Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts this Friday and so is Dunkin’ Donuts (though the latter requires a beverage purchase).
Find a KK near you. Find a DD near you.
I recently came across a blog called Scavenging whose authors penned The Scavengers’ Manifesto. The book has quite possibly the longest sub-title ever: A guide to freeing yourself from the endless cycle of buying more and more new (though not necessarily improved) stuff, and discovering how salvaging, swapping, re-purposing, reusing, and recycling can save the earth, your money, and your soul.
Breathe!
The 274-page book (Tarcher/Penguin, $14.95) has nine chapters that covers what the authors have found (Ray-Ban sunglasses, ripe apricots, and a rubber vampire bat), the basic philosophy of a scavenger (“scavengers do not expect to get everything we want”), and the types of scavengers (retail, urban, social and specialty).
Oh, Julia, you are probably saying to yourself. I’m not a scavenger. I’m a bargain hunter!
Ahem. Turn to page 160. The fifth type of retail scavenger is…bargain hunter.
Seriously folks, I’m a little creeped out by how well these pages describe me. Does this sound familiar to you, too?
“Some scavengers buy brand-new stuff — without paying full price. Hunting for bargains is a form of scavenging, whether you do it at a yard sale or online or in a superstore. Researching deals and sales at mainstream stores, then going to investigate, takes time and effort. Bargain Hunters comparison-shop, seeking cheap brands, discontinued lines, generics, economy-size packages, rebates, discounts and sales, and alternative retail options such as catalogs and websites. Bargain Hunters are shocked at how few standard consumers bother to do this…After a while, bargain hunting becomes instinctual.
Bargain Hunters ridicule brand loyalty…Bargain Hunters are immune to ads — except sale ads. They know that the mascara featured on that Vogue page will not make them prettier than cheap chain-store mascara. Well, not that much prettier.
The Bargain Hunters, high prices simply seem wrong. Unethical. Unnecessary. Like some sort of trick. What kind of moron, Bargain Hunters ask, would pay that much? Bargain Hunters refuse to pay full price because they believe doing so is stupid…Wanting a secure future and knowing that every dollar counts, the Bargain Hunter is dead serious. Yet Bargain Hunters are among the world’s most hated scavengers. This hatred is expressed subtly, via the raised eyebrow, the muttered comment, and the smirk. Consumer culture teaches that frugality is downright bad: that it is funny or sinister or even mean. She’s cheap; she doesn’t want to share.
Now I understand why, when I tell folks what I do for a living, they feel compelled to whisper that they, too, are bargain hunters. We know what it feels like to be scorned!
Scavengers Manifesto also has a chapter on how to be a scavenger. The skill set requires eternal vigilance, curiosity, tolerance, bravery, and topsy-turvy aesthetics.
Think you’re cut out to be a scavenger? Buy The Scavengers’ Manifesto for $10.17 at Amazon. (But wouldn’t a real scavenger get it from the library?)
If you haven’t already, sign up for BargainBabe.com emails and you can win a $25 gift card to Target or Trader Joe’s! Here are the rules for the gift card giveaway.
1. One new reader who signs up between May 26 and June 9 to receive my free daily OR weekly emails will receive a $25 gift card to Trader Joe’s or Target.
2. One existing reader who already receives my weekday OR weekly emails will win a $25 gift card to Trader Joe’s or Target. If you already receive my emails, you are automatically entered to win. You do not need to do anything to be eligible. You do not need to email me to double check.
3. If I am in your RSS feed, you are not eligible to win. You must sign up to receive my emails to be entered in the giveaway.
4. The drive ends June 9, 2009 so sign up now!
5. Winners will be chosen at random on June 10. I will email those readers to make sure the email address is valid. Readers will have 48 hours to respond. If readers do not respond, alternates will be notified.
6. Winners will be announced on the blog June 13. Gift cards will be mailed to the winners.
Any questions? Leave a comment.
I didn’t know this, but there are a ton of auction sites in addition to eBay. ShopSmart mag, which is published by Consumer Reports, reviews four good ones in the July issue.
Overstock.com auctions – check this site for designer labels, stuff liquidators are unloading, and items that have been returned by Overstock customers. A grading system indicates the item’s condition.
Sam’s club auctions – you have to be a member to bid on their big ticket items, like comforters, TVs, vacuums, and tents. Items are returnable within 30 days, but not to a store.
Shopgoodwill.com – this auction site is best for collectibles, like teacups, figurines and decorative dishes. ShopSmart found deals in clothing, quilts,handbags, and vintage jewelry. Items are not returnable, so examine pictures carefully.
Ubid.com – for electronics this is the place to go. The site sells excess cameras, TVs, and video game systems from manufactuers like Apple, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard. Many of the items are refurbished so check warranties.
I’m sad to report that the baby crow that landed on my deck and was learning to fly has died. After I took the flying video he spent the night under our bench, huddled quietly out of sight from the cats, and woke the next morning. He pooped a few times and then died.
Hubby double checked by poking him (gently) with a stick. Had we known him longer (or had a dirt yard) we would have given him a pet funeral, like my Mom always did for our rats, cats, guinea pigs, chickens, dogs and hamsters. She would call us out to the yard and we would take turns saying something nice about the pet while crying.
Instead, Hubby called animal control, which sent a policeman with a strong knock. “He didn’t make it, did he?” the man said when I opened the door. “The parents probably kicked him out of the nest because they could tell something was wrong with him.”
I shurgged and showed him onto the deck. The policeman scooped up the baby bird into a black garbage bag. This way the other babies have more to eat. Survival of the fittest.
If you’d like to watch the video of him learning to fly again, click here.
Two major changes are coming to Perkins, Stafford and Grad Plus student loans starting July 1. To get the details, I interviewed my friend, Bill Penn, who gives career advice to students at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, OR.
The first change, called income-based repayment, allows lenders to cap payments at 15 percent of the borrower’s income.
The old system had most students on a standard, 10-year repayment plan. If you consolidated, that would extend to 15, 20, 0r 30 years. The new repayment plan is based on income and is especially helpful for people who go into low-paying jobs, like public defenders, or take positions at non-profits or with the government.
To get into the 15 percent program ask your lender for income-based repayment. For many people, the 15 percent program will be the lowest payment option.
The second change is for people who take public service jobs for the government or a non-profit. The program is called public service loan forgiveness. If you work at a public service job while making your student loan payments, (including the 15 percent program), after 10 years whatever you have not paid off goes away. If you do not have a public service job, then you have to pay the loans for 25 years before your remaining balance is forgiven.
“It turns into real big dollar signs at that point,” Bill said.
The big caveat is that to qualify for the second program you have to be paying your loan using the 15 percent program OR an older income contingent program that is similar to the new one but more complicated. And you have to be paying the department of education. You can consolidate your loans to be paying the department of education if you are not currently paying them. Get the form here.
Check out FinAid.org for more details on the public service repayment program.
Thanks, Bill!
One of my favorite magazines, ShopSmart, suggests 10 quick home fixes in the July issue that each cost less than $150. Sadly, the story is not online (though a few stores are available here.) So I’ll recap some of the best ideas.
1. Paint the front door ~$30. A half-gallon of paint will cover your front door and give your house a quick lift. The mag’s stylist recommends a bright red, forest green or black to call attention to the entry way (as long as the color compliments the trim).
2. Put up window boxes ~$50. These add instant charm and life to your home. Some boxes can be stained or customized to match your home’s exterior.
3. Hang a door knocker ~$75. Door knockers show a lot of personality and can make a bold statement. Hang your knocker about 4-5 feet from the ground, front and center.
4. Get a new mailbox ~$50 to $100. Touch up your existing one with paint or spring for a new one. Make sure it has a lock if you place it where there is a lot of foot traffic.
5. Upgrade the lighting ~$25 to $50. An outdoor light makes it easier to find your keys but also makes your home inviting. Consider lighting a path, a tree, or hanging a wall-mounted fixture by the door.
6. Punch up the numbers ~$1 to $40. House numbers are like jewelry for your house, so don’t skimp on details. Pick numbers that compliment your home’s architecture.
Hubby and I returned from a long weekend away to find a wounded bird on our deck. It’s feathers were disheveled and it cowered when I came near instead of flying away. Hubby called animal control, which was closed for the night. So the cops came.
Turns out, the bird is not wounded. It’s a baby crow that’s been kicked out of the nest to, ahem, encourage it to fly. Here are two minutes of flying lessons (sideways, unfortunately).
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBfLLAp0uDw
Am I the only one that finds this highly entertaining?
Yesterday I contributed to the Washington Post blog Small Change, which wanted to know the difference between being frugal and cheap. Here’s my take:
Being frugal is making choices to conserve money in your own life, like riding a bike instead of driving, renting a movie instead of going to the theater, brown bagging your lunch instead of buying it.
Being cheap is forcing your frugal choices on others: buying a gift on sale even though it is the wrong size for the recipient or insisting on ordering the cheapest bottle of wine at a restaurant.
Being frugal feels good. Being cheap leaves a bad taste in your mouth (and it ain’t the wine)!
What’s your definition?
What is an appropriate gift for your child’s teacher at the end of the year? How much should you spend on a teacher? Here are six gift ideas and a poll.
1. Buy a group gift card with other parents to one store like Target, a department store, mall, or another multi-purpose retailer that gives the teacher options for how to spend it. Each parent can contribute as much as they like.
2. Buy them flowers that they can toss later. The teacher will enjoy them and not worry about accumulating more stuff.
3. Have parents email photos of each child and put them into a photo book (Snapfish and MyPublisher are two options and both often have coupon codes).
4. Give cash. Stuff the bills into a card, of course.
5. Have your child write a note about what they appreciate about the teacher. If other students can contribute, great!
6. Create a gift basket themed around the teacher’s hobby or upcoming event. If you know the teacher is moving into a new home, collect items s/he will find useful in the move. If the teacher loves to garden…you get the idea.
[poll id="25"]
Thanks, Kim and Karen!
I spent the weekend in Portland visiting family and discovered a fabulous way to make a wallet. Very hip and green! You take a half gallon juice or milk carton, cut it up, fold it just so, and voila! A pocket-sized change purse or wallet. My niece Ellie is pictured holding one she made herself.
To make one of these wallets you need:
- Half gallon milk or juice carton with plastic cap
- Scissors
- Wallet Template
- Pen
- Ruler
- Butter knife (to make the folds)
Below is a picture of an open juice carton wallet.
For step by step directions with pictures AND a how-to video, visit this FamilyFun page. The whole project takes less than an hour.
Bargaineering tells you how to claim your $250 Social Security Stimulus check
Cash Money Life separates the wheat from the chaff: credit card offers
Did you miss ABC’s special “Unbroke” Friday night? Here’s a recap from Free From Broke.
Sephora is giving away 6 free MP3 downloads (out of 13 choices) when you use code BEAUTYBEAT (Coupon Cravings)
Recession Wire has a handy update with all the headlines you need to know about the recession
Frugal Dad says screw staycations, I want a real vacation!
Plus, two important travel links:
AOL’s travel page has five low-budget vacations for families.
Get an automatic 3 percent cash rebate from eBates.com when you book a vacation package on Southwest airlines. eBates also offers 1 percent back on Air France and 2 percent back on Priceline or Hotwire!
Thanks, Dad!
For readers in Los Angeles, you can meet me at the West Valley Public Library this Saturday, June 6, in Reseda, California.
Starting at 1 p.m. I’m speaking about frugal vacation strategies, Disneyland discounts, and how to negotiate a deal. We’ll also go through the steps to create a simple budget (the same one that saved me $2,000 the first month I tried it).
The West Valley Public Library is located at 19036 Vanowen St. in Reseda, CA 91335. See you June 6 at 1 p.m.!
