frugal furniture

One of the several things I have learned in recent years, since becoming a grownup, is that furniture is expensive.  I dislike this, so I've developed the following methods of combating it.  I have listed these in order from best option to least-best (but still good).

Best option: DIY
There are two paths to accomplish this: either make what you need yourself, or refurbish and spruce up old furniture you've already got.  Some ideas for the former:  Stack up stuff (such as large books) to make a side table, use plywood to build shelves or bookcases or a table, make a platform bed out of old pallets, etc...  You're only limited by your imagination.

As for fixing up stuff you already own, there are a ton of options: add new handles/hardware, paint it (I've done this with plenty of furniture, and it's the easiest way to completely change the look), create designs and decorate it, and just do anything you feel like to make it your own.  If you don't feel like being really artsy, but simply want to refurbish something old, that's also a great idea.  One of my favorite things is an antique Japanese lamp we had sitting around that was nonfunctional, and I was easily able to rewire it with a kit that probably cost five dollars or less at Wal-Mart.  Another is our homemade bookcase (which is also by far my most useful piece of furniture).

This option is the most creative, and thus the most fun, and that's why it's my favorite.

Second-best option: choose used over new
The best option in this category is to "adopt" a family member's spare furniture, since this would be free.  Mom, for example, might be a good candidate for a furniture source, though I would suggest asking first.  Second-best (and a personal favorite of mine), is the thrift store-- the only store in which I enjoy shopping.  This could be Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or any number of thrift stores you probably have locally.  The furniture is usually of lower quality, and you'll need to weed through a lot, but remember that you could combine this with Option #1 and artfully spruce up something you pick up for ten dollars.  Another great idea is the Craigslist furniture listings.  I've gotten a few good things this way, always for a swell price.  The only downside is that you will generally need to drive to where they're at and pick the stuff up-- but there is some great stuff to be had, and it is well worth sifting through what's available.

Third-best option:  when all else fails
I am loathe to buy something new, because the other options are just so much more fun (and cost so much less)-- and because I love old things.  But when I must buy something new, my default choices are Target or Ikea.  Not everything on the Ikea website can be ordered online, so keep that in mind when attempting to order that way.  Mom and I recently had the joy of shopping in their real, live store (in Charlotte) for the first time and had a ball, and we bought one of everything (almost).  As for Target, I have found that shopping conditions are ideal in September, when their dorm stuff goes on clearance.  My freshman year I scored a sweet coffee table (for five bucks!), a nifty purple desk lamp, and assorted kitchen stuff, all of which I am still getting use out of now, years post-dorm-- so I am certainly getting my money's worth.

--One last thought: I've never tried this myself, but Freecycle.org is also an option worth mentioning, especially for the truly broke and/or frugal.  It's a site where people give away stuff for free-- so it's certainly worth checking out!

what's worth spending money on

View of the snowy courtyard from inside Nymphenburg Palace, December 2010.  Travel is a high priority for me, so in my budget, it is worth saving for, planning thoughtfully, and spending on.

To gain greater control over your finances, decide carefully and thoughtfully what the most important expenditures for you are, and work towards eliminating the rest.  How I allot my discretionary expenditures is something I've been working on increasingly in the last several months-- aiming towards prioritizing better and fine-tuning my budget.

In contrast with my previous post, these are things I've decided are worth spending my money on:
-world travel (on a small budget)
-visiting/staying in touch with family and friends
-used books
-college classes
-better quality/ healthier food
-additional/unplanned giving to a cause that's important to me
-occasional treats like wine or champagne and high-quality, real chocolate
-memorable events or experiences--  celebrating a meal out on a special occasion, going to a concert, a hiking or skiing trip, visiting a museum or historical site, etc.

Everyone's priorities are personal, so pick and choose carefully which expenditures are MOST important to you, and prioritize accordingly.  My intention is to have more money left to direct towards these important things through budgeting more thoughtfully and deliberately, and developing the self-control to not let what I earn slip through my fingers (or, perish the thought, escalate into consumer debt.)

The things I choose to spend discretionary money on are, of course, a secondary priority.  My monthly income is first allotted towards:
1.  Contributing to a supplemental retirement fund (in my case, a 457b plan for state employees)
2.  Transferring a pre-determined amount of money automatically into savings to build up a savings fund
3.  Paying down debt
     -Right now, my first priority is what remains of my only private student loan, which has a relatively high  interest rate.
     -Second priority, which I will focus on in my budget in two months, will be my car loan.
4.  Setting money aside to pay for class tuition and books, so that I can pay for these upcoming expenses in cash rather than on credit.
5.  Any planned giving
     I'm a fan of Compassion International and Save the Children as well as a few other local/national organizations, but any charity/cause you choose to support should be checked out first to verify that most of your contribution is going towards what they claim to be supporting.  Guidestar and Charity Navigator provide resources for this.

What, to you, is worth spending discretionary money on?

unnecessary things people buy

What if we took the money we routinely waste on mindless or even harmful addictions or habits, and put it into our retirement accounts instead?

It is truly amazing, if you think about it, the ridiculous things people will spend their money on:
4-dollar coffees
cigarettes
mixed drinks
new cars
too-big cars
gas to drive too-big cars
too-big houses
utility bills for too-big houses
designer purses
junk food
soda
diet soda
bottled water
status symbols (clothing, shoes, etc.)
expensive jewelry
new things (when used is a viable alternative)
clothing to be worn once
fake nails/manicures
granite counter tops
shiny stainless steel appliances
impulse purchases
overpriced pre-portioned snacks
elective plastic surgery
unnecessary/high-end cosmetics
expensive haircuts at trendy salons
high-maintenance hair-coloring regimens
gym memberships
over-the-top weddings
status-symbol electronic gadgetry
paper-thin wall-sized television sets
...................................................................

I have been guilty of wasting my money on a number of these in the past-- and, at the same time, am glad to not be tempted by quite a few of these money-traps-- but I hope to not make any of these particular mistakes in my financial future.  The things you can resolve to live without may be quite different from mine.  But we all have things we know we will never have a valid reason to spend our hard-earned money on.

What expenses or purchases could you think a little more critically about, starting now?

moneysaving tips for college kids

Your education is undoubtedly an investment in your future, and in your capacity to earn over a lifetime.  However, I would like to encourage you in the strongest terms possible to avoid accumulating debt during your student years.  Here are a handful of simple ways to save on the cost of your college education-- from someone who knows:

-CLEP tests.  This pretty much allowed me to graduate at all.  These are computer-based tests that you pay about $75 dollars for (though probably a bit more these days, and the cost may vary by institution) that award college credit for prior knowledge (though you can also just memorize a textbook on the subject, like I did for a few of them).  I earned a year and a half (18 hours) of credit this way, and saved myself many thousands of dollars, being at a private institution.

-Think long and hard about your choice of major.  I followed my less practical instincts and majored in Creative Writing--  and now, a few years later, I'm shelling out cash to pay for education classes, since I am now-- as I knew perfectly well I probably would be-- a teacher.  I still plan to be a full-time writer someday, though, so the background is still useful to me.  Just make sure you graduate with an actual plan.  And, ideally, a backup plan.

-Use distance education-- right now a 3-credit-hour distance course I am taking through a public university here in NC costs only $350.  At for-profit distance education universities, the price might be almost double, so try to find these courses through a public institution or community college.

-Increase your load to graduate early.  I did this towards the end and, by upping the number of CLEP tests I was taking as well, squeezed two semesters of work into my final one.  Obviously this saves you not only tuition costs, but dorm, food, and general living costs-- thousands of dollars.


Handy tips for current high-schoolers
-Consider dual-enrollment classes while still in high school.  I tried this my senior year but unfortunately became over-committed and ended up withdrawing.  This is a great opportunity to get a head start on your college graduation requirements and get some general ed courses out of the way-- and, importantly, it gives you a feel for what will be expected from you in college course work.

-Consider community college.  If you do this for even just your first year of college, while you're taking the general classes, you could really save a ton of money.

-Do apply for every scholarship possible!  Do the research.  Treat it like a job.  I won some I didn't think I had a chance at-- and I can guarantee you will miss out on 100% of the ones you don't apply for.


Additional tips for saving money while in college
-Whenever possible, buy textbooks used online, and at the end of the semester sell them online-- the bookstore buy-back scam at the end of the semester just takes advantage of you.  If you sell the book online you may well break even, assuming they haven't published a new edition in the last ten seconds (which happens, unfortunately, quite often).

-Think about living at home-- this not only saves the cost of a dorm or an apartment, but should allow you to skip the mandatory meal plan, or at least get a lower-priced one.  One of the biggest wastes of money for me in college was the mandatory meal plan-- I always had a large quantity of unused meals left over at the end of the semester, with no roll-over.


One last tip for college students (or those soon-to-be)
Run far, far away from credit cards.  If you do choose to get one-- if you can be grown-up about it, you can start to build your credit history-- always pay the balance in full before it's due.  But I'll be honest, the vast majority of college students (myself included, at the time) should just run in the other direction.  The data supports this-- the average college student graduates with thousands in consumer (credit card) debt.  Choose to be the exception.


And one really final tip, and by far the most important:
Enjoy it-- college never lasts nearly as long as we'd like it to.

simplify your beauty routine: less is more.

This lovely lady could almost certainly benefit from the tips below.

You could probably pare back, implementing some of the suggestions here, to save yourself both time and money.  This is something I've been experimenting with a lot recently in an effort to determine what is truly worth the cost of my time and money, and what really just isn't.  Funny thing I've noticed about using less makeup?  I find that I am spending way less money on makeup, and I'm able to wake up later in the morning.  Those are results I like.  Here are some of the ideas I've come up with.

-When purchasing beauty products, don't allow yourself to be fooled by elaborate advertising schemes.  The truth is that inexpensive products usually work just as well as expensive ones.  (Large conglomerates own and produce the high-end products as well as the cheap ones, so there is generally little to no difference in quality.)  If you choose to pay for high-end products, what you are paying for is most likely fancy packaging and the extensive marketing that allows them to charge you the high price in the first place.  I find that it is, however, absolutely worth the effort to search for more natural products and to avoid irritating ingredients like sulfates.

-Get some sun, just not too much.  There's no need to be paranoid about it, and likewise there's no need to use a tanning bed, ever.  Use sunscreen everyday-- it needn't be an expensive one.  Right now I use Lavera, a natural German product, but I have also been happy with less expensive domestic brands such as L'Oreal and Neutrogena.  To prevent eye wrinkles (not to mention eye damage), always wear sunglasses when enjoying the sun.

-This is probably the most helpful tip I can give overall: Do less.  Use as FEW products on your skin as possible.  This goes for cleansing products as well as makeup.  Most women use far too many substances on their skin to begin with.  You shouldn't be exfoliating more than twice a week, and if you have sensitive skin like I do, do it sparingly, once every week or two.  In the past I've been guilty of over-exfoliating and using harsh clay masks, not realizing how much damage I was doing to my delicate skin.  After years of trial and error (largely error) I've found that it's best to simply wash my face with cool water in the morning, and then use a very gentle cleanser at night.  A lot of products create problems, which you then use more products in an attempt to resolve.  A great book that touches on this topic is The Japanese Skincare Revolution, by Chizu Saeki.  One of my favorite ideas from her book is the concept of "skin fasts": do your skin a huge favor by simply "fasting" from all product usage for a day or days at a time, and your skin will thank you.  It really works for me-- I do skin fasts on the weekends.

Clemence Poesy, one of my favorite French actresses, perfectly illustrates Le No-Makeup Look.

-Do like the French, and aim for Le No-Makeup Look.  Give yourself a make-under.  Many American women are in the habit of wearing FAR too much makeup for their own good, and too much visible makeup is aging.  More is emphatically not better.  If you wish to combine a lot of products to create the look of flawless skin, and you don't mind putting in the time and effort to apply them, then go for it-- but use these products to create a totally natural appearance, however artful. If you wear lipstick-- don't.  Fortunately, I got out of that phase circa 1999.  Use a light gloss instead.  I use gloss on rare occasions but daily I prefer a sheer Burt's Bees lip balm.

-Break a sweat.  Exercise, or use a sauna (I prefer the latter option, but around here, they can be hard to find.)  Sweating improves circulation, eliminates toxins, and is all-around fantastic for the health and appearance of your skin.  It also doesn't cost anything.

-I don't know anyone who actually does this around here, but there are a ton of young women in the UK who need to know this, so I'll put it out there: don't use sunless tanner.  Just don't.  You look like an orange.  Accept your skin the way it comes-- if it was meant to be a different color, it would be.

-Pare back on the number of makeup products you use.  I've found that many products simply aren't necessary.  Experiment and evaluate the products you use to determine what is truly worth buying and using, and what isn't.  Remember that your time has value as well as your money-- is the time you spend applying the product worthwhile to you?  Personally, I've found that my Lancome eyeshadow primer and undereye concealer do genuinely improve my appearance-- but I simply don't care to spend the time to apply them.  And at around $30 each, for the minimal improvement in appearance, neither product would be worth the financial cost to me personally, so even though they work, I won't be buying them again.

-Go from black to brown mascara.  I made this switch a couple months ago and have been quite pleased with the results.  Since the age of 12 I've always worn a heavy coat--or three-- of blackest-black mascara, which has a dramatic effect, but I began rethinking this recently, after realizing that my natural lash color and brow color is very light, which makes the heavy black seem costume-y.  GreatLash by Maybelline is the cheap and effective product I've used for the last 14 years, but I recently upgraded to a more pricey Lavera mascara, which I like because it has only natural ingredients.  The downside to this is that the product has a shorter shelf life, so when I need to replace it, I'll probably revert to GreatLash-- which they have for even cheaper at the dollar store here, by the way.

-Don't over-pluck.  Another example of doing less.  I over-plucked my brows in years past, as do many women.  Don't.  Fuller brows are more attractive, and obviously, appear more natural.  I've stopped plucking mine, aside from obvious strays.

-Accept what you've got.  Stop worrying about it; stop trying to change it.  (This can apply to lots of things in life, not just your visage.)  I used to try to cover up my freckles and used heavy powder to make my skin appear more single-toned.  Now I've chosen to accept that I will always have freckles, and I'm just going to let them be, and let them be seen.  I'm OK with it now.  I've got wrinkles around my eyes, too, but I don't plan on buying any expensive creams that promise to combat it.  It is what it is.  (I do, however, wear sunglasses when in the sun, and you should, too.  That only cost me six dollars.)

Reserve elaborate eye makeup for special events, not daily wear.

-I've gone a bit extreme lately and saved wearing all eye makeup only for special events.  This isn't about cost-- I already own the makeup.  For me, right now, it just isn't worth the time and effort, and I've found I actually like the way I look without it.  (To open up your eyes visually without a dab of makeup, use an eyelash curler.  In fact, you should be doing this everyday.  The cost is just a few dollars, and remember never to use it once mascara is on the lashes.)
 
-If you wear glasses all the time, try contacts.  This allows your beautiful eyes to be better seen and admired.  I wear glasses or contacts, depending on how lazy I'm feeling, but I know I always look better in contacts.

-Accept your hair the way it comes.  Whatever nature gave you-- curly or straight, light or dark-- choose to accept it, and then learn to love it.  I spent many adolescent years dyeing (and even perming) my hair, making it darker or lighter, and never being quite happy with the results.  And now it's never looked better, because for the past several years I've committed to just leaving it alone, simply getting a trim every few months.  Simplify your hairstyle: get a cut that doesn't require styling or extensive product use.  My hair routine is simple, and I like it that way: I brush it.  Rethink coloring your hair.  Hair dye has strong chemicals in it, which are readily absorbed by your scalp and then passed into your bloodstream.  And personally, I think every human on the planet looks better with their natural hair color.  I have yet to see someone whose appearance is improved by chunky highlights or visible roots.  Hair-coloring is also an expensive cycle to get into.  Personally I use only shampoo and conditioner, no styling products, and no heat styling tools.  Over time, blowdryers, curling irons, and straighteners really do damage your hair.  In the past I've had higher-maintenance cuts that required styling and straightening, and I would never consider going back.  My hair looks fabulous after a blowout, of course, but I've simply stopped doing it-- and the quality of my hair has improved.  Think in terms of long-term benefits, not short.

So here's how my current minimalist makeup usage breaks down:
What I use everyday:
    -moisturizer
    -sunscreen
    -lip balm
    -light concealer/mineral powder, as little as possible, only as necessary
What I use on special occasions:
    -light coat of brown mascara
    -possibly eyeliner
    -lip gloss
What I never use:
    -blush, eyeshadow, undereye concealer, lipstick.

One last thought: DO make the most of your appearance!  Not everyone needs a make-under: if you never use ANY products to enhance your appearance, a light gloss or lip balm, an eyelash curler, and a little light mineral powder could make you look and feel like a million bucks-- at minimal expense and effort. 

What products do you deem worthy of everyday use, or worthy of the expense?

reasons not to subscribe to cable television

Personally, I seek to avoid any recurring monthly expense that can be legally avoided, which is why for the time being I'm sticking with my prepaid cell phone.  Unfortunately, many of these monthly expenses, like car insurance, are nonnegotiable.  TV subscription services, however, increasingly are.  There are more reasons than ever to go without it.

Practical reasons:
-Hulu.com.  I've stopped using this since it's become paid-subscription in the form of Hulu Plus, but some content is still free.
-If there's a show you're really hooked on, most networks offer a certain amount of content free on the network websites these days. 
-Dramafever.com.  This is my Hulu-- if you don't know Korean drama, you should.  Start with Bad Guy, http://www.dramafever.com/drama/738/1/Bad_Guy/.
-The aforementioned Swapadvd.com
-Any DVD you do not wish to go through the swapping process for, or for which there is a long wait time, you can buy used cheaply and quickly at Amazon.com or at any comparable site.
-Get DVDs from the library.  I've chosen to pay twenty dollars a year so I can access the much larger neighboring Wake County library system (though I do this purely for book-related reasons, the DVDs are an added bonus).
-There are antenna-like devices (which I am sure is not quite the proper term) you can buy pretty cheaply that will allow your TV to receive way more stations than it would normally get.  Though there is a start-up cost for this (maybe 30 dollars?), it is not a dreaded recurring expense.
-In my family we have the lower-cost Netflix.com subscription.  It does not allow us access to all content, but I can always find some form of British crime show I haven't seen yet, which is all I ask.

Less prosaic reasons:
-Consider the time cost.  If you are paying to subscribe to cable, it will not only gobble up your money, but I can guarantee it will gobble up a good bit of your time as well-- if you are paying for it, after all, you are going to want to "get your money's worth."  But what about what your time is worth?  That's one thing that's even more valuable than your money to begin with.
-It's addictive and habit-forming.
-It induces passivity, not activity.
-It bombards you and household members with constant advertising.  I won't even get started on product placement, lest this become more a Victor Hugo novel than a blog post.  (If you are led to make purchases based on your exposure to this advertising, that will lead to associated costs.)
-Do you have children in your home?  There are generally nothing but better ways for them to pass their time.  (If you need to occupy them in this way for a while, sit them in front of a DVD from time to time.  I think the benefit of this is tri-fold: It gives you total control over the content they are exposed to, it ends within a finite period of time (whereas TV programming continues forever), and does not subject your children to advertising.)
-Read The Plug-In Drug, http://www.amazon.com/Plug-Drug-Television-Children-Revised/dp/0140076980.  Originally published in 1977, many of the specifics are naturally outdated, but the general concepts in this book are not.  Yes, this is one of my 248 books.
-Potential associated costs: you (or a family member) may well decide to upgrade your TV to get the full benefit from your cable subscription.
-Two final points to consider:  How good is it for your mental fitness?  How good is it for your physical fitness?

If you (or someone you live with) is truly insistent on going with the expense of cable television services, at least sit down and add up the total yearly cost-- then, looking at that big number, is it really worth it? How else could you direct that large amount of money-- towards a vacation, paying down debt, saving for a replacement car?  It's your money, so decide if this is how it is truly best used.

As an aside, I think so much of what used to be valuable content on TV-- such as the news and weather bulletins-- is now more accessible and up-to-date online, which is the way I choose to access such information.  Is this information completely obsolete in TV format?  Not for people who enjoy watching news shows-- I'm just not one of those people.

In this day of potentially constant "entertainment," there is a nearly infinite amount to be said on the subject.  Contribute any thoughts you have about it below.