Free Plants & Mulch

This month I have a tip posted on Bankrate.com's Frugal $ense Tip Contest. I hope you'll vote for mine (entitled Free Plants & Mulch) with the highest rating (7 on a scale of 1-7). Here is the link where you can read the tip and vote. The winner gets $100 from Bankrate.com.

If you can get your friends and family to vote 7 for my tip too, I'd really appreciate it. The contest ends June 30, 2009 (despite the fact it currently says May 31st). So, vote before the end of this month. Thank you!

The Bankrate.com editors actually truncated the tip I submitted. Too bad because there was an additional good point about using Freecycle and Craigslist. But just for you Save 4 Fun readers, I'll post the whole thing here:

When planning yard landscape, consider looking to friends, family, and neighbors for new plants. Take advantage of their surplus and no-longer-wanted plants when they are thinning out their flowerbeds. I’ve filled our yard with beautiful flowers for free. My parents gave us some daffodil bulbs from their yard. A coworker thinned out her irises and gave me some. I got some daylilies from someone on Freecycle.org who needed them removed so he could use the space for a vegetable garden. (Freecycle.org and Craigslist.org are great sources for free plants, including shrubbery, perennials, herbs, groundcover, etc.) Also, I get free mulch from my county’s waste management department. Like many municipalities, they turn brush and leaf pick-up into mulch and offer it to residents free of charge.

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Penny Pinching: Using the Water Saver Line

I have been mindful of my water consumption over the past year as a means of being kind to the environment but also to save money. I have put a half gallon jug of water in each of our toilet tanks to keep at least a little bit of water from going down the drain with each flush. I use water from the dehumidifier to refill the toilet tank after flushing. I also use leftover water in drinking glasses to water the plants.

Our shower water takes a while to heat up. So, another way we save water is to let the water run into a bucket until it is warm enough in which to shower. It's a 10 quart bucket. Depending on a variety of factors (i.e. whether the hot water has been used recently and therefore more quickly ready to go), it may only collect a half gallon or so. Other times the bucket may be completely full by the time the water is at a comfortable temperature. I use that water to refill the toilet tank after flushing too.

We rent a townhouse built in the early 1980s. We aren't in a position to make energy and water saving upgrades that a homeowner could. So, I look for other ways to save. In the case of our toilets, they aren't the new water-efficient models. But I've noticed there are two different fill lines in the toilet tank: the regular one (up at the top) and a lower one marked "water saver line." I couldn't figure out how to make it automatically use the saver line. So, I turned to Google.

I found a great video on ExpertVillage.com with a representative from the City of Santa Barbara's Water Resource Department explaining how to adjust the toilet tank's float to use the water saver line. I made the adjustments on our toilets earlier. It was easy!

So just when I thought I was stretching our water use as much as realistically possible, I found yet another way to save a little more. The adjustment I made today alone should save us about $40 to $50 per year. Again, not huge...but there's no point literally flushing that much down money down the toilet!

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Penny Pinching: Slaying the Energy Vampires

One way we have been pinching our pennies a little tighter is by reducing some of the "vampire energy." We have 4 power strips in different parts of the house that we use for electronics that use energy even when they are turned off.

We have one power strip for the computer. The monitor and printer are also plugged into it. If we aren't going to be using the computer for an hour or more, we turn the whole thing off and then flip the power strip to off. If I'm planning to come back to the computer in a short period of time, I'll put it in standby mode.

We have a stereo upstairs and one downstairs. We don't actually use either one very often, so they get power strips too and stay off the majority of the time.

And we also have a power strip for the TV, cable box, and modem. That one we have off unless we are watching TV, are on the Internet, or will be back to use one of those things in a short period of time. So, it goes off at night when we head to bed and stays off all day while we are at work. Because all three of those things have lights/clocks on them that stay on when they are "off," I know for sure they are energy vampires.

I'm not 100% sure how much we are saving on an annual basis with this tip, but based on Good Magazine's chart, it looks like it may be in the ballpark of $100. That's not huge, but I'll take it. Otherwise, it's like tossing a Benjamin right out the window. And who would do that? The only effort it takes is to remember to turn the power strips on and off.

Oh yes, there is the cost of the getting power strips if you don't already have them. Well, the good news is that you can get basic ones for free after rebate at various stores. I think I may have only paid full price for one of our power strips years ago. I got one of the others at Staples free after rebate one year on Black Friday. I've seen them advertised for the same deal periodically throughout the rest of the year too. I got the other two power strips free after rebate at Rite Aid.

Good news if you need a power strip now: the week of Sunday, November 23, Rite Aid has them free after rebate! (Don't forget to shop early if you want one because they sell out of their rebate deals quickly.)

Finally, this is not only a way to save money, but it's saving energy which is environmentally friendly too!

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Finding More Ways to Be Thrifty

"Goodbye, Money!" That's what I've been saying over the past week as I've watched my retirement savings shrink and shrink. Of course, I've got decades to go before I need to use that money. So, it's painful to watch, but I'm confident the market will be in good shape again one day...I'll be okay. In fact, we aren't changing our contributions to our 401(k)s or IRAs. It's actually slightly exciting to know that we getting stocks on sale. (Now, if I could only find a coupon for Target 2045!)

I suppose a lot of people who haven't been super thrifty are at least thinking about it now. As I mentioned in The Same Old Message, I still listen to all of the saving ideas out there in print, on TV, and on the web. However, it's becoming more and more challenging to find new ideas.

My friend Bryan and fellow Save 4 Fun reader emailed me about an idea he got from Clark Howard that he's trying this year. My dad told me about this one too...so believe it or not, it wasn't new to me. However, I haven't actually tried it. But I might now. Here's what Bryan wrote:

Late last year a caller to the on the Clark Howard Show was asking Clark about his shaving razors...Razors are something I bought frequently and aren't cheap (I like the Gillette Sensor 3, which , in my area, typically costs about $12 for 4 or 5 blades and I was replacing the entire pack every two months or so).

The caller and Clark discussed the reasons razor blades become dull. There are two main reasons: the obvious one where the blade gets dulled by contact with the hair follicles, but the other (and most substantial reason) is because of oxidation of the blade after it has been in contact with water. So, they suggested drying the razor after every use. There are three main methods that they mentioned and I've tried all of them: 1) the best, in my opinion, is to use the hair dryer - typically, it's right there on the counter for most people in the bathroom and it only takes about 10 seconds to dry the blade, 2) wiping it off on a towel - again, this is fairly easy, just make sure to wipe in the opposite direction of the blades - you don't want to cut the towel - and thus damage the blades or 3) dip it in rubbing alcohol - this makes the alcohol replace the water and then the alcohol dries out very quickly - I don't prefer this one because I'm just paranoid I'll forget to rinse the blade before the next use and then I'll be cutting my face with alcohol - not pleasant.

SO, the big question: does it work? I started trying it in January of this year. It's now October and I'm on the same blade! My shave this morning was as close as it was 10 months ago! One note: I don't shave every single day - typically every other day. Clark says it works with disposables just as well. This year, I've spent about $2.40 (for one blade) - compared to last year when I spent about $72 (for about 30 blades total). So, spending 10 seconds to dry the blade each day I shave has saved almost $70.

The next best thing to hearing a new saving tip is knowing someone who has made it successful and has actually saved using it. Right now, I have a basket full of razors I've gotten for free or a little bit of money (because of sales, coupons, and rebates). I'm not too picky on my razors. However, I might choose a good one and try this idea. I know it will take a little time for me to remember to do it each morning after my shower. But I'll eventually make it a habit, I'm sure.

This is also a good way to not only save money but create less waste!

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Gift Bags, Gift Wrap Gallore

I spent a while yesterday working on organizing all of the gift wrapping supplies that we have. The volume of stuff is incredible! Michael asked, "Where did you get all of this?"

Well, I had a bunch -- bags, tags, wrapping paper, tissue paper, bows. I used to buy it when I found it on clearance (usually at Target). He also had some that he brought to our household when we got married. But the bulk is from the wedding.

I was pretty lucky in that I had several friends and family members who wanted to host a bridal shower for me. It wasn't really possible to combine any of them. So, I had three showers thrown in my honor. Then, of course, there were all of the wedding gifts. Many of them were shipped to us without wrapping. However, quite a few were delivered in lovely boxes and bags with ribbons and bows.

I'm not a hoarder, but I do hate throwing good stuff away. I want to either give it away, sell it, or use it...not throw it away. All of these wrapping supplies were no exception. In fact, that stuff can be kind of expensive if you buy it full price. So many people gave us gifts in such nice bags with beautiful ribbons and bow -- it seemed crazy to throw it away from an environmental and financial point of view.

As a result, we now have about $600 in retail value of wrapping supplies. Okay, I don't actually know the value of it, but it's a lot of stuff! In fact, after organizing it and boxing it up, I'm not sure I can all be stored under one bed.

If you get a gift from us in the next 10 years or so, it's probably going to be wrapped in reused tissue paper, in a reused gift bag, or tied with a reused ribbon and bow. I hope you'll be able to pass it on too.

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Saving on Moving Boxes

When we moved my sister out and my husband-to-be in, neither of them had to buy moving boxes. That's good because that seems a little ridiculous to me to buy boxes.

Angie's friends had just moved and had lots of boxes that they had purchased from the moving company. They were nice boxes that both she and Michael used.

They also used the boxes that reams of paper come in too. Those are great sized boxes for carrying and for stacking. They work well for storage as well. We got those for free from our offices.

Another source of boxes was the shipping boxes in which many of our wedding gifts arrived. They were also good sized boxes because they were big enough to hold a fair amount of items but not too big to carry once filled.

If none of those sources works for you or doesn't provide enough for your needs, check out Freecycle and Craigslist. I see people giving away moving boxes all of the time on those sites. Actually, once we get settled, I'll give ours away that way too. It's better to give them at least one more use than to recycle them since they are all still in good shape.

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Coupon Organizer

I have a coupon organizer -- you know, one of those little file folders to carry to the grocery store. It used to be my companion on every trip to the grocery or drug store. However, in the past few years I've used it less and less, even though I'm using coupons more and more. The main reason for this is that I now only clip and carry the coupons I need. I figure out which ones those are in advance with the help of Coupon Mom's website.

I use an old/used envelope (that is blank or nearly blank on one side) for my shopping list. (If I'm going to multiple stores, using one for each store works well.) Then, I tuck the coupons that correspond with items on that list inside the envelope. I'm all set when I get to the store. I know what I want to buy. I have the coupons ready. Shopping and saving are easy!

By the way, this system is great way to give new life to an old envelope that is otherwise trash!

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Reducing the Expense of Facial Cleansing Cloths

I like to use disposible facial cleansing cloths at night to wash my face. I know that using a regular wash cloth and cleanser would be less expensive and better for the environment. But for some reason, the disposible cloths have always worked better for me -- my face and my routine. To stretch out how long a package of the cloths will last (and therefore, reduce the overall cost and waste), I cut them all in half when I open a new box. The half size is plenty to wash my face. And then, I get 60 nights' use out of a package instead of just 30.

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More on Coffee Savings

My sister has realized that she has gotten in the habit of buying the largest size drink ("Venti" which is 20 oz) when she goes to Starbucks. She says she didn't really need the biggest one, so this year she's cutting back to the 12 oz cup called "Tall" (which she says is really more than enough). By doing this, she has reduced her spending and her caloric intake. However, as Kate pointed out in her comment on Cutting Down on Coffee, you can actually order a "Short" (8 oz) even though it isn't on the menu in Starbucks. However, it is listed on their website's nutrition information. Oh - a secret little tip! Thanks, Kate!

I had another idea when my friend was trying to think of ways to cut back on her coffee outings without cutting the "treat" factor out. I will tell you again that I don't know that much about coffee. So, I'm not 100% sure this is an excellent idea, but it might be at least a decent alternative. Ask for a latte maker as a gift (i.e. birthday, Christmas, wedding). Perhaps it would be less expensive in the long run to make them at home, even if you bought the latte maker on your own. In her comment on Cutting Down on Coffee, Nikki recommends the Nespresso Milk Frother for the home barista in you.

I know my parents often keep, wash, and reuse the coffee cups and lids when they get them at a coffee shop/fast food restaurant. They can keep them for quite a while before they get too worn out. This is good for coffee on the go. If you can't or don't want to keep the cup while you are out and about, just throw it away. You don't have to worry about having to tote a regular reusable mug with you for the rest of the day. But if possible, leave it in the car and reuse it another time.

Is the whole idea of getting coffee at a shop because it's a treat...out of the house? You probably shouldn't take your own drink into a coffee shop, but maybe there's another place you could hang out like a park or shopping mall, or even a quiet space in your home, and enjoy your drink.

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Before You Throw Away Your Christmas Cards

It's about time to start putting away all of the Christmas decorations. For me, that also includes recycling the Christmas cards that we've received. For the past several years, I've tried a tip that I've read several times in various places: turn this year's Christmas cards into next year's Christmas present tags.

I look at each card and see if it has a pretty picture that could be trimmed down into a gift tag. The only stipulation is that it can't have any of the personalized message on it/someone's handwriting. Obviously, you also don't want to use the picture of someone else's kids as a gift tag! However, still look at those photo cards. Some of them have nice graphics that you could cut out to use as a tag. If a card has a big design, it could still be used. Larger tags look nice on big packages.

Once you have them all cut out, save the tags in an envelope or paper bag. Store them with the rest of your Christmas gift wrap so that you'll be ready with tags next year.

When you pull them out next December, there are a few different ways you can use them. You could tape it down on the gift box and write the "to" and "from" message on the front. Another option is to punch a hole in the corner and tie it the gift with a ribbon. For this type, you could write a message on the front or back of the tag.

I've found that these gift tags look really nice on plain paper (no design). The tag is the focal point with a pretty picture. I've also been able to match a tag with the wrapping paper (i.e. snowflake tag with snowman paper), which is really cute.

At after-Christmas sales, you can get gift tags at a very, very low price. However, this is a good way to reuse part of your old Christmas cards and have unique, beautiful tags.

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It Was Worth A Try

Back in July, I got a new position at work that didn't require me to drive as often as I had been. It also meant I was no longer entitled to having half of my monthly parking fee reimbursed. I crunched the numbers, and it appeared I could save some money if I stopped driving and started taking public transportation. Luckily, I do live an area that has great bus and subway systems. I also live and work in relatively safe neighborhoods. So, I decided I would try it out for a few months and see how it went.

While there have been some trying times...bus was late, bus was too full to stop, bus was early, bus didn't show up, bus was really overcrowded, A/C went out on the Metro on one of the hottest days of the summer, Metro was delayed, Metro was temporarily shut down due to "suspicious package," Metro was packed, and the weather has ranged from blazing hot to freezing cold to extremely windy to pouring rain to slippery ice and snow...all-in-all, it has been a positive experience!

Sure, I gave up a few things when I stopped driving, like my freedom to come and go when I wanted or to load up on groceries at the store by my office before heading home. However, I've found the advantages to taking public transportation far out weigh all of that. Here the benefits:

1. It takes the same amount of time as driving but is generally less stressful.
2. I can read or do other things on the bus/train and while waiting at the stop/platform. I've found keeping a magazine stashed in my bag helps pass the time nicely.
3. I get a little exercise walking to and from my home and office and up and down the escalators in the Metro stations.
4. I get to "experience" the city -- complete with the daily hustle and bustle of the busy sidewalks. It reminds me fondly of the time I spent studying in London in college (where I didn't have a car).
5. I hear live music nearly every morning and some evenings. The street musicians make me smile because it sometimes seems like a movie soundtrack. For example, one gray morning as it was just beginning to rain, the guitarist outside the Farragut North station started playing Rain Drops Are Falling on My Head. Very cool!
6. I'm doing my part to help reduce congestion on the roads and emissions in the air.
7. Most mornings the bus drivers are really friendly and great me with a chipper "Good morning" as I board, and a warm "Have a nice day!" as I exit. It gives me flashbacks to nice bus drivers from elementary school.
8. The Express newspaper distributors are also very welcoming outside of the Metro stations. I don't know where they get their energy so early in the morning, but between them and the bus drivers, they help me get in a good mood.
9. I get to mentally prepare for the day at work and to wind down from the day on my commute, rather than worrying about driving in the crazy DC traffic.
10. I actually get to work and leave work on time because I have to -- I have a bus/train to catch. If I am late, it's usually not my fault.
11. I save the daily wear and tear on my car.
12. I don't have to worry about driving in bad weather.

I get all of these things, plus I've saved money. Between August 1 and December 31, I've estimated that I've saved $300 by changing from driving to work to taking the bus and Metro! In truth, it's probably more than that because the price of gas has gone up since I calculated my average driving cost.

Yes, the price of Metro fare (train and bus) is going up starting January 6. Based on the information on Metro's website, I will be paying 60 cents more per day or about $12 more per month. However, the bus fare will remain the same for people like me who use a SmarTrip card, which is fantastic. That's a 10 cent/day savings. I also don't see any information about the bus transfer fare changing, which is good. Metro has said that they are going to be improving service with the fare increase. Luckily for me, I will actually personally reap the benefits. They are adding 3 more buses to my route in the morning and two more in the evening. Yippee! Maybe that will smooth over some of the frustrations that I do experience on my commute.

So, in the end, my public transportation experiment was worth a try! I'll stick with it, even through the cold of winter.

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The Little Things Add Up

While I don't have an actual figure to share with you, I'm certain that lots of little things add up to big savings. Here are a few things that I've used or done today that are really easy, cost no additional money, and actually have saved me at least a little money. As a bonus, they all have also helped me be a little more environmentally friendly too.

1. I live in a place that was built in the early 1980s. I'm pretty sure that the toilets are the originals, meaning they aren't the water-saving models that you could get today. As I mentioned in my Frugal $ense winning tip article as well as my Water, Water Everywhere post, I try to reuse some of my excess water in various ways. However, I've also recently put a half-gallon milk jug in my toilet tank. It is filled with water so it will sink to the bottom of the tank. However, each time I flush, that half a gallon of water does not leave the tank or have to be refilled because it stays in the jug. I'm estimating that's about a 2,000 gallon and $18.40 savings per year. Not huge -- but I'll take it.

2. I pay some of bills through means other than mailing a check to the company I owe. However, I still get the statements in the mail which include a blank envelope every time. I save those for when I need to mail something where else (i.e. mail-in rebate). I just write the mailing address on a small slip of paper and tape it on the inside so that it can be seen through the window of the envelope. I haven't bought envelopes in ages, so I'm not sure how much they cost. However, I would imagine I'm saving at least $3-$5 per year.

3. I use grocery bags to line my small trash cans. They aren't exactly pretty, but it works. I just realized something new today. I can tie off or cut down my dry-cleaning bags (the clear plastic ones that cover the clean garments) to fit my small trash cans. Now, I have plain trash bags without the name of a store on them. It looks a little nicer. Again, I don't buy small trash bags, so I don't know how much they cost. However, I'm going to guess that I'm saving at least $5-$8 per year.

Like I said, each of these things doesn't save me large sums of money. However, if someone gave you $30 each year, would you turn it down? That's how I see these little savings tips. They don't take any more of my time or energy, and they save me money. So, I'll keep at it and see what other tricks I can learn to save little bits (which add up to a lot).

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Water, Water Everywhere

My beverage of choice is almost always water. It stems back to my childhood when on a regular basis our only options to drink were orange juice (which I only liked for breakfast), milk (which I've never liked), or water (which I probably chose back then by default). Now, I just like water. Besides liking to drink it, it has several big benefits: it's easy to get (don't need to go to the store); it's healthy; and it's inexpensive (tap water is okay for me).

I've noticed that I never drink all of my water (either the actual water I put in the glass or from the ice that melts). So, over the past couple of months, I've been saving that water in a pitcher on the kitchen counter by the sink. By the end of the week, I have enough to water my 16 house plants. Sometimes I even have more than enough for the plants. When that happens, I put the surplus into the toilet tank when it is refilling after I've flushed it.

No, I'm probably not going to be able to retire early with this little savings plan. However, I do believe every little bit helps. It's not any extra effort, so why not? Plus, I'm helping the environment in a small way. No sense in being wasteful.

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Brrr...Saving Some Heat at the Socket

A few years ago, I noticed a strong draft coming through our electrical outlets. Cold air was pouring in through those little holes. I took off the covers of all of the outlets that are on a wall adjacent to the outside and added a socket sealer before returning the cover. That helped, but I could still feel air coming through the outlet. So, I put in those socket covers that you use to keep children from sticking something in the outlet. It worked! With those two simple and inexpensive measures, I'm helping keep Old Man Winter out. While I'm sure it is helping the heating bill, I'm not able to actually quantify the savings. However, I can definitely feel a difference by the outlets.

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Filling the Freezer

I was just reading this article about how a full freezer uses less energy than an empty one because it has less space to cool. That's a nice bonus for my sister/roommate Angie and me who always have a packed freezer. We have lots of frozen stuff for other "saving" reasons:

1. We both stock up on fresh meats when they go on sale. For example, right now, I have a $16 pork tenderloin that I got for $5 when it went on sale the other week for $1.99/lb. Angie has a London broil that she got when it was buy one, get one free. (We ate the other one the week she bought them.) When we want to eat these things, we won't have to pay full price or have to set our craving aside while waiting until they go on sale again. We already have them in stock!

2. We also take advantage of frozen food deals in the same way. We stash away our favorite ice cream, frozen vegetables, frozen waffles, and frozen dinners.

3. I mention frozen dinners, but they are mostly Angie's since I don't care much for them -- the manufactured kind that is. However, we both freeze leftovers of food we have made. A lot of meals we make (i.e. spaghetti sauce, soups, casseroles, and more) can be frozen and taste pretty good when reheated. It works out well because we don't have to keep eating the same leftovers day after day, and when we need a quick meal, we've got something good just minutes from being ready to eat. (That saves us from eating out when we are too tired or hungry to cook or are short on time.)

4. Sometimes we will even prepare something especially for the freezer to have on hand for a quick bite. Most recently, we have discovered that English muffin pizzas freeze really well. We buy English muffins when they are on sale and use pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and our favorite topping(s) to make little pizzas. These make great snacks or quick meals at home or lunch for work. I have access to a toaster oven at my office, so I just freeze mine uncooked. Angie only has a microwave at work, so she discovered that baking, freezing, and then microwaving them at work is pretty good. We package two pizzas (one muffin split in half) in aluminum foil and freeze them. Mine came out to $0.38 per pizza. (2 packages of English muffins (6 count): $3.05; 1 can of pizza sauce: $1.32; 1 package of mozzarella cheese: $3.47; 1 can of mushrooms: $1.23.) Not bad for a yummy lunch that my coworkers covet!

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What's so fun about saving?!

Saving is fun!

The title of this blog is actually a play on words. Yes, saving is somewhat of a game to me (how much can I get for just a little bit of money?) -- and games are fun! You can also save your money and resources so that you can do fun things, go to fun places, and have fun with your friends and family. You are actually saving for fun (stuff). Get it?!

Being stressed out about bills, credit card debt, rent/mortgage payments, health-care expenses, etc. is also the exact opposite of fun. Living on a tiny Social Security check (if there is one by the time I get to that age!) or working every day until I'm 75 or 80 also doesn't sound like fun. So, I think saving for the future and saving to ensure I don't have to worry about the many expenses of day-to-day living is indeed FUN!

This summer I won Bankrate.com's Frugal $ense contest. As a part of the prize, one of their staffers called me to do an interview that was posted on their website. In that article, I talked a little about this game called "Saving" and some of the fun stuff I can find to do with my money. The interviewer Sheyna Steiner seemed to like the idea of saving on every day things in order to have more spending money. Another person who thought that this was a good idea was Stephanie Nelson. In fact, it was Stephanie who suggested I start a blog and see if I could help other people save and have fun doing it.

So, let the saving and the fun begin!

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