Here's something I've known about for some time but only recently tried out. Wait, where's the preamble?
Usually when you know someone who is giving something away, you don't need it and vice versa. How do you make sure the working/gently used items/appliances/clothing you no longer need gets passed along to someone who can definitely use it/them, saving you a trip to the thrift store and doing your part in limiting consumption and promoting responsible material stewardship.
DRUM ROLL
freecycle.org
It's the parent site where you can find the listing for your local version and message board but basically it works like this; you join the message board and determine your notice settings. Some places get lots of postings so you may not want them all coming to your inbox, however that is up to you. You can check postings that will be headed WANTED (when you are looking for something specific), OFFER (when you have something specific you want to get rid of) and TAKEN (once the item is off the table).
I accidentally broke our larger coffee pot a few months ago and a complete full size coffee maker showed up on our city's freecycle page. You better believe I contacted them right quick. Now if 10 of you come to our place and want one cup of coffee each, WE ... ARE ... SET.
There are also other bartering and free type alternative economy sites. I know Craigslist has FREE listings and if your town, through freecycle or criagslist, doesn't have this type of site, there's nothing to setting up an online message board yourself.
Here's our local freecycle for you to have a browse.
Eat more vegetables.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments. What do others think? Share us with the buttons below.
2011-01-21
Shampoo(p)
Here's my brief bull on toiletries (I think). We are mostly sold a bill of goods when it comes to what we need to clean or put on or in our body and hair and it's up to us as consumers to research most claims and speak with our wallets.
The bottom line for today is that most of what I write here is about the bottom line. Caveat being ... I would not recommend something I wouldn't do myself.
Want cleaner hair for cheaper but you don't want added chemicals or animal testing. Our favorite grocery store, Trader Joe's has great sulfate free, animal test free shampoo and conditioner for 2 or 3 dollars per litre/quart. Buuuuutttt, if you can't get to one of those and you don't want to break the bank. It's two steps. Step one: Baking soda and water paste. Step two: Vinegar and water solution.
Sooo ...
My wife uses about a table spoon of baking soda and water and forms it into paste to wash her hair. And then she rinses with vinegar. I could probably get away with a teaspoon. Note: I will adopt this habit but I'm still using the leftovers of a bottle of shampoo from last spring despite what I've learned from cursory reading. It's true though, you really only need a dime sized dollop.
Then she mixes a one-to-one ratio of apple cider vinegar to water and pours that in.
My wife's hair smells fine and feels clean and soft. Seriously, since everything beyond the root is not actually alive, what else can you ask for?
The basic math. Baking soda's about a dollar a pound.
I could stretch it to 3 months.
She likely 1 month.
4 litres or 1 gallon of white vinegar is $1 and change to $4-ish.
The same of apple cider vinegar is between $8 and $15.
If you use 1/8 cup vinegar and 1/8 cup water, you could stretch it to about 4 months. That's 2 months if you're making a 1/2 cup solution.
I've heard of some people premixing an amount to use over the week. And others who have bypassed the water and just mixed the baking soda and vinegar. Now that's a spicy science fair volcano meatball. But the tingling means it's working.
Plus you avoid chemical additives like propylene glycol found in deodorant and antifreeze, sodium lauryl sulfate (found in engine degreasers) and sodium laureth sulfate which, "has been shown to produce eye or skin irritation in experimental animals and in some human test subjects. Some products containing SLES have been found to contain low levels of the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane, with the recommendation from the FDA that these levels be monitored"
I mean, as you might have read, or already know, the skin is the body's largest organ and whatever you put on it, including your scalp, can and will leach into your system.
And you create less waste, because you did not end up with thick (likely) plastic bottles that end up in the recycling bin or the garbage.
Others experience dictates it will take some time to get used to this method (up to a couple of weeks) but it is worth it.
In Summary:
You need: Baking soda, apple cider vinegar, water
You get: sulfate free, chemical free, animal friendly, clean hair for pennies a usage.
You don't miss: the additional plastic bottles shampoo is sold in.
Now that's a deal!
On your way, then.
The bottom line for today is that most of what I write here is about the bottom line. Caveat being ... I would not recommend something I wouldn't do myself.
Want cleaner hair for cheaper but you don't want added chemicals or animal testing. Our favorite grocery store, Trader Joe's has great sulfate free, animal test free shampoo and conditioner for 2 or 3 dollars per litre/quart. Buuuuutttt, if you can't get to one of those and you don't want to break the bank. It's two steps. Step one: Baking soda and water paste. Step two: Vinegar and water solution.
Sooo ...
My wife uses about a table spoon of baking soda and water and forms it into paste to wash her hair. And then she rinses with vinegar. I could probably get away with a teaspoon. Note: I will adopt this habit but I'm still using the leftovers of a bottle of shampoo from last spring despite what I've learned from cursory reading. It's true though, you really only need a dime sized dollop.
Then she mixes a one-to-one ratio of apple cider vinegar to water and pours that in.
My wife's hair smells fine and feels clean and soft. Seriously, since everything beyond the root is not actually alive, what else can you ask for?
The basic math. Baking soda's about a dollar a pound.
I could stretch it to 3 months.
She likely 1 month.
4 litres or 1 gallon of white vinegar is $1 and change to $4-ish.
The same of apple cider vinegar is between $8 and $15.
If you use 1/8 cup vinegar and 1/8 cup water, you could stretch it to about 4 months. That's 2 months if you're making a 1/2 cup solution.
I've heard of some people premixing an amount to use over the week. And others who have bypassed the water and just mixed the baking soda and vinegar. Now that's a spicy science fair volcano meatball. But the tingling means it's working.
Plus you avoid chemical additives like propylene glycol found in deodorant and antifreeze, sodium lauryl sulfate (found in engine degreasers) and sodium laureth sulfate which, "has been shown to produce eye or skin irritation in experimental animals and in some human test subjects. Some products containing SLES have been found to contain low levels of the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane, with the recommendation from the FDA that these levels be monitored"
I mean, as you might have read, or already know, the skin is the body's largest organ and whatever you put on it, including your scalp, can and will leach into your system.
And you create less waste, because you did not end up with thick (likely) plastic bottles that end up in the recycling bin or the garbage.
Others experience dictates it will take some time to get used to this method (up to a couple of weeks) but it is worth it.
In Summary:
You need: Baking soda, apple cider vinegar, water
You get: sulfate free, chemical free, animal friendly, clean hair for pennies a usage.
You don't miss: the additional plastic bottles shampoo is sold in.
Now that's a deal!
On your way, then.
2011-01-19
A person's gotta eat right?
Pre-pared is always more expensive and often worse for you than home cooked. That said cooking at home can be time consuming if you're only cooking one meal for one or two people.
At our place, we often cook and put in the fridge. The risk there is that it goes bad. I threw out some cooked cauliflower (after eating some of it; how else could I tell it was done for) last night.
We have been most successful buying large amounts of non-perishables (grains; rice, quinoa, millet), medium amounts of meat or items one can freeze and then a few days worth of fruit and vegetables.
Where can you go as far as the staples, specifically grains and meats, since we recommend the farmers' market for your fruits and vegetables.
We highly recommend two places. And I bet there are places like them wherever you are.
Western Beef is one. Follow the link to see what's on sale this week if you live in the NY area.
And think about going in with friends. Often there are specials available if you spend a certain amount of money. We purchased a 20lb bag of rice for $5, stipulation being we spent $50 in addition. But even if that sale isn't on, they sell a 20lb bag for $8.99 regularly. I literally took months to finish off that sack. At about 2 1/2 cups of uncooked rice per pound, that's 50 cups of uncooked rice. That is a lot of rice. And like many grains, it can be served savoury or sweet. But I digress. Deals-a-poppin' at Western Beef. They give rain checks and ours is open 7A-10P (6:30AM from Friday-Sunday) so you can pick up before or after work.
The other is Trader Joe's. With locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, Trader Joe's is one of our favorites for extremely reasonable prices on good and, if you want, organic products. Large jars of pasta sauce and peanut butter (my favorite! ingredient list: peanuts) are less than $2. There are always food samples (hot or cold depending on the time of day) and coffee samples. And they're the originator of 2 buck Chuck, a wine by Charles Shaw made famous by it's price. It's pretty good. My wife and I had a white not too long ago. You can cross the threshold of this particular merchant from 9A-10P daily.
So shop at places like these, and cook at home. It still overwhelms me sometimes but, oh, the money we save.
Call your mother.
At our place, we often cook and put in the fridge. The risk there is that it goes bad. I threw out some cooked cauliflower (after eating some of it; how else could I tell it was done for) last night.
We have been most successful buying large amounts of non-perishables (grains; rice, quinoa, millet), medium amounts of meat or items one can freeze and then a few days worth of fruit and vegetables.
Where can you go as far as the staples, specifically grains and meats, since we recommend the farmers' market for your fruits and vegetables.
We highly recommend two places. And I bet there are places like them wherever you are.
Western Beef is one. Follow the link to see what's on sale this week if you live in the NY area.
And think about going in with friends. Often there are specials available if you spend a certain amount of money. We purchased a 20lb bag of rice for $5, stipulation being we spent $50 in addition. But even if that sale isn't on, they sell a 20lb bag for $8.99 regularly. I literally took months to finish off that sack. At about 2 1/2 cups of uncooked rice per pound, that's 50 cups of uncooked rice. That is a lot of rice. And like many grains, it can be served savoury or sweet. But I digress. Deals-a-poppin' at Western Beef. They give rain checks and ours is open 7A-10P (6:30AM from Friday-Sunday) so you can pick up before or after work.
TRADER JOE'S
The other is Trader Joe's. With locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, Trader Joe's is one of our favorites for extremely reasonable prices on good and, if you want, organic products. Large jars of pasta sauce and peanut butter (my favorite! ingredient list: peanuts) are less than $2. There are always food samples (hot or cold depending on the time of day) and coffee samples. And they're the originator of 2 buck Chuck, a wine by Charles Shaw made famous by it's price. It's pretty good. My wife and I had a white not too long ago. You can cross the threshold of this particular merchant from 9A-10P daily.
So shop at places like these, and cook at home. It still overwhelms me sometimes but, oh, the money we save.
Call your mother.
2011-01-18
High Interest Online (Savings) Accounts
Yes sir or madam. I'll say it again. High Interest Online Accounts.
The gist is this. They don't have a brick-and-mortar building in 'meatspace'. They're not faced with the overhead cost of that presence and they insist on certain conditions to which you must adhere to benefit from their high level of interest. But believe you me, it's worth it.
Sure, a couple of years ago, you might be able to get a percent interest in your local bank savings account and anywhere from 4-7% online. These are not those times. Don't fret. The fact is, it is still a really simple way to have your money work for you. As I said, there are conditions and there aren't too many risks. For our American readers, your money is FDIC insured up to about $250,000. And if you're socking away more than that, you probably aren't reading this blog right now.
So you're looking for one of these accounts . . . and you definitely should . . . here are some questions for which you need answers.
-Is there a minimum balance?
-Do you need a minimum or require amount of transfers or transactions?
-What is the rate of interest?
-Does it apply to your entire deposit?
As an example, we've been looking at this online credit union account:
As you'll see if you click through, there are stipulations to benefit from their current interest rate of 3.25% but if you can make it happen, it's worth it. But the simple math is you'll receive $3.25 annually for every $100 you have in the account for the year.
An explanation of Annual Percentage Yield.
Some thoughts and suggestions for this years better interest bearing accounts.
Simple ways like this help your money to work for you. It could keep the lights on another month.
Happy hunting!
The gist is this. They don't have a brick-and-mortar building in 'meatspace'. They're not faced with the overhead cost of that presence and they insist on certain conditions to which you must adhere to benefit from their high level of interest. But believe you me, it's worth it.
Sure, a couple of years ago, you might be able to get a percent interest in your local bank savings account and anywhere from 4-7% online. These are not those times. Don't fret. The fact is, it is still a really simple way to have your money work for you. As I said, there are conditions and there aren't too many risks. For our American readers, your money is FDIC insured up to about $250,000. And if you're socking away more than that, you probably aren't reading this blog right now.
So you're looking for one of these accounts . . . and you definitely should . . . here are some questions for which you need answers.
-Is there a minimum balance?
-Do you need a minimum or require amount of transfers or transactions?
-What is the rate of interest?
-Does it apply to your entire deposit?
As an example, we've been looking at this online credit union account:
As you'll see if you click through, there are stipulations to benefit from their current interest rate of 3.25% but if you can make it happen, it's worth it. But the simple math is you'll receive $3.25 annually for every $100 you have in the account for the year.
An explanation of Annual Percentage Yield.
Some thoughts and suggestions for this years better interest bearing accounts.
Simple ways like this help your money to work for you. It could keep the lights on another month.
Happy hunting!
2011-01-17
More than just a blog ... AKA introduction redux
My wife facilitates personal finance, get-out-of and remain-out-of debt workshops. Following these, people will often ask her if there's a way to continue the conversation, ask questions, or follow up on the concepts as they go into practice. She's also a working actress and a career counselor at an acting school and we are also relatively newlywed (August of last year) so that leaves her time pretty consumed. Since questions of finance are something we all face, I decided I would start a blog that would talk about the things she shares and the ways in which we manage, utilize, and save our own money. The blog entries you will find here are and will be merely our suggestions and ideas/principles that help, and work for, us.
But much like those workshops, we want this to be a place for dialogue. If you have tips or ways that you've found useful in keeping more of your money or you have questions about what we suggest, we encourage you to post. It's through this (con)textual conversation that we can better foster this community, a fiscally responsible (as we define it) attitude, and a prepared collective outlook to continue to weather the currently volatile and always fragile financial climate.
Your questions and comments on this blog are encouraged and necessary.
Have a good sleep.
But much like those workshops, we want this to be a place for dialogue. If you have tips or ways that you've found useful in keeping more of your money or you have questions about what we suggest, we encourage you to post. It's through this (con)textual conversation that we can better foster this community, a fiscally responsible (as we define it) attitude, and a prepared collective outlook to continue to weather the currently volatile and always fragile financial climate.
Your questions and comments on this blog are encouraged and necessary.
Have a good sleep.
There's cheap and then there's free.
I'm beginning to believe that it pays (in many ways) to travel light. Use what is needed, leave the rest. Lighten your load. The part of your load about which I speak this day is your media.
We all read, and watch, and listen to books, and movies, and music. We do this for many reasons. Self improvement, relaxation, education, inspiration, escape. Whatever your reason, it's easy to let the costs of these hobbies get away from you. Renting adds up (for movies). Buying adds up even faster (for any sort of media).
I've got some great news.
I know a place where you can get free movies, free music, and free books. All you need is a proof of address, identification, and an awareness and ability to respect due dates. Seriously. The New York Public Library.
They have a huge and constantly updated supply of books, music, and media right up to completely new and a lot of the Criterion Collection of movies. If what you want is not immediately available, just add it to your hold list and when it is, they will send it to the library of your choice and notify you by email or phone.
Particularly with the DVDs, you have to watch the due date. They charge $3 per day if you are late in returning, however if your movie is not on hold, you can simply renew it in your online account without even casting a shadow on the door of your local branch.
Right now I'm having a couple of trade paperbacks (comics) for subway reading and my wife and I are watching "I Love Lucy" season two.
Get your passport to an adventure of the mind. It's a link to get a Library Card, just in case I was too vague.
All the best.
We all read, and watch, and listen to books, and movies, and music. We do this for many reasons. Self improvement, relaxation, education, inspiration, escape. Whatever your reason, it's easy to let the costs of these hobbies get away from you. Renting adds up (for movies). Buying adds up even faster (for any sort of media).
I've got some great news.
I know a place where you can get free movies, free music, and free books. All you need is a proof of address, identification, and an awareness and ability to respect due dates. Seriously. The New York Public Library.
They have a huge and constantly updated supply of books, music, and media right up to completely new and a lot of the Criterion Collection of movies. If what you want is not immediately available, just add it to your hold list and when it is, they will send it to the library of your choice and notify you by email or phone.
Particularly with the DVDs, you have to watch the due date. They charge $3 per day if you are late in returning, however if your movie is not on hold, you can simply renew it in your online account without even casting a shadow on the door of your local branch.
Right now I'm having a couple of trade paperbacks (comics) for subway reading and my wife and I are watching "I Love Lucy" season two.
Get your passport to an adventure of the mind. It's a link to get a Library Card, just in case I was too vague.
All the best.
2011-01-14
Did you hear the one about the ... olive oil? with ADDENDUM
It's your largest organ, unless you're Macy's Center City in Philly and you'd do well to take care of it. So many factors play into it's health and upkeep. There's weather, diet, sleep, liquid intake, moisturizing. We'll talk about moisturizing today. I am speaking, of course, about your epidermis. That's right! Your skin. And until we live in a post snowpocalyptic weather-perfect bubble where we eat properly, stay hydrated, sleep and exercise appropriately, entries like this one will help and help save money.
How can you cheap on moisturizer and avoid preservatives like paraben? How about Olive Oil? How can you cheap on moisturizer and avoid pesticides and production related chemicals? How about Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil? By spritzing it on during or post shower, you can naturally soften and moisturize skin with a product whose origin is delicious olives and not a cosmetic moisturizer with chemicals whose names might as well be an alien language for all they tell us of their genesis. And you kind of feel like you're basting yourself . . . which I suppose you are.
If the smell of the olive oil is not to your liking, consider a couple drops of an essential oil like peppermint, or lemon oil whose use also serves an aromatherapeutic benefit.
ADDENDUM: My wife was doing some research and she discovered that edible oils are also recommended for babies as a moisturizer. The principle behind this being that infants are putting every available appendage in their mouth and, with an edible oil like vegetable or olive, they won't be ingesting the additives or impurities not meant for the digestive system but found in moisturizers and baby oils. So ... vegetable or extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed), preferably organic, for baby, and extra virgin olive oil (organic/cold pressed) for you.
Don't forget, a little goes a long way.
Summary:
Olive Oil as a low cost moisturizer. Essential oil as an aromatherapy. Knowing exactly what you're putting on your body. All good things.
Click here to see how low you can go.
How can you cheap on moisturizer and avoid preservatives like paraben? How about Olive Oil? How can you cheap on moisturizer and avoid pesticides and production related chemicals? How about Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil? By spritzing it on during or post shower, you can naturally soften and moisturize skin with a product whose origin is delicious olives and not a cosmetic moisturizer with chemicals whose names might as well be an alien language for all they tell us of their genesis. And you kind of feel like you're basting yourself . . . which I suppose you are.
If the smell of the olive oil is not to your liking, consider a couple drops of an essential oil like peppermint, or lemon oil whose use also serves an aromatherapeutic benefit.
ADDENDUM: My wife was doing some research and she discovered that edible oils are also recommended for babies as a moisturizer. The principle behind this being that infants are putting every available appendage in their mouth and, with an edible oil like vegetable or olive, they won't be ingesting the additives or impurities not meant for the digestive system but found in moisturizers and baby oils. So ... vegetable or extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed), preferably organic, for baby, and extra virgin olive oil (organic/cold pressed) for you.
Don't forget, a little goes a long way.
Summary:
Olive Oil as a low cost moisturizer. Essential oil as an aromatherapy. Knowing exactly what you're putting on your body. All good things.
Click here to see how low you can go.
2011-01-13
Water, water, everywhere.
My wife and I were talking about how to save money with water and having a hard time deciding if we should deliver these types of goods this early in the game. Let's just say . . . I hope you've got fresh elastic in your socks.
In my opinion, buying bottled water is a huge, wasteful, unnecessary expense. I have done it though. Cards on the table and all. But here's the thing, at least here in the town so nice they named it twice (New York, New York), the tap water is quite delish.
Here are a couple ways to save with tap water, postcluding (new word) the initial overhead you might incur.
You need a bottle. Should it be bpa free? Yes, ideally. My favorite reason to support this assertion, as quoted from the Wikipedia entry for BPA:
"A 2009 study on Chinese workers in BPA factories found that workers were four times more likely to report erectile dysfunction, reduced sexual desire and overall dissatisfaction with their sex life than workers with no heightened BPA exposure. BPA workers were also seven times more likely to have ejaculation difficulties. They were also more likely to report reduced sexual function within one year of beginning employment at the factory, and the higher the exposure, the more likely they were to have sexual difficulties."
Boo.
There are also studies that suggest it's presence in your body is linked to different health problems like heart disease, diabetes and other health issues.
Now, you can go with the stainless steel bottles or the BPA free plastic bottles. The neat thing about the plastic bottles is that some of them are collapsible (http://www.amazon.com/Collapsible-Reusable-BPA-free-Drink-Bottle/dp/B0039M9KMK) and thus space saving as well as long-term money saving.
If you travel on a plane for work or pleasure, you well know that airport beverages are crazy expensive. Well, at least for now, there are still water fountains past security.
If you tire of water's flavorlessness there are these amazing powdered drink packets you can buy in packs of ten, each for a bottle of water, for like a buck at your grocer. It's the difference between 10 cents and 2 dollars likely. And it all adds up.
In my opinion, buying bottled water is a huge, wasteful, unnecessary expense. I have done it though. Cards on the table and all. But here's the thing, at least here in the town so nice they named it twice (New York, New York), the tap water is quite delish.
Here are a couple ways to save with tap water, postcluding (new word) the initial overhead you might incur.
You need a bottle. Should it be bpa free? Yes, ideally. My favorite reason to support this assertion, as quoted from the Wikipedia entry for BPA:
"A 2009 study on Chinese workers in BPA factories found that workers were four times more likely to report erectile dysfunction, reduced sexual desire and overall dissatisfaction with their sex life than workers with no heightened BPA exposure. BPA workers were also seven times more likely to have ejaculation difficulties. They were also more likely to report reduced sexual function within one year of beginning employment at the factory, and the higher the exposure, the more likely they were to have sexual difficulties."
Boo.
There are also studies that suggest it's presence in your body is linked to different health problems like heart disease, diabetes and other health issues.
Now, you can go with the stainless steel bottles or the BPA free plastic bottles. The neat thing about the plastic bottles is that some of them are collapsible (http://www.amazon.com/Collapsible-Reusable-BPA-free-Drink-Bottle/dp/B0039M9KMK) and thus space saving as well as long-term money saving.
If you travel on a plane for work or pleasure, you well know that airport beverages are crazy expensive. Well, at least for now, there are still water fountains past security.
If you tire of water's flavorlessness there are these amazing powdered drink packets you can buy in packs of ten, each for a bottle of water, for like a buck at your grocer. It's the difference between 10 cents and 2 dollars likely. And it all adds up.
2011-01-12
Spend less on coffee
There's a bank print ad right now that says the client doesn't want bank fees because their coffee is already a big enough expense. Man, that ad makes me angry.
One habit I miss as a result of trying to save money is buying coffee. I used to occasionally go to coffee shops and enjoy their wares. They could brew a good cup of coffee. The people were nice, it was a relaxing environment if I had time to sit but the coffee was expensive. I guess you were paying for the environment, the staff and the coffee.
House blend: 1.90ish
After that I started buying from a local bodega (what you might call a convenience store outside of the northeast US). It immediately cut that expense by more than half. BANG! I knew the counter guys and they knew how I liked my coffee.
Bodega coffee: 0.75
The tighter money got, the more EVERYTHING became up for review, including bodega coffee. How do you cut that expense even more? Make it at home. Near as I can tell, it doesn't go bad. It's one of those things you can buy in bulk and, if you really want, you can keep it in freezer. How cheap? Well, our local farmer's market sells it for $5 a pound including flavored and decaf flavored.
Stiles Farmer's Market 352 W 52nd St, Theater District
Even Dunkin' Donuts was doing $5 a pound recently if you bought 4.
Other places sell coffee for even cheaper.
In town, drug stores often have door crasher sales on coffee. At RiteAid, we bought a 2 pound tin for 5 or 6 dollars. That's $2.50 or $3 a pound.
Summary: Make your own coffee. Save at the farmer's market or through door crasher sales. Go in with friends if there's a minimum and you can't afford it. If you think you need coffee, there are cheaper ways. Good luck.
One habit I miss as a result of trying to save money is buying coffee. I used to occasionally go to coffee shops and enjoy their wares. They could brew a good cup of coffee. The people were nice, it was a relaxing environment if I had time to sit but the coffee was expensive. I guess you were paying for the environment, the staff and the coffee.
House blend: 1.90ish
After that I started buying from a local bodega (what you might call a convenience store outside of the northeast US). It immediately cut that expense by more than half. BANG! I knew the counter guys and they knew how I liked my coffee.
Bodega coffee: 0.75
The tighter money got, the more EVERYTHING became up for review, including bodega coffee. How do you cut that expense even more? Make it at home. Near as I can tell, it doesn't go bad. It's one of those things you can buy in bulk and, if you really want, you can keep it in freezer. How cheap? Well, our local farmer's market sells it for $5 a pound including flavored and decaf flavored.
Stiles Farmer's Market 352 W 52nd St, Theater District
Even Dunkin' Donuts was doing $5 a pound recently if you bought 4.
Other places sell coffee for even cheaper.
In town, drug stores often have door crasher sales on coffee. At RiteAid, we bought a 2 pound tin for 5 or 6 dollars. That's $2.50 or $3 a pound.
Summary: Make your own coffee. Save at the farmer's market or through door crasher sales. Go in with friends if there's a minimum and you can't afford it. If you think you need coffee, there are cheaper ways. Good luck.
Let's get started
They say the recession is over. It might be. It doesn’t look like it from here. It’s a balancing act really. Be aware of greater economic trends and waves but also monitor your own financial expenses and investments.
What does that mean? It means, what is important to you? What do you want how you spend your money to say about you? For some people, even this is a luxury right now. For some people, the most important thing is covering day-to-day expenses. There are so many ways to look at y(our) finances and so many places to start but at the end of the day, ideally, you want to have more than you began with, or at least feel like you are more ahead than behind. That is something like what this blog will be about. We will refine its financial focus and, at the very least, offer practical, hopefully simple ways to use your money wisely. One foot in front of the other …
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