Not Spending Money

Identifying the Little Luxuries

July 14th, 2009 . Posted in Adding Value, amusements | 1 Comment »
Tags: Adding Value, enjoyment, luxury

What is luxury?

Suppose you have a bunch of extra money to spend and you decide to buy little, nice things for yourself that you don’t already. This might be a latte every day at Starbucks, to use an old example, or Charmin 3-ply Extra Plushy instead of the tree bark variety.

It’s interesting that a lot of times we think in terms of the luxuries we’d like to add to our life (”Gee, if I had a little extra money I would stock ice cream in my freezer all the time” or “Gee, if I could afford it, I’d love to have brand-new towels on hand for guests and a guest room all ready for out-of-town guests”) but sometimes we forget how many of these we’re already doing.

Chances are, one of two things will happen:

a) You will realize that you are indulging in a luxury that you don’t particularly need or appreciate, or

b) You will enjoy that luxury even more now that you are aware of what it is.

So, your list might look something like this, depending on what you choose to spend money on or enjoy:

- 2-ply toilet paper

- Shampoo from Bath & Body Works that smells yummy

- Clean sheets twice a week

- A cell phone in addition to or instead of your land line

- Drinking out of glass glasses instead of plastic cups

- Having hot water whenever you want it

- Using Kleenex instead of toilet paper for your runny nose

- Buying a book you want instead of checking it out of the library

- Working at an office that provides hot coffee every day

- Splurging on hot coffee every day at the coffee shop

- A water filter or ice maker in your fridge

- A dishwasher

- Free time to read or relax

- A nice place near you to go jogging

- Having a pet that you love

- Not having a pet to clean up after

- Being able to afford to leave a light on for yourself when you’re away

- Being able to afford cable

- Having a nice outdoor space to enjoy

- Having a really good heater or air conditioner

- Having your own bathroom

- Having your own set of fresh, clean towels in the bathroom

- Watching your favorite show in the evening

- Hearing birds in the morning

- Getting to shovel snow

- Not having to shovel snow

Some of these may not seem luxurious enough to spend some time appreciating, or they may seem too luxurious to waste money on. The thing is, finding the right balance is completely up to you.

What is luxury? SingingInTheRain

Ok, so in all likelihood you are already doing a lot of these “little luxuries” which is fine. Remember, not spending money isn’t about cutting out everything in your life that you like, it’s about recognizing what you already have and enjoying it. So try this: Every time you bump into something you enjoy or something you’ve spent a little extra on or something that you’re glad doesn’t cost a little extra, write it down and build a list of all the little luxuries.

Chances are, one of two things will happen:

a) You will realize that you are indulging in a luxury that you don’t particularly need or appreciate, or

b) You will enjoy that luxury even more now that you are aware of what it is.

So, your list might look something like this, depending on what you choose to spend money on or enjoy:

2-ply toilet paper
Shampoo from Bath & Body Works that smells yummy
Clean sheets twice a week
A cell phone in addition to or instead of your land line
Drinking out of glass glasses instead of plastic cups
Having matched dishes
Having mismatched dishes, but enough to serve all your friends
Having hot water whenever you want it
Using Kleenex instead of toilet paper for your runny nose
Buying a book you want instead of checking it out of the library
Having a library nearby
Working at an office that provides hot coffee every day
Splurging on hot coffee every day at the coffee shop
A water filter or ice maker in your fridge
A dishwasher
Free time to read or relax
A nice place near you to go jogging
Having a pet that you love
Not having a pet to clean up after
Being able to afford to leave a light on for yourself when you’re away
Being able to afford cable
Having a nice outdoor space to enjoy
Having a really good heater or air conditioner
Having your own bathroom
Having your own set of fresh, clean towels in the bathroom
Watching your favorite show in the evening
Hearing birds in the morning
Getting to shovel snow
Not having to shovel snow
Having an umbrella when it rains
Walking in the rain
Fuzzy Bedroom slippers
Bare feet on soft carpet
The ability to play music wherever you go

Some of these may not seem luxurious enough to spend some time appreciating, or they may seem too luxurious to waste money on. The thing is, finding the right balance is completely up to you.

How to Live Without a Microwave

June 30th, 2009 . Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

In most kitchens, microwaves are pretty standard. Sometimes they come with the kitchen. Occasionally, you might be renting an apartment that doesn’t have one, or buying a house with no appliances, or your microwave just broke, or someone offered you a few hundred dollars for your old one (hey, we can dream, right?). At any rate, there are those days when you might find yourself without a microwave.

Wait! Stop! don’t go buy one!

Microwaves didn’t always exist and people got along just fine. Personally, I find that I rarely use mine. If you are microwaveless and have to choose between buying a new one and just making do, here are some ideas that might make the cheaper option easier.

Get a Tea Kettle

This is priceless. They have some rather expensive self-heating tea kettles on the market (Target’s cheapest is around 14.99) which are good if you are renting a room with no kitchen whatsoever, but if you do have a kitchen, this essentially pays for another stove burner as well. A regular ol’ tea kettle is just fine — the kind without a plug.

Tea kettles were once used to heat water on stoves, or sometimes bare fires, to be used for hot drinks as well as sometimes dishes or bathing, although not at the same time, as the knives tend to cut the bathers. Hopefully the loss of your microwave will not affect your bathing or dishwasher needs, but it will most likely affect your preparation of hot drinks. Hot drinks of all kinds are often made in the microwave. Although I wouldn’t recommend heating anything besides water in your tea kettle (most tea kettles are rather difficult to clean) it do well for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cider, or anything else that requires the addition of hot water. Don’t put more water than you need or it will take longer to boil. It does take longer than microwaving, but doesn’t actually require more work. Putting the kettle on an extra five minutes early while you brush your teeth in the morning won’t detract from your Morning Instant Coffee routine as much as you may think. Plus, many make a nice whistling sound that is a very analogue version of the microwave’s beeping.

Read Directions for Conventional Oven

I know it’s been a long time since you’ve read the directions on your microwavable food, but many foods that are microwave-friendly also have directions for a conventional oven as well. Again, this is assuming you have a kitchen with a range handy, but if you do, you’ll find that many soups, freezer dinners, etc that microwave up so nicely will also cook up nicely in the oven. Plus, it’ll add a little golden-brown tint to the top to add that “home-cooked” touch. All these years and we still haven’t taught microwaves that. Plus, if you have guests and you pull your would-be-microwaved food straight out of the oven in front of them, they’ll swear it was completely homemade. This happened to me once. True story.

Buy Fewer Microwave Products

Some products are just designed for microwaves. Microwave popcorn, for one. There are brands that are popped on the stove rather than the microwave. Or maybe there’s a non-microwave snack food that you’d enjoy just as much. At any rate, find foods you like that don’t need microwaving, like baby carrots or some nifty recipe.

Eat Leftovers at Work

If you and your family are avid leftover-eaters, then instead of keeping the leftovers to be microwaved up for dinner, package them up in lunch-sized portions and send them off with the workers in the family. Most office lunchrooms have a microwave handy. This way, not only do you avoid microwaving your leftovers at home, you also save on lunches out at work. Plus, if you cook well, everyone will compliment you at work on your cooking skills because your lunch smells so good as its heating in the office microwave.

Wait! Stop! don’t go buy one!

Get a Tea Kettle

Read Directions for Conventional Oven

Buy Fewer Microwave Products

Eat Leftovers at Work

Image courtesy of kittygenius.com

How to Look Good Without Spending Money

June 24th, 2009 . Posted in Adding Value, clean, don't spend money, how to, personal, shampoo | 2 Comments »

Rockwell_Girl_at_the_Mirror Looking good often involves buying a lot of personal products, keeping your wardrobe updated by buying new clothes on a regular basis, keeping up with the latest trends by getting subscriptions to fashion magazines, and taking semi-regular trips to a spa for a pedicure or to a hairstylist…. that is, if you believe the things we’re told by advertisers or purveyors of personal care products. Regardless of your personal style or budget, there are a lot of things we can do to look good that don’t cost any money whatsoever.
Practice Good Hygiene

This may seem obvious, but I cannot stress enough the importance of good hygiene in a stellar personal appearance. Why is it that so many people who spend little on their personal appearance often look like they haven’t brushed their hair or showered? I think it is because those are the ones that catch my eye; the people that take good care of themselves don’t stand out negatively as being cheap when it comes to personal appearance. As obvious as it may seem, here are a few tips on looking like you’ve spent money when you haven’t:

Keep your nails pretty. Manicures and pedicures are expensive, but a pair of nail clippers with a built-in file is cheap. In all probability, you already own several. Pick one that you like, give the rest away, and use it on a regular basis. Chances are, you will get compliments on your pretty nails even if you don’t spend any money on regular manicures. You don’t even have to buy polish– just keep your cuticles pushed back and your nails rounded or trimmed, depending on preference.
Shower regularly. The smell of a clean soap is more refreshing for everyday use than expensive perfumes. Cheap soap is fresh-smelling and expensive body washes are not needed. However, if you like floofy body washes, go right ahead. The point is to be clean.
Brush your hair. Do you ever notice how movie characters have pretty hair halfway through the movie, even though they’ve been running around like crazy for an hour? It’s because they have a hair stylist in the studio that runs in and brushes their hair between scenes. Keeping a hairbrush in your purse or at your desk costs nothing (you can bring your brush from home if you don’t want to bother with two) and just run it through your hair once or twice. I admit that I don’t actually do this, but my friends have told me that sometimes I look more “wilted” at the end of the day and I think my flat hair has something to do with it.

Practice good posture

It’s like the instant-supermodel technique– stand in front of the mirror and say “Before”, then slouch. Let your shoulders sag and your gut hang out. Then say “After”, and straighten your back, straighten your shoulders, and keep your chin up. You can get a friend and make a game out of it, maybe even taking digital pictures of the “Before” you and the “After” you. I guarantee you, it’s the cheapest instant makeover in the world.

Take Good Care of your Things

This includes ironing your clothes properly. Yet another one that I avoid (I buy knit sweater-shirts and no-iron tailored blouses for work to avoid this step) but it will make your clothes look new longer and more regularly than the alternative. Even getting anal about it and ironing your Tshirts (or at least folding themwhen they come out of the dryer) will make them look newer when you wear them on the weekends.

Accessorize

Wear Jewelry. Even cheap jewelry will help you look more “put-together” when you leave the house in the mornings. If you are a jewelry person, then arranging your current jewelry with different outfits could help you feel updated without spending more on additional items. If you are not a jewelry person, picking one or two pieces that go with all your clothes can add polish to your overall look. I have a few pieces of cheap jewelry that I am mostly too lazy to wear. Just adding that extra touch can update your look without spending any additional cash.
Understand What you Like and what Works for You. If you think you look best with your hair done a certain way, you can do it that way consistently without spending a lot of money on unique hair accessories that you rarely wear. If you know exactly what items of makeup work best for you, you don’t need to buy a lot to change up your look. The same is true for any accessories– find what works and what you enjoy.

Smile More

As cheesy as it sounds, smiles complete any outfit. Some people are natural smilers, others are not; if you aren’t, there’s no shame in practicing in front of a mirror. Everyone I knew in college theatre freely admitted to practicing raising either eyebrow in front of a mirror; this surprised me because I thought I was the only one who did such things. I wasn’t. Smile more often. If people are looking at your face, they aren’t paying attention to whether or not you are wearing this season’s shoes or last.

Don’t Put Yourself Down Again

This may seem obvious, but many of us complain about our looks, which calls attention to what we see as our shortcomings. If you spill on yourself, complaining about it just helps people to notice. If your pants are too short (a perennial problem for anyone who is tall) or your clothes are too tight (we all gain weight from time to time, or have clothes shrink in the wash), then telling people will only accentuate any problems that you feel exist. If you feel like someone else truly has a better fashion sense (or a bigger budget), then by all means, feel free to compliment them, but don’t add “Gee, I wish I could look that good.” Believe it, and you will.

Of course, there may still be little ways that you like to indulge yourself in your personal appearance– just don’t feel that you have to overextend yourself financially just to look good.

Image: Girl at the Mirror by Norman Rockwell

How to Say NO to Friends

June 15th, 2009 . Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

no money One of the most frustrating aspects of not spending money is that friends or coworkers will inevitably ask you to social events that will be beyond your price range.

Saying “no” is not always easy, especially if you particularly want to spend time together or if they are in danger of being offended if you decline.

It seems like everything costs money. Your coworkers go to lunch = money. Your friends want to go see a movie = money. Your friend who you haven’t seen in awhile wants to get together = money. You want to get together with friends but need to buy food = money. Saying “no” is an art, and there are a number of ways to go about it — and some ways NOT to.

Things to do:

Suggest an alternative
- By suggesting an alternative, you show that you are indeed interested in spending time with your friend. So you might not be interested in meeting up with everyone for a comedy show with pricey tickets, but you might suggest playing frisbee at a local park, go for a hike, or have a game night. If your friends are into museums, there are often “free” days once a month or so that you can bring to your friends’ attention.
Provide your own alternative
- If you are meeting friends for lunch, sometimes it’s possible just to bring your own sack lunch. If you are going to a fancy Halloween party, it’s possible to find a costume among your existing clothes. If they are asking you to contribute to an office gift pool, you can opt instead to make a nice personalized card. There are a lot of ways to bring your own supplies/food/items in such a way that you control the costs, not them.
Go, but don’t spend money
- This option works well in bars and restaurants. It is relatively easy to inconspicuously get a water at a bar (you can even ask for the little straws) and enjoy the time with friends without buying drinks. If your friends question you, you can laugh and say that you’re on a budget. Or you can make up an elaborate story about how you made a bet with a passing stranger for a million dollars that you couldn’t drink more than fifteen glasses of water a day for a week and that you are several glasses behind. Whatever works for you. It’s also a good option at restaurants; sometimes you can grab a bite before going out and then just make your presence felt and not order anything. In large groups, especially, nobody will really care, since the food usually comes at different times anyway.
Go, but spend less money
- This works when there’s really no way to get around eating with friends. Once I went to a swanky place for lunch with work buddies; they all ordered full lunch specials (the kind that comes with dessert) and I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu: a bowl of soup for $6. The thing is, the soup (with lots of their yummy free bread) actually ended up being just about right. Some restaurants are so in love with large portions that nothing on the menu is reasonably priced; sometimes, you can split meals with like-minded friends. Some places, you can leave out one part of the experience entirely and still get what you came for. This is the case at movie theatres; foregoing popcorn and drinks severely cuts the overall price.
Find other ways to contribute
- If you are invited to a gathering (such as a potluck) where you are asked to bring something outside your budget, ask instead if you can bring a movie, music, games, outdoor toys, help set up/take down, or even host the event if you’d rather do that then blow your budget. The good thing about hosting is that you don’t have to pay for gas, either.
Be Honest
- For the most part, people are pretty understanding. Right now, everyone is griping about the economy and this type of behavior is more common. Sometimes when you are honest about your motives, people might be helpful and have cost-free solutions of their own.

Things NOT to do:

Make Excuses or Lie
- If you put people off by making excuses to hide your economic situation, people will eventually believe that you have no time to spare for them. If you lie to cover up your real motives, people will stop trusting you. Both of these can tarnish friendships and business contacts.
Avoid People
- Similar to above, avoiding people because you don’t have the money for an activity can lead them to believe that you simply aren’t interested. If you’ve been doing this for awhile, it’s easily remedied by calling them up and inviting them for a walk.
Promise to treat later
- Sometimes friends will “cover for you” if you promise to treat them later. This may seem like a good deal at the time (since you’re not actually out the money for the activity) but you do have to pay it eventually, so you’re essentially spending the money anyway. If it’s not something you can spend money on now, it’s not something you can spend money on next week either.
Forever mooch off your friends
- When someone makes a big deal out of their “reduced circumstances”, good friends might chime in and cover your ticket, drink, dinner, babysitting, gas money, whatever. This is very kind of them. But everyone knows that it’s temporary.
Spend more than you want because you don’t want to say no.
- For me, this is the easiest mistake to make. It’s easy not to buy coffee, but it’s so easy to justify the coffee if I’m connecting with an old friend. Of course there are times when you might make budget exceptions, but doing so on a regular basis is an easy trap to fall into, especially when the people in your life are so important.

Ultimately, there may end up being certain circles that will insist upon pricey activities and there may end up being certain friends that will always ridicule you for not being able to participate. Frankly, if people are going to be that obnoxious, you might want to find friends who are understanding about your situation and decisions. There are lots of lovely people in the world who completely understand that you have budget needs and will enjoy hanging out with you anyway. I’ve always found that the most interesting people can spend an afternoon doing nothing whatsoever, as long as there is good conversation and maybe a cup of tea.

Image courtesy of julielenzerkirk.com.