Hey out there:)
We have spent many posts showing and encouraging you to spend less, save more, and just plain be more conscious about your money, but I also wanted to balance that with something equally as important; knowing what you DO feel is worth spending your money on.
Here are a few small things I am not willing to compromise on; toilet paper, garbage bags, tea, and shampoo. We tried buying the cheapest bulk pack of toilet paper once, and I realized very quickly that a minimum quality of toilet paper is required for me to have a happy life. I don't need the premium brand that costs $20 for 4 rolls, however, I do require 2-ply and NOT feeling like sandpaper.
Garbage bags; here is where buying the really cheap ones can actually cost you more in the long run. The really cheap brands tear open really easily, so you end up having to double up on the bags anyway. Not eco or wallet friendly!
Tea; I drink a fair amount of tea and, though I have pretty pedestrian tastes when it comes to the tea, I don't want a tea bag that will take an hour to steep a weak cup of tea. Ideally, I would like to get two cups of tea out of each bag. This is a case where it is worth spending a bit more money on a quality tea bag, so that you can actually get twice the distance out of each one and save money overall.
And shampoo; okay, I'll admit that I simply can NOT stand to have dry or unmanageable hair. It makes me crazy, and like the toilet paper, makes it more difficult to maintain my happiness. Therefore, it is a luxury I don't mind indulging in. I will by a pretty expensive shampoo and conditioner, however, I only wash my hair every second day and with the more expensive brands, less of the product goes a long way. A bottle usually lasts me several months (I am the only one who uses it).
So consider, as you are trying to cut your expenses and shop more consciously, the things that you might not want to go to the cheap extreme on. There is, in fact, a difference between 'cheap' and 'inexpensive':)
Ciao for now, folks!
-Erin
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Budget Update - Month 3 "Okay...let's keep going!"
Wow! Another month come and gone. Always hard for me to believe how fast the time goes...and that I always intend to write more on this blog than just these monthly updates, but sometimes it just gets away from you:) Lots of great family time and enjoying the beautiful summer weather with friends, so we definitely can't complain!
In that vein, it'd like to focus on having fun and staying active while you're trying to live on a budget and reduce your expenses. It's easy to get into a habit of thinking that "going out" equals spending money. It's easy to blow $50 - $100 going out for a day, or even just an evening to a movie and dinner. So what do you do when your weekly family entertainment budget is $36 (and that also includes coffee at Bridgehead or Starbucks)?
Well, for starters, you change your ideas about what it means to "go out". It's great to treat yourself to a movie or a nice dinner sometimes, when you have the cash to do that; however, we've spent a lot of time this past month doing a wide range of really fun stuff that costs little to nothing.
Some examples? A friend of ours had the great idea to bring the kids to our local beach every Saturday morning. We meet there with our kids and they can play in the sand and water, the adults have time to play and socialize too (and, yes, we even get our toes wet from time to time!) We pack snacks and drinks from home, arrive early (around 10am) before the sun is too hot and the beach is too crowded, and go back home around 12 or 12:30 in time for lunch. Grand total for this awesome beach time? $2 for parking. If you don't have a beach near your home (or don't like the beach, for some unfathomable reason!), consider a park with a great play area for the kids and bring picnic blankets.
For those rare moments when the kids are with grandma and grandpa and it's just the adults, try going to some area of your city that you haven't been before and just explore. Recently, Dave and I went to a specific part of our town to check out some independently owned shops I'd read about. We parked the car and walked around the area, going into whatever shop attracted us at that time, and then sat by the river for a while just talking, enjoying the beautiful weather. Now this outing was a little more expensive for us because we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at a pub, but had we not decided to do that, the grand total would have been $10; $5 for a jar of specialty jam from one shop and $5 for an apron Dave found at a cool place that sold every kind of cooking utensil (for personal and professional use) you could imagine (except, oddly, cooling racks). Had we planned differently, we may have either eaten lunch at home before going out or packed a picnic lunch for us to eat on the banks of the river. Another thing Dave and I like to do together is go to open houses and look at the houses for sale around the city. It's a lot of fun, actually, though if you're going to do it and have no intention of buying, try not to waste the real estate agent's time if other prospective buyers are there.
Whatever it is you enjoy doing, be creative and figure out how you can do it (or something as satisfying) for little to no cost. Try geocaching if you enjoy being outdoors and treasure hunting (www.geocaching.com). Go to flea markets and antique stores, but only bring $10 - $20 and see what kinds of treasures you can find. Check out your local events calendar and see if there are free/inexpensive events happening in your area. Planning in advance is a great way to reduce your expenses. Always bring some water and snacks with you when you go out, even if you think you won't be gone that long. Pack lunch if you know you'll be gone all day.
There are many wonderful ways to enjoy yourself without breaking the bank or blowing your cash budget! Just get creative...use the ideas I've shared to come up with some great ones of your own, built on what you enjoy doing. We'd also love to hear your ideas and any other comments you have!
Thanks for reading, folks! Til next time!
-Erin and Dave
In that vein, it'd like to focus on having fun and staying active while you're trying to live on a budget and reduce your expenses. It's easy to get into a habit of thinking that "going out" equals spending money. It's easy to blow $50 - $100 going out for a day, or even just an evening to a movie and dinner. So what do you do when your weekly family entertainment budget is $36 (and that also includes coffee at Bridgehead or Starbucks)?
Well, for starters, you change your ideas about what it means to "go out". It's great to treat yourself to a movie or a nice dinner sometimes, when you have the cash to do that; however, we've spent a lot of time this past month doing a wide range of really fun stuff that costs little to nothing.
Some examples? A friend of ours had the great idea to bring the kids to our local beach every Saturday morning. We meet there with our kids and they can play in the sand and water, the adults have time to play and socialize too (and, yes, we even get our toes wet from time to time!) We pack snacks and drinks from home, arrive early (around 10am) before the sun is too hot and the beach is too crowded, and go back home around 12 or 12:30 in time for lunch. Grand total for this awesome beach time? $2 for parking. If you don't have a beach near your home (or don't like the beach, for some unfathomable reason!), consider a park with a great play area for the kids and bring picnic blankets.
For those rare moments when the kids are with grandma and grandpa and it's just the adults, try going to some area of your city that you haven't been before and just explore. Recently, Dave and I went to a specific part of our town to check out some independently owned shops I'd read about. We parked the car and walked around the area, going into whatever shop attracted us at that time, and then sat by the river for a while just talking, enjoying the beautiful weather. Now this outing was a little more expensive for us because we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at a pub, but had we not decided to do that, the grand total would have been $10; $5 for a jar of specialty jam from one shop and $5 for an apron Dave found at a cool place that sold every kind of cooking utensil (for personal and professional use) you could imagine (except, oddly, cooling racks). Had we planned differently, we may have either eaten lunch at home before going out or packed a picnic lunch for us to eat on the banks of the river. Another thing Dave and I like to do together is go to open houses and look at the houses for sale around the city. It's a lot of fun, actually, though if you're going to do it and have no intention of buying, try not to waste the real estate agent's time if other prospective buyers are there.
Whatever it is you enjoy doing, be creative and figure out how you can do it (or something as satisfying) for little to no cost. Try geocaching if you enjoy being outdoors and treasure hunting (www.geocaching.com). Go to flea markets and antique stores, but only bring $10 - $20 and see what kinds of treasures you can find. Check out your local events calendar and see if there are free/inexpensive events happening in your area. Planning in advance is a great way to reduce your expenses. Always bring some water and snacks with you when you go out, even if you think you won't be gone that long. Pack lunch if you know you'll be gone all day.
There are many wonderful ways to enjoy yourself without breaking the bank or blowing your cash budget! Just get creative...use the ideas I've shared to come up with some great ones of your own, built on what you enjoy doing. We'd also love to hear your ideas and any other comments you have!
Thanks for reading, folks! Til next time!
-Erin and Dave
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