Got No Dough - Saving Money in Slim Times

I saw a commercial the other day for the Jitterbug Phone and I thought they looked interesting, so I had to do some research. If you haven’t seen them yet, they are specially designed cell phones for older people that are easier to use. Everything I’ve seen so far looks really great and I hope to encourage my mom and grandparents to get one.

Jitterbug Phone

First of all, there are just two basic phones - a one touch phone and a standard phone.  Additionally, they come in two colors - black and white.  I think this is great because I know the older people in my life become very overwhelmed when they have too many options.

Next, they’ve physically designed the phones for older users.  The ear piece is larger so that the sound is more clear, the display is larger so that it is easier to see, and the buttons are large and easy to read.  The downside is that the phones are about $150.  The upside is that there are no contracts because you pay full price.

Jitterbug Service

The service plans are a little more complicated to figure out, but if you know how many minutes you need, it is a bit easier.  You can either set it up like a prepaid phone service and add minutes or set it up like a standard phone service and once you use up your monthly minutes you pay overage charges.  The rates are pretty typical for a cell phone company, so no surprises here.

Additionally, you can add other family members or friends to your plan for just $15 and share your minutes.

My Opinion

Overall, I think this is a great product.  This type of service is great for the person who wants to have a cell phone “just in case” and only uses a small amount of minutes each month.   Especially wonderful is the easy to use phone - I know that trying to operate some of the modern cell phones has been very difficult for my grandparents.

I read a lot of blogs each day about reducing debt and saving money. What do you do though when you don’t even have enough money to pay your bills or buy groceries, let alone pay down your debt? You have to go into financial crisis mode.

Here’s an example of financial crisis:

Checking Account Balance: -$122.81
Savings Account Balance: $3.19
Next Payday: $400 on 11/30

Rent: $945 - Due 12/1/07
Electricity: $59.31 - Past due 1 month
Gas: $56.79 - Past due 2 months
Cell Phone: $308.01 - Past due 2 months
Cable & Internet: $165.49 - Past due 2 months
Car Payment: $191.22 - Due 12/14/07
Auto Insurance: $118.00 - Due 12/1/07

Credit Card Debt: $15,000 - all past due 3-6 months

Pretty bleak picture, don’t you think? Truth be told, it’s what me and my family are up against. Here are some basic strategies for surviving when times are hard.

1. Immediately cut out any unnecessary expenses. There are a lot of things that most people will overlook, so here is a list to get you started:
   • Cancel all newspapers and magazines
   • Cancel any gym memberships
   • If you have a cell phone, consider canceling home phone service
   • Keep a bare bones cell phone package
   • Do not eat out - this includes drinks
   • Cancel home internet service and use a public hotspot
   • Cut your hair at home
   • Only buy the necessities at the grocery store and make cheap meals
2. See if you can qualify for any kind of public assistance. Whether it’s cash aid to help you pay your bills or a food stamp program to help with groceries, if you need it, then you should use it. There can be a huge pride issue with this one, but think of your family and their needs. This does not have to be a long term solution and maybe you’ll only need it for a month or two.
3. Find sources of additional income. In addition to our jobs, here are some other ways I’ve made extra money over the past month:
   • eBay - you can sell old clothing, books, or things in your garage. Keep the items small because otherwise shipping will cost a fortune.
   • Craigslist - for the items too large to sell on eBay, I’ve sold on my local Craigslist page. Most recently we sold a baby gate and our baby swing.
   • Part time work - many companies are looking for part time workers now that the holidays are here. Check the mall for retail jobs or maybe a local restaurant for a night time waitressing position.

Above all else, stay positive.  I am not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel right now, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing to put one foot in front of the other.  Make sure that when your expenses are more than your income that you put priorities on your expenditures.  Food and shelter should be at the top of that list and everything else comes after.  Continue making cuts until you are at least breaking even each month.  Then, from there, you can continue making changes until you are coming out ahead each month and can follow the debt reduction plans that others talk about.

I’ve been looking around the internet and have come across some great deals and wanted to share them with everyone. Here are the first 5:

• AVON - Free shipping on ANY order. Enter code: REPFS
• Amazon - A whole bunch of great deals right now…tomorrow it will list the Black Friday specials.
• Bath & Body Works - Free gift with any $30 purchase. Enter code: EDT2007
• JustFlowers.com International Flowers - $10 off any $50 order. Use code: leaf
• Makeup.com Boutique - 15% off all orders.  Code: blackfriday

I’ll be adding more as I come across them.  I’m also coming across a lot of gift ideas - especially for the hard to shop for people.

It’s very easy to find things to gripe and moan about. I know, because I tend to do it and my moan list is getting longer by the day. Today however, I will choose to focus on the things that are GOOD in my life and the things that I am grateful for.

1. First and foremost, my husband. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs these past five years but through it all, he has stuck by me. Through my mood swings, hurtful words and stupid decisions he can still say that he loves me.
2. My two absolutely beautiful boys. There is nothing more fulfilling than holding one of them in each arm and squeezing them.
3. A roof over my head. I actually love my apartment and our rent is really reasonable for this area.
4. A car that gets me from point A to point B. I spent several years riding the bus and it’s a horrible thing. Ever since then I’ve learned to be grateful for having a vehicle. As a bonus, it’s actually a car that I’m not ashamed to be seen in!
5. A job that has benefits. I just left a job where the owners were very verbally abusive and am so incredibly grateful for the new job that I started.
6. Food in my cupboards. I felt like old mother Hubbard for awhile because we had so little food but we were blessed this past week by our in-laws and are set for the next couple of weeks.
7. The health of my family and friends. Some of my older relatives are starting to see some decline in their health, but overall there has been nothing major or catastrophic.

While there are many things to be grateful for, these are the major things in my life. I’ll try to make a point to focus on these things each day instead of the negative.

A special thank you to the new friends I’ve made over the past month as I’ve started this journey blogging.

When your income in low, the first things that get cut out of your life tend to be entertainment expenses such as newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Cutting expenses like this can really have an effect on you emotionally because you feel deprived. Instead of feeling this way, find alternatives.

Most local and major newspapers have an online version. Search for your local paper and see if they are included. My local paper has an RSS feed which keeps me updated of local breaking news throughout the day. No more waiting for the next day’s newspaper to find out about things that have happened.

If you’re only interested in national or world news, try a website like CNN.com, FoxNews.com or MSNBC. They all have RSS feeds also so you won’t have to visit the site multiple times a day to keep updated.

Magazines aren’t as easy to replace, but I have found a few solutions. I really enjoy reading about celebrity gossip, cooking, decorating, organizing, and beauty. My first step was to find online sources of reading. Here are some great sites I’ve found:

• Celebrity Gossip: The Superficial, PerezHilton, TMZ.com
• Cooking: Menus 4 Moms, Epicurious, Food Network
• Decorating: Real Life Decorating, HGTV, Home and Family Network
• Organizing: FlyLady, Menus 4 Moms, Organized Home
• Beauty: www.makeup-care.info, Lady’s Home Journal, Elle

If reading online just isn’t for you, you can find the magazines at little or no cost. How? Well, here are some ways that I do it:

• Friends & Family - Whenever I’m visiting and I see a magazine or newspaper, I take some time to flip through it. A great time to do this is after a meal when everyone is full and sleepy. My Mom & Grandma will even save their back issues for me so I can take them home and read them.
• Dollar Store - I was shocked the other day when I saw a magazine rack at my local dollar store. They only had like 2 or 3 magazines, but for a dollar, the value is great!
• Doctor/Dentist Office - Next time you’re waiting at an appointment, grab a magazine and start reading. Just be courteous and don’t take it home with you!
• Library - This is the greatest. The library carries a ton of magazines and newspapers! My old library would let you check out the old editions of magazines, but most libraries keep them in-house like a reference book. So take a couple of hours and spend an afternoon at the library to catch up on your favorite magazines and browse through the current newspaper.
• Thrift Store - I’ve been spending more and more time at thrift stores and have found some great magazines. Some of them are older, but those are the ones with the great recipes!

Cutting subscriptions out of your budget can save a lot of money, but doesn’t have to be hard on you. Try out some of these solutions and enjoy the savings!

Sometimes when we look for areas to save money, we miss the obvious. How much money do you spend on co-pays when you go to the dentist? Or, if you don’t have dental insurance, how much money do you spend on your dental bills each year? My guess is that it’s probably quite a bit and there are a few simple things we can do to protect our teeth.

Flossing

Just once a day is all it takes to remove food particles and plaque from between your teeth. I think most people don’t floss because it’s time consuming but what they don’t realize is that it really shouldn’t take that long. Once you get the hang of it, you can floss in less than a minute. If holding the floss on your fingers proves to be too difficult, then grab a pack of the little contraptions that have the floss already loaded.

Brushing

Pop quiz. How long should you brush your teeth? The correct answer is 2 minutes. How long do most people brush their teeth? More like 30 seconds. It can seem like an eternity but if you set a timer or sing a song then the time will go a lot quicker. Twice a day is optimal - morning and night, but if you can, sneak a midday brushing into your schedule. Make sure to use a fluoride toothpaste for best results.

Also, just as important is to make sure your toothbrush is in good shape. A worn out toothbrush is not as effective at removing plaque from your teeth. A good rule of thumb is to replace it every 3-4 months or when it just looks worn or frayed.

Rinse with Mouthwash

Mouthwash not only kills bacteria in your mouth, but it can help prevent it as well. You should rinse 30 seconds to a minute, however long you can handle it. Plus, who doesn’t like to have minty fresh breath??

Good dental habits can really save a lot of money in the long run. So start taking better care of your teeth today and see how much more money you have in your pocket tomorrow.

This year Thanksgiving may not happen for us due to our finances. I’m grateful, however, that we have family to visit so that we will indeed get a Thanksgiving meal. In years past, this is the simple menu I have prepared and it’s quite inexpensive.

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Stuffing
Green Beans
Rolls
Yams & Marshmallows
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake

I’ll include some recipes in the next couple of days.

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and if you haven’t seen the sales at the grocery stores, you’re missing out. So many great foods are super cheap, so I’d recommend grabbing a couple extra of each.

• Turkey - get an extra smaller one and stick it in the freezer. Turkeys can be frozen for up to one year, so why not save it for 6 months from now when you’re wishing Thanksgiving would hurry up and come.
• Stuffing - Not only is stuffing a great side dish for later, but it also makes a very inexpensive topping for casseroles. Mix a small amount of stuffing with butter and use it in place of bread crumbs.
• Cranberry Sauce - I’m not a big fan of cranberry sauce, but there are actually a lot of yummy recipes you can find. Definitely grab a few cans.
• Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider - Nothing makes a night feel special more than a fancy wine-looking bottle and nice glasses. Serve it once a month and make it a special treat for your family.

And I realize that this is a busy time of year for most people, so if you have a local grocery store that will deliver, I highly recommend looking into it.  Locally, I have Vons.com and I can go online, choose all of my groceries and have it delivered for $5.  Many times they even have specials too, so I can get free delivery.  That’s heaven to me because with two small boys, grocery shopping is a nightmare!

So remember to stock up this week and enjoy Thanksgiving for longer than one day a year!

I just have to write this quick little tidbit in regards to what I wrote earlier about how to save gas.  Tip number five says to accelerate slowly.  Apparently I wasn’t clear enough about this.

There is one very distinct time that I do not want you in front of me taking your time accelerating and that is when you’re merging onto the freeway.  When you’re entering the freeway, please press the gas pedal down all the way and GO with the flow of traffic.  Not doing so is very dangerous for you and anyone behind you.

Just this morning I was trying to get on the freeway and the guy in front of me was doing about 35 mph.  I’m stuck, the lane is ending and all I see in my rear view mirror is a car bearing down on me at 75 mph.  Can’t change lanes so I have to close my eyes and wish for the best.  Luckily the car behind me was able to change lanes so I was safe, but the guy in front of me was completely clueless and finally sped up to a whopping 40 mph.  Needless to say, I knew I had to come home and write this so I could clarify myself.

So here is one time I do not want you to try to save money, gas or anything else.  Waste your gas and keep yourself from getting killed.

And now for my next tip:  how to proceed at a four way stop.  Ok, only kidding, but I really would LOVE to teach some people how to drive.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like every time I turn around I hear about CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs. For a long time I paid no attention because I thought I wasn’t interested in them, especially when I saw how much they cost. Then, last week my husband came home with a box of them because the grocery store (of all places!) had a pack of four on sale for $2.99.

We put them into our most commonly used lamps: the boys’ bedroom, the living room, the bedroom and the porch light. I was so impressed that we got a second pack of them and added one in our walk in closet. Where the last three wind up remains to be seen, but I’m quite glad we got these because they are beneficial for many reasons.

CFL Bulbs Save Energy

They use up to 75 percent less energy than a regular bulb.

CFL Bulbs Save Money

If you’re like me, you may be turned off by the initial cost. However, they more than pay for themselves due to the fact that they last up to 10 times longer than a regular bulb. Secondly, they use up to 75% less energy than a regular bulb. A 75 watt CFL only uses 18-25 watts.

CFL Bulbs Save the Earth

CFL bulbs produce less greenhouse emissions which can help reduce global warming.

The Downside

One of the only downsides is that CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury which means you cannot dispose of them in the trash and you have to take special precautions if one of them breaks. EnergyStar has a great article on how to properly dispose of and clean up spills.