I present a short list of new or offbeat effective ways I have saved money this year:
1. Freecycle.
2. Invest in Turkish coffee kit. Espresso cravings go away with re-roasted fine ground seasoned with cardamom.
3. Shop at Goodwill for pants and shirts.
4. Start shopping for some groceries at Target.
5. Bring Chinook Book with me to all shopping expeditions.
6. Use Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap as occasional shampoo. Bring own empty bottles of Dr. Bronner's to refill at store: a 40% saving.
7. Airdrying not quite bone dry clothes.
8. Baking own bread.
We caught a half-hour of the lunar eclipse before the everpresent clouds smothered the moon. Walking in the 56F house led to the observation that my house is still cluttered. I wonder if our school's families can have a fundraising rummage sale.
I found the KitchenAid KFP 700 booklet for the food processor. I have used the processor exactly once, for pie dough. Now that I have the booklet out, I can learn how to use those blades and accessories.
Storewide sale at motorcycle center. Thinking of asking about layaway plan. I told a long-term salesperson there, I suspect he may be the husband of the woman who regularly gives me the "biker-chick" discount, that I am used to certain discounts. If I can get 20% off a good helmet that fits, it's worth paying for.
A suburban Bank of America branch has taken to stationing a security guard outside, I saw as I returned to my car from a grocery trip. I defeated the temptation to tell him that the thieves were in the branch already, wearing business attire.
Paid full price for a screening of "Hugo" in 3D, but as it was one of the best films I have seen in two years ("Man on Wire" made me cry, as did "Hugo" -- films that use Erik Satie compositions are tearjerkers), and we didn't pay for concessions, the outlay wasn't that bad. Seeing "Hugo" in 3D is worth it to approximate how the fin-de-siecle audiences reacted to the "lifelike" motion pictures. It was even better than the book because of the Satie soundtrack and the clips of Keaton, Lloyd and Chaplin.
According to my car fund chart, I am behind my June 2011 accounts by $1734.91. That's about how much principal I've paid my Home Equity Line of Credit, which means that we're not saving much money, if any.
Somebody please let me know I am not alone.
Post-ecliptic thoughts
December 10th, 2011 at 09:12 pm
December 11th, 2011 at 01:54 am 1323568443
Ha!
December 11th, 2011 at 05:32 am 1323581545
December 11th, 2011 at 06:28 am 1323584919
December 11th, 2011 at 03:58 pm 1323619082