So... you're taking a Dave Ramsey class are you? Do you need to know how to host the BEST yard sale ever? Want to sell so much stuff the kids think they're next? Here are a few tips for making the most money off your second hand stuff!
1. Location, Location, Location::
Find a friend who lives on a main street or is visible from a main street. The more traffic you have coming past, the more people are going to shop. (If this is not an option for you, make sure your signs are VERY visible and easy to follow. Pick one color and make all your signs that same color.)
2. Bigger is Better::
The larger the yard sale, the more people you will draw. Buddy up! If a neighbor is having a yard sale, hold yours on the same day. Or if you are having a yard sale, let your neighbors know so they can have one too! Large items cause people to stop, so put them in a place visible from the road.
3. In an Orderly Fashion::
Have you ever gone to a yard sale where there was a HUGE box of clothes just sitting there? The price may be right, but the items won't sell because people don't want to take the time to go through "junk". Hang up as many clothing items as possible. Organize kids clothes by size, set up tables to make items more visible.
4. Pricing::
This is a yard sale people, not eBay! Price your items according to the true value, or what YOU would pay for it at a yard sale. The goal is to get rid of stuff as well as make money, so price accordingly and be willing to bargain. If you are firm on a price encourage the interested party to come back after a certain time at which you will lower your price! Make sure all prices are clearly marked. (And please don't price something outrageously because of sentimental value, it's not fair to the people who are looking for a good deal, not a keepsake!)
5. $1.00::
When your yard sale is wrapping up I've found it's easy to get rid of the rest of the stuff by putting out a sign that says "Everything $1.00 or less" I'm amazed at the number of people that will stop and buy an item for $1.00 that I had marked at a dollar all day long!
6. Details::
Have change ready before the day begins. Inevitably the first person to shop at your yard sale will hand you a twenty dollar bill for the 75 cent item they've chosen, so be ready!
Have plenty of plastic and paper bags saved up for the big day. This will encourage people to buy more than their hands can carry.
Do not hold items for someone unless they have paid for the item. Even the kindest looking patron will leave you holding something for them while they find a better bargain at a different yard sale!
7. Have Fun::
Allow the kids to sell their own items. (if you feel up to it, invest in some suckers or Popsicles for them to sell!) Put a smile on your face and engage the shoppers, people who like to make conversation also like to shop!
Hope this will help you gear up for this summer and get a little moolah from your mess.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Costco... Money Saver or Malarky?
Recently a friend of mine asked me if a Costco membership was worth the membership fee and the time it takes to shop there. So, sitting down to do the math compelled me to blog this for you...
A Costco Membership is $50. a year... let's break that down into the 12 months since you would probably go only once a month or so!
That means you are paying about $4.16 a month to use their services. In order to make this worth the time and money spent shopping there you would have to save MORE than $4.16 a month.
As I have figured previously you can buy diapers and wipes at comparable prices, or even cheaper from other stores. (however I must say, the actual quality of the items is considerably better at Costco!)
Gasoline fill ups are the main thing we do at Costco so I will use that as the baseline for my figuring here! We fill our tank which is a 15 gallon tank 3 or sometimes 4 times per month. As I mentioned before they are at least 2-4 cents cheaper than Arco or any other station around and have no ATM fee. so I save $1.35 on average each month by filling up at Costco. (the high end of this figure is $2.04, with the ATM fee added) If gas is the only thing you buy there, obviously NO it's not worth the money, but we buy Aaron's jeans at Costco. Another store would sell the same jeans for around $40.00, but at Costco they are about $17.00. This $23.00 difference added to the gasoline for the year almost pays for the membership. If you add in major purchases such as furniture, electronics, tires, etc. then YES it more than pays for itself!
What about pictures? I like to get my Photo Christmas Cards from Costco.com. They are $27.00 for 1oo cards and envelopes that I can pick up the next day in store. A comparable online photo website charges $45 for the cards, and another $15.oo for shipping. That's $60.00 total, or I can pick them up in store dropping my total to $50.00. If I buy them from Costco, that's a $23.00 savings!
Lest you be deceived that I'm saying Costco is the end-all-be-all of money saving, I'm not. I'm only saying be savy on what you purchase there. If you can get quality 2-ply toilet paper at WalMart for less than 45 cents a roll, and that's the only thing you ever buy at Costco, please, don't waste your money paying them to shop in their big warehouse where you buy things in 50lb. bags!
So I guess the real question is not is a membership worth it, but what would you buy at Costco????
Time is Money
Tight wadding is truly a lifestyle change for many. When you are finding ways to save money it's important to remember the old adage that "Time is Money". This can be looked at from two VERY different perspectives. Most people have more of one or the other. When you have more money than time, the time becomes more valuable. However when you have more time than money, the money then becomes the valuable commodity.
The tasks that save money on a daily basis need to be evaluated based on how much money you are saving verses the time expended to save the money. This can be confusing, so I'll break it down for you…
For me to have Aaron's dress shirts laundered it would cost me approximately $4 each shirt. However for me to starch and iron them myself would take approximately 30 minutes for a handful of shirts. Let's say just for arguments sake that it takes me a full 10 minutes to starch and iron a single shirt, this means I could do 6 shirts in an hour making my "hourly wage" $24.00. Look at the savings!
It’s a good idea to compile a list of the activities that you pursue in order to save money, then figure out the rate of savings per hour. The second factor involved is the amount of satisfaction or enjoyment you get out of each of the activities. If the activity rates high on the list and they have a high hourly rate of savings they are worth your time. However if the activity is not one you enjoy and the savings is minimal, you know this is one you can skimp on every now and then!
Another aspect of the “time is money” adage is how you view items you are wanting to purchase. When working as a nanny I was making $12.00 an hour (before taxes). When I was in the store looking at something I wanted to buy I would calculate how many hours it would take me to pay for it. Often times the really cute sweater, didn’t seem as cute once I realized how long it would take me to earn it. How many hours are you willing to work to get what you want?
These are two ways to look at time and money, so while you are compiling your list of hourly rates and deciding what your hourly rate should be, here are a few time saving tips!
1. Daily details. Deep cleaning takes time, so keep up with the light cleaning so you don’t have to do it as frequently.
2. Mass production! This can be used in many ways but my favorite is with foods to be stored or frozen. Why make enchiladas once a month when you can make four batches at once and freeze them for future use!
3. Organize. When things are in order it takes less time for you to find things giving you more time to do the things you really want to do.
The tasks that save money on a daily basis need to be evaluated based on how much money you are saving verses the time expended to save the money. This can be confusing, so I'll break it down for you…
For me to have Aaron's dress shirts laundered it would cost me approximately $4 each shirt. However for me to starch and iron them myself would take approximately 30 minutes for a handful of shirts. Let's say just for arguments sake that it takes me a full 10 minutes to starch and iron a single shirt, this means I could do 6 shirts in an hour making my "hourly wage" $24.00. Look at the savings!
It’s a good idea to compile a list of the activities that you pursue in order to save money, then figure out the rate of savings per hour. The second factor involved is the amount of satisfaction or enjoyment you get out of each of the activities. If the activity rates high on the list and they have a high hourly rate of savings they are worth your time. However if the activity is not one you enjoy and the savings is minimal, you know this is one you can skimp on every now and then!
Another aspect of the “time is money” adage is how you view items you are wanting to purchase. When working as a nanny I was making $12.00 an hour (before taxes). When I was in the store looking at something I wanted to buy I would calculate how many hours it would take me to pay for it. Often times the really cute sweater, didn’t seem as cute once I realized how long it would take me to earn it. How many hours are you willing to work to get what you want?
These are two ways to look at time and money, so while you are compiling your list of hourly rates and deciding what your hourly rate should be, here are a few time saving tips!
1. Daily details. Deep cleaning takes time, so keep up with the light cleaning so you don’t have to do it as frequently.
2. Mass production! This can be used in many ways but my favorite is with foods to be stored or frozen. Why make enchiladas once a month when you can make four batches at once and freeze them for future use!
3. Organize. When things are in order it takes less time for you to find things giving you more time to do the things you really want to do.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
All in the Family...
Hello Readers! Today's tidbit comes from none other than my Mom! She is the tightwad who inspires me daily. Living on a fixed income will be no problem next year when my father retires, because she is a woman who can make her money stretch!
She sent me the link to this website for all kinds of money saving tips... enjoy!
http://clarkhoward.com/
She sent me the link to this website for all kinds of money saving tips... enjoy!
http://clarkhoward.com/
Monday, February 9, 2009
Less Is More
Creative Deprivation
By Amy Dacyczyn
This is an article printed in the Tightwad Gazette that really caught my attention. As she mentions near the end of the article, this is a principle that is for everyone, not just children. I pray you appreciate it as much as I did. Let’s learn to live like no one else…happy tight wadding!
Amy
At a yard sale I attended, a ten-year- old kid was barely visible behind a table piled with GI Joe paraphernalia. Along with about 30 Joe dolls, he was selling his Joe tanks, Joe bazookas, Joe rocket belts and Joe you-name-it.
What struck me was what contempt he seemed to have for the stuff -he was practically giving it away. It was clear that this huge collection, which must have cost several hundred dollars to buy, was now an immense bore to him. When I commented to his parents about the good deals at their son’s table, they just rolled their eyes as if to say “That’s kids for you.”
Increasingly, I see this trend toward excess in children’s lives. A friend, who has one child, says his son is so bombarded with toys from friends and relatives that “I don’t tell him to clean his room-I tell him to shovel it out.”
While we, as kids, might have been devastated to lose a favorite toy, kids today don’t even bother to keep track of their stuff. When a friend found an $80 Game Boy, in his house, he was unable to learn whose it was. Six months later, the ten-year-old owner spotted her toy during a visit. She casually remarked, “Oh, I was wondering where I left that.”
And the excess problem is not just toys. The average kid spends more than four hours parked in front of a TV each day. If there’s nothing good to watch on TV (or cable), they have an unlimited supply of movies and games.
As a result of all this stuff and stimulation, kids regard overload as a normal condition. Anything less- a walk in the woods, making cookies, or sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher- is boring.
In contrast, using a concept I call “creative deprivation” is, in my view, a healthier way to raise children.
The idea behind creative deprivation is that every event should have space around it, so that the event can stand out and be appreciated. A simple example is a frame around a picture, which provides a space to make it stand out from the wall.
Until this century, the space occurred naturally. Entertainment and material goods were hard to come by, so they were appreciated when they came along. A child cherished his few toys, and music was a special event, because it could only be heard when musicians were assembled.
The challenge of modern life is that we have to actively create the space. With mass production, toys are cheap enough to swamp even poorer families. With TV, DVD’s and video games, flashy entertainment can come into every home 24 hours a day.
That’s why the best parents understand that their kids can have too much of a good thing. They place limitations on the stuff and stimulation. They are tough enough to slow down the flow of goodies.
Often people think we refuse to avalanche our kids with toys because we are tightwads. But saving money is NOT the main reason. I just feel there’s nothing sadder than a jaded eight-year-old.
Conversely, it’s delightful to see a kid thrilled by a simple pleasure. During a rare trip to a mall a few years ago, we were shipping for a gift for one of our children, whose birthday falls in May-just before yard-sale season kicks in and just as I’m running out of stuff from the previous season. To distract the kids while Jim went back to the store to pick up the gift and hide it in the car, we popped into an ice-cream shop and I ordered a junior cone for each child, which they consumed in complete silence, savoring every drip. I was very proud of my brood and their ability to enjoy these little treats.
Many parents, seeing their children appreciate junior cones, would buy them cones during each trip to the mall. Soon, seeing the kid’s enthusiasm waning, they would assume they must wow them with banana splits. When those no longer produce the desired effect, they would move up to the jumbo deluxe sundae… and so on, until the kids become impossible to please.
But I see diminished appreciation as a barometer that shows when kids have had too much. Instead of moving up to the banana split, I decrease the frequency of junior cones.
While it’s true I don’t raise my kids this way to save money, saving is a natural by-product of creative deprivation. Not only do I save on the constant expense of the ever-increasing amount of stuff and stimulation, but when I do treat the kids, they get the same wow for less money.
Creative deprivation does have a few rules. Limit the things kids don’t need, but don’t limit the things they do need-such as good nutrition and parenting attention. Second, provide them with alternatives. Our kids have their own “office” in my office where they do artwork, a tree house they can build on with scrap wood, a playhouse in the attic, and a selection of Lego’s and toys that demand creativity. If you limit passive entertainment, kids eventually get beyond the boredom and begin to be creative.
Incidentally, this insight of mine, while brilliant, isn’t new. About 2,500 years ago, the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu wrote:
Guard the senses
And life is ever full…
Always be busy
And life is beyond hope.
Finally, creative deprivation works for adults too. If you seem to need increasingly expensive thrills and gadgets to keep from being bored, I suggest you step off the merry-go-round. Thought is might seem more boring at first, eventually you’ll come to enjoy a game of checkers with your nine-year-old, trying a new recipe-or, one of Jim’s favorites, watching the freezer defrost.
By Amy Dacyczyn
This is an article printed in the Tightwad Gazette that really caught my attention. As she mentions near the end of the article, this is a principle that is for everyone, not just children. I pray you appreciate it as much as I did. Let’s learn to live like no one else…happy tight wadding!
Amy
At a yard sale I attended, a ten-year- old kid was barely visible behind a table piled with GI Joe paraphernalia. Along with about 30 Joe dolls, he was selling his Joe tanks, Joe bazookas, Joe rocket belts and Joe you-name-it.
What struck me was what contempt he seemed to have for the stuff -he was practically giving it away. It was clear that this huge collection, which must have cost several hundred dollars to buy, was now an immense bore to him. When I commented to his parents about the good deals at their son’s table, they just rolled their eyes as if to say “That’s kids for you.”
Increasingly, I see this trend toward excess in children’s lives. A friend, who has one child, says his son is so bombarded with toys from friends and relatives that “I don’t tell him to clean his room-I tell him to shovel it out.”
While we, as kids, might have been devastated to lose a favorite toy, kids today don’t even bother to keep track of their stuff. When a friend found an $80 Game Boy, in his house, he was unable to learn whose it was. Six months later, the ten-year-old owner spotted her toy during a visit. She casually remarked, “Oh, I was wondering where I left that.”
And the excess problem is not just toys. The average kid spends more than four hours parked in front of a TV each day. If there’s nothing good to watch on TV (or cable), they have an unlimited supply of movies and games.
As a result of all this stuff and stimulation, kids regard overload as a normal condition. Anything less- a walk in the woods, making cookies, or sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher- is boring.
In contrast, using a concept I call “creative deprivation” is, in my view, a healthier way to raise children.
The idea behind creative deprivation is that every event should have space around it, so that the event can stand out and be appreciated. A simple example is a frame around a picture, which provides a space to make it stand out from the wall.
Until this century, the space occurred naturally. Entertainment and material goods were hard to come by, so they were appreciated when they came along. A child cherished his few toys, and music was a special event, because it could only be heard when musicians were assembled.
The challenge of modern life is that we have to actively create the space. With mass production, toys are cheap enough to swamp even poorer families. With TV, DVD’s and video games, flashy entertainment can come into every home 24 hours a day.
That’s why the best parents understand that their kids can have too much of a good thing. They place limitations on the stuff and stimulation. They are tough enough to slow down the flow of goodies.
Often people think we refuse to avalanche our kids with toys because we are tightwads. But saving money is NOT the main reason. I just feel there’s nothing sadder than a jaded eight-year-old.
Conversely, it’s delightful to see a kid thrilled by a simple pleasure. During a rare trip to a mall a few years ago, we were shipping for a gift for one of our children, whose birthday falls in May-just before yard-sale season kicks in and just as I’m running out of stuff from the previous season. To distract the kids while Jim went back to the store to pick up the gift and hide it in the car, we popped into an ice-cream shop and I ordered a junior cone for each child, which they consumed in complete silence, savoring every drip. I was very proud of my brood and their ability to enjoy these little treats.
Many parents, seeing their children appreciate junior cones, would buy them cones during each trip to the mall. Soon, seeing the kid’s enthusiasm waning, they would assume they must wow them with banana splits. When those no longer produce the desired effect, they would move up to the jumbo deluxe sundae… and so on, until the kids become impossible to please.
But I see diminished appreciation as a barometer that shows when kids have had too much. Instead of moving up to the banana split, I decrease the frequency of junior cones.
While it’s true I don’t raise my kids this way to save money, saving is a natural by-product of creative deprivation. Not only do I save on the constant expense of the ever-increasing amount of stuff and stimulation, but when I do treat the kids, they get the same wow for less money.
Creative deprivation does have a few rules. Limit the things kids don’t need, but don’t limit the things they do need-such as good nutrition and parenting attention. Second, provide them with alternatives. Our kids have their own “office” in my office where they do artwork, a tree house they can build on with scrap wood, a playhouse in the attic, and a selection of Lego’s and toys that demand creativity. If you limit passive entertainment, kids eventually get beyond the boredom and begin to be creative.
Incidentally, this insight of mine, while brilliant, isn’t new. About 2,500 years ago, the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu wrote:
Guard the senses
And life is ever full…
Always be busy
And life is beyond hope.
Finally, creative deprivation works for adults too. If you seem to need increasingly expensive thrills and gadgets to keep from being bored, I suggest you step off the merry-go-round. Thought is might seem more boring at first, eventually you’ll come to enjoy a game of checkers with your nine-year-old, trying a new recipe-or, one of Jim’s favorites, watching the freezer defrost.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Reduce Re-use Recycle
Every tightwad knows the best way to save money is to not spend it!
In skimming through my book of articles from the Tightwad Gazette I am truly amazed by the wealth of ideas on how to Re-use, or Recycle everyday household items. Here are a few of my favorites!
6 ways to reuse old blue jeans:
1.Workshop/Gardening apron
2. Tote bag
3. Neck roll pillow
4 Wall organizer
5. Purse
6. Pockets make cute coin purses
(If you are truly interested in making these, see me for instructions!)
Ziplock baggies are a great source of waste in America. To save money wash and reuse any plastic bags (except those that have come into contact with raw meat). One way to do this is to wait until laundry day. Like any true tightwad would, wash in cold water, turn your baggies inside out, add a bit of bleach to your white load, toss in the used baggies. They come out nice and clean! Hang them to dry and re-use. It’s not only good for the wallet, but also the land fills!
Used Sweatshirts (or really any sort of pullover!) Bibs can be made easily by leaving the front complete, trimming off the sleeves and back (leaving the neck hole intact) and finishing the rough edges with a zigzag stitch.
Old Sentimental T-shirts make for a great quilt when you reuse an old bed spread or comforter. (Or purchase one at a yard sale for $1.)
Bread bags make for the perfect freezer “tube” for ground beef or other meats. Divide your meat in 1 lb. sections (because of course you bought the family pack which is significantly cheaper!). Place first pound in the bread bag, twist or tie a knot then place the second pound in the same way. You can easily freeze three pounds of meat this way. When you want a pound of meat simply use scissors to snip off the lump. If you are afraid of freezer burn double the bags!
Is there too much chlorine taste in your water? Are you buying bottled water? (tsk, tsk, tsk) Fill a gallon milk jug (that has been washed out) with regular tap water. Let it sit on the counter for a couple of days opened. The chlorine evaporates out of the water! Tasty water a no extra cost. (you can also now put it in the fridge to chill and pour straight from the jug!)
Prescription glasses are another way to recycle. Have you ever considered taking those old glasses that you just got tired of and having them dyed at the optical store? The glass can be dyed to make sunglasses for a reasonable price!
Toilet paper tubes are great for holding extension cords, or gathering excess cord length.
Broken crayons can be melted in the muffin tin to form really cool “mixed color” cookie crayons.
Credit cards can be cut in the shape of a guitar pick You can make several from just one card!
In skimming through my book of articles from the Tightwad Gazette I am truly amazed by the wealth of ideas on how to Re-use, or Recycle everyday household items. Here are a few of my favorites!
6 ways to reuse old blue jeans:
1.Workshop/Gardening apron
2. Tote bag
3. Neck roll pillow
4 Wall organizer
5. Purse
6. Pockets make cute coin purses
(If you are truly interested in making these, see me for instructions!)
Ziplock baggies are a great source of waste in America. To save money wash and reuse any plastic bags (except those that have come into contact with raw meat). One way to do this is to wait until laundry day. Like any true tightwad would, wash in cold water, turn your baggies inside out, add a bit of bleach to your white load, toss in the used baggies. They come out nice and clean! Hang them to dry and re-use. It’s not only good for the wallet, but also the land fills!
Used Sweatshirts (or really any sort of pullover!) Bibs can be made easily by leaving the front complete, trimming off the sleeves and back (leaving the neck hole intact) and finishing the rough edges with a zigzag stitch.
Old Sentimental T-shirts make for a great quilt when you reuse an old bed spread or comforter. (Or purchase one at a yard sale for $1.)
Bread bags make for the perfect freezer “tube” for ground beef or other meats. Divide your meat in 1 lb. sections (because of course you bought the family pack which is significantly cheaper!). Place first pound in the bread bag, twist or tie a knot then place the second pound in the same way. You can easily freeze three pounds of meat this way. When you want a pound of meat simply use scissors to snip off the lump. If you are afraid of freezer burn double the bags!
Is there too much chlorine taste in your water? Are you buying bottled water? (tsk, tsk, tsk) Fill a gallon milk jug (that has been washed out) with regular tap water. Let it sit on the counter for a couple of days opened. The chlorine evaporates out of the water! Tasty water a no extra cost. (you can also now put it in the fridge to chill and pour straight from the jug!)
Prescription glasses are another way to recycle. Have you ever considered taking those old glasses that you just got tired of and having them dyed at the optical store? The glass can be dyed to make sunglasses for a reasonable price!
Toilet paper tubes are great for holding extension cords, or gathering excess cord length.
Broken crayons can be melted in the muffin tin to form really cool “mixed color” cookie crayons.
Credit cards can be cut in the shape of a guitar pick You can make several from just one card!
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