancy Coffee Shop specialty drink: $4.50, or $135 a month, not including tax and tip

Cost of one large Fancy Coffee Shop plain coffee: $2, or $60 a month, not including tax or tip

Cost of gas station coffee – specialty or plain: $1, or $30 a month

Cost of a high-end, name-brand coffee at the grocery store: $7.50 – which makes 67.5 cups.  That’s 11 cents per cup.  And one 11.5 oz container will make over 11 6-cup pots.

Cost of my favorite coffee from Target: $3.54 for the Market Pantry Breakfast Blend, or 5 cents a cup.

Quit Pop (Or At Least, Cut Back)*

The average Diet Cokehead drinks approximately 5 cans a day.

Cost for a 12-pack at the grocery store:  $4.79, or 40 cents a can.

Cost for 5 cans a day for one month:  $60 a month, or $720 a year

Cost if you cut down to just 2 cans a day:  $24 a month, saving you $432 in a year

Quit Those Friday/Saturday Night Trips To The Movies

There’s an average of 4 Fridays/Saturdays in a month.

Cost of adult tickets for Friday and Saturday night movies: $10, or $40 per month

AMC tickets for Monday – Thursday: $5, or $20 per month

Discount tickets at theaters like Hopkins Cinema: $3 maximum, or $12 per month

Cheapest Unlimited Netflix account: $8.99 a month for one movie at a time

Redbox per rental, per day: $1, plus tax – or $4 a month.  We have our winner!

*Warning – if you are giving up or cutting back on caffeine, do it slowly, and possibly consult your physician first.  Otherwise you WILL suffer from wicked withdrawal symptoms like headaches and irritability.

Last night, as I lay in bed, contemplating my navel – aka, wincing as odd aches and twinges ran up and down my legs – I reflected on my youth.  And cursed it.

Some of you may think this whole ‘being frugal’ bit started with my $20 Or Less On Everything I Buy Challenge of ’08, but no.  I was a tightwad penny-pincher looooooong before my 30’s.  And that youthful frugal living is currently kicking me in the ass, or rather, my legs.  Or rather, rather, the back of my legs, where my varicose veins live:

No, those are not my legs.

Yep.  Varicose veins.  Big, nasty-looking, hurty veins.  Hurty veins that have hurt me and my poor legs since I was 15 years old.  Varicose veins are hereditary and lucky me!  They run in my family, as well as up and down both my legs.  And idiot that I am, I’ve yet to have them removed.

You might think I’d want these bad boys gone for cosmetic reasons, and you’d be mostly right.  These things are U-G-L-Y, and they’ve got no alibi.  Plus, there is not enough tanning lotion/spray tan/fake baking in the world to completely cover them up.  However, for those of you bastards fortunate folk sans varicose veins, let me let you in on a little secret.  They hurt.  A lot.  All the time.

It’s a pain that’s hard to describe – a dull ache, weird twinges and vibrations, and a constant knowledge that your veins are THERE.  Trust me, it feels totally unlike muscle aches or joint ouchies.  How do I know?  Because I suffer from those, too.  Thank you, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis!  You’re a gift that keeps on giving.

Moving on – back to my misspent (literally) youth.  In my mid-twenties, I had a good-paying job, I lived with my Ma, and I had awesome health insurance.  The perfect ingredients to bake a ‘vein removal’ cake, no?

However, I thought my station in life would stay the same for at least another 10 years.  And 24 years old was waaaaaay too young to have cosmetic surgery (mind you, it was the mid-90’s, before 12 year olds were getting face-lifts).  And vein removal would be the perfect thing to give as a birthday present to myself when I turned the ancient age of THIRTY.  And it’s not like my veins were going to get any worse…

Thus, I decide to wait a few years.  The money, the insurance and my Ma would all still be there to help me through.  Furthermore, by the time I turned thirty, I’d have even MORE money, right?  And even BETTER insurance, right?  Right?  WRONG.

Fast-forward to today – I have mediocre at best insurance that barely covers prescriptions and preventative care visits.  My bills are, as the guy in the commercial says, one bajillion times more than they used to be.  Ergo, all that disposable income of my youth is, well, disposed of. In short, I am in no financial position to have vein surgery.  (My mom is still here, and still willing to care for me, so there is that.)

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the answer is no.  Varicose veins are NOT a self-correcting problem.  They do, in fact, get worse and worse as time goes by.  So surgery that would have been mostly cosmetic in my youth is slowly becoming a necessary procedure in my old age.

What is the frugal life lesson we can learn from my vein-y debacle?  If you can afford to do something –buy a car, have elective surgery, travel across the globe – right now?  JUST DO IT.  Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can afford to do today.  Your financial situation can and will flip in an instant, and you’ll be left with hurty veins.  Or worse, missed opportunities.

On the plus side, I did spend the bucks to go to Great Britain twice, have my teeth whitened when I finally stopped smoking, buy a house, and furnish said house.  So don’t cry for me, Argentina – I’m doing just fine.  Achy now and then, but fine.

Those of you who are frequent visitors to the Cheap Chick Empire know I’ve been testing my frugality over the last month with mini, week-long challenges.  No Target for a week (which I extend to the 40 days of Lent), no “treats” for a week, and last week?  Keep track of the money I saved (coupons, non-purchases, sale prices) for one week.

Well.  As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  And apparently, I’m knocking on the Devil’s door.  Perhaps he’ll have snacks.

In other words, I did NOT do a good job tracking what I saved.  I know I walked in and out of New York & Co. without spending a penny… but that’s just because I didn’t have my purse with me.  I’m already planning a return visit for their cute-n-fancy flip flops and tunic tops for spring.

I know I saved money at JoAnn Fabrics with a 40% off coupon.  I also picked up a light-weight, grey, pin-striped wool for $4 a yard, normally $19.99 a yard.  And I know their special-order fabrics are on sale right now for 60%.  And finally, I know Party Pizzas were on sale last night at Cub Foods for $1.49 each.  Remember when they were 99 cents a piece?  Ah, the good old days.

In other, OTHER words, I failed this week’s challenge.  However!  Much like a phoenix, I shall rise from the ashes of my fiasco and be glorious and thrifty again!  With this positive mindset in… mind, I’m proud to announce this week’s challenge:

For one week, I will post every day.  EVERY DAY.  INCLUDING THE WEEKEND.  I really need to get back on track with daily posting, and setting it as a challenge is the inspiration I need.  I’m adding a second challenge this week, too.  My daily (DAILY) posts will be thought-out, well-read, and contain at least one nugget of thrifty goodness you, the reader, can actually use.

For example, the aforementioned 60% at JoAnn Fabric.  Have you ever wanted hand-tooled-looking, upholstery-weight fake leather, but didn’t want to pay $19.99 a yard for it?  Now you can get it for 60% off!  Reason to celebrate, indeed.

This is my commitment to you: daily posts and useful content for one full week, starting today.  All I ask is return is this:

A.  Please leave a comment.  That way, I know you’re still there.  Plus, your comments are dang entertaining, people!  Have you thought about starting your own blog?  You should, I’d totally read it.

B.  If you live in the TC and watch Fox 9’s Morning Buzz, I have a question for you – would you be interested in watching Cheap Chick segments twice a week?  Just curious.  Thanks!

Yep – a stand-off with the sheriff’s department.  In the sleepy, low-crime St. Paul suburb where the Cheap Chick’s Empire resides.  Some dude barricaded himself in his mid-price, white-bread-American home and refused to come out:

Twenty shots (give or take) of tear gas later, and the SWAT team moved in for the (figurative) kill.  Score one for the Man, and zero for the dude.  Rumor has it; said dude was involved in a domestic disturbance issue with his girlfriend.  Therefore, I’m not inclined to feel sorry for him.  Especially as he cost the taxpayers (i.e. ME) a pretty penny.

Lesson learned today?  Police/sheriff/FBI stand-offs are EXPENSIVE.  TO ME.  And every other taxpayer in the county where the stand-off occurred.  Do us all a favor, the next time you (‘you’ meaning those idiots over there and not YOU) want to make a grand gesture such as this?  Do it in Canada, where I don’t pay taxes.  Thank you.

NOTE:  No one was harmed in the making of today’s action-packed and life-lesson-filled blog post.

Your children.  I was referring to YOUR CHILDREN.  Sheesh.

It’s still cold outside, and will be for a few more months.  So where can you bring your kids to run around (thus expending energy, thus becoming sleepy-tired, thus going to bed when you tell them to), without turning the little dears into giant Popsicles?  Here’s the lowdown on great places to go in the TC for less:

1.  Indoor play areas in Minneapolis rec centers.  Some local gyms open up their space for free play, even providing toys and mats, plus tons of room for the kids to run around indoors out of the cold.  Most are free and available for kids ages 0-5.  The Minneapolis Park And Rec Centers have the best options (Google Minneapolis Park and Recreation for a complete list).

            a.  MacRae, open until 3/30 for kids 3-5 years old.

            b.  Keewaydin, open until 3/23 for kids 0-5.

            c.  Pearl Park, open until 3/23 for kids 0-5

2.  Indoor Playgrounds.  They offer climbing structures, slides, nets, lookout towers, obstacle courses – guaranteed to burn off tons of energy.  Open year-round, you’ll find many playgrounds at the local community centers (Google your city’s name, plus ‘community center,’ for a list of services and prices).  You’ll find many are free for adults – as adult supervision is required – and almost all are free for community center members.  Don’t forget, socks are a must!

            a.  Eagles Nest, New Brighton Family Service Center (my favorite).  1-12 years old, $5.00 admission, adults are free, free for members, and $3.00 after 6 PM.

            b.  Lookout Ridge, Woodbury Community Center.  1-12 years old, $5.50 admission, other discounts available on their site, free for supervising adults.

            c.  The Blast, Eagan Community Center.  18 months to 15 years old, $5.00 admission, adults are free, $2.50 after 5 PM.

3.  Indoor Waterparks.  Some community centers not only have indoor playgrounds, they also offer indoor water parks.  These are much cheaper than the mega-parks and hotel parks, and some are free for their members (Google search your town/city/suburb’s community center, plus ‘indoor water park’).

            a.  Shoreview Community Center, indoor playground AND water park.  Playground is $4.50 for kids 1-12.  The water park for non-residents is $8.25 for adults, $7.25 youth and senior, and residents pay $6.75 for adults, $5.75 youth and seniors.

            b.  Maple Grove Community Center, indoor playground and indoor/outdoor water park.  Maple Maze playground, 1-12 years, $4 resident and $5 non-resident.  And just $6.50 for non-residents, $5.50 for residents for the Grove Cove water park.

            c.  Maplewood, The Heights Indoor Water Park.  Daily rates for non-residents are $7.00 youth/senior, $9.00 adults, and residents pay $6 youth/senior and $7.00 for adults.

If you want to splurge on one of the huge, multi-activity water parks, I recommend Grand Rios in Brooklyn Park.  Rates are $10+ less expensive than that other water park (ahem, Water Park Of America, AHEM).  For example, it’s just $14.95 for a full-day pass to Grand Rios for March 5, and their peak rate is just $23.95, compared to $39.95 at THAT OTHER PARK WHICH WILL REMAIN NAMELESS.

Let’s keep the Comments love going strong – don’t let it die!  Tell us where you take your kids to run wild in the winter months.

First, I tallied up all the comments.  Everyone was entered into the drawing for each comment they made:

Then I tore up sheets of paper and wrote down all the names for the drawing.  They were quite plentiful:

Then I grabbed the Official Drawing Hat of the Cheap Chick Empire.  Nothing says prize drawing like a cheese-head top hat:

I loaded up all the entries into the hat – they took up a lot of room.  Because there were so many comments.  Because YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME:

Ah, fake cheese foam.  Nothing could be finer – well, real cheese maybe.  But then, I wouldn’t want to wear it as a hat.  Moving on.  Here I am, digging deep for the winner’s name:

And I sloooooooowly pulled out a winner (drum roll, please):

And the winner is… CAROLYN!

Congratulations, Carolyn!  A $20 Target Gift Card is YOURS.  As soon as you email me your full name and mailing address, that is.  KTHXBAI.  And thank you to everyone for all your awesome commenting.  I hope now that I’m not paying you to do it, you’ll still continue to say your piece.

GAH.  I have so much to do and say and ponder and react to, today.  Manic Monday indeed – cue the Bangles.  On second thought, don’t.  I freakin’ hate that song, and I don’t want to spoil my happy, albeit FRANTIC, mood.

First order of business, the results of last week’s Weekly Challenge.  For those of you in the know, one of the things you know (amongst the many) is that I went without by ‘treats’ last week.  No quick stops for a magazine, fast food, coffee, IPod tunes*, etc.  How did I do?  Hmmm.  Okay.  I managed to use up the rest of my Starbucks card on freebie goodies, I didn’t buy a single magazine, and nary a drop of fast food past my lips.

However, I did make multiple trips to Cub Foods for snacky ‘treat’ foods (granted, most were for a get-together I hosted, but still).  And I had to cave in on Wednesday and buy on-the-go food as I did not have time to pack a lunch.  Granted, it wasn’t fast food, but Chex Snack Mix and M&M’s are NOT a healthy, well-thought-out meal.

Here’s what I learned – which is the entire point of these weekly challenges.  I CAN go without fast food, if I set a very firm goal for myself.  I can also live comfortably without magazines (I guess I don’t need to read about how the Bachelor isn’t really going to get married.  Shocker.).  But I do want the flexibility to buy a cheap lunch and a cup of coffee if I’m trapped out in the field without supplies.  A hungry, de-caffeinated Cheap Chick is a deeply unpleasant Cheap Chick.  And NOBODY WANTS THAT.

You know what people DO want?  A chance to shine, to speak their piece, to have their say and a moment in the (Internet) sun.  To assist you with this endeavor, I created (okay, my Web Designer created) the Links page you see above.  See it?  It’s right there.

And on this Links page, I, well, link.  To other bloggers, online stores, and web sites in general.  If you don’t see your favorite site on that page – namely, your own – please let me know, toot sweet.  I will gladly link your site to my site.  The only thing I ask?  You return the favor, and place a Cheap Chick Empire link somewhere on your site.  Share and share alike, people.

Speaking of sharing, it’s now time to share with you, my constant readers, this week’s Weekly Challenge.  It’s not going to be a ‘going without’ one, like the last two challenges.  Instead, this week I’m focusing on what I actually do correctly, and sharing it with the group:

Week Three’s Challenge – I will keep track of the money I save on purchases, and the money I save by NOT buying stuff, and share those savings with the group.  If I think about buying crafting supplies/clothing/yet another pair of black shoes, and instead of caving, I resist?  I’ll tell you what the item cost and why I didn’t buy it.  When I go grocery shopping, I’ll tell you what I bought on sale, and how much I saved.  If I find a sweet deal on something, I’ll tell you what it is and what the discount was.

This Challenge was created as response to a few readers’ requests – instead of telling you what I spent each week, I tell you what I saved, and how I saved it, when I was doing the spending.  And because I am a giver, I’m giving those folks what they want.  Or at least, I’m going to try.  We’ll see how this Challenge actually turns out…

*Sad, but true – the minute my ‘no IPod tunes’ ban was up, I bought Bad Romance.  I lurve Lady Gaga.  What did I work out to before she existed?

I’ll be drawing names tonight for the Comments Contest.  If  you haven’t yet, today is your last chance to comment, and be entered in our prize drawing for a $20 gift card to Target.  So start talking!

Hey guys!  Look at me – posting on my blog and everything.  Yeah, I’m awesome like that.  Anyway, today’s post is all about today’s Fox 9 Morning Buzz segment which is all about this:

Home Loans – How To Get The Biggest Bang For Your Buck.  Frugal tips for folks looking for a new mortgage or refinancing their current loan.

And today’s post/segment would not have been possible without the AWESOMENESS of Sara Wolsfeld at Edina Realty Mortgage in North Oaks, MN.  If you need a great loan officer, you can’t go wrong with this uber-talented woman.  She’s got 17 years of experience, people.

Tips For You To Know And Share:

1.  Get a second or third opinion.  Speak with more than one lender and comparison shop your home loan.  Keep in mind, your personal bank, or the bank carrying your current mortgage, may not give you your best deal.  It pays to shop around.

2.  When you comparison shop, to truly compare apples to apples, get all your lender quotes on the same day.  Interest rates change daily!  What a lender quotes you on Friday will change by Monday.  Also, be sure to give each lender the same loan parameters.

3.  Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, meet with your lender(s) in person.  Have them explain to you exactly what your closing fees will be, and what your finance charges are.  These can vary a great deal from lender to lender, and lenders are required to disclose all charges to you.

4.  Know your score.  For a lender to give you an accurate quote, they will have to pull your credit report and determine your credit score.  If you’re meeting with more than one lender, don’t worry!  You have 30 days to shop rates – and have your credit pulled multiple times – before it affects your credit score negatively.

5.  Ask about government loan programs.  Although they lost popularity in the early 2000’s, FHA and VA loans are excellent loan programs, and your lender should offer them.  FHA is great for first time buyers, offering the lowest down payment at 3.5% (conventional, or non-government loans, require a 10% DP).  And VA loans, for qualified veterans and their dependents, offer 0% down payment programs.  Plus, your credit doesn’t have to be perfect for either.

6.  There’s still time to earn up to $8000.  The tax rebate for first time buyers is still in effect.  You must have a signed purchase agreement on your home by April 30^th, and close by June 30^th.  To qualify as a first time buyer, you can not have owned a home in the last 3 years.  The rebate – up to $8000 – is given like a tax refund with your income taxes.

7.  Once you have your loan, start paying it down!  The more advanced payments toward the principal balance (the amount you borrowed) you make; the less you’ll pay in interest over the life of your loan.  Just by making one extra payment a year on the principal amount can save you big.

So.  What loan/home buying advice to you have to share with the group?  Please leave your comments, and you’ll be entered in our prize drawing on March 1st.

1.  Steve and Barry’s.  Remember them?  This awesome emporium of clothing and shoes and accessories, all priced at $20 or less, closed its doors to thrifty shoppers last year.  And yes, I cried a little bit on the inside.  However, I still have my memories, and my cute red peacoat.

2.  Isaac Mizrahi for Target.  Oh sure, Target has some amazing designers on their docket (Ooo!  Ooo!  Jean Paul Gaultier is coming to stores near you!), but no one had my love like Isaac.  He designed so many wearable pieces, from cute skirts, to flirty dresses, to killer shoes I still dream about.  Sigh.

3.  99 cent songs from IPod.  Damn you, ITunes, for raising your prices!  Greedy little buggers, don’t you have enough of my money already?

Alright, I’ve gotten that all out of my system.  Join me now in the purging of lost loves – tell us what frugal goodness you’re missing today.  If you leave a comment, you’ll be entered in our prize drawing on March 1st.