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• Pursuing a new interest? Keep the startup costs low

  Posted Aug 29 2008, 06:23 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: spending, saving, clothing, Simple Dollar
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  This post comes from Trent Hamm at partner blog The Simple Dollar.

  Lara from Coffee Can Cash left an intriguing comment recently about my post on minimalist kitchens:

  I'm sorry, but I can't agree with the idea "when in doubt, buy it cheap." ... If you want to save money for the long haul, buying cheap on one occasion isn't what's going to do it; it's the fact that you're cooking at home as opposed to going out.

  My cheap (read: not frugal, but CHEAP) ex-boyfriend had these disgusting old pans and cookie sheets when we first got together. It was quite clear to me that they were dollar store finds from three or four years ago and they were flat-out gross (you could see the burn marks from cookies past). I'd rather have the $4 AirBake cookie sheet that's going to last me 20 years than have to buy $1 pieces of crap that burn stuff every three years.   Read More...

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• Clothes shopping for frugal families

  Posted Aug 08 2008, 04:40 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: spending, saving, clothing, Simple Dollar
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  This post comes from Trent Hamm at partner blog The Simple Dollar.

  Recently I've heard a lot of parents grumbling about the exorbitant cost of buying school clothes for their kids for the upcoming year. A few parents were at least putting all of their eggs in the basket of the tax holiday on clothes in Iowa -- and they were quite proud of this, certain that they'd be getting a better deal than everyone else.

  Guess what? If you put in a little bit of time, you can get your kids plenty of clothes for just pennies on the dollar -- and it'll be exactly what they pick out, too. Even better, the same strategy works for your own clothes shopping. This is the way to get cheap clothes.   Read More...

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• The art of wearing things out

  Posted Jul 25 2008, 05:31 AM by Karen Datko
  Rating:
  Filed under: spending, saving, clothing, Simple Dollar
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  This post comes from Trent Hamm at partner blog The Simple Dollar.

  One of my favorite debates with my wife has to do with socks. I tend to wear my socks into oblivion -- until they're literally falling apart. Holes around the toes, deep wear on the heel, and I'll still wear them. Since I tend to wear them only inside of shoes or around the house, I figure, "Why not?" But my wife's not so approving.

  So I sat down with her to figure out the numbers on this one.   Read More...

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• Clothespin brigade: Fight for the right to hang your wash

  Posted Dec 27 2007, 03:46 PM by Karen Datko
  Rating:
  Filed under: extreme savings, saving, clothing, Simple Dollar
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  We'd file this under the tag "good grief" if we had one. Did you know that some people aren't allowed to hang their wash outside on a clothesline? That's right. Many condo associations and other property value-preoccupied folks have banned this energy-saving practice. Apparently some people think it's a little "too Beverly Hillbillyish," says Betsy Teutsch at Money Changes Things. She lets us know that Project Laundry List is there to help.   Read More...

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