Here’s some sage and simple advice; never purchase anything just because it’s a “bargain”. The simple, unavoidable truth is that if you don’t actually need something it isn’t a bargain but instead a cost, and if you purchase it then it's a waste as well. If you need a good ... Read more...
Grocery Prices to Rise Steeply in Next Year
Planning on barbecuing some delicious steaks this summer? For many people, those plans will probably be thinned down to hamburgers and hotdogs instead. The reason is that grocery prices, according to economists, are going to rise in 2014 following a year in which they barely ... Read more...
My Apartment, Courtesy of Craigslist
It feels like at least once every week that I'm telling someone how much I love Craigslist. In the past year, I've gotten some really nice furniture from sellers on Craigslist (which you're about to get a glimpse at!) for a mere fraction of what I would have paid had I bought ... Read more...
Big-ish Purchases I Need to Make in the Near-ish Future
You know how it really sucks when you run out of shampoo, toothpaste, contact solution, mascara, and deodorant in the same week and before you know it you're in the check-out line at Target with $50 worth of beauty supplies in your basket? That's kinda where I'm at right now, ... Read more...
Unsatisfied With Something You Bought? Return It, Silly!
It amazes me how many people don't return stuff that they've bought, but don't like or want. I remember reading on another financial blog (which is now defunct) that the author purchased a bunch of bras which ended up being the wrong size. But she didn't return them. She just let ... Read more...
Now I Know the Value of a Dollar, or, Why I’m Not Getting a Boob Job
When I was 12, all my friends started to get boobs. By the time I was 15, all of my friends had boobs. But me? No boobs. I mean, yeah, I'm a respectable A-cup. I don't look completely shapeless. But ever since I was about 13, this Itty Bitty Titty Committee has wanted some, ... Read more...
Right Now: My Favorite Money Saving Strategies
A few weeks ago, one of my favorite fellow-PF bloggers Jessica over at Homeowner By 30! wrote a great post about how she's really evolving financially. I feel the same way. When I started blogging I was desperately in debt. I stressed out every month about being able to pay all ... Read more...
Christmas 2011: My Gift Buying Strategy
A lot of PF bloggers - and probably regular people, too - set a small amount of money aside every month in anticipation of needing a large sum of money every December. The money builds up over the course of the year and by December a large amount of money is available for the ... Read more...
Sometimes Shitty Customer Service Actually Pays Off
One of the many things I spend money on for my classroom is tissues, so I was totally pumped a couple of months ago when Safeway was offering 200-count boxes of their brand of tissues for $1.00 each. I had to get a raincheck because the store that I was in was out of stock. Today ... Read more...
Bargain Queen
That's me - the bargain queen.Of course, I love a good sale, but I mean bargain as a verb, not an adjective. In other words, I've recently come to realize that I'm an expert negotiator of prices. A few recent examples:My coffee table. I found a perfect condition West Elm Parson's ... Read more...