Playing Fair with Money (Janssen)

Money can often cause problems in relationships. It's just an awkward and touchy subject. It's easy to feel like you're getting taken advantage of or suddenly realize six months after the fact that you forgot to pay them back for the movie ticket they bought you. I hate those kinds of situations.

A friend of mine called me the other day because she was running to the store to purchase an item that had unexpectedly gone on sale and she knew I was interested in one too. She offered to pick one up for me. A few hours later, I got an email from her telling me the exact cost, including tax.

I logged onto my bank's website, plugged in her address and the amount, and sent a check off to her, then an email to her telling her I'd done so.

I didn't have to think about it again (or try to remember to have my checkbook on hand the next time I saw her), she didn't have the awkwardness of wondering if she should remind me or just eat the cost, and neither of us had to wonder if we'd paid more or less than we ought to have. It was so lovely and I've had this experience with this same friend a number of times. She knows I'll pay her back in full and I know she'll be upfront about how much I owe her so I don't have to feel guilty.

I've really come to appreciate this from my in-laws. Bart's mom is the kind to be very upfront about money - you always know when they are planning to pay for dinner (no uncomfortable moments when the check arrives). There's no rounding up or down. If she owes you money for something you purchased in her behalf, you'll get reimbursed to the penny. And then when you pay her back, you don't have to wonder if you should round up. Easy and straight forward.

For someone like me who has enough social worries, this is very comforting to me. And I can't tell you how many times in the six years we've been together that Bart has commented how much he loves this about his mom. He probably mentions it at least once a month.

I'm sure you've all had "friends" who are happy to take advantage of you as far as money is concerned - never paying you back, or happily pocketing a little extra that you've paid.

Of course, I want to be the kind of person who doesn't drop a friend over $5, but even more so, I want to be the kind of friend that someone else doesn't have to worry will try and short them $5 (or $50).

Controlling Your Hobbies (Carole)

A few years back, it was common to see bumper stickers that said , "The One Who Dies With the Most _______ Wins."  The blank was always filled-in with a hobby such things as fabric, boats, cars, power tools, dolls, Beanie Babies, yarn, baseball cards. . . you name it.  In the beginning I found this sentiment pretty amusing, as I had my own stash of hobby items in my spare room too, but the older I get the more I realize how much money can be mindlessly wasted on hobbies -- no matter how fun or even noble they may be.

For instance, when my children were very young, one of my dear friends casually mentioned that she liked to own every book she read.  I had never thought of this before, but suddenly decided this was a FANTASTIC idea, and latched right on to it.  Janssen and Merrick (and everyone who knows me at all) can attest that I have spent the past 20+ years  purchasing hundreds of book -- actually probably more that that.  In fact, very few things make me happier than spending time in a bookstore and walking out with a new book or two.  However, these books have come with a cost -- above and beyond the purchase price.  I have to shelve them, sort them, dust them, move them, alphabetize them, give them away, throw some away, and I've even forgotten about some and purchased duplicate copies by accident more than a few times. . . you name it, I've done it.  It's been a fun hobby (and I've LOVED reading all kinds of wonderful books), but maybe the original good idea just got away from me.  As you can imagine, this has also been a very expensive hobby for me -- truthfully I can hardly walk into Barnes and Noble without spending $40 (at least).

Amusingly enough, I recently spoke to this friend (who I had lost touch with for a few years) and found that she now has a Kindle and has given away nearly all her books.  She said that she'd be surprised if she owns more than 10 books right now!  Wow.  So who's winning?  We both still have hundreds of books, but she gets most of hers online for free (she reads a ton of classics) and never has to care for them in any way!  And she appears to be saving a lot more money on her reading than I am.

I'm sorry to say, I have this same trouble with fabric, yarn and magazines.  I obviously have some serious issues with this subject!

Maybe you too have a hobby that has gotten away from you.  Do you buy the latest gadget or newest thing, JUST BECAUSE?  Is it time to pull the plug?

Here are some ways to curb your reflex hobby spending:

1.  Avoid stores that sell what you crave
2.  Avoid people who encourage you to buy more of this item
3.  Organize what you have so you'll know what you truly need in this area of your life
4.  Take stock of your stash and decide to enjoy what you already have
5.  Ask for this type of item as gifts from others
6.  Walk away

Decorating For The Holidays On A Budget (Merrick)

I love decorating for Christmas, but every year I struggle with our small space, the additional cost on top of gifts, and good ideas that aren't tacky.

Despite my past failed attempts, I was determined to come up with something good. So this year I turned to my new best friend, the dollar store. The store closest to me is The Dollar Tree, and they have an excellent selection of Christmas items -- all for only one dollar! So after a little inspiration from blogs, I made my way to the store and picked up a few fun things. Let me show you what I ended up with:

[three ornament packs, two Dollar Tree vases, one vase I already owned, ribbon from Christmas last year, serving platter I already owned]


[half a pack of ornaments, vase I already owned, candle I already owned, ribbon from last year]




[2 Dollar Tree vases, 1/2 a pack of DT ornaments, 2 packs of DT candy canes, ribbon from last year]

[old picture frame, free printable art from a blog]


[vase I already owned, berry branches from my front yard spray painted white and sprinkled with glitter]


I'm really happy with how these decorations turned out. They're classy and pretty, and best of all I spent less than $10 on everything. It is possible to decorating for the holidays without blowing your budget!

How are you saving on your holiday decorations this year?

Saving on Holiday Shopping (Janssen)

I cannot believe it is December. . .this year has RACED by for me.

And now the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Which likely means at least some shopping.

Two things to help you save a little money this year:

First, my annual plug for Ebates. There are about 1200 participating stores and you get cash back from any purchase you make through Ebates. Just sign up for a free account (you also get a bonus $5 or a $10 gift card for signing up) and then navigate to the store through the Ebates website, then make your purchase as normal. And voila, some percentage back of your purchase price. You'll get a check in a couple of months. I checked earlier this week and over the last couple of years, I've made over $250 (in fact, I have my most recent check for $26 in my purse waiting to be cashed at this very moment). And that's for someone who doesn't do a ton of shopping online. I'm never one to say no to free money.

Second, I just found out about ShopRunner, a program that works much like Amazon Prime (where you pay a yearly subscription fee and then you get free two day shipping on your purchases). Shoprunner works for a number of stores (right now the list is somewhat limited, but it does include Borders, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, The Sports Authority, etc) and if you purchase a membership, you get free shipping with all those stores. But, of course, who wants to pay $79 for that privilege?

As I mentioned, I don't do a lot of online shopping, so I would never pay for an account, but I was certainly happy to sign up for the free 30 day trial. I got three books for five dollars and didn't pay a dime of shipping last week and then I made a HUGE note in my dayplanner to cancel my membership before the 30 days is up. If you're ordering Christmas gifts through any of the participating stores and you can remember to cancel your membership before you get charged, you can get all your shipping free and fast with the 30 day trial. No minimum purchase and, at least at Borders, even items from other sellers (including used items) qualify for free shipping. Also, you can get free return shipping on any purchase, so if you sign up now, you'll still have a few days after Christmas to return things as needed before your free membership expires.

Let me say it again, though, don't forget to make a note to cancel it before you get charged! Spending $79 to save $50 on shipping isn't saving money.