Don't Keep the Change

So this doesn't actually save or make you any money, it just makes you FEEL like you have more money.  It will make sense at the end.

USE YOUR LOOSE CHANGE WHENEVER POSSIBLE!  Don't put it in your pocket or car and forget about it, don't save it in a jar and cash it in months later.  USE IT!

I'll explain in two ways.

1.  Because of the depreciation of money, the penny will be worth significantly less in a month from now than a dollar, comparatively.  So it just makes more sense economically.  Look at it this way, if you saved all your coins your whole life to see how much you would get all those years later, it would be significantly less than if you had spent those coins when they could buy you more.  Eighty years ago, you could buy a lot with just coins.

Not to mention the fact that a lot of those places where you dump coins in to get cash charge you a fee and if you turn it into a bank it has to be in rolls which require exact amounts.



2.  But for some of you, that's not enough of an incentive.  Here's another reason to use your change.  Let's say you have a purchase of $2.34.  You have two dollar bills, a five dollar bill, and several coins (enough to cover 34 cents).  You can pay two ways, 1.) You can just use the $5 bill or 2.) You can use the two $1 bills and your change.

Now before I explain why you want to do the latter, let me say that most people look at how much money they have only by counting the bills.  I mean it makes sense, you don't want to spend the time counting change when it's probably a dollar or less.

With that in your minds, in example 1.) you would get 2 one dollar bills back along with more change.  That leaves you with four one dollar bills.  In example 2.) you paid in exact change so you wouldn't get anything back.  But you are left with your five dollar bill.  When you just see how much money you have in bills, you have one more dollar.

Now do you really have an extra dollar?  No.  But it FEELS like you have an extra dollar because we only look at bills.  Of course, a dollar isn't much but when you are dealing with larger bills, it can add up.

You're welcome.

Reached the 500 Mark!

Sorry for not posting yesterday, it was a crazy busy day.  But in good news, I've reached the 500 views mark!  Awesome

Amazon Deals & Free App a Day

So I know I said this was going to be a weekly blog, but since I posted at least one each day since I started, I thought I would continue that for the first week to really get the ball rolling, plus I'm really loving this!

This is something I actually just learned about today. I love Amazon. It's great prices and they have everything. (I also just love shopping online). I knew they had daily deals during the holidays but I had no idea that they actually have that going on year round! It's called the Gold Box Deals, and there's new deals every day. But hurry because your time to get these deals are limited! Here's a link for it: Shop Amazon Gold Box - New Deals. Everyday

Now part of these daily deals is a free app of the day.  This is awesome because I don't pay for apps, that's a waste of money but more on that later, and the one for today, Slydris, is addictively fun!  Here you go:

Great Deal for Contact Lens Wearers

I just had to share this deal because it's so awesome!  Sadly I cannot use it because it is not my brand of contacts but some of you may be able to.  This is a deal from LivingSocial.  If you are not signed up for this site and the similar Groupon, you should.  You get emails on great deals in your area.  They range from items like these, to local stores, to vacations!  And you can sometimes get things up to 80% off!

Anyway, here's the deal. 
• $39 ($58 value) for a 3-month supply of Acuvue Advance Plus
• $45 ($69 value) for a 3-month supply of Acuvue Oasys
• $64 ($94 value) for a 3-month supply of Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism
• $64 ($94 value) for a 3-month supply of Acuvue Oasys for Presbyopia

Link For Actual Deal

Even though it's for the Sacramento area, I would imagine it can be purchased and used anywhere since it is just for a website and not a store.  But check all the fine print just to make sure!

Have a nice day!

Excercising Without Breaking the Bank

Even though this is going to be a weekly blog, I thought I'd post another one today to get the ball rolling a little.  This topic has been recently on my mind as I just got rid of my gym membership, looking to save a little money.

As a dancer, it's important to keep in shape.  All though college I was taking dance classes so it wasn't that difficult.  But now that I'm out of college, regular dance classes is a little too expensive for me.  Not being a big fan of running, I signed up for my local 24 Hour Fitness.

Now don't get me wrong, I think gyms are great.  You can exercise in any weather, you can easily listen to music or watch TV, there's all kinds of different machines to help you, and my favorite thing is the variety of classes that make exercising a little more fun.

But this summer, as funds were getting a little tight, I decided to look at how often I was using these amenities.  My membership was $40 a month.  It's not that bad when you consider all the perks you get.  But I realized I was barely using it.  I decided to drop the membership and try jogging outside, there is a park nearby me that has a nice path.  (I mean really nearby, my neighbor's fence lines it and there's even a gate in their fence directly into the park which I can use.  Silly not to).

Here's 3 Cheaper Alternatives to Exercising Without Paying out the Wazoo:

1. OUTSIDE
      The is the approach I'm taking.  Like I said, there's a nice park really close to me so it only takes a few minutes to get there.  Exercising outside is much faster because you don't have to take the time to get in the car to drive to the gym.  It also seems to be a better workout.  I found myself huffing and puffing, something that never happened in the gym.  Also it's totally and completely FREE!  But, it is weather permitting.

2. LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
        So this option might not be available to everyone, but usually there are all kinds of different exercise classes that you can sign up for.  While this isn't free, when you consider the costs, in California the fees are $46 a unit, each class is generally 3 units, that's $138 for a whole semester.  Generally a semester is 16 weeks which makes it $34.50/mo, yes it's not that much cheaper than the gym membership, but it is cheaper and if you're like me, you need an incentive like a regular scheduled class to bring you there, so you'll probably get more out of it.

3. AT HOME EQUIPMENT
        This is something I was wanting to do a few years ago but the cost of at home equipment was just too much.  I was thinking an exercise bike would be great, I could sit in front of it while watching TV and just go for hours!  At the time, the bikes I was looking at were around $300.  I see now on Amazon that you can get some nice ones for just under $100.  Now it sounds like a big expense, but either way you can figure that it only takes 7 and a half months of gym membership to add up to $300 and a measly 2 and a half to get to $100.  And this you can keep forever!

***Don't laugh but I also got the Shake Weight Pro and it's a great workout for your arms!***




Shop Amazon Back to School - Save up to 20% on Select Water Bottles

First Tip: THE DOLLAR STORE!!!

So for my first real post, I'm going to reveal my biggest secret . . . . the Dollar Store!  Now I'm not just talking about stores only called The Dollar Store -- it could be the Dollar Tree, $.99 Store, $.98 Store, Family Dollar, Dollar General, you get the picture.  Any store where all of the items are priced at a dollar or less.

Now you may be thinking, "Carmen, I am not going to step foot inside a store like that.  I'm a well-respected middle class citizen."  Before you leave this blog though, hear me out.  This is not a store you should be ashamed of going to, it's merely a place to save money on essential items . . . and you can save a lot of it!

Here are some common misconceptions about dollar stores:

• They are dirty and only poor people go there -- Not true
• The items they sell are bad quality -- Not totally true
• They only carry generic brands -- Not true
•  It's not worth my time, I wouldn't find enough things for myself there -- NOT TRUE

Once you've removed these thoughts from your head, I can give you a list of things that you should get at a dollar store, and the list is long!  Keep in mind that not all stores carry the same items, some have better selection than others, but also that the items carried in one store varies per shipment.  So if a store doesn't have the item you are looking for once, that may not be the case other times and vice versa.

*An important note about the generic vs name brand argument.  Some people really value name brands, I get that.  Dollar stores do carry a lot of name brand items.  But there are certain things that the generic brand really is no different.  Don't believe me?  Compare the ingredients of a generic and name brand similar item.  If they are the same, then there is no difference in the quality except in your mind.

Things You Should Buy at a Dollar Store:
  Food 
  -- Frozen

• frozen veggies
• frozen meals
• popsicles & ice cream

  -- Refrigerated

• margarine
• eggs
• milk
• sour cream

  -- Snacks

• chips
• pretzels
• candy
• popcorn
• nuts

  -- Baking Supplies

• sugar
• flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• vanilla
• mixes
• icing
• sprinkles

  -- Canned Goods

• soup
• beans
• tuna
• canned vegetables
• olives
• chili 

  -- Sauces

• pasta sauce
• salad dressing
• condiments
• soy sauce
• hot sauce

  -- Grains

• rice
• pasta
• bread

  -- Misc

• spices
• tea bags
• boxed meals
• instant mashed potatoes

 Toiletries

• toothpaste
• dental floss
• mouthwash
• deodorant
• soap
• shampoo

Medicine

• cough drops
• tissues
• various pills/vitamins
• bandages
• rubbing alcohol

Cleaning Supplies

• dish soap
• sponges
• laundry detergent
• dryer sheets
• glass cleaner/surface cleaner
• trash bags
• mops
• brooms

 Office Supplies

• pens/pencils
• permanent markers
• highlighters
• white out
• staples/paper clips
• tape
• envelopes
• notebooks/binders

Around the House

• batteries
• glue
• duct tape/masking tape/packaging tape
• basic light bulbs
• simple electrical items (extension cord, 2 to 3 prong converter, etc)

Various

• cards/gift wrap
• party decorations
• some car items (mostly for cleaning, some fluids)

There are some things I do not recommend getting.  Generally toilet paper and paper towels are of very poor quality, of the stores I've seen.  Also, some stores have fresh fruit and vegetables but the quality I've seen also hasn't been so great.  And be careful about cheese, most of the cheese they sell is imitation.  But let me know if it's different in a store near you.

The items where you really save are in medicine and cleaning supplies.  Quite often you can get name brand items at the dollar store in these categories and those are the items who's normal prices are generally five, ten, or even twenty times the amount.

Are there items you feel I've left out?  There could be lots more, depending on your store.  But as you can see, there's definitely a lot you can save by going to a dollar store.

Now I know there will be still items left on your grocery list.  That's the unfortunate thing, that you can't get everything you need there every time.  So usually when I go grocery shopping, I have to go to two stores.  Hopefully there is a grocery store nearby your dollar store.