Learn Through Your Imagination, Scene Three: Toughing It Out

You can't survive this without being extremely frugal

This one is for those with pioneer blood! Let your imagination carry you away from the city streets (or the barnyard) to this place where you can learn by dreaming up frugal methods. Your imagination is the only way to experience such an adventure, so let it roll!

Scene 3: Toughing It Out

It's late summer, fall is coming on quickly. You're about five miles from town and have one acre of land in farming country with a snug, but empty, one room structure on it. It has cold running water only and two single pane glass windows. You have no electricity, therefore, no lights or refrigeration. You do have a small wood stove already set up, a pickup truck, a hand saw and a hammer. You can choose three more hand tools. You also have a tank of gas for the truck and you have a supply of canned and dry food as well as soap, but nothing fresh or that would keep without refrigeration.

You don't have any bedding, dishes, pans or other household things, including a mop, broom, etc. You don't have any wood for burning, although there are three trees on the property and a few bushes, but you can't strip the land because it's yours and you don't want to destroy it. You have no money except for five dollars. How would you make yourself comfortable and wash clothes, cook meals, etc?

This could be fun. Imagination makes you a pioneer in a new age. Remember that you live in the most affluent and least frugal society in the world. Think of what is thrown away every day of the year and how to use other people's trash for your treasure.

Keep an imaginary journal to show how you obtained what you needed to meet the cool nights and cooking and cleanliness needs. Your imagination will probably show you other things you'll need, too.

In all of these scenes, use your imagination and frugal creativity. Be as realistic as you can. Live it in your imagination so you'll realize what you need to survive.

You should come away from these exercises with a better sense of how you can apply yourself to your own, real, circumstances and get away from the consumerist mindset. Living frugally is an attitude and a way of life that, up until the last century, was the only way to survive for the common folk. Because we can't live the way our ancestors did, going there in our imaginations will help us see what we can do in the here and now.

You can learn through using your imagination. Creativity is within each of us and once it starts flowing, it's there to meet needs in ways you might never have thought about before.

Appreciation of the Small Things

I had an apple tree. I even got an apple from it and it was so amazing that I blogged about it.

The relativity of an apple harvest

What was true then is true now. All things are relative!

Never did the lesson ring so true as it was today when I gathered five tomatoes. The garden was late this year due to rains and a cool spring and early summer so the tomatoes are just now getting started.

Yes. I know it's September 1. I'm hoping the predicted early frost will hold off, but if it doesn't? A small harvest will be greatly appreciated and well taken care of. I won't waste one small tomato and I will eat each one (and the tomato sauce I make from them) with much appreciation.

How's your harvest this year? Are there things you got little of that you really appreciate?

Yeah, I love those tomatoes!

Stretching a Chicken

I know... visions of a chicken being stretched from its neck to its feet, right? I mean stretching a roasted chicken. If you roast a chicken whole, you can usually get one good meal from it, then a few dishes from the leftovers. The more careful you are, the more meals you can get from it.

You don't have to eat them one right after another, but if you freeze the chicken in portions, you will have it on hand for these simple and quick meal ideas: 

You can make simple chicken noodle soup by adding packaged egg noodles and frozen mixed vegetables. Add a little chicken bouillon if more flavor is needed.

Chicken and rice soup is really good on a cold day. Cook together a cup of rice, one large carrot and a couple of stalks of celery in four or five cups of water. Watch the water because it will boil away. When it's all done, add chopped chicken and enough bouillon to bring out the flavor.

A very Americanized version of fried rice with chicken goes like this: Heat a heavy skillet to medium hot, add peanut or sesame seed oil and scramble an egg in it. Add frozen vegetables of your choice, stirring until they are thawed and nearly done, then add cold rice, diced leftover chicken and a little soy sauce.

When you've used your chicken down to almost the end and don't have enough for another meal, put whatever you can get from it into a food processor or blender. Add mayonnaise or salad dressing, coarsely chopped pickles, onions and salt if it's needed. Blend it thoroughly and you will have enough for a few delicious sandwiches.

If you want to get the most from it, though, once you've stripped all the meat that you can, boil the carcass for a couple of hours then strain the bones out of it, saving the liquid. This liquid is the pricey chicken broth that you find canned at the store. You can freeze it in portions to start the soups above, adding a little salt and omitting the bouillon needed, lowering your costs even more.

Let the bones cool for a little bit, then pick through them and get all the little bits of meat out. Put it in a container for soup, stirfry, sandwiches or casserole. If you're going to freeze the meat, pour a little of the broth over it to keep it from drying out.

With the price of food any more, why not get the most from it?

How to save 100% on every sale you find

In all the hype we hear about sales and how much we can save, one thought keeps coming to mind.

They tell us we can save 10%, 25% and even more on some of these "special" "Unprecedented" "wow" sales...

I have a better method. I can save 100% by not buying that item in the first place.

I mean, I didn't want or need it before the sale, so why should I need it now?

It's something we need to check ourselves on now and then, no matter how frugal we are. Wrong attitudes about savings sneak up on us, just like they intended.

Are You Really Frugal?

Do you save water from the shower or in a pan in the kitchen sink to water houseplants, the garden, clean the floor, etc.?
Do you water down shampoo and liquid hand soap? (Some of it actually works better that way.)
Do you make your own plastic scrubbies from vegetable net bags?
Do you borrow books and DVDs rather than buy them? Shop at thrift stores and on sales racks exclusively?  Refinish furniture rather than buy something new (or second hand)?
What about transportation? Do you drive a car until it really needs to be replaced (rather than just when you get "tired" of it).

Just checking.

Five Things You Never Need to Buy

Paper towels. Use rags cut from old clothing, linens or towels. Cut and hem them and they will last a very long time, wash after wash. You will no doubt wind up with clothing or other material that isn't absorbent or won't wash well. Cut those up and save them for nasty jobs so you can throw them away like you would paper towels.

Paper napkins. A very simple solution is to cut some squares of cotton or other absorbent material and hem it. Voila! Instant cloth napkins. Some people buy washcloths in special colors to use as napkins, but making your own is cheaper; your choice. Wash them with the other kitchen items like dishcloths and teatowels. Also, it doesn't hurt to use the same one a couple or three times if everyone has their own color or design (unless it's a messy meal!)

Trash bags. For the smaller trash cans, use plastic grocery bags. They're a sturdy or sturdier than bags you buy and you have them already! They even have handles. For larger trash cans, save bags that dog food, bird seed, mulch, compost or other garden amendments come in. Anything that comes in a large enough bag works. I have used the large plastic bags from Goodwill or other thrift stores (or even retail stores!).

Pots for starting seeds. Use any small container that you can poke a hole in for drainage. Some people use egg cartons, putting soil and a seed into each egg compartments. This is enough to get started, but plants will need to be transplanted soon because there is little room for roots to grow. Think: Soft drink bottles, cut down, yogurt containers, cottage cheese and sour cream containers or any plastic container that you can cut down to size.

Bulletin boards. Need a place to pin up pictures, notes or lists? Get a piece of cardboard from a cardboard box that is the right size for your space and cover it with piece of solid color cloth. Better if the cloth comes from an old sheet or tablecloth that you were going to use for rags! Wrap the cloth around the cardboard and tape it down with duct tape. You can either poke holes in it to hang from or attach a string from each corner to hang it. A few pins or thumbtacks and you're in business.

Happy Frugal Thanksgiving!

Got the turkey that was on sale and the fresh pumpkin you froze from Halloween? You're all set for a frugal Thanksgiving. Holidays seem to decree that we spend more money than ever, but it doesn't have to be that way. A frugal mindset can make even the most extensive meal cost mere pennies per dish.

Turkey is the most frugal meat when it's on sale right before Thanksgiving. If you can, grab an extra one or maybe two for later in the year. Turkey sandwiches taste good any time of year!

Don't let the other special sales get past you, either. Things like flour and sugar, olives and cranberry sauce can sometimes be found for a good price. Grab them, especially if you're going to need them for Christmas anyway.

Frugal shopping is more critical than ever in this economy, so don't let Thanksgiving sales slip past you without taking advantage of them.

5 Ways to Save at the Grocery Store

1. Never shop hungry. When you're hungry, everything looks good and you'll bring home a lot of snacks and items you wouldn't have bought otherwise.

2. Look up; look down. Grocery stores put the highest price items at eye level. Stoop over and see what's on the bottom shelf, then stand on your tiptoes and check out the top shelf.

3. Shop alone. The more, the merrier and the higher the grocery bill, as children or spouses add their favorites and things they want to try to the cart.

4. Shop the sales. Never go to the grocery store without looking at the current sales ads. If you don't take a newspaper, most stores have their ads online. Plan your meals around sales items and stock up a little if you can.

5. Ditch the brand name "must haves." Try store brand cereals, bread, dairy and meat. Most of the time, they're just as good as the brand that you pay the advertising for.

Frugal Reasons for Walking

1. It saves gas if you can walk where you'd otherwise drive.

2. It's good exercise and can keep you in good health, and that's frugal.

3. Walking is good for your mood and helps us live more intentionally.
Nature is calming and uplifting.

4. You can discover things you'd never see in a car: coins on the ground and plants you can take cuttings from (ask first!) for two.

5. A new pair of shoes is cheaper than a set of new tires.

Tightening the Grocery Budget

I used to buy groceries for around a hundred dollars a month, but as prices crept up and up, that rose to $110 to $125 and lately, it's been more than that! As a frugal person, and one who shoots off her mouth now and then, it's kind of embarrassing.

So I'm going to go on a fiscal diet and not spend more than $100 each month on groceries for the rest of the year. I will NOT include extras for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, but I will try to hold it to a minimum. Also, I don't eat out very often, but if I should, that will be a part of the food budget.

Okay. Hold me to it. It starts this Wednesday, when I get paid and start my month over, for practicality's sake.

I have food in the house that I have avoided using. Don't we all do that? Things stuffed away in the freezer that I will use "sometime." That sometime is now, so I might have some strange meals. Then again, maybe not. I have canned food and dry food and a good variety, too.

I'll try to remember and report, although I may not be too specific about it (crunching numbers and listing prices doesn't sound like fun). I'll try to post at least the totals of my food expenditures and maybe a few interesting recipes!

Wish me luck.

Eat Your Garbage

I am not kidding. What many consider to be garbage - the portions of food that we throw away - are perfectly edible, good and nutritious parts of the food we pay for!

I'm not talking about leftovers, (although leftovers are sometimes treated like garbage) but I'm talking about things like those green leaves left on the radish bunches, and the center core of a cabbage. No. I am NOT kidding. Those are not only edible, they're good and they're good for you to eat, cooked or raw.

Radish leaves are loaded with minerals and vitamins, just like any other dark green leafy vegetable. They're tangy, and although sometimes a little fuzzy, they add zing to your salads. You can also cook them, but it takes a lot to make a serving, so if you don't want to put them in a salad, add them to spinach or other greens when you cook them. You can dehydrate or freeze them, too, if you want to stockpile them until you have enough to eat as a separate dish. Just don't throw them into the garbage; you bought them. Because they tend to go bad faster than the radishes, it's a good idea to eat or process them otherwise within a day or two of bringing them home.

Cabbage cores? Delicious raw! Slice or dice them into salads or stir frys. Or eat them just like they are, with a little salt if you like. This was always a treat for whichever kid was in the kitchen when Mom used the last of the cabbage. (She was kind enough to share!)

Sure, there's more:
Any time you peel vegetables like carrots or potatoes, or trim vegetables like celery or onions, scrub them first, then freeze the peelings and trimmings until you have a gallon or so. Put it all in a pot of water and cook until everything is done, then strain the solids (then you can put them in the garbage, but the compost pile is better) and use the remaining broth for a soup base. It's excellent also for a hot drink when you have a cold or don't feel well otherwise. Add a little salt to bring out the flavor and serve hot.

It's no secret that you can eat broccoli stems, and you'll even find them in the grocery store in the form of "broccoslaw." It might be a secret, though, that you can add the small, tender leaves found on the stems as well as those on cauliflower. You can eat cauliflower stems as well. Peel stems from both vegetables to remove the tough outer covering. You can eat all of this raw or cooked. A really good soup can be made by cooking peeled, sliced stems and young leaves of both plants, then adding some diced ham and enough cheese added to make the water opaque. No garbage here - it's an elegant soup.

Do you like sunflower or pumpkin seeds? Then you'll enjoy squash seeds, too. You can eat the seeds of any winter squash. Toast them just like you would pumpkin seeds. Wash, soak in salt water overnight and toast in a slow oven until dry and very lightly browned. Or melt butter and mix into the raw, clean seed, sprinkle a little salt and toast them slowly in a skillet on the stove top.

Apple or fruit jelly can be made from the peelings and cores that you throw away! Just use this garbage the same way you would whole fruit. Cut away any bruised or bad areas and cook in water until tender. Strain, and use the juice in any jelly recipe to finish. (Be sure to wash the fruit well first if you intend to use the peels.)

And now for the super frugal tip: Wash empty egg shells thoroughly and drop into a half cup of vinegar. Let it set until the shells are completely dissolved, then use the vinegar however you normally would. Egg shells are mainly calcium, so you get a nutritional boost.

Garbage? No way. It's good nutrition and frugal good sense to eat what others throw away!

Beans, Beans, the Wonderful Fruit...

Really. If you don't believe me, look at this recipe:

Pinto Bean Pie

And there's one out there for Pinto Bean Fudge.

It's for real, too.

And why am I concerned about making fudge and pie from beans?

1. Beans are cheap
2. Beans are good for you
3. The recipes are novel
4. Beans are a lot easier to keep on hand than, say, peaches.

Or good chocolate.

This is the time of year to buy beans. Stock up on them; they keep very well. They will keep for years, but each year they get drier and take a little longer to cook.

If you can, buy them directly from a farmer, a roadside stand or a farmer's market so you'll know they're fresh to begin with.

Uses for 2 Liter Soda Bottles

Even if you don't drink soda from 2 liter bottles, you probably know someone who does. Don't let all those containers go to the landfill! There are so many uses for them that you may never throw one out again.

Food storage. They're food safe, airtight and easily stored. Use them for dry foods like grains (barley, rice, etc.) or for flour and cornmeal. Small pastas or beans and peas store easily in them, too. An oxygen absorber packet will help keep grains fresh for longer term storage. A funnel will help fill them.

Plant waterer. You can buy those spikes to screw on to the top of them, but why not just poke a three or four small holes in the bottom of a bottle, bury it beside your plant and fill it from the top? Leave a couple of inches sticking up and put the lid back on loosely to allow for air to replace the dripped water but keep insects and dirt out of it.

The tops make excellent funnels for shop and garage uses and can be tossed after using, or saved for reuse. They also fit perfectly into the top of gallon milk or water jugs.

Bottoms can be used to grow plants on a windowsill or to start plants for the garden.

Cut the bottom off in the correct shape and use it as a scoop for pet food, outdoor bird seed and so on.

Cut a bottle in two in the center, fill the bottom with soil and add plants. Take the top and make four short cuts at even intervals, then water the soil and place the top on, squeezing gently to get it to fit down into the bottom part. This is a perfect little greenhouse that almost eliminates the need for water. Be careful about putting it in the sun, though, because the temperature will soar.

I even came across an ambitious project involving building a full size greenhouse from plastic soda bottles.

And then there's this bright idea: How to light a home with a plastic soda bottle and bleach

Makes me wish I'd saved more of those from former days!

Never Waste a Teabag

This is a story of progressive frugality. One learns as one goes along.

I have always used teabags twice when possible to save money; that's nothing new. One day as I was about to toss a twice-used teabag into the garbage, I happened to think that the string might be useful for something. Granted, it was a short piece of string, but I thought several could be tied together to use... well, to tie things together or something. With no more thought than that, I started saving them until I had a handful, then sat down and tied them together and wound them into a small ball.

I could almost say "end of story" and stop there, except that I was cleaning out a shelf and found an old dust mop cover (a real dust mop, for those of you who think they are disposable) that I had made from a skein of unwanted cotton yarn. I wondered if I could ever get enough teabag strings together to make another one. (Yes, I still have the same dust mop from at least 20 years ago.)

Why not? So I started saving teabag strings without tying them together and now I have a pretty big handful.

Then, one day, again as I was about to toss a used, now stringless, teabag, I happened to think that, since I throw looseleaf tea onto the compost, I could just as well throw teabags on the compost. Eventually I discovered that the bags take a lot longer to decompose than I wanted to wait. Next step: Let each teabag dry so I could rip off the end and dump the tea out. Now there was only the tag and the empty teabag to throw away.

I did this for awhile, then, as my mind slowly progressed to more frugal ways of looking at teabags, one day I decided to see if I could save an empty teabag to reuse. I could. I cut a narrow strip across the top of the teabag and dumped the contents out. The teabag seam stayed crimped. Now all I have to do is put my own tea, herbal or otherwise, into the teabag, fold it again and staple it at the top, just like it came originally.

So now the process goes like this: One teabag, used for two cups of tea, go on a clip on the stove where it can dry thoroughly. Once it's dry, which takes a couple of days, I take it down, pull the string off (still don't have enough for a dust mop cover) and cut carefully across the top. I then empty the dried tea leaves into a container, fold the teabag and put it away with the others, to be used as the summer produces herbal tea material. Eventually, I empty the container into the compost and start over.

Now I'm trying to come up with some way to fasten the teabags without having to use staples. Glue either isn't safe to imbibe or dissolves in boiling water, so that's out. Any other ideas?

EDITED: I went ahead and used staples and made teabags from loose dried hibiscus flowers. It worked very well! I will continue to save teabags! :)

KIP week

Do you knit? This week (June 12 - 18) is the worldwide "Knitting in Public" week. Take your yarn and needles with you to the bus stop, the doctor's office, a concert, a picnic... wherever you happen to be in public. Let them know that knitting is not a dying art! Some people make it a demonstration, knitting on the library lawn or in front of a yarn shop, in a shopping mall and so on. Get some knitting friends together and have a "knit-in."

Frugal? It can be. Reuse yarn, buy at super sales and be creative with what you have.

Related posts and articles:


Mug rugs and quick gifts - A free pattern and some frugal thoughts about it

Frugal toasty toes - Recycle an entire sweater to keep your feet warm this coming winter.

Powdered sugar and popcorn salt

One of the best things we can do for ourselves and our budgets is to cook more and more from scratch. When I say "make my own" any more, I truly mean make my own, as in salad dressings, bread, powdered sugar and popcorn salt.

Powdered sugar is quick and easy if you have a blender. Just put table sugar in it and blend until it's a powder. It won't be as light as commercial powdered sugar unless you add a little cornstarch. The cornstarch is to keep it from clumping after it sets for awhile, but if you make just enough for what you need at the time, you don't have to waste cornstarch.

And the popcorn salt is easy, too. A coffee mill works after a fashion but a blender does a better job. Don't overdo it. Use short pulses and check it every couple or three times. If the salt is too fine, you can easily over salt the popcorn.

There are lots of things to make from scratch and the more ways you use, the more money you save.

Guest Post: Looking for a Cheap Mode of Transportation?

Due to the prohibitive prices of cars and gasoline, people all over the world are looking for cheaper ways to get around. Let's take a look at some practical (and not so practical) inexpensive modes of transportation.

Bullock Cart

Bullock carts have been used for transportation since ancient times in many parts of the world. People still use them today in areas where cars are too expensive or there isn't appropriate infrastructure for cars. They're still widely used in Malaysia, for example. The bullock cart is powered by one or several bulls. Did you know that in Mumbai the number of bullock carts registered in the city went up by 770 percent from from 2008 to 2009? Chances are you didn't!

Instead of buying an expensive 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class automobile (MSRP $110,400, MPG - 11 city/17 highway), consider purchasing a 1200-pound Angus bull for about $2,500. If you're handy, make your own cart, buy some wooden wheels, and remember to stay off the freeways.

Auto Rickshaw

An auto rickshaw is a motorized, three-wheeled version of a traditional rickshaw. The popular air-cooled scooter has a two-stroke engine, with handle bar controls instead of a steering wheel. Originating from Thailand, auto rickshaws are widely used all over Asia. An Indian-made auto rickshaw typically gets 82 miles per gallon! They have a top speed of about 31 mph, so, again, stay off the freeways.

Llama Carts

If you and your llama are interested in getting a llama cart, there's an instructional video available that shows you how to train your llama to properly pull it. According to one expert (yes, there are experts on this subject), not all llamas are suited for pulling a llama cart.

Sacco-Cart

Let your dog take you places in a dryland sacco cart! You probably shouldn't try this with a chihuahua.

Bus

Alright, time to get into some more practical alternatives! Buses are a cheap mode of transportation used all over the world. If you live and work in or near a city, buses or other modes of public transportation can bring you just about anywhere you'll need to go.

Scooter

Scooters get a whopping 80 mpg or higher. A small 50cc scooter gets 100 miles per gallon and costs about $750. It has a top speed of about 40 miles per hour. A 150cc scooter averages about 70 miles per gallon, can go 60 miles per hour, and costs about $1500. You might feel silly riding one around town, but they are very cost efficient alternatives to cars.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) reports that in 2008 it cost approximately 54 cents per mile to drive a medium size sedan, including gas. This number was based on a gas price of $3 per gallon, which seems like a bargain right now. Mike Mount, a spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council, mentioned that it costs about 30 cents per mile to ride a scooter. Also, scooter insurance is significantly less than car insurance.

Motorcycle

According to Allstate Insurance, the average motorcycle rider reports getting just over 56 miles per gallon, with some getting over 100. Automobile drivers, on the other hand, report an average of 22.4 miles per gallon. Also, on average, motorcycles cost less than cars. The list price of a Kawasaki KLR650, for example, is $6149 and it gets 60 miles to the gallon.

Bicycle

At a big box store, you can purchase a decent bicycle for about $100. At a store that specializes in bicycles, a good, comfortable hybrid bicycle costs between $300 and $600. You can cruise at about 10 to 15 miles per hour. Best of all, you won't have to worry about traffic jams anymore. A bike is a good alternative if your commute is minimal and you don't mind getting a little sweaty before work!

Electric Bike

After you start pedaling, turn the throttle and get a boost. You only have to pedal the bike lightly to keep it moving. U.S. law limits the speed of electric bikes to 20 mph, so in most states you won't need a special license, insurance, or registration. Some of the bikes using an internal combustion engine are powered without any need for pedaling.

According to eco.wheelz.com, it only costs $0.10 on average to fully charge a battery. Given that, it costs less than a penny per mile to ride an electric bike. Retail prices range form $600 to $1100.

There are a variety of cheap modes of transportation out there. A llama and llama cart can pay for themselves if you're interested in selling llama fiber yarn! If owning livestock isn't really your thing, however, there are other options out there!

Besides being an "expert" on goat and llama carts, Brady Daniels also knows motorcycles. He writes feature articles about them for  Motorcycle Insurance Quote.

Odds and ends

I was cleaning out a file the other day and came across some interesting tips that I'd forgotten about. I could have used them, too. It doesn't do much good to have a lot of tips and good ideas if you forget about them when you need them, so these are going in a more current file so I can find them. I'll pass them on and if you don't have them, you can figure out how to keep them handy, too. ;)

Brass polish: One tablespoon of salt, one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of white vinegar. Mix until smooth and rub on brass with a cloth, then wash with warm soapy water.

Aluminum polish: Rub aluminum with crumpled aluminum foil to polish

Silver cleaner: You'll need an aluminum pan, a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda. Mix the soda and salt in a gallon of hot water in the aluminum pan and put your silverware, silver jewelry or other items in it to soak until it's clean. If you have access to raw milk, you can soak silver in soured milk. Pasteurized milk won't work - it has to be real milk that's soured.

Waterproof your leather boots or shoes with petroleum jelly. Rub it in and let it set overnight, then wipe off any excess.

If you have hardwood floors, you can give them a quick shine by putting a piece of wax paper on your dust mop and going over them with it. (It may take more than one piece of wax paper!)

Keep your bathroom fixtures shining by wiping them with lamp oil. Dampen a rag, splash a little lamp oil (this is processed kerosene)on it and wipe the chrome fixtures with it. I know it sounds strange, but try it, it really works.

Have you ever tried any of these?

Save money or pay off bills?

Another question I get here at Frugal Living is "Should I save money, or pay off bills first?"

If you ask that question in a room with ten frugal living and personal finance experts, you'll get fifteen answers. I'll throw mine into the ring:

It's never a good idea to put all of your money into one pot. If you're in debt, you need to get out as soon as possible, but if you have no savings, you need to get some started immediately.

Why not get the best of both? After your basic bills are paid, divide whatever money you have and put part of it toward paying down bills (pay extra) and put the rest into a savings account. You will eventually be in a position to handle any money emergency without worry. 

The argument for starting a savings along with debt down payment goes like this: If you don't spend all your money paying down debt and something happens (your car needs repairs, you have unexpected medical expenses, etc), you can cover them with cash and not go deeper in debt.

All of this supposes that nothing is going to happen for awhile. If it does, be a little more frugal (or a lot more frugal if you need to) and pay as much in cash as you can.

How to Save Money around the Home Office

Guest post by Olivia Coleman, author of articles concerning online colleges and universities. She welcomes your comments at olivia.coleman33@gmail.com

Your home office should be a quiet and efficient place. After all, the home office is where many of us handle our family's finances. We pay bills from the home office. We evaluate our investment decisions. We worry about our budget. Because many of our financial decisions are made in the home office, then we should also make sure that our home offices aren't costing us to lose money. It would be terrible to have money flowing out of the home office unaccounted for. Here are a few ways you can make your home office a more frugal space.

Cut Down on Paper Waste

Home offices use a lot of different kinds of paper: printer paper, notepads, and calendars. Ideally, you can cut costs by going to a paperless accounting system and pay all your bills online. Minimize your printing needs. Cut up old printed paper and keep the scraps together to make notepads so you don't have to buy the expensive ones. Use an electronic calendar. If you can cut down all your paper purchases to just a bit of printer paper every now and then, you'll certainly save some money.

Use Less Juice

Another thing about our home offices is they are full of electronics: printers, computers, lamps, clocks, stereos, cell phone chargers, and paper shredders. Many of these appliances use electricity even when turned 'off.' How do they do that, you ask? Well, because they aren't actually powered down; instead, they go into a standby mode that still draws on your power source. If you can cut off these 'vampire appliances,' then you'll be able to save some money. Connect these appliances to a surge protector strip that allows you to flick a switch to break the connection completely.

Change Your Light Bulbs

Another way to save money in the long run in your office is to change the light bulbs in your office lamps to energy efficient bulbs. While the cost up front will be noticeable, you could save yourself up to $20 a year per light bulb. Often, these bulbs give off the same amount of light as a normal incandescent bulb of higher wattage. And with the advance of technology, they now emit a softer light than that of standard fluorescent bulbs.
 
Conserve Office Supplies

Finally, you'll want to be smart about how you purchase office supplies. Pens and pencils, printer cartridges, scissors, tape, all of these things can add up to a lot of money. The best way to make sure you're not spending more than necessary is to keep an inventory of your supplies, just like any small business would. That way you won't be tempted to buy a package of pens on sale because you're not sure if you need them or not. Likewise, be sure when you do run out of something you're not buying the most expensive product. Look for sales and shop around.