Why Use a Few Sheets When A Wad Will Do?

I can’t even begin to take credit for this cheeky (quite literally, thank you) post when Paul Michael over at Wisebread elevates toilet humor to a whole new level! So, this post is indeed inspired by him and his insightful thoughts to the use of toilet paper. May I do it justice!

We all know that times are tough and most of us are cutting corners where we can. But have you ever really stopped to think about how much toilet paper you use? I mean, really? All I know is even those double rolls never seem to last long in my household, and I don’t have kids! But, I’m sure any mother with potty trained children can certainly attest to the fact that kids are quite happy to yank the paper from the roll - and as Paul says, watch the cardboard spin on the holder for a good 10 seconds. Anything less is considered a horrible pull and it must be done over…except they have to start with a new roll. But this epidemic of TP overuse isn’t reserved just for children. Even the most staunchly frugal seem to lose themselves in the stall, as though the toilet paper beckons to be pulled en masse and wadded up for personal use.

I long ago discovered that buying the fancy toilet paper was quite a waste of money - I mean we’re literally flushing it down the toilet. Do you suppose the fellow who coined that phrase was referring to toilet paper? At any rate, while it’s obviously ridiculous to assume that you can micromanage your family’s use of TP - unless you really are that anal, in which case all I can say is WOW! - it is possible to save a little money when it comes time to buy toilet paper…again. Besides, we can’t not buy toilet paper. Well, I suppose you could, but that would be gross and no one would talk to you. Besides the smell, the fact that you’re scratching your behind in public just makes you look weird. So, people will buy TP until a better method is discovered.

How then can we save money on such a disposable product? As given by Paul (sorry, I wasn’t really that creative to come up with some of my own - so I borrowed with integrity!):

1.) Don’t buy the expensive stuff.

The expensive stuff doesn’t really make sense if you think about it. Kids are happy to use whatever kind of paper you have up there and they’ll use the same amount whether it’s luxurious or plain. You’re better off sticking to the regular stuff. Anything more is really catering to the vanity - unless you have allergies or something, but that’s a whole can of worms I don’t want to open.

2.) Stick with store brands.

I admit I’m a bit of a Charmin junkie and find this one particularly difficult. However, if you’re having to buy TP for the third time this month, consider the cost on that. A store brand may not seem like such a bad idea after all!

3.) Don’t waste your money on double rolls.

The subconscious mindset is to use more when there is more. By limiting yourself to the regular rolls, you actually conserve more. I don’t care what those cute, fuzzy Charmin bears say - you’ll still use more if it’s available. But, ever notice that as it gets lower and lower the less it goes? Yeah, that’s because no one likes to refill the damn thing so they wait as long as they can and when it’s gone, they hope you’ll notice and refill it for them. Argh! Ahem…sorry, where was I? Oh yes, less is more!

What other ways can you think of to save on toilet paper? Do you have a rule in place with how toilet paper should be used in your house?

Popularity: 15% [?]

7 Tips to Having Quick Meals on a Budget

It seems that even with all our modern-day timesaving gadgets, we are busier than ever! It’s hard to find the time to cook inexpensive meals from scratch. Quick meals often mean a hurried trip through the local drive-thru or buying a meal-in-a-box to pop into the oven or microwave. This can shrink the pocketbook, but unfortunately, not the waistline!

You don’t have to slave away for hours in the kitchen in order to save money on the meal budget. All it takes is a little planning and advance preparation. Here are seven tips:

1- Plan the weekly menu. I find that if I take a little bit of time to plan my menu in advance, I avoid the 5:00 panic of “I don’t know what were going to have for dinner and the kids are starving!” Try and include some of the staple items mentioned below when planning your meals.

2- Have cooked rice on hand. Buy rice in bulk to save money. I really like the taste of brown rice, buy it doesn’t store as well as white rice. Basmati rice has a good glavor and smells like popcorn when it’s cooking. I cook up a lot of rice at once. After the rice is cooled, I divide it into several one-quart freezer bags and store them in the freezer. Whenever I need rice for a meal, I grab the amount of freezer bags that I need and defrost them.

3- Buy dried beans and cook them in advance. I like to buy a variety of dried beans, such as black, red, kidney, and pinto beans. Every so often, I cook up a large batch of beans. I soak them over night before cooking them. (Make sure you pour off the soaking water before adding fresh water.) When the beans are cooled, store in containers and freeze them. You can add beans to soups, stews, casseroles, or burritos. I like to make a mixture of rice and beans, flavor them with taco seasoning, and put them into tacos.

4- Have a variety of chopped vegetables. If you are going to use fresh vegetables, chop them up in advance for your weekly meals. It’s a lot quicker to pull out a baggie or container of chopped veggies for a soup or dish you are going to make, rather than chop the vegetables every single time you need them. It’s also a good idea to have plenty of frozen vegetables on hand. Many times, they are cheaper than the fresh vegetables. Grab a bag of rice, some frozen vegetables, and soy sauce for a quick stir fry meal.

5- Make a weekly salad. I get a large bowl and make enough green salad to last a week. That way, I have one less thing to worry about when I plan my meals. For a dinner idea, make a taco salad. Put tortilla chips on a plate and top with some salad, a seasoned bean and rice mixture, guacamole, and sour cream. It’s quick, easy, and cheap!

6- Cook up lots of hot cereal. Make a big pot of oatmeal or multi-grain cereal. Buying dried cereal grain in bulk is much cheaper and better for you than buying it in the individual packets. When you’re in a mad dash to get out the door in the morning, put some mush (as my kids would call it) in a bowl, pop it in the microwave and enjoy!

7- Cook our meats in advance. To keep the meal inexpensive, use the meat sparingly instead of as the main course. A sirloin steak costs more for a meal than making spaghetti and meatballs. That being said, cook up all the meat you will need for your weekly meals in advance. Brown hamburger and store it in containers or freezer bags. Instead of buying expensive boneless chicken, buy a roasting chicken, cook it up, and take the meat off the bones. Store it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready for it. For quick meal ideas, toss some cooked hamburger into a pot of spaghetti or use it in a beef stroganoff dish. Use your cooked chicken in soups, stir frys, or make it into a casserole.

You can have quick meals that are inexpensive. It just takes a little planning and prep time; and it sure beats wasting money at the local fast food joint!

What are some ways that you save money on the food budget?

Popularity: 13% [?]

Need a Holiday? Try House Swapping!

Want to take a vacation, but the funds are too tight?  Try house swapping!  There are several variations of house swapping, but the main idea is that two parties agree to swap houses for a vacation. Besides the massive savings of not having to rent a hotel room, many times a swap includes the use of the family car and appliances.  This means you can save even more money by not having to rent a car or go to a laundry mat.   

So how does this work?

There are websites designed for house swapping.  A good one to try is Homelink.org.   For a $110 fee, you can advertise your home, with photos, in a directory and on the websites for twelve months.  This membership gives you access to the member-only WebPages.  For an extra $60 you can receive a print directory of the available homes available.  Intervac.com is another good site to try. 

Members of a house swapping, or house exchanging, site look through the prospects until they find one they are interested in.  Contact is usually made through email.   Then, the prospective swappers decide if they would like to do an exchange.   Your chances for finding a decent swap are higher if you live in a popular area.  If you live in a nondescript town in the middle of nowhere, find all the positives you can about your area to make it more desirable for a swap:  What makes your town unique?  Is there an interesting festival or event in your area?  Are there recreational activities within a short drive?  Do you have a great house to offer? House exchanges can be for any agreed-upon amount of time, but typically last about two-to-four weeks. 

Sounds great:  Free lodging, free car rental, and I can do my own laundry – (wait, is that a plus?) 

So, what’s the catch?  

Remember, it’s a house swap so while you’re enjoying the comforts and amenities of someone else’s home, strangers may be sitting in your favorite Lazy-Boy enjoying the game on your big screen television and using your – ahem – lavatory.   However, the upside is that having someone living in your house while you’re away is that your house isn’t left vacant, which can attract burglars.  With a little extra negotiating, you might even be able to have your fellow house swappers water your plants or feed your animals.    

Experience your vacation destination as a local

A bonus of house swapping as opposed to getting a room in a hotel is that you can live like a local.  When you lodge in a hotel, you’re usually surrounded by the “tourist traps”.  On the other hand, living in someone else’s house might put you in contact with different experiences, such as meeting the local people discovering their favorite hangouts.   

Is it safe?

You might worry about a stranger rifling through your belongings or doing damage to your property.   Fortunately, reports of such activity have been rare.  Most complaints seem to center around housekeeping issues.  You always want to have your house spotless for your guests, and you’ll want to leave your vacation house in top-shape for when the owners return.  You’ll also want to lock up any valuables for safekeeping while you’re away.   You and your fellow swappers will want to sign an agreement to work out the details:  What is included in the swap and who’ll pay for incidentals, such as long-distance phone calls and use of food items. 

House Swapping: A great way to vacation!

Have you had your eyes on traveling to see the castles in Europe or the Hawaiian volcanoes, but thought it would be too expensive?  Try house swapping; you’ll save a lot of money – and have a great experience.   

Popularity: 19% [?]

Arm your Children with Financial Knowledge

There’s a saying that goes, “It’s not how much you make, it’s how much you keep.” My kids are pretty creative when it comes to making money – they have the entrepreneurial American spirit. However, I would like them to learn how to keep their money – or better yet – how to make the money they make grow.

In today’s world, there’s not a whole lot of teaching about how to keep money. We are surrounded by advertisements enticing us to buy the latest and greatest gizmos. Kids are often the most targeted. Think about it: Companies know that teens have jobs and they don’t yet have the financial responsibilities of an adult. They have money to spend- and if you’ve spent any time at a shopping mall, you see the results of that advertising: teens with armloads of shopping bags. Lured. Baited. Caught. Trapped.

So much stuff to buy

The “keep up with the Jones’s” attitude is usually attributed to adults, but think of what children face each day. Your son goes to baseball practice and Gerald Gymsocks shows up with a new professional series mitt. The next day, half the team has a new mitt and a few of the kids even have expensive new cleats. Your son misses a catch and claims that if he only had “that new mitt”, or “if he wasn’t wearing those crummy old cleats” he wouldn’t have missed the ball. He might even get teased – and it doesn’t end there.

There is so much stuff that kids want to buy: cell phones, iPods, gaming systems, expensive name brand clothing, and as they get older, cars. We need to teach our children the importance of being satisfied with what they have so they can save for the future. If we don’t, they will get caught up in the “keep up with the Jones’s – kid version” and will want to spend every cent they get. If our children are armed with financial knowledge, they will be better prepared to withstand peer pressure - and might even start to feel sorry for their friends who are caught up in spending all their money on “stuff.”

The power of compound interest

Teach your children about the power of compound interest to help them understand the importance of saving early. The earlier children learn how to use this powerful tool, the more it can work in their favor. For instance, if thirteen-year-old Sally Savesalot puts $5,000 into a savings plan that earns her 8% interest, in twenty-years, that $5,000 will have grown to $23,305 – without putting in another penny! If the account stays at 8%, by the time Sally is sixty-five, that $5,000 will be worth $234, 508!

On the other hand, Patty Procrastinator doesn’t contribute to a savings account until she is twenty-six-years-old. Patty earns $5,000 for winning a Spam-eating contest and puts the money into an account at 8%, and leaves it there until she is sixty-five-years-old. When she is ready to withdraw the money, it has grown to $100,576 – which is a lot of money. However, Sally had earned more than double that amount with the same initial investment! If children can learn and understand the advantages of saving early – they can have the power of compound interest on their side.

Children also need to understand the other side of compound interest. I frequently make offhand comments to my kids when I see advertisements for “buy now, pay later.” I always have to add, “Yes, you can have it now, but it will take you forever to pay it off, and you’ll end up paying at least double or triple the amount.” My kids have heard me say it plenty – and I don’t think they will ever want to buy now, pay later.

Financial knowledge early equals more financial security in the future

Sure, our kids will still want to buy those cool gizmos and gadgets every once in awhile – but they will also know that gizmos and gadgets break, go out of style, or wear out. If our children are armed with financial knowledge, they will be less tempted to buy stuff. They will be motivated to invest their money in order to secure a better financial future.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Teach your Children about Finances Part - II

Children and teens need more financial savvy as they get older.  They start earning more money and they have more expenses.   They are also ready for more depth in their financial education.  While it’s important to teach your children about finances, it’s also important to let them make a lot of their own decisions (within reason) about money.  Experience is a great teacher!  

1-  Help your child set some goals.  Discuss with your child some financial goals and write them down.  Post his goals in a place where he can refer to it often.  If your child has goals to work toward, he is less likely to squander his money away on consumables. 

2-  Help your child budget.  Get some sort of notebook or bill book to keep track of expenses.  My oldest son has a composition notebook that he uses to write things down.  Each month, he writes down all the expenses for the month.  He also writes down his earnings and he figures out where to allocate his money.  Any extra money goes into a savings account.   

You could also have your child save receipts to help track spending.  It can be a real eye opener to really see how much money went toward buying soda and potato chips!

 3-  Read and discuss good books on money.  There are lots of wonderful books about money.  Give a list of book options to your child and let him pick one to read.  Plan a date to discuss the book (you will need to read it too!)  I like to take my child out for an ice cream cone or for a walk in the park while we discuss the book.  Ask your child what he liked or didn’t like about the book.  What did he learn?  Did he agree with what the author had to say?  Try and pick a new book to read each month. 

Here are some of my family’s favorites:

•      Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens
•      The One Minute Millionaire   
•      Growing Money     
•      The Kids Business Book
•      If you want to be Rich and Happy, Don’t go to School 

4-    Play games together.  Games are a fun way to learn about money.  My kids especially like playing Monopoly.  Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow for Kids is another good one to play. 

5-  Let them pay for more of their expenses.  Kids learn best by doing.  Let your children pay for some of their expenses.  Once kids are in charge of paying for their own things, they learn how to be frugal in a hurry! 

6-  Teach your kids about investing.  Let your children do some research on different types of savings accounts.  Take them to a bank or credit union to discuss some different options with a financial advisor.  Teach your kids about the Stock Market and let them do some research on different companies. 

I recently found a simulation game online called The Stock Market Game designed to teach children to learn about investing.   Kids are grouped into teams and they “invest” play money on real stocks.  See if your child’s school would be interested in participating in the next simulation scheduled for October 2008.

 http://www.stockmarketgame.org/index.html   

As you teach your children about money, you will find that you have more financial savvy yourself. 

Popularity: 25% [?]

Six Ways your Kids can Help out with the Budget!

Is the rising price of food and gas wrecking havoc with your monthly budget? Put your kids to work – after all, you use the gas to take them to soccer practice and they eat the food that you buy for the pantry. I’m not talking about having your five-year-old flipping burgers for eight hours a day (there are laws against such things, you know.) There are things that kids can do to make a difference in the monthly budget. Heck, even if your family is rolling in dough, it doesn’t hurt to have your kids do their part to help with expenses – it’s good practice for when they’re adults.

1- Let kids start paying for their “stuff”. If you’re at the grocery store and Junior begs you to buy him a lollipop, tell him that he is now in charge of buying his treats and toys. Make sure you also do plenty of teaching about the value of money and savings, but let Junior buy some of his own things.

As Junior gets older and starts earning more money, let him pay for more of his expenses. My oldest son has a cell phone and I don’t pay one penny of his bill. Let me tell you, he is real careful not to go over on minutes and his careful not to download too many extras - well, he doesn’t anymore. One month of paying $0.45 per minute because he exceeded his airtime minutes was enough to keep him careful about such things.

Kids can help pay for their own clothing. Parents don’t need to fork out $75 for designer jeans. You can give your child a set frugal amount of money for their clothing budget. If they want to spend money on expensive name-brand clothes, let them make up the difference.

2- Teach them to cook from scratch. In our busy lives, it’s all too easy to grab dinner at the fast food drive-thru. Convenience foods fill our shopping carts because, well, they’re convenient. Not only are fast foods and meals-in-a-box expensive, they are bad for our health.

It takes time to prepare healthy meals from scratch. This is where you can put your kids to work. Take some time to teach them how to make meals. My thirteen-year-old daughter is the bread maker of the family. This has saved us a lot of money. She makes five loaves at a time and we freeze any that we aren’t going to use right away.

Have your child wash and chop enough vegetables for the week. That way, you have vegetables ready for whenever you need them. Even the youngest child can help out. My two youngest children like to wash the lettuce in our salad spinner for our dinner salads. I have a friend that assigns each of her five children a day of the week to fix dinner. They plan what they will make in advance and then do all the cooking.

3- Assign your child to be on Utilities Patrol. Teach your child the importance of conservation. Let him look at the utility bills and ask him for suggestions for ways to lower the usage for the following month. Make it a game to see how much you can lower your utility bills. Play board games or read in the evening instead of watching television to help cut back on electricity. See who can get clean while taking the shortest shower to help save on the water bill.

4- Give your child a garden to take care of. Food is expensive these days, and a lot of the time, the quality isn’t very good. Let your children help plant and take care of a garden. If you have a big garden, maybe your children can each have their own rows or sections to take care of. I like to have raised garden beds. They’re easier for me to take care of and I don’t get as many weeds. It’s a great experience for a child to have his own garden box. Let them plan what vegetables to plant and show him how to take care of them. Growing vegetables is a great way for children to help with the family budget.

5- Let them come up with ways to save on gasoline. Brainstorm with your children about ways to save on gasoline. Could you consolidate trips? What about carpooling with friends? What about (gasp) walking? I saw some pictures recently of families traveling by large bikes in India. Some bikes had large baskets or carts attached to them for hauling the entire family. I got to thinking that having one of these family bikes wouldn’t be such a bad idea!

6- Have a family council. Sit down as a family and let your kids see how a budget works. Get the bills out so they can see how much money it takes to run a household. When it comes to miscellaneous expenses, get your children’s input. As parents, you have the final say, but kids usually come up with some great ideas. Tell them you have “X” dollars for the monthly entertainment budget and get their ideas on how to make the most of it.

There are many things that kids can do to help with the family budget and they will learn valuable life skills in the process. So, go ahead – put your kids to work!

Popularity: 23% [?]

5 Ways to Teach Little Tykes About Finances

It’s important to teach children about money from the time they start earning their first pennies. Kids might learn about money from a textbook at school or they might learn with “play” money, but they also need to have experience with real money in the real world. Kids are curious about money. My six-year-old loves to collect pennies and put them in a jar to see how many he can accumulate. Children learn early that if they get a certain amount, they can start buying things.

Here are some ways to help your little tyke learn about money:

1- Teach children the value of money. Put a pile of coins on the dining room table. Start with pennies and teach your child that each penny equals one cent. Then move on to nickels. Put five pennies next to a nickel and tell your child that it takes five pennies to equal one nickel. Then do the same with other coins: five nickels equal a quarter, but so do two dimes and a nickel. I can also use twenty-five pennies.

2- Give them a place to put it. It’s nice for kids to be able to see where their money is going and to visually watch it grow. My youngest kids have a three-section savings box for their money. Each section has a specific purpose: one for savings, one for spending, and one for tithing. When my kids earn money, I help them put their coins and dollars in the right section. When they have a certain amount in their savings section, it goes into a savings account at the bank.

3- Teach kids that work equals money. Let kids find different ways to earn money. I remember being only about seven or eight-years-old and crushing up rose petals to make perfume. I think I may have even used my mom’s blender for that purpose (sorry, mom.) I went door-to-door selling my fragrant perfume to the neighbors. My business venture didn’t make me a millionaire, but I learned a little about creating a business, marketing, and how to budget all those quarters that I earned.

4- Let them pay for things. As parents, we provide the necessities: food, clothing, shelter, and educational necessities. There’s no parental contract that says that we need to bribe provide our children with the coolest toy of the week. If your kids really want something, let them buy it with their own hard-earned money. They’ll probably take better care of their toy too.

5- Allow them to make mistakes. It’s painful to watch children make mistakes - especially when it’s so easy for parents to step in and prevent pain and tears. Think of it this way: It’s much easier if a child learns from their mistakes while they’re young. If a seven-year-old decides to squander away his money on Dum Dum suckers and doesn’t have enough to go to the movie with his best friend – he’s learned that he should budget his money a little more carefully next time. If someone foolishly spends his money when he’s older and living on his own, he may have to skimp on the food budget, gas allowances, or even rent money.

Discuss money on a regular basis with your child. Help your kids make goals and learn how to save. I know of some parents who will match any dollar amount of money that their children put into savings. If we start teaching our little tykes early about money smarts, they will have a great head start on their future.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

Update: A warm welcome to Simple Dollar and Get Rich Slowly readers! We hope you enjoy this article, and would love it if you’d come back and visit us again :) You might also like to Subscribe to our RSS Feed. We hope you enjoy your stay!

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Being in the banking industry I get asked all the time whether I see archetype customers walk through my doors, i.e. the big spender or the tight wad. The answer is yes, we see these kinds of people, but what we don’t see is a stereotype. What I mean is, not all women are shop-a-holic’s and not all men wearing designer suits have matching bank accounts. What you see isn’t always what you get.

If I’ve learned anything it’s that people are surprising. I’ve had customers that have walked in dressed as a street urchin and smelling to high heaven. The natural assumption is that they are homeless and penniless - living off of welfare and our hard-earned tax dollars because they’re too lazy to get a job. But, when you look at the account it tells a whole different story completely. They’ve got money, and lots of it. Conversely, I’ve seen customers step out of million dollar cars and wearing designer suits walk in. They’ve got that swag, you know, the walk that reeks of money. But, when you pull up their account you’d find they’re usually overdrawn. How’s that for irony?

You can’t make a judgment about someone based on the clothes that they wear, the car that they drive, or the walk that they walk. You just never know!

I worked for a bank whose CEO was the kind who liked to make assumptions about people and their money. At one of our annual meetings, he flat out told everyone that if we were opening an account for someone with only $25 and someone else walked in with $1 million to deposit, we were REQUIRED to leave the customer with no money and talk to the customer with money. Color me stupid, but how is that a non-discriminatory practice? Furthermore, what does that say about the type of business that he runs and what does that say about me for working there? Needless to say, I didn’t stay long.

But, as an example of how that backfired on him, we had a situation where an employee did what he was told. There was a man who walked in with a few thousand dollars to deposit into a free checking account. The employee began opening the man’s account and as they talked, the employee made the assumption that this few thousand was all the man had. So, when another customer walked in and wanted to open an account with $100,000 - guess who the employee picked as the better customer? That’s right, the $100,000 man. As it turns out, the guy with a few thousand dollars was just giving the bank a try. He had over $3 million in total assets that he was looking to move because he was unhappy with his bank. Had the employee done his job instead of making assumptions, he would have discovered this information. But, he assumed the guy with $100,000 was a better customer and so he focused his attention there, leaving someone else to handle the man with a few thousand dollars.

Just in case you’re wondering, the guy with $100,000 turned out to be kiting money between three different banks - all of which was part of a much larger money laundering scheme. I doubt very much the employee is still in the industry. All he saw were dollar signs and incentives for him. He missed the warning signs of trouble and he snubbed someone with much more legitimate worth. I believe the CEO was also relieved of his responsibilities when his comments and this situation were brought before the stockholders.

Honestly, the biggest difference between those with money and those without are their spending habits. If you pulled an average three month statement for someone without money and looked at it, you’d typically find erratic spending behaviors - eating out is the biggest offender! If you looked at someone with money, you’d see less spending across the board and you definitely don’t see a lot of eating out.

So, let’s do the math. Let’s say you eat out three times a week, at least two meals each time (believe me, this isn’t a stretch, I’m probably underestimating). I live in Austin, so the average meal costs about $10 roughly. This takes into account sit-down meals and tip. So, on average, a meal costs an individual $10. At two meals, three times a week you’re talking $60. Multiply that by four weeks in a month and that’s $240 just to eat out. But wait! Take $240 times 12 months and you’ll see that people spend $2880 a year just eating out - this doesn’t include the additional money spent on groceries each month.

This example is one I talk about a lot, EVERY DAY! People come in and they can’t understand why their account is overdrawn, what could they possibly be spending their money on? When we pull their statements and look at them, eating out is a large chunk of where their money goes. And the thing is, it’s a tough habit to break. People reason that they have to eat and it’s no big deal - I’m guilty of that myself! But those who have money have learned frugal living - unless you’re Paris Hilton and have money handed to you, but that’s another story.

If you truly sit down and examine your budget, you can figure out a way to save money and build wealth. It may take some cut-backs and sacrifices, but it’s better than struggling month to month. I often wonder how those customers who pretend they have so much money actually live the lie. It’s got to be a lot of pressure and a lot of lying.

Bottom line: Don’t assume that you know someone’s worth just by looking at them. They may drive a beat-up Honda because they know a depreciating asset isn’t the way to build wealth. They aren’t concerned with outdoing the Joneses; they’re concerned with ensuring they have a financial future. On the flip side though, don’t assume just because someone has money that they actually know what to do with it. Take the fact that Jose Canseco just foreclosed on his mansion. He bought more than he could really afford given his financial situation and now he’s paying the price.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Frugal Family Vacation Tips

Summer vacation time is almost here – and with a family of nine, and with the rising costs of, well, just about everything – I need some fun, inexpensive ideas.

Go loco - I mean - local

Every time I take a ride anywhere, I calculate how much the gas will cost me. I need a “kid hauler” with my large family, and gas can be costly. This summer, I am thinking of staying fairly local.

Try taking a vacation at home. Yes, you heard me. Think about it: no hotel costs, you can save on food by, gulp, cooking it, and you don’t have to deal with Long Car Ride Syndrome. (Long car ride syndrome n: 1. The condition of a car after extended vehicle travel, which consists of half-chewed strawberry Twizzlers gummed between seats, soda stains dotting the arm rests, Doritos crumbled in drink holders, and an unidentified - smell.)

Think of something different to do each day. Depending on where you live, there may be lots of activities in your own back yard that you may have previously overlooked. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Hiking: Fresh air, good exercise, pretty scenery, and free – hiking makes a perfect activity for a family vacation.
• Museums: Does your town have any unique museums? If you’re lucky enough to live in Columbus, Georgia, you can visit the lunchbox museum. (They have over 1,000 lunchboxes!) A lot of places have small, but interesting museums for a free or low-cost entrance fee.
• Park day: Go to the dollar store and get a bunch of fun outdoor toys: water guns, Frisbees, balls, or a croquet set. Go to a park and just have fun.
• Movies: Go to a movie together – you saved on gas by staying local, so go ahead - buy the popcorn.
• Bowling: Most towns have a bowling alley. Just make sure you get the lane with the bumpers – you’ll get a better score that way.
• Miniature golf: Little castles, windmills perched on a hill, cascading waterfalls – Who needs Europe?
• Water fun: You don’t need a boat or fancy toys to enjoy the water. Try skipping rocks, making sand castles, and enjoying the feeling of wet sand squishing between your toes.
• Camping: Why stay home with a warm soft bed, running water, and a flushing toilet when you can rough it in the great outdoors. I have fond memories of camping with my family: the cooperation of pitching the tent with my boys, roasting marshmallows over the fire, gazing up at the stars, taking down the tent in hurricane-like wind gusts, leaving two days early due to a rainstorm…okay, moving on….
• Bike riding: Find out if your area has some interesting biking trails and go for a ride.
• Stay in: Rent some classic movies from the library, order pizza, and have a board game marathon.

Don’t let the shaky economy stop you from having fun with your family. You can still build memories together without a fancy, expensive vacation. With some planning and a little creativity, you can still have a great time together. Sometimes it’s the simple things that bring us closer together.

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Is it Time to Prepare Some Food Storage?

We see it in the news daily – a recession is looming and food prices continue to soar. We’ve seen the beginnings of food rationing and people are rushing to the stores to buy food – which drives the price of food up even further. A recent report in the Wall Street Journal even recommends that people start stockpiling food.

Is this really necessary?

The cost of food isn’t going to go down any time soon – experts say that it will continue to climb, but is it time to panic and stock our pantries? No, and yes. No, we shouldn’t panic, foolishly spend money, and rack up debt in order to buy cases of peanut butter and tuna fish. Yes, it would be a good idea to start thinking about getting prepared for the uncertain times ahead.

Be Prepared

I have five boys in my family, and I am very familiar with the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared. It’s a good idea to prepare for things that are ahead. The recession could result in unemployment for the breadwinner of the family. There could be unforeseen circumstances that affect the food supplies, making it harder to get food. Natural disasters could influence many aspects of the economy. We can’t predict exactly what will happen in the future. As the saying goes: We prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Hard times can hit anyone

Several years ago, my husband was laid off his well-paying job. While working at various small jobs until he could get back into his field again, he seriously injured his knee – which required surgery and months of physical therapy. I needed to stay home and take care of him and our newborn baby. It was a tough time for our family. Fortunately, we had some money in savings and some food storage to help us stay on our feet until my husband could get working again.

There are stories of tough times all across the country – and times may be getting worse.

It doesn’t have to be a catastrophe

When there is talk of getting prepared for hard times, I conjure up images of major disasters – the city is in shambles, people are in mile-long lines at the homeless shelter hoping to get a warm place to sleep. While we could be the victims of some disaster, and many of us have experienced that already, being prepared also helps us get through minor events.

Maybe we’re having a tight month because of some car repairs or medical bills. Having extra food on hand will help you get over the rough spots. What if the power goes out for a couple of days? You’d need some non-cook meals on hand. In my unprepared past, if the power went out, it was time to call the pizza man. What if the power outage was due to a snowstorm and the pizza man couldn’t get to your house – or the power was out in the whole city? That’s one reason why it’s good to have some food storage. A can of meat, some crackers, a little bit of grated Parmesan cheese, and a can of peaches could make a dandy, uncooked meal.

Don’t buy in a panic

When you go to the grocery store, put the Entenmann’s doughnuts back on the shelf, and buy a few extra cans of soup. You can gradually build up a reserve of food if you exchange some of your junk food for groceries that will help you get through a crisis – you’ll lose weight too! Make it a goal to purchase some extra food each shopping trip for your emergency stash. If your local grocery store is having a case-lot sale, budget money for some storage items.

Buy things that store well, provide the nutrition you need during a crisis, and are things you would eat. Canned items such as fruits, vegetables, soups, and beans store well. Dried goods such as flour, sugar, and powdered milk are also good things to have on hand. Don’t forget to include non-food items in your storage as well: a non-electric can opener, toilet paper, medicine, a propane cook stove with fuel, and extra blankets, just to name a few.

Have a designated place

Have a specific place to put your food storage, where possible. I live in an old house that has a forgotten coal storage room. We cleaned it out and put up a few shelves. Whenever I buy extra of an item, I put it in the coal room on the shelves. Now, if I could just keep my teenagers from getting into the emergency stash….

Try and find a dark, cool place for your storage. You could put up a few shelves in a cellar or basement. Maybe you have an extra closet or cupboard to keep some items for emergency purposes.

Being prepared brings a peace of mind

If we start now to gradually build up some food storage, we can have a peace of mind when hard times hit.

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