It may take a while, but I save any coins I find or get back from purchases in a jar then take them to my bank, the bank has a free coin counting machine that makes it super easy to convert that annoying coin into green bills.
I think the time necessary for doing any cost-saving action has to be factored into the equation. I clip coupons and compare prices and it takes plenty of time each week but I'm saving my little family *lots* of money and I'm able to donate tons of food and hygiene items to charity.
I don't pick up pennies from the ground, though, probably because I'm too lazy. Everything larger than a penny, however, and you'll be getting a good old moon if you're behind me. As I like to say, "there's no such thing as an unlucky quarter."
The national debt is horrendous & continues to grow unabated. Bush added to it & Obama is making it even worse. Forget paying it off; that will never happen. We can't catch up especially with more debt looming (health care proposal, unfunded liabilities).
What is clear is the powers that be - present administration & the FED - are on the path to monetize the debt. That is, they are buying their own debt with money freshly printed. This is shaking up the usual lenders (China, Japan). This is leading to the deterioration of the US dollar - happening right now. Strategically, this makes sense. You pay off debt with dollars worth less than the original dollars lent.
This is party time for debtors and bad news for savers. Savers of course see their dollars erode in value.
Both higher interest rates and rampant inflation are in our future. I've been trying to tell people to protect themselves for the last few years but you know how unsolicited advice falls on deaf ears.
I do both - I pick up any money I see lying on the ground, and at the same time I question every large purchase we even consider. Doesn't mean I don't make mistakes and regret purchases, but at least stopping and thinking about it first (can this be fixed or done without instead?) gives us a chance to save more.
I always pick up pennies, nickles dimes whatever!! Its money I didnt have 2 seconds ago!
We used to live in a state with a can/bottle deposit. I used to tell my child "there's another nickle" and point to a can & we'd pick it up & add it to our return barrel. When it was time to take that barrel to get the cash we would go directly to the bank afterwards and make a deposit into the 529 savings acct. It made saving very easy and cleaned up the street as well. I'd like to think it taught my child a lesson about saving, polluting, etc.
P.S.!
I wanted to add something I forgot to mention. I love farmer's markets, but right now I'm on food stamps, so around here, unfortunately, I'm confined to buying what's in my grocery store. In a grocery store, it's difficult to tell what is abundant because it's seasonal and what's abundant for some other marketing reason. In a grocery store, abundance on the shelf doesn't necessarily equal "inexpensive."
The reason some people don't is that the benefits are stretched over such a long period of time that the immediate effects seem very small. If you only buy one or two things at the grocery store, you don't really see much difference in saving a $.50 or a dollar or so by buying the store brand instead of name brand. But if you make a gigantic grocery run, you'll see the savings then. Same with the latte factor. Saving $3 or $4 a day doesn't seem like much. It's like someone giving you $3 every day. If you instead look at it like someone giving you back $100 every month, or $1200 every year, it's a lot easier to see the benefit. Every little bit helps. I donate plasma twice a week, for $15-20 each time. It might not seem like a lot for an hour and a half of my time, especially after work when I'm eager to get home, but at the end of the month it's a welcome bonus. And I always pick up pennies.
While I appreciate the above poster's sentiment, for me it's just not as simple as find what's local and abundant. Finding what appears to be cheaper at the market (and thus, what must surely be in season) doesn't help unless you've kept track of the fluctuating prices of ALL produce over the previous 12 months. I have no idea if September's prices for eggplant/artichoke/broccoli/apple/asparagus/orange/beet/green bean/cantaloupe/mushroom are higher or lower than June's prices because I haven't kept a running account of the prices for every possible item of produce I might want to buy. Additionally, if it's not "abundant" at the market, is that because it's not in season, or because stock is running low when you visit the market? Hmm, I dunno, do I?
Along the same lines, I've seen very useful lists in magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens and Real Simple detailing the best times of year to buy linens, appliances, new cars, etc. Historically, these items tend to go on sale at specific times of year based on market forces that I'm just not aware of. Frankly, it's a hell of a lot easier to utilize a list someone else has put together than for ME to keep track of the best time of year to purchase EVERY item I might want for my home and family.
One more thought.... The economy the past year or two has been such that, although an item might be in season and thus comparatively cheaper than at other times of the year, it might actually be MORE expensive than it has been in the past because the cost of EVERYTHING is shifting upward. At least with these useful lists, I can know that I'm getting the best price possible.
I don't recall if i ever picked up pennies. Maybe i never came accross any (improbably i know!) or they never caught my fleeting attention (more likely scenario). But I do recall picking up nickles and dimes. I just piked up a dime the other day in the laundary room of our apartment building. I do see quarters on the washer as well sometimes, but I don't take them as they were probably left by someone waiting to do their laundary. But I will take the dimes or nickles on the unfinished floor as they don't fit in the coin slots on the washer.
I pick up pennies because they are made by someone -- it seems disrespectful to let them lie, or to sweep them up and not take the time to pick out the pennies. My son recently found a $20 that had been run over by a lawnmower -- he taped it together (minus a piece or two) and the bank exchanged it.
I try to do things as cheaply as I can where I can. I drive old cars, I find out when "pay what you can" nights are at local theaters, I search for places to eat out that are cheap but interesting (no mc d's for me) using yelp.com, I have learned how to do many home remodeling tasks to avoid paying top labor dollar.
I think the real power is in earning. Save where you can, but spend quality time thinking how you could earn more. Do you need to upgrade your education? Do you need to change jobs? Do you need to sell yourself better at your present job? Is there something you know how to do that other people would pay for? Think about it and get going.
It has been demoralizing to see a huge amount of equity in real estate just go away. But my hard work and sweat will eventually pay off. I am taking a long term view on that.
Sure it is. That's why I started using a 30-day list for purchases I want to make. Surprisingly, many of the products were not treats, but reusable items that would save me money in the long run (nice lace hankies, a tiffin tin for lunch, etc.)
I am a penny saver -- keep them in a jar and then take to the grocery store to convert to a gift card of some sort in the money changer machine.
Not a good latte saver -- bad, bad habit I have that I am trying to break. Just took the *latte factor* quiz and was shocked to see what I could be saving each week!
I save on both the little and big things you mentioned in the post. For example, I bought my truck used for cash....thus, I spent $7000 on a truck instead of $30000+ (for a new vehicle) and paying in cash, I didn't take out a loan (and pay interest).
On the small things, I try to save by waiting for sales or making them myself (for example: I brown bag my lunch everyday).
I'll pick up a penny on the ground too, as long as it isn't really dirty. I put all the change I acquire during the year (found money, change from cash transactions, etc) in a jar and take it out at Christmas. I usually have an extra $30-$50 to put towards gifts or a nice dinner with my girlfriend.
This was awesome and exactly what I was looking for!!! I'm in the same boat of WANTING to buy in-season, but farming just ain't in the blood and I had the same vague notions of apples and pumpkins in the fall, tomatoes in the summer, etc. LOL Thanks SO much to the blogger and to the commenters who posted other resources.
I would add that, since we got rid of our car, we have found two $100 bills blowing along the street on two separate occasions, not to mention a variety of smaller bills. It does pay to slow down.
The idea of a penny saved is a penny earned can be seen in two ways. On the one hand is the penny pincher, who would never go out to have a cup of coffee with a friend. There are times when I fall into that camp, but it's never very fun or comfortable. (Right now I'm fuming over the cost of Cub Scout Uniforms. A friend's sister sent her son's old uniform, but it's the tan Boy Scout one, not the blue Cub Scout one they're supposed to have. I keep telling my son that the uniform doesn't matter . . .) I like to see picking up pennies on the street as symbolic of letting money flow into my life. If you're dying of thirst, even a slow drip of water is a welcome relief. When we feel we have plenty, should we ignore the small flows? I don't think so. I pick up pennies on the street, and I use a price book for grocery shopping. I don't, however, obsess over saving every little cent on a purchase. Generally, I just try to be happy with what I have.
My best strategy for saving is to motivate yourself to exercise for free (or cheap). I run outside everyday right past the big windows of a few gyms full of people on treadmills. I save somewhere between $40-$150 per month by cutting that cost ($480-$1800 per year). Plus, whenever I see a quarter, dime, nickel, or even penny on the sidewalk, I pick it up. I figure it adds up to roughly a penny for every mile I run - which is excellent motivation for me to keep running and keep saving!
I pick up pennies, unless they're nasty. But I don't do it to "save" more. I do think that my expenses are due to eating out/latte factor. SO, every little bit helps.
I'm all about picking up pennies off the ground. I do pretty well with saving on the little things. My vice is eating out; I'd probably eat out every day if I could. But since I know that would be unwise for my wallet and for my health I refrain.
Saving is a mindset. Saving change and skipping lattes starts you on the right path. In and of themselves they're not going to be too helpful, but if you start small and see success it leads you to save more, cut out more excess and ultimately you'll see a much larger payout.
Hearing the numbers of the U.S. debt just makes me feel uneasy (my stomach flipped). The thing to take into consideration is that, though this debt would be enormous for any one individual, and impossible to pay off in a lifetime, the U.S. as a whole can generate a lot of money from the debts it is taking on right now. A lot of the stimulus money that is being spent will generate money put back into the economy and toward the debt it incurs. Think of it more as an investment. Hopefully it is a good one.
I use Redfin for browsing homes in my city. It is very helpful to finding homes within my price range. But, I do use it in conjunction with Zillow. Zillow seems to have more homes listed, and yes, I agree with Lorenzo, they do over-estimate a home value. Between the two websites, I can usually find plenty of homes to look at or find a specific address of a home I'm curious about.
I'm more curious about who's actually using Redfin to buy a home. What is the process? How many other's were bidding on the same property? Was it easy to secure all the paperwork and close escrow?
It may take a while, but I save any coins I find or get back from purchases in a jar then take them to my bank, the bank has a free coin counting machine that makes it super easy to convert that annoying coin into green bills.
Not sure what other banks have these machines but Metro Bank does: http://www.MyMetroBank.com
I think the time necessary for doing any cost-saving action has to be factored into the equation. I clip coupons and compare prices and it takes plenty of time each week but I'm saving my little family *lots* of money and I'm able to donate tons of food and hygiene items to charity.
I don't pick up pennies from the ground, though, probably because I'm too lazy. Everything larger than a penny, however, and you'll be getting a good old moon if you're behind me. As I like to say, "there's no such thing as an unlucky quarter."
The national debt is horrendous & continues to grow unabated. Bush added to it & Obama is making it even worse. Forget paying it off; that will never happen. We can't catch up especially with more debt looming (health care proposal, unfunded liabilities).
What is clear is the powers that be - present administration & the FED - are on the path to monetize the debt. That is, they are buying their own debt with money freshly printed. This is shaking up the usual lenders (China, Japan). This is leading to the deterioration of the US dollar - happening right now. Strategically, this makes sense. You pay off debt with dollars worth less than the original dollars lent.
This is party time for debtors and bad news for savers. Savers of course see their dollars erode in value.
Both higher interest rates and rampant inflation are in our future. I've been trying to tell people to protect themselves for the last few years but you know how unsolicited advice falls on deaf ears.
Has anyone noticed gold hit $1020 today?
I do both - I pick up any money I see lying on the ground, and at the same time I question every large purchase we even consider. Doesn't mean I don't make mistakes and regret purchases, but at least stopping and thinking about it first (can this be fixed or done without instead?) gives us a chance to save more.
I always pick up pennies, nickles dimes whatever!! Its money I didnt have 2 seconds ago!
We used to live in a state with a can/bottle deposit. I used to tell my child "there's another nickle" and point to a can & we'd pick it up & add it to our return barrel. When it was time to take that barrel to get the cash we would go directly to the bank afterwards and make a deposit into the 529 savings acct. It made saving very easy and cleaned up the street as well. I'd like to think it taught my child a lesson about saving, polluting, etc.
P.S.!
I wanted to add something I forgot to mention. I love farmer's markets, but right now I'm on food stamps, so around here, unfortunately, I'm confined to buying what's in my grocery store. In a grocery store, it's difficult to tell what is abundant because it's seasonal and what's abundant for some other marketing reason. In a grocery store, abundance on the shelf doesn't necessarily equal "inexpensive."
The reason some people don't is that the benefits are stretched over such a long period of time that the immediate effects seem very small. If you only buy one or two things at the grocery store, you don't really see much difference in saving a $.50 or a dollar or so by buying the store brand instead of name brand. But if you make a gigantic grocery run, you'll see the savings then. Same with the latte factor. Saving $3 or $4 a day doesn't seem like much. It's like someone giving you $3 every day. If you instead look at it like someone giving you back $100 every month, or $1200 every year, it's a lot easier to see the benefit. Every little bit helps. I donate plasma twice a week, for $15-20 each time. It might not seem like a lot for an hour and a half of my time, especially after work when I'm eager to get home, but at the end of the month it's a welcome bonus. And I always pick up pennies.
While I appreciate the above poster's sentiment, for me it's just not as simple as find what's local and abundant. Finding what appears to be cheaper at the market (and thus, what must surely be in season) doesn't help unless you've kept track of the fluctuating prices of ALL produce over the previous 12 months. I have no idea if September's prices for eggplant/artichoke/broccoli/apple/asparagus/orange/beet/green bean/cantaloupe/mushroom are higher or lower than June's prices because I haven't kept a running account of the prices for every possible item of produce I might want to buy. Additionally, if it's not "abundant" at the market, is that because it's not in season, or because stock is running low when you visit the market? Hmm, I dunno, do I?
Along the same lines, I've seen very useful lists in magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens and Real Simple detailing the best times of year to buy linens, appliances, new cars, etc. Historically, these items tend to go on sale at specific times of year based on market forces that I'm just not aware of. Frankly, it's a hell of a lot easier to utilize a list someone else has put together than for ME to keep track of the best time of year to purchase EVERY item I might want for my home and family.
One more thought.... The economy the past year or two has been such that, although an item might be in season and thus comparatively cheaper than at other times of the year, it might actually be MORE expensive than it has been in the past because the cost of EVERYTHING is shifting upward. At least with these useful lists, I can know that I'm getting the best price possible.
I don't recall if i ever picked up pennies. Maybe i never came accross any (improbably i know!) or they never caught my fleeting attention (more likely scenario). But I do recall picking up nickles and dimes. I just piked up a dime the other day in the laundary room of our apartment building. I do see quarters on the washer as well sometimes, but I don't take them as they were probably left by someone waiting to do their laundary. But I will take the dimes or nickles on the unfinished floor as they don't fit in the coin slots on the washer.
Watch the pennies and the dollars will follow.
I pick up pennies because they are made by someone -- it seems disrespectful to let them lie, or to sweep them up and not take the time to pick out the pennies. My son recently found a $20 that had been run over by a lawnmower -- he taped it together (minus a piece or two) and the bank exchanged it.
I try to do things as cheaply as I can where I can. I drive old cars, I find out when "pay what you can" nights are at local theaters, I search for places to eat out that are cheap but interesting (no mc d's for me) using yelp.com, I have learned how to do many home remodeling tasks to avoid paying top labor dollar.
I think the real power is in earning. Save where you can, but spend quality time thinking how you could earn more. Do you need to upgrade your education? Do you need to change jobs? Do you need to sell yourself better at your present job? Is there something you know how to do that other people would pay for? Think about it and get going.
It has been demoralizing to see a huge amount of equity in real estate just go away. But my hard work and sweat will eventually pay off. I am taking a long term view on that.
I penny saved is a penny earned. You earned that penny in the first place. Why shoud you let go of it frivolousy?
I tend to always save, save, save, but sometimes it backfires. I won't justify spending $15 on take out, but I'll buy a $100 dress. Go figure.
Sure it is. That's why I started using a 30-day list for purchases I want to make. Surprisingly, many of the products were not treats, but reusable items that would save me money in the long run (nice lace hankies, a tiffin tin for lunch, etc.)
I am a penny saver -- keep them in a jar and then take to the grocery store to convert to a gift card of some sort in the money changer machine.
Not a good latte saver -- bad, bad habit I have that I am trying to break. Just took the *latte factor* quiz and was shocked to see what I could be saving each week!
I save on both the little and big things you mentioned in the post. For example, I bought my truck used for cash....thus, I spent $7000 on a truck instead of $30000+ (for a new vehicle) and paying in cash, I didn't take out a loan (and pay interest).
On the small things, I try to save by waiting for sales or making them myself (for example: I brown bag my lunch everyday).
I'll pick up a penny on the ground too, as long as it isn't really dirty. I put all the change I acquire during the year (found money, change from cash transactions, etc) in a jar and take it out at Christmas. I usually have an extra $30-$50 to put towards gifts or a nice dinner with my girlfriend.
This was awesome and exactly what I was looking for!!! I'm in the same boat of WANTING to buy in-season, but farming just ain't in the blood and I had the same vague notions of apples and pumpkins in the fall, tomatoes in the summer, etc. LOL Thanks SO much to the blogger and to the commenters who posted other resources.
=)
I would add that, since we got rid of our car, we have found two $100 bills blowing along the street on two separate occasions, not to mention a variety of smaller bills. It does pay to slow down.
The idea of a penny saved is a penny earned can be seen in two ways. On the one hand is the penny pincher, who would never go out to have a cup of coffee with a friend. There are times when I fall into that camp, but it's never very fun or comfortable. (Right now I'm fuming over the cost of Cub Scout Uniforms. A friend's sister sent her son's old uniform, but it's the tan Boy Scout one, not the blue Cub Scout one they're supposed to have. I keep telling my son that the uniform doesn't matter . . .) I like to see picking up pennies on the street as symbolic of letting money flow into my life. If you're dying of thirst, even a slow drip of water is a welcome relief. When we feel we have plenty, should we ignore the small flows? I don't think so. I pick up pennies on the street, and I use a price book for grocery shopping. I don't, however, obsess over saving every little cent on a purchase. Generally, I just try to be happy with what I have.
My best strategy for saving is to motivate yourself to exercise for free (or cheap). I run outside everyday right past the big windows of a few gyms full of people on treadmills. I save somewhere between $40-$150 per month by cutting that cost ($480-$1800 per year). Plus, whenever I see a quarter, dime, nickel, or even penny on the sidewalk, I pick it up. I figure it adds up to roughly a penny for every mile I run - which is excellent motivation for me to keep running and keep saving!
I pick up pennies, unless they're nasty. But I don't do it to "save" more. I do think that my expenses are due to eating out/latte factor. SO, every little bit helps.
I'm all about picking up pennies off the ground. I do pretty well with saving on the little things. My vice is eating out; I'd probably eat out every day if I could. But since I know that would be unwise for my wallet and for my health I refrain.
Saving is a mindset. Saving change and skipping lattes starts you on the right path. In and of themselves they're not going to be too helpful, but if you start small and see success it leads you to save more, cut out more excess and ultimately you'll see a much larger payout.
Hearing the numbers of the U.S. debt just makes me feel uneasy (my stomach flipped). The thing to take into consideration is that, though this debt would be enormous for any one individual, and impossible to pay off in a lifetime, the U.S. as a whole can generate a lot of money from the debts it is taking on right now. A lot of the stimulus money that is being spent will generate money put back into the economy and toward the debt it incurs. Think of it more as an investment. Hopefully it is a good one.
I use Redfin for browsing homes in my city. It is very helpful to finding homes within my price range. But, I do use it in conjunction with Zillow. Zillow seems to have more homes listed, and yes, I agree with Lorenzo, they do over-estimate a home value. Between the two websites, I can usually find plenty of homes to look at or find a specific address of a home I'm curious about.
I'm more curious about who's actually using Redfin to buy a home. What is the process? How many other's were bidding on the same property? Was it easy to secure all the paperwork and close escrow?
thanks-
Little House