I think its really sad (but understandable) that we've let technology take over our lives so much. The thing you highlight here as one of the biggest benefits of a digital detox is actual interpersonal communication. We're often shells of ourselves when we're physically in a place with our digital media attached to our hands, consuming our attention. I'm 22 right now so I've literally seen how rapidly the world has changed and its kind of scary and discouraging how much we rely on technology.
Life definitely is easier when you have people close by who you are on good terms with and who would be willing to help you out in times of need. All of these are good reasons to be friendly with neighbors, but most importantly it would be in case something happened and they were there to lend a helping hand. It really stinks when you move in somewhere and you're neighbors are unfriendly/snobs.
1. Entertainment 2013 books (www.entertainment.com)
2. Groupon
3. The Friday newspaper usually advertises local events, sometimes free.
4. Living Social
5. Matinee movie prices (average in Hawaii is $10)
6. Purchasing event tickets online to take advantage of any student discounts.
7. Asking for any kama'aina discounts, which is for local residents interested in activities for tourists.
Each steps and tips seems tiny, but the compound effect of saving up extra $5 is huge. With the right attitude & commitment towards saving, we could grow our money more and faster.
Thanks for this great post. Wise Bread always provides such great posts that are full of useful information. We wash a lot of stuff in our dishwasher but now I have some new things to try. I never, ever would have thought to wash footwear in the dishwasher. Lots of new things to try!
We save on entertainment by checking out movies at the library, using buy-one-get-one coupons at restaurants, signing up for rewards cards at places we plan to frequent often, and looking for free or low cost entertainment in our community. Our library promotes several events every month that have broad appeal to all ages, so that is a great starting point when planning what to do.
We wash the clothes dryer lint screen in the dish washer once a year. I believe the holes in the screen get plugged up by fabric softener causing the dryer to take longer to dry the clothes. The first time we did this there was quite a difference in drying time.
im a big fan of music and nothing has provided more value for me than Spotify. At $10 a month, for someone like me who uses it all day at work and on my commute to and from work, it's a no-brainer. i get much more bang for my buck out of Spotify than Netflix.
I understood the importance of money when I did part time job in college. In schooling time, my parent gives me money for pocket expenses so I had no need of extra money but in college my expenses increased and I decided to do part time job. I started saving money for future expenses thus it has become my habit that is continue so far.
My husband and I love movies and old television series, especially the British ones. We don't have cable, but we do have library cards. We can choose from movies and boxed DVD sets at several different libraries, and frequently use inter-library loan to get hard-to-find titles. We can enjoy a classic series like 'The Jewel in the Crown' over the course of a few days. And the icing on the cake ... no commercials!
Edward -- Wow. Saving 50-55% of your income is amazing (and inspirational). Mario -- thanks for sharing your story too. It shows that knowledge and community can come from the most unexpected places.
I get books, music, and movies from the library for free. I'll also be getting a free glass museum pass there as soon as it's available. My cats are also a very high source of entertainment; watching them watch the birds feed outside, playing with them, watching them get excited about box flaps and crinkly packaging paper.
I like to watch the birds and squirrels. There's so much drama. Sometimes the squirrels will tease my cats by running down a tree branch to entice them, then run back up before they can wiggle their little bums to jump up to get them.
And I read Yahoo! news articles for the comments. Quite a few gems there...
Just wanted to make you aware that many states do not allow a bankruptcy filing on the same day as the credit counseling course has been completed. The bankruptcy law states that the credit counseling course must be completed in the 180 days prior to the bankruptcy filing. Many judges interpret this very literally and do not consider the day OF the bankruptcy filing to be in the 180 days PRIOR to the filing. Kind of picky, but that's the reality. (I work for a bankruptcy attorney in Michigan and that's how the law is interpreted in our state). You might want to consider changing your timeline above to have the credit counseling happen on the day before you attempt to file your case.
I had a dad who was a control freak with money (frugal to a fault), a mom who as a result went nuts with money after their divorce in my teens, an ill-timed inheritance from my grandmother that I partially squandered, and then a pretty big hole I ended up in in college.
What turned me around was getting diagnosed with fibromyalgia 7 years ago... it completely disrupted my life when I couldn't work for a month and had to look my debts in the face. Since then I've paid off my credit card and tax debts, paid cash to marry a frugal man, paid cash for a vacation or two, paid off both cars and a few things we made payments on monthly, and now am about to seriously tackle student loans.
I value financial freedom so much more now than instant gratification, and although having significant health issues isn't fun, I'm glad for the way it stopped me in my tracks and spurred me on towards change!
I usher at several venues and get to see the shows for free.
I go to my public library for books and dvds.
Hi Roger -- Thank you! I agree with you about Orman. Seriously, she's supposed to be looking out for consumers.
I think its really sad (but understandable) that we've let technology take over our lives so much. The thing you highlight here as one of the biggest benefits of a digital detox is actual interpersonal communication. We're often shells of ourselves when we're physically in a place with our digital media attached to our hands, consuming our attention. I'm 22 right now so I've literally seen how rapidly the world has changed and its kind of scary and discouraging how much we rely on technology.
Life definitely is easier when you have people close by who you are on good terms with and who would be willing to help you out in times of need. All of these are good reasons to be friendly with neighbors, but most importantly it would be in case something happened and they were there to lend a helping hand. It really stinks when you move in somewhere and you're neighbors are unfriendly/snobs.
We use Boxee, take advantage of our Amazon Prime membership, and borrow DVDs from friends. It's worked for us for the past couple of years.
We save by doing some simple things like:
1. Entertainment 2013 books (www.entertainment.com)
2. Groupon
3. The Friday newspaper usually advertises local events, sometimes free.
4. Living Social
5. Matinee movie prices (average in Hawaii is $10)
6. Purchasing event tickets online to take advantage of any student discounts.
7. Asking for any kama'aina discounts, which is for local residents interested in activities for tourists.
Each steps and tips seems tiny, but the compound effect of saving up extra $5 is huge. With the right attitude & commitment towards saving, we could grow our money more and faster.
For a better living, or merely as backup fund.
Thanks so much for mentioning our Parents Moving Back With the Kids article!
we wait for dvd's to come out and we take advantage of free days
Thanks for this great post. Wise Bread always provides such great posts that are full of useful information. We wash a lot of stuff in our dishwasher but now I have some new things to try. I never, ever would have thought to wash footwear in the dishwasher. Lots of new things to try!
Kudos to the author for not adding to landfills! Any updates to your minimalist project, 6 yrs since the original post?
entertainment coupon books, netflix, ath-home game nights with friends!
We save on entertainment by checking out movies at the library, using buy-one-get-one coupons at restaurants, signing up for rewards cards at places we plan to frequent often, and looking for free or low cost entertainment in our community. Our library promotes several events every month that have broad appeal to all ages, so that is a great starting point when planning what to do.
We wash the clothes dryer lint screen in the dish washer once a year. I believe the holes in the screen get plugged up by fabric softener causing the dryer to take longer to dry the clothes. The first time we did this there was quite a difference in drying time.
im a big fan of music and nothing has provided more value for me than Spotify. At $10 a month, for someone like me who uses it all day at work and on my commute to and from work, it's a no-brainer. i get much more bang for my buck out of Spotify than Netflix.
I understood the importance of money when I did part time job in college. In schooling time, my parent gives me money for pocket expenses so I had no need of extra money but in college my expenses increased and I decided to do part time job. I started saving money for future expenses thus it has become my habit that is continue so far.
My husband and I love movies and old television series, especially the British ones. We don't have cable, but we do have library cards. We can choose from movies and boxed DVD sets at several different libraries, and frequently use inter-library loan to get hard-to-find titles. We can enjoy a classic series like 'The Jewel in the Crown' over the course of a few days. And the icing on the cake ... no commercials!
Edward -- Wow. Saving 50-55% of your income is amazing (and inspirational). Mario -- thanks for sharing your story too. It shows that knowledge and community can come from the most unexpected places.
I borrow books and movies from the library and follow blogs and facebook pages from my area that regularly list free and low-priced events.
The library!! I love getting movies, books and music from the library for free! But if you can donate to them you really should!
I watch my Korean dramas for free via Viki.com or dramafever.com!
I get books, music, and movies from the library for free. I'll also be getting a free glass museum pass there as soon as it's available. My cats are also a very high source of entertainment; watching them watch the birds feed outside, playing with them, watching them get excited about box flaps and crinkly packaging paper.
I like to watch the birds and squirrels. There's so much drama. Sometimes the squirrels will tease my cats by running down a tree branch to entice them, then run back up before they can wiggle their little bums to jump up to get them.
And I read Yahoo! news articles for the comments. Quite a few gems there...
Just wanted to make you aware that many states do not allow a bankruptcy filing on the same day as the credit counseling course has been completed. The bankruptcy law states that the credit counseling course must be completed in the 180 days prior to the bankruptcy filing. Many judges interpret this very literally and do not consider the day OF the bankruptcy filing to be in the 180 days PRIOR to the filing. Kind of picky, but that's the reality. (I work for a bankruptcy attorney in Michigan and that's how the law is interpreted in our state). You might want to consider changing your timeline above to have the credit counseling happen on the day before you attempt to file your case.
I had a dad who was a control freak with money (frugal to a fault), a mom who as a result went nuts with money after their divorce in my teens, an ill-timed inheritance from my grandmother that I partially squandered, and then a pretty big hole I ended up in in college.
What turned me around was getting diagnosed with fibromyalgia 7 years ago... it completely disrupted my life when I couldn't work for a month and had to look my debts in the face. Since then I've paid off my credit card and tax debts, paid cash to marry a frugal man, paid cash for a vacation or two, paid off both cars and a few things we made payments on monthly, and now am about to seriously tackle student loans.
I value financial freedom so much more now than instant gratification, and although having significant health issues isn't fun, I'm glad for the way it stopped me in my tracks and spurred me on towards change!