Making Christmas Gifts

Gift Baskets make good gifts. Now in the summer yard sales are inundated with baskets for sale and even for free. You can pick one up and fill it with good stuff for gift giving at Christmas. In December a few nice bars of chocolate and a box of celmentines beautifully arranged in a basket makes a nice gift. Decorate with a vintage ornament and some paper. Another nice gift is a bottle of wine and two glasses, place in a basket add cheese, crackers and decoration for show and for under $30 you have a great gift. Or create a spa gift basket: buy a scented candle (for a dollar at a yard sale), get some nice bath salts mix in a bigger jar with some plain Epsom Salts, buy a nice bar of soap and small towel or luffa sponge. Add a good book. Put it all together for a spa basket.
For family, I sometimes make family photobooks. It's so easy to print these out now. Wait for the sale at Rite Aid to print digital photos. I consider a good digital camera a money saving tool these days because you don't have to print every picture. Another nice gift can be made by taking a child's artwork and framing it in a nice frame for Grandma. This doesn't cost much when the frames are bought now at yard sales for a dollar. Also think about picking up stuff at yard sales for Christmas. I often come across stuff still in the original packaging. Watches are good too. They usually go for a dollar and just need a new battery. People get rid of them when the battery dies consequently they don't have much wear. Sometimes I even find them still in the box. My husband has become the Master of watch repair. He finds and fixes watches and we give them away as gifts. Get your batteries online. We used to get our batteries at Radio Shack, but if you know exactly what you need, it's always cheaper online. This is true of almost everything. I was going to Claire's to buy earring stoppers to secure my vintage brooches. They cost me five bucks for ten. Ouch. I still thought it was a bargain because nowadays the pin cost too much to replace. But once I knew the right name. I started buying them on line for a fraction of what they cost me at Claire's.

CHEAP SHEETS: Reading List

There are lots of great books about saving money. Most are available from the library. I'm no genius and using resources is the best way to learn. My favorites and great sources for money saving tips are:
1. You money or your life: This book will open your eyes to wasteful money habits that can keep you trapped in a job you hate.
2. The Tightwad Gazette: This book came out during the first Bush's economic meltdown. It might be somewhat out of date, but still has many valid points.
3. The Millionaire Next Door: Rips away the veil on what it really means to be rich. It's only the struggling class for example who have the BMW's, Rolex Watches and designer stuff. People with real wealth clip coupons and watch their money. A must read to get ahead.
On the Internet:
Check out the Freegans website for a different take on the getting and spending that fuels this economy.

Stay at home mom

It may be feminist heresy, but perhaps some mothers should stay home instead of going out to work. Having said that, I know that for the most part women don't want to leave their children with strangers and go to the job. I'm sure they feel they have to. But then again after running all the numbers, I wonder if the expense of going to work is really worth it. Maybe a smart women could save more money by not working outside the home but by making her money at home and not have to leave her children with strangers. Child care is so very expensive that perhaps a part time job close to home could really make a difference in the family budget. Or maybe with a little careful planning a woman could make her husband's paycheck go farther. In the last thirty odd years, more and more women have gone into the workforce. This is not because of feminism. The reason is economics. Wages have been stagnant and women have stepped in to pick up the slack. Now the bosses, who have gotten away with not raising the wages of the people who actually do the work, while at the same time paying themselves enormous salaries, are suceeding in getting out of paying taxes as well. Something's gotta give. I say shut them down. Cut back on everything imaginable and see if they can make it when we downsize them. Live in a smaller house. Buy less stuff and let's see how that works out for the rich.

Make your own Fun

In the not so distant past, people created their own entertainment. This blog is part of my entertainment. I keep busy writing. I also write poetry which I give to my husband as gifts. I read a lot and I make jewelry too. All of this makes my life richer and also makes fun. In the fall I want to join a choral society and start singing again. Right now I am singing in Church but it's not enough. For more entertainment on those cold and snowy winter nights we sometimes play games. Games are good because they require interaction and communication. This is better than sitting in front of a screen and not talking. We play cards, chess, monopoly, dominos and other stuff. Sometimes we work on puzzles. It's cheap to make your own fun. We get the games and puzzles at yard and church sales. The small investment goes a long way. You make your own fun. You make your own good times, being bored is not an option. Only boring people are bored. Just going for a walk in the woods is enough for me. I see birds and deer and other beautiful things and that makes plenty of fun. Take time to smell the roses and discover the beauty of life. By making your own fun, you become independant of the entertainment industry that wants your money. Money can't buy you everything. Make your own fun. Invite a friend over for game night.

Second Hand Shoes

People worry too much when it comes to buying second hand, but with just a few guidelines it's easy. My rules for shoe purchases are similar to my rules for used clothing purchases. First of all never buy used if you can afford to buy it new. Be on the lookout for high priced, high quality articles that would otherwise bust the budget. It makes no sense to pick up a pair of Tom McCanns at a yardsale for five bucks when you can buy them new at Kmart's for ten. Get only the best. Buy Nikes etc instead. Make sure all shoes are bone dry before use. Dryness ensures the death of all fungi. Sprinkle some talcum powder inside and put in gel insoles for back and joint relief. Shoes must be in excellent condition. Tread must be thick and even. My husband is very lucky with shoes. He always finds a pair. He just has an easy to fit foot. I'm not so lucky. I have trouble buying shoes even new. But once in a while even I can score. Second hand shoes are great for growing families. Kids outgrow shoes very quickly. Buying second hand allows for more variety. Also to keep shoes longer always let a pair rest between wearings. Never wear the same pair two days in a row. Give shoes a chance to dry out and breathe off your feet. This will make them last longer and smell better.

Great Depression and Great Recession

We need to wake up to what is happening in America. The way I see it my frugality skills are going to be important for a long time to come. Things are not going to get any better anytime soon. The same problems that led to the Great Depresion are present in this Great Recession. In the ten years leading up to both the Great Depression and Great Recession taxes at the top were lower than ever. There was rampant speculation with other people's money. The incomes at the top rose dramatically while the incomes of the people who actually do the work remained stagnant. Demand for consumer goods was low in both eras. Capitalists need to wake up and stop crying about taxes and high wages and start paying a decent wage. In my opinion Americans don't save because they haven't got it. It's not that we're all wasteful. Most of us are just about getting by. The problem is that since the era of Ronald Reagan wages have not grown for the average worker. Businesses do more with less. Every worker is doing the job of three. I'm all for getting your money's worth, but there are limits. Wake up. If people don't have jobs or only make minimum wage, then who is going to shop?
Also American innovation has been killed by cost saving schemes. Instead of developing new and improved products, business concentrates on cutting costs. Look at the auto industry. For years GM didn't pay a penny in taxes but continually cut quality so much so that after a while no one wanted to buy their cars . Duh? When that happened they went to Washington for a bailout from a system they never paid into. We gave them the money and they're back, but they continue to blame GM workers for their troubles. It's the unions fault we couldn't make money. What kind of nonsense is that? It's not the union's fault. It's management who wouldn't invest in researching and developing better cars. Management cut costs and people noticed. This is what Apple does with computers. They research and develop a better product so that even when times are tough, people want to buy their stuff. Who wants to buy a big gas gussler that breaks down all the time? This may seem harsh, but I am tired of hearing workers blamed for the problems of short sighted management. My advice to American Business: Make better stuff already. Put People to work so someone can buy your stuff. Stop crying and get back to work. Real work. Earn your money. I have an idea for the Big Three. How about making a driverless car? Using computers and all that. Mercedes Benz already has a car that brakes faster than a driver and Ford has a car that can park itself. How much more would it take to create a driverless car that can take people to the supermarket, the doctor and back. Make something new. Make a better car and the world will beat a path to Detroit's door.

Cheap Indulgences

Every once in a while I like to take my savings and treat myself. I was planning to take myself out to tea, but then I thought about it. It would have cost $20 but I could do much more with the same money. I could go to the movies and have tea. And I could buy myself better food than I would be served. I can make myself a variety of small sandwiches: cream cheese and smoked salmon, cheese and jelly, cucumber and I could easily bake myself a small cake and served myself some biscuits. I have most of the stuff in my fridge anyway. Although I will be making and serving myself, it will still be an indulgence. I once made such a tea for a friend of mine. She was very impressed but balked at doing the work herself even though the payoff was so great. It's just a little work, not even as much as making dinner.
Another favorite indulgence of mine is a bubble bath. I pick up stuff all summer for bubble baths in the winter. I'm lazy so I usually buy a little Mr. Bubble to mix in with more expensive bubble bath potions. That way I don't have to clean the tub after. I like to take baths on Saturday afternoons then crawl into bed for a nap before going out on the town on Saturday night

Re-Gifting No More

Someone recently gave me a body mist. But I don't wear fragrances. Perfume give me headaches. Instead of regifting it, I looked it up on eBay. I think I can sell it and with the proceeds buy something I really want. It eliminates the awkward possibility of re-giving a gift within a small circle of friends and what better way to find the thing a good home. If someone is willing to pay, it must be wanted. At least it won't end up in the landfill. Maybe someone really wants this gift but can't afford to buy it at the store. I can sell it for less. Everyone is happy and things don't go to waste. I'm sure my friend wanted me to have something nice. I just make it possible to pick that out myself. I might even go to a tag sale with the money and really get a bang for my buck. But I'll be okay just buying myself something on ebay, a pin or something small. People are amazed that I have so much nice stuff. I have to admit that I'm proud of myself. Considering my income, I am very rich. I am rich because I am careful. I've seen what things cost at the Mall and I know I can get something better for less. A piece of junk jewelry goes for $20. I just bought a sterling silver pin on eBay for $8 to the door. At least it's made from a noble metal, something of real value. It's not like costume jewelry that is likely to end up on a church sale table for one dollar. My advice: Get your money's worth.

Frugality and Ecology

The frugal lifestyle is good for the planet. By re-using things and fixing stuff up, we keep things out of the dump. We have created a disposable culture. If a vacuum cleaner stops working, we immediately throw it out. Most of the time it just needs a cleaning or at most a new belt which can be purchased for a dollar. Why throw away something that can be fixed? Much the same is true of clothing. Clothing hardly ever wears out, it goes out of style or you get sick of it. I use my attic as a storehouse and put unwanted items there, then periodically I go "shopping" in my own attic. It can be fun. I only store vintage, designer or very hard to replace items and give away most of the other stuff for others to use. It works well and I keep my closet fresh, minimizing the clutter. If I can sell it on eBay or at a yard sale, that's even better. I need to conserve my money as well as the planet's resources. I'm glad I didn't rip out my kitchen and buy all new. Sometimes it's necessary, but most times it's just wasteful and extravagant. This is why people don't have money. Most people with decent jobs are throwing money away on unneccessary stuff. If we conserve just a little, we will all have more for the future. I don't approach frugality from a place of lack. I come to frugality from a place of abundance. It took a long time for me to connect my frugality with ecology. but it makes sense that ecology and economy are connected. Conservation isn't just for tree hugggers. It's for everyone. Being careful with my dollars and my resources has made me rich. I have everything and lack for nothing. In some ways, I never have to shop again.

THE LATTE FACTOR

There are small indulgences that we allow ourselves which over the years add up to big money. I call this the latte factor. That expensive cup of morning coffee, that cigarette habit, lottery tickets or stopping at the convenience store for milk instead of buying enough at the supermarket. It doesn't seem like much. It never does, but the cumulative effect is to put a big dent in the budget. These things exist to get money out of people. You may think you're treating yourself but you are actually keeping a whole class of people in business. The convenience store owner thrives on laziness. You pay heavily for convenience. And that trendy coffeeshop is laughing at the people who pay $5 for a cup of mudlike joe. I never spent money at expensive coffeeshops because I didn't like the coffee. I prefer American coffee to the dark and sludgy European roast. If you like the European roast spare your insides and drink it they way they do in Europe. Half coffee, half hot milk. Otherwise the stuff is frankly undrinkable. Bottomline the whole coffee thing is just a fad. People are very willing to overpay for stuff, if it looks cool. I'm not willing to join the mob. I like being an independant thinker. I guess that's why I'm a cheapskate. When everyone else was buying designer everything, I took a step back and bought second hand stuff. When my friends and family were looking for big houses, I was looking for the cheapest, smallest house I could buy. I have no regrets. I looked for a long time. Folks all around me were desperately buying while I stood still and waited for the right deal. Right now I am looking for a retirement place. I've been looking for a few months. The deals are dissappearing in some ways, but I don't care. I'm not going to let myself be gripped by hysteria. I'll buy when I find the right deal and not before.

Elegance vs. Luxury

Simplicity is the height of sophistication. The most elegant room isn't necessarily opulent and over stuffed with things Elegance requires editing. If a room has too much stuff, nothing stands out. It becomes a jumble. For me luxury means having dinner in bed. This was easy when I had a tiny apartment and only had to walk ten feet to get from the kitchen to my bed. Luxury is having lots of heat. My first place had the heating pipes running under the floor. I was always warm. I had a good shower and a bus stop thirty feet from my door. I never got cold. I could easily pay my maintenance and I lived in the lap of luxury. Since my apartment was small and had little storage, I often had to get rid of stuff. Getting rid of stuff meant that my home was elegant and not very cluttered. The only way to live in a small place is to take something out when something new comes in. It was easy to do when I lived alone. It's a lot harder now that I have a partner and have to negotiate everything, but it's a good rule of thumb to live by. Something in, something out. Taking something out does not mean sending it to the landfill. I either sell or donate unwanted stuff because I believe in being responsible with resources. Live with less. It's easier to clean and dust a house with less stuff. Less also makes the really good stuff stand out.

Modest Independance

I like being cheap because I like being independant. It took me a long time to get on my feet when I got out of school. For a long time I had nothing but bills. Then slowly but surely things got better. I started to accumulate stuff. Suddenly I was rich. I didn't need to buy anything. The best thing was paying all my bills and having money left over at the end of th month. I am very lazy, so I liked saving money for work vacations. I often took the summer off. I probably could have found work, but I didn't want to. I would rather stay home and read or go to the museum. I believe in working to live, not living to work. I'd like to stop working when I had enough money. But to acheive independance, one has to live modestly foregoing some of the geegaws that most people have. I don't have an iphone, ipad, or even an ipod. Though I might get the ipod soon just to cut down on the clutter of CD'S. The point is that being careful with spending buys freedom, escape from capitalism and wage slavery. I could do other things instead of going to work.
This lifestyle is not for everyone and I recommend working until there is enough money from income property to stop working. Do what you love and the money will come is just not sensible. But save enough money to do what you love is another story. At this point in my life I am confident I have enough. Plus I have developed the skills I need to get by on less. Some people might look at my life, see the care I take with money and think, that's sad. But I like being cheap and getting everything for less. For me saving money is entertainment, it's fun. But it's not for everyone.

In the Freezer

Butter and bread freeze very well. Whenever I see good low sugar bread on sale I stock up. I also store butter. There are certain times of year when butter is cheap. Time to buy. The freezer is running anyway and by keeping it full you save on energy costs. Just be sure to seal the butter in a plastic bag. Butter is delicate and has the habit of picking up odors or getting stale. Personally I prefer frozen veggies to canned. The frozen seem cleaner and free of additives. But be careful with some products like frozen berries. Always read the ingredients list. Buy stuff with the fewest ingredients, preferably none but the stuff you're actually buying, like peas. Frozen vegetables for example can have more nutrients than fresh because they are blanched and flash frozen on site. Unlike "fresh"frozen veggies don't travel thousands of miles before being cooked. It's also a good way to save money when veggies are out of season. I buy tons of frozen spinach for soups and lasanga in the winter. Cheese does not always freeeze well, but keeps for some time in the fridge. To stop mold soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and put it in with your cheeses. Keep berries dry. Never leave them in plastic, instead put them in a large bowl to keep them from spoiling. Frozen grapes make great snacks and keep salads cool when traveling.

Style vs. Fashion

High Fashion can be very expensive although there are stores like TJ MAXX that claim to get designer fashion for less. I guess this is true. I have shopped there and wish and I could shop there more but my wallet won't allow it. Instead I have decided to be stylish. Style is more personal and easily manipulated. I do watch the trends but I adopt them on my own terms. When leopard was in last year, I managed to get myself a leopard bag for a dollar. Whenever there is a hot new color I try to incorporate it into my waredrobe somehow. I can always get a blouse, a scarf or a bag in the hot new color. If I look in my attic, sometimes I can find it among the unused clothing I keep in storage. The best trend spotter is the September issue of Vogue. It lays out what willl be fashionable for the next few seasons. I have a problem with high fashion because early on I realized that in any given fashion cycle there willl be things that just don't look good on me. This is why I love second hand clothes. If something is past, but looks good on my body type I tend to buy it. I will look good anyway. Or at least I will look better than a fad that does nothing for me. Lately most summer dresses in t5he stores are sleeveless. I am now at an age when I should be covering my arms, not showing them off. Part of being stylish is dressing age appropriately. I'm too old to have my belly hanging out. I have to face facts. But I can still look good and wear beautiful adornments. I love vintage pins and scarves. Most times I get them for about one dollar, but they go a long way to dressing up an otherwise plain jane jacket or coat. Make your own style. Become your own style guru.

Habitual Frugality

Every savings plan needs a goal, be it ever so modest. Even if the goal is to buy a new flatscreen. Having a goal in mind helps. Don't think of saving as a sacrifice. For me it's always been a really fun game. I used to love telling people my salary and watching their jaws drop. They couldn't and sometimes wouldn't believe it. I had everything and was able to take vacations too. How did I do it?, by being very careful with my money. I wouldn't spend it. I gave myself a strict budget. For many years I got $20 a week in spending money. I stick to that number even now. You get used to things. I am used to noticing prices. I am used to spotting discounts. I know how to search the web for the best deals. Being cheap has become a way of life.
I started buying second hand clothes as a kid. My parents were struggling and there didn't seem to be enough money in the house. They would give me money every week for lunch and carfare to school. I saved the money by skipping lunch and bought necessities out of the savings. One year I needed a winter coat. I didn't want to ask for it. I just bought it at a thrift shop for five dollars. I was very happy with my purchase and have been shopping that way ever since. When I got my first job out of college, I had no clothes. I had been wearing Tshirts and jeans mostly. I didn't even have a decent pair of shoes, just sneakers. I wore the same three or four things for a while. I waited a month and a half for my first paycheck and went shopping (second hand of course). I came home with bags of stuff.
Now saving money is a habit that I just can't break. It's additive and lots of fun. I do more with less and I like it that way. Sometimes when I drive through an expensive neighborhood and see a really nice big house. I think about what I would do, if I were rich. Would I want to live there? Nah, too much work. Too much upkeep. That's not for me. I like things simple and manageable. If I ever had too much, I would worry about being able to hold on to it. I know I can hold on to what I have right now and that's good enough for me.

Stretching Take Out

I don't really like to cook, but I recognize it is a necessary evil. Before I met my husband sometimes I would buy lunch at the Chinese place. I would eat the soup and the egg roll for lunch and then save the rice and veggies for dinner. This worked well for me. When I met my husband, I would still buy the lunch sometimes, but in order to make the dinner enough for two, I would have to make a little extra rice which was easy enough. I could heat up the meal and add some more frozen veggies and it would be enough dinner for two, which was very economical at $6 for both of us. My husband likes pizza so sometimes we buy fresh dough at the local pizzaria. For a fraction of what a take out pizza costs we make our own and add all the extra toppings we want. I usually pair the pizza meal with steak and salad. It's quick and easy and quite a treat for everyone. It's like take out but not. We also like to make our own Ice cream desserts whenever possible. My husband makes shakes and banana splits. He goes crazy with toppings and it's a lot of fun. My favorite is making real whipped cream for a sundae with a cookie at the bottom. Tastes way better than the stuff from a can and the next morning I can use the leftovers to top off my coffee. Of course, this is a rare treat because of the calories, but it's still fun.

Cheaper Vacations Continued

As we were struggling and first starting out we had to be very creative when it came to vacations. My husband would get his kids for a couple of weeks in the summer so it was important that we showed them a good time. One year we went to Lancaster County Pennsylvania. We had checked it out the year before on a three day weekend. This was our cheapest getaway. A neighbor told us about a program sponsored by the Mennonite Church. For a nominal fee a family would host visitors. I think we paid $25 a night for a nice bedroom with a shared bath. Of course I brought food and we also bought stuff from roadside sellers. We didn't get to eat out that trip. But we went to church on Sunday which was nice and then they fed us lunch. A good thing too since the Sabbath is very serious for the Amish. Everything was closed and I had run out of food. On that first trip we figured out that there were better places to stay so the next year we booked a room with a refridgerator and an eating area. It was on a farm and just perfect for the four of us. The children were fascinated by the animals and we all had a good time. By then we could afford to eat out a few times.
On another trip my husband took his children to a cabin by Sebago Lake in New York. He rented the cabin from the State of New York. Another year he took them to a church retreat in Cape May which was fun because there were lots of other kids there too. These vacations cost about $200 per week and were lots of fun. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. We've also done weekends in Philadelphia on the cheap by taking our own food. Look for a centrally located hotel that offers free breakfast or a free refridgerator. For a good free breakfast, I like the Fairfield Inn by Marriott. Holiday Inn sometimes offers a refridgerator for a small fee. I like visiting places which have free or low cost attractions. We have also done the whole amusement park thing, but it is never as much fun and usually costs much more.

Cheaper Vacations Part One

Vacations are always expensive because you have to replace everything you already have at home. But there are ways to make it better. When booking a room, the most important thing is to have a refrigerator. I try to keep eating out to a minimum. Years ago when both my husband and I were working, we would take mini vacations. These were overnight or weekend trips to a nice hotel with a pool. I would always pack food. The food bag was generally larger and heavier than the bag that carried our clothes. I brought wine, chocolate, dinner in the form of a roast chicken, cheese, bread, fruit and boiled eggs for breakfast. I continued this trend on our Washington D.C. vacation. I like visiting the nation's capitol. All the museums are free. There are concerts and free music everywhere, but the food is expensive and so are the hotels. One year when we took the kids we stayed in Alexandria, VA which was more economical. I found a hotel with a Supermarket across the street. What a joy!! We bought cereal and milk and had breakfast in the room every morning. Then we would buy stuff for lunch as well. At the museum eatery I might buy a drink but that was it. Or sometimes we would walk over to the nearest Mickey D's. There was also a sandwich shop nearby which was reasonable. Every place has cheap good places to eat. The problem is that as strangers we don't always know where they are. This why I try to bring my own food when I travel. Or if too lazy or rich to pack, just ask the locals where they eat.
Another way to find a cheap room is to go to Priceline or Hotwire and bid for it. I always pick a 3 to 4 star with a pool or not and always get close to my bid price. Hotels always have extra rooms that they would prefer to have occupied, these last minute deals are great even though you do not know the name of the hotel until you book. Best deals are online.

Simple Sewing Updates for Your Clothes

My mother and many of my aunts have at one time or another worked in the rag trade. One of the things I learned was that when manufacturers skimp on a garment, the first thing they cut are the buttons. One way to make a so-so piece look more expensive is to trick out the buttons. I sometimes buy garments at church sales for the buttons. This week I will be changing the buttons on a Kmart Henley to make it just a little nicer. It has dyed to match plastic buttons which I will be tricking out for shell buttons. I did the same thing once to a silk sweater from K mart. What a difference. No one could believe it was from the Big K. I'm no seamstress, but I can change a button. Simple as it is, not everyone does it. At church sales and yard sales, I often come across garments which have been discarded merely because they are missing a button. I buy them and replace the button and have a nice article of clothing with only five minutes of work. This trick is also good for updating clothes. I had a jacket that I was tired of. I got some big gold toned buttons at a sale and completely changed the look. I got a lot more use out of it. Sure beats buying a new jacket. In the summer I look over my winter clothes and set aside any mending. At the end of last winter I bought an old tweed men's coat. It's really nice, but I noticed it needed a button. This week I will change all the buttons on the coat and I willl attach a big beautiful pin that I got at a yard sale for fifty cents. It's going to look gorgeous. The coat cost me a dollar at the Salvation Army. Not bad for no money.

Get Rid of Your Bills

The cheapest woman alive says there is nothing better than getting rid of payments. Living pay check to paycheck is not the way of the frugal. I was never so thrilled than when I got rid of my student loans. I didn't have a big debt. Back in the day college was still affordable. Nevertheless when I could stop sending in $100 a month, I was thrilled. I felt free. I could do what I wanted with my money. There is nothing like being liberated from payments. My husband and I were very careful not to buy a bigger better house than we could afford. The realtors looked at us like we had two heads when we paid cash for our house. They had been trying to talk us into something bigger, but we stood our ground and got something smaller. Our car is older and we will have to buy another one soon but because we have no payments, saving for that eventuality is not so painful. Also if your car is paid off you can get the cheaper insurance. Once we have enough money scraped together we will start to look around. Necessity never made a good bargain. If you really need a car, you are more likely to buy the first one you see. It's like jobs. They are always easier to get when you already have one. Better to buy a car before your really need it. We will buy from a repo auction, on Ebay or from a distressed seller on Craigslist. My husband likes to say. "There's a deal every day" and for him, there is. Maybe the car will not show well. When we got our house, it looked tired and was very cluttered. The car may be dirty or have scratches which could be compounded out by detailing. We can see past that, just like we did with the house. As long as the engine is good and the car has safety features that lower the cost of insurance, it will be a contender. We are not interested in the kind of car that ends up regularly on the consumer reports poop list. We don't need luxury and fancy. We need low maintenance, economical and reliable. Without bills like a mortgage and car payments we are free to save or to spend as we please. Savings grow more quickly for investments like retirement or a vacation property in Florida. We can take a cruise and not worry about making the bills that month. We make sure everything is paid before we go. Get rid of your bills. Pay off the mortgage and credit cards. Pay off the car and watch how easily your wealth grows. In no time you will be independant in the sense that if your job goes away, you will still be okay. Not great maybe, but at least not homeless or on foot. Without payments your real wealth will grow and painlessly create independant means for a lifetime of security.

NEVER BUY FROM A TV INFOMERCIAL

It's late and you can't sleep while surfing down your TV channels you come across an infomercial. They have a good pitch, they all do. My advice is never ever buy into their sales talk. If the product is really that good and worthwhile, eventually it will find its way into a legitimate retailer. Also these days many malls have an as seen on TV store where you can examine the product carefully and forgo the shipping and handling charges. Never ever buy from TV and certainly don't get fooled by the "get one free" just pay the extra shipping. Once you get on the phone with these people you'll find they are very well trained to talk you into buying more. Don't be fooled, they are professionals. Never accept a 30 day trail offer either. You'll never remember to call to cancel and get stuck paying the whole bill. Also never buy the latest, greatest exercise equipment that willl leave you trim and slim in weeks with seemingly no effort. Sure they have testimonials from people who supposedly lost 100 pounds. What they don't tell you is that the testimonials come from very athletic people who broke a leg or something and stopped exercising thus gaining weight. Once they were healed, the weight came off rapidly because these people had good eating habits and followed exercise regimens anyway. I recently bought myself a stationary bicycle. I am trying to build up my strength after my stroke. I hope to be able to go back to work someday soon. I don't like being on disability. I want to make more money. I loved my job. I miss my job. I spent five bucks for the bike at a tag sale. Five dollars certainly beats spending $300 on an informercial. If I stop using it, I can always re-sell and recoup my investment. One last tip, if you are even considering buying something on TV Google first. One afternoon I left my mother alone at home while I went tagging with my husband. When we got back she told us that she had won a nearly free trip to Florida. The coupons were coming. I went upstairs and googled the company and found out it was a scam. It took a couple of days and a lot of phone calls, but we were able to get her money back. Never ever buy anything off the TV.