pixiecrinkle (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pixiecrinkle) wrote2003-11-11 02:56 pm
pixiecrinkle) wrote2003-11-11 02:56 pm
Finance Stuff
As usual, it gets close to the end of the year, and I start thinking more and more about how to reduce my looming debt. I'd rather not talk about how much it is, but it's large. I'm handling it though, and am realistic about the fact that it's going to take me a while to wear it down. In the meantime, I'm trying to pare down my spending, so that I can make the biggest payments possible to credit cards. Here's the basic ideas I've come up with so far, after spending the morning with my nose in my Quicken records:
1. Make myself wait 24 hours before buying clothes and books that I don't absolutely need. I think this will help me reduce my impulse clothing buys, which are by far my largest discretionary expense.
2. Use the library more for books. I'm good about doing this for non-fiction, but not so much for fiction. Also, remember to turn them in on time.
3. Don't stockpile bath products (ie. fewer trips to The Body Shop) Use up what I already have, then make my own (because I already have the ingredients for most things).
4. Change haircut places. I love my hairstylist, but I'm paying nearly $50 a pop for haircuts now, and my hair is just a longish straight cut with short Bettie Page bangs. I anticipate growing it out longer, so this is just ridiculous. Plus, if I wasn't spending so much on my hair, I might be able to afford the occasional massage or manicure without feeling guilty.
5. Clean out closets, bookshelves and sell old stuff. Most of this is fairly new stuff that I just don't use anyway. I think that clearing out clutter will help me with getting off the consumerism wagon too. And I already started this with a Rag-a-Rama trip last week and have lots of stuff left. If I can get my hands on a digital camera soon, I may try to put some stuff on ebay closer to the holidays.
6. Don't use ATMs not associated with my bank.
7. Make smaller grocery trips, more confined to my list. In addition, go through all the bulk stuff in the pantry and the stuff I've premade and frozen before bringing home too much more. At the rate I'm stocked now, I really shouldn't have to shop for anything other than produce and yogurt until January.
8. Start taking lunch to work more often, instead of going out. I got out of this habit after I got my new job this year, and it's taking a big toll.
9. Look into the new Medical Spending account at work that comes with our new health insurance. Plus, wait until next year to order new glasses, so that they go on the new, better vision insurance.
1. Public transportation: I don't drive much at all, and while I could take the bus to work, it would not only not save me any money, it would actually cost me more. Plus, with my school schedule, it's likely this would make a lot of things less convenient, and lead to me spending more on things like eating away from home and impulse reading material.
2. Apartment: Yes, I spend more on my rent than anything else. However, my landlord hasn't raised my rent since I've moved in here, and having been here for almost three years means I'm pretty settled here. I decided when I moved in here that this was the last rental before either buying a place, or moving out of Columbus. In addition, to find rent cheaper than mine, I'd likely have to move out of my neighborhood, which would up the transportation expenses and probably even out in the end.
Anyone have any more corner-cutting ideas to share?
1. Make myself wait 24 hours before buying clothes and books that I don't absolutely need. I think this will help me reduce my impulse clothing buys, which are by far my largest discretionary expense.
2. Use the library more for books. I'm good about doing this for non-fiction, but not so much for fiction. Also, remember to turn them in on time.
3. Don't stockpile bath products (ie. fewer trips to The Body Shop) Use up what I already have, then make my own (because I already have the ingredients for most things).
4. Change haircut places. I love my hairstylist, but I'm paying nearly $50 a pop for haircuts now, and my hair is just a longish straight cut with short Bettie Page bangs. I anticipate growing it out longer, so this is just ridiculous. Plus, if I wasn't spending so much on my hair, I might be able to afford the occasional massage or manicure without feeling guilty.
5. Clean out closets, bookshelves and sell old stuff. Most of this is fairly new stuff that I just don't use anyway. I think that clearing out clutter will help me with getting off the consumerism wagon too. And I already started this with a Rag-a-Rama trip last week and have lots of stuff left. If I can get my hands on a digital camera soon, I may try to put some stuff on ebay closer to the holidays.
6. Don't use ATMs not associated with my bank.
7. Make smaller grocery trips, more confined to my list. In addition, go through all the bulk stuff in the pantry and the stuff I've premade and frozen before bringing home too much more. At the rate I'm stocked now, I really shouldn't have to shop for anything other than produce and yogurt until January.
8. Start taking lunch to work more often, instead of going out. I got out of this habit after I got my new job this year, and it's taking a big toll.
9. Look into the new Medical Spending account at work that comes with our new health insurance. Plus, wait until next year to order new glasses, so that they go on the new, better vision insurance.
1. Public transportation: I don't drive much at all, and while I could take the bus to work, it would not only not save me any money, it would actually cost me more. Plus, with my school schedule, it's likely this would make a lot of things less convenient, and lead to me spending more on things like eating away from home and impulse reading material.
2. Apartment: Yes, I spend more on my rent than anything else. However, my landlord hasn't raised my rent since I've moved in here, and having been here for almost three years means I'm pretty settled here. I decided when I moved in here that this was the last rental before either buying a place, or moving out of Columbus. In addition, to find rent cheaper than mine, I'd likely have to move out of my neighborhood, which would up the transportation expenses and probably even out in the end.
Anyone have any more corner-cutting ideas to share?
no subject
1 - i don't buy clothing regularly, and seldom splurge on new items. my "style," too, makes thrifting pretty easy for me, but then again, so does the "required wardrobe" of working at home...
2 - library = good, but then again i've kinda' abandoned any regiment of reading. it has helped me to reduce the $$$ i spend on movie rentals...
3,4,5,6 - all of the above helped, not only to reduce my spending budget, but simplify my life, too.
7 - i try to make all my foods from scratch. it's important here, too, to recognize time-effective strategies (making rice/grain in bulk, owning a pressure cooker to quickly cook beans and other dried goods, having canned tomatoes on hand)
8 - cooking more (and in bulk) will provide more leftovers and foods ready to take to work!
9 - i've been without health insurance for 1.5 years now, which has saved $$$ ... but that's bad!
remember, those $10 here and $10 there pinches add up quickly! :-) we'll have more dinner nights, mmm?
no subject
7. You and I both know that this is my plan too. It's just a matter of finding time. Hopefully when I'm down to one class, that will be the case.
8. Will you help remind me to actually *eat* the things I've frozen?
9. You need to get health insurance!!!!
no subject
7. see response to #1.
8. yes, and when the restaurant is up and running, there will be no concern for freezing, as leftovers will be abundant. :-)
9. yes, mom. :-) i *heart* you, too!
no subject
no subject
if you're on any maintenance meds, see if your insurance offers mail-order meds... you can get 3-6 months worth of a med for *one* co-pay. I need to do this for my asthma and reflux meds because I pay 55/month for those in co-pays. It would be much cheaper to pay 55 every three months instead.
bulk foods are great. dry beans are CHEAP, so is rice. read the Sunday circulars for grocery stores, then shop the big big sales--which operate at a loss... even better when you have a coupon! this is how i stock up on canned veggies and beans.
we thought about the flexible spending account, but it's a use it or lose it situation... we'd rather not risk losing it. for set expenses (prescription meds, daycare, etc), it's a great option, but it's too much paperwork for us right now.
no subject
They just started the mail order program with our insurance at work, and I went last month to have my doctor write me 3 month at a time prescriptions rather than one month at a time. It is better pricewise, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping what my insurance company considers three months of migraine meds to be actually holds out for three months for me.
I do the bulk thing regularly. Unfortunately, it's the type of thing where I stock up way too much ahead of time. I have a tendancy to take advantage of sales whether I need to or not. I am vowing to get the pressure cooker in use more often this winter to make grain and bean dishes more often.
I'm still not sure on the spending account either, but I already know that I have to get new glasses/contacts this coming year, and will have the meds and stuff, so I may do it. It's new for us at work, so we find out all the details about it next week.
Thanks for the suggestions!!