My Fall Spending Relapse

Ok, so I have to admit that I’ve had a minor spending relapse over the past couple weeks.  I woke up bored on Labor Day, so I decided to go shopping with my sister.  We ended up making it an all day event with a break for lunch.  I think we hit up about four [...]

September 16, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Credit Cards, My Progress, New Spending Habits, Want vs. Need  No Comments

Employee Discounts and Corporate Perks

When Kelly at Almost Frugal interviewed me a few weeks back, she asked me to describe one unusual way that I save money.  I told her that I take advantage of my employee discounts at work to save money.
The HR department where I work sends out “deals of the week” emails.  They have discount sporting [...]

August 17, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Cheap Thrills, Coupons, Discounts  One Comment

Seasonal Shopping to Save Money

photo courtesy of NOAA
So I’m getting ready for a week at the beach around Labor Day, and my bathing suits don’t fit (in a good way, they’re too big).  I know that I’ve sworn off shopping for new clothes, but I can’t wear a droopy suit!  I went online and found a new bathing suit [...]

August 14, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Cheap Thrills, Discounts, New Spending Habits, Spending Zero Dollars  No Comments

The Luxury of Laziness

One of my friends spends her entire Saturday morning shopping for groceries.  Each week, she scans the grocery ads that come in the mail, looking for deals.  Then she plans out which stores she will hit for these discounted items.  Grocery shopping takes her and her husband about 4 hours every weekend and they often [...]

August 12, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,   Posted in: DIY, Money News, My Progress, New Spending Habits, Spending Zero Dollars  No Comments

Closet Full of Clothes, Nothing to Wear

Shortly after starting my new job a few years back, I upgraded my wardrobe.  I bought new clothes partially because I started earning more (and the money was burning a hole in my pocket) and partially because I needed to look nicer at work.  So there I was, looking nice, sitting for 8 hours in [...]

August 10, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: My Progress, New Spending Habits  No Comments

Spending Then and Now

Now that my yearly vacation is over, let’s compare my spending then and now.  I take the same vacation every year.  Same area, same people, same events, same cost?  Perhaps not.  This month, vacation included, I only spent $624, while last July I spent $2,477.  I’m kind of impressed with myself right now.  Check it [...]

July 21, 2009  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Credit Cards, My Progress, New Spending Habits  No Comments

Money-Saving Advice From My Sister

I’ve been hyper-aware of my own spending now for almost two months and it’s finally starting to pay off.  I’m half way out of debt, thanks to support from friends and family.  Here’s some money-saving advice I recently received from my sister:

Use vinegar to soften your clothes.  A bottle of vinegar is much less expensive [...]

July 20, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: DIY, Lessons From My Family, New Spending Habits, Spending Zero Dollars  One Comment

Spending Zero Dollars and Summer Vacation

Happy summer!  It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, and that’s because I’m on vacation this week.  I’ll have more details about how I saved money on my trip (while still having a great time) later on.  However, I would like to share with you that I stopped at the library before heading on [...]

July 18, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Cheap Thrills, Discounts, Spending Zero Dollars, Travel  No Comments