New Year's Resolution

Let us be rich, truly rich. Let's all just close our wallets and make do with what we have. There's a lot you can do without money. The best things in life are free. I change buttons on my clothes for an update. Some people decorate clothes with buttons. You can cover an old jeans jacket, sprinkle a little bleach or do some dying. I had a silk turtleneck that started to lose it's color. I got a packet of dye at a yard sale and renewed it. Silk wears like iron. I still have it and it looks good. There are tons of things you can do without spending big money to update clothes and furnishings. Sell some stuff and get what you want with the money. The idea is to check out of this treadmill economy and keep it together until the jobs come back. Let's feel truly rich and have big bank accounts. Let's be able to fire our bosses and put them out of work for a change. I have said all I can about being cheap. I'm saying goodbye to this blog and starting something new next year. I worked for the union at my old job. I am not happy with what is being done to workers in this country. My husband wants me to write about the issues this coming election year. The Cheapest Woman Alive will now become Lefty Lucy Says. Enjoy my politico blog and please tell your friends.

FINANCIAL PEACE

Nothing beats the knowledge of financial security. I know that I can sleep at night because I have savings, money in the bank in case of anything. Your financial safety net makes you strong. Without a mortgage and car payments my husband and I are free to live our lives. My husband doesn't have to take a crappy job for no money. That's all that's out there right now. Employers have everyone running scared for a job. They are lowering wages while at the same time making one person do the job of three. I tell my husband "for no money you can stay home." My solution is going to be to buy something in Florida that needs work. He can add value to his own properties instead of adding value to a boss' property. I believe in working hard, but I also believe in paying the people who actually do the work. In the last thirty years the productivity of the American worker has skyrocketed. Fewer worker can now do much much more. That means there are fewer jobs. This is a structural problem for which there are no easy solutions. However instead of the gains going to the people who actually do the work, the gains have gone to upper management. The top is making a lot more money while the people who actually do the work are making less. I want out of this system. Having no debt gets me and my husband out of the rat race. Also we want less than most people. Yesterday I was in TJ Maxx. I saw a gorgeous, delicious handbag for about $100. In a way I wanted it, but knew I didn't need it and certainly didn't want to see a bill for it next month. I prefer to have financial peace and not worry about a bill. Lately I've been shopping off eBay. I sell stuff and with the money made buy stuff I want. I don't need a budget for purchases this way. I can only spend the money I make, which is a good way to live in general. I have financial peace.

Lower Your Expectations

I never could afford to live in Manhattan and just didn't want to pay the premium. I lowered my expectations and bought in a place I could easily afford. Sure I wasn't in Manhattan, but I didn't really care. I had everything I needed. I wanted to live in an artsy place and I have that now, but I didn't overspend to live in that kind of place. In fact I underspent. I could have gotten myself in trouble with a big and shiny new house. Instead I kept myself grounded and bought a smaller, older, kinda ugly house that had good bones, but needed work. If I had gotten the new expensive house on the hill, I would now be a foreclosure statistic. There is something to be said for wanting less. My husband is the same way. Even if we suddenly had a windfall I doubt he would ever buy a brand new car. He'd by a late model used car and do all his own detailing, leaving it just the way he likes. He did that this fall with a motorcycle. He didn't buy a new bike and he didn't spend a fortune. He bought an older 2007 Kymco Venox cruiser with 2.4 k miles for $2,300 and totally customized. He bought new things by selling off the old stuff. He sold the original saddle bags and replaced them slightly used leather ones he loved, from Ebay. He also sold some yard sale finds, took the profit and bought everything for the bike for practically nothing. He got what he really wanted by investing in the work of bargain hunting and not being too proud.

The Frugal Paradox

Being cheap has negative connotations, but I believe that being cheap makes you rich. All my life I have been a bargain hunter. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would still scour the market for day old bread which toasts up fresh in minutes. Frugality to me is a way of life and I don't mind it at all. Yesterday we drove to a free porch sale in our area. My husband found a gorgeous triple ply pure cashmere sweater. I love Craigslist for free stuff. We also picked up a bunch of firewood for the winter. Everything I get for free means more money I get to keep. I even found some kids junk jewelry which my mom is taking to South America where there are people who really have very little. Sometimes in our struggle to buy the new TV, we forget just how rich we really are here in America. We have so much that between Craigslist and Freecycle we could easily furnish most of our needs and the needs of others. I gave away six winter coats this year and I still think I have too many. But I had to let some stuff go in order that other stuff can come in. We're going to have a big clean out this year in order to let more stuff in. Being frugal has made me rich.

Great Christmas

I had a really great Christmas on the cheap. I made a vegetable lasagna and got together with friends. They were all struggling artist types and after the meal we started jamming and sung folk songs. It was a lot of fun. I was all sung out though because the choir had two services on Christmas Eve followed by a service on Christmas morning. There were just too many hymns and way too many verses. I sang six verses of Joy to the World. I didn't know there were that many verses. I almost closed the book after verse number four but luckily I checked the next page first and kept it open for the last two verses. It was a beautiful service and I was so glad that I was in Church surrounded by wonderful people. And although it's a cliche, the best things in life are free. Well almost, through my penny pinching I was able to give money to my church this year. It was money I didn't think I would have, but I found it waiting for me when I needed it.

TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF

I've been posting 5 days a week for many months and now it's time for me to stop. I have talked about just about everything I know on being Cheap. The best way to refill when the well goes dry is to take a break. Back when both I and my husband were working, we would often take mini vacations just to relax and get away. Mini vacations are pretty cheap. We would go somewhere close overnight and have a very nice time. I packed food of course. Most times the food bag was heavier than my weekend bag. The small expense was well worth it. My favorite getaway was Black Friday. Everyone was shopping and the pool was empty. Even though I'm cheap, I do believe in treating myself to making good memories. I don't get my hair or nails done, but I do like to go away for a bit even if it's only overnight. Next year we will be taking a trip to Florida to look for a house. After that we will be traveling down there regularly to get away and put the place together with second hand furniture and mismatched plates. We will also use the place as a getaway from the cold. I also reached out to my old job and I may be going back part time, if my health can handle it.

Planning New Year's Celebrations

Due to the challenge of the economy, it's been a while since we did anything really good for New Year's. In the past we enjoyed Hotel sponsored parties. Although neither of us drinks too much, on New Year's there are some crazy people on the road and I always preferred stumbling to my hotel room if possible. But the hotel we used to go to is no longer sponsoring those parties and besides we have moved. This year I think we will be going to a party sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. The cost is reasonable and it's in town so the driving will be minimal, just a few blocks. My husband and I could walk home but my mother can't walk that far. We'll take the car which is just as well. I don't deal well with the cold. There will be a buffet dinner, open bar (no shots), champagne toast, pastries and a DJ. It won't be fancy but it should be fun. I plan to take my own fun with me. I don't believe things have to be sumptuous or perfect to have a good time. You make your own good time. I plan to dance with my husband and have a nice meal which I won't be cooking. I doubt I could have a better time in Vegas. I don't expect that much and I don't need that much entertainment.

Have a Tea Party

Sometimes on the Holidays we can get carried away with doing only big things. Giving big parties are fine but it is also possible to have a small party. There is nothing wrong with doing something small and intimate. I like tea parties because I can bake cookies and make small sandwiches. I can get together with the girls without having to provide liquor. I don't drink anyway so a cocktail party for me would be a major expense. A tea party is just about my speed. I have been collecting pretty little tea cups at yard sales. If I am short I usually have paper cups as a backup but it's not the same. I prefer to set a mismatched table of teacups with mismatched plates. I think it adds a certain charm.

Write a Letter to A Service Member

My Church and many Churches do this periodically and I feel it is a good thing. Many of us have family members in the service but most of us do not. It is important at this time of year to consider the sacrifice service members are making during the holidays. Toward this end I encourage people to write letters to service members thanking them for their service. This costs almost nothing. It's a small thing to do. You can also send through your church, items of food and toiletries for those posted in far out locations. This can mean just sending some tabasco sauce or some hot chocolate packets. It's a small thing and I can always find room in my budget for the little things. That's why I like to be cheap. I like to have a little extra money for small gifts at the end of the year. Service members make such a great sacrifice to keep us safe. We have no excuse for not making a small sacrifice on their behalf.

Photo Shop

I love the new digital cameras. I see them as money saving devices because you don't have to print the bad pictures. One of the best presents I ever got was from a photo bug friend of mine. She had already given me a whole album of gorgeous pictures of my wedding. When she handed me a small five by three photo of a tree and a sunset, it was so beautiful that I put it in a silver frame. It's still one of my favorite things. Whenever I think I'm tired of it, I just change the frame and it's brand new again. I can only hope to take a picture that is half as lovely. But despite my visual challenges I plan to start snapping pictures in the spring. I only have to print the ones that come out well. I can delete the rest. It's also a great way to Decorate on the cheap. I've seen this done on home shows. They take close up of flowers or picture's of local landmarks, blow them up and use them as art to stage houses. Frames are so easy to come by at thrift shops and yard sales. Sometimes people can't give them away. I've found frames by the side of the road more than once. My cousin gave me two small prints, gallery invitations really. I found some frames by the side of the road, and the prints fit perfectly. I gave one back so she could keep it in her apartment. I kept one for myself. We were both happy for no money. As I've written before cheap frames are also good for preserving kid's artwork. My mother still has the finger painting I did when I was five.

Buy Your Own Christmas Present

I guess I can add selfish to my long list of personal faults which include cheap and lazy. I find what I really want, put it in a box and hand it to my husband for Christmas or my birthday. It's a little game we play. I act surprised and I always love what I get. Sure beats wasting money on something I don't really want. Besides, it's always Christmas at my house. We are always getting or giving little presents. Also I don't really need anything at this point in my life. I used to have nothing, but now I feel I have way too much. When I first graduated from college I had no clothes and no accessories. I didn't even have a decent pair of shoes to wear to work. I had nothing but bills. But little by little I started to buy stuff. I always bought good stuff. I got expensive stuff on the cheap because I bought second hand. Anyway after a while something funny happened, I suddenly had everything and more than enough. Lately what I have been doing is getting upgrades. If I get a new thing, I try to get something better. I gave away six or seven coats this year because I bought three "new to me" coats that were better. I keep the very best stuff and take good care of it. Yesterday I gave away a jacket I got as a teenager. I took care of it, but I no longer wanted to wear it. What I do with jewelry is to sell a bunch and then buy back something I really like in sterling silver.

Learn to Knit

I tried to knit, but I'm too spastic and blind. It seems so very relaxing and looks like fun on the train when traveling to work. Also I like accessories. I often thrown on a scarf and a pin and make an old outfit brand new. So I would like to knit to jazz up my wardrobe. Sadly, not in this life. It also seems to be a fun way to create Christmas gifts. I would make me my first recipient. I also like the idea of having and wearing something no one else has or wears. This was the motive behind buying second hand. Also buying second hand is a good way of spotting the really good stuff. If it was all the rage a while ago but still looks good then it was a good design. It will last because it can stand the test of time. Back to knitting. I also love to have warm throws and covers around in the winter. I always buy them at yard sales. I leave them on the couch, chairs and the bed to curl up and stay warm. I like that they are not store bought and uniform. I love the quirkiness of hand made things. I wish I could make a bedspread of granny squares, or make a multi-colored rainbow scarf. There is something delicious in the hand made thing. We've lost our individuality chasing after fads and getting what everyone else has. I always wanted the thing nobody else had. That's just me, it's not for everyone. I never paid top dollar for anything. This concept has served me well over the years. When everyone was chasing designer this and that, I was putting together a great wardrobe and buying vintage pins that are now out of reach. Then when everyone wanted the big, big house, I bought a small one and had it paid off. Now instead of worrying about a big mortgage, I collect a rent check every month. Bucking the trend is not for everyone, but it sure has worked for me.

Create a landing pad in the entrance of your home

The entrance of your home should function as a place to leave the world behind and as a place from which to venture forth. Set up something nice for yourself. Ideally there should be a hall closet for coats but a small bureau is good to have also. You need a place to dump your purse when you first come home. Have a trash can handy to drop unwanted papers. Also this is a good time to sort the mail. Have a system set up for incoming and outgoing. You want to be sure you know when bills are due. I generally have only one credit card and the closing date is pretty stable. I have a DISCOVER CARD which is very handy because it's so easy to check my balance. I generally clean out my wallet when I get home so I have a couple of receptacles handy: a piggy bank for change and a jar for the pennies. I also always carry food so I check on that. My bureau holds hats, scarves, gloves, umbrellas, etc. I also keep a receipt receptacle (an old tissue box) to clean out my wallet. I always have a place for my keys. I lived on Staten Island and one day on my way to work, I literally missed the boat because I couldn't find my keys. That never happened again. At the bottom of my closet I keep bottled water to grab one on the way out in the morning. I also keep some packed up snacks. I don't usually do that in the morning. I do all that when I get in. I get in, clean out my bag and pack it up for the next day so I'm ready to go the next morning. After dinner I pack up tomorrow's lunch and put it in the fridge. This may sound anal but it makes for a very relaxed morning ritual. Even if I'm running late, I don't have to worry because I can just grab and go. I already have everything I need ready. I don't have to think. Back when I was spending 14 hours a day out of the house, believe me, not having to think at 5 am was and is a very good thing.

Create a Receipt Receptacle

I have rented out my house, it's now a business. I have to keep track of receipts for tax purposes. But it's a good idea to keep receipts for most purchases for quite some time. Most of the time, I stuff receipts in my wallet, But then they have to be put somewhere else. I have a folder for the house stuff. But for ordinary purchases, I have started using an old tissue box. It's very quick and easy and keeps the receipts from looking messy on my landing pad. More about landing pads later. Anyway, having the receipt comes in handy when returning items. Most stores will accept their stock without a receipt, but they will only give you the last discounted price. Having the receipt means you'll get the full price which is always much better. Home Depot and Lowe's will accept their merchandise but will give store credit which is fine for me because we're always fixing something. They keep credit card records for about 90 days which means if you return something in that time, the money will just go back on your card. After that you get store credit. But they take down the info from your license which is a drag. I've heard some people return Home Depot items bought at tag sales. But it's not like you can get cash, it's only store credit. Anyway it's a good idea to keep receipts. An empty tissue box works well for this. It looks neat and pretty and keeps things from getting lost.

Silver Vs. Gold

The last time gold was really high, I was a kid and living in New York City. It was in the paper and on the news everyday that women were having gold chains ripped off their necks in the city by thieves. That was not or me. I choose early on to devote my meager jewelry budget to silver, which I liked better because it was more reflective. It popped. At least that's the way it looked to me when I was younger and had a little more eyesight. Also you got a lot more bang for you buck with silver. You could buy a whole lot more. I still prefer silver to gold. This year with the price of gold hitting all time highs, I sold off most everything I had. Funny but I had gotten a few gifts of gold jewelry. All I have left is a charm bracelet my father gave me as a child. I also sold off much of my silver when prices went sky high. Then when prices stabilized and stared to go back down, I bought it all back, but I got stuff I really liked. I've used the new stuff more than I ever used the stuff I sold off. I also buy a lot of costume jewelry. That stuff is very cheap and unique. I sometimes buy pins for a quarter. I use them for a while and then I re-sell them on eBay and buy some silver charms to add to my silver charm bracelets. I love my silver charm bracelets because they are fun.

Personalize Gift Bags

Start with a plain brown paper bag and use glue, glitter and crayons and ribbon to create a gift bag. This a great project for kids and for the artist within us all. I tend to re-use gift bags when I get them. I have a special storage space for such things and most of the time, I can just pull out a gift bag. But when I can't, making my own has proven to be a good and inexpensive alternative. Personally I like quirky different stuff. For bigger gifts I like papering the box over with small 9 x 11 piece of artwork. You can also put people's names on a personalized gift bag and avoid those silly little tags. By incorporating the person's name in your design, it can be read from across the room. I used to wrap gifts in the funny papers, but they stopped printing them in my area. I have also re-used wrapping paper, that can work too as can any combination of all of the above. I'm lazy as well as frugal. I also like to just stick a bow, a card with a name on a gift and drop it in a bag.

Use Cloth Napkins

Now this sounds a little old fashioned but it works. It doesn't mean you have to spend your day ironing. There are plenty of polyester blend napkins at yard sales. I like to mix and match. Everyone had a different napkin. After a few days they get thrown in the wash with sundries and are quickly folded to prevent wrinkles. For years I swore by cheap paper napkins from the dollar store. Then one day I just ran out and couldn't make it to the store. I raided my linen closet and found the solution. I have always used dish towels so moving over to cloth napkins was not such a big step. My napkins are all mismatched but I like them. I pick them up for pennies at yard sales. I can also differentiate between everyone's napkin if they are all different. Every few days I can just throw them in the wash with the dish towels and lay them out to dry. They all have some polyester fiber content, so they come out okay. I save the paper for company or I use the nice linen all matched napkins that I wash and brush over with the iron once a year.

Use solar lights outside

I don't see the point to running electric to light up the outside of my house. I opt for solar powered lights. They light up enough and they are more practical. First of all since they don't use electric their cost is just the upfront cost for purchase. There is no added electric bill. They always go on sale and I have gotten most of mine at yard sales and church sales at deep discounts. A bargain usually needs work and the last set my hubby bought needed a little TLC, nothing a decent guy couldn't handle. Solar lights are also portable. You can pull them up and move them at will. Electric lights are less flexible. When we rented our house we brought many of the lights to our new place. Also light sensors are good for front porch lights. That way, they are not on all day when you don't need them. They just come on in the evening when you're coming home. I also don't do holiday lights, although I do enjoy seeing other people's displays. I just don't want to spend the money on the electric bill. I drive or walk through decorated towns to see Christmas lights. My tree is tiny and of the fiber optic variety. I admit to being a scrooge with the electric bill.

Line Dry Clothes

The lint you clean out of the dryer on a regular basis is bits of your clothing. To get clothes to last longer it's better to line dry. I line dry all my black slacks, skirts and tops because it helps keep the color from fading. Black is very sensitive to heat and fades quickly. Since I live in the Northeast I admit it is easiest to line dry in the summer. There are some unexpected benefits to line drying as well. I find that for cotton sheets it's the best. In the dryer the sheets sometimes get spun around into a tight ball and come out wrinkled to tears. But on the line you can lay them out so that even the top hem stays straight. I also have some lace topped t-shirts which I can lay out to finish drying on my bed. This avoids the need to iron and keeps the clothes looking fresher longer. The truth is that I am not very domestic so that any work I can avoid is a good thing. I also have some embroidered pillowcases for the guest room which are better if they are laid out. I do use my dryer but most of the time I take things out a bit damp so I can lay them out to finish drying. They come out looking like they've been ironed. I also take out my towels a bit damp and let them dry on the hook in the bathroom.

Enjoy the Free Spirit of Christmas

Many towns have displays for Christmas that are free. This weekend I enjoyed a fabulous Christmas celebration for virtually no money. This weekend I went up to Rhinebeck for Sinterklaas. We all had a wonderful time. We did not pack sandwiches but luckily some of the churches were serving lunch for donation. We had some delicious soup and coffee and cookies and then we were off to a string of small holiday concerts. We hopped from Church to Church until about five pm. We also enjoyed some free street theater. We could have gone to another church for a spaghetti dinner but after asking the locals we decided to go to a pub like restaurant. Rhinebeck is a bit tony and high class for us so pub food seemed like a good idea. Foster's Stagecoach Tavern is a great inexpensive place to eat. I have never had a bad meal in a pub and this place was no exception. I had a burger with steak fries for 7 bucks. They were some of the best fries I have ever tasted. Once in a while I have a not so healthy food. To be honest I can't really remember the last time I had fries. We stayed after dinner to enjoy the parade. There were a lot of people and seemed like even more cars. But my husband chatted up a local and got the shortcut out of town. We were home in record time. The parade was Magical and the whole day is a perfect memory. All this fun was very inexpensive. Most of the time you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. The best things in life are free.

Cook and Freeze

Frugality is also about conserving effort and energy. I started freezing soup a long time ago. When I make soup, I usually make enough for an army. Then I take those Chinese soup containers, fill 'em up and freeze a few batches for later. I don't like to cook, but I don't want to eat out all the time, so having stuff frozen means that I always have a meal handy. Freezing also works for meatballs,tomato sauce and chunk cheese (buy on sale for 2 dollars). If you have food ready you'll be less tempted to eat out. Quick meals are a must for a family on a budget. It takes a lot less time than you think to make a good meal. Soup can provide a little lead time for the hungry. Serve them soup while the main meal is simmering. There are tons of websites with loads of easy recipes. What worked for me was cooking on the weekend and eating pre-cooked meals during the week. When I was single I would broil a tray of chicken legs and heat them up all week. Breakfast for dinner is also good. Having eggs for dinner once in a while works for me.

Save on Drinks: Money and Calories Too

In the summer I make my own Iced Tea. I don't like the Mixes because they are too sweet. I find making my own to be much better. Also when I buy a bottle of cranberry juice I stretch it by cutting it in half with water. Sometimes I make cranberry iced tea. I make the tea and stretch it with the cranberry juice. It's really good that way. I drink a bottle of Coke for Christmas, but the truth is I don't like sweet drinks. This also helps keep my weight down. I'm not skinny anyway but I could just imagine how much fatter I'd be if i drank sugary drinks all day. I actually did it once at work. I started buying the iced tea from the vending machine. Almost immediately I saw my weight creep up. So I brought in a big bottle and filled up halfway with water and then poured the store bought iced tea in. It was less sugary sweet and lasted me a week. I saved money and my weight stabilized. Later I started bringing in the bottle with some sugar and lemon juice in it and got water at work and saved even more money. I never use diet drinks because I don't see skinny people drinking that stuff. I also don't like the after taste they leave in my mouth. Water is the best and cheapest way to stay hydrated, but you don't have to buy the bottled water. In my opinion that is just a waste of money. I live in a place with a great water table and unless the Hydro-Fracking people (natural gas is not natural) get their way, I won't need to buy bottled water. For now I can filter it though a Brita or Zero water pitcher.

Make Your Own: Cereal, Yogurt, Trail Mix

None of this is as hard as it sounds. I started making my own cereal because I found that store bought granola is just too sweet. I stretch it with raw oats and then add nuts and seeds for extra nutrition. I have a collection of glass jars I got out of the trash years ago. I put everything in a jar and shake it up good. My mix lasts twice as long and keeps me full almost the entire day.

I started making yogurt when I found out how easy it is to do. I never bought a yogurt machine either. Waste of money. Don't need it. Just heat up some milk in a big pot. You can dissolve some gelatin in it if you like firmness. Let the pot cool down until the milk doesn't burn your finger when tested. Then stir in a cup of plain yogurt, the kind with live cultures like Dannon. Wrap the pot in towels and place in a warm place. I sometimes put it out on the driveway when it's sunny, or you can set it on top of a radiator or other heating unit. Like bread it needs a little warmth for the bacteria to grow. Once it's cooled down completely put it in the ice box to firm up some more. Add fresh fruit for sweetness and save on money and calories.

Trail mix is another good DYI project. I don't like raisins, they're too sweet for me. I use craisins instead. Most of the time I can buy the ingredients for my trail mix, peanuts, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips and other dried fruits for a lot less than the mix would cost. I pack up small bags and a can for the car. I always have snacks to keep me out of Mickey D's.

Challenge Property Taxes

People make mistakes and things change. When I bought my house, I noticed that the house was described as a three bedroom when it was only a two bedroom. The previous owners had done a major renovation, thank you, and made one bedroom out of two tiny rooms. Most of the houses in my town have three bedrooms: one larger room for the parents and two tiny rooms for kids. We challenged and got a decrease in the valuation, even though the house is better with only two bedrooms. The point is that it sometimes pays to fight City Hall. Maybe your house's original footprint was bigger or an improvement was never made or part of the house burned down. You never know. It pays to check. I know people who always challenged their property taxes and as a result pay significantly less than their neighbors. Also apply for every discount available. Don't be too proud. I once knew a woman who never challenged her taxes in the mistaken belief that she paid more because her property was worth more. When it came time to sell she found out exactly what her property was worth. In the meantime she paid the higher taxes for many years.

Dining Out

I love to eat out and even when I can't really afford it, I still know I can have a good time for less. First of all I look for newer places that don't have a liquor license, they allow you to bring a bottle of wine or a large can of beer. Drinks can run up a tab pretty quickly. I can also have cocktails at home. I'm not a big drinker. I throw in some cheese and crackers so I don't overeat at the restaurant or drink on an empty stomach. I'm a lightweight, two glasses of wine and I need a nap. Sometimes we split the glass of wine at the fancy restaurant since I dilute my portion with water anyway. I also look for places that include a salad with entree, that way I feel like I'm getting an appetizer. Another trick is to have the appetizer as a meal. This saves on money and calories. An appetizer is the perfect dinner size for me. You can also split an entree, I find the entrees in most places overwhelming. I always take home a doggie bag with leftovers for lunch the next day. The portions are just too big at most places these days. We sometimes share an appetizer and order two cheap meals and sample each others food, and take the extra home. My husband eats a lot more than I ever could. Finally I tend to have dessert at home. I started doing this because I had a terrible dessert at a chain restaurant and I vowed never again to have dessert at one of those places. Better to have cookie or a scoop of ice cream than have something stale covered in syrup. And I never have coffee after six pm.

BOYCOTT BLACK FRIDAY

I wasn't going to blog today. I have family over and I was planning to hang out, but then I turned on the news. Somebody in California got shot in the parking lot for his Black Friday Purchases. Somewhere else a woman shot her fellow shoppers with pepper spray. Are we crazy? Nothing you can buy is worth any of that. All over the country Black Friday was eating into Thanksgiving. Let's be clear. Walmart and Best Buy are not giving anything away. If they really wanted to sell more they could raise the wages for their workers and not force them to work overnight. We've been on this union busting spree for 30 years. Where has it got us? Let's bring back the unions. We need unions. Capital had gotten too powerful. We need a counterbalance. The minimum wage should be a living wage of at least $20 an hour. The bosses will scream they can't afford that. The truth is that we can't afford $7 an hour. Let's get back to reality here. There should be something for everybody.

DYI Manicures and Pedicures

My sister in law spends lots of money on manicures. She feels she deserves. This might be true and I can understand feeling that way. But she has two teenage daughters and I told her maybe they should learn how to do manis and pedis. How hard can it be? I'm blind so for me it would be impossible. Buy really, instead of dropping fifty bucks on a manicure. How about spending that money on supplies that might last you months. Additionally, I told her, if they get good at it, it could become a cottage industry for extra cash during college. Mom is a registered nurse so she could supervise and advise on the health concerns. I'm all for looking good but sometimes it's nice to be able to do it yourself. I always try to gauge the difference between price and value. I like to get the most value for the lowest price, so DYI projects are perfect for me. You can pamper yourself and your wallet. Then take those savings for something really big like a cool vacation, a cruise or a whole month off. That's how I look at my frugality. In the past it bought me summers off. In the future it will get me a place in Florida.

Boycott Black Friday and Shop Small Businesss Saturday.

As part of the 99% I think this Christmas we should all shut our wallets and boycott Black Friday. Personally I have never shopped on Black Friday. The truth is that I shop all year long for Christmas and by the time the holidays roll around I am done. I have shopped and paid everything off, I am free to have fun. I would rather spend my money on my town's Main Street. This year I am also considering sending some edible gifts. I want to cut down on clutter by giving edible Christmas gifts. This way no one gets stuck with something unwanted. It can just be put out for guests to eat and be gone. Every town has a bakery and a candy store. I like chocolate, cookies or even a cake for Christmas morning. The whole commercial Christmas thing is way out of whack. Although I am not in the top one percent, I'm okay and I feel that out of solidarity with the 99% we should get them where it really hurts and close our wallets for Christmas. Don't shop! Do something else instead of shopping. Bake, make music or shop in your own closet for gift giving. We all have great stuff floating around in the closet, which we could give away or sell online and turn around the money to buy back from other small sellers. Let's take Christmas back from the big corporations and make it small again.

Save on Water

Both as an eco-friendly measure and as a frugality measure, it's a good idea to conserve water. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Handle all leaks expeditiously. Never tolerate a leaky faucet. Also in your house invest in the newer efficient toilets and get those low flow shower heads which don't feel any different than the regular ones. You could also think about taking fewer showers. My husband and I have cut down recently. Since he is no longer doing heavy construction and I don't like to shower much once it gets cold, we only shower every other day. This cuts down on water waste considerably as does turning off the water while you brush your teeth. The little savings help. Also in the garden choose drought resistant plants. This year we took the first steps towards eliminating the lawn. The front has been made maintenance free and next year the back will become a vegetable garden to cut down on the food bill. Our town had rules about grey water but a lot of people have it anyway. This summer with Hurricane Irene, a lot of water damage occurred. It's a shame more folks didn't have cisterns to take on the excess water. That's how people do it in other parts of the world. But we're too busy protecting other people's businesses to allow smarter choices to be made.

Pay Off The Mortgage

Nothing in the world feels better than owning your home free and clear. Although you are still responsible for taxes, at least that is a manageable expense in most parts of the country. When I was house hunting, one of the things I thought about was taxes. The condition of the house didn't worry me because you can fix anything but taxes can't be fixed. I saw a house in Westchester County which I crossed off my list because of taxes. Taxes in Westchester are are as much as $25,000 a year. My sister in law in Jersey is paying $14,000 a year. That's crazy. We didn't have kids so we didn't care about Blue Ribbon schools. I bought in a more modest area where I knew my paycheck would suffice to pay the taxes, heat and electric. It actually isn't much more than I was paying for my apartment, so it was doable. We could have bought a bigger and more expensive house, but I was afraid to get in over my head. I have always enjoyed financial peace.

Practice Making Payments

If you think you want to have car payments for a new car or something, take a year and practice doing it. Open a special account or get a jar and pretend you are making those payments on time every month. After a while you might reconsider the idea of having those payments. That would be a good outcome. Another good outcome would be that you build up a nice little bundle after a year and then pay cash for a used car that is only a few years old with low miles. I gave this advice to my students who wanted to get their own places. I would tell them to pretend to pay rent for a year. If they wanted privacy to have a boy over, I advised them to go to a hotel. A couple of nights at an hotel is much cheaper than renting an apartment. In the meantime if they stayed home they could save up and buy their first place and be on the road to financial freedom. I've never had to rent a place. I bought and paid maintenance. I don't like the idea of paying rent except in certain circumstances for the short term. I'm pretty stable and don't like to move. Buying works better for me.

Paying Down Debt

There are lots of plans out there for paying down debt. Actually, I don't have the best advice because I've never been in big debt. My view is in order to never worry about paying down debt, the best thing is not to get into debt in the first place. Having said that there are some smart things you should do when paying off debt. If you have five credit cards with debt on them. First thing make out a budget and start shopping only with cash. Put the credit cards out of reach. Some people freeze them in a block of ice. The point to using only cash is to stop creating more debt. Then start paying off the smallest card. Pay that off and then move on to the next smallest card. By paying off one card you get a feeling of accomplishment that can help you move forward. Try to negotiate a lower interest rate or see about an unsecured consumer loan to pay off all your cards. You could also try a balance transfer, but I wouldn't because I don't trust the credit card companies. Miss a payment and they jack up your rate. The important thing is to stop using the cards until you're all paid off. Food diets don't work. Neither do credit diets. This has to be a lifestyle change. Don't buy anything you can't pay off at the end of the month. Save up for stuff instead. Believe me, it feels good to buy something you've saved up for.

Men's Clothing

When I first met my husband, I could tell he didn't have much money by his clothes. After a while I told him to bring all his stuff to my apartment, he didn't have much. I sorted through everything and created a discard pile and a very small keeper pile. As I sorted, I asked him to try things on. I got rid of most of his clothes. He cried, but in a matter of weeks I rebuilt his wardrobe. In fact he was planing a little trip to New Mexico and by the time he left, he had a lovely wardrobe. He said he had never dressed so well. The trick was to have stuff he actually needed and would wear. Most people, including me, have closet clutter. Lots of clothes but nothing to wear. I started making outfits for my husband, then boyfriend. This goes with that, etc. The system works really well. Most men need three pairs of slacks, three pairs of shorts, one suit and a variety of coordinating shirts. He was done in no time. He had less clothing but more outfits and was better dressed. My husband is casual. He got his one suit at J.C. Penney's and it works well for him. He wears it rarely and he looks good. Get rid of closet clutter. Sell or give away the stuff that no longer looks good on you,doesn't fit, doesn't get worn, is out of date or just doesn't go with anything. Get rid of yesterday's clothes and don't buy tomorrow clothes (things that will fit after the diet works).

Never pay for Storage

Renting a storage unit is generally a bad idea. It is almost always better to re-think storage at home for a variety of reasons. First of all, out of sight is out of mind. Second of all, it's just another bill. Do the math on this. Is anything you're putting in storage really worth it? You can't store anything of real value in a storage facility because it might get stolen. It's really not worth while storing clutter. If your house is too packed, have a garage sale or check eBay for values. Maybe you can make a little money on your stuff. Sure beats having another bill. The only time storage makes sense is if you're moving and need a place to keep your stuff for the short term. There is more than one show on cable that shows people making tons of money off storage lockers that have gone into default for non-payment. I say, beat them to it. Make money off your own stuff. Also create more storage in your own home. Take a look around the house for under utilized spaces. I like kitchen under cabinets storage. They are sturdy and can be finished to look like furniture. Also there are some very nice Ikea closets available very cheaply that can help with storage. There are plenty of storage solutions on the market. The only problem is if you're not using the stuff, then why are you hanging on to it. The rule is if it is not used in one year chuck it. Let it go so that something better can come into your life. Use everything you have.

Save Your Next Pay Raise and Live Below Your Means

This s a pretty easy trick for setting money aside. When you get your next pay raise automatically have it sent to savings. Continue to live at your old rate of pay and save the extra. This way you start living below your means. Living below your means is the best way to get rich. The point of living below your means is to be able to do other things with your life and save for the future whether it's getting together that down payment on a house or better yet buying a house cash. Paying off a mortgage is not a bad thing but it is better to buy cash because you are better able to weather the storms of real estate fluctuations. I bought my first apartment cash. I had low maintenance that included my electric bill. I had it easy. But at one point the value of my apartment was cut in half. It didn't worry me much because I knew that I couldn't live anywhere else for the price of my maintenance. I was happy in my apartment. The fact that I didn't have a mortgage to pay made my calculations a lot easier. I could wait it out. The same is true of my house. It may soon be worth less than I paid for it. But that doesn't really matter because right now I'm renting it out and it's putting money in my pocket. Also paying a mortgage doubles the price of a house with interest charges. But it's not easy to buy a house cash. You have to consider what really matters, lower expectations and live below your means.

Automate Savings and Payments

Computers have changed banking in many ways. Lots of banks offer automatic saving services. Once a week the computer moves money out of the checking into the savings account. Most of the time these services are free. It's pretty painless and helps to enforce savings. The more saving you can do without thinking about it the better. The beauty of the system is that before you know it, you have saved a ton of money without effort. You want your saving plan to be as painless and unconscious as possible.

Also while you're at it, automate payments. I haven't written a check in years and I like it like that. The first account I had, I bought some pretty checks with flowers and a sunset. I thought I was so cute. But who was I impressing with pretty checks, the machine that rips open the envelopes. It was silly. Now I have already run out of checks and I don't care. I set up the online account and now I just point and click and pay the bills. I don't have to buy checks or stamps. This is bad news for the post office but I give them plenty of other business with eBay.

Save money and do stuff online. This also helps with budgeting because it's easy to see where the money is going as it goes out. Also never be late on a credit card payment because you can set up autopay and send the minimum every month on time. I don't do this because I barely use my credit card and when I do I zero it out at the end of the month.

Trade Time for Money

If you choose to live frugally, it is possible to get out of the rat race sooner than later. I always had to be careful because of my health. Never being physically strong enough to do eight hours a day and the commute I could work a ten hour day and take the next two days off. I arranged my life and supported myself under those circumstances. I played the cards dealt and never had to beg anyone for money. I kept a roof over my head and food on the table. It was a hard thing to do but was possible. The trick is to know what is truly important and really necessary. I know that I need a bed, a table and chair, a place to cook and a workable bathroom. Everything else is superfluous. I have lived with as little as that and with so much more. More isn't always better. Time is more important to me. I like to have the time to be a human being, just hanging out not doing much of anything. Life is for living not just for working and commuting. It is a delicate balance. How much is enough? Don't wait until you have enough, start having fun now and enjoy the ride. Use your sick time and vacation days. Take a mental health day. Start by taking a mini vacation in a 3.5 stars hotel with a spa tub will work wonders, even if it is only an overnight.
For me the definition of having enough is having a cheap, clean place to live with plenty of good food on the table with a half a glass of red wine. Once I can pay for that, I don't care about anything else. I traded time for money and got my life back. You could too!

VOTE PLEASE VOTE

It's election day and your vote does matter. The only thing that can reign in the abuses of big business and their lobbyists is the vote. It's no accident that a slew of states are trying to suppress the vote of certain groups. They are afraid of the power of the electorate. They should be afraid because if we ever decided to stop playing their capitalist game, they would suddenly know what it means to be in trouble. I wish the Occupy Wall Street people all the best but I sure hope they vote. I remember last year during the midterm elections, I stopped in at the bank before going to vote. I chatted up the teller, who had a job, but probably didn't make much money. She wasn't sure she was going have time to vote. I tried to tell her how important voting is. But she was young and didn't listen. Many young people did not vote the last time around and unfortunately we got the congress we deserved. Even this year when we are voting mostly for local stuff, the vote is very important. Vote for the people who will do the right thing for your community, to keep services and community organizations like libraries running. Don't vote for the slash and burn politicians who want to pit voters against each other and "say" they'll lower taxes but end up just giving you an uglier and more restrictive community.

Reorganize and Simplify

Every once in a while it's a good idea to pull everything out and have a good clean out. I find that since my stroke, I lose track of stuff more easily. I need to be reminded periodically of what I have. As I go through my things I can decide what to keep and what to sell or give away. It's important to be organized and know where things are to keep from re-purchasing items you already have. If you need a thing and can actually get your hands on it when you need it, you won't end up with double purchases. Most of the time simplicity is best. When I was broke and could only afford one metal nail file, I always knew where it was. Now I have three of them and I can never find one. Sometimes it's better to have less. When I got my first place, I had a grand total of three pots. I could always find them. Now I have lost count of what I have and I waste lots of time finding the one I really want to use. This is a problem of affluence akin to having 100 channels of cable and nothing to watch. When I was a kid, we had about seven or eight free channels on the TV and I never had a problem finding something to watch. Sometimes more is less.

Buying a Home Part II: Finish in a Starter Home

It was very popular in the last decade to trade up with houses and keep getting bigger and better. This sort of thinking was never for me. I always bought real estate that I could imagine being in for the rest of my life. I bought my first apartment with that goal and if I hadn't married, I would probably still be there. My mother has made a lot of money in real estate by swapping. She buys a house and a few years later she sells and buys something comparable for less money. She trades down. She has done this a couple of times and it has worked out pretty well for her. I don't think I will be doing that sort of thing. My only other real estate purchase will be a house for retirement. It won't be a downsize in space: it will be a downsize in maintenance costs. I want something with lower property taxes and heating costs. I know I won't be able to afford those things in the future. But essentially the next place will be as big as a stater home or as big as the home I own right now. Also if you only have one kid then a two bedroom starter home is enough. You can always spend the savings of not having a big house on other thing like travel.

Consider Having Fewer Children

The truth is that kids are very expensive. Each child needs a private room. You can get away with two kids per room when they're little but as time goes on they will each need their own space particularly if they are not the same sex. The more kids, the more expensive that gets as the house gets bigger as does the mortgage. Then there is the question of education. Personally, I believe in home schooling but eventually kids go to college and these days that costs as much as a decent house. If you have only one child then you can devote extensive resources to that child. Buying clothes, taking trips, acquiring gadgets all become easier when it's only for one child. Expenses for only one child are manageable. Thinking globally, do we really need more people on the planet? Maybe one child is enough. I was lucky that my husband already had children. It was our job to do the best we could for them. We couldn't afford to have our own and it wasn't all that important to me. Also, we have less to worry about now. If we had our own children we would be in the middle of the whole high school nonsense. Being childless we also can pick up and leave whenever we want without disrupting someone's life.

How To Buy a Home Part I

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
A home Should be Convenient.
Buy a Home with public transportation nearby. Ideally you should be able to walk or bike to work, but if that's not possible at least don't force yourself to drive. Get a place that has transport available for getting you to work.
Buy in a place that has a real neighborhood. I am partial to working class neighborhoods in transition. Don't live in the sticks. You want to be able to at least buy a quart of milk when you need it. Ideally a decent supermarket should be on your must have list for a neighborhood. A library and a post office are also good to have nearby.
Buy the smallest house possible. For two people two bedrooms is enough. If you're in the northeast, try to get a house with baseboard heat. Forced air is the worst heating system.
Rent if you have the kind of job that makes you move periodically. If your job moves you a lot and you still want to get into real estate buy a condo which you are sure you can rent out. Home ownership is for people who are staying for the long haul. You can make a ton of money in houses but it takes on average 20 years.

Barter and Swap

My little sister has one child and a lot of friends with little girls the same age as her daughter. They regularly get together and swap clothes. This makes it easier on all the mothers involved. They can take something their child is tired of and trade it for something else. Don't think of it as hand me downs but as "new to me." The rules are simple. Someone provides the place for the swap. The clothes must be clean and mended. Take only as many things as you brought in. Draw lots for first dibs and trading is allowed. This seems to work out for these ladies. My sister also swaps babysitting for favors like shopping trips. Since she doesn't have a car in exchange for baby sitting she gets rides back from the big supermarket. Sure beats paying for a cab. Another great source for stuff is freecycle.org. Here people list stuff that is no longer wanted. They list it on this site in order to keep it out of the landfill. I still have a gorgeous bed frame I got years ago. Craigslist is good too for finding unwanted stuff. I also use it for finding tag sales also. I may never buy new furniture again.

Buy Top Quality Secondhand

Never buy secondhand what you can afford to get brand new. I always look for rare designer stuff, I can't afford when I shop second hand. Two weekends ago my mother almost bought a vase, which looked nice enough but was from teleflora. I had to stop her. It was only a dollar but it wasn't worth even that little. At the next tag sale I came across a nice murano glass vase for two bucks. It was definitely worth more and so she happily bought it. Just because you're saving money, doesn't mean you have to be cheap. Always buy the best. I like second hand furniture because it's so sturdy. You can update anything with paint, stain or a change of hardware. But for the most part well made things always look good anyway. When it comes to clothes the same rules apply. I look for beautiful well made stuff. I buy silk scarves by the fist full whenever I can. I buy vintage that lasts me forever. I look at labels when I buy secondhand. I just got a Versace sweater for pennies two weekends ago. Even if I don't want it I know I can always turn it around at the consignment shop. It's a good thing with a brand name. I could never buy it for myself new. I once got a beautiful Ann Taylor silk jacket which I still wear because it's such a classic, Top designers are so far ahead of the game that their stiff looks good for years. Always buy top quality.

PHANTOM LOADS: Buy a Power Strip

The new electronics are always on. I remember the days when I had a $30 electric bill. But I haven't seen one of those in years because nowadays everything is on all the time. These huge electric bills are driving me nuts. I want to get solar panels on the roof. But in the meantime I am going to get power strips for everything in the house. I used to do this but when I moved,I mislaid many of my power strips. What I used to do was flip the switch on the TV's at night and turn it all back on in the morning. The only downside is that the cable box needs a few minutes to re-boot. In the old days when you turned something off, it was off. Not now. Also unplug the phone charger when it's not in use. That sucks juice too even if the phone isn't being charged. If a thing is still warm after you turn it off or if it has a light gleaming, it's sucking juice. And that for me is just money down the drain.

FREE LUNCH

It really is your money or your life, like the Book by Joe Dominguez says. It's not so much the money you make that's important. It's the money you spend that's critical. Pack your lunch. It takes a minute and if things are too hectic in the morning, then pack lunch the night before. There may be no free lunch but packing lunch comes pretty close. There are also health benefits to packing lunch. The food industry these days runs rampant adding extra salt, sugar and fat to everything we eat. That's why Americans are so fat these days. We have become addicted to the extra salt, sugar and fat in all our foods. The best way to avoid food rehab is to not get into the habit to begin with. Former Surgeon General David Kessler has a book about this issue. For sandwiches, RYE BREAD is the best because it has no added sugar. It's shocking how much sugar is added to a slice of bread. It can be anywhere from 3 -6 grams. 4 grams equals a teaspoon of sugar. Ever wonder why bread burns so easily in the toaster these days. Well, it's all that sugar. Stay away from the stuff. IT'S UNHEALTHY. Avocado and tomato sandwiches are great for the summer; cheese and lettuce are delicious in winter. Boiled eggs are also good and very portable.

I also recommend packing breakfast. Now if you travel by car taking your coffee is pretty easy, though I advise using a straw in order to keep your eyes on the road. But if you have the kind of commute I've had namely: a bus, a ferry, and two trains, then by all means pack a peanut butter sandwich and just buy the coffee when you get to work or patronize the free coffee bar if your employer has one. This can save a lot of money in the course of a year. Also it saves time in the end. I started packing lunch to save time. I would often have to wait ten minutes or more at the deli counter to buy my lunch. I would rather find a quiet place to put my feet up and maybe take a nap after a quick bite. I would also be more alert and productive that way because I wouldn't overeat. Save Money, Stay Young and Slender and be more alert.

When I was working, I was one of the few people in my department who packed lunch. We were all paid peanuts but I could take summers off and afford vacations because I didn't throw my money away at work. Do the math on the cost of Breakfast and Lunch out over the course of a year, the numbers are shocking.

Cruisewear

I felt a little like a greedy Wall Street Banker this weekend. Our area had two big church sales and one clothing swap. I came home with bags of stuff. I spent most of Sunday washing and drying. I got mostly summer stuff because I went to the church sales and bought up at $2 a bag summer clothes which I could roll and pack tightly. I was looking for stuff to wear on a cruise. I look for anything that is shiny and dressy but not too heavy. I like to travel light but mostly what I need is evening wear. People get tired of their evening wear very quickly so I always find lots of shiny stuff that is easy to pack. I also took some of my old stuff to the swap. I try to get stuff that doesn't wrinkle or need ironing and that I can rinse out in the sink if necessary. The trick with cruise wear is to take enough but not too much. I always seem to take too much. I am in the habit of wearing my clothes more than once and so even if I only take one outfit for each day, I still take too much. But this year I am taking a smaller bag to make things easier and discipline myself.

Conserve Your Good Stuff

Razors get dull and rust if they are left wet. I got this tip on TV and now I blow dry my husband's razors when he leaves them in the sink. As with most things simple maintenance can prevent most problems. Now is the season to switch out the wardrobe. As I put away my summer stuff I am careful to make sure everything is clean. I also run things through the dryer to kill any eggs. Moths like to deposit eggs on soiled clothing letting larvae eat through to the natural fibers. I rarely lose things to insect damage anymore since I became scrupulous about storage. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Now after years of shopping I have many pieces of clothing that are just irreplaceable. I have vintage designer stuff that looks great that I will never find again. I carefully store and manage these pieces. I have so much stuff now that I don't have to buy any more clothing. I look at the Salvation Army and other sources of second hand clothing as something that will eventually disappear. We may be looking at an extended period of underemployment and falling wages. If that happens and people can no longer shop till they drop, then there might be less and less second hand clothing available. I am preparing for that by conserving what I have right now. Take care of your stuff. Live like you can't get more and you'll be rich.

Get a Service Provider in a Less Affulent Area

My mother needs to have platforms put on her shoes.  The last time we went to a high priced shoe repair shop for the work.  We went to a town down the road which is much more upper class than where I live   My area is still in transition.  My mother kind of likes spending money which is okay because she has it.  The repair cost a small fortune. When the time came for me to have heels put on a pair of boots, I decided to shop around.  I had a budget of $20.  I found a place in my town, which is not as pricey as the town next door.  I got the repair done for $15.  The work was very well done and from now on my mother will be using the local shoe repair shop.  This works in big cities too.  Getting something dry cleaned in a part of town that is perceived as upscale can cost you.  Most f the time yo can get the same work done in a less affluent neighborhood.  It may mean a bit if a commute but the savings might be worth it.  I stopped buying dry cleanable stuff years ago.  I found the best way to keep my expenses low was to get stuff  I could clean myself.  But shoe repair is not a DIY project.  I got my boots years ago and now, quite frankly, I just can't replace them.  Repair is my best and cheapest option.  There was a time just a few years ago when I could replace them for less than than cost of repair.  But those days are gone.  China is raising the price of its goods and improving the quality too.  This is to be expected.  It's a natural progression.  The same thing happened with Japanese products in the 60's and 70's.  I can remember that we used to laugh at Hondas and Toyotas.  Those days are long gone

Get a GPS

The best gadget investment we ever made was buying a GPS.  It has already paid for itself in gas savings.  We don't get lost or drive for miles in the wrong direction anymore.  We can find all the shortcuts and it's wonderful for tag sales.  We can go to distant and hard to get to communities and we don't have to ask how to get out.  We just hit the GPS and go.  My husband liked his car GPS so much, he got one for his motorcycle too.  By all means by your GPS online and get one that doesn't require a service contract.  My husband bought both of his on eBay and spent less than $100.  Way less.  The one for the bike cost him $25 to the door.
Also when it comes to driving sometimes you have to pay the two dollars.  We had a discussion with a driver who wanted to take the long way in order to avoid the toll on the interstate. This did not make sense.  The gas savings more than paid for the toll.  This may make sense when the price of gas is low but not right now when it's sky high.  Also we have an E Z Pass to pay our tolls electronically.  You do have to keep money on your account but they give you a discount on your tolls, so it ends up working out in our favor.  Sometimes it doesn't pay to be too cheap.

Write Letters

I really like writing letters.  But I have trouble finding corespondents.  Mt last pen pal had the bad manners to die on me.  Letters can be so much better than telephone calls.  One o my favorite letter writing exercises is to write a Christmas letter.  This is great if you are far from people and want to get them up to date on your life.  Sometimes I send a card also but not always.  A letter is something that stays with you for a time.  I still have the letters my deceased friend wrote.  Since I do mine on the computer, I have both sides of the correspondence.  I have moved a couple of times since she died, but I can still keep her close.  With a phone call, there is nothing left after you hang up.  There is something to be said for the old technologies. Sometimes new isn't necessarily better.

Holiday Decorating

Everybody know this but it bears repeating.  Buy your Christmas stuff after the holiday.  Another great place to pick up stuff is at yard sales and Church Sales. Whenever I go to a yard sale there is always a table or more set up for holiday decor.  This should tell us something.  I made a choice not to collect Christmas decor.  I had limited storage.  I'd rather spend my money and energy buying chocolate.  Nothing says Christmas like chocolate.  We had a live tree once or twice for the kids.  But then my husband saw a video on fire safety and live trees.  It was very scary.  We never had a tree again and I was glad not to have to deal with the hassle and the mess.  It's better just to bake cookies and decorate with simple stuff.  I have a couple of things that I trot out for the holidays, mostly linens which store easily, but that's it.  A fireplace blazing and the people I love is all the Christmas I need.  Make Christmas about the people in your life and not about the stuff.  Stuff is just a lot of work.  People get rid of their Christmas stuff because they get bored with it.  If you don't have it you won't miss it, besides every town puts up holiday decorations.  When I was a kid we went downtown to see the stores.  It was beautiful and required little effort.  Christmas should be a celebration of family, not work.

Ignore Commercials

When I was little, my mother started telling me to ignore commercials.  She would talk to me about this in Spanish, since that was her primary language.  She came to the USA when she was 20 years old and had me when she was 26.  She and my father decided to teach me Spanish and not interfere with my English.  In Spanish the word for advertising is propaganda.  Commercials were propaganda and should always be ignored.  Eventually I developed a healthy distrust of advertising.  My mother would tell me "They charge you more money, so you can pay for their advertising/propaganda."  I always keep that in mind when I shop and cast a jaundiced eye on heavily advertised goods.  I like generic and store brands for most things and small, or European brands. As long as the food isn't from China, I feel it's safe.  Also, the cookies I buy from Europe or Canada are not as sweet as those made here in the USA.   I also like my DVR.  If I weren't such a news junkie, I would get rid of my TV altogether.  But with a DVR, I can scroll through all the commercials.  Also I like watching TV on Demand.  Even though for the most part I can't skip the commercials, I have noticed that the ads are for much smaller companies and they are few.  Besides I usually read while I watch TV.

Ditch Your Bank and Join a Credit Union

When I started banking, my first bank was a small savings and loan. Back then there was a clear distinction between commercial banks and bank for regular folks. After buying my apartment, I took a walk and found the main branch of a small bank a few blocks from the house.  Over the years things have changed and my small bank was gobbled up two or three times.  The last time it was eaten by a foreign banking conglomerate.  They immediately started imposing fees.  I felt they wanted me to pay for their merger. After almost twenty years, it was time to get another bank.   Luckily I was moving so I shopped around for a better place to do business.  My new town had a credit union which I immediately joined.  They have virtually no fees and they are about a block from the house.  We should all get rid of our commercial bankers and get a more customer oriented bank.  I'm all for the Occupy Wall Street folks and I think we can all do our fair share by pulling our money out of their system.  They don't need us, let them make money with the rich.  I am all for completely closing our wallets to the corporate banking machine and its wild running dogs the credit card companies and the culture of consumerism.  Join a credit union and stop shopping.

Flashy People are Broke

In my experience the folks who drive the flashy cars and wear designer everything are broke.  They pay top dollar for showing off.  Better to drive a beat up old car that gets you from point A to point B reliably than be up to your eyeballs in debt for a flashy car. When I was younger things were different.  The flashy cars were being driven by older people.  The high end jewelry was worn by older women.  There was a certain logic to things.  The high end flashy stuff came to you when you got older.  When you were making more money, had your house paid off and no longer needed stuff. When I was starting out, I had nothing.  Little by little I built up a wardrobe and a collection of costume jewelry.  I couldn't afford and didn't want  a Louis Vuitton bag.  Everything in its time and in its season.  If you're young there is no point in going into debt for a purse.  It's better to pay off your condo.  Think about how many bags you can get if you only have to pay the maintenance on your place.  Being cheap is mostly about getting your priorities straight and figuring out what will make your life easier.  Be truly rich by having the security  to take a sudden drop in income on the chin.  This is why I want to get a retirement place paid off now.  I am planning on living on Social Security even though I definitely will have much more.  Cheapness is also about creating value and security  in your life.

Try Going on a Money Fast

A great tip for getting real about money is to go on a money fast.  Prepare, first by topping off the gas tank and paying all your recurring bills ahead of time.  Then stock up the fridge and start your money fast.  I usually try to fast for a week.  In that week I don't buy anything at all.  I spend no money therefore I have to feed and entertain myself for nothing.  It's usually not a problem for me.  I have done it while working.  I have a monthly public transportation card and I always brought my breakfast and lunch.  I was a teacher and I made about 12K a year and I could stay home all summer because I spent no money at work.  I also had my expenses under strict control.  A periodic money fast would help me get clear about spending.  Since I worked downtown, there was temptation everywhere. I had to walk by dozens of street vendors on my way to the train. Without a periodic money fast I was prone to stupid spending.  A money fast can help in getting clear about what really matters.  Food and shelter are more important than clothing.  I taught in a college so I had to have professional clothing too, but I found that by just buying a few pieces a year I could dress just as well if not better than people making much more.  The money fast would also help me look for free entertainment.  In a big city there are plenty of things to do for no money, but you have to look for them. A money fast really focuses the mind on having fun and living without money.  It puts money in its place and can help you realize how little is needed to be happy and live really well.

Do You Want It or Do You Need It?

There's a difference and you need to know it.  You don't have to buy everything you want.  Sometimes it's good to wait for something.  Put off major purchases for at least one week.  Sleep on it.  You may find that the thing you can't live without is not that important.  In the meantime, if you still want it, try getting it for less.  Look online or go to the Goodwill.  Odds are that what you want can be bought for less.  Ask your friends, maybe they have one.  Always wait for the next generation when it comes to electronics.  My husband made the mistake of buying one of the first flat screen TV's.  It didn't work out well for us and cost a lot of money.  I learned that lesson and never bought a smart phone.  I may never buy one.  I just replace my flip phone periodically.  I don't text and I don't need to be online all the time.  Also I like to keep my expenses low.  I don't need a WiFi bill.  My family has offered to buy me an I Pad but I don't want another bill.  I think I will just get myself a laptop instead.  I can afford to buy it,  but do I really want it or need it?  I'll see.  My cheapness often saves me from silly expenditures.

Fix or Repair Daily

When I was a kid my father fixed everything.  He was cheap and he liked to tinker.  One year we bought a GE pop up toaster oven.  He loved that toaster because he could take things out without burning his hands.  He thought the design was brilliant.  After a few years of heavy use, it broke.  I found my father one Saturday morning with the toaster in pieces on the dining room table.  He was taking it apart to fix it.  You could still fix stuff back then  There was a store nearby that sold parts.  The heating rods went one by one, then the door latch had to be tinkered with.  After abut ten years, the replacement parts became unavailable.  The toaster went into retirement in the garage.  He just couldn't part with it.  Then by chance  he saw an old GE pop up toaster oven at a yard sale.  He bought it and was able to fix the old one with the parts. My dad was very happy to have his old friend back.  Nowadays things are harder.  They don't use screws to hold stuff together. It's cheaper to use glue which makes repairs trickier.  This not only plans for obsolescence,  but make repair impossible. I like to fix stuff.  My husband is really good at fixing stuff.  He fixes everything. He buys stuff to tinker with and learns by doing. He then re-sells or re-uses it.  He got bikes for just about every kid in the neighborhood.  It's fun to figure out how things work.  We've been losing that lately.  Things have become too complicated.  These days you can't fix your own car without specialty tools or even a toaster oven.

Be Low Maintenance

I have always been a low maintenance kind of gal.  I don't get my nails done and I don't go to the beauty parlor for my hair. I go to the unisex shop at the mall for 14 dollars and sometimes I have my husband trim it. As for my nails, my main objective is to keep my hands and nails clean.  I always carry a small metal nail file with me just in case a nail breaks and to keep my nails clean. One year when I was in high school, I painted my nails.  But I found there was too much maintenance.  I had to do touch-ups in mid week and I just couldn't be bothered.  I also never wore a lot of make-up.  Just a little blush and lipstick.  I can't see well so it didn't make much sense.  Now that I'm older too much make-up will make me look silly. The truth about my hair is that I have a sensitive scalp and I don't like anyone touching my hair.  I also have really nice thick hair.  It has a bit of a wave and all I do is run my finger through it and let it air dry.  I don't like the blow dryer. My husband touches up my grey  every  6  weeks.  My hair holds dye very well and I  wash it only about twice a week.   Last year I had a high maintenance haircut.  It was very short and my hair grows really fast so I had to get it trimmed often.  I'm letting it grow out this winter and will get something easier next summer.  I sometimes have long hair but I find I shed a lot and that makes it messy.  I'd rather keep it short and easy to deal with.  Also I'm older now and long hair is better for younger women.  I like being low maintenance.  Sometimes high maintenance women look older.  Too much make-up can make a woman look plastic.  Natural is best.  Also I once had a friend at work who was always made up.  One day she didn't wear her make-up and everyone thought she was sick or something.  I thought that was funny but I also realized that wearing too much make-up can be a burden.  I'd rather be low maintenance.  It leaves me time for other things.

Being Cheap is Lots of Fun

People get upset when I say I'm cheap because I don't look cheap and I'm not miserable.  I knew my life would be a challenge when I was very young.  I started buying stuff cheap as a kid.  I was 12 when I went into my first thrift shop.  Mostly I bought books.  I couldn't believe how many books were being sold for so little money.  By the time I hit high school my father had to build me a bookcase.  It was eight feet high and four feet wide.  I filled it up with my treasures.  I was happy.  This was back in the day when the TV was only in the living room, but I had my books and could entertain myself endlessly.  Later when I started to work and needed a wardrobe, I went back to the thrift store and dressed myself for no money.  I so was happy.  I thought I was getting away with something and I guess I was.  My skills continued to develop and by the time I met my husband, I was able to buy clothes for him and his children in one weekend. I brought everyone involved  a measure of happiness to experience the abundance my cheap skills created.  Cheapness has brought me abundance.  I am able to do a whole lot with just a little.  I like being cheap.  I also like cashmere sweaters.  I could go to Macy's and spend $50 on just one new sweater.  But it's a lot more fun to go to the Salvation Army on a Wednesday and buy three or four sweaters for $10.  I like the feeling of getting over on the Corporate system.  I don't have to work long hours to have the best and I don't have to give all my money to China either.  Cheapness is fun.  Cheapness is about having more, more, more.

Eat it Raw

What little nutrients our food has gets destroyed in cooking.  Lately I have been eating my vegetables raw in order to get the most out of them.  I don't have lifestyle health issues like high cholesterol or diabetes.  I'm a little overweight but I have low blood pressure.  Also I want to get used to eating my food raw because you never know.  I want to get a place in Florida but I may not have a working kitchen at first.  In fact one never knows what could happen.  It's not a bad idea to figure out ways to survive and thrive in different circumstances.  What if someday I have to live in a rented room and do not have access to a place to cook.   I believe in being ready for anything.  I remember once living and eating for months with only a kettle, a hot plate and a shared refrigerator.   Somehow I managed.  It's nice to know I can manage in those conditions.  The truth is no one knows the future. anything can happen.  One year we lost power up here and my mother made dinner in the fireplace.  She's a country girl and it was pretty impressive.  All the roads were blocked, so we couldn't have gone out to dinner even if we wanted to.  Good thing we found a way around the problem.  It's important to be flexible and resourceful.

Take Only Generic Drugs

Generic drugs have been tested over a wide population.  They are safer.  I don't like the idea of taking medicine in the first place because I believe that for the most part medicine doesn't cure anything. Most drugs only treat   the symptoms and then there are side affects. Certain things like antibiotics that are used for short terms do cure disease, but the rest of them are pointless in my opinion.  Thyroid medication is for long term use but anything else doesn't make much sense to me.  We no longer think about curing disease.  There's not much money in a cure.  Pharmaceutical companies make their money managing symptoms.  The most widely tested drugs are the generics.  FDA approved drugs are only tested on a small segment of the population.  By the time a drug becomes generic it has been used in thousands and thousands of patients.  Most problems have been discovered by then.  My view is that we should all eat well so that we can avoid medicine.  I want to stay healthy and not have to spend money on drugs.  I get medicare next year but I will not be getting the drug plan.  It's too expensive.

Take your Vitamins and Minerals

I was having trouble with my digestion after my stroke. My bowel movements were very irregular.  This was a new phenomenon for me.  I found it very distressing.  Then I heard that magnesium can help with issues of regularity.  It worked.  I was so happy.  For many years I refused to take any vitamins.  I was always encouraged to take iron.  But I found that my body dumped the mineral into my urine.  I didn't take iron because I wasn't absorbing it.  I became anemic and the doctors recommended ferrous gluconate.  I tried it and kept taking it because it gave me good results.  Within a couple of days my cheeks were rosy and it wasn't darkening my urine.   Things change.  Vitamins are better than ever while our food is getting worse.  I take vitamins now and they are making me feel better.  The soil where our food is grown is being depleted by industrial farming.  Try to get away from that kind of food.  It is empty of the micro nutrients the body craves.  I have noticed when I eat from the garden, I am satiated quickly.  When I eat fast food I am hungry for hours afterwards.  Let's face it, our food stinks.  It's really just packaged poison.  Sometimes I think the food companies and pharmaceutical companies are in cahoots.  They want to make us sick and unhealthy so they can push their drugs on us. As for me, I'd rather stay healthy and not take medicine.

Buy it Bigger

For the most part I buy in bulk.  My only problem is with stuff like laundry detergent it sometimes gets too heavy for me to handle easily.  My solution is to pour it into smaller containers.  I keep a couple of empty bottles in the laundry room for this purpose.  Buying the big size on sale saves money and time.  I get it done all at once instead of having to lug four or five smaller bottles.  I also cut down on waste and keep stuff out of the landfill.  I try to keep my garbage to a minimum.  The people across the street scare me with their garbage.  While my pail is a third of the way full, theirs is always overflowing.  They have 2 kids, so that must be it? But in general, as Americans we are very wasteful. I became very conscious of garbage while living on Staten Island which had the world's largest garbage dump.  I desperately wanted to keep stuff out of the landfill.  I changed my shopping habits.  It took a little time but I found I could reduce the amount of garbage we had.  Now at my grocery store, I get a credit for bringing my own bags.  It's not much but every little bit helps.  I picked up a bunch of bags at a tag sale and they have already paid for themselves.  Not to mention that I am no longer in inundated with tons of plastic bags.  Even though I use them for my kitchen trash can, I always had way too many.

Get it For Free

I can understand not wanting to dumpster dive but that doesn't mean you can't still get lots of stuff for free.  Between Craigslist and freecycle, I think I will have no problem furnishing my place in Florida.  (For you folks living in NYC check out the freegan network.  There are plenty of people who not only save but also make money off other people's garbage.) For Florida I won't be buying new from China,  instead I will be picking up odds and ends which I will paint in funky colors and bring back to life with new hardware.  Some stuff I will make on my own.  It's amazing what people throw out.  I think it's much better to rehab stuff in a cool way than let it all go to the land fill.  There is so much you can do with paint.  I remember doing this with my first place.  I painted just about everything and it looked pretty good.  I have always had simple tastes and I am a happy person.  Stuff doesn't make you happy.  I don't think anyone is entitled to waste so much of everything.  I am just happy to be alive and after open heart surgery and a stroke, being alive is no small thing. Perception is reality. I always preferred free time to money.  I'd rather work on something and make it pretty than just lay down the cash for it. This also gives self worth, but that's me and my way of life may not be for everyone.

Get a smaller car

Get a really good car that is great on gas.  If the car has to be smaller that's okay.  There are very few times when you have to transport three or four kids, dogs and luggage.  For those occasions rent a bigger car when you need it.  There's no point to driving a big car all the time when you're all alone.  We have a sedan that seats four comfortably.  I hate to say it but we often use our one car for hauling supplies from Home Depot.  It's shocking how much fits in that car.  We also used it for moving stuff up to our new place.  One car is all we will ever need.  I don't drive and our town has everything we need within walking distance. Next move look for a place that is pedestrian friendly or closer to your job.  Try your best to cut down on commuter time.  This will reduce stress and give you more time with family.    I like using public transportation.  I grew up in NYC so I am used to it.  Some people look down on taking buses and trains as if having a car is a status symbol or something.  I see a car as a somewhat unnecessary evil.  If you can live your life without a car, it will save you tons of money.

Save money on Energy: Buy Compact Florescents

Lower your energy consumption to save money.   In my first apartment the maintenance included the electric bill.  I had no idea how much money I was wasting until I got a place where I had to pay for electric separately.  The first thing I did after I got my first bill was to run out and buy compact flourescent bulbs for the whole house.  At first I found it difficult to read in bed till I got a more powerful bulb and solved the issue.  I saved a lot of money that month and for many months after.  Don't beleive the nonsense about energy effiicency.  I also wised up and bought a new refridgerator.  If your fridge is more than five years old, buy a new one.  It will pay for itself in no time.  In general don't believe the anti-green propaganda.  That's just the oil, gas and dirty coal interests trying to keep a hold on your money.  Green is Good and it will save you money.  I did many of the things they say won't save money and I am richer for it.  In my next house I am getting solar panels even though some say they are not really efficient.  I don't believe it.  I think going green is patriotic.  I would like to see the whole USA become energy independant.  While China and India fight it out for oil and gas, we can sit back and count our money.

Get Vaccinated

It's flu season again and time to get vacinnated.  The problem with vaccinations is that it is impossible to measure the cost of something that doesn't happen.  I get my flu shot every year, but I know a lot of people who say they don't believe in it.  Personally, I had a good education and I believe in science.  I also don't want to end up in the hospital over something that is easily preventible. Next year, I am due for a tetanus shot.   Vaccines which prevent cancer are critical to good health in the long term.   For example the Hep 2 and HPV vaccines are important.  When I turned 50 I opted for the pneumonia vaccine because I have a heart condition and it is recommended for heart patients.  Most major cities give these shots for free at the local health clinic.  When I lived in NYC I went down there every year and got my shot.  Some people turn up their noses at such places because it gets all walks of life coming in.  I don't care, I'm not there to socialize. Also they spend just a little more time with you at a health clinic.  I find the level of care superior.  Most doctors these days have an assembly line going in their office.  They're way overbooked.  You wait forever and then you see the doctor for two minutes.  Their is a staggering lack of care in many doctor's offices.  It's all about the money.  Perhaps we should take health care out of the marketplace.  Capitalism distorts medicine.

Stay Away from fine Jewelry

Expensive jewelry is always a bad investment.  You pay too much for the workmanship and that is money you never get back.  Even now with the price of gold astronomically high you'd be lucky to get back your initial investment.  Diamonds are even worse in my opinion.  First of all, it takes an expert to buy diamonds and second no one ever gets the true value when selling.  When you sell fine jewelry buyers assume you're desperate and low ball their offer.  I'll stick to costume jewelry and put my money in the bank where I can get to it, if I need it.
Also the last time gold was high, I was a kid and women were having necklaces ripped off their necks in New York City.   I don't want to be robbed either.  That's not for me.  My only gold these days is my wedding ring.  Thank you very much, that's enough for me.  I will carry my adornments on my soul in the freedom to live without worrying about money. Fine jewelry is a foolish expense and should not be confused with a true invetment, which grows in value.

Charity Begins at Home: Save Yourself First

You can't give what you don't have.  This may sound selfish, but your first duty is to look out for number one.  If you are sick and broke, how can you help anyone else?  I say take care of yourself first and then you might be able to take care of others.  One of my goals for the Florida house is to have enough room for visitors and long term guests.  Although I don't particularly want to encourage the latter, I know that there are people in my life who might need a roof and a plate of food.  I won't be giving cash, but if someone needs a place to live while working and saving money, I will be there for her.  The thing is, I can only do this if I have enough for myself first which is why I want to buy a place now while it is cheap.  I need to manage my money and provide for my needs first, then I know I can help with the needs of others.  I need something I can afford on my own.  There is no point in having something big that just drains my budget and makes it impossible for me to do anything.  I know plenty of people who can't afford their homes.  They depend on family or friends to help with the bills.  That is not for me.  I must always live within my means and preferably well below them.

Always do the math

More than once I have looked at something packaged as a bargain only to find that after doing the math it wasn't such a bargain anyway.  The last time this happened, I was shopping for paper towels in a so called discount retailer.  I could buy one roll for 89 cents or six rolls for $5.99.  Most people wouldn't even realize they were being cheated.  I did the math and saved myself the 59 cents.  Actually I saved even more because I just walked out of the store.  A retailer doesn't get a second chance at cheating me.  I always do the math and make sure I get the most bang for my buck.  Be prepared to walk away.  There are very few things one has to buy.  There are plenty of alternatives.  If a retailer tries to cheat you don't go back.  I vote with my wallet and my feet.  I don't need them as much as they need me.  I can leave.  I am not a captive market for their exploitation.  We need to punish bad actors in the market place.  I see nothing wrong with not shopping.  If American capitalists want to export my job and raise prices, I can stop buying and watch how that works out for them.  Always do the math on bulk purchases.  Bulk purchases should always be cheaper.  It's your money.  You can choose how and where to spend it.

Limit the Use of Paper Towels

I'm old fashioed.  I never liked paper towels.  I use dish towels and sponges instead.  I  prefer things that are re-usable.  I don't like paper plates much either, except sometimes for sandwiches.  I use disposables when I'm sick and can't keep up with the washing.  But that is rare.  Besides a lot of those household plastics are bad for you anyway.   I use paper towels sparingly.  I like them for drying a chicken before it goes into the oven, but that's about it.  I am not particularly obsessive about clean countertops either.  I maintain my cutting boards scrupulously clean instead.  My food never comes in contact with the countertop.  I always use a board.  Boards are easier to clean and sanitize.  My dishtowels basically are used to dry dishes and they are soaked and bleached once a week. Sponges get nuked in the microwave or put in the dishwasher. I find this more eonomical than using paper towels.  The jury is still out on which is better for the environment.  But for now I will stick to my habits.  I know people who spend a small fortune every week on paper products.  That is not for me.  Even with coupons, I think that's a waste of money.

Pay youself first

First put money into savings .  If all your money goes into checking at the start of the month, there is never anything left over at the end of the month.  I had this problem recently when I started renting my house.  I kept putting my cut into checking and always ended up broke.  When I set aside the rent money into savings at the beginning of the month.  Things changed.  I really started to save.  Sometimes I dip in and take twenty or thirty dollars, but for the most part I don't touch the savings at all.  Paying myself first has lifted my savings considerably.  In the past my bank would also take a certan amount each week out of my checking and put it into my savings account automatically.  It was amazing how quickly and painlessly my savings grew.  Many banks offer this service.  Take advantage of it to kick start savings.   Small amounts grow big in no time.  Not having the money available makes it hard to spend and this leads to saving.  We could all use a little help with discipline.  This makes it automatic and easy to do.  In fact any automatic savings plan is good.  Take advantage of this at work.  Any plan that takes a portion of your salary and invests it is good.  If the plan also matches your contribution in any way, that is even better because it's free money.  This is how people get rich.  Live with less and save more.

Stay Married

Divorce is messy and expensive.  Most married people fight about money.  Be sure that your view of money matches that of your perspective partner.  I knew my husband was right for me when we went out on our first date and he told me he got the very nice sweater he was wearing for a dollar at a yard sale.  I told him that's where I got mine too.  We were perfect for each other.  We both had fun buying things for really, really cheap.  We both liked to fix things too.  He fixed just about anything while I liked to repair jewelry.  I liked to buy vintage pins that were missing a stone.  I would fix them and be happy with my pretty new thing.  We knew we would never argue about money because we both were cheap.  Once you find someone who has the same philosophy about money and life, you have a keeper.  My husband is also very easy going which I like.  I have enough drama with my health issues and don't need more.  If you marry the right person, you don't end up getting a divorce.  My sister in law is getting a divorce right now.  She will lose any equity she has in her house because of the divorce.  In a way she is peddling backwards, now she has to start building all over again for retirement.  That's terrible, but her husband was so unreliable that in a way she will be better off without him.  Someday she will have money, but up till now she has been pushing a dead weight up a hill.  It takes a lifetime of work to be rich.  It's easier with two people building wealth, if they are they are the right two people.

Real Wealth is Slow

Stay away from get rich quick schemes.  Real wealth takes time to build.  There is no overnight success that hasn't been years in the making.  Easy come. Easy go.  This is why lottery winners and gambler winners are broke a year later.  The first house my mother sold, she spent away half the profits.  If she had invested in another or even a better property we would all be much richer right now.  But it was a case of easy come, easy go.  I don't begrudge her reckless spending.  She learned her lesson and she is a lot more frugal now.  Some people learn their lessons.  It happened to me too with my first inheritance.  Although I wasn't a complete idiot because I put myself through school and bought myself a cheap little apartment to live in.  But then later, I was sitting on too much cash and started spending.  When you have money, it's easy to spend.  I had limits and never got into debt.  I was also able to give my mother enough money so she could buy an apartment in my building too.  She made back most of what she threw away from the first house, which is good.  But it took time for us to make money.  Good things take time.  I also know some people who invested unwisely and lost everything.  They lost everything because they thought they were going to get rich overnight.  That's not how it works.  The housing market is very low right now.  It will not come back for at least ten years.  If you can wait that long you'll make money. If you can't wait, you'll get out with a bad taste in your mouth.  You have to stay in real estate for the long haul.