Filed under: daily digs
This column, Everyday Cheapskate, is pretty addicting.
After reading through some of the columns, I found a couple of helpful tips:
TRANSPORT A CAKE. I couldn’t afford one of those “fancy” $8 cake savers for transporting cakes, so I just went to the dollar store and bought the biggest plastic bowl I could find with a lid. I set the cake on the lid with a little frosting under the cake to hold it in place and then frosted it, and now I have an airtight cover by using the bowl over it!”
SCRUBBING KERNELS. To clean those small flower/bud vases just use uncooked rice, a drop or two of dishwashing liquid, add water, and shake.
And here’s a sample of one of her Q & A columns:
I’m currently evaluating whether to renew my membership at Costco Discount Warehouse. It seemed like a good idea last year, when we were trying to save money, but now I’m not sure. Is it worth the membership to buy some items in bulk (detergent, for example), or can you shop just as smartly at your local grocery store by watching sales and using coupons? Beth, email
Dear Beth,
I am a member and do enjoy shopping at Costco for the convenience. However, you do bring up such a good point, which reminds me why I call it The $200 Store. It’s hard to get out of there without spending at least $200. I believe that if you are a savvy shopper (I’ll just bet you are), track loss-leaders at the grocery stores in your neighborhood (you can do that for free at MyGroceryDeals.com) and use coupons to reduce even further the sale price of grocery items, you can do much better over all than if you shop at a warehouse club. Surprisingly not all items actually cost less at the warehouse club. Those that are consistently cheaper include milk, eggs, cheese, laundry detergent and frozen chicken. But you have to buy a lot of chicken and wash a lot of clothes just to recoup the membership price each year. I suggest you do your own experiment without the membership for a few months. You can always rejoin if you find you’re spending far more on the “outside.”
Dear Mary,
I am eager to be a stay-at-home mom to my two-year-old. We are paying down the bills. Are there other things we need to be aware of in order to achieve this goal? What are some of the common mistakes working moms make when changing their lifestyles and wallets to be at home with the kids? N.R., emailDear N.,
Your number one priority is to create an emergency fund. At Debt-Proof Living we call that a “Contingency Fund” and it is a pool of money you have stashed away that will bail you out in the event of a financial crisis—like unemployment, a medical situation or even a busted refrigerator. When living on a single income, it is even more important to not put yourselves into a position where you are forced to run to a credit card when something goes wrong. Things will go wrong, so you have to plan on it. I suggest you need at least $10,000 in that fund that you keep in a liquid savings account.
Dear N.,Your number one priority is to create an emergency fund. At Debt-Proof Living we call that a “Contingency Fund” and it is a pool of money you have stashed away that will bail you out in the event of a financial crisis—like unemployment, a medical situation or even a busted refrigerator. When living on a single income, it is even more important to not put yourselves into a position where you are forced to run to a credit card when something goes wrong. Things will go wrong, so you have to plan on it. I suggest you need at least $10,000 in that fund that you keep in a liquid savings account.The biggest mistake women in your situation make when leaving the workplace to be at home is forgetting that they need to change their lifestyle to match their new single-paycheck status. You can’t leave the expenses status quo while you lose a good portion of the household income. I suggest you start practicing now and do many of the chores you are paying others to do like mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool and the house and any others services that you will be able to do. Get passionate about cooking at home. Learn the tricks of slashing your grocery bill. If your income will be cut by half, you’ll need to have that be your goal for your expenses as well. Good luck! And welcome home.
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Hi Mel,
The meats at Costco has better quality than Safeway. I remember Safeway recalled their meat in the past.
I tried to buy meats from Co-op (organic) but the Co-op in Elk Grove closed for business. The meats at Bel Air and Raley’s are good especially the U.S.D.A. Choice.
Comment by Mom 01.22.07 @ 2:13 pm