Frugal tip: Start a coupon club

Two of my colleagues and I discuss coupons and grocery sales, noting how much we save combining the two at least once a week. From our talks, I have learned my two colleagues have easily saved more than they spent when using coupons. When I mentioned to one of them that every time I visit my mom, I sort through her coupons to find ones I could use, she said "Hey, I can bring my coupon circulars here if you want to look through them." I readily agreed and the departmental coupon club was born.

What is the coupon club? Those who receive the Sunday paper bring in the coupon circulars and offer it to others to look through. In our club, these coupons sit on top of a cabinet centrally located in my department and anyone is welcome to look through and clip coupons. At the end of the week, the coupons are recycled and Monday brings a fresh infusion. It is a kindness for those like me who do not get a Sunday paper and gives access to a second coupon for an item if available from the other person. For example, I saved $8 on my contact lens solution because the flyer had coupons for the brand I used. I made sure to thank my colleagues for bringing in their coupons so I could save such a significant amount.

How do you start a coupon club? Find like-minded individuals willing to bring in their flyers to share. Ask around at work, consult with neighbors or friends to suggest pooling resources and getting the most out of the coupon flyers. Our club mainly consists of three people and only two contribute flyers. The arrangement is casual and seems to work without conflict. Your club can be similar or even involve a social environment (e.g., a lunch with friends and coupon exchanging). Not everyone is going to use the same coupons and it maximizes everyone's savings at the store.

Will you start a coupon club?

Three ways to cut the cost of groceries without coupons

Saving money on grocery shopping seems to be a popular topic on search engines. Many people seem to find themselves at my site because I discuss going to the grocery store once a month and I happen to be single. With all the other costs in my life (cat has a prescription diet and a chronic condition, a mortgage and associated utilities cost, etc.), saving some money on food and keeping my grocery spending allocation the same is a challenge.

Regardless, I have stuck with my tried and true method of creating a grocery list and putting the items in the order in which I shop (minimize backtracking in the store) and using my calculator to see how the numbers look (giving me feedback on whether I am overspending or no). While meal planning is not as important, I do keep in mind what I enjoy eating as I make up my list prior to the once monthly grocery trip.

For many people, price points are important when figuring out where and how to shop for groceries. With that in mind, I have some tips for those looking to pinch those pennies:

Club memberships: If bulk buying suits your needs (i.e., something you use often, have room to store it and will use it before it spoils), consider sharing a membership to Costco or Sam's Club. To find out if either option will fit your shopping needs, get a trial membership or ask if someone has a membership and would allow you to join them one day. I really only want a few items in larger quantities so purchasing a year-long membership seems unnecessary. Finding a friend who has a membership and asking to use their card once or twice a year, or sharing a membership cost with a family member or colleague is less expensive than purchasing one alone.

A calculator is handy to make sure you are getting a better deal than in your usual grocery store. This is where a trial membershop or trip with a friend is useful--for calculating the unit costs and determining if the membership gives a better bargain. Again, you need room to keep all the food or bulk items and then use them in a timely fashion so nothing spoils, thus eliminating the savings in the bulk purchase.

Food buying clubs: Recently, I have learned there is the Angel Food Ministries option in my area. While I am still debating whether I truly want to purchase some of my food from them, it seems like a nice assortment of items. Again, much of the food is processed and seems heavily packaged from the description, not the greenest items. However, there are fresh produce options, something I would consider buying. There is a minimum purchase amount but if these are items you normally buy, this food buying club may save you some money--if there is room in your refrigerator and freezer for all the items.

There are other more state-centric food buying clubs. One in my state has a pickup just a few blocks away at a church and offers organic and fresh produce options as well. Local clubs may also feature more local produce and food items, a way to support local farmers and save some money.

Food transportation and delivery: This is a combination option. That is, you offer to help an elderly or disabled neighbor by shopping for his or her food and then charge a small fee to do so. Since you were going to the grocery store anyway, you are not using more gasoline, the intended recipient is your neighbor so little additional cost in gasoline there and you just need to spend a little more time finding the neighbor's items as well as your own. A modest fee for convenience would counteract some of the total on your grocery bill and you help out someone else at the same time.

Alternatively, you could offer a rideshare with a neighbor that has no car, and for a little gas money, get some company and a helping hand for unloading groceries. Again, a small fee discussed between parties could decrease your grocery spending each month and give someone the opportunity to shop for more than the few things he or she can carry by hand or on a bus, resulting in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Will you try one of these strategies?

Consumer goods spending for the past 12 months

As part of the Riot 4 Austerity goals, I have been keeping track of my consumer goods spending. The Web site states:
The average American spends 10K PER HOUSEHOLD, PER YEAR on consumer goods, not including things like mortgage, health care, debt service, car payments, etc… Obviously, we recommend you minimize those things to the extent you can, but what we’re mostly talking about is things like gifts, toys, music, books, tools, household goods, cosmetics, toiletries, paper goods, etc… A 90% cut would be 1,000 dollars PER HOUSEHOLD, PER YEAR.
Used goods are deemed to have an energy cost of 10% of their actual purchase price.
Goods that were donated are deemed to be unlimited, with no carbon cost.

Since I have been tallying my spending for a year, I thought I would finally add up what I have spent on consumer goods according to the rules. Since much of my money was spent at charity thrift shops, I did not count any of those totals. Garage sales and craigslist's finds were only 10% of what I spent and everything else (Walgreens, hardware store, etc.) was full price as I was paying for new.

So what was my total? Acknowledging that I may have forgotten to note a few spending opportunities, I spent $1,138.33 from July 2008 to July 2009. I will round that up to $1,150 to accommodate spending not accounted for. I really wanted to hit the $1,000 goal and I would have except I did buy a new tree for my yard. While I was not sure if gardening items were really part of this (shrubs, trees and plants), I counted them anyway.

Then I remembered I had a large purchase in June--a replacement laptop plus supplies from Amazon. Instead of nearly reaching the 90% reduction goal, I spent $3,100 over the last year. If I would have been able to wait until next year (or at least until August), I could have patted myself on the back at reaching the consumer goods goal. Unfortunately, a large purchase was enough to more than double what I thought I spent. However, this gives me a personal goal to reach in the next 12 months--spending less than $3,000 in one year.

Other expenses that added up included a couple of heavy spending trips. Once or twice a year, I take a day or a week off and among other things, do a lot of my accumulated "want and need" spending. That is, if I need more socks, want new light fixtures or the bath mat is beginning to wear, I make a list and hit several stores in one day. Not being a big fan of shopping, this gets what I need and what I would like to stock up for a year out of the way at once. Fighting crowds is not my idea of fun so I prefer to go on a weekday in the morning. Since these trips are heavily invested in new items, I noticed about 60% of my accumulated spending came from two shopping trips (excluding my new computer purchase).

While this goal was not the success I hoped for, I can continue to focus on buying secondhand, whether off craigslist, at a garage sale or from charity thrift stores. Much of my spending was kept lower because I pursued this option. I believe I can do better for next year but acknowledge that a curve ball (or two) could throw off me off my goal.

Latest frugal acquistion

I am a person who can become intently focused on an idea or a plan. To ensure I had enough canning supplies, I recently added more pectin, jars, lids and bands to my collection even though I am not sure how much I will really use for canning jam and tomatoes with my water bath canner. In 2007, I decided I wanted a used bicycle for around $20. It took me a few months but I purchased one for $25 in wintertime. My latest quest: a used tent.

Now, I have never been camping except in a truck-topped camper when I was a young lass. There is no urge to pack up and hit the road with a tent. However, it would be nice to sleep outside when it is warm and see how I might like camping in a tent--at least in my own yard. My first stop was craigslist, and my experience was more interesting than I wanted it to be.

Again, I was setting the threshold for cost low because I did not want to invest much money in something I may or may not be using. So my target cost was $20. Surprisingly, there were more than a few near this mark. Unfortunately, I encountered several issues in seeking a tent to call my own:

1. I did not contact the seller soon enough and lost out to someone who e-mailed quicker.


2. My offer was too low for the seller.


3. I was looking at tents that while in my price range were larger than I needed (and were difficult for one person to assemble).


4. I was treated to a reprimand on how to do business when the seller was unhappy I chose not to buy his tent.

However, my persistence and desire not to go beyond $25 paid off. I attended a garage sale where a two-person tent was available. It was a dome tent, shorter than me and could be assembled by one person. The price on the item was $20, and the seller was on her third day of the garage sale. I offered $15 and she accepted it.

To prove that even an ignorant person like myself who only saw a single one tent assembled could put one together, I set it up on my lawn--successfully. It was the size, style and ease-of-assembly that I realized I could use. The drawback to my purchase: some transfer of darker color to lighter color on the fabric and an interesting aroma I will try to bake out of the tent. Even if I get only a use or two out of the tent, it will be worth spending $15 to try it out.

What do you think of my tent deal? Was I cheap or was I frugal?

Jamming with strawberries

Where I live, it is strawberry picking season. I have been harvesting from my own patch and supplementing my small quantities with a u-pick strawberry place, the one I visited last year. So far, I have picked 10.6 pounds and harvested ~1 quart from my own patch. My plans include harvesting at least 20 pounds more of strawberries at the u-pick farm. Quite ambitious for a single woman so what do I plan to do with all those strawberries?

After picking my first quantity of strawberries, I came home and made a batch of strawberry freezer jam (three pints total). I was so thrilled to finally have some strawberry jam in the house and could not wait to share with my friends and family. Just in time for birthday gifts! I also froze about 96 ounces of strawberries for later use. I love jam but I do not need to have all the jam made now. However, it would be interesting test to see if I had purchased enough jelly jars to handle all the jam.

I had tried the reduced sugar freezer jam last year and thought the result was all right. Since strawberries are sweeter, I have higher hopes for the flavor but this second batch of 3.5 pints of freezer jam was stored for later eating.

There was one last package of pectin left in my house and I decided to take an adventurous leap. At Christmastime, I asked for and received the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. There are many different recipes for jams and jellies in the book and after a looking it over, I decided to try the strawberry rhubarb cooked jam. This would not only be my first foray into cooked jams (aside from childhood memories of my mom making it) but also the first time I was using my hot-water-bath canner I purchased from craigslist.

Other than some uncomfortable splashes from the hot fruit, I managed to get through the preparation, cooking and canning steps. In fact, all six of the half-pint jars sealed almost immediately after removal from the water bath. And my sample said the strawberry rhubarb jam was excellent. Now I can save some freezer space and know that I am able to can successfully. I wonder what jam I will make next--after restocking pectin of course.

Do you have any jam-making plans?

Decorating the outdoor space for less

Before, I listed some ideas that would help a new (or not-so-new) homeowner in decorating and furnishing the interior of a house without going into debt. However, there comes a point where the inside is not all that needs to be refurbished. What about the green(ish?) space outside? Here are a few ideas that might get the creative juices flowing

Throw yourself on the mercy of your neighbors.
Well, maybe not literally as that might get you an unwanted reputation. However, neighbors may have been around the suburb, city, countryside for a while and have some plants that might need dividing. You might inquire if you can have some plant divisions in exchange for helping refresh their garden beds. You get something to plant around the house out of the deal, and a neighbor is happy that she had some garden work done and a sucker to take that plant off her hands. Plants that can be divided include hostas, coneflowers, daylilies, bleeding hearts, rhubarb (why not go for edibles?), chives and many more.

Shop curbside.
If you have never scavenged and live in a semiurban to urban area, you are in for a treat! People throw out the darndest things--garden hoses, rakes, lawn mowers, lumber, chairs, fencing and so much more. If you can make minor repairs, many of these items can be yours and functioning with minimal cost. Find a bench that has seen better days? Sand it down and paint it; now you have a seat for under the shade tree. Scrap lumber can mean a new raised bed for flowers or veggies. That leaky hose that someone threw out can become your drip irrigation system. Just add holes and lay it where you need it.

If the repair is outside your capability, offer the item on craigslist for free and let someone else have the joy of fixing it. You might even work out a deal where you pay a small fee and they fix it for you!

Check the classifieds (e.g., craigslist).
If curbside is not your thing (I urge you to try it as it is difficult to beat the price), shop from the comfort of your own home. People offer a wide array of items on craigslist and other free electronic classifieds. Plants, trees, animals, rusted old farm equipment, items the owners cannot figure out--all there for you to find and pay a small fee to bring home. If your neighbors' selection of plants do not satisfy you, I know you will find more on craigslist. Try the farm and garden section for most of your outdoor needs or use the search box if you dare. I have been lucky enough that some people will deliver items that I cannot fit in my car.

Use word of mouth.
People love being helpful. Ask around at work or the hardware store or wherever you can strike up a conversation about working outdoors or gardening. Someone will know someone else who has a son who runs a lawn mowing business. You lack a lawn mower but a neighborhood boy can help you out. The guy at the hardware store may recommend someone who hires himself out for small outdoor jobs or his truck for hauling things. Your work colleague may know where to get free mulch and compost in town. A neighbor might be in construction and bring you some scrap items you can assemble into a fantastic sculpture. Place a call to city hall and ask about whatever you want to know around town.

There you have it--a few strategies to keep the costs of lawn maintenance and installing foundation plantings and new trees from stressing the savings account. Remember, some creative thinking can allow you to see the potential in that pile on the curb or that worn-out bench on craigslist. Whether you are working on the interior or exterior of your home, you can beautify without heavy use of the credit card. Happy homeowning!

Interior decorating without breaking the bank

As a homeowner, I want to make the house I bought into a home I can enjoy. This comes down to creating a look inside and outside that I like and want to spend time in and around. So how to beautify the inside without losing a large amount of money in the process?

Paint with colors.
By the time I bought my house, I was eager to put colors on the wall rather than look at the eggshell white so prevalent in apartments. Other than my ceilings, none of my walls are white. I have green, yellow, blue, yellow sponged on green and rose walls. All are dramatic departures from off white. Painting is not all that difficult except for getting the color to meet between ceiling and wall or so I have experienced. Painting with friends and family make it go faster. And if you are not as particular about colors, save money with paint returned to hardware store. Painting supplies can be purchased secondhand or borrowed; the only item to purchase new is a cover to put on the roller.

Furnish with used items.
As soon as the house is purchased, many people go and buy new furniture to fill all the rooms in the home. While I did not feel there was a gap that I needed to furnish instantly, I did slowly add to my collection from craigslist and secondhand stores. Buying used saves money and pushes you to think creatively about what will work in the room you are decorating. Make your own curtains by sewing them from fabric or threading a rod through some lovely sheets. Start an pot collection for all your indoor plants. Use an old trunk as storage space and a coffee or end table.

Use texture.
I have an unhealthy attachment to my velvet love seat. It is purple and so smooth, I stroke it every time I sit in it. Many surfaces in my home are smooth but some have corners, some not. Some are made of natural substances, some are metal, plastic or ceramic. All the items from furniture to curtains to decorations on the all add to the ambiance of a room. Shop at different venues, see what you like and do not like, and judiciously bring the stuff you do like in the house. A rich fabric draped over the back of a plain chair can really add dimension to a room. Plants of different types and sizes planted in different pots all in a cluster will catch the eye, adding both color and texture to an area. Bring out that collection of glassware or figurines for decorations. I have a platter from my china collection hanging on my wall.

Bring in natural elements.
I love wood items. My bookshelf, my tables, my commode, my dresser--all items made of wood, all stained to show the grain of the item and all a welcome part of my interior. The items show up well against the painted wall and either blend or contrast with the curtains chosen for the room. My plants are happy in the living room but the one in the kitchen enjoys hanging out. (I have the plant suspended from the ceiling with a hook.) I love fresh flowers from the garden while interesting tree branches can be used in many ways--to hang curtains, entertain the cat or as a funky corner decoration.

Decorating your home can be a frugal endeavor. Think differently about that box or that globe and you may find the next treasure to adorn your home. I know some of you might be saying "but I am not creative!" While I might be better at sewing something for the house, you might find that oddly colored rock interesting and bring it home, or enjoy refinishing that small table that would fit in that corner you have trouble decorating. Reuse, repurpose and a little imagination can help furnish and decorate a home without abusing the credit card.

In my next post, I will offer some ideas for beautifying the outside of your new home.

My frugal way of life

When choosing to live frugally and within my spending plan, I use whatever resources I have to minimize spending. My actions also tend to be more green by keeping my resource use lower.

I buy used items whenever possible.
This includes clothing, gifts, gardening implements, beauty supplies, fabric, canning supplies, furniture, housing and vehicles. I shop the local charity thrift shops and visit garage sales. I save money by not buying new, I reduce my demand on the earth's resources when buying secondhand and my money goes to a family's savings or helps people in need. That seems like a win-win situation to me.

I reuse or repurpose items.
I enjoy yogurt but the curbside recycling will not take plastic that has held dairy other than milk jugs. The yogurt cups are perfect for starting seedlings. Two liter bottles can be used to get water to the roots of plants if holes are poked in the sides and buried into the ground next to tomato plants. I wrote about a few other gardening repurposing ideas in 2008.

I consider whether I need the new item I want.
There are some things I cannot easily find used. For example, paint for the exterior of my house. Other issues include how to get items into my car and to my home. Considering how necessary the item is and what it will do for me ensures that it is something I will use and will not add to the clutter in my household.

I take advantage of scavenging opportunities.
If you put it on the curb and I have an idea how to use it (and it fits in my car), I will take it home with me. My three new raised garden beds were made of scavenged wood. One of my potato plants is tucked inside a wood bushel basket picked up from a neighbor's curb. (I would prefer not to dig far into the ground for the potato harvest.)

These strategies have served me well, and I like finding treasures at the thrift shop, on a curb or at a garage sale. It is fun in a way that going to a large retail store lacks. Do you have a favorite way to save money?

Eating what you want for less

I love dairy products. Part of this is a legacy of growing up the daughter of a dairy farmer but I also really enjoy dairy foods. Give me a glass of milk with my meal, cheese on whatever I can, sour cream in dishes, ice cream for dessert, yogurt for a snack, cream cheese in sweet or savory dishes, butter spread on freshly baked bread or toast, heavy cream whipped to top my pies, and half and half in my cream sauces. My position is dairy is about 50% of my diet. This may not be the healthiest especially the items made of cream and full-fat milk but they are very satisfying. However, they are also quite expensive. How do I afford my dairy habit?

1. I buy in bulk.
Not all items are amenable to this and you will need a chest freezer or similar to store your purchases. However, I have found that purchasing three pounds of sliced American cheese is cheaper than a single 12 ounce package (and has less plastic as well). Furthermore, the sliced cheese can be frozen. The same holds true for cream cheese, 1% milk and butter. For the sliced American cheese, butter and 1% milk, I noticed no change in taste or texture. For the cream cheese, the texture become more grainy when used but loses no flavor. If you purchase shredded cheese, that can also be frozen and thawed when needed.

The bulk buying comes when you know the price is good and you have room to store it in your freezer. For the American sliced cheese, I keep out one pound and store the other two. Milk needs to have liquid removed from the top prior to freezing but stores fine. Of course, a good price on ice cream means you can stock up.

2. I buy whole cheeses rather than presliced or shredded.
Aside from American cheese that I use in toasted cheese sandwiches, I buy cheese by the pound and shred it myself. When the price of dairy went up last year, I found this saved me money so I could still buy cheese in the same amount. Preslicing and shredding are conveniences and the price reflects that. By slicing the cheese and shredding it yourself, you save money with only a minor time investment.

3. I go with what tastes good and has a reasonable price.
I will buy cheese from a lesser known cheesemaker that costs less and continue to do so if I like the flavor. I select milk from a smaller dairy because the milk is 10 cents cheaper than the big name. I comparison shop and chose based on both price and flavor. Your price point may be different from mine but I have found little difference in taste but a great difference in price per pound of cheese.

These strategies keep me well-stocked with dairy products and add to the quality of the food I make and eat. Not everyone shares my love of dairy but these principles can help you with your preferred food group like meat, wine, fruit and vegetables. Do you have any tips on saving money on your desired foods?

The benefits of buying secondhand

Making the choices I have over the past few years has brought me to a place I like. I take pride in entire outfits including socks that were purchased secondhand, washed in my homemade laundry detergent, softened using vinegar, and dried outside in the sunshine. My secondhand spade made it easier to dig the trench through the sod to plant my asparagus while I amended the soil with free composted horse manure. The metal rods and chicken wire, purchased at the thrift store or free, will help protect my garden. My nieces and nephews have been gifted repeatedly with books, toys and clothing I purchased from garage sales or the thrift store. I smile at the hosta poking through the ground, the tulips blooming and the wildflowers coming up I either dug from another's yard or purchased from someone who dug it right out of her garden for me. I enjoy every loaf of bread I bake in my craigslist-purchased bread machine. Why am I listing the results of my choices?

I can live this way simply as a frugal measure to help me pay less for what I need and save more money toward my financial goals. However, frugality is not my sole motivation. I help out families looking to make some extra money themselves by shopping a garage sale. I find gifts and items I can use and the families get rid of stuff in their house and gain a bit of cash. At the charity thrift shop, I find items I am looking for and they put my money to use in the community, helping out those in need. Finally, I am living a greener life because I am not asking to have raw materials extracted from the environment to make something new, contributing to overproduction. The environmental benefit alone is important to me but the frugal side has its say as well.

This way of living requires patience. It is easy to drive, bike or take mass transit to one of many stores like Target, Wal-mart or Costco, and buy whatever you need--instantly. I discussed making a list of things I need to purchase and hunt for during garage sale season. It took me nearly three months to find jeans in my size to replace the fraying ones I was wearing. Still, I paid half the typical sale price for nearly new jeans. Right now, I am looking for navy and gray pants to replace the one I just ripped, the other is on its last legs. This search may take even longer but I have all summer to replace them.

Shopping secondhand is not about instant gratification. However, if you have patience and search regularly, you will get what you want at a fraction of the price of new. I like the adventure of trying to find what I want. It can be frustrating but I find it more emotionally rewarding when I finally find what I can use.

What are your experiences with purchasing or finding used items?

Hidden treasures in plain sight

I am not new to scavenging on curbside but I have not done it in a while. Frankly, I am somewhat uncomfortable with it especially when doing it alone. If I know the people are not home, I am less self-conscious. However I know if the people wanted the items, they would have figured out what to so with them prior to placing them curbside for garbage day. In the end, I am rescuing usable things so they are not consigned to a landfill. My prize: several aluminum rods that with some trimming of the ends will make nice anchors for the sides of raised garden beds, an old wooden basket that would be great to grow potatoes so I do not have to dig into the ground for the harvest and a piece of fabric that has a use yet to be determined.

However, I am a novice compared to the authors of The Scavengers' Manifesto and the blog Scavenging. One of the entries I read highlighted their recent post on no-cost gardening. It was a fascinating read that made me admire the bloggers ingenuity. In fact, I started exploring the entire Scavenging blog. If gardening is not your interest, the two women have entries on bartering, where free stuff is being offered (e.g., food for teachers and free comic day), how a couple furnished and refinished their Victorian home with curbside treasures, and more.

I recommend visiting the blog and seeing how you can think differently when looking at someone else's trash.

Getting out the last drop

Recently, a local news show has been highlighting money-saving tips for families squeezed by the economy. The two-minute segment talked about how to get the most out of the items you purchase. I was surprised at the advice they gave because the ideas were practical. My thought was "people do not do this all the time?" So I thought I would present them:

Cut lotion containers and toothpaste tubes in half to get the last bits inside.
I hate throwing things away without getting the remnants out especially lotions because I buy many from Bath and Body Works. These lotions moisturize well, smell great and come at a premium. While I tend to slice the lotion tube vertically and not horizontally, I do use my fingers to get every last drop.

Use a spatula to get all the mayonnaise or salad dressing from the jar.
I use a spatula most of the time I use mayo or Miracle Whip. Of course, when there is just those small amounts clinging to the side, the spatula can really help retrieve them for your sandwich.

Add water to the shampoo bottle to use for another wash or two.
Even dilute, shampoo works quite well. I also add water to body wash and use on my shower puff. The bottle gets rinsed out before recycling. May as well use the rinse to your advantage.

Make vinaigrette right in the bottle of olive oil.
I do not use vinaigrette dressing on my salads but could see how adding the ingredients directly to the bottle to use the olive oil remaining would be useful. Plus the salad dressing could be stored in the bottle.

So, do you use these tactics to get the most for your money?

What can your library do for you?

I go in streaks when seeking out knowledge. For example, I wanted to understand more about organic gardening, how much care a plant needs, how to amend the soil, how to establish a new garden bed, etc. Searching on the web can be a start and blogs may help, but generally, the topic is not addressed in the manner I needed. Only a few of the fruits or veggies I am interested in are mentioned or there are mentions of books without a lot of detail. I like to read more in depth and gain my own perspective on the method or idea.

When I am focused on gaining knowledge, I start with my public library. However, I rarely go to the library itself. It is merely a place to collect the books I am interested in reading. Based on my earlier Web search, I may have found some book titles to read. Doing a search on relevant terms in the online library database also brings up possible resources for me to examine further.

Here is where the library works for me: I request the books to be sent to my local branch when available. I have access to books from several libraries in multiple counties, giving me a larger resource base for the information or books I am seeking. Rather than going to the local library and trying to find books relevant to my information seeking but still not get all I want, I am informed via e-mail when the books I requested are available and take a few minutes once a week to pick up the books in my library. This saves me time spent at the library and can be integrated into other errands in town.

Libraries help save you money by helping decide if a book is worth buying for your own collection as a reference or better off as a singular read. Your property taxes help pay for establishing and maintaining the public library so take advantage of what they can offer. I have requested DVDs of movies and television series. By sitting in the library for an hour or so, I can read up on various cars or appliances I am interested in buying in the near future to compare models, prices and total cost of ownership. I did not pay for an individual subscription and may save myself money when purchasing the product.

Libraries are also great places for social interaction. Most libraries host reading groups and have rooms available for other groups to meet. I attended a meeting about green living there and I know there were monthly gatherings on different topics.

To sum up, libraries are great resources for entertainment, learning, saving money and meeting new people. This can be done on your own schedule by requesting items and picking them up when available at the nearest branch. Searching for DVDs or books can be done in the comfort of your own home and picked up when convenient for you. Or meet people with similar interests and expand your network of contacts. Check out your library's Web site, talk to the librarian or look at the bulletin board in the library to learn what is all available.

Preparing for garage sale season

With the season now officially labeled as spring and my seedlings breaking soil and presenting cotyledons to the currently meager sunlight, this signals more than green things. It also heralds garage sale season. While I love my local charity thrift shop and the others I stop by occasionally, I really enjoy the variety of items available at garage sales and seeing different areas of my small city. There is one house I have gone to two years in a row and found clothing that I liked and fit me. One purchase in 2008 was a purple chenille sweater I got for only $2. Other items with fond memories: my 5 cent jelly jar, my 25 cent reusable bag with zipper closure and the lovely lotions I picked up for 50 cents a piece. I use all these items regularly and am glad I stopped at each of those three sales.

Garage sales are also my main source of gifts for my nieces and nephews. I have nine to shop for and need all the help I can get buying items for the lot of them. My gift spending account is ready for heavy usage and I am looking forward to finding the next treasures. However, I prefer not go into garage sale season blind. Here are a few ways I get the most of my warm weather weekend entertainment:

Make a list of desired items.
There are things I am interested in finding used before seeking new options. I have already compiled a list of items that want to find. This includes handkerchiefs, kitchen towels, a hoe and a cutting board. I have some specific jelly jars I prefer over others so I will also keep an eye out for these. I will add to this list over the summer season, depending on life circumstances and interests. For the children, I keep an eye out for books in good condition and age appropriate. In fact, I still see toys I purchased at garage sales still being used by the kids and that makes me feel good.

Map out the sales to visit on Saturday.
Even though garage sales are held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I work during the week so I am limited to garage sales on the weekend only. I prefer to shop on Saturday morning around 8AM and typically visit between 3 and 5 sales, usually for no more than a hour's worth of time. The paper is delivered on Wednesday and I examine the garage sales that are of interest and are held on Saturday. I circle the ones that interest me and give higher priority to the ones that start on Saturday rather than earlier in the week. I then use Google Maps to figure out where the sales are being held and try to create the most sensible route through my city so I am not backtracking. With newspaper ads and maps in hand, I am ready for the road.

Have a variety of bills in my purse.
Having several $1s, a few $5s and some $10s gives me maximum flexibility. I do not need to ask for my $20 to be broken, robbing the seller of his or her change, and I am armed for bargaining. The first point is only polite, but the second gives me an opportunity to save even more. If an item is selling for $5, I can ask if the person will sell it for $4 because I have at least four $1 bills in my wallet. Why would someone agree to $4 and then make change for a $5 bill? Last year, I bargained with a lady to purchase $15 worth of items for $12 because I offered $10 for them and she settled on $12. I agreed because I could pay her in exact bills. I found my collection of smaller bills would disappear quickly during garage sale season so for months, I have been stashing the smaller bills and willingly breaking a $20 just for the change.

Bring my own bags.
As I have written previously, I prefer not to bring home any plastic bags and even refuse bags if I can carry the item in my hands. I keep to this philosophy for garage sales and it benefits both parties. The seller has one less bag he or she has to stash for people who purchase from them and I have fewer stray bits of plastic in my home. Most sellers have been quite happy to put my purchases in the bag I give them and I like the fact that I can carry the bag over my shoulder. In this fashion, I can pick up multiple items without having to juggle them in my hands.

What are your plans for garage sale season?

How green can you go?

Treading lighter on this singular planet of ours is a personal challenge of mine. While I am doing things that I had never conceived of before (e.g., bringing my own towel to work to dry my hands), I am looking for the next step to take. One of my most problematic areas is petroleum consumption. For me, this is more than just the gasoline in my car and the natural gas heating my home and my water; it includes all the plastic holding and wrapping my food. Learning ways to reduce my consumption is important to me, but this is a difficult thing in our oil-based society. (Challenge: think of one thing not touched by oil or oil-based products. Hint: clothing is not one of them.)

What about if you are just getting started? You would like to live greener, but do not know where to get started. There are many posts out there that give you hints, usually along the lines of:

• Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth.


• Change your incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescents.


• Wash your laundry in cold water.


• Turn down your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.


• Take showers rather than baths.


• Insulate your water heater and your exterior electrical outlets.

These are easy things, the low-hanging fruit as many people say. However, I am not sure how many people really do these naughty things like let the water run while brushing teeth. This was never advice I had to take because my mom told me run the water only when I needed to wet the toothbrush, rinse the toothbrush and fill the cup to rinse my mouth.

The greatest advice that few people really emphasize is reduce the amount you use. This may be as simple as using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush rather than the inch suggested by the toothpaste manufacturer or as large as letting your car sit in the garage at least one day a week. If you usually take the car out every day of the week and sometimes multiple times a day to run errands, driving less has a greater effect than changing light bulbs (but CFLs help too).

Generate less garbage by using handkerchiefs, towels and napkins rather than using the disposable paper equivalents. Start composting rather than throwing away food. Think about not only the food but how it is packaged. Buying food with fewer wrappings and boxes means less to throw away or recycle.

Get at your ick factor. I am sure that the "if it's yellow, let it mellow" philosophy would not go down well in some households. Challenge yourself to try it anyway. How about cloth wipes rather than paper? For some people, that is too much, but urine is not dangerous and in fact, makes a great fertilizer. Just use cloth for urine wiping only and see how you like it. If I have offended your sensibilities, purchase toilet paper with the highest post-consumer recycled paper content you can find. Fewer trees will be cut down to wipe your bum.

Go old fashioned. Whether you use a drying rack or a clothesline, hang out your cold-wash-and-rinse laundry. If you mow your lawn, try a reel mower powered by human rather than gasoline or electric engine. I hear it is great exercise and nearly noiseless. Collect rain water and use it to wash your hair (so says my grandmother) or water the new shade trees you planted around the house. Shade is great for keeping the house cool in the summer. Bonus points for planting trees that produce something edible.

Get dirty. Who says you need a lawn? Go native (the naked part is optional) and use plants adapted to the area you are in. Generally, this means lower maintenance and less demand on water. Put in edibles. Be rebellious and put asparagus, beans and rhubarb on your front lawn. Personally, I think okra plants have gorgeous blossoms. Edible does not have to mean ugly. Put in herbs along the sidewalk and people might come from miles around just to walk past your house (and maybe take a sprig or two of basil, oregano and spearmint).

Try a greener item or idea that makes you a bit uncomfortable. You might find you like it. How do you know if you never try it? By extending your reach, you learn what you are capable of accomplishing as well as learning your limits. My colleague may have me beat in petroleum consumption with his constant bicycle usage, but I win in the nondisposable department (go cloth!)

Lest you think I left the frugal part behind--I bet you save money as well. See what trying something new will do for the planet and your bottom line.

A difference in philosophy

I am a pretty frugal gal. I buy used rather than new, try to figure out how to reuse an item, follow a spending plan that allows me to save for immediate and long-term goals, and live a more sustainable life. Other than a weakness for buying items to stockpile and occasionally drooling over Apple hardware, I stay on the frugal and greener path I have chosen.

This means instead of buying a new television for the age of digital signals, I signed up for the $40 converter box coupon back in December 2007 and was one of the first people to receive the coupon in February 2008. My modest 19-inch television was purchased new at Best Buy in 2000 after my 13-inch TV (new in 1994) stopped working. I found it ironic that the larger TV weighed less than the smaller one.

Recently, one of my friends commented I needed a larger television as we were watching a widescreen DVD. I will admit, more screen real estate would be nice. However, most of my viewing is for broadcast shows and rarely for widescreen movies. What I have suits my viewing needs, and the set is small enough to fit in the corner of my living room on top of my free entertainment center. My plan is to replace my television with a used one when it decides it no longer wants to present pictures to me.

My friend understood my refusal to get a larger television, but his comment reflects a difference in our philosophies. What I have is adequate to serve my needs and I will wait until the item breaks before considering replacement versus his assertion that bigger is better. I am satisfied with what I have. This makes it easier to live a more frugal and sustainable life.

Have you recently come under peer pressure to update electronics? How did you handle it?

The consequences of using homemade laundry detergent

In 2008, I waxed poetic about making my own laundry detergent and loving the smell of line-dried clothes. That first batch of homemade laundry detergent has lasted me over eight months, a good bargain in my book.

When I first returned to using my dryer rather than my clothesline after winter weather struck, I reluctantly added a dryer sheet when tumble drying my clothing. Why was I so hesitant? Because when I used nearly scentless laundry detergent, vinegar in the rinse cycle and outdoor drying, I had become used to the low-key natural scent of clothing dried outdoors. The artificial scent saturated in the dryer sheet not only softened my clothing, but to my sensitive nose, added lots of offensive chemical odor.

I started to routinely add add vinegar to the wash cycle to help rinse away detergent and soften my clothing when dried outdoors. I had also read that vinegar would continue to soften clothing when a dryer was used. In fact, I discovered that vinegar alone does work well. There is no need for a dryer sheet. Bonus points for no additional chemical softeners and artificial scents that I can no longer tolerate. My clothing smells clean and nothing else.

Who know I would no longer tolerate artificial scents in dryer sheets when I started with my homemade detergent and outdoor drying?

Self-sufficiency satisfaction

One of my personal goals is be increasingly self-sufficient. My love of gardening is more than growing my own organic produce, but also a source of food that is not heavily dependent on petroleum. This year, I discovered I like making freezer jam for my own consumption and to give as gifts. While I do use a bread machine, I love my loaves of honey wheat bread produced on demand. Each of these things brings me closer to my ideal of food self-sufficiency.

In fact, one of my friends asked how much a loaf of my honey wheat bread costs me. Using my most recent prices (September-October 2008), I calculated the ingredient costs to be $0.80 for a 1 pound loaf. That is certainly less than most purchased loaves and freshly baked with near instant gratification (well, after 3 hours with my bread machine).

However, my independent streak does affect my bottom line and involves more than food. In my efforts at self-sufficiency, I have taken on replacing a headlight on my car. Removing the burned-out bulb as not as easy as I thought, but I felt quite accomplished to have replaced the bulb myself. While having someone else change the bulb would have reduced my frustration, having successfully completed the task myself means I saved some money (only the cost of the bulb and not of labor) and gained some pride in a new skill.

I have many projects on my long list of good intentions. Being a homeowner of a 30+ year old home that had been rented for a time, I have replaced damaged standard standard outlets in the house. However, I also installed a GFCI outlet in the garage since it is a place that gets wet (both rain and melted snow). Again, just the cost of the outlet (~$15) and my time for a new undamaged GFCI outlet I can use.

To add to my growing space around the suburban lot, I scavenged wood boards, had my dad cut some of them to length and screwed them all together to construct three raised garden beds for another 80 square feet of growing space in 2009. I plan on growing another fruit (a bed of black raspberries) and expanding the number of vegetable crops I can grow

I have much to learn and do including repairing outdoor electrical extension cords. (My dad fixed my not-so-little oopsie with the extension cord.) I just purchased a greenhouse to get a jump start on my garden for 2009, a definite learning experience, and Christmas gave me a food mill to nearly complete my own water-bath canning setup (just lacking a jar holder).

I am excited about all that I can accomplish as well as what I can add to my skill set. Figuring out what I can do myself and being able to build something useful or grow something for future consumption means I am that much closer to being self-sufficient. And I like the satisfaction I feel about completing such endeavors.

Saving money on a cat expense

While there are many things about cat ownership that I am less-than-pleased with, my cats do use the sisal scratching boards I provide them. I try to have at least two on the living room floor to minimize any territorial issues between my two cats. Since declawing means essentially removing the equivalent of the first knuckle on human hands, I refuse to subject my cats to such mutilation. In my experience, any damage to furniture is minimized with access to acceptable outlets (e.g., Sisal Scratcher) and by covering vulnerable furniture.

However, even cat scratchers, sisal or otherwise, become worn out. Since the scratching posts I use are sisal rope wrapped around a wooden board, I figured out a way to reuse them. I removed the frayed sisal rope and added it to my composter (sisal is a grass and therefore, biodegradeable). After studying the construction of the sisal scratching board, I purchased sisal rope from the hardware store and borrowed my mother's staple gun. I secured the ends of the rope with three staples and then tightly wound the sisal rope around the board. Reaching the end of the board, I secured the end with staples and cut off the excess rope. Although it took me some time and I ended up with lots of twisted rope (and tired hands), I managed to reuse the scratcher boards to create a new scratching surface for my cats.

Reluctant kitties can be lured with catnip, but my geriatric cats (nearly 13 and 15) recognize that the sisal rope boards on the floor are theirs to use as needed. My older cat has used the revived scratcher without any issues and I am proud of my handiwork. Again, I minimized my garbage footprint by keeping the boards out of a landfill. With a small outlay of cash ($5 for rope) and about 30 minutes of my time, I generated two scratching boards for my cats to use that should last another few years before making them again. Since each new sisal scratching board costs $12 a piece, I saved nearly $20 with this project. I wish I had figured this reuse project sooner!

DIY savings!

In the midst of the paper waste and multiple gifts of the Christmas celebration, my sister revived her iPod mini. Like me, the younger of my two sisters listens to her MP3s old style. Instead of the flash drives present in the cute little iPod nano or iPod shuffle, the iPod mini, the nano's precursor, used a hard drive. Unfortunately, my sister noticed she would get about 15 minutes of battery life before the iPod shut down stating it was out of juice. Knowing about her predicament (an older PowerBook G4 that did not work with the newer generation iPods), I found replacement batteries on eBay for her iPod model, so she asked me to buy it for her as she did not want to sign up for an eBay account.

A few days later, I received the battery I purchased and drove it to our parent's house over the Christmas holiday. With some instructions on the web and the provided screwdrivers and battery, my sister proceeded to swap out the old battery for the new one in less than 15 minutes. By paying $6.50 for a new battery and a small time investment, my sister was able to revive her iPod mini. This meant she did not have to buy a replacement iPod (equivalent model is $150) nor did she trash an item that just needed one component replaced. While I may envy those beautiful iPod Touches, I will follow my sister's path and replace the battery before I trash my cute pink iPod mini.

I am proud of my sister for being frugal and keeping e-waste out of the garbage stream. Spending under 5% of the cost of new to get her well-loved iPod mini into working condition was a great investment of her time. Have you kept an electronic item out of the landfill?