Frugal Living Tip #4 - Save Money by Planning

I just came across the article on HubPages. It is a thrifty mom's suggestions on how to save money on back to school supplies. Her children are young, but adult students can benefit from these tips, too. I'm returning to grad school next month and I need back to school supplies. Everyone knows the stereotypes about starving grad students! Well, they have their basis in fact. I can certainly put her advice to use when I get printer and notebook paper.

TwinsTimes2, the hub author, has another fantastic suggestion. Most office supply stores offer a rebate on empty ink cartridges. I used to work at Staples and I frequently processed used ink cartridges and helped customers earn rewards that can be used like cash in store. The hub author and a friend went in together to purchase 500 used ink cartridges on eBay. They paid $40 each. Then, she took the maximum allowable amount (10) to Staples and ten more to Office Depot. She earned $20  at each store for the month to spend on anything in store. She already made back her investment. Now, she can return 10 to each store every month for 'free money' to use in the store. Why did I never think of this?!

The author also shares her secrets on how she plans ahead and only purchases items that are on sale in the weeks leading up to school. Stores have pens and pencils on sale one week, paper the next, and so on. Instead of rushing in and buying everything at once, she returns for several weeks to make the most of the deals.

I can't wait to find some used ink cartridges and turn them into cash! They only need to be in good repair and capable of fitting in a currently in-use printer and you can get the in-store equivalent of $2 for each one.

Frugal Living Tip #3 - Frugal Does NOT Equal Terrible

Many people immediately associate "frugal" with terrible. They think frugal means no fun, nothing nice, and being like the guy at work who reuses paper plates (if you're reading this, no offense! But it does weird me out). That's not what I'm about.

I believe it is possible to live a frugal lifestyle without compromising what is enjoyable about life. It isn't just about rice and beans every night, it's about finding food that tastes good and is easy on the budget. It isn't about doing without things and making yourself miserable just because you didn't have to spend money, it's about not wasting money on unnecessary things. I know some folks out there disagree with me - that's ok. This is my version of frugal.

For the past several months, I have biked far more than I've driven. My bicycle is 13 years old next month and the seat was literally falling apart. It felt like riding on a brick and the staples were falling out. I put up with this ragged seat for a long time, telling myself that I didn't need to spend the money on a new seat when mine was, technically, still working. Monday, I decided that enough was enough. I rode down to Afforda Bike and bought myself a nice, cushy new seat. Yes, I'd be $39 richer if I hadn't, but I would also continue being miserable for miles of every day. This morning, I'm looking forward to my bike commute.

Ultimately, the decision to repair, or even upgrade, little things that make thrifty choices more likely is a good investment. My uncomfortable bike seat made me less eager to ride and more likely to drive. With construction and summer traffic, driving in Charleston currently uses a lot of gas. Now that I have a comfortable bike seat, I'm a lot less tempted to hop in the car for those short, stop and go, around town trips that kill your gas mileage.

So, just remember: frugal does not equal terrible. If something is making you miserable and you can fix it, fix it. Don't decide to ignoreyour broken stove and eat out every night. You'll save money today, but not in the long run.

Frugal Living Tip #2 - Stop Driving so Much!

Gas prices have risen a lot in the past few years, and it is unlikely they will ever fall in any meaningful way. Just as we fondly remember the 99 cent gas of 2000, soon we may reminisce about when gas used to cost less than $4 a gallon. I used to spend $20 a month on gas to get to and from work, Now, if I drive every day, I spend almost $60 to travel the same distance. Not only does stop and go city traffic kill your gas mileage, but starting your car takes a large chug of gas, which makes around the town errands much more costly than you might realize.

So how can you combat rising gas prices? By not using your car. Yes, it can take a few extra minutes, but if you make the conscious decision to bike, or walk, whenever possible, you can dramatically reduce your gas budget. Many police departments hold regular bike auctions where you can find a high-quality bike for a low price, or you can check sites like craiglist, eBay classifieds, and freecycle for bikes. 

Biking and walking save you more than gas money - they can reduce your medical costs by helping you loose weight and get healthy. Just hour of light cycling can burn over 500 calories! If you want to know how many calories you could burn biking, check out this easy to read article. If you are interested in switching to a bike commute, I wrote a series of pieces on HubPages about my decision to bike to work and tips for safe bike commute. You can learn the basics of what you need and how to plan your route by visiting this page.

Amazingly, with afternoon traffic, I actually can bike home on a Friday faster than I can drive. Switching to a bike could save you time and money!

How I get to work and save $$

Frugal Living Tip #1

It seems counter-intuitive, but if your budget is tight, avoid the $1 rack and clearance aisle unless you have a very specific plan and can stick to it. Just the other day, a coworker and I discussed how easy it is to spend way too much money at the dollar store. He said the last time he visited the dollar store, he spent over $30! Sure, he got a lot of stuff, but he also spent more than he meant to because it is far too easy to pick up an item and tell yourself "oh, well, it's only a dollar." The problem is, dollar after dollar, these items add up.

It is difficult to resist an item that is only a dollar, or anything with a clearance sticker. Unless you have willpower made of steel and need to look for a specific item on sale, avoid these 'value' bins. Stores place them near entrances and checkouts (think about it - what's the first thing you see inside almost any Target?) because they work. They are a proven way to trick people in to spending more money. Don't fall into the store's trap - avoid these money-draining pitfalls and spend your hard-earned cash elsewhere.

Avoid temptation and the $1 rack!