This morning’s paper screamed “I just cost that kid a perfect game.” Umpire Jim Joyce made the wrong call at first base last night in the Detroit v. Cleveland baseball game and ruined what would have been a perfect game. He even apologized to the pitcher after the game. This raised a question at the breakfast table this morning – Do you support instant replay in Major League Baseball?
No. No , I don’t for two simple reasons: 1. The game is already slow. 2. There’s not much a baseball umpire can miss. (Did you hear that? All those groans from baseball umpires about how I don’t know what I am taking about?)
The game is already slow.
The thing that makes baseball great is the slow pace. You can get up, go to the bathroom, get a hot dog and a beer and still not miss a single play. You can even take a little snooze if there happens to be a mid-inning pitching change. It’s genius. And depending on the talent of the opposing pitcher – a player could be at bat for a very very long time. Plus a moving strike zone adds a little mystery and intrigue. Adding instant replay to this would be like throwing some extra weight on your local turtle. Eventually, you are going to start to wonder if the little guy will ever cross that finish line.
There’s not much a baseball umpire can miss.
All a baseball umpire has to do is follow the ball. That’s it. Follow the ball. The players basically stand still except for the batter who is going to run to the exact same place every time. Is it inside the white line and big bright yellow poles? Did the runner get there before the ball? Yes, it may get a wee bit complicated with more than one guy on base – but that’s why there is more than one umpire.
Compare to this to football – a game where I support instant replay. Twenty two men or women – each capable of breaking rules no where near the ball– all moving wildly around the field. Football umpires can easily miss something or erroneously make a call because they have the wrong angle. Coaches should have some recourse for that.
What do you think? Do you think there should be instant replay in baseball?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
What to do about TMI TImmy?
A reader sent me the following question:
"How do you deal with a co-worker that shares too much information? I like to be polite and friendly with my co-workers, but one co-worker has taken this as an invitation to tell me everything about her life. What should I do?”
Anyone who has heard a horrid tale of a very personal doctor’s visit around the water cooler can relate to this reader’s inquiry. My advice would be to try to cut the conversations short. And never, ever, under any circumstance ask a follow up question.
For example:
You: “How are you today TMI Timmy?”TMI: “I haven’t been feeling too well lately.”
This is your crossroads – your fork in the road. How you proceed from here will dictate if you end up down a road filled with colonoscopies and marital troubles.
My guess is that, up to this point, you have asked a follow up question such as “I’m sorry to hear that – what is wrong?”
SNAP – That is the sound of TMI Timmy’s trap closing in on you. This is what TMI Timmy lives for. You have to cut it off at the pass.
An alternative ending would be for you to say something like, “I’m sorry to hear that. Let’s get this meeting/phone call/ problem taken care of so you can concentrate on getting well.” You’ve shown compassion, but made it clear you want to focus on work.
This question of what and how much to share with your co-workers is an ongoing battle between being approachable and friendly, yet, professional. I personally try to set up boundaries at work about how much I share until I really get to know someone. Some of my best friends I have met through work, but we became really good friends once we weren’t working on the same projects. I try to avoid a situation where I am facing losing a friendship or losing my job.
However, I can’t end this post without making a confession. I have fallen into a TMI Timmy trap myself. I was waiting for a meeting to start with a couple of my work friends and one co-worker. The conversation evolved into a discussion about our favorite TV shows. I opened a window into my slight obsession with crime shows. In fact, I may have outlined, in detail, the way to commit the perfect murder. For some reason, my co-worker found this very disturbing. He may have said, “I really wish you hadn’t shared that.” Yep – stick that “Hello My Name is TMI Timmy” right here.
What about you? Have you dealt with a situation like this? Have you caught yourself being a TMI Timmy?
"How do you deal with a co-worker that shares too much information? I like to be polite and friendly with my co-workers, but one co-worker has taken this as an invitation to tell me everything about her life. What should I do?”
Anyone who has heard a horrid tale of a very personal doctor’s visit around the water cooler can relate to this reader’s inquiry. My advice would be to try to cut the conversations short. And never, ever, under any circumstance ask a follow up question.
For example:
You: “How are you today TMI Timmy?”TMI: “I haven’t been feeling too well lately.”
This is your crossroads – your fork in the road. How you proceed from here will dictate if you end up down a road filled with colonoscopies and marital troubles.
My guess is that, up to this point, you have asked a follow up question such as “I’m sorry to hear that – what is wrong?”
SNAP – That is the sound of TMI Timmy’s trap closing in on you. This is what TMI Timmy lives for. You have to cut it off at the pass.
An alternative ending would be for you to say something like, “I’m sorry to hear that. Let’s get this meeting/phone call/ problem taken care of so you can concentrate on getting well.” You’ve shown compassion, but made it clear you want to focus on work.
This question of what and how much to share with your co-workers is an ongoing battle between being approachable and friendly, yet, professional. I personally try to set up boundaries at work about how much I share until I really get to know someone. Some of my best friends I have met through work, but we became really good friends once we weren’t working on the same projects. I try to avoid a situation where I am facing losing a friendship or losing my job.
However, I can’t end this post without making a confession. I have fallen into a TMI Timmy trap myself. I was waiting for a meeting to start with a couple of my work friends and one co-worker. The conversation evolved into a discussion about our favorite TV shows. I opened a window into my slight obsession with crime shows. In fact, I may have outlined, in detail, the way to commit the perfect murder. For some reason, my co-worker found this very disturbing. He may have said, “I really wish you hadn’t shared that.” Yep – stick that “Hello My Name is TMI Timmy” right here.
What about you? Have you dealt with a situation like this? Have you caught yourself being a TMI Timmy?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
What are you reading? - Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
I consume books. I am a regular at my local library and it’s a good thing for my wallet that it is there. I like to share books that I have really enjoyed so I thought I would feature a book here on the blog every now and then. Today’s book is Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I got this book because I loved Eat, Pray, Love – as in read it twice – loved it. This book picks up where the last book left off. Gilbert is travelling the world with her Brazilian by way of Australia lover. Their globe-trotting lifestyle comes to a halt when her lover’s entry into the United States is denied because he has used one too many tourist visas. The options before them are basically to marry or find a new county to call home. Since both his business and her writing require a US residency - marriage it is. The book takes us through her journey “to make peace with marriage”.
Where Eat, Pray, Love felt more like a journal, Committed showcases Gilbert’s writing chops. She traces marriage through the centuries using the lens of her experience with divorce and then trying to avoid it. Her writing is what makes this journey a pleasure as she tries to find some study or culture that will magically make her okay with marriage. I found the history fascinating as it refuted a lot of what is believed about contemporary traditional marriage.
(SPOILER ALERT)
She ends up okay with marriage when she truly becomes okay with her relationship and her role in it.
"Anyone can love the most wonderful parts of another person. The really clever trick is this: Can you accept the flaws? Can you look at your partner's faults honestly and say 'I can work around that. I can make something out of that.' Because the good stuff will always be there ... It's the crap underneath can ruin you…. There is hardly a more gracious gift that we can offer somebody than to accept them fully, to love them almost despite of the themselves."
I got this book because I loved Eat, Pray, Love – as in read it twice – loved it. This book picks up where the last book left off. Gilbert is travelling the world with her Brazilian by way of Australia lover. Their globe-trotting lifestyle comes to a halt when her lover’s entry into the United States is denied because he has used one too many tourist visas. The options before them are basically to marry or find a new county to call home. Since both his business and her writing require a US residency - marriage it is. The book takes us through her journey “to make peace with marriage”.
Where Eat, Pray, Love felt more like a journal, Committed showcases Gilbert’s writing chops. She traces marriage through the centuries using the lens of her experience with divorce and then trying to avoid it. Her writing is what makes this journey a pleasure as she tries to find some study or culture that will magically make her okay with marriage. I found the history fascinating as it refuted a lot of what is believed about contemporary traditional marriage.
(SPOILER ALERT)
She ends up okay with marriage when she truly becomes okay with her relationship and her role in it.
"Anyone can love the most wonderful parts of another person. The really clever trick is this: Can you accept the flaws? Can you look at your partner's faults honestly and say 'I can work around that. I can make something out of that.' Because the good stuff will always be there ... It's the crap underneath can ruin you…. There is hardly a more gracious gift that we can offer somebody than to accept them fully, to love them almost despite of the themselves."
Near the end of the book, she is trying to decide between a "Get it Done City Hall" wedding or bowing to her sister’s pressure to have a family wedding. This rang pretty close to home. My fiancé and I had briefly flirted with the idea of a beach, some parents, a few brothers and sisters and a justice of the peace, but we quickly bowed to the idea of a large traditional wedding and I am so glad we did. I realized that it did take a village to raise me. My wedding was a time for all those folks who had held my hand, patted my head, shared my triumphs, worried about me, prayed for me and were always wondering what crazy thing I was doing to next – it was their time to rejoice at the good job they had done. Walking down the aisle and seeing the joy that was pulsing through me reflected on their faces was intense. It was something I had not anticipated and it blew me away. It was a triumph to stand up and say “I do” with them as my witness because they all had been my witnesses for everything – the good, bad, and ugly (think 80s hair).
The fact that this book was able to draw such a powerful memory for me was a sign that Gilbert did something right. It is not Eat, Pray, Love. But in many ways, Gilbert finds a new voice in this book – a voice that she struggled to find in Eat Pray Love.
The fact that this book was able to draw such a powerful memory for me was a sign that Gilbert did something right. It is not Eat, Pray, Love. But in many ways, Gilbert finds a new voice in this book – a voice that she struggled to find in Eat Pray Love.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
I fished a snake out of the pool
OK… What really happened was more like…
Scene: Angie doing water aerobics. I look over and see a snake doing water aerobics. Go back to lunges and then in slow motion, my head slowly turns and realizes – IT REALLY IS A SNAKE. I hightail it out of the pool and stand on the edge pondering what to do next – all the while the promos from Snakes On A Plane are circling in my head. 'What would Samuel L. do?' And 'I hope his fired his agent for letting him do that movie.'
I scream a tiny scream hoping my husband who is inside on a conference call will hear me and coming running. No husband. I head over to the pool closet looking for the skimmer. 'WHERE IS THAT NET? Why is it so hard to find a net? Where in the world would my husband put the net? I can’t get the snake without a net! I run over to the backyard and look for the net. NO NET!!! WHERE IS THE NET??' I contemplate going inside to get my husband, but then I say to myself, 'Angie! You are a woman of the 90s! You can do this!' (Apparently in my head, it is still the 90s and women in the 90s fish foot-long snakes out of pools.)
I head back to the pool closet and find the net. Grrreat! Now I really have to get the snake. I head over to the side of the pool and start fishing. It squirms and then makes a break for the other side of the pool. I should jump in and get it. WHAT!!! Then I would in the pool with the snake. BAD IDEA! I run to the other side. After a few struggles, I get it in the net and it is all floppy and squirmy. Now I really scream and run toward the backdoor and fling it with all my might. It goes 3 feet. But that is far enough.
At this point, my husband comes running out. The combination of running and screaming has triggered an internal “huh…my wife might be in trouble…..” alarm.* I think, ‘Just in time, Lucky!’ I tell him how I got the snake out of the pool. He asks how big it was. I say a foot. He is surprised that is was actually a snake. See, when I originally said SNAKE! He thought worm.**
I made him check the rest of the pool. He declared it “All Clear.” And back into the water I went. Because if you don’t get back on the horse right away – you might never swim in your own pool again.
*Running and screaming independently do not sound the alarm anymore. I am a wee bit of an over reactor.
**See note regarding “over reactor”
Scene: Angie doing water aerobics. I look over and see a snake doing water aerobics. Go back to lunges and then in slow motion, my head slowly turns and realizes – IT REALLY IS A SNAKE. I hightail it out of the pool and stand on the edge pondering what to do next – all the while the promos from Snakes On A Plane are circling in my head. 'What would Samuel L. do?' And 'I hope his fired his agent for letting him do that movie.'
I scream a tiny scream hoping my husband who is inside on a conference call will hear me and coming running. No husband. I head over to the pool closet looking for the skimmer. 'WHERE IS THAT NET? Why is it so hard to find a net? Where in the world would my husband put the net? I can’t get the snake without a net! I run over to the backyard and look for the net. NO NET!!! WHERE IS THE NET??' I contemplate going inside to get my husband, but then I say to myself, 'Angie! You are a woman of the 90s! You can do this!' (Apparently in my head, it is still the 90s and women in the 90s fish foot-long snakes out of pools.)
I head back to the pool closet and find the net. Grrreat! Now I really have to get the snake. I head over to the side of the pool and start fishing. It squirms and then makes a break for the other side of the pool. I should jump in and get it. WHAT!!! Then I would in the pool with the snake. BAD IDEA! I run to the other side. After a few struggles, I get it in the net and it is all floppy and squirmy. Now I really scream and run toward the backdoor and fling it with all my might. It goes 3 feet. But that is far enough.
At this point, my husband comes running out. The combination of running and screaming has triggered an internal “huh…my wife might be in trouble…..” alarm.* I think, ‘Just in time, Lucky!’ I tell him how I got the snake out of the pool. He asks how big it was. I say a foot. He is surprised that is was actually a snake. See, when I originally said SNAKE! He thought worm.**
I made him check the rest of the pool. He declared it “All Clear.” And back into the water I went. Because if you don’t get back on the horse right away – you might never swim in your own pool again.
*Running and screaming independently do not sound the alarm anymore. I am a wee bit of an over reactor.
**See note regarding “over reactor”
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Ask Angie: Why am I the one who always has to call?
This new year I really want to focus on keeping people in my life who support me and getting rid of those who don't. For instance, with one of my "friends" - I am always the one to call her, always the one to set up plans, etc. Whenever I have a problem, she's the person I turn to. However, she never calls me and I hear weeks later from her that she was having a hard time. What should I do?
You have a couple options:
1. Quit keeping score and just enjoy her friendship. I am assuming that you do enjoy the time you spend with her after you have initiated the contact. Sure, there's a little bruise to the ego and some hurt feelings that this girl doesn't want to wear half of your best friend necklace pendant or crimp hair together before the football game, but that doesn't mean you can't have a good relationship. You now understand what she is willing to put into the friendship. She is willing to be there, to listen, to hang out and have a great time - just not to initiate all that. So when you feel like calling her - call her. If you don't, don't. But you have to stop keeping score. Continuing to keep score will only drive you crazy and you'll miss out on the good times you can have with her.
2. Let the friendship fade away - If the fact that she doesn't initiate contact or activities really drives you up a wall to the point you can't even enjoy your time together then you may need to just throw this fish back into the ocean. I don't think this means a long drawn out - you should have been a better friend - conversation. It just means you stop calling. If your analysis is correct then, by definition, the friendship will end because you will no longer be driving the train that was making it happen. And that's okay.
I truly believe we cannot convince people to change - we can only change our reactions to them. Sure, you could have a Dr. Phil conversation with this friend about how you need for her to call more and she may try and do that for a while. But it's likely she'll fall back into her old habits and you will be hurt again. It is what it is. She is who she is. You can enjoy it or let it go, but I am not sure you could change your friend into someone else.
In fact, my guess is that her lack of initiation is the flip side of some qualities that drew you to her in the first place: spontaneity, living in the moment, no drama. It's not fair to want her to continue to be all those things and not take the other stuff with it. No one's perfect and all of my friends overlook some pretty hefty imperfections in favor of my better qualities. So I am lobbying for option 1 - give her a break, patch up your wounded feelings and enjoy the ride. In fact, why don't you give her a call right now?
You have a couple options:
1. Quit keeping score and just enjoy her friendship. I am assuming that you do enjoy the time you spend with her after you have initiated the contact. Sure, there's a little bruise to the ego and some hurt feelings that this girl doesn't want to wear half of your best friend necklace pendant or crimp hair together before the football game, but that doesn't mean you can't have a good relationship. You now understand what she is willing to put into the friendship. She is willing to be there, to listen, to hang out and have a great time - just not to initiate all that. So when you feel like calling her - call her. If you don't, don't. But you have to stop keeping score. Continuing to keep score will only drive you crazy and you'll miss out on the good times you can have with her.
2. Let the friendship fade away - If the fact that she doesn't initiate contact or activities really drives you up a wall to the point you can't even enjoy your time together then you may need to just throw this fish back into the ocean. I don't think this means a long drawn out - you should have been a better friend - conversation. It just means you stop calling. If your analysis is correct then, by definition, the friendship will end because you will no longer be driving the train that was making it happen. And that's okay.
I truly believe we cannot convince people to change - we can only change our reactions to them. Sure, you could have a Dr. Phil conversation with this friend about how you need for her to call more and she may try and do that for a while. But it's likely she'll fall back into her old habits and you will be hurt again. It is what it is. She is who she is. You can enjoy it or let it go, but I am not sure you could change your friend into someone else.
In fact, my guess is that her lack of initiation is the flip side of some qualities that drew you to her in the first place: spontaneity, living in the moment, no drama. It's not fair to want her to continue to be all those things and not take the other stuff with it. No one's perfect and all of my friends overlook some pretty hefty imperfections in favor of my better qualities. So I am lobbying for option 1 - give her a break, patch up your wounded feelings and enjoy the ride. In fact, why don't you give her a call right now?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
What are you doing to try to save money?
This seems to be quite the topic and since I often brag on Facebook about my coupon prowess, a couple of people have asked what other things I do to save money. To me, money savings falls into two categories - really big changes and little changes that add up. Really Big Changes are things like giving up cable for Netflix. Little Changes that Add Up are things like getting McDonald's coffee instead of Starbucks.
Before undertaking any changes, it is important to understand your own deal breakers. For example, I will go without the fancy haircut and dye my own hair for $4, but I will not give up cable. In my experience, when I tried to severely cut across the board, I felt like I was deprived and ended up "rebelling" with a $200 Target shopping spree. Now that I give myself permission to spend on some things, I find I don't want to.
Do you find shopping to be a "fun" activity or a necessary evil? I find shopping to be a fun activity. I love walking around Target or surfing Amazon.com and filling my cart with "great deals" or "just what I didn't know I always needed." The difference now is that I realize that shopping is the activity, but buying doesn't have to be so I just put everything back. Sound crazy? Yes, but I spent $500 less at Target alone since I started doing that.
Really Big Things
Reevaluate your deductibles on your auto insurance - Increasing a deductible by $500 can save you between 5 - 25% depending on what you are paying. Only do this if you actually have an extra $1000 saved somewhere, but the savings in your insurance premium can really add up over time . Also, re-base your insurance to the value of your car. The coverage you needed when the car was brand new may not make sense now that the car is 10 years old.
Evaluate your phone, Internet and cable packages to see if there is a better deal out there or cancel cable all together and just use Netflix for $9/month and/or borrow your friends' DVDs. We would never cancel cable. We don't go out much and this is our entertainment budget. Every few months, my husband is able to negotiate getting a premium movie channel free and then we DVR movies to watch so no need for Netflix or rentals or even going out to the movie theater.
Make sure you can afford your car/house - You don't have to have a car payment. You can actually save enough money to buy a car outright. Used cars have come a long way since the advent of leasing. Now, you can easily find cars that are 1 -2 years old, you know have been maintained, still under warranty, and get an accurate Carfax report on any hidden damage. It's all about trade-offs.
Rent out a room in your house - Now, this isn't for everyone, but I know several childless couples who have rented out rooms in their home for a summer or 6 month period to someone who was looking for an apartment, in between college and grad school or some other transient circumstance.
Evaluate what you actually have - Under my sink, I had 24 bars of soap. I had over 100 DVDs that I hadn't watched in years. Don't even get me started on CDs. This has two benefits: 1. You find things you could sell or trade for other things you really want. 2. You stop buying those excess items. I have enough shampoo and conditioner to last me until 2012. Seriously.
Stop using credit cards - The temptation is just too great. You can use your debit card, but then you actually have to pay attention to make sure you don't overdraw on your account. If you are going to use a credit card, make sure you are getting points or cash back and you pay it off every month. I make a credit card payment every two weeks. This helps keep the spending in check while amassing points.
OK so that's it for really big things. In general, I don't think there are a ton of quick and easy solutions to getting a handle on your money. It basically comes down to spending less or earning more. In this economy, earning more is very difficult so it's about spending less. So here's some little things that really add up.
Little Things that Add Up
Kick the Starbucks habit - Seriously. It's not that good. Make your own at home, work with your office manager to get a blend you can stomach at your office, buy a frother and some flavored syrup ($4 a huge bottle) and make the fancy cappuccino noise while you whirl it yourself, or switch to tea - it's better for you. If this is your deal breaker, then buy a Starbucks card with how much you think you can afford for Starbucks for a week or month. When the gift card is gone - you are done.
Create your own go-to meals - I have found it is helpful to have a couple stand-by meals. Meals that you can quickly put together and always have the ingredients for. Ours are: frozen pizza with roasted red peppers, spinach pesto and whole wheat pasta, chicken with red sauce over couscous, chili salad, ravioli and vegetable fried rice. Since all of the ingredients for these dishes can be stored in the freezer or pantry, we always have them. This really helps for those nights we would probably go out because menu planning was the last thing on anyone's mind. It also means I can shop for the best deal on all these ingredients. I know I am going to need them. In fact, I barely pick a recipe to make.
Shop based on deals, not menus - I take about 90 minutes on Sunday, cut coupons, match my coupons to the ads and then buy what I can get the best deal on that I think I will actually use. I had a real wake up call on how useful this one a few weeks ago when I had picked out a recipe I wanted to try, bought all the ingredients and the bill was $40. The day before I had bought almost a cartful of on sale plus coupons items that cost $40 and those ingredients made 5 -6 meals instead of just one. Theoretically, you could even get the kids involved - matching the coupons to the pictures in the ad. Not having children myself, this seems like one of those piece in the sky ideas people without children come up with and try to sell it to parents. For more insight into this style of shopping - check out grocerygame.com. For online coupons - check out coupon.com; redplum.com;smartsource.com
Learn to make soup - Buy produce when it is in season and cheapest. Cut it up, add some seasonings, an onion, some broth and leave it in the slow cooker. Puree and you have soup. Then freeze and now you have more go-to meals for the rest of the year. Same with tomatoes and pasta sauce. Basil and pesto, etc.
Learn what is a good price for something - For a long time, I had thought we were not getting the best deal at our wholesale club. My husband started a spreadsheet to compare the prices we were paying for things to really understand what is a good price for certain items. Here are some of our findings for the Tampa Bay, Florida area:
Bread - $1.70 a loaf
Butter - $1.70 a pound
Frozen pizza - $3 a pizza
Diced Tomatoes - 75 cents a can
Coffee - 17 cents/ ounce
Tide - 11 cents/ ounce
Now, these aren't the best deals we have ever gotten, but these are a good indicator if we are getting a good deal. Sometimes, the best deal is at Walgreen's, sometimes it is at the wholesale club. Watch the ads.
Make the most of gifts - When people ask what you want for a gift and you know they are going to buy you something, ask for something that can help you say money:
- A Sunday subscription to the newspaper (for coupons and ads)
- A magazine subscription
- A bread machine
- A slow cooker
- An immersion blender (for soups and sauces)
- An ice cream maker (ice cream prices are INSANE!)
It will make a big difference - especially if you actually use them.
Have breakfast for dinner once a week - Breakfast foods are the least expensive. Think eggs, bacon, pancake mix, etc. Having breakfast for dinner once a week is cheap, quick and fun. Same thing goes for vegetarian meal once a week - healthy + cheap.
Cupboard challenge - My husband and I will have a cupboard challenge once every few weeks. It's clear we need to go the store because we are down to the bare bones, but we try to see how creative we can be and how long we can go without going to the store. Yes, that means defrosting that thing way in the back of the freezer and cooking it. It could mean making your own biscuits to serve with that dusty can of soup. Our longest record is 4 days, but at that point we were having breakfast for every meal so we went to the store.
Become friends with your local library - Libraries these days are amazing! Most libraries are totally online. You can make a list of what books, movies, CDs you want and then they call you when they come in and you just go pick them up. Some even have audiobooks you can download for free to your iPod. Really. Check it out. I have read tons of books this year. Sure, you have to wait a while. I am still waiting to get the latest Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift into my hot little hands. But at a savings of $30 - I can wait. Same with movies - the ones I haven't been able to DVR off free movies channels, I am patiently waiting for. I'll get the new James Patterson in about 6 months. In the meantime, I have lots of other books, movies and CDs to keep me busy. I also use it to preview cookbooks or reference books to see if I really like them and will use them. If yes, then I buy them.
Restaurant Eating - We rarely eat out. Between the go-to meals and the sagging shelf of cookbooks, there's really no need. However, I understand, this is not the way of the world for other families. Look for coupons. On restaurant.com, you can get $25 gift certificates for as little at $4. Just subscribe to couponmom.com and she sends out the code to get 80%. Now, these certificates usually have a minimum purchase so they are best used on 4 or more people or to get an appetizer and then bring home leftovers for lunch the next day. Also, research frequent visitor clubs for restaurants you like to frequent. TGI Friday's has a pretty good club. You get coupons like buy one, get one or free appetizer, or $10 off. If you are going to go out, might as well get something for it. The Sunday paper may also have coupons for restaurants. Nicer restaurants may also have price-fixed menus on a slow night during the week. It's worth a phone call.
Lower your utilities - Call your utility companies to see if there are ways to lower your bills or if there are rebates available for making efficiency upgrades. We installed new low-flow toilets at the beginning of the year. We have saved enough money on our water bill, they have paid for themselves at this point. Some counties offer a rebate. Again, it's worth a call. Most gas or electricity companies will perform a free audit for you. The federal government is also offering a number of tax incentives for efficiency improvements.
Entertainment - Check out high school and college activity schedules for plays and sporting events. It's a night out at a much lower cost. Also, look into free days/nights at local museums, art galleries, etc. Make sure you know all the discounts you can get through your memberships, employers, union or church. Triple A members can save 10% at Target.com - 7% at Dell.com.
These are all the tips I can think right now - What about you? What tips do you use to save your pennies, dimes or benjamins? I'd love to hear it!
Before undertaking any changes, it is important to understand your own deal breakers. For example, I will go without the fancy haircut and dye my own hair for $4, but I will not give up cable. In my experience, when I tried to severely cut across the board, I felt like I was deprived and ended up "rebelling" with a $200 Target shopping spree. Now that I give myself permission to spend on some things, I find I don't want to.
Do you find shopping to be a "fun" activity or a necessary evil? I find shopping to be a fun activity. I love walking around Target or surfing Amazon.com and filling my cart with "great deals" or "just what I didn't know I always needed." The difference now is that I realize that shopping is the activity, but buying doesn't have to be so I just put everything back. Sound crazy? Yes, but I spent $500 less at Target alone since I started doing that.
Really Big Things
Reevaluate your deductibles on your auto insurance - Increasing a deductible by $500 can save you between 5 - 25% depending on what you are paying. Only do this if you actually have an extra $1000 saved somewhere, but the savings in your insurance premium can really add up over time . Also, re-base your insurance to the value of your car. The coverage you needed when the car was brand new may not make sense now that the car is 10 years old.
Evaluate your phone, Internet and cable packages to see if there is a better deal out there or cancel cable all together and just use Netflix for $9/month and/or borrow your friends' DVDs. We would never cancel cable. We don't go out much and this is our entertainment budget. Every few months, my husband is able to negotiate getting a premium movie channel free and then we DVR movies to watch so no need for Netflix or rentals or even going out to the movie theater.
Make sure you can afford your car/house - You don't have to have a car payment. You can actually save enough money to buy a car outright. Used cars have come a long way since the advent of leasing. Now, you can easily find cars that are 1 -2 years old, you know have been maintained, still under warranty, and get an accurate Carfax report on any hidden damage. It's all about trade-offs.
Rent out a room in your house - Now, this isn't for everyone, but I know several childless couples who have rented out rooms in their home for a summer or 6 month period to someone who was looking for an apartment, in between college and grad school or some other transient circumstance.
Evaluate what you actually have - Under my sink, I had 24 bars of soap. I had over 100 DVDs that I hadn't watched in years. Don't even get me started on CDs. This has two benefits: 1. You find things you could sell or trade for other things you really want. 2. You stop buying those excess items. I have enough shampoo and conditioner to last me until 2012. Seriously.
Stop using credit cards - The temptation is just too great. You can use your debit card, but then you actually have to pay attention to make sure you don't overdraw on your account. If you are going to use a credit card, make sure you are getting points or cash back and you pay it off every month. I make a credit card payment every two weeks. This helps keep the spending in check while amassing points.
OK so that's it for really big things. In general, I don't think there are a ton of quick and easy solutions to getting a handle on your money. It basically comes down to spending less or earning more. In this economy, earning more is very difficult so it's about spending less. So here's some little things that really add up.
Little Things that Add Up
Kick the Starbucks habit - Seriously. It's not that good. Make your own at home, work with your office manager to get a blend you can stomach at your office, buy a frother and some flavored syrup ($4 a huge bottle) and make the fancy cappuccino noise while you whirl it yourself, or switch to tea - it's better for you. If this is your deal breaker, then buy a Starbucks card with how much you think you can afford for Starbucks for a week or month. When the gift card is gone - you are done.
Create your own go-to meals - I have found it is helpful to have a couple stand-by meals. Meals that you can quickly put together and always have the ingredients for. Ours are: frozen pizza with roasted red peppers, spinach pesto and whole wheat pasta, chicken with red sauce over couscous, chili salad, ravioli and vegetable fried rice. Since all of the ingredients for these dishes can be stored in the freezer or pantry, we always have them. This really helps for those nights we would probably go out because menu planning was the last thing on anyone's mind. It also means I can shop for the best deal on all these ingredients. I know I am going to need them. In fact, I barely pick a recipe to make.
Shop based on deals, not menus - I take about 90 minutes on Sunday, cut coupons, match my coupons to the ads and then buy what I can get the best deal on that I think I will actually use. I had a real wake up call on how useful this one a few weeks ago when I had picked out a recipe I wanted to try, bought all the ingredients and the bill was $40. The day before I had bought almost a cartful of on sale plus coupons items that cost $40 and those ingredients made 5 -6 meals instead of just one. Theoretically, you could even get the kids involved - matching the coupons to the pictures in the ad. Not having children myself, this seems like one of those piece in the sky ideas people without children come up with and try to sell it to parents. For more insight into this style of shopping - check out grocerygame.com. For online coupons - check out coupon.com; redplum.com;smartsource.com
Learn to make soup - Buy produce when it is in season and cheapest. Cut it up, add some seasonings, an onion, some broth and leave it in the slow cooker. Puree and you have soup. Then freeze and now you have more go-to meals for the rest of the year. Same with tomatoes and pasta sauce. Basil and pesto, etc.
Learn what is a good price for something - For a long time, I had thought we were not getting the best deal at our wholesale club. My husband started a spreadsheet to compare the prices we were paying for things to really understand what is a good price for certain items. Here are some of our findings for the Tampa Bay, Florida area:
Bread - $1.70 a loaf
Butter - $1.70 a pound
Frozen pizza - $3 a pizza
Diced Tomatoes - 75 cents a can
Coffee - 17 cents/ ounce
Tide - 11 cents/ ounce
Now, these aren't the best deals we have ever gotten, but these are a good indicator if we are getting a good deal. Sometimes, the best deal is at Walgreen's, sometimes it is at the wholesale club. Watch the ads.
Make the most of gifts - When people ask what you want for a gift and you know they are going to buy you something, ask for something that can help you say money:
- A Sunday subscription to the newspaper (for coupons and ads)
- A magazine subscription
- A bread machine
- A slow cooker
- An immersion blender (for soups and sauces)
- An ice cream maker (ice cream prices are INSANE!)
It will make a big difference - especially if you actually use them.
Have breakfast for dinner once a week - Breakfast foods are the least expensive. Think eggs, bacon, pancake mix, etc. Having breakfast for dinner once a week is cheap, quick and fun. Same thing goes for vegetarian meal once a week - healthy + cheap.
Cupboard challenge - My husband and I will have a cupboard challenge once every few weeks. It's clear we need to go the store because we are down to the bare bones, but we try to see how creative we can be and how long we can go without going to the store. Yes, that means defrosting that thing way in the back of the freezer and cooking it. It could mean making your own biscuits to serve with that dusty can of soup. Our longest record is 4 days, but at that point we were having breakfast for every meal so we went to the store.
Become friends with your local library - Libraries these days are amazing! Most libraries are totally online. You can make a list of what books, movies, CDs you want and then they call you when they come in and you just go pick them up. Some even have audiobooks you can download for free to your iPod. Really. Check it out. I have read tons of books this year. Sure, you have to wait a while. I am still waiting to get the latest Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift into my hot little hands. But at a savings of $30 - I can wait. Same with movies - the ones I haven't been able to DVR off free movies channels, I am patiently waiting for. I'll get the new James Patterson in about 6 months. In the meantime, I have lots of other books, movies and CDs to keep me busy. I also use it to preview cookbooks or reference books to see if I really like them and will use them. If yes, then I buy them.
Restaurant Eating - We rarely eat out. Between the go-to meals and the sagging shelf of cookbooks, there's really no need. However, I understand, this is not the way of the world for other families. Look for coupons. On restaurant.com, you can get $25 gift certificates for as little at $4. Just subscribe to couponmom.com and she sends out the code to get 80%. Now, these certificates usually have a minimum purchase so they are best used on 4 or more people or to get an appetizer and then bring home leftovers for lunch the next day. Also, research frequent visitor clubs for restaurants you like to frequent. TGI Friday's has a pretty good club. You get coupons like buy one, get one or free appetizer, or $10 off. If you are going to go out, might as well get something for it. The Sunday paper may also have coupons for restaurants. Nicer restaurants may also have price-fixed menus on a slow night during the week. It's worth a phone call.
Lower your utilities - Call your utility companies to see if there are ways to lower your bills or if there are rebates available for making efficiency upgrades. We installed new low-flow toilets at the beginning of the year. We have saved enough money on our water bill, they have paid for themselves at this point. Some counties offer a rebate. Again, it's worth a call. Most gas or electricity companies will perform a free audit for you. The federal government is also offering a number of tax incentives for efficiency improvements.
Entertainment - Check out high school and college activity schedules for plays and sporting events. It's a night out at a much lower cost. Also, look into free days/nights at local museums, art galleries, etc. Make sure you know all the discounts you can get through your memberships, employers, union or church. Triple A members can save 10% at Target.com - 7% at Dell.com.
These are all the tips I can think right now - What about you? What tips do you use to save your pennies, dimes or benjamins? I'd love to hear it!
Happy New Year
As promised - here's my resolutions:
- Be healthy. I am taking a new assignment at work that will involve more travel and responsibility. Last time, this resulted in workaholic hours, bad eating habits and a few too many pub crawls. This time, I resolve to take proactive steps to manage stress, exercise, eat healthy and continue to ensure that my family, friends and husband get the best of me - not what's left over.
- Actually use the cookbooks gathering dust on the shelf. I love to buy cookbooks. I have lots of beautiful cookbooks with pictures of amazing food. This year, I am going to make some of that amazing food. Each month, I am going to pick a cookbook and make at least 4 dishes out of the cookbook. I'll share the results here - minus the cursing, cries of desperation and mess of course.
- Be charitable. Carve out time to volunteer. Select charities and be intentional in giving.
- Get a better handle on my finances and develop a concrete plan to save for retirement. I will not be an elderly person eating dog food out of trunk of my broke-down Saturn Vue.
- Laugh a lot and often
- Try to limit reality TV to 4 shows. JUST KIDDING! We all know that is impossible.
I am more excited for this year than I have ever been. I had always tried to imagine how I thought my life would be and it has turned out way better than I ever imagined so I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for me. What are you hoping for this year? What are you looking forward to?
- Be healthy. I am taking a new assignment at work that will involve more travel and responsibility. Last time, this resulted in workaholic hours, bad eating habits and a few too many pub crawls. This time, I resolve to take proactive steps to manage stress, exercise, eat healthy and continue to ensure that my family, friends and husband get the best of me - not what's left over.
- Actually use the cookbooks gathering dust on the shelf. I love to buy cookbooks. I have lots of beautiful cookbooks with pictures of amazing food. This year, I am going to make some of that amazing food. Each month, I am going to pick a cookbook and make at least 4 dishes out of the cookbook. I'll share the results here - minus the cursing, cries of desperation and mess of course.
- Be charitable. Carve out time to volunteer. Select charities and be intentional in giving.
- Get a better handle on my finances and develop a concrete plan to save for retirement. I will not be an elderly person eating dog food out of trunk of my broke-down Saturn Vue.
- Laugh a lot and often
- Try to limit reality TV to 4 shows. JUST KIDDING! We all know that is impossible.
I am more excited for this year than I have ever been. I had always tried to imagine how I thought my life would be and it has turned out way better than I ever imagined so I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for me. What are you hoping for this year? What are you looking forward to?
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