Livin' Cheap

Two new purses and no money to put inside

Though gas and groceries seem to cost more every time I need them, and though I haven't felt this poor since I started budgeting last August, I am going to take a break from my part-time job in retail.

It's draining trying to fake smiles when customers are angry or demanding. The pressure to sign people up for the store credit card is tiring, and honestly, I want my Saturdays back. I talked to my manager when I was at work yesterday and she convinced me to work one shift every other week. I asked that the shift be a week night, so I can enjoy my weekends again.

Sometimes I'd rather be poor and happy than have a lot of money and no personal time.

But since I'm cutting out the part-time job, I needed to re-evaluate my budget. I've been slightly undisciplined lately. OK, I've been really slack lately. I have been to Moe's more times than I can afford and as I type this blog entry a box from Papa Johns is staring at me from my desk. And, though I don't feel like I've been shopping a lot lately, I somehow have two new purses, a new dress, a cute yellow scoop neck shirt and a fabulous pair of jeans.

The only positives in my financial state is that I haven't used my credit card in months, I have enough money in savings to buy the new tires I desperately need for my car, and my power bill was only $88 this month -- down from $99 last month.

In an effort to pay off my Visa and Discover cards, I'm resorting to some of my extreme budgeting tactics from last summer. I actually made a grocery list and am going to force myself to stick to it. With my next paycheck I'm going to take out cash and use it for food, that way I'll be aware of how much I'm spending on food and will eat what I already have at home before venturing to Publix. Also I'm cutting costs on my weekend outings.

On a side note, the good news is that nixing dining out and bar hopping means I'll be healthier.

Evaluating my budget always encourages me to stay focused. Well, first I get really depressed when I realize how much I still owe on my two credit cards and my car, but then I open my spreadsheet that I use to track my debt and get a flutter in my stomach when I see how much I used to owe compared to how much I currently owe. My total credit card bill minimums are $96 and I average paying about $300 a month.

So, here are a few financial goals that came from today's budget eval.:
    Pay off my Visa card by September (I owe $1,535 on it as of today)
    No Target visits until May (ridiculous but necessary)
    Use cash for groceries ($40 a week)
    Cut back on nightlife spending

Have you recently evaluated your budget? Post your financial goals in the comments section of my blog.

Entertaining myself for less -- you can do it, too!

I managed to attend the Masters Par 3 Competition yesterday without busting my budget. I came across a few tickets for $36 each, which is a really great price. The girly-girl in me really wanted a great new I'm-going-to-the-Masters outfit, but instead I unpacked my spring and summer clothes from the huge Rubbermaid containers in my closet and shouted cheers of joy when I discovered my favorite spring capris still fit after a long winter filled with beer and Monterrey's chips and salsa.

Once inside the course, food and beverages are pretty cheap. I had an egg salad sandwich for only $1.50 and a few beers at $2 a pop and an ice cream sandwich for another $1.50. I'm pretty sure I spent less than $10 on food all day.

In the gift shop it's easy to get carried away with all of the Masters logo embossed merchandise. But I did fairly well; I ended up with a tote bag for $11 and a T-shirt for $18.

All in all it was pretty budget-friendly and a lot of fun. The weather was perfect, too.

Five Under Ten:
Five things you can do for less than $10

1. Five After Five: The Five Points concert series is back in full swing. Bands play out by the fountain, for free, every Thursday from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Five After Five encourages bicycling to the fountain and is offering a bike valet for anyone interested in saving the earth. Valets will watch bikes in the back parking lot at Andy's Deli on Greene Street, across from the bandstand. Just be sure to pick up your bike by 10:15 p.m. or it will be left at the rider's risk. Tonight Lundy is playing with Danger Muffin.

2. Indie Grits Film Fest: Don't say Columbia never has anything cool to do. The Indie Grits film festival is a weekend of independent films, most of them are pretty short and seem interesting from their descriptions. Tickets are about $7.50 and available at the Nickelodeon on Main Street. Check out the Web site for movie times and locations (venues vary, but most events are at the Nick). The festival is going on tonight and through Sunday. (803) 254-8234, for more info.

3. Richland County Public Library Book Sale: Books are pretty entertaining. And you can take them to the park and read them in the grass (hello, multi-tasking -- sunning and reading). The library's spring book sale is this weekend. I attend most of their book sales since they offer ton of books for $1 or less. And for the movie buffs, they have DVDs and the oh-so-retro VHS tapes for sale, too. The sale is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 130 Lancewood Road.

4. Rooftop Rhythms: Can't get enough of free outdoor concerts? Stop by your favorite rooftop venue, Midtown at Forest Acres (formerly Richland Fashion Mall), and catch the sweet summer sounds of Men of Distinction, Rock Candy, Fresh Air and Root Doctors. The family-friendly event boasts free admission and food and drinks for $1-$3. It's from 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

5. Ok, I ran out of ideas. I guess since Jake Gyllenhaal's movie will be filming in Columbia for a while you can always go hang out at the State House and express your love for celebrities.

If you know of anything interesting going on for less than $10 post it in the comments section of my blog. As always, happy budgeting!

The economy is killing my budget

I haven't updated my blog in a while. But I'm not being slack on purpose. I just don't have any positive budgeting news. I feel like rising gas and grocery prices are weighing me down. I am paying out more but continue to bring in the same amount of money, so what I used to put in savings I now put in my gas tank and in my refrigerator.

But I am so grateful that when I seemed to have plenty of money a few months ago I put it in savings. Now I steal from myself every few weeks to get by (but at least I'm not falling back on my credit cards).

Luckily, when I picked up a part-time job back during the holidays, I never quit after shopping season died down; I just switched to one day a week. I recently decided to pick up one more day, so now I'll be making twice as much money there. It's not that much, but it really does help out.

Despite my urges, I haven't shopped that much since I purchased a sundress (for less than $20) to wear to Carolina Cup. It is a misconception that all I do is drink beer and shop. Lately I've been watching a lot of movies that I checked out from the library (for free) and drinking non-alcoholic beverages.

A group of my friends and I started playing trivia at different venues around town. We've won a few times, which means we get a gift certificate, usually enough to cover our dinners and drinks. I think if you have a decent group, trivia is the way to go. It's entertaining, and if you win, it includes a free tab.

During the holidays there were a lot of free happenings, like Vista Lights and A Devine Evening. Lately the free-things-to-do calendar has been lacking, but it's almost time for Artista Vista, an annual gallery crawl.

Mark your calendars for April 24 and April 26. From 5 to 9 p.m. April 24 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 26 guests can meet local artists, explore the many galleries in the Vista and enjoy complementary wine and hors d'oeuvres.

Check page B2 in the Metro section as the dates approach for more details or visit www.vistacolumbia.com.

Last Friday's 80 degree weather was such a tease. I had to turn my heat (space heater) on last night, but supposedly we're experiencing the last cold front of the season. SCE&G will have to find other ways to drain my pocketbook, because I'm done with gas heat.

And, fellow budget conscious readers, summertime brings a multitude of free and cheap entertainment. The lake, river, beach and local pools are a great way to kill a few hours. Also, watch for updates about free outdoor concerts in the various parks around town.

If you feel more poor than usual, you're not alone. Feel free to vent in the comments section of my blog.

I've got gas

Oh you gotta love the little necessary expenses that just keep adding up. I said I was going to try to not swipe my debit card until Saturday. But I didn’t realize I was just about out of contact lens solution. So, I had to stop by Publix to drop $8 and some change on my eye care. That just goes to prove I can’t go a whole week without spending money. I guess with better planning on Sunday when I went food shopping I could have avoided the double trip.

Today at lunch I was perusing the USA Today Web site. I read a super depressing article about how gas prices are expected to reach $4 a gallon in the near future. Apparently public transportation usage is at a 50 year all time high.

I live fairly close to work, so a tank of gas for my Accord lasts a little less than two weeks and cost me $41 or $42 last weekend when I filled up. And though the rising fuel costs are something I have to adjust my budget for, they’re also helping me.

I’m more aware of where I’m driving to and how far it is from my house. I don’t want to waste gas driving out to Harbison or Sandhills just because I’m bored or have a few extra dollars lingering in my account. The closest mall to me is Richland Fashion Mall (Midtown at Forest Acres), which is lacking in stores for shoppers not belonging to the AARP.

So, while I grudgingly dish out a couple more dollars every 10 days for gas, I am actually saving money by not tempting myself to “window” shop. Of course Target is less than 10 minutes from my house...

How are rising gas prices affecting your budget? What are you doing to cope?

Spring Cleaning...and Shopping

Well, I haven’t blogged in a few weeks, and I proved to myself that blogging helps keep me accountable for my spending.

I got spring fever and started shopping for spring clothes. Before I ventured out to the colorful, tempting stores filled with sun dresses and brightly printed tops, I checked out my own closet.

I took all the clothes out of my closet, including the off-season items, and sorted through them. I bagged the stuff that was still fashionable, but that I don’t really wear anymore and took it to Plato’s Closet on Bower Parkway.

They bought a bunch of my old sweaters and some pants from The Limited and a jacket I haven’t worn since high school. They gave me just under $30, which isn’t much, but considering I was just going to donate the clothes anyway, $30 was pretty sweet.

I bagged up the clothes they didn’t buy from me, along with the clothes I knew Plato’s wouldn’t be interested in and hauled it to the Goodwill.

Then I hit the stores. And it’s certainly true that I shop to fill an emotional void or alleviate boredom, but also, I simply wanted some new clothes.

I feel like, yes, I did spend money when I could have paid down my credit card balance, but I feel good about my purchases. Instead of buying anything and everything that looked fabulous on me, I picked out key pieces that I could use to create multiple outfits, and I shopped at stores like Target and the sale rack at Dillard’s rather than pay full price for tops at Express and The Limited. And I stopped in at TJ Maxx and bought a Liz Claiborne fleece blanket for my bed for only $15.

And Carolina Cup is coming soon. I bought a new dress, but like I do with all my Cup dresses, I bought one that was on sale and probably from last season. I have no shame in admitting I bought a last season dress to wear to this season’s premiere social event.

My strappy dress is dark brown, turquoise and white with a springy flower pattern on it. I snatched it up for only $17 and some change. And like every year that I don a dress that’s not from the current season, no other girls will be wearing my dress.

No, I don’t have buyer’s remorse about my recent shopping adventures, I do feel a little sick about how much I have been going out to eat. So, yesterday I went to Publix and bought a minimal amount of groceries that could use to make several meals.

Though Webmaster Santa was hating on my blog and encouraging me to subsist on baskets of chicken wings, he did not take into account that I am a vegetarian and try to eat fairly healthy.

I spent $22 on long grain brown rice, black beans, taco shells, lettuce, a tomato, bananas, frozen veggies, bread, soup, yogurt, granola and pancake mix. I figured that should feed me for the week if not a little longer since I already had some canned vegetables and spaghetti stuff at home.

My goal is to not spend any money until Saturday. I have a little more than half a tank of gas and that should get me through the week. I’ll let you know on Friday if I achieve my goal.

I know I’ll probably get some hate comments about shopping, but this blog is meant to chronicle my adventures in saving as well as spending. At least I’m trying. And have made significant strides toward my debt-free goals since this time last year.

Oh, and good news, my power bill went from $171 to $98. Hello, warm weather and good-bye gas heat!

*I haven’t used my credit card in 163 days!*

How is budgeting going for you? Have you caught spring fever, too? Let me know how you’re staying focused — hearing from others helps keep me on track!

Mini vacations, timing belts, and staying focused

I’ve been learning a lot about myself lately. If I don’t immediately transfer “extra” money out of my checking account I can’t help myself — I just keep spending it.

After my tax refunds were deposited into my account I went out to eat. And then I kept on eating simply because I didn’t have any groceries. Grocery shopping saves a ridiculous amount of money compared to daily dine outs. So, I restocked my kitchen yesterday and brought my lunch to work today. I’m going to stay away from Publix and Target for a whole week (hello, mini-goal). And I have half a tank of gas, so I shouldn’t need to spend any money for a few days.

I went snowboarding this past weekend and survived without spending a ton of money. Four of us went on the trip and gas ended up being $50 total. My share was $10 since my friend Callie wouldn’t take my $20 bill. We stayed at my friend Hannah’s grandma’s house for free. Rentals and lift tickets were $80 together, which is about average. I desperately needed new gloves, so I stopped by Half Moon before leaving Columbia and got a great deal on some usually expensive gloves for only $25. Between snacks and lunches I spent about $20 on food. So my trip cost about $135 for the weekend, compared to the several hundred dollars I dropped on snowboarding for a week in West Virginia last January. The slopes weren't as nice as West Virginia and the trails were pretty crowded, but the snow was perfect and the trip really worked with my budget. I'm just glad I got to go.

Having a budget doesn’t have to mean not having fun. Because I budgeted I was able to enjoy a weekend trip without relying on my credit card.

Actually, I haven’t used my credit card since September or October, and it feels amazing to not have to stress about paying bills. I’m still working at my holiday seasonal job one day a week, and that paycheck covers my Friday night happy hour adventures and ice cream outings every Sunday. 

After I posted about how I need a new timing belt on my car I received varied responses from readers. I called several recommended mechanics around town and found that a timing belt really consists of two belts, and most estimates include the cost of a new water pump, too, since I guess water pumps have about the same life span as timing belts.

The quotes ranged from $650 to $980. So, I made an appointment with the place that quoted me $650. It’s a huge chunk of my savings, but preventive maintenance will pay off in the long run. I have a Honda Accord and plan on driving it until it dies. Thanks for your tips.

I googled timing belts for my car type to make sure I REALLY need one and to see what other people have paid. I really do need one, sadly, and if mine breaks while I’m driving it could mess up my engine. Luckily, I have the cash to pay for it.

How is your budgeting going? What do you do to stay motivated? In November I owed $2,257 on my Visa card, and now I’m down to $1620. Seeing my balance decline on each statement keeps me focused. My minimum payment this month was $38 and I paid $300. I think I can have it paid off by August! Good luck with your goals.   

Tax refund = weekend getaway

By the time I woke up on Friday morning, my state and federal tax refunds had been deposited in my account. I’ve been waiting for tax refund day since August when I decided to get serious about budgeting.

So, now that I have several hundred extra dollars, what should I do with it? My first thought was to put the entire amount toward paying off my Visa card. I take that back, my first thought was about redecorating my bedroom. My first sensible thought was about credit card debt.

But the money is really going to go towards a new accessory for my car -- a timing belt. Apparently I need one and they’re pretty expensive. Whatever money is left after my car is taken care of will go to my emergency savings fund and to North Carolina. I’m going snowboarding this weekend.

I have to go snowboarding at least once a year. I grew up in Alaska; I love snow and can’t fathom a winter without at least one trip to the mountains. But as far as mountain trips go, this weekend should be fairly budget-friendly, unlike my trip last year.

One of the reasons I owe so much on my credit cards is probably because of last year’s ski trip. We spent a week in West Virginia, renting a beautiful condo, shopping, snowboarding, tubing and dining out. The lodging alone was a few hundred dollars.

But this year seems to be a year without enough time. None of my friends can get away for more than a long weekend, so we’re leaving late Friday and coming home Sunday. We’re staying at someone’s grandma’s house (FREE), so our biggest expense will be from the rentals and lift tickets.

And after I’ve bought my car a new belt, allocated money to savings and after I spend a weekend in the mountains, I will pay SCE&G. They installed a new meter at my house that doesn’t miss one kilowatt of power that I use. My bill for January is $170!

So, how long until I get my TAX REBATE?

What are you doing with your tax refund?

Get your money -- do your taxes

I’m not a numbers kind of girl, but I’ve been doing my own taxes since 2002. I did mine last night and can’t wait for my refund to be deposited in my account. Oh, and if your adjusted gross income was $54,000 or less in 2007, you can prepare and e-file you taxes online for free. Go to the IRS Web site and click “Free File.”

Clicking the link will take you to a list of sites that you can use to file your taxes for free. I chose Turbo Tax Freedom Edition, since I’m familiar with Turbo Tax from previous years.

They ask you a few questions to see if you qualify for free e-filing and for free state tax filing. Even if you don't qualify for free taxes, Turbo Tax is a great site. If you’ve never done your own taxes before, it might seem intimidating, but if you don’t have a lot of investments or major purchases, it’s really easy.

Turbo Tax is very user friendly and takes you through the whole process step-by-step. They give you deduction options and offer suggestions, and the site boasts help links that open in a smaller, separate window.

If you’re going to do your taxes, set aside a few hours so you can do them in one sitting. Be sure to have last year's taxes to refer to, your W2’s, any donation receipts, the amount you paid in student loan interest and papers for major purchases like a house or a car as well as your investment information.

I liked that Turbo Tax won’t time out if you need to get up to find other documents.

If you need motivation to get your taxes done check out this site. It’s the IRS e-file refund schedule. Whether you decide to tackle your taxes yourself or send them out, seeing when your refund will be direct deposited is motivation.

Bored and broke? No problem!

Meg posted a great comment about nixing Amazon book purchases and investing some quality time at the Richland County Public Library.

Adding to that great idea, cancel the Netflix subscription because the library has a whole media room filled with DVDs and Cds. You can check out movies for a week at a time.

I don’t have cable so I like to check out old seasons of my favorite TV shows and watch a few episodes when I have time. And best of all, it’s free!

It’s easier to find cheap things to do in the summer. The lake and pool are always a great way to kill a few hours without swiping your debit card. And local parks have free concerts and movies each week. But when it’s cold outside, it seems like options are limited.

Here are a few things to do that won’t break the bank:
--Through the end of February, Riverbanks Zoo is offering free admission each Fridays for Richland and Lexington county residents. Take an afternoon off from work and stretch your legs at the zoo.

--Columbia Museum of Art has free admission on Saturdays.

--Visit the State Museum this Sunday because the first Sunday of every month admission is only $1.

--USC School of Music has several events each month. Many are either free or have very reduced rates for students.

--Check out the $2 theater at St. Andrews.

--Learn about the programs and activities available through the Richland County Recreation Commission. They offer everything from aerobics ($25/6 weeks) to shag dancing ($35/5 weeks) to basketball ($300/team).

--Catch an independent film at The Nickelodeon. Admission is only $5.50 with a student ID and a small popcorn will only run you $1.50. Oh, and they sell beer!

--Join a group that shares your interests. Check out www.meetup.com to see what kind of clubs are in your zip code.

--Happy Hour anyone? If you know you’re going to have some beer, might as well get a big beer a little beer prices, right? Who has the best happy hour in town? Post great deals in my blog comments.

How do you entertain yourself on a little budget?

mis-budgeting could happen to you, too

So, this month I mis-budgeted (hey, it happens). When I planned out my bills and spending money I forgot to factor in that my car payment hadn’t yet cleared. So I ended up transferring $200 from savings into my checking account in order to cover credit card payments.

I could have just paid the minimum ($45) on my Visa card, but a $0 balance seems so close that I couldn’t bare to pay less than $150 on it. And, like I’ve said before, financial experts recommend paying down debt before building up savings since the interest you pay on debt is more than the interest you would accrue in a standard savings account.

A great financial book for younger people is Suze Orman’s “The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke.” She has advice for every life stage, from building credit to buying a house to student loans to co-signing on a car to saving for retirement. And the advice is easy to understand. Check it out here.

Also contributing to my blown budget is dining out. When I quit going out to eat this past summer, I noticed I quit craving the food. I used to get Chinese take-out at least once a week and go to Moe’s and Mellow Mushroom a few times a month. Since my extreme budget in August I haven’t had Chinese take-out one time. I’ve made my own stir fry with brown rice and it’s turned out to be cheaper and healthier than Main Moon’s veggie fried rice.

My problem is that when I work a lot I feel like I owe myself a reward — usually in the form of a nice dinner out. I need to change my reward system. Maybe instead of a dinner at Bonefish, I transfer $20 into my savings account.

And thanks to advice from a reader, I changed my online savings account to pull money from my checking account each week instead of once a month. I can spare $15 a week. Before, I had $25 a month automatically transferred, which wasn’t enough to miss the money and not enough to make me feel like my savings was growing.

And though becoming debt free is my priority, having a few hundred dollars in savings really helps me not rely on my credit cards. It covers unexpected expenses and pesky necessities like doctor visit co-pays, contact lenses and new tires for my car.

Share your tips and ideas in the comments section of my blog. What works for you? What didn’t work so well? Have any tax time advice? Do you do your taxes yourself or send them out?