As stated in the previous post, this is an idea swiped, with permission, from Money Mom over at the youtubes. She has a great friendly cheerful channel that I've subscribed to for QUITE some time and really appreciate during the 'rona. It's not doom and gloom. It's happy and sensible. Hence the channel name: Centsible Living with Money Mom.
Why hints 12-23? Because I like the prime numbers and 23 is a good one. So is 29 but I didn't think I could come up with that many and it would shorten the series to go that far so here we go:
12 Return the favor. If you have someone who does for you, do for them. I was pleased when a friend called and asked for a hand because she gives me more than I give her usually. I don't keep an exact tally, but I know that she's someone I can count on if I need something, I "put out the word" (see previous blog post for that tip), or need advice on how to do stuff. So when she calls for a hand I'm glad to return the favor.
13 Make an errands list before I leave the house or at the first stop on the trip. I live 30 min out of town, 15 min out of tiny town. If I'm headed in for something I take a moment to think through all the stuff I can get done in one trip and try to put it in a sensible order rather than the order that would require trips back and forth across town. If I've got laundry to do I know I want to do that first, while the laundromat is clean and not full of people and the wifi isn't over subscribed. Then I'll have 30 min or so to do the rest of the list. Still want to think through a little bit before leaving. I hate getting to town and seeing "return library books" or "drop recycling" and finding that I didn't put those things in the vehicle. As for the order, my storage unit is near the laundromat so I can walk over there if I need to swap out clothes, get jars, or whatever. If I need to hit a grocery store, I park midway between the store and the library and walk to both. Cuts down on driving and the walk is good for me. The grocery store also gives us a nickle credit for walking so that doesn't hurt. It doesn't add up much at one trip every week or two but what the heck.
14 Get receipts! This helps with the tracking noted in the last blog. If I don't get a receipt, I make a note. I hate getting home and not knowing why there isn't money left in my pocket. Since I often pay cash, I need receipts in case something needs to be returned. It isn't often but now and then I get a damaged or faulty item. Receipts help in developing your price point awareness. You may think something is a deal until you review receipts and notice the price is lower at one store than on sale at another. Keep an eye out especially for frequent purchases. Those savings add up and we usually don't research them as well as the occasional purchase items.
15 Research before you buy. This is easier with the internet but during the 'rona I've also gone back to using the phone. Stores don't want to need us in there being looky-loos and crowding up the aisles. When I needed fence posts I called the 3 hardware stores in the town where I was headed to check the stock and the price and the heavy-duty-ness of their posts. Turns out the hardware I was going to skip because it is usually higher priced was the best deal on that. I was able to let them know what I needed post-wise, they could pile them up and I ran in to pay, out to load, and off I went. They got their cash with less needing to sanitize behind me and I saved money by not looking a the random sale items I might have bought but not needed.
16 Know where the clearance rack/pile is in each store. I frequent 4 grocery stores depending on which town I go to. In each there is an out of the way spot with a shelf full of "just get these out of here" items, or in one case a cart. I've found barely past sell-by date crackers, soups, coffee, vitamins, or the last package of something the store will no longer carry. I hit these racks first WITH MY LIST which includes the "stock up if on super sale" items as well as the current need items. If it's not on the list, I usually don't get it. If it's 25cents and a treat, I might get it. Got some dark chocolate honey patties one day that are usually over a buck each this way. I get my hinges and hardware bits at the clearance rack at the hardware store.
17 Thriftstore hardware is checked before hardware store hardware. Thrift stores often have piles of unopened or barely used hardware like door knobs (keys and all), hinges, latches, sand paper, paint in various colors. Since I do not care if the hardware on a chicken coop made of pallets matches, or even on my crapentry® screen door, I used thrift store hardware. It usually turns out cute.
18 Lumberyards have a free off-cuts pile. Often anyway. ASK. The hardware/lumber I like in Moscow Idaho has a free bin next to the cutting table in the lumber yard. If you buy ANYTHING you get to go take scraps. I drive in there with the pick up and load up. If it's not plywood or glued beams, it's at least burnable. I have built many things from the scrap lumber. I've got a pile of lumber stock in odd sizes, though a surprising number of 4' 2x4s are free. Even some short stair step sides that must have been the wrong length. Someday I will have a structure that needs steps just that size. Or a bonfire.
19 Little Free Libraries are the best. Especially if you need a book just to have in the car, great for when you are stopped for paving projects. They SAY it's 15 minutes but we all know it might be 45. Having a book is a fine way to pass the time. The Little Free Libraries are all over the place and you take a book or leave a book. No due dates, no questions. I donate back. The books are also great for plane trips since you can leave them when you are done. If I don't see a Little Free Library, there is always a laundromat. to drop them at. I've even left them at highway rest stops and public bathrooms thinking if people don't want to read them, they can always TP them.
20 Dumpster Diving. I'm not devout on the dumpster diving, having rarely actually gone in one and never made a specific dumpster dive trip. I do however, keep an eye out. Living in a rural area with public rural dumpsters here and there, it's a common thing for folks to leave the good stuff outside the dumpster for the next person. I will try to drive the truck if I need big stuff and am going past good dumpsters. I've gotten a satellite dish thingy, little one that is a grid not a bowl, that the peas are climbing up now. Plenty of lawn chairs (thanks summer tourists!), bits of fencing, pieces of lumber (wear gloves and watch for nails), and once an entire set of furniture for a summer rental including a TV...black and white bubble front with the clicky twisty knob. The entire set being a dresser, a few lawn chairs, and the TV. I had a blow up bed and folding picnic table. Hose the stuff down or wash it up. Make your own choice. I donate back to the dumpsters as well if I have things that seem useful but not quite thrift store donatable or I'm not going past a thrift store.
21 Pass It On If You Don't Need It. This goes back to number 12 I think. I know who is gardening or canning, or crafting with fabric and paper. If I have an overstock or see a great deal, I will ask around and see if one of those folks can use the overstock or the deal. I found canning jars in great shape at the recycling center the other day (this recycling center specifically encourages direct recycling by letting us grab stuff back out of the bins and even providing free bins of buckets and things). I grabbed them and emailed around to friends who can and who give me things in jars. No one needed this size right now but all appreciated the inquiry. I have radishes fermenting in them at the moment. One of the folks said she had too many jars of another size...a size I need right now for other things so she passed those on to me. I'm passing some clothes on to her next week.
22 Hang out with the like minded. It's hard for me to share favors with people who think used items are gross. People who buy all new stuff from stores I boycott, they find it hard to share with me or even hang with me. So while we're friends now and then, usually not sharing friends. Try to have a good set of your friend group be people who are also thrifty (or spendthrifty if that's what you like...nothing like taking a skinflint on an expensive venture to make everyone cranky!).
23 Hang out with the unlike minded. HA! See what I did there? Changed it up. Anyway, #22 doesn't mean that you ONLY hang out with the like minded cheapskates. That is dull and generates a judgmental bubble. Also hang out with people who do other things but realize that they may not be the ones who will be thrilled to get a pair of your ripped carhartts for a birthday present. I, however, would love them and would grease them up with my boot wax to make waterproof pants so...if anyone has a pair of old carhartts size 6, no spandex, send them on. The unlike minded get us out of our bubbles and we get a break and see new things and get new ideas. You learn from those who think differently as well as those who think like you. Keeps you flexible and it's fun. Sometimes you also find out that those who seem unlikeminded actually agree with you on many things. This can be confusing but is something to think about when you are stuck in a construction zone on the highway and you can't find that book you got free at the Little Free Library because your car is full of dumpster dived crap.
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