Financial clean-up

Now that our taxes are done, I am going through our family's financial profile and figuring out if there are any areas we can save money on. First of all, we are planning to drop our land line soon since we also have a cell phone and it just seems silly to overlap those two payments.

I'm also planning to get some free insurance quotes to see if we can get a better deal on our auto and homeowner's insurance. It seems like insurance prices can vary quite a bit between carriers.

Fakers

I've never been to New York, but I have heard of all the "fake" designer brand merchandise that is sold there. Even the fakes have pretty high price tags, if you ask me. The most popular items are replica watches and purses or handbags. I say, if no one can tell the difference, you might as well save some money and go with the cheaper one. Maybe the designers will get a clue and lower their prices a bit to compete.

Then again, who am I kidding? Designers will always get their full prices from celebrities and the super-rich.

Deprivation

Sometimes people question my family's frugal lifestyle because they don't understand why we would "deprive" ourselves of everyday luxuries that most families enjoy. Just because we don't watch television, only have one car, and limit our belongings, we are anything but deprived! We enjoy saving money and the environment with our daily choices. And since we have a habit of saving any extra money, we can afford to take vacations at least once a year.

Although we have traveled more than many families, there are still many places we have yet to explore. The east coast is one such area. It would be so much fun to book some Outer Banks rentals and get a large group together to share the vacation. Even the smaller rentals have enough space for 8 people to sleep. Why not share the cost and the fun?? We have also never been to the west coast, and would love to visit Sequoia National Park in California, then on up to Oregon and Washington. A way-in-the-future dream is to visit Europe, and if we continue along the path of simple living, we may just get there someday.

End-of-year deals

Many stores are clearing out electronics to make room for the next year's models. I've seen discount tables at several stores, and the online stores have many items on clearance too. I've seen Canon, Samsung, Pentax, and Panasonic digital cameras, laptop and desktop computers, printers, and televisions, among more.

So if you got any gift cards for Christmas, check out these deals to get the most bang for your gift buck. Hope everyone had happy holidays! We spent most of this week outdoors since it was so warm - 68 degrees today!

Everything is relative

My husband was talking with a friend about our plan to drastically cut our living expenses, so we can semi-retire and continue make our living through art, music, web ventures, and of course, my coveted library job. His friend lives in Boston, and he commented that $1,000 a month would barely buy daily coffee in Boston.

Everything is relative, and while the cost of living there is probably much higher than here, Boston jobs also pay a lot more to make up the difference. For example, the median household income in Boston is $42,500, while here in Eureka Springs, the median household income is only $26,600. Another issue that Eureka Springs residents have to contend with is the tourism market and the fact that most of the town virtually shuts down for several months in the winter, making some workers stretch nine months of income out over the entire year. I'm lucky that the library remains busy all twelve months.

A New Earth

I just started reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, as I have heard from many people that this book has transformed their lives and the way they experience the world. Of course a statement that bold intrigued me, so now I am on my way to be forever changed for the better. I am only on page 30, but so far he has talked about how we are controlled by the ego and that from a very young age, we attach ourselves and our worth to the things that are "ours."

I have been yearning to detach from many of our belongings for a long time, and have been succeeding slowly. But there is a long way to go, especially in the way of convincing the children to let go of so many of their things. This is not a money issue at all. There are many people who have plenty of money, but choose to live a simple, minimalist life. In fact, the people with the most money who are not in the habit of sharing their wealth with the less fortunate seem to be the most depressed, spend the most time in drug rehab, and often commit suicide. If money were the source of happiness, these things would not happen.

On the contrary, the people who make lots of money, but donate most of it to charity, like Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates seem to be genuinely happy people. There are many other folks who are not considered "rich" by our standards, but because they volunteer their time and give of themselves and their money whenever they can, they live very satisfying lives as well. But since they are not famous, they don't usually make it into the news - and they are probably perfectly happy with that as well. The truly generous don't do it for recognition and prefer to remain anonymous.

Economic Stimulation

Like most Americans, I was skeptical when I first heard about President Bush's "economic stimulus" plan of sending additional tax refund checks out to every U.S. household. But I have several friends who have already received their money, so I know it is true! I was wondering how the government could afford to give away so much money, but I suppose they are hoping we will be good little consumers and spend, spend, spend!

One of my friends is thinking of putting her check towards Lasik eye surgery and I think that's a great idea. Might as well spend it on something you've been saving for already. Our check will come in very handy, since we're purchasing acreage next week and won't be closing on our house for awhile. I suppose our grocery and house upkeep purchases will stimulate the economy a bit.

I just can't do it Captain!

There are certain things I just can't bring myself to pay money for. One of those is haircuts and colors. I have cut my own hair and my whole family's hair for years with great results. I also dye my own hair because the salon is outrageously overpriced for coloring and I have only been disappointed once, which was easily fixed the next day.

Another area I don't like to spend money is on herbal supplements and weight loss. For example, I've wanted to try hoodia ever since I heard of the benefits, but I just can't shell out the dough. So I keep drinking my green tea (for the antioxidants) and walking as much as I can (for the exercise and the fresh air). Some people achieve great things with herbal assistance, and that's wonderful for them, but I'm just keeping it simple for now.

Save money on glasses

Eureka Springs is about an hour from any substantially large cities. As such, many of our residents are either self-employed, proprietors of local business, or telecommute and work from home. This makes for a close-knit community who are always willing and ready to share money-saving tips and help each other when the need arises. So I feel compelled to share my Great Discovery: www.ZenniOptical.com. When you purchase prescription glasses directly from the frame manufacturer, there is no middleman, and therefore the prices are lower.

Check out these unbelievable prices:
Complete single vision glasses start at $8
Complete bi-focal glasses start at $25
Complete progressive glasses start at $37

Plus, the extra anti-scratch and UV protection coatings that usually add more cost are free from Zenni Optical. Check out their site and see for yourself.

Bridge the gap

Since the holidays have sadly become so commercial and consumer-driven, it is understandable that many people find themselves strapped for cash at the end of the year. Rather than drown yourself in credit card debt, why not check the rates on Payday loans? You can get multiple quotes and they don't even require a credit check.

The process is very simple and can be done completely online in a matter of seconds. The money can be deposited into your checking account electronically, and you agree upon a date for the money to be electronically withdrawn to repay the payday loan.

Going back to the classics

In my never-ending quest to save money, we are now popping our popcorn the old fashioned way on the stove. It is cheaper and the popcorn tastes better, although it takes more time and I burned one of my pans beyond repair with a hot oil mishap. Great, so I have spent less on popcorn, but now I have to replace my pan.

Oh well, I need to get some more cookware anyway, since a lot of the non-stick surfaces on my pans are coming off. I worry that we are eating it in the food I cook and I am planning to forgo non-stick cookware from now on. I think stainless steel, cast iron, cast aluminum or Terra Cotta stone cookware would be better and longer lasting.