Counting My Pennies » frugality

Frugal Air Conditioning

Megan — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:34:14 +0000

The weather here has been ridiculous. Hot and humid. Depending on where you live, you might be dealing with the same things. I live in an apartment building where the electric bill is included in my rent, so I don’t worry about the financial implications of running my air conditioner, but I do worry a bit about the environmental implications, so I try to not be too ridiculous with the temperature. I know a lot of people turn off their AC during the day, but my apartment gets HOT in the middle of the day and I have two furry cats to worry about.

All the heat reminds me of my days in college. We were in the midwest, where it got super hot in the fall and spring and super cold in the winter. My dorm was built in the late 1800′s, and we definitely didn’t have air conditioner. So we went for the next best thing – a giant bowl of ice sitting in front of a fan. It’s amazing how great that feels. I still set it up in my apartment from time to time when I really want some cold air blowing on me. Of course, then I have to keep the cats from spilling the bowl of water (they like to drink from it), but it’s a great feeling for not a lot of money.
What are your favorite “stay cool” tips?

Saving money and being left out?

Megan — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:33:05 +0000

A few of my coworkers go on a quick coffee run every morning. It’s definitely a social outing, and a nice break from the office. I always bring my coffee to work (saves money and tastes much better), so I’m never invited on these outings. Sure, I could just go along, but it seems silly to go on a coffee run if I’m not actually going to get anything. I think it would be different if they sat and chatted at the coffee shop before coming back, but this is a quick out and back trip.

I have to admit, I feel a little bit left out.

But not left out enough to stop bringing coffee and starting to buy the coffee. Plus I know my weaknesses. While I’m perfectly fine with good black coffee made in my coffee maker at home, if I end up at Starbucks or the like, I’m going to get a latte or some other drink. Even sugar free and skim, it’s still got calories (I suppose you could argue that a latte does have some nutritional value, but that’s not the point). I definitely don’t need the added calories. In fact, after trying on some clothes in my closet, I could stand to do without any added calories.

I’m usually good about not letting my frugal ways affect my social life. I still go out to lunch on occasion. I go to happy hour. I go out to dinner with friends. But it’s easier to control your spending in those settings, plus those are typically expenses that I enjoy. And more importantly, they’re infrequent. But this daily coffee thing is starting to rub me the wrong way.

Let’s be honest. I’m not actually missing out on anything. I still chat with those same people in the office. But I do feel a slight pang of regret when I see them walk out in the morning.

And then I take a sip of my coffee from my travel mug and go back to my work.

Who knew toilet paper was such a big deal?

Megan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:00:25 +0000

The other day, my roommate accused me of being cheap. You see, we take turns buying certain things for the apartment – dish detergent, coffee, toilet paper. The stuff we both use regularly. There’s no set rule on brands or anything, though if I went and bought 18 rolls of toilet paper, she couldn’t go buy a 4 roll pack when it was her turn. (Well, she could, but then her turn would repeat.) These are, of course, unspoken rules.

Turns out we have very different opinions on toilet paper. I had no idea. She prefers the soft, plush, triple-ply, whereas I always buy Scott One-Ply.

Growing up, we lived just far enough in the country to not be connected to the city sewage system, which meant we had septic tanks in the backyard. For those of you not familiar with septic tanks, I won’t go into great detail, but it meant we had to be careful about everything that went down the drains. That meant that certain toilet papers were a no-go. It also meant not flushing feminine hygiene products and putting hair catchers in the shower and on the washing machine, because all of those things can get tangled up in the motor and jam it or break it. And let me tell you, while a septic tank doesn’t smell at all when it’s working properly, when things stop moving, you’ll know. Nevermind the loud alarm that your neighbors will hear. The whole neighborhood will be able to smell it.

So to me, the cheap toilet paper is the norm. It works fine and it’s cheap. And, as it turns out, it’s even more eco-friendly. (While it would save money, I don’t expect to ever go completely TP-free.) Apparently, my cheapness with the toilet paper has been bothering my roommate quite a bit lately, and she decided to bring it up this weekend because it’s just about my turn to purchase. I told her that I understood her concerns, but well, for me, the cheap stuff works just fine (and the rolls last so much longer), so maybe it’s time we buy our own toilet paper (we have two bathrooms). Realizing she’d have to shell out, she decided to go with my way instead.

Frugal vs. Cheap Redux

Megan — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:00:25 +0000

I’m really enjoying all the comments on yesterday’s post about being frugal versus being cheap. Sarah made an excellent point.

“To me, frugal is getting the most for your money. Cheap is being frugal at the expense of others.”

I think she hit it right on. Frugal is being smart about money, and has a fairly positive connotation. Cheap is a bit of a dirty word, with a definite negative vibe, and maybe that is because someone who is cheap is someone who hurts others by their spending ways. If I bring sandwich supplies to work to save money, I’m being frugal. If I steal my co-worker’s mustard every single day because I don’t want to buy my own jar, I’m being cheap. (And a lunch thief – the worst of the worst.)

So in case you missed the discussion, chime in! What’s your definition of frugal? Of cheap? Got any good stories about cheap friends or family members?

There’s frugal and then there’s cheap…

Megan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:00:07 +0000

But where do you draw the line?

I think that perhaps there isn’t a defined line between frugal and cheap, but rather it has to do with a person’s perception of things. For example, a friend of mine lives in a tiny studio apartment. When her very well-to-do parents come to visit, they stay with her. In her tiny studio apartment. Which means that they sleep in her bed and she sleeps on a camping mattress on the floor. Knowing her parents financial situation, I think they’re being cheap by not staying in a hotel (or taking her up on her offer to put them in a hotel), but they think they’re just being frugal, and I’m sure that some of you reading this will take their side.

I have a group of friends from college who get together at least once a year. We’ve been doing this since we graduated, and for the most part, we have more money than we did as recent graduates. But we still treat these trips as we did when we were younger. We crash at someone’s house, buy cheap snack food and drinks, seek out the cheapest Chinese buffet restaurants (though that’s more about the adventure), and at the end of the weekend, divide up the costs and compare the price to previous weekends. It’s almost as if it’s a challenge to see who can create the cheapest weekend in their host town (living in D.C., I never win). Some would say we’re being cheap by not upping the quality of our weekends (“Tickets to something? But that costs money!”), but we just think of it as being smartly frugal.

My (unemployed) roommate thinks I’m cheap when it comes to groceries. When I’m putting parmesan cheese onto pasta, I’m happy with the store brand. Sure, I can taste the difference between the good stuff and the generic stuff, but it’s not so great a difference that I’m willing to spend twice as much. I think I’m being frugal, she thinks I’m just cheap. (I also think she would like to be using my expensive cheese, but that’s another story for another day.)

So what are your lines between frugal and cheap? Bringing your own lunch to work = frugal, bringing your own lunch to a restaurant = cheap? Where do you stand?

Frugality is in!

Megan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:00:10 +0000

Yesterday, I got an ad in my e-mail with the subject line “Versatile = Frugal.” It caught my eye only because the word “frugal” was in the title, so I guess their advertising works. Being frugal is the new, cool thing after all.

They were advertising a “caftan” that could be worn as a dress, with pants , or with a skirt and a belt. Three whole outfits with one item of clothing! Amazing! And only $40! (And also ugly, in my opinion, but who am I to judge?)

I’m sorry, but buying a trendy piece of clothing that will be out of style next season is not frugal in any sense of the word. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy it – I think people should spend their money however they want to. They should just be responsible. If you budget your money and can afford that caftan and really love it, then go for it.

It might be frugal to buy a nice pair of classic black pants, the sort that will never go out of style and can be dressed up or dressed down. It’s more frugal to not buy anything and make do with what you have.

Though I suppose if you’re the sort who thinks nothing of dropping $150 on a new top, then yes, a $40 caftan is absolutely frugal.

Thoughtful, Inexpensive Gifts

Megan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:00:45 +0000

Yesterday, one of my tasks was to mail my dad’s Father’s Day gift. He never needs a gift, of course, but for the past 8 years, I’ve been getting him the same exact thing.

A mix CD.

Okay, so it’s not really a mix CD anymore, since he just rips it to his computer and plays it in random order, taking away any hard work that might go into selecting the proper order for the music, but each year, I work to put together a CD of music that I think he will enjoy.

I locked myself into this in college. Two years in a row, I made him a CD for Father’s Day because I didn’t know what else to get him. I didn’t even realize I had done it until he commented how much he enjoyed it and looked forward to the next one. And the precedent was set. Sometimes I get him something else, but only if I see something that I know he will enjoy. Otherwise, he just gets the CD, which I think he likes the best anyway.

It’s become quite an operation to put together this set of music each year. I keep a playlist of songs that I think he will like and add to it throughout the year. It means that I have to listen to a lot of new music each year, but I can’t say that I mind all that much. It’s a thoughtful gift and very inexpensive.

I’m not sure what the CD cost, simply because I bought a package years ago. Easily under a dollar though. The envelope cost 99 cents. The card was the expensive part of this gift, at $2.99. Mailing was under $1.50. So for well under $10, I managed to give a gift that my dad will enjoy for years to come.

And now that 2009 is taken care of, it’s time to start hunting down music for next year’s CD.

I am a huge fan of recycling, but…

Megan — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:00:51 +0000

This post over at Consumerist made me laugh. Turn your old credit cards into jewelry!

I suppose it could be a good way for some to remember to stop spending. Put that American Express card on your wrist and every time you go to pull out your wallet, be reminded of your financial situation and how you got there in the first place.

Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be trying this idea. I’ll be slicing and dicing my old credit cards and then throwing them away in random trash cans to prevent them being put back together. Not wearing them as a fashion statement.

But if you try it, send pictures!

SwagBucks

Megan — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:00:28 +0000

Who likes getting something for nothing?

I’ve seen SwagBucks mentioned around the blogosphere a few times, but I had never checked it out til this week, and I must say, I’m hooked. What is SwagBucks? It’s a search engine, powered by Google and Ask.com, but you can win SwagBucks for searching. Great, you think. What do I do with a SwagBuck? Well, you purchase prizes. 45 SwagBucks gets you a $5 Amazon.com gift certificate, for example. I signed up a week ago and have already racked up enough to order my first gift certificate. I’m always doing websearches, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it out.

If you haven’t already, check it out! Here’s my affiliate link (I get points if you sign up), but I know some people are skeptical about those. However, SwagBucks is something I think you should check out even if you don’t use my link. Go!

A Frugal Way to Spend a Rainy Day

Megan — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:00:11 +0000

A co-worker was just talking about how over the weekend, her neighborhood lost power for an entire day. Something about a line being cut. Living in the D.C. area, there are plenty of places to go for free when you need to get out of the house for entertainment, but she had a child under the weather, so they all had to stay inside. She was telling us about all the wonderful fun they had playing games and building forts and reading books, and how it was even an opportunity for a romantic, candlelit dinner with her husband (though they ordered in pizza since they couldn’t heat anything – not the most frugal option, of course).

It made me think what I would do with an entire day at home with no power. In my hypothetical situation, I decided there would have to be a torrential downpour outside to keep me from leaving. And even though I have no kids at home to entertain, and to entertain me, I realized that there are plenty of things that I could do. Things that wouldn’t even require me to use my laptop battery.

I have a small library of books, many of which I keep meaning to re-read and never seem to get to. I could spend a few hours reading.

I could catch up on correspondence and write a few real letters, something I’ve not done in years.

I could page through my cookbooks and plan out some nice meals to cook once I do get power back.

I could work on one of the many creative writing projects I always seem to be in the middle of.

Needlework! I have so many half finished projects that it’s a bit embarassing to admit.

I think I could come up with a huge list of things that I could do, all things that would successfully occupy a day or more and not cost a single cent (not even for power!).

Maybe we should all think of unplugging for a day every now and again, just to see what we’re missing out on.