Not all our book recommendations are about finance and frugality (in fact most of them won’t be), but we thought this a good time and a good series kick off our book recommendations. The Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella and published by Random House are among my favorite light reading matter, and I have actually read most of this series twice.

The protagonist of the series, Becky Bloomwood, is a London financial journalist who writes for a magazine called Successful Savings and gives financial advice to hundreds of people, but she is completely clueless when it comes to her own personal finances. This is due to the fact that she is also a shopaholic who can’t resist a store, sale or anything that can (and sometimes can’t) be bought with money, and as a result, at the beginning of the first book Confessions of a Shopaholic, suddenly realizes that she is £6,000 in debt.

So she embarks on a mission to get out of debt, but being her incorrigible self, seems to find herself in deeper trouble with each attempt be it cutting back or making more money, getting deeper in debt, and all the while dodging her bank manager and many creditors.

While Becky Bloomwood is not a heroine after which we should all model ourselves, she is definitely a great example of financial “don’ts”. She always finds a way to convince herself when spending money that she is actually saving money or making an investment (even when the item in question is a pair of strappy clementine sandals).

She is so incorrigible that at times I actually get annoyed with her, wondering just what the heck she is thinking … (well, we do know what she is thinking, because the whole story is told from her point of view) … but she is also so hopelessly optimistic in all her harebrained endeavors that you sort of can’t help laughing and liking her. I found the 4th book of the series Shopahoic & Sister especially funny as spendthrift Becky meets (and clashes) with her very prudent and frugal sister.

All in all, it is a very entertaining (and financially educational) read.

This series consists of the following and in the order listed (the last is a gift set of the first 3 novels):

Related posts:

• More About Us
• The Frugal Literate’s Guide to Affordable Reading
• Funny Money Lessons from Fiddler on the Roof: If I Were a Rich Man
• The Library Card: Your Other “Rewards Credit Card”
• About This Blog

My suggestions are divided into the following subsections:

• Summer Hobbies – activities with lasting benefits and meaning
  
• Summer Studies – develop skills that will be useful in life
  
• Summer To-Do’s – a few ways to get your life or home in order
  
• Summer Fitness – ways to keep cool and stay fit
  
• Summer Pet Bonding – make your pet happy and you healthy

Summer Hobbies

Here are some ideas for catching up on tasks that may have been neglected during the year.

• Write in your journal
  Write about your past year, what’s on your mind, who and what you like and dislike, your daydreams, anything. In future years you will be glad you did it and also amused by your younger self. You think you will always remember what happened when, but as time goes by, memories do fade and become forgotten. (Trust me, I’m speaking from experience and I’m not yet 30 and have a memory better than most.)
• Make a family video
  Go around the house and take a video of your family going about its regular business. You will be glad for the memories one day.
• Scrapbook
  Organize family photos, report cards, birthday cards, artwork, concert programs and other keepsakes from the past year into a scrapbook.
• Reading
  Reading (even fun fiction) can help improve your mind, vocabulary, grammar and writing skills. If you go to the library, you can read in an air-conditioned environment without having to pay for the air-conditioning or the books.

Summer Studies

Yes, summer should be fun, but there’s no reason it can’t be both fun and productive.

• Learn a new language
  The benefits of learning languages are endless. Learning a new language can help you to:
  • Get ahead in your career
  • Make new friends from different parts of the world. When you show an interest in someone’s language or culture, they are often appreciative and take an interest in you in return.
  • Improve your English (or first language)
• Learn to play a musical instrument
  Music enhances the mind in many ways. Studies have shown that children who study music at an early age do better in school than those who don’t. Aside from that, it is also just plain fun.
• Learn to sew
  Sewing is a very useful skill to have regardless of your gender. You can learn to mend clothes, make your own clothes and other things for your house, which can save you a lot of money. Older and more skilled children can even make their own clothes for the coming school year. Check out one of our earlier articles for more info: Save Money by Sewing Your Own Clothes.
• Take a computer class
  Learn to type properly, use a spreadsheet or database, design websites, make presentations, etc. Most jobs these days involve computer use, so knowing as much as you can about computers might help you get a higher salary.

Summer To-Do’s

A few suggestions for improving life at home and getting ahead on the coming year.

• Get a head start on your Christmas shopping
  This could save you time and money because you can shop at your leisure and take advantage of summer sales. Leaving your shopping to the last minute usually costs more because you are up against a deadline and usually have fewer options.
• Sort through your stuff
  Go through your clothes and things and prune out those you no longer want or need. You could donate the things you no longer need or hold a garage or yard sale and make some money to put into your college or retirement savings.
• Re-arrange your room or home
  Re-arranging your room or home can have a positive impact on your life. A change can be uplifting and produce an overall feeling of well-being and accomplishment, renew your energy and increase productivity.
• Clean out your computer
  Ideally you would do this several times a year, but if you use the internet and download a lot of things, it’s a good idea to clean out your computer on a regular basis. If there are programs you don’t use, uninstall them. If there are files that you no longer need, delete them. Clean your registry if you’ve had the computer for a while. Keeping your hard drive from getting too full will extend its life.

Summer Fitness

A few suggestions for staying cool and healthy this summer.

• Mall Walking
  Walking in an indoor, air-conditioned mall is a great way to get exercise away from the heat and smog, and you can also save on sunscreen. You can even window-shop during your walks, but if you think you might get too tempted, leave your money and credit card at home.
• Swimming in an indoor pool
  Swimming is another low-impact exercise (safer than running) which increases endurance, muscle and cardiovascular strength. Try to swim in an indoor pool whenever possible or wait until early evening to avoid sunburn.
• Ice Skating
  Not only does it let you get away from the heat, but it’s a good low-impact and aerobic exercise which will help strengthen your bones and cardiovascular system. Taking some lessons and learning to skate properly can be worth the money.

Summer Pet Bonding

If you have a pet, spend some quality time together. Not only will you make your pet very happy, he/she will help make you healthier. (How Pets Help People)

• Take your dog to obedience school
  Obedience school is good for socializing and teaching discipline. There is nothing wrong with repeating obedience school for fun and refreshing both your memories.
• Teach your dog new tricks
  There are lots of fun tricks you can teach your dog: beg, spin (in both directions), roll, speak, catch a ball or frisbee, etc. You can also teach your dog to be helpful around the house: closing the door or brining you something you dropped. Dogs enjoy feeling helpful and learning new things can keep mature dogs’ minds sharp.
• Take your dog for long evening strolls or hikes
  If going hiking, be sure to take another person along, bring lots of water and plastic bags, and make sure your dog’s feet are protected from rough terrain. For your dog’s and other hikers’ safety, never let him off-leash on a hiking trail.
• Enter your dog in a 4th of July costume contest
  Make a fun costume for your dog and enter a costume contest or parade. (Sorry, for the self-promotion, but if you don’t want to make your own costume, check out some of our patriotic dog clothing and costumes at Franga Designs.)

Well, I hope some of these suggestions prove helpful in making your summer both fun and productive. Vas-y t’amuser!

Related posts:

• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading
• No-Air Conditioning Summer Part 1 – How It Started: No-Heat Winters
• Language Lesson ~ Frugality is a Virtue
• Frugal Thermodymics Part I: Limiting Sources of Heat in the Home

Originally posted 2008-06-09 05:28:43.

Most library websites these days go way beyond the ability to check your account and renew books. Rather, you have access to:

• Free e-book, audiobook, video and music downloads
• Periodicals
• Career and skill building resources
• Homework help for students
• School and career test preparation
• Databases of resources on a variety of subjects including (but not limited to):
  • Consumer information
  • Health
  • Genealogy
  • Grants
  • Business and Career

e-Books, Audiobooks, Videos & Music

Many California libraries belong to a program called Califa, where users of participating libraries can log-in with their library card numbers and check out e-books, audiobooks and music. I’m sure library systems in other states have similar programs.

Materials available through Califa include fiction, non-fiction, children’s and young adult literature. The Califa system offers public domain and non-public domain items. Copyrighted material is copy-protected so that while you can use them, they can’t be copies. Non-copyrighted material can be copied to your computer to keep indefinitely.

My favorite of the offerings are the audiobooks. The system is quite up to date and offers contemporary works and bestsellers such as The Da Vinci Code, Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events, as well as classics such as Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, etc.

Our favorites that we have listened to several times are the Chronicles of Narnia. The recording quality is good, download is fast, installation and operation of the software was easy.

How the Califa system works

• Browse the catalog for e-books, audiobooks or music you want to check out
• Add the items you want to check out in your “book bag”
• Check out when you are ready (I believe the loan period is 3 weeks).
• Enter your library card number and PIN (Visit or contact your library to get a PIN or if you don’t know yours. It’s often the last 4 digits of your phone number.)
• Download the Overdrive software to play audiobooks or music on your computer
• You can listen to the material on your computer for a period of time before it expires
• The Overdrive program also has MP3 download for iPod, iPhone and iPod Touch

The best part is that even though our current local library isn’t part of the Califa system, I was able to access the system using my old library card from when I lived in Alameda County (in the Bay Area). Older library cards do expire after several years, but if you recently lived in a bigger county or city system, you may still be able to access online resources through those libraries’ websites using your old library card. In California, most libraries will issue you a card as long as you are resident of the state.

So get on our library’s website and check out all the great resources you have access to. If you don’t have a library card, go and get yourself one!

For more on the benefits of a library card, check out a post I wrote earlier this year: The Library Card, Your Other Rewards Credit Card.

Related posts:

• Pecuniarities News: Top 100 Finance Blogs, MSN Smart Spending, FrugalFocus and Consumer Safety
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #16
• The Library Card: Your Other “Rewards Credit Card”
• Public Domain Music: Music you already own!
• Friday Fun: Meme Me! 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me (Penelope Pince)

Tiny leaks and evaporation put a constant drain on your resources. As discussed in our previous post, From Pennies One Million Dollars Grow, a few cents saved here and there can add up to be a significant amount. Here we offer 101 suggestions for plugging expenditures in various aspects of your life – around the house, in your personal care, transportation, recreation and more. Most of these ideas we currently use or have applied in the past.

101 Drops in the Bucket

Saving on Utilities

• Minimize electricity use during peak hours (weekdays during work hours). Do laundry, use hot water, etc. in the evenings.
• Cook enough for several meals at once.
• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
• Turn off shower when shampooing and soaping.
• Work or read in the same room with family members or roommates to consolidate light usage.
• Take advantage of natural daylight to get your work done. Sleep when it’s dark, get up as soon as it is light (before sunrise).
• Hold off on personal phone calls that can wait until evenings and weekends when rates are lower or free.
• Wash things on the lawn to water the grass at the same time.
• Water the lawn or garden in the early morning or after sundown. Skip watering on windy days.
• Use curtains to keep your house cool in summer and warm in winter.
• Keep thermostat lower in the winter and wear extra layers.
• Don’t separate colors in your laundry; instead, hand wash items that bleed. This way, you can reduce the number of loads. Saves water, electricity and soap.
• Keep thermostat as high as can be tolerated in summer without harming your pets, antiques and musical instruments.
• Drink lots of cold water to keep cool and reduce need for air conditioning.
• Turn off air conditioning in late afternoon, open doors and windows and turn on fans.
• Using ceiling fans in summer and winter (reverse directions to push warm air down).
• For laundry, set a shorter dryer time. It’s better to have to do a touch up instead of using unnecessary gas or electricity. You’d be surprised how little time some clothing need to dry. If taken out still warm, damp things can still air dry quite quickly.
• Cancel cable, purchase a few DVDs a month (which cost less than cable and leave you with an asset) and watch current shows online at Hulu or network channel websites.

Saving on Food and Health

• Eat smaller portions to avoid waste and overindulgence.
• Eat foods of substance that hold you over longer (i.e. proteins).
• Take baking soda instead of over-the-counter antacids (unless you have other health conditions that are affected by sodium intake).
• Put away leftover food immediately to prevent spoilage.
• Do not overfill refrigerator as food goes bad faster due to poor air circulation.
• Do house and yard work for exercise.
• Get an exercise bike for $150-$200 or pedal exerciser for under $20 and some hand weights instead of a gym membership.
• Water down juice to reduce caloric and sugar intake as well as make the juice last longer.
• Make a pot of tea with a teabag instead of just one cup.
• Opt for stainless steel silverware and cookware without plastic parts as they last indefinitely.
• Use a hand whisk instead of electric egg beater to burn calories and save money.
• When baking – cakes, casseroles, etc. – use a cookie sheet instead of aluminum foil to cover the pan or casserole dish.
• Combine a box of Jell-O with a pack of unflavored Knox Gelatin for lower sugar content and cost.
• Buy quart-size yogurt instead of individual serving cups. They often cost $2.00 per container and save a lot.
• (Cont. from #78) When finished with the yogurt, save the container for storing food, cut fruits and leftovers, or use for various projects around the house such as mixing paint.
• Bring treats home. For example:
• (Example 1 for #80) Instead of going out for ice cream, buy a gallon and a pack of cones and enjoy several ice cream cones at the same cost.
• (Example 2 for #80) Instead of ordering delivery pizza, bring home a frozen pizza. The most deluxe frozen pizza such as Freschetta still costs a lot less than delivery plus tip.
• If you cannot decide between a low-carb and low-fat diet, low-fat is usually cheaper.

Saving on Household

• Use old clothing to make rags, pillows, blankets and pet beds.
• Use a home dry cleaning kit instead of a professional dry cleaner.
• Use less laundry detergent unless your clothes are very dirty to extend the life of your clothing.
• Turn clothing inside-out when washing to preserve the appearance.
• Use rubbing alcohol to sanitize doorknobs, exercise equipment, refrigerator handles, etc.
• Hold the insecticide. When you see an ant or other little bug, wipe it away with a soapy sponge and discourage further visits by cleaning thoroughly and caulking any cracks and entry points.
• Use rubbing alcohol to kill insects such as ants, spiders, gnats, silverfish.
• Use vinegar to kill tougher and larger insects. Vinegar in a spray bottle is also the best and cleanest fly swatter.
• Use vinegar in place of more expensive cleaners.
• When the oven is on, set dishes or other items to dry on top of or near the oven (keep safety in mind).
• Repaint or varnish furniture you already own for a new look or to give it second life.
• If throwing or cutting up old clothes, salvage buttons, zippers, drawstrings, bows and re-usable trims for mending other clothing.
• Rinse dishes before soaping to save dish detergent.
• When doing dishes, put the dirtiest at the bottom so that soap and water can run over them while you’re washing other easier dishes first.
• If you dry your hands or face on a paper towel, set it aside for cleaning floors and other things.
• Use cold water to clean on hot days to prevent getting overheated and save electricity or gas.
• Follow the The Life Stages of a Dish Sponge not only for sponges, but towels, clothing and anything else that applies.
• Use plastic shopping bags instead of buying trash bags. The small size will also encourage you to take the garbage out more often.
• Use small holiday buckets that can be purchased half-price (around 25¢-50¢) after a holiday for trash cans/waste baskets or cleaning buckets. These small buckets can be set on the counter near the kitchen sink to keep dogs out of the trash.
• Water down dish and hand soap. You often pump out more than you need.
• Learn to perform minor repairs around your home such as lighting a pilot light, replacing a thermocouple, etc. (We once saved $70 by changing the thermocouple on our water heater ourselves instead of calling a repairman.)
• Redye color-worn clothing to give a second life. Fabric dyes can be purchased in the laundry section.
• To save your septic system, instead of pouring cooking oils down the drain, pour them into empty glass or plastic bottles, close tightly and throw away.
• To extend the life of your septic system and reduce frequency of pumping, throw toilet paper in a trash can lined with shopping bags (and take it out everyday).
• Instead of replacing your pillow, launder in hot water and dry on thoroughly on high heat (to kill dust mites). You can even cut one seam open, fluff the material by hand, and sew it shut. No one will notice if your stitching is untidy. Consider a pillow cover if you suffer from allergies.
• Use pillow and mattress covers to prolong the life of your bedding and facilitate easier cleaning especially if you have pets or children.
• Use a push reel lawn mower. It is cheaper to buy, efficient to store, requires no fuel, has fewer parts to maintain and repair, and provides for refreshing and fun exercise.
• Use a wind-up clock instead of a battery or electric clock.

Saving on Personal Care

• Opt for a low maintenance and shorter hair style to save on shampoo and hair products.
• Make bar soap last longer by unwrapping and letting it dry for about a week before using it. (You could set it in your closet during this time to make things smell fresh.)
• In personal grooming, wherever practical, pluck instead of wax as a one-time purchase of a good pair of tweezers lasts for years.
• While using a facial scrub, exfoliate your hands (and maybe even your elbows) before rinsing off.
• Accept free samples of products that you use and would purchase – soap, deodorant, shampoo, lotions, etc. – so long as it doesn’t require you to pay money or register for some sort of membership. A sample is usually enough for several uses and can put off need to purchase them.
• Dry your hair naturally to save electricity, heat damage to hair, and sweating. In cooler weather, wear a small towel, scarf, or flannel cap until hair is almost completely dry.
• Curl your hair without electricity. Cut rectangular strips from an old t-shirt, roll up sections of damp hair and tie in a knot. This method has been used for many centuries and gives a very charming style of curl. Mousse can be applied before curling if desired.
• Keep good quality ribbons from gift wrap and packaging (such as for candy, food, and cosmetics) and use these as hair ties for securing the ends of braids, tying a bow over a plain rubber band, or stitching hair styles on your head (with a blunt needle).

Saving on Hobbies, Recreation and Entertainment

• If there are 2 or more of you, wait for the DVD release of a film instead of going to the theater, especially if you like to watch a film more than once. The purchase of 1 DVD is less than the cost of 2 movie tickets.
• Buy DVDs instead of renting. You may see fewer films in a year, but will have assets to reuse or resell.
• If you have a piano, consider learning to tune it yourself, which can save about $160 a year. The one-time purchase of a good tuning kit and manual is about $110. Tools could be had for less, but good tools will better prevent damage. Refer to: Tuning Your Own Piano: A Skill With Many Unexpected Benefits
• Use the library to borrow books, audiobooks and music and rent movies for $1-$2 a week. See The Library Card: Your Other “Rewards Credit Card” for more ways your library can save you money.
• Buy a small potted Christmas tree instead of a large “dead” one. When Christmas is over, plant it in your yard to increase your property value or keep it for next year.
• If you need paper for crafts and projects, request paper at the grocery store checkout. We used to use paper bags for testing clothing sewing patterns. Horse feed bags are great for patterns, too.
• Use reading as a frugal leisure activity that will improve your writing, grammar, and vocabulary which is advantages in all walks of life. The Frugal Literate’s Guide to Affordable Reading.
• Stop paying for classes, lessons, and activities if you or your children do not attend, practice, or enjoy them enough. A break might revive motivation or provide a chance to discover new interests and talents.

Saving on Shopping

• Shop online whenever possible and take advantage of free and low shipping costs to save gas and time.
• When shopping, always check unit prices. Don’t be deceived by packaging size.
• Don’t buy junk food if you’ll regret it eating it.
• Use cash back rewards credit cards wherever and whenever you can.
• Try to limit purchases to things of lasting value such as books, classic literature, reference books, classical music, conservative fashions and acoustic instruments instead of electric.
• Purchase furniture made of real wood and not laminate or particle board. If items contain particle board, at least make sure the framing is constructed of solid wood. Particle boards will bow, causing shelves to collapse, and swell and become permanently damaged when wet.
• Choose latex and rubber toys for your dogs. They outlast plush toys by several years and are more sanitary.

Saving on Miscellaneous

• Use online postage printing and carrier pickup for mailing packages.
• Turn of wrist watches when not wearing them to save the battery.
• Pick up all loose change.
• Use open source software.
• Resist pressure from peers and solicitors to donate to causes you do not feel strongly for or cannot afford.
• Close your bank account and open a credit union account with higher dividends, no minimum balance, unlimited free teller visits and checks, and fee-free accounts. Why Credit Unions Instead of Banks
• Choose credit cards with no annual fees. You could be spending or earning interest on that money.

Saving on Transportation

• Walk wherever and whenever you can.
• Consolidate errands.
• Plan your route to avoid left turns when driving.
• When driving, take your foot off the gas when anticipating a stop ahead.
• Park in the first vacant space you find.
• Plan downhill routes to and from your destinations.

Hurrah! We made it!

Related posts:

• Our Fourpence Worth has moved. Please update your feed readers.
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #9
• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #11
• Put Your Brain Where Your Money Is: Think to Save

Reading is one of the most frugal hobbies in existence, and is something, in my opinion, that everyone should do. Not only is it entertaining, but it can be beneficial and educational in many ways. In fact, reading is (along with watching period films based on classic literature) Madoline’s and my favorite hobby, and when we’re not working we can often be found with a book in front of us, even while eating.

The virtues of reading (even light-hearted, entertaining fiction) are as follows:

• Subconsciously improves your knowledge of language, grammar and writing
• Acquisition of vocabulary through example in context
• Expands your horizons and knowledge of people and the world
• Teaches a sense of perspective and the ability to see more than one side of a situation
• Improves overall reading comprehension skills and better prepare you for life
  • Good reading and writing skills are essential for success in career and business
  • The ability to better read and understand contracts, terms and conditions (such as credit card terms) helps you to be a more conscientious consumer
  • Proper writing and spelling is a necessity if you want to be taken seriously whether it be in letters, on message boards, your own website or blog, etc.

So now that I’ve convinced you of the virtues of reading, here are some tips for reading on a budget (or ) and sources for affordable reading. While we try to borrow from the library as much as possible, we do sometimes purchase books.

A few reasons we purchase books are:

• Collecting
  Book collecting is just as rewarding a hobby as stamp or coin collecting. Some people collect for fun, and others for profit. We personally love books so much that we would rather keep old and rare books than sell them.
• Reading more than once
  We have favorite books and series that we often read more than once (sometimes once a year) and feel it worthwhile to purchase and collect them.
• Study and reference
  Madoline is currently studying in preparation for graduate school, so we often purchase reference and related materials that will be useful both now and later.
• Home library
  We live in a remote area without much to do and our local library can be rather lacking in some areas, so if there is a book we are sure of liking and re-reading, we sometimes purchase it. Also, if you live a frugal lifestyle and often opt to stay home instead of going out and spending money, it’s sometimes nice to have a handy library to pick from when in need of some entertainment or activity.

You don’t have to purchase new books to fill your collection or library. In fact, we often prefer to purchase used books just because they’re more comfortable to read. When we read a new book, we always feel the need to keep it pristine and hate seeing them get dinged or creased. But with used books, we don’t have that problem, and can read in total comfort (after wiping it over with rubbing alcohol). There are many sources for very affordable books, as low as 10-25 cents per book, which I will share below. I will start with the most preferred (frugal) sources and work my way down.

Continue on for a list of affordable reading resources.

1. Libraries

Every city, county and/or state has a public library system. You’ve already paid for the resources offered by the library, so you might as well use it. Most library systems these days are very up-to-date and offer the latest bestsellers and new releases. For more on the benefits of libraries, refer to my post .

2. e-Books

I personally prefer physical books that I can carry around and read in bed or a comfy chair, but for those who don’t mind reading on the computer, e-Books are very easily available from a variety of sources these days. Most free e-Books are classics and other works that have entered into the public domain as a result of expired copyright, but libraries often offer free access to thousands of new release and bestsellers in e-book and audio-book formats through their websites. A couple of good sources for free e-Books are:

• Project Gutenberg
• Book Glutton

3. Library and Friends of the Library Book Sales

Most libraries have a Friends of the Library group that collects donated books and organizes regular sales to raise funds for the library. These book sales often sell old, used, like-new and sometimes even new books for incredible prices, often at 10 to 25 cents for a paperback, 50 cents for softcover trade paperbacks, and $1.00 for hardbacks. These types of sales in metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles are especially plentiful in current bestsellers in new condition. They usually occur once a month in most areas, but even when there isn’t a sale, many libraries have a cart or shelf near the entrance where you can pick up books and deposit the money into a collection box.

The Book Sale Finder website is a great place to search for and sign up for notifications of book sales in your area.

4. Thrift Stores

Thrift stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army usually have a book section with decent prices. They’re not as good as the library sales, but cheaper than most other used book stores, with prices between 50 cents for smaller children’s books to $2.00 – $3.00 for other books.

You can search for thrift stores near you at The Thrift Shopper.com.

5. Used Books Online

My favorite online source for used books is abebooks.com. Prices start at $1.00, even for some new books, and there is a vast selection from booksellers all over the world. The sellers that sell on this site also sell on other used book sites such as Amazon Marketplace, but at AbeBooks, the combined shipping rates for additional books from the same seller are sometimes better, as it would seem that AbeBooks allows the sellers to set their own rates for additional books, while the other sites set a flat rate. Some sellers on AbeBooks offer combined shipping rates of only $1.50-$2.00 per additional book (within the United States), while most other sites charge between $3.00-$3.99 per additional book.

	Author Title Keyword ISBN

6. New Books Online

If you can’t find a book used or free from the library and must buy it new, then I’d say go with Amazon or Overstock.com. I recently learned that many people are not aware that Overstock.com carries books and movies. In fact, Overstock.com actually often has better prices than Amazon even when you add shipping charges, but Amazon has a wider selection, competitive pricing and free shipping on orders over $25.00.

• Books on Amazon.com
• Books on Overstock.com

Related posts:

• April 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading
• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #10
• My Favorite Money and Time Saving Websites

Here are just a few … ok, more than a few … of our books, movies and music. (Please give us a moment to load our widgets.)

Related posts:

• More About Us
• The Library Card: Your Other “Rewards Credit Card”
• Motivating Children to Practice Music: Introduction
• Free e-Book, Audiobook, Video & Music Download and Online Resources From Your Local Library
• About This Blog

A credit card, when used wisely and responsibly, brings you a number of benefits and can save you money. And so does a library card. The public library is one of your most useful resources for saving money. With a library card, which you can obtain for free, you have almost limitless access to a variety of services and materials such as:

• Books – Fiction
  Especially good for people who read a lot but usually only read books once.
• Books – Non-Fiction
  Books on careers and jobs, writing resumes and cover letters, learning computer software and programming, accounting and taxes, starting your own business, etc.
• Foreign Language Books
  Fiction and non-fiction in foreign languages prevalent in your community. Many California libraries carry books in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Arabic and Vietnamese.
• Audio Books
  Classic, children’s and contemporary literature on CD or Audio, including new releases and popular titles.
• Music
  Classical, contemporary, film soundtracks, international music, etc. CDs that you can check out just like a book.
• Movies
  Most libraries have movies (DVD and VHS) that you can rent for $1 or $2 and let you keep for a week.
• Magazines
  There’s usually a good selection of general and special interest publications to choose from including titles like: People, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic, Better Homes & Gardens, The Family Handyman, and even young adult magazines such as Seventeen. Instead of paying for a subscription, you can read current magazines at the library and some libraries will let you check out back issues to take home to read.
• Newspapers
  Current editions including local and national newspapers such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc. can be read in the library.
• Computers
  Free computer access for word processing or internet use. Instead of paying for computer use at Internet Cafes, you are usually allowed 1 hour of free use per day and more if there are not other users waiting.
• Online services
  You can access online databases of periodicals and articles and educational websites from within the library or your home computer. Many libraries offer online access to e-books, audio books, and music that you can download and read or listen to on your computer.

Continue reading for information on other useful services provided by your library and tips for responsible library use.

Other services provided or sponsored by your public library:

• Reserving Materials
  If your library location doesn’t have something you need, you can request the same item from another location. When it arrives at your local library, they will contact you by phone or email to let you know it is ready for you to pick up. This service is almost always free and you are only charged a small fee ($.50 or $1.00) if you fail to pick it up within a reasonable amount of time.
• Renewing Materials
  Most loan periods are 3 or 4 weeks, depending on the library. Unless there are other users waiting on the same items, you can often renew your materials for up to 2 more times. Libraries make it very easy for you to renew items these days with online or automated phone renewals.
• Special Events
  Some public libraries host guest lectures and performances by professionals in various fields such as writing, music, history, etc.
• Used Book Sales
  If you like to collect books, library used book sales are one of the best sources for expanding your personal library or collection. You can often find new, like new, or vintage and antique books for very good prices. Most hardcovers sell for $1.00, trade paperbacks for $0.50, and paperbacks for $0.25.

A few tips for borrowing materials from the library:

• If you tend to forget due dates, set up a reminder on your computer email program, Google Calendar or cell phone to to either renew or return your borrowed materials a few days before the due date. Some libraries have email notification systems that can send you email reminders too.
• The online account access is a very convenient feature. If you can’t make it to the library by the due date, just log on, check all the items due and hit the renew button. It’s a good idea to do this a few days before the due date in case some of the items are not renewable.
• Don’t let anyone else use your card.
• If you’re concerned about the cleanliness of the materials, use a paper towel and some rubbing alcohol to wipe the surfaces before using them.
• If you’re applying for a library card, bring ID and proof of address such as a utility bill addressed to you if your current address doesn’t match the one on your ID.

Some people don’t like to use the library because you sometimes have to wait a while to read new releases. But in the big scheme of things, is it really so bad to wait a few weeks or months to read that new novel? A little patience can save you a lot of money.

To see how much money your library can save you, go to your local library’s website and look for a page called the “Library Value Calculator”. Enter in the number of books you read per month and any other services you could be using there and see how much you can save.

After all, if you think about it, you have actually already paid for these services by paying your taxes, so you might as well use them.

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #20
• Free e-Book, Audiobook, Video & Music Download and Online Resources From Your Local Library
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• Resources

A necessity is an item/service that you simply cannot do without in your everyday life and that is vital to your survival and situation.

A luxury is anything that is not a necessity.

A few examples of necessities (or necessary expenditures) would be:

• Food
• Rent/mortgage
• Auto insurance
• Home insurance
• Health insurance
• Gas
• Auto Maintenance
• Utilities: electricity, gas and phone

Of course these are not the only necessities in the world, and it’s different for everyone, but when you really think about it, true necessities are actually quite few in number, and many things that you think you need are in fact not that necessary.

A few common examples of luxuries would be:

• Entertainment – movies (at the theater, renting, or buying), music and/or books
• Cable or satellite
• Toys and games (video or non-video)
• More than one home phone line
• More than one computer (even one computer could be considered a luxury in dire circumstances)
• High speed internet service

Even in one of the main necessities, food, there are luxuries that aren’t necessary. Necessary foods are foods that are vital for your health and continued existence. These are usually basic foods and staples that fill out your food pyramid and keep you in good health. Any food that is not vital to your health and survival should be regarded as a luxury.

A few examples of luxury foods when grocery shopping would be:

• Chips and other junk food
• Cookies and other sweets
• Gourmet cheeses
• Alcoholic drinks
• Soda and other bottled beverages
• Bakery goods
• Specialty breads i.e. foccacia
• Seasonal and tropical fruits
• Fancy meats (i.e. steaks)
• Pre-prepared and packaged foods (sandwiches, salads, sushi, cut fruit, etc.)

I say “should be regarded as a luxury” because I think it is important to understand and appreciate the difference. I am not saying that your life should be completely stripped of all pleasures and comforts, but when you are purchasing a new DVD or CD, it is important to be aware that what you are purchasing is a luxury item.

So, the first step in trying to figure out how to cut your expenditures is to go through your regular purchases (including services) and distinguish all luxuries from necessities. Luxuries should not be regarded as “forbidden” because it could turn into an obsession (the desirability might be blown out of proportion), but be aware that by choosing not to purchase these items, you are gaining an advantage.

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• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 24: Friends Edition

Originally posted 2008-04-25 00:59:12.

A few months ago, while I was at my local USPS Post Office to pick up a registered letter, a man came in with a stack of 5 or 6 DVDs and asked the mail clerk at the next window how he could mail his DVDs. Instead of explaining his various options to him, she merely recommended the Flat Rate Priority Mail Box, and unaware of his other options the customer took her advice and proceeded to pay $8.95 to mail his DVDs. Being somewhat of an introvert in public (and having had a previous problem with that particular mail clerk), I held my tongue at the time, telling myself it wasn’t any of my business and that I would only cause problems.

This incident riled me because the customer could have mailed his 5 or 6 DVDs for a lot less than $9.00. I have weighed a stack of 6 DVDs, including a few 2-Disc Collections, and they weighed in at about 1.5 lbs. A stack of 6 single-disc DVDs weigh in at just over 20 oz. Even if he had had 8 DVDs, the entire package, counting the box and contents, would have weighed in at 3 lbs. and he could have mailed it for $2.81 using Media Mail or “Book Rate”, less than a third of the price he paid for the Flat Rate Priority Mail. Granted, Priority Mail does take less time than Media Mail, but my experience with Media Mail in the past couple of years has been that it is a lot quicker than you’d think; I have had Media Mail from across the country arrive in as little as 3-4 days.

I learned from this incident that we cannot always rely on our postal clerks for shipping advice. While I have met many nice and helpful USPS clerks in the past, the unfortunate truth is that there are many whose main agenda is getting rid of customers as quickly as possible rather than helping them. So I have decided to provide an overview of common shipping options that every postal customer should have some basic knowledge of.

USPS Package Shipping Options

• First-Class Mail
  • Time: 2-5 business days
  • Cost: Starting at $1.13 for 1 oz. up to $3.17 for 13 oz.
  • Description: This is a good option for small and light-weigh items, including a single book or DVD with a total weight (envelope + item) up to 6 oz. as it would only cost you $1.98 as opposed to the 1 lb. Media Mail Rate of $2.13, and is faster than Media Mail. Using a padded envelope is highly recommended to prevent damage to the book or DVD.
• Media Mail (Book Rate)
  • Time: 2-9 business days
  • Cost: Staring at $2.13 for 1 lb. up to $25.26 for 70 lbs.
  • Description: Can be used for “books, film, manuscripts, printed music, printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders consisting of medical information, videotapes, and computer-recorded media like CDs and diskettes”, but cannot contain advertising.
• Parcel Post
  • Time: 2-9 business days
  • Cost: Starting at $4.50 and increases with weight and distance (zones)
  • Description: Can be used for general shipments of gifts, merchandise, etc.
• Priority Mail
  • Time: 2-3 business days
  • Cost: Starting at $4.60 and increases with weight and distance (zone)
  • Description: Can be used for general shipments of gifts, merchandise, etc.

Note: The 1 lb. Parcel Post rate being only $0.10 less than the 1 lb. rate for Priority Mail which only takes 2-3 days, you might find it worth the extra $0.10 to upgrade to Priority Mail, as I feel, the less time spent in transit, the less chances for loss or damage to the parcel.

A few tips for saving on shipping:

• When you buy things online, save the nicer boxes and packing material. There is no need to spend $2.00-$3.00 to buy new shipping boxes when you can re-use older ones as long as they don’t have dents or tears.
• When packing your shipments, make sure you pad excess space with packing material to prevent damage from jostling. Newspapers are a good, inexpensive filler, but if you use a lot, they can end up costing you more if you exceed the lb. threshold.
• Don’t be stingy with tape. It is a good idea to tape all the open seams. Insured packages must be completely sealed in order to qualify for claims.
• Always include a packing slip clearly displaying the destination. Listing the package contents won’t hurt either. In the event that the package is damaged or torn, USPS will still be able to direct it on to its intended recipient rather than to the lost and unclaimed items auction.
• If you do a lot of shipping, a reliable postal scale can save you time, money and trips to the post office, because you will know exactly how much each package weighs and not have any surprises when you get to the post office.
• Another way to save time and money is to use online shipping options, which will be the topic of my next post “Save Money & Time with Online Shipping”.

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Originally posted 2008-02-21 19:32:52.

Madoline and I love to read, and we often come across amusing passages on matters pecuniary that we think our readers might enjoy. The following is from Chapter One of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, in which Mr. Darling, upon the arrival of his children, calculates the potential expense and speculates on whether or not he can afford to keep them. We thought it was quite cute and hope you enjoy it.

Wendy came first, then John, then Michael.

For a week or two after Wendy came it was doubtful whether they would be able to keep her, as she was another mouth to feed. Mr. Darling was frightfully proud of her, but he was very honourable, and he sat on the edge of Mrs. Darling’s bed, holding her hand and calculating expenses, while she looked at him imploringly. She wanted to risk it, come what might, but that was not his way; his way was with a pencil and a piece of paper, and if she confused him with suggestions he had to begin at the beginning again.

“Now don’t interrupt,” he would beg of her.

“I have one pound seventeen here, and two and six at the office; I can cut off my coffee at the office, say ten shillings, making two nine and six, with your eighteen and three makes three nine seven, with five naught naught in my cheque-book makes eight nine seven—who is that moving?—eight nine seven, dot and carry seven—don’t speak, my own—and the pound you lent to that man who came to the door—quiet, child—dot and carry child—there, you’ve done it!—did I say nine nine seven? yes, I said nine nine seven; the question is, can we try it for a year on nine nine seven?”

“Of course we can, George,” she cried. But she was prejudiced in Wendy’s favour, and he was really the grander character of the two.

“Remember mumps,” he warned her almost threateningly, and off he went again. “Mumps one pound, that is what I have put down, but I daresay it will be more like thirty shillings—don’t speak—measles one five, German measles half a guinea, makes two fifteen six—don’t waggle your finger—whooping-cough, say fifteen shillings”—and so on it went, and it added up differently each time; but at last Wendy just got through, with mumps reduced to twelve six, and the two kinds of measles treated as one.

There was the same excitement over John, and Michael had even a narrower squeak; but both were kept, and soon, you might have seen the three of them going in a row to Miss Fulsom’s Kindergarten school, accompanied by their nurse.

You can read or download this book at Project Gutenberg.

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Originally posted 2008-11-15 07:00:50.

Quite a few years ago, when P. Pince and I were starting out, we rented a tiny studio apartment. To make a little more space, we built a free standing loft over our beds where we had a computer, some little shelves and cabinets and one of those pouffes for a chair.

After moving into a comfortably large house, we gradually disassembled our loft and reused the boards and hardware to make furniture more befitting our new lifestyle. Most of the pine boards went into making a large wardrobe called “the Monstrosity” and the top of our computer desk.

After making two little beds (like the ones in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) for our puppies on their first birthday, all we had left of our old loft was a rickety set of steps.

We had often been on the verge of tearing apart these three crudely made steps, but we felt sentimental about the last traces of our former and relatively poorer life. So, I finally decided to keep our loft stairs as a step stool for our library/master bedroom where we had built a wall of ceiling-high shelves.

But I like everything to look pretty in my life in as well as to having a dual purpose, so I turned the stairs on end, nailed on a back and bottom, installed a hinged top on each step, and painted it pink with leftover paint from doing Penelope’s bedroom floor.

Our renovated little staircase stands three feet high and is great for hiding things out of sight, especially long rolls of wrapping paper. Our steps also make a pretty display for baubles and antique books. It goes with our mother’s old dining table which has also been redone with the same leftover paint.

Making new things from old or broken objects is one of my favorite creative/useful activities. To anyone interested in this sort of craft, I suggest reconsidering the potential of any old or broken furniture you own, consider taking them apart for lumber, turning them upside-down or sideways, and reusing ornamental parts or hardware. You could even volunteer to “dispose” of unwanted things for your friends, family and neighbors. One could even start a business selling unique furniture made from reassigned materials.

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If this is your first time here, please have a look around (popular posts to the right) and consider subscribing to our RSS feed.

About Debtor’s Prisons

In the time of Charles Dickens, men were arrested for debt and imprisoned until they could repay what they owed. This was sometimes achieved by the help of family members, but as not everyone had that advantage, the system was somewhat nonsensical especially because living within the prisons required the spending of money with virtually no opportunity to earn it.

“Pray remember ye poor debtors.”

Editor’s Picks

I Pick Up Pennies presents Are we too optimistic?.

Passive Family Income presents Recession in America – Gardening.

Five Cent Nickel presents Debt Reduction vs. Retirement Savings.

Personal Stories

Debt Kid presents Going from Broke to Blessed.

Bible Money Matters presents Don’t Let Unexpected Stress Be An Excuse For Spending.

Man Vs. Debt presents My Debt-Recon And Current Battle Plans.

My Money Minute presents Don’t Laugh, It’s Paid For!.

Daily Saving & Budgeting

PF Credit Cards presents Lower Your Monthly Subscriptions Cost by Calling.

American Consumer News presents What a Difference Control Makes.

The Smarter Wallet presents Money Saving Ideas To Create A Frugal Household Budget.

Greener Pastures presents It’s EPA Fix a Leak Week.

Money Management

My Dollar Plan presents Would You Take a Loan Modification?.

Automatic Finances presents 3 Bank Fees You Should Never Have to Pay.

Free Money Finance presents Review Your Credit Card Bill.

No Credit Needed presents Beware The Dangers Of The Abuse Of Credit.

The Sun’s Financial Diary presents PIN vs. Signature Based Debit Transactions.

Investing

Investing School presents Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses.

Prime Time Money presents 5 Reasons Not to Borrow from Your 401k.

My Retirement Blog presents Earning $20,000 Equals Half Million Dollar Nest Egg.

Gurus & Books

The Paycheck Chronicles presents A Dollar Saved is Two Dollars Earned.

The Digerati Life presents Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps To Financial Success.

The Dough Roller presents Debt Cures by Kevin Trudeau–Do his “secrets” really work?.

Making Money

Counting My Pennies presents Sell your gold and get rich!.

Destroy Debt presents The Part Time Job Method of Increasing Your Income.

Miss Thrifty presents Making Money From Your House in 2012.

Studenomics presents Successful Business Venture Checklist.

Miscellany

Clever Dude presents Is Hip-Hop Teaching Americans Money Lessons?.

J. Money presents Our church is $125k in debt…and guess what?.

Christian Debt Help presents Video of Peter Schiff predicting the crisis and getting mocked!.

* * *

This concludes the Charles Dickens Debtor’s Prison Edition of the Carnival of Debt Reduction. Remember, if you’d like to be included in my next carnival, the 1st Edition of the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights,  submit your best post by April 1st 6PM PST!

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All activities listed below are FREE of admission charges unless otherwise noted (some activities are free on particular days or at particular times of day). Those that are not free cost $5 or less per person. Parking fees are noted whenever possible. Depending on the distance and number of persons in your group, public transit may or may not be less expensive. Check out an earlier post I wrote on How to Save Gas and Time by Using Google Maps, which includes tips on looking up public transportation directions and fares.

General & Sight-Seeing

The Grove Fountain Photo credit: r3m3dy

Our favorite frugal activity was walking malls and pretty places to both sight-see and get some exercise. Here are some of our favorite places to walk. Note that even though these include shopping centers, you do not need to shop in order to enjoy the scenery and atmosphere!

• Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade

  Grab a drink or ice cream cone and just enjoy the scenery and street performers. Check out Santa Monica Pier while you’re there. You don’t have to spend money on the rides, just enjoy the scenery, have a look at the famous carousel built in 1916.

  More information: Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade

• The Grove

  A very pretty outdoor mall with cute buildings and a park-like setting with fountains and outdoor seating. Includes free events such as Movies in the Park, Girls Night Out, Music in the Park, etc.

  More information: The Grove

• Farmers Market

  

  The Farmers Market isn’t only a place to shop for groceries, but they host free events all year round including a Summer Music Series; Family Fun with music, arts & crafts; Fall Festival with marching band, petting zoo, pig races, etc.; Holiday Festivities including music, Menorah lighting, caroling and a toy soldier band; Mardi Gras with Cajun bands, mask making, etc.; and the Gilmore Heritage Auto Show featuring more than 100 vintage and classic cars. (Photo credit: andy castro)

  More information: Farmers Market Events

• Downtown Burbank

  “Come Out and Dance” with live bands with free dance lessons, fine arts festivals, Halloween trick-or-treat, Holiday Cheer and more in Downtown Burbank.

  More information: Events in Downtown Burbank

Entertainment

• The Hollywood Bowl Museum

  The Hollywood Bowl is the world’s largest natural amphitheater which has hosted symphonies, opera, jazz, ballet, presidential addresses, rock concerts, etc. The grounds are open to the public to during the day to see the amphitheater. During the summer months, the Bowl offers rehearsals every Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, from 9 AM to noon. Admission to the rehearsals is free. The Hollywood Bowl museum is open to the public during the day year-round, and nights before concerts.

  More information: The Hollywood Bowl

• TV Studio Audience

  Attend a TV show or sitcom taping as studio audience. Tickets are free, but you may be there until midnight. A great way to see your favorite stars live and an episode of your favorite show before everybody else.

  More information and tickets: TV Tickets, Audience Unlimited

Universal Studios Hollywood

• Film Screenings

  Before films are released, they are often screened to audiences for input. Los Angeles, being the film capitol of the world, is full of films waiting to be screened. However, this one is more based on opportunity striking, because you often need to be invited. We used to go to the malls a lot, sometimes for shopping and sometimes just to walk, and perhaps 1 out of 4 times, we were approached by people looking for film screening audiences. After the film, you are asked to fill out a questionnaire of what you thought of the movie, and you might be selected to stay behind with a small group to answer questions and provide more feedback.

  More information: Tips for How to Attend a Free Movie Screening

• Universal City Walk Summer Block Party

  Free entertainment and movies at Universal Studios City Walk (no admission fee) seven nights a week during the summer. But to save on parking, you will want to find free or low-cost parking elsewhere and walk up to the City Walk.

  More information: Universal Studios City Walk

• Grand Performances

  Grand Performances presents free performing arts that reflect the best of global culture and inspire community among the diverse peoples of Los Angeles.

  More information: Grand Performances at California Plaza

Outdoor Activities

• Night Hikes at Griffith Park

  The Sierra Club leads free 2-hour hikes open to the public to view nightlife and birds. They encourage you to bring binoculars to better see the wildlife.

  More information: Night Hikes

• L.A. Mountains

  Several parks that have free group hikes through several canyons and ranches. Some have a $1-$5 parking fee, but the hikes are free.

  More information: L.A. Mountains Hikes and Events Calendars

Art & Culture

The Getty Villa

It is recommended that you check with each institution regarding admission and parking fees prior to visiting as the information may change.

• The Getty Center

  “The Getty Center presents the Getty’s collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views.” Admission is Free, but parking is $8.

  More information: The Getty Center

• The Getty Villa

  The Getty Villa, located in Malibu, is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.

  More information: The Getty Center

• Skirball Cutural Center

  A great cultural and historical museum which offers free admissions on Thursdays and other free events such as film screenings. We once attended a great exhibit on Albert Einstein here.

  More information: The Skirball Cultural Center

• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

  The largest arm museum in the western United States. On the second Tuesday of each month, general admission to the permanent galleries and non-ticketed exhibitions is free to all. After 5 pm, you may pay what you wish. Evening special: Vehicles entering the 6th Street parking garage after 7 pm park for free.

  More information: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

• Los Angeles Public Library

  This is one of our favorite places in the world – a 5-story building full of books. Aside from books, it is also a center of art and architecture with its distinctive sphinxes and rooftop pyramids. Docent guided tours are available daily. Parking is $1 Flat Rate for cars entering after 3PM, and on Saturdays and Sundays.

  More information: Los Angeles Public Library Tours

Educational

• Travel Town Museum

  A combination transportation museum and recreation center located at the L.A. Zoo. Has a miniature train ride tour of the perimeter of the museum for a small fee. Picnic tables and barbecue facilities are available on a first come, first serve basis. Admission is free, parking available on Museum premises.

  More information: Travel Town Museum

• Griffith Observatory

  Located at Griffith Park, Griffith Observatory’s grounds, exhibits, and telescopes are open and free to the public each day the building is open. The Observatory also offers programs, special events, and public star parties.

  More information: Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory

• California Science Center

  “The California Science Center offers fun and informative permanent exhibits presented in interactive worlds. Through hands-on experiences in our galleries, you’ll learn about human inventions and innovations, the life processes of living things and more.” Admission to permanent exhibits is free, additional charge for IMAX and special exhbitions. Parking is $6.

  More information: California Science Center

• Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society – Hollywood Museum 27

  Museuem and exhibit of firefighting history dating back to the 1880s including a library and learning center on fire and life safety for both children and adults.

  More information: LAFD Historical Society

• Barnes and Noble Storytime

  Barnes and Noble bookstore offers storytime for children, toddlers, and beginning readers. This is a nationwide program. Check the events calendar for the schedule of the store closest to you.

  More information: Barnes and Noble Store Events Calendar

• Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

  Exhibits and public programs to educate kids and families about the ocean, its animal and plant life. Children under 12 enter free, adults pay a suggested admission of $5 ($2 minimum).

  More information: Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

Sources for More Free Events and Frugal Activities in the Los Angeles Area

• This week in … Guides to events such as concerts, movies, hikes and other activities in the area (some free, some not)
  
  • Burbank
  • Santa Monica
  • Pacific Palisades
  • Beverly Hills
  • Malibu
  • East San Fernando Valley (Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City & surrounding)
  • West San Fernando Valley (Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Tarzana & surrounding)
  • Southern California

• Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation
  Guide of activities, programs and classes offered through the parks and recreations. Some may be free and some for a fee.
• Parents Connect Activity Calendar – Los Angeles
• Eye Spy L.A. Free Things to Do in Los Angeles
  

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• Festival of Frugality #140: The Frugal Quotes Edition
• Our Financial Lent: Giving up Chocolate and Ice Cream for a Month to Save $14

Merriam-Webster defines the word “vacation” as “a respite or a time of respite from something”. Well, if that “something” from which one is taking a respite is “peace and quiet” then I would have to agree with the definer. Otherwise, gathering from my 2 recent “vacations” (one to Disneyland, one [working] vacation to Las Vegas from which I have just returned), vacation seems more like a respite from peace and quite to me.

Anyhow, I thought I would put together a pre-vacation checklist to help all you other poor vacationers prepare for your vacations, because if there is one thing I have learned, vacations are costly – and I am not just talking about transportation, lodging and amusements, but all the little everyday necessities – and the only way to travel frugally is to travel prepared. Also, the better prepared you are, the better the time you will have on your vacation; knowing that everything back home is taken care of and that you are prepared for most common travel mishaps will allow you to enjoy yourself to the utmost.

And yes, I am the extremest of Type A personalities, but admit it, sometimes it is handy to have someone who has the bases covered. You’ll certainly be glad to have one of us along when the unexpected happens because we’ve planned and prepared for it (or at least have given some thought to it beforehand so as not to be caught by surprise). This isn’t a list of what to pack (toothbrush, underwear, etc.) but rather more of a pre-departure to-do list to help prepare for your trip. I’m not saying you need to do everything suggested, but hopefully a few items will prove helpful or relevant to your circumstances.

Prevention is the best medicine

Just because you are on vacation, it doesn’t mean everyone else is. This goes for utility companies, burglars and your own plumbing and wiring. When you come home from vacation, you want to make sure you still have an intact home to come home to, and aren’t met with a mountain of additional expenses. Therefore before you leave, you might want to try some of the following:

(These checkboxes are check-able, so feel free to come back and use it.)

Home and Business

Travel Arrangements

Better to be Safe than Sorry

You never know what can happen on the road, and when it comes to health and safety, it is infinitely better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. Therefore,

Well, this may not have covered all the bases, as everyone has different situations, but hopefully this list proved helpful in some ways. Bon Voyage!

If you’re traveling with your pet, check out my next post, Guide to Safe and Smart Traveling with Pets,

Related posts:

• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #4
• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
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• Resources

As for actual gifts, we believe most mothers would appreciate something you made or put some thought and effort into. Below are some suggestions for Mother’s Day gifts. Ideally, you would do some of these things all year round, but Mother’s Day is a good time for them too. Not all of these ideas will suit everyone, but hopefully some of these will work for you and your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, wife, or any other maternal figure in your life.

Note: Not all of these suggestions are really “frugal” as in “cheap”, but they are frugal in that they are ideas for prudent, useful and practical, but still meaningful gifts that show you’ve put thought and effort into it and, therefore less likely to go to waste as many commercial Mother’s Day gifts tend to.

Hobby Gift Baskets

A few suggestions for baskets you can assemble. You can often find nice baskets at dollar stores or at thrift stores for a very low price. Many of the items recommended in the following list (i.e. books and music) can be purchase used and still in good condition. Used items often clean up nicely with a bit of rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. And even purchased new, these items still make useful gifts with lasting benefits.

• For the Literary Mom
  If she likes to read, scour used books stores and library sales for books she would like (mysteries, vintage books, classics, etc. – paperbacks suggested) and assemble a book basket. You could even include a few snacks to enjoy while she reads (cookies, chocolates, cocoa, tea or coffee mix).
• For the Crafty Mom
  A basket of yarns, fabrics, sewing, knitting or crochet supplies. You could pick out a craft instructions book, find a project she might like and assemble the necessary supplies for that project.
• For the Musical Mom
  CD’s, sheet music, and music books. You might pick a particular theme such as Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, romantic piano, or Italian opera or music from her youth. For older moms, you might have to include a CD player. For pianist moms make or buy a cushion for the piano bench (the unpadded ones are incredibly hard even for young bodies).
• For Moms with Pets
  Assemble inside a new litter box or pet bed: treats and necessities such as grooming supplies, pet vitamins, hair catching tools, odor control, collars and leashes, training equipment, hair bows, super odor suppressing cat litter, car restraints (seat belts), and/or an obedience class paid for by you.
• For the Gardening Mom
  An assortment of seed packets with flowers, spices, fruits, and vegetables. The frugal mom may save a lot of money growing her own produce. For areas with insect problems, herbs such as lavender may deter bugs from the home. You can also include a book on using herbs for health and beauty and include seeds for the plants described.
• For Culinary Moms
  Collect free recipes online to present on index cards or a handmade book. You might choose recipes based on a theme, such as appetizers, a certain ethnicity, a favorite ingredient, or health benefits. You might wish to include few kitchen gifts like a baking pans, knives, silverware bought on clearance (we got ours for under $5), cheese graters, rolling pins, seeds for herbs or young herb plants. Instead of a basket, you could give a blender filled with fruits and smoothie recipes.
• For the Scrapbooking Mom
  Scrapbook supplies and the promise to provide future memories for her to document. Look for creative scrapbook materials such as pretty paper salvages from greeting cards, gift wrapping paper, and nice packaging from things you buy. Ribbon, beads, lace, small toys, letters of the alphabet cut from magazines, cards, and used books. Doilies and decorative embellishments can be purchased at half price or less after a holiday. Glue and scissors might be useful too.

Home and Garden Help

• Clean her house for her (this is one of those that may not suit all personalities)
• Tidy her garden or yard for her
• Go through her house and look for things that need minor (or major) repairs and maintenance and fix them if you can, or arrange for professional assistance if necessary
• Clean all her windows, inside and out. This is a sure way to brighten a life.
• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries if needed. Install a carbon monoxide detector if she doesn’t have one.

Favors and Services

• Make a nice breakfast and clean up afterwards
• Wash her car, vacuum the interior, clean the upholstery and carpet, take it for a tune up and oil change, check and inflate the tires if needed, and preset her favorite radio stations.

Flowers

• Buy some flowers to plant for or with her (small plants and flowers are often available for under $1.00 at garden centers and even drugstores like Rite-Aid)
• Instead of cut flowers, which while nice, are not very frugal because they only last a few days, you could give her a vase for putting flowers from other flower gifters (this way she’ll think of you every time someone else gives her flowers)
• Give attractive artificial flowers that last all year round. You could even fashion them into curtain tiebacks or trim a hat with them (just use hot glue).

Health and Fitness

• If she doesn’t get enough exercise due to weather, time, environmental or other constraints, consider a Pedal Exerciser that she can use while sitting at home – i.e. on the couch while watching TV. (We bought one of these for ourselves when we lived in the Bay Area where it was cold in the winter, and our grandmother took it because she said it was perfect for her situation.)
• Dumbbells in a pretty color. For the non-athletic mom, you might get a pair of 2 lb. dumbbells.
• Make slipcovers for her stationary bike, treadmill, or other exercise equipment.
• Spend the day with your mom, watching DVDs and pedaling or doing some other aerobic exercise.

Pets

While pets are not considered a frugal gift for the giver or recipient, they can bring a host of other benefits that make the cost worthwhile. Pets are especially good for elderly people who live alone and can use the companionship and are capable – physically, mentally and financially – of caring for them. If your mother lives alone and is fond of animals, a nice gift would be to help her adopt a pet. There are thousands of cats and dogs in need of good homes, and studies have shown that pets bring many health benefits, both physical and mental, to their owners including:

• Lower blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol
• Lower stress and anxiety levels
• Fighting depression and loneliness
• Faster recovery after illness
• Overall better health and fewer doctor’s visits

However, don’t surprise her with a pet. Rather, discuss it with her ahead of time and if she likes the idea and is sure that it is a commitment she is capable of taking on, go to a local animal shelter, pet rescue or other pet re-homing organization together and spend some time choosing a suitable pet for her. Be sure the animal you choose is suitable for in various ways:

• Type of Pet
  While both dogs and cats provide companionship, dogs tend to be more interactive and require more attention and maintenance than cats. Cats and dogs are not the only types of pets to be had, however. Birds, mice, gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas and guinea pigs also provide a presence and can help fill the space and quiet of an empty apartment or house.
• Size and Weight
  Make sure the animal is a size and weight that she can handle. If it is a dog, it should be a weight that she can easily control when walking on a leash.
• Age of Pet
  For elderly persons, mature pets are often more suitable, as they do not require as much physical interaction and activity as young animals, and will have reached a more stable mental, social and emotional level.
• Home Environment
  Make sure the animal will be compatible with the living space. Size isn’t necessarily the only factor to consider, but disposition. A small but high energy dog may or may not be suitable for a small living space, and there are older and larger dogs that can live happily and comfortably in smaller living spaces.

There is no end to the benefits and happiness pets can bring people, especially elderly people who live alone, so if you think your mother might be a suitable candidate for pet ownership, here are a few links to websites with more information on pet ownership for the elderly:

• How Pets Help People
• Animals and Your Health: The Benefits of Pet Ownership
• Safe Dog Breeds for Elderly People
• The Pets for the Elderly Foundation
• The Importance of Pets for Elderly People

Again, remember that pet ownership, regardless of the size or type of pet, is a responsibility not to be taken lightly and sprung on your mother without prior research and consultation with her.

These are just a few suggestions. Whatever you choose to do, remember that what your mother will appreciate most of all is the thought and effort put into the gift and not the monetary value of it.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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With the economy in its present state, there is a sudden surge of interest in frugality, the practice of prudent economy and avoidance of waste (of money or resources). Having been practicing the frugal lifestyle for the past 5 years, we thought this a good time to start a compilation of our tips for shaving a little expense here and there and making the most of what you have.

We will also periodically post time and cost efficient recipes, pet care tips, reviews and recommendations on books, music and films that we have found particularly noteworthy. For more information about us and this blog, please visit our About This Blog and Mores About Us pages.

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• Disposable trash receptacles. Food cartons stand up nicely and are good for catching bits of trash while you are cooking, saving you the cost of trash bags. The foil-lined and plastic bags inside these cartons are often sturdier and more leak-resistant than trash bags proper and are ideal for holding food scraps and bones.
• Throw-away cat litter boxes. Very few people relish the task of dumping out cat litter, lifting liners full of sopping litter, or scrubbing the gray-brown clumps from the bottom and sides of cat litter boxes. You can avoid this age-old task by cutting a rectangle from of the side of a cardboard carton instead of opening the top, filling this homemade commode with litter, and throwing the entire litter box away once a day. These litter boxes can be set on newspapers or other floor protectors if you have large cats.
• Cheap homemade notebooks. Use flat cartons as book covers, using one narrow edge as the spine. Paper can be stitched or stapled in folded sections or simply stacked. To be efficient, cut the box to fit the size of the paper rather than cutting the paper to fit the box. I made an exception with the sample pictured here because the idea of a notebook in a Jello box was too good to resist. Affix the pages to the spine with hot glue. If you want a bookmark, glue a piece of ribbon or string to the spine before gluing the pages. These are good for address books, shopping lists, anything. They can be covered with pretty paper or fabrics for a fancier look.
  
  

  

  

   

• Storage and desk organizers. Cartons covered with paper or spray paint can be used for storage on shelves or desks. Cereal boxes can be cut into trays for holding paper and file folders. I have covered all sorts of boxes with gift wrap paper (bought on sale) and Japanese rice paper (received as gift) with good effect. A good coat of varnish preserves these items for years.
• Gift boxes. For presents to family members, recycled cartons should be acceptable. After all, they will be wrapped . . . or not.
• Craft materials for children. Encourage creativity by having children make useful or decorative items with the nice cardboard from food packaging. Providing a wastebasket (or cardboard carton) at the project area will prevent mess. Some possible crafts are:
  • Doll houses. Simple or multi-level doll houses (or horse barns) are easy to make. Boxes can be stacked or adjoined, with doors cut between them. Plastic from packaging provide transparent window glass. Furniture is easily procured from cardboard and small cartons (Jello again). These houses can be papered, carpeted (old towels?), or painted. If used as cozy homes for small pets make sure they include no unsafe materials as rodents and guinea pigs tend to eat their homes.
  • Message box. Cover and decorate cartons for each family member to hold mail, messages, gifts and treats. They can resemble mail boxes, bear the owners name, and be hung on bedroom doors. It is also easy to cut boxes into heart shapes as pictured.
  • Picture frames. Cut one face of a carton into a frame and use the other face as a backing. Cover with paper, fabric, lace or other trims (flowers, candy, knickknacks). Glue on three edges, leaving one edge for inserting artwork (or photo), or glue entire frame with artwork inside.

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• April 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
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Originally posted 2008-03-17 06:38:26.

Productivity

• Check out one of my earlier posts Save Hundreds with Open Source Software for a list of open source applications with short descriptions of their functions and links to the websites for free downloads. These are not free trials but completely free programs that stay free and upgrade for free.
• Google Calendar is a handy online calendar that can send alerts to you by email or pop-up reminders. The program allows you to share your calendar with friends and family who also use Google Calendar so you can coordinate schedules with each other.

Computer Protection

• ZoneAlarm Free Firewall can filter all traffic in and out of your computer. The most secure setting will warn you of even legitimate access to the internet and of every attempt by a program installed on your computer to access the internet to check for updates, etc.
• ZoneAlarm Spy Blocker Toolbar protects you from spyware while surfing the net.
• McAfee SiteAdvisor warns you of bad sites and has profiles for each tested site with details on downloads, spam email count, and user reviews. It also shows the safety rating for web search results with a small icon next to each link: green for safe, red for unsafe, yellow for caution, and gray for untested (you can submit a test request for gray sites).
  

Communication

• Skype allows you to make free computer to computer video and voice calls, and calls to phones for a small charge. We use the free computer to computer calls to talk to our overseas relatives
• If you use Hotmail, you can also use Windows Live Messenger for voice and video chat sessions with your contacts. You can also send mobile text messages to contacts in your address book.
• Gmail is my favorite free web based email program because, not only does it give you ever increasing storage (6.76 GBs as of this writing and counting), but it lets you forward your email to a desktop email client such as Outlook or Thunderbird. If you access your mail online, it has a nice filtering tool to help you sort your mail and also has a built in chat program, Google Talk, that allows you to chat with your online contacts without having to download anything.

Entertainment

• Hulu has an ever growing collection of new and old television programs and movies which you can watch for free online with a very reasonable amount of advertisements. The commercial breaks are shorter than you would have to sit through (15 or 30 secs) when watching a show on TV. For some newer shows, only the last 5 or 6 episodes are available, but there are also full seasons and full series of episodes for some shows.
• Network channels all have websites that let you watch the last 5 or 6 episodes of their current shows online. Here is a list of links to the home pages:
  • NBC
  • ABC
  • FOX
  • ABC Family
  • Sci Fi
• SHOUTcast is a free internet radio site that has a large selection of genres and stations and good sound quality.
• Joost is a player that allows you to watch thousands of TV shows and movies on your computer.

Reference

• Wikipedia. If you’ve performed a web search on the net, you’ve probably already stumbled across Wikipedia, which is a free, open encyclopedia that anyone can edit. It may or may not be 100% accurate, but it is convenient and has a great collection of articles and images on just about any topic, person or place including cities, actors and operas. Wikipedia is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian. (Time Saving Tip: To search for something straight from your Google toolbar or search, just type the keyword and the word “wiki”, i.e. “horse wiki” and the link to the entry will most likely show up first in your search result.)
• High Beam Encyclopedia is a collation of articles from Britannica, Oxford University Press, Columbia Encyclopedia as well as other published newspaper and magazine articles.
• Google Translate provides fair (though not the greatest) translations for 23 languages. It can translate typed/pasted in sections or entire webpages. This allows you to make use of websites you otherwise might not understand or save you time where you already know the language but take longer to read. It also has a dictionary for looking up words from those 23 languages.
• Reference.com has links to a host of reference tools including atlases, almanacs, a dictionary, thesaurus, literature and more. (Time Saving Tip: To look up a definition of a word, for example, “antithesis”, type “definition antithesis” in your search window. To look up synonyms (thesaurus) of the word “simile”, type “synonym simile”, and the search results will link you to the page of the entry.)
• The Gutenberg Project is a digital library of works that have fallen into public domain through expired copyright. The library includes fiction and non-fiction literature, audiobooks, sheet music and more.
• Google Calculator is a handy tool that lets you type in a formula or question in your search window and it will calculate and show you the answer. For example: type “1+5″ in your search bar and it will give you “1 + 5 = 6″. It can multiply, divide, add, subtract as well as calculate units of measurement such as miles, kilometers, megabytes, grams, degrees, pi, currency exchange rates and much more. Check out this great Google Calculator Demo at the Learn Google Search blog.

Free Downloads

• Download.com has a large collection of safe, free and trusted software downloads with editor and user reviews.
• Softpedia also has a large collection of downloads.
• Mozilla, home of the Firefox browser has a large number of great open source software including web browsers, html editors, email and calendar programs. Be sure to also check out the list of Mozilla-Based Applications which include other interesting and useful programs.
• Firefox Browser Add-ons: If there is a function you wish your Firefox browser could perform, chances are someone has already had the same thought and created an add-on for it.
• Google Pack includes the following (you can select which items you want):
  • Google Earth: a map program that lets you look at satellite, terrain and street level images. Includes driving directions and businesses
  • Norton Security Scan for viruses
  • Google Desktop to help organize your files, pictures and web history
  • Mozilla Firefox Browser with Google Toolbar
  • Adobe Reader
  • Skype
  • Star Office word processing, spread sheet, presentation and other office programs
  • Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer (helps block pop-ups)
  • Spyware Doctor (starter edition)
  • Picasa for editing and organizing your photos
  • Google Photos Screensaver to create slideshows with your photos
  • Google Talk for chatting online or by voice and sharing files
  • Real Player for playing media and transferring music to iPods or other players

Shopping

• Amazon.com is our favorite shopping site for almost everything we can’t get at our local grocery and drug stores. The Free Super Saver Shipping for orders over $25 allows you to spend your money on things rather than shipping charges. We also have the Chase Amazon Visa Card that gives us 3 points for every dollar spent at Amazon.com and 1 point everywhere else, and a $25 gift certificate when we reach 2,500 points.
• We occasionally shop at Overstock.com when the price is considerably less than can be had from Amazon. In our experience, their service is just as good, if not better, than Amazon’s due to the online customer service chat and faster shipping time, because Amazon’s free shipping takes an additional 4-5 business days before leaving their warehouse. They offer flat $2.95 shipping on all orders, and cheaper media shipping for 1 or 2 media item (books, music and DVDs).

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• Ludwig & Wolfgang

Originally posted 2008-05-26 12:33:47.

Just a reminder for our American readers that new and increased USPS (United States Postal Service) postage rates take effect this coming Monday May 12th, 2008. If you are planning to ship any packages via USPS, now is the time to do so – today Friday May 9th or tomorrow Saturday May 10th – especially if you will be shipping a lot of items.

Below is a quick overview and reference for the various shipping options taken from a prior article I wrote back in February, Save by Knowing Your Shipping & Mailing Options, but with added info and updated rates that will take effect May 12th. (If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the above referenced post for tips on how to save on shipping and why you should be aware of your shipping options rather than relying solely on postal clerks to advise you.)

A few items of note:

• Express Mail is switching to a zone-based system with lower rates for closer destinations, so the new rates for some weights and destinations may be lower than current rates.
• Printing postage online can save you time and money; Priority Mail postage printed online can save you about 3.5% and Express Mail 3%.
• Purchase your Forever Stamps before Monday if you do a lot of mailing to save one cent per stamp. However, if you don’t do all that much mailing – i.e. by paying all your bills online (we’ve only used about half of a 20-pack I purchased last May) – it might be wiser to not stock up on a lot of stamps if you have a tendency to misplace them.

USPS Package Shipping Options

• First-Class Mail
  • Time: 2-5 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $1.17 for 1 oz. up to $3.21 for 13 oz.
  • Description: This is a good option for small and light-weight items including a single book or DVD with a total weight (envelope + item) up to 7 oz. as it would only cost you $2.19 as opposed to the 1 lb. Media Mail Rate of $2.23, and is faster than Media Mail. Using a padded envelope is highly recommended to prevent damage to the book or DVD.
• Media Mail (Book Rate)
  • Time: 2-9 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $2.23 for 1 lb. up to $26.38 for 70 lbs.
  • Description: Can be used for “books, film, manuscripts, printed music, printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders consisting of medical information, videotapes, and computer-recorded media like CDs and diskettes”, but cannot contain advertising.
• Parcel Post*
  • Time: 2-9 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $4.55 for 1 lb. and increases with weight and distance (zones)
  • Description: Can be used for general shipments of gifts, merchandise, etc. You will need to use your own packaging (free Priority and Express Mail boxes cannot be used for Parcel Post).
• Priority Mail*
  • Time: 2-3 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $4.80 for 1 lb. and increases with weight and distance (zone)
  • Description: Can be used for general shipments of gifts, merchandise, etc. You can also mail small, non-fragile parcels that will fit in the Flat Rate Envelope for $4.80 regardless of weight. While the 2-3 days estimated delivery time isn’t guaranteed, in my experience, Priority Mail is almost as fast as Express Mail. A package from California to most destinations is 3 business days, but some packages to New York City have been delivered in as quickly as 2 business days, delivery to Texas is almost always 2 days. Occasionally a package to destinations such as Georgia may take 4 days, and only one package in the past 3 years took 1 week.
• Express Mail*
  • Time: 1-2 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $12.50 for 1/2 lb. and increased with weight and distance (zone)
  • Description: Guaranteed on-time delivery by USPS. If your package isn’t delivered by the guaranteed date and time, you are entitled to a refund of the postage you paid. Also includes up to $100 of insurance against loss or damage. I only suggest using Express Mail if the delivery date is of vital importance. Otherwise, I have found Priority Mail to be almost as fast and much less expensive. If you live in more outlying and remote areas, Express Mail usually takes 2 business days.

*Zone-based. Go to http://postcalc.usps.gov/Zonecharts/ and enter in your zip code to get a Postal Zone Chart based on your zip code.

A Note About the Priority Mail Flat Rate Box

USPS is always trying to promote the Priority Mail flat rate box and telling us how much time and money we can save by using it. In my opinion: Time – possibly. But money – not necessarily (again, refer to this article). Be sure you check the full rate chart and compare the actual cost of mailing your package via regular Priority Mail if you are really interested in saving money.

For example, you can still mail a 12 lb. regular Priority Mail package to a local zip code for $9.75. You can mail a 4 lb. package to a zone 3 zip code for $7.85. So spend a couple of minutes checking the actual regular rate before packing up the Flat Rate Box and you could save a few dollars.

In order to figure out the rates, go to:

1. Postal Zone Charts and figure out what zone your recipient’s zip code is in
2. Prices and Fees and see what the rate for regular Priority Mail (or even Parcel Post) is

The rates for the Flat Rate Priority Mail Boxes are as follows:

• $9.80 for regular size (11″ X 8.5″ X 5.5″)
• $12.95 for large box (12” x 12” x 5-1/2”)

More info:
New Prices Coming May 12, 2008
International Shipping Rates

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Originally posted 2008-05-09 05:32:27.

I received the following comment today from a reader about my earlier post Simple Solutions to Staying Out of Debt:

“All good advice – sadly, it is harder than it sounds. But then again, the more you make the more you can spend, so figuring out how to live within your means is a lesson we should all learn at an early age!”

Yes, it is harder than it sounds; almost everything is. But what it all boils down to is common sense, self-discipline and keeping your priorities in mind. It is true that it would be ideal to learn such lessons at an early age, but there is no reason why an adult can’t learn to control his spending and live within his means if he truly wants to.

Don’t get me wrong. I am human and I know how hard it can be to resist spending on things you want. For example, here is just a snippet of some of the things I have been coveting for a long time – some for years.

• A laptop computer
• My favorite TV shows on DVD (Friends, X-Files and many more)
• Subscription to cable (which we haven’t had since 2001)
• A cushy armchair for reading in my bedroom
• The complete British and French editions of the Harry Potter books (I collect foreign editions of Harry Potter books)

These are just a few of the things that cross my mind at the moment, but I know there are more. Over the years, I have been tempted more than once to buy some or all of these things, but I know the danger of giving in to the urge to splurge, because spending or getting what you want is addictive. Oftentimes, when you get one thing, you want or need to get more things to go with it.

I know it’s annoying to hear these words because they’re so “self-help-ish” (I myself can’t stand self-helpers and trite inspirational “don’t underestimate the power of the mind” stuff), but -

The tools for fighting the urge to spend are:

• Recognizing your priorities
• Rational thinking (not rationalizing)
• Self-discipline/self-control
• Will power
• Rewarding yourself

Recognizing Your Priorities

For most of us, our main goal is simply to “save money” or “save as much money as possible,” and that works well enough. But maybe for some of us, that goal simply isn’t enough. If you have a strong penchant for spending, you may need more clearcut reasons than “to save money” in order to curb your spending. So you will need to contemplate the following question.

Why do you want or need to save money?

Is it …

• To save for a down payment on a house of your own?
• To save for a replacement car?
• To save for marriage and a family?
• To save for a personal or family emergency?
• To stay out of debt?
• To get out of debt?
• To achieve financial freedom?
• To make sure your loved ones are provided for?
• To make sure you have enough to live on should you lose your job?
• To be able to retire when you want or need to?
• To make sure you have enough to last through your retirement?

Knowing and reminding yourself of your priorities at all times will help make achieving your goals easier.

Rational Thinking

Rational thought is necessary in order to succeed at anything including spending and saving money. When tempted to spend on something you don’t need or can’t really afford -

Try to look at the item in question with objectivity (without emotion) and ask yourself the following questions (The “it” in the following questions can apply to any kind of expenditure. Buying a tangible item, a service, eating out, etc.):

• Do you really need it?
• If yes, why do you need it?
• Are your reasons for needing it valid?
• Can you really afford it?
• What do you already have that can be used instead?
• What will its value be 6 months down the road? 1 year? 5 years?
• If it is a tangible item will you still be using it?
• If it is an intangible or transient item, is it really worth spending money on it that you would otherwise never see again?

Also consider:

• The potential value of the money saved from not spending it and saving or investing it. Use the savings calculator on Prune Your Spending and Watch the Savings Grow to see how much a little money saved over time can become.
• If you really think you have enough money saved for your future or financial goals.

Self-Discipline/Self-Control

No one likes hearing about discipline. It implies strictness, lack of freedom, and unpleasant tasks. But without self-discipline, one can never achieve success or financial freedom. So when confronted with a tempting expenditure:

• Plan A: Walk Away
  The best way to exercise your self-discipline when confronted with temptation is to simply walk away – or close the browser window (and clear your browsing history and cache to make it harder to accidentally happen on it again.)
• Plan B: If you can’t walk away, then wait.
  If you have a hard time walking away from the temptation, then at least wait. Convince yourself that you are not flat-out denying yourself what you want, but rather waiting for a sale or a price reduction. You will often find that by the time the price has decreased, so has your desire for the item.

  If it turns out you do still want the item, at least you will be spending less on it. Also, by delaying your expenditure, you can earn a little more interest on the money to be spent.

Will Power

You will find that as you practice self-discipline, your will power will grow. There will come a time when you can see something you really like and simply be able to admire it and move on without a struggle.

Rewarding Yourself

Living a life devoid of treats and denying yourself everything you want is not living. So it is alright to reward yourself on occasion. Only you can decide how often and how much you should treat yourself to, but here are a few suggestions for how to figure out what works for you.

Start by setting a goal for yourself. It is important to make it a reasonable goal. Goals can be measured in time, amount of money, achievement or any other way that suits your lifestyle. When you achieve your goal, reward yourself with a little treat within reason.

Setting a goal

• Time
  Set a timeframe in which you decide you will not make unnecessary expenditures. If you have a regular habit of spending money everyday or every few days, you might want to start with a shorter goal and work your way up to the ideal timeframe.
• Amount of money saved
  Instead of putting all your money in your checking account, open a savings account (if you don’t already have one.) Put all your non-regular-expense money (anything not for necessities such as rent, bills, groceries, gas, etc.) into this savings account. When you have saved up to a certain pre-determined amount – $500, $1,000, etc. – then you can allow yourself a little treat.
• Achievement
  This could be for achievement in any area of your life – career, personal, weight-loss, etc.

As time passes and you achieve your goals you might find the success of achieving your goals to be more rewarding than spending money. In an ideal world, that would probably be enough. But for most of us human beings, it probably isn’t.

So remember, it is important to treat yourself once in a while. It doesn’t have to be a big treat. It could be as little as an ice cream cone, a reasonable item of clothing, a new CD, etc. But if you find yourself treating yourself every other day, something is wrong. I can’t tell you exactly how long and how much your goals should be. It is different for everyone and something you need to figure out for yourself. That’s why it’s called personal finance.

In closing, I will share

How I rational thought my way out of the items on my wish list (mentioned above)

• A laptop computer
  Reason I don’t need it: I already have a desktop computer.
• My favorite TV shows on DVD
  Reason I don’t need it: For now, I can watch what DVDs I have and TV shows online. I know I’ll eventually get them, but what’s the hurry?
• Subscription to cable
  Reason I don’t need it: An occasional DVD purchase is cheaper than subscribing to cable and I’ll end up with an asset instead of just putting money down the drain.
• A cushy armchair for reading in my room
  Reason I don’t need it: I can read on my bed. Someday I will get an armchair when the time is right and when I can afford a nice one.
• The complete British and French editions of the Harry Potter books
  Reason I don’t need it: The fun of book collecting is acquiring each edition book by book over time. If I got all the books at one time, I’d need to find a new hobby.

Treating Myself

On the other hand, I did treat myself to a rather expensive gift last fall. I have been a musician since I was 5 years old, and have wanted to learn to play the violin since I was a teenager. Last fall, I purchased myself a Suzuki Student Violin for $170. Being more expensive than most of our regular purchases, I considered it a late birthday/early Christmas/early next birthday present for myself. My violin is and will be one of my most favored possessions for a long time to come.

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• July 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!
• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary
• Frugality to the Extreme: Would You Eat Out of the Dumpster?

Originally posted 2008-06-27 06:00:38.