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Posted
Jul 03 2008, 12:45 PM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
The old saying "When you buy cheap, you get cheap" isn't always true. I've gotten some terrific products cheaply at thrift stores and yard sales. And you may not have to pay top dollar for certain products -- a mop bucket from the dollar store does the job as handily as one from a more upscale retailer.
But you need to pick your spots, as evidenced by a recent item on the Five Cent Nickel personal finance blog. Owner-operator "Nickel" has a 10-year-old son who loves wearing a watch. Thus far, that's been a "kid" timepiece that costs between $10 and $12. Why spend good money on something for a 10-year-old, right?
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Posted
Jun 13 2008, 09:09 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Years ago, my dad taught elementary school all day and then went to his second job of teaching adolescents deemed too unruly for regular high school. One evening, a student flipped a penny at him. Dad picked it up and put it in his pocket. The teens laughed, and another one flipped a penny. Then another one.
When my father had 12 cents in his pocket, he said, "Guys, I want to thank you. All I need is 38 more of these and I'm going over to the Fairfield and have a draft beer -- on you."
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Posted
May 28 2008, 08:37 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
A good time doesn't have to cost a good piece of your paycheck. Some readers of the Smart Spending message board listed scores of ways to enjoy life on the cheap -- specifically, for $1 or less.
Although some of the pleasures on this thread are best enjoyed by families with young children, many will also translate to singles or couples. Unleash your inner kid by flying a kite. Invite your significant other to a picnic in the town park when there's a free evening concert. Walk your new girlfriend from gallery opening to gallery opening -- you get props for having an artistic soul, and the two of you can enjoy the free snacks that many galleries offer.
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Posted
May 07 2008, 10:51 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
How to be a one-income family, pay off debts and still save for retirement? There's no magic formula for reader "Steph041401" -- just a bunch of coping strategies. Among them:
Drinking mostly water. Baking at home. Cutting out most processed foods. Shopping with cash only. Trading magazines with friends. Making single-serve snack packs with dollar store ingredients.
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Posted
Apr 21 2008, 09:33 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Just kidding! Wow, you TV people are scary when you're mad.
I don't really think you should kill your television. But how about turning it off? Say, for most of the time.
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Posted
Mar 14 2008, 08:40 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Yesterday would have been the 73rd birthday of the person who probably should be writing this column: my mother, Geneva Burgess Hanes.
She was the youngest of 10 kids born to an uneducated Tennessee couple who eventually pulled up stakes and moved north for opportunity -- that is, for the chance to work in South Jersey factories and vegetable fields.
Despite hunger, poverty and violence, my mother became the first in her family to finish high school. She owned two dresses ("one on, one off") and never had a square meal or a bath in a real tub until she married my dad right after graduation.
They had four kids in five years, which sounds impossibly grim by today's standards. But we didn't seem to notice that we were poor. Everyone we knew pinched pennies. Nobody did it like my mom, though.
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Posted
Dec 17 2007, 09:53 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
How much should a stocking stuffer cost? Not $25, I hope.
Recently MSN ran an article touting "small treasures for under $25." It freaked out a Smart Spending message board reader named "surfacing."
Surfacing, who has three kids, leans toward practical stuffers like new toothbrushes and cartoon character bandages. (Come on, who doesn't want a Dora the Explorer Band-Aid covering up his latest owie?) The reader wanted more ideas -- frugal ones.
I'd be willing to bet plenty of us don't spend $25 total on stuffers for the whole family. Readers seemed to agree, and jumped in with suggestions.
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Posted
Nov 12 2007, 09:38 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
For all you parents and parents-to-be who are worried about money, here's a bit of modern heresy: cloth diapers. I'm not talking about the pricey ones that can cost up to $28.50 apiece , but about plain, unfolded cotton diapers. I used them when my daughter was born 29 years ago. I bought “slight irregulars.” Honest. The only thing wrong with them was that the blue “CURITY” stamp had run or was blurred. They cost $3.99 a dozen. Obviously, the price has gone up. But a quick Internet search unearthed unfolded nappies for as cheap as $11.96 a dozen. You also might check Craigslist , local parent groups and -- best-case scenario -- freecycle.org . I suggest getting at least six dozen to start. As the baby grows, so does its bladder, and you'll have to double the diapers. (I used double diapers at night right from the start.) That’s an initial investment of about $72 plus tax, and you'll also have to buy plastic pants or diaper covers. According to an MSN article , you’ll spend about $2,000
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Posted
Oct 31 2007, 10:51 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Frugal people sleep better.
That’s a recurring theme in a Smart Spending message board thread called "Why are you frugal?" Readers say it’s hard to beat the contentment of a good night’s slumber, untroubled by debt.
Some readers say they're frugal because they love finding great deals, but most have more complex reasons. They're thrifty now to meet future goals: a car, a house, a family. They've chosen to reject hyperconsumerism. They're called to careers (e.g. the arts) that are fulfilling but require careful money management. Or they simply enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having an emergency fund.
Frugality begets options. “I try to save money on things that don’t matter, so I can have choices on things that do,” wrote a reader posting as “SC CDF.”
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Posted
Sep 24 2007, 07:21 PM
by
Donna Freedman
An article on The Dollar Stretcher personal-finance site caught my eye recently: "Teach Your Children Better Money Skills." My favorite part was the section called "Teach Your Children A Sensible Consumer Life."
A key part of this is teaching kids the difference between "need" and "want." That’s tough to do when kids are surrounded by relentless marketing. (Yet another good reason to limit television. But that’s another column.)
It’s also tough because many adults don’t know the difference between need and want. (And that’s a whole bunch of other columns. Watch this space.)
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