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Posted
Sep 26 2008, 07:40 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
The bus has gotten very crowded lately. This time last year, I could easily get a seat of my own on the 75. Now I'm lucky to be able to sit down at all.
Across the street from the bus stop is a gas station with regular unleaded for $3.59. Not that long ago it was $4.63. Despite the price drop, the bus is still crowded. Are we getting smarter? Finally?
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Posted
Sep 23 2008, 10:43 PM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
It's surprisingly easy to get used to the sound of a compressor, or to the noise that refrigerant makes as it circulates. For the first couple of nights I was startled awake as I heard clicking, humming or bubbling sounds. Now I generally sleep through it. When I do wake up, I smile as I drift back off. To me, it sounds like money.
Back in June I wrote about wanting to buy a chest freezer. The Labor Day sales finally got me off my dime. Or, rather, off 1,800 of my dimes: I paid $179.99 for a 5.5-cubic-foot chest freezer from Sears. And I'm absurdly happy with my purchase.
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Posted
Sep 16 2008, 10:10 PM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
On Monday night I brought home 10 boxes of granola bars and 10 big boxes of old-fashioned oats, having paid just $17.50 thanks to a coupon/rebate combo. This was good news since I eat oatmeal every day and like to keep granola bars in my backpack to avoid buying pricey snacks when I'm out and about. The problem was where to put it all, because my cupboards already looked full. If I wanted to store this stuff, I had to reorganize.
So I did. Now I'm torn between feeling delighted and a little bit nervous. On the one hand, I have obtained a lot of staples very cheaply; some were even free thanks to those coupons and rebates.
On the other hand? I had no idea how much stuff I'd squirreled away.
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Posted
Sep 08 2008, 09:21 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
I spent Saturday afternoon in the kitchen turning free fruit into food for the winter. Sitting on my countertop are nine pints of home-canned pears, six jars of apple butter, and five jars of plum-pear jam.
I have enough apples left to make about four quarts of applesauce, but I'm going to wait until the last of the pears ripen. That way, I'll be able to process both fruits in the water-bath canner simultaneously. I got the apples and pears by putting a note on Freecycle, asking permission to pick fruit that wasn't being harvested by homeowners. A neighbor allowed me to pick plums -- I still have about 15 pounds of them to deal with -- and for the past few weeks I'd been picking blackberries around the corner from my apartment.
Saturday's experiment in urban gleaning cost me $13.20 for sugar, jar lids, one box of pectin and the gas to drive to pick the fruit. I'm not sure how much it cost to run the stove on high for 20 minutes and to run a slow cooker for seven hours. Not much, I expect, since my average electric use is 39 cents a day and I make most of my meals at home.
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Posted
Aug 22 2008, 12:21 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
An important part of frugal living is to do things yourself: cleaning your own house (and with vinegar instead of pricey products), cooking instead of buying takeout, cutting your kids' hair (or your own). But Smart Spending message board readers go way beyond replacing their own windshield wipers or crocheting baby blankets. After reading the "I make my own" thread on the message board, I felt pretty inadequate.
Readers craft their own cat litter. They grow sunflowers and toast the seeds. They cook dried beans and turn them into refried beans. They make their own vanilla extract, dog biscuits, bath salts, jams, hummus, laundry detergent, dishcloths, toothpaste, greeting cards, croutons, modeling clay, shower curtains, carrot sticks and granola. They brew their own biodiesel.
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Posted
Aug 06 2008, 12:52 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Want to get a roll of paper towels for 39 cents? Hit the auto supply store. Shocked at how expensive canned fruit has gotten? The drugstore might have an alternative. In the market for deeply discounted coffee, trash bags or toilet paper? Visit an office supply place.
These are some examples of the deals you can get if you stop thinking that foodstuffs and sundries can be purchased only in supermarkets. With the costs of basic foods continuing to rise, it really can pay to break out of the grocery gulag.
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Posted
Jul 30 2008, 05:36 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Did you know that salt mixed with hot water can remove unsightly perspiration stains on your shirts? We sure didn't. We thought those stains were immutable. In fact, we found lots of useful tips at a Web site recommended to us by Abby Freedman. Gomestic covers many domestic topics with a sense of humor and flair. The salt post is actually titled "10 top (legal) things to do if you find yourself holding a jar of salt." There are also posts featuring 10 top and legal uses for toothpicks, baby oil and Vaseline. (The last two deal with eliminating squeaks in door hinges and water spots on floors, cleaning greasy hands after changing the oil, and the like; get your mind out of the gutter.)
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Posted
Jul 21 2008, 09:49 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Can one person get enough to eat by spending only $100 a month on groceries? "Tight Fisted Miser" says he can. The topic came up at his blog when he posted about his experience with food stamps. He argued that people who can't make food stamps stretch through the month are probably making poor choices when they buy food.
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Posted
Jul 16 2008, 10:27 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Myscha Theriault at partner blog Wise Bread. In these days of planetary consciousness and squeezing every nickel, any new idea helps. Here's an "extreme green" list of ways to put previously discarded items to new use. Empty Chianti bottles. In addition to great long-term candleholders, they are also great for olive oil dispensers, particularly if you buy yours in a large bulk can. You can either add a pourable spout, or stick with the cork from the original bottle. It's a much easier size to manage on your counter or back of the stove.
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Posted
Jun 04 2008, 09:35 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Last week's Safeway ad had a coupon for a dozen eggs for $1, a swell deal these days. I consider eggs a fridge staple because they make a quick and cheap light supper. Besides, finals are coming up, and I always fortify myself with bacon, eggs and toast on exam mornings.
However, the coupon's fine print -- there's always fine print -- said shoppers needed to spend at least $10 to use the dollar-a-dozen coupon. The thing was, I didn't need $10 worth of stuff. Just eggs. But I wasn't about to let a teeny-tiny disclaimer keep me from getting cheap protein. I have a frugal hack for just such an occasion.
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