Stocking up. . . .

As I increase my usage of coupons and store deals, I've come to the realization that although I feel as if I'm spending more money at one time---because I'm stocking up on good deals---in the long run, I'll save money. Why is this? Because in the past, I used to wait until something ran out before running out to the store and purchasing a replacement---generally paying the highest price for that item. My money slipped through my fingers in dribs and drabs in this way.

Now that I'm collecting coupons and scanning the weekly ads for Walgreens, Rite-Aid and some of the local grocery stores, I'm actually planning ahead! Do I use some items regularly enough that it makes sense to buy two or three while they're on sale AND I have a coupon? Yes!

Part of me rebels against this idea of stocking up, primarily because I have a grandmother who, when we moved her into a nursing home from her apartment, had probably a year's worth of toilet paper and shaving cream in her closets (and my grandfather had been dead for years---not sure how much shaving grandma was doing on her own. . . and I probably don't want to know. . .) I don't want to be the crazy old lady who stockpiles soap at the expense of having fun. Then again, stockpiling can be a great money-saver, as long as it is done in moderation.

Case in point: I went to my Walgreens last weekend to stock up on some items that I use (or will use, when the weather warms up) regularly. Here are some of the deals I got:

Reynolds Wrap Aluminum foil: on sale for .89 cents, minus a .55 cent coupon I had. Final price? .34 cents! I only had one coupon, so only bought one, but .89 cents is still a good deal so maybe I'll go back for more.

Three packs of diet Pepsi, for $11. This is a pretty high price, but I got $3 back in 'Register Rewards', that I can use the next time I go to Walgreens (maybe for my aluminum foil?). At $2.67 per box (and 12 cans per box), that's about .22 cents a can! A good deal, for something I love to drink in the summer while working in the garden . . . .

Colorsilk haircolor, which runs anywhere from $2.50 (on a good day) to $3.89 (waaaaay overpriced) was on sale for $1.99 a box. I happened to have a $1.00 off coupon, so I snagged three boxes (the limit) for $4.97, or $1.66 a box. Not bad!

I bought some other items on sale as well, which I won't detail in this blog post, but suffice it to say that my total savings was $25.40!

Part of my strategy of saving money for next year's drop to part-time status is to stock up on non-perishable food and household items so I won't have to spend as much money on them next year. Of course I am somewhat limited by available money and space (although it occurs to me that the space under the beds are not being used to their full potential) but I'm making more money this year than I will next year, so now is the time to stock my cupboards, especially when the products I use are on sale! By the way, the Dollar Stretcher has a good article with reader suggestions on stocking up when the prices are low. . . . check it out!

Frugal movies. . . .

I don't enjoy the luxury of just chilling at home much these days (and, truth be told, I'm not a couch potato even in the best of times . . .) Between Job #1, Job #2, and being a full-time graduate student, my schedule is tight, but my budget is even tighter, meaning that entertainment gets squeezed in here and there, as time and money permit.

A couple of years ago, I explored the possibility of 'renting' movies at the local library, only to find that the most popular movies (meaning, anything with a title I recognized) had from 10 to 75 'holds' on them, placed by other patrons. I chafed at the prospect of not having my movies when I wanted them---wait times could be months long---and continued to rent some instant gratification from Blockbuster, at almost $4 a pop!

Now that I'm two-thirds through my graduate program, I'm feeling the need for additional 'self-care' while also feeling the pinch in my budget from ramping up my savings to account for my upcoming drop to part-time status at the day job.

So once again, I went back to my beloved Multnomah County Library website and set to work finding some movies that interested me. I dutifully placed my holds, behind scores of other library patrons, and settled in for a long wait.

Imagine my surprise, then, when just weeks later I received an email from the library letting me know that my first DVD hold had come in! I trotted down to the library before getting on the Max (light rail system) for the ride home, and presented myself at the DVD counter. Shockingly, there were FIVE movies waiting for me! In placing my holds, I had tried to be strategic, placing holds up to the limit of ten DVD's, thinking that they would arrive in a staggered fashion, allowing me to watch one or two DVD's every weekend or so. Not so, not so. Although patrons are allowed a whopping TWO WEEKS to keep their DVD's, many often return them in mere days, meaning that the 'hold list' decreases much more quickly than I had assumed.

So far, I've watched six or seven FREE movies over the course of the past month or so. Using coupons, I purchase some packaged popcorn, and voila, I have a fun movie night that cost pennies. I've had friends over to watch a couple of movies with me, and if they bring beverages, we're all set for a frugal evening of entertainment.

Note: I have been downloading free audiobooks for my MP3 player for about a year, which I use when I go to the gym. I can get all sorts of books this way, without paying the $15-$30 they cost on the iTunes and other audiobook sites. . . .

Using the emergency fund. . . .

One of my cats has some kind of itchy-scratchy thing going on, that has resulted in some major discomfort for her. After trying some home remedies (including changing her food, in case that was the cause of it) I finally broke down and took her to the vet. $300 dollars later, I walked out with my cat, some EXTREMELY expensive cat food (care to feast on peas and venison, anyone?), and drugs galore.

Now, this is not the kind of thing I would consider to be an emergency. I did put the charges on my credit card, and want that debt GONE as soon as possible, but I was hesitant to use my emergency fund cash to pay it off (I have almost $1700 in my EF right now).

Then I started thinking, and yes, actually doing the math. I get 1.5% on my ING Direct savings account right now (I can't believe I started at 3.75% before the economic bust. . . I'm salivating at the interest I could be earning---and will earn again at some point in the not-so-distant future). I pay 9.99% on my credit card. Sooooo, an intelligent woman would figure that I'd be 'earning' 8.49% by paying off the credit card (9.99 minus the 1.5% I won't be earning on that money).

Is my math correct on this (more importantly, is my LOGIC correct)? It seems to make sense. Why would I willingly pay 9.99% interest when I'd only LOSE 1.5% interest if I took the money out of my emergency fund?

Of course, the trick is to replace that $300 over the course of the next few months so my EF is nice and healthy again.