Internet / Phone / Cable Savings

Several items that jumped out at me were related to Internet / Phone / Cable service - necessary evils in my life.

1. One great idea, if you haven't seen the 80 gazillion commercials, is to bundle services. Putting your phone, cable, and Internet together with one carrier, on one bill, can save a ton of money each year. And, if there's a problem, only one call to make.
2. Do you absolutely have to have the fastest Internet speeds available? Really. Unless you're a major gamer, chances are you can step down to a lower speed without noticing the difference. We need reliable and we need faster than dial-up, but beyond that - we just don't need blazing fast speeds.
3. Ignoring part of the first tip, what about using Internet phone service? There are a lot of reliable VOiP options that offer a flat monthly rate that's much lower than the phone company. It's a great way to get rid of the phone company landline. We've been thinking about MagicJack.
4. Along with the second question, do you really need 300 channels? Really. When we had our own service, we had a couple hundred channels. It was great. When the complex cut us down to their free basic, we lost over a hundred of those stations. We miss about 5 of them.

Credit / Interest / Bank Savings

It's not just credit cards that slap us with interest. A noticeable percentage of car loan and mortgage payments is interest. But, there are ways to improve the situation.

1. First, get your credit score in order. As your score goes up, interest rates should go down.
   • AnnualCreditReport.com - the only authorized source for the free annual credit report you are allowed by law - will get you the information from all three reporting agencies. If you spot problems, their website offers information on correcting errors or dealing with identity theft.
2. Pay bills on time - or early. Interest rates on cards, loans, and mortgages are calculated (if memory serves) from due date to due date. By making payment late, interest accumulates unabated.
   • If you can, pay a little early and a little extra. You'd be amazed how quickly those balances drop. I once paid off a 60-month car loan in 49 months, just by adding a little to the payment and sending it in on the first instead of the fifteenth of the month.
3. Request a reduction in the interest rate on your credit card(s). If you pay faithfully, your credit card company may be willing to throw you a bone. Or you could look into a zero-interest or low-rate card.
4. Avoid bank fees like the plague. If your checking account carries fees, consider changing account types. Or consider changing banks. There's simply no reason to pay for the use of your own money.

Those are just a few of the 50+ ideas from DoughRoller.net - and I haven't even started on the great ideas from the comments on Mr. Berger's column. Be sure to check it out.

And, while you're at it, how do you save money every day? Carry your lunch? Walk to work? Cut your own hair? Feel free to share what works for you. I'm always looking for great Thrifty ideas.

The Hole

Those of you who've followed this blog know that Mark is disabled and we're on a fixed income. A very, very fixed income. That means some seriously tight budgeting and no raises, except through the benevolence of the powers that be in DC. For a couple of years now, they haven't felt very benevolent.

If the income limits weren't frustrating enough, we've also been paying large amounts of child support to a deceased ex-wife for a child who turned 18 about six years ago and for 2 kids who lived with us for three years. While supporting children you helped create is important, it's pretty safe to say that no custodial mothers are seeing any of this money. Add in that the deductions amount to a noticeable percentage of your monthly income and it becomes frustrating, to say the least.

The Shovel

Now, starting in 2012, some of those burdens may be easing. We may be able to shovel some of the dirt back into the hole.

For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the Social Security Administration has announced a COLA for next year. For those getting SSI or SSD and paying Medicare premiums, it will (probably) be a wash - as the powers-that-be are upping Medicare premiums for 2012. For us, we get to keep the entire 3.6%! Woo! and Hoo!

At the same time as this modest (but wonderfully welcomed) increase in income, we are looking at (possibly) doing away with the child support on young men who are now 25, 22, and 21. I say possibly, because Arizona is what is called an interest state. This means that they can charge interest against child support payments. And, trust me, they do.

When it's all said and done, we will have paid nearly 100% interest on one of the accounts! We don't (yet) know if they are going to start assessing interest against the other one, when it's paid off next month. Cross your fingers - and eyes and toes - that we get a break on this one.

The Light

What these happy little changes mean for us is what I like to call: the-non-train-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel.

We have been without a vehicle for about 4 years. Luckily, we live spitting distance from a major intersection where buses arrive and depart - in all four directions - on a fairly regular basis. And two businesses on 'our corner' sell reduced-rate bus passes. Anywhere too far to walk is a reasonably easy bus ride away. With two major caveats: 1.) Mark is at risk for skin cancer and heatstroke (because of his transplant meds) and can't be outside for long periods waiting for a delayed bus; 2.) One simply cannot haul a month's supply of groceries home on the bus.

With the additional income and reduced expenses, we can finally start saving for a new-to-us car or truck. This benefit simply cannot be overstated. As a transplant-recipient, lung cancer survivor, insulin-dependent diabetic with reduced kidney function who is predisposed to skin cancer and diabetic complications - Mark really needs to see his doctors on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, buses are out of the question - we tried it, it was simply too difficult for him. And the round-trip cab fare to the hospital is simply impossible, as often as he would need to be there. See, this doctor only sees patients one day a week; that doctor prefers a different day, and the Vision Clinic ... well, they have their own special days and times. It, basically, boils down to seeing doctors every month -- or eating.

And, speaking of eating, that's no cheap trip either. It costs us almost 10% of our monthly grocery budget just to get to the store and home again. This means we must get everything we need (that the freezer will hold) for the month in one trip. There are no oops-I-forgot-the-??? runs in our lifestyle. Just can't be done.

So, as you can see, putting a vehicle back in our parking space would be one of the absolutely best things we could ever do for ourselves. Not to mention, with the money we save on cabs, we might be able to go out to dinner, once in a while. Or shop the grocery sales, as they happen. Or visit our sons. Or take a mini-vacation.

End of the World

There's a song, by REM, with a chorus that states: "It's the end of the world, as we know it." It appears, from where I'm sitting, that 2012 may well be the end of the world, as Mark and I have known it for several years now.

Change - good or bad - is never comfortable. But it would certainly be nice to catch a break. Ya know?

Frankly, I have a personal issue with buying anything to put on my finger that's going to cost something in the neighborhood of a new car. Not to mention, while diamonds are gorgeous (See Ooooh, shiny! above), I must admit I find semi-precious amethyst, topaz, aquamarine, and garnet jewelry just as beautiful.

Plus - big plus - I can own 7 or 8 really nice 5-carat amethyst rings for the price of a 1-carat, marquise-cut, H color diamond.

It occurs to me, as a bit of an afterthought, that if one was looking for a diamond or diamond ring - less than $4K/carat for the stone is probably not such a bad deal. But, until you see the stone ... less expensive may just be an object lesson in caveat emptor.

But you have to wade through a lot of information to get to what you need to know. How reliable is the company? How stable? Will they be around in 20 (or more) years, when you shuffle off this mortal coil?

And, from my experience, once you fill out those send-me-a-quote forms, you run the risk of being inundated - for the foreseeable future - with information from companies who are dying (pardon the pun) to take your monthly premium payments.

So, circling back around to where we started, I believe that everyone should plan for their future - and what happens when they're no longer around to pay the bills and care for their families. It just isn't quite as clean and easy as it seems.

Not every towing or roadside service company is going to be equipped to deal with an RV.

It only makes sense that, if you're going to go for assistance coverage, you want to choose someone who can do the job. Not to mention, someone who isn't going to tack on a ton of mileage charges and hidden fees.

When you find a company that offers 24-hour help, unlimited mileage, and coverage throughout North America - jump on it. Or, as they say in the commercials, don't leave home without it; without making sure you can get back safely.

One caveat, before we begin: some of what we're looking at, as far as refilling containers, is not about food storage. Not all plastics are food-safe. They can leach chemicals, some of which are known carcinogens, into your lunch or leftovers.

Containers

One thing we are famous for, at our house, is repurposing plastic bottles. That big, empty dish soap bottle - rinsed well - now holds the feeding solution for our plant. The oven cleaner spray bottle - thoroughly washed - is our plant mister.

There's no reason why, if the bottle for the window cleaner doesn't spray anymore, you can't repurpose the one from the carpet cleaner. Just wash it well first. (The window cleaner might just bleach the carpet.)

Bulk Buying, Refilling, and Going Green makes a really good point about containers. Old mayonnaise or pickle jars make great canisters and dry goods storage. Since they're clear, you can easily see what's stored in them. If you don't have room on the shelf for a big can or box, these smaller jars are perfect.

At our house, we love coffee and oatmeal containers. The large coffee ones are a great size for our small cupboards, have great stay-fresh lids and easy-grip handles, and hold about 4 pounds of flour or sugar, each. I covered several tall oatmeal containers in matching contact paper to hold our rice, corn meal, and spaghetti noodles.

Concentrates

One great way to save money, and save the environment, is to buy cleaners in concentrated form and refill smaller, easier-to-manage bottles. Ready-to-use products are already diluted with water, meaning they weigh more to ship - further increasing cost to the consumer.

Some manufacturers, like Windex®, are already testing the shopping waters, by offering small pouches of concentrated products that you just cut, pour, and dilute - at home. Some, like LA's Totally Awesome, have always offered a concentrated version of their most popular products. Hopefully, this will keep a little more plastic out of the landfills.

We make our dish soap do double duty. The brand we buy is concentrated and we buy the largest bottle they have. Part of it goes, full strength, into a smaller bottle at the kitchen sink; part of it, diluted by 1/4 to 1/3, goes into a pump bottle at the bathroom sink for hand soap.

It's easy to see the 1,000,001 ways that bottles, jars, cans, and containers can be used and reused. Plus, as Greenery points out, the more we reuse and refill - the less we have to schlub to the trash can.

(Press any of the above links for more great ideas from the three writers who inspired this post.)

By guessing how much you own and what it's worth, you run a huge financial risk. Overestimate and, month after month, you're paying premiums for coverage that you'll never use. Guess too low and, in the event of a loss, you'll be replacing furnishings out of your own pocket.

For example, if you opt for a policy that covers $50,000 in personal goods, that is the absolute maximum that the insurance company will pay out. Own more than that, and you're out of luck. If you own less, the insurance company will only pay out the value of what you owned; not $50,000.

How To Make a List

The easiest way, at least for me, is to go room by room.

If you've never done this before, start with a small room. Grab your camera and a notepad, or better yet an inventory form. There's a good one here to get you started.

Now simply photograph and record everything you own. The process is the same whether you rent or own your home. You are going to write down and take pictures of anything and everything that, if it were damaged or stolen, you would personally have to replace.

Do your best to remember what you paid for it at the time. Ideally, your coverage will be for the replacement value of each item; but all mattresses look alike, even though prices vary widely.

Additional Information

Hopefully, you are a diligent record keeper and never throw anything out; because you're going to want to add the original receipts to the pictures and list.

As I mentioned before, all mattresses look alike, as do many electronics, appliances, towels, and dishes. Without receipts and/or detailed information, it is entirely possible that the insurance company's payout will be much lower than your original cost.

Storage

Once you've put together all of this information, you're going to want to make certain that it's kept in a safe place.

I would suggest making several copies, on disk and/or online, of your pictures, lists, and receipts. Ideally, one set would go to the insurance company and one set would be kept in a safety deposit box or a fireproof box. You could even give a copy to family or friends for safekeeping.

The whole point is to have an accurate record of what you own in case of an emergency. Disasters strike and burglaries happen. You should never be unprepared for the worst.

Not everyone who needs a little help gets into trouble. But the potential for problems increases when you're adding debt to an already shaky situation.

It's one thing when you have a stable income and don't routinely live beyond your means. An occasional small bump in the road isn't going to send you into a financial tailspin. And that one time loan is just that: one time.

However, when you routinely spend more than you make and, just as routinely, borrow to make it to the end of the month, those payday loans become the shovel that digs a deeper financial hole.

I suppose that borrowing is an occasional necessary evil in this economy. But, to my way of thinking, learning to live within one's means is the smarter way.

Which really got me thinking.

I'm big on coupons for everything we get at the grocery store. Yet, I never think of looking for coupons for places like Kohls, where I can probably save a small fortune on clothes and shoes and stuff for the kitchen (one of my fave shopping categories). And, with these coupons, I could probably avoid buying what are (undoubtedly) irregulars at the outlet shops I frequent.

Some of the coupons are short-term - a couple of weeks or the current month. Which inspires me (and other savvy shoppers) to check in on a regular basis. Nothing wrong with that. If you want to save a bunch of money, you have to be willing to do a little work.

When you're looking at twenty-percent off or free shipping with no minimum, non-grocery coupons just look better and better. Of course, you still have to shop carefully and maximize the return on those coupons. And, in my case, get over previous issues with a store.

Okay, I've showed you mine - now, you show me yours. What are your favorite coupon offers? Where do you find the best deals?

They have some great recipes for Homemade Spa Treatments that I can't wait to try. Here are two:

Over on About.com, I found some interesting recipes for homemade facial masks. There's something here for just about everyone, though I tend to prefer the ones that are made from stuff I'm likely to have in the kitchen or pantry. I know me: If I have to hunt down ingredients, it's never going to get made.

Here's one that fits the bill:

On Kaboose, there are several At-Home Beauty Treatments, including exfoliating scrub and masks for different skin types. But I truly hit the motherlode with 50 Pricey Spa Treatments You Can Do at Home. Someone, bless their money-saving soul, went to the time and effort of compiling a list of links to various DIY spa recipes and techniques. It runs the gamut from mani-pedis to massage to aromatherapy to makeup tips.

So, what are you waiting for? Pull out the oatmeal and eggs and yogurt and cucumbers and start spoiling yourself.

I know I'm ready for a little self-pampering.

Why not learn to make those goodies that are our favorites, when we dine out?

Personally, I'm a hollandaise junkie - I'd eat the stuff on cardboard. Over the years, I've found a couple of recipes. One involves a double boiler and more time (and skills) than I'm willing to invest. The other is a blender-hollandaise that is virtually foolproof.

My other favorite is Chicken Kiev. It's a simple, if somewhat time-consuming, recipe; chicken breasts, stuffed with butter and green onions and a little garlic. They can be pan-fried, oven-fried, or deep-fried.

Following the same process as Kiev, you can easily make Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Hope you enjoy these recipes. Once you get the pounding and browning down pat, you can adapt these chicken recipes to just about any ingredients. Personally, I love adding asparagus spears to the Cordon Bleu - great flavor.

So ... what are your favorite dishes? Have you learned to make them at home? If so, would you share your recipes? We're always looking for something new.

Amazon Grocery & Gourmet Food

There are a couple of good reasons to give this section a look: 1.) wide variety of products and 2.) free shipping (orders over $25.00). And one, not so good: many items are only available in bulk - big bulk.

Still, there are some great deals. And if you sign up for regular delivery, i.e., 6pk of Folgers coffee every 2 months, the prices drop even further. (There's supposed to be an 'Add to Shopping List' option on the product detail pages, but I couldn't find it.)

Tea

We go through a lot of tea - a gallon a day, or thereabouts. That works out to about one 100-count box of tea bags, per month. At the grocery store or the corner store, we pay between $4.50 and $5.00 each; about $0.20/gallon†.

On Amazon, there is Lipton Tea Bags Cup Size 100-Count, 4pk for $17.96*, which works out to $0.18/gallon†. Or try the 312-Count Tea Bags option for $8.69*; about $0.11/gallon†.

Coffee

We make a pot of coffee most every day, primarily Folgers. A canister, 27.8 - 29.2 oz, lasts us about 30 days. The last one we bought was $9.88 {ouch} - or ~$0.33/pot†.

On Amazon, there is Folgers Brazilian Blend Ground Coffee 27.8-Ounce Canisters, 2pk for $17.13*, ~$0.29/pot†; and Half Caffeinated Ground Coffee 29.2-Ounce Canisters, 3pk for $25.12*, ~$0.28/pot†; and Classic Roast Ground Coffee 11.3-Ounce Refill Packs, 6pk for $21.65* ~$0.24/pot†.

Miscellaneous Groceries

Not everything we buy (naturally) is available through Amazon's Free Super Saver Shipping. So, I wouldn't order them here. Of the general grocery items we've been known to buy, here are a few items that are part of the free shipping program.

• Maruchan Ramen, 3oz 24ct at $8.56*, ~$0.36/each.
• Hunt's Diced Tomatoes (w/ Green Peppers, Celery & Onion), 14.5oz 12ct for $14.38*, ~$1.20/each.
• Plochman's Yellow Squeeze Mustard, 10.5oz 6ct at $8.44*, ~$1.41/each, $0.13/oz.
• Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise, 64oz 3ct at $22.51*, ~$7.50/each, $0.12/oz.
• Crisco Pure Canola Oil, 16oz 6ct at $13.70*, ~$2.28/each, $0.14/oz.
• La Moderna Spaghetti Pasta, 16oz 20ct at $14.96*, $0.75/lb.
• Frontier Onion Powder, 16oz 2ct at $11.40*, ~$0.36/oz.
• Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, 7.25oz 15ct at $19.38*, ~$1.29/each.

Admittedly, this is not easy shopping. If you're searching for items that you always buy, the deals may not be that much better and you may have to factor in the additional cost of shipping. Hunting down the items that are part of the free shipping program means that you may not be able to find your usual products or brands.

But, for the pantry fillers (bulk flour, sugar, pastas, or oils) or if you're willing to take the time to really look, there are some great deals to be found. And don't forget, you can sign up for regular deliveries of items you use all the time - shipping is always free.

* Prices are valid as of this writing.
† Price per gallon or pot depends on brewing strength; making tea or coffee stronger or weaker will increase or decrease the cost per/gallon or pot.

If they'd had these great replica sunglasses in those days, I'd have saved a fortune - and could have gotten a couple pair for my little shade-killer, while I was at it.

The purple ones grabbed my attention immediately - it's a personal addiction: anything purple. But the gold ones are absolutely gorgeous, even though I don't think they would offer much sun protection.

Then again - who cares? They're gorgeous.

'Awesome' Products

There are over 25 products on the LA's Totally Awesome website. From oven and grill cleaners, to laundry soap and fabric softener and stain treaters and bleach, to bathroom cleaners, to cleaners with orange or bleach or oxygen, to ammonia with lemon or pine -- there is a product for every job.

I haven't tried all of them, by any stretch of the imagination; but the ones I have used certainly live up to their press. And they're a good size. Each bottle is, depending on product, no smaller than 24 oz; most are 32 oz -- or larger.

One of the first items we tried was the All-Purpose Cleaner (APC), which is just that. Full strength or at various levels of dilution, we have 'undone' some of Mark's more interesting kitchen oopses - no fuss and {poof} no muss. It worked well on painted walls, stove tops, and cabinets with fake veneers.

Another extremely 'Awesome' item that does what it claims is the Window Cleaner. Being smokers, we tend to acquire smoke stains on walls, windows, mirrors, TV screens ... you get the idea. This cleaner takes on all stains and surfaces. (It isn't super wonderful on grease, or we wouldn't need the APC.)

My absolute hands-down favorite product from 'Awesome' is the Mop & Shine. It used to come in a spray bottle -- spray, wipe, and done convenient. We haven't bought it since they changed the packaging and, for some reason, it's not on the LA's Totally Awesome website anymore.

Awesome Benefits

Just a quick line (or two) about the safety of these products:

• No acid
• No ammonia (except ammonia products)
• No bleach (except cleaners w/ bleach)
• Non-flammable
• Safe for septic tanks
• Contains no phosphorous

And they are -- Made in the USA!

Awesome Stores

We used to buy all of our 'Awesome' cleaners at the local dollar store for ... wait for it ... $1.00/bottle. Sadly, they are having a tough time and don't seem to carry most of our favorite goodies. So my mission, should I choose to accept it, is to find a new source.

There are a number of stores listed on the LA's Totally Awesome website. It's difficult to confirm exactly which stores carry which products. The best I could do was:

• Dollar Tree carries (on their website) every single solitary LA's Totally Awesome product - including my beloved Mop & Shine. The price is the same - $1.00/bottle; but they only sell in case lots online. They will ship to a local store, for free; but charge shipping to get it to your door.
• 4sgm.com is a wholesaler that offers by-the-case sales only. They seem to carry virtually all the 'Awesome' products at a lower per-unit cost than Dollar Tree -- with one huge caveat: Minimum order is $250.00. Which would work if one could get several people/families together and combine orders.
• 99¢ Only is supposed to carry LA's Totally Awesome products, but the only online sales are through their 'Club 99' program. Without signing up and logging in, it's impossible to tell what exactly they offer.
• Family Dollar and Dollar General are also listed as retailers. As best I could tell, neither offers online sales and, without visiting a store, there is no way to know exactly which products are available.
• The same holds true for the many little mom-and-pop dollar and discount stores around the country. Not part of a chain, it takes actually going through the cleaning products at the shop to know if and where you can find 'Awesome' cleaners.

I hope I've given you some help with those much-hated, but unavoidable, household jobs. Heaven knows, now that I've found my little cleaning treasures again, I'm going to be stocking up.

I am a huge fan of learning and I'm not overly picky about how. Over the years, I have taught myself to macrame and crochet by buying books and fumbling my way through until I was reasonably proficient. By picking the online-brains of those who know, I've managed to figure out (more or less) how to build a website and create a blog.

It's not, necessarily, the method that's important - it's the learning that counts.

More than the knowledge, however, recruiters and employers look for that piece of paper. Something from an institution, such as Walden University, as proof of learning; as evidence of competency. No recruiter is going to come knocking at my door with a job offer, but they do contact, and work with, colleges and universities to place graduates.

So, there are serious advantages to formal education. (Not to mention, a correspondence course in orthopedic surgery is just too scary to contemplate.) And I do contemplate the benefits, and costs, of going back to school; of getting my degree - frequently.

Being out of the workforce for as long as I have puts me at a serious disadvantage when it comes to marketable skills. But, as a primary stay-at-home caregiver, my time, travel, and financial options are severely limited. Just thinking about tuition expenses at, for example: WaldenU.edu, makes my palms sweat and my heart race.

Nonetheless, it is highly probable that within the next couple of years I'll be forced to find employment and support myself. I can do it with a rusty, outdated skillset. Or I can start investing in my future and see what educational options actually exist.

I'm hoping that the surprises will be pleasant ones.

How do you get the same sensation, the same joy from changing screens? And, as I'm not (currently) planning to buy an ereader, how do you curl up in bed with a laptop? Or drag it from room to room, when you just can't tear yourself away from the action on the page?

No, my preference will always (ooh, shouldn't say 'always') be a book in my hands. And yet … curiosity is such that I'll, undoubtedly, download software and creep, grudgingly, into the 21st century. Maybe I'd even manage to save a tree or two along the way.

In the meantime, can someone please explain to me why ebooks are more expensive than their print equivalents? Or even the same price? There are no physical materials, printing costs, packaging and shipping costs involved in an ebook.

It just doesn't make any sense to me at all.

Especially, when you consider that in 2004 and again in 2007 he nearly died, because of 'treatments' received in hospitals. The first was an unforeseen result of a standard practice; the second, plain old-fashioned failing to check medication records.

I can't say that a lawsuit ever crossed my mind, mainly because I believe that that's too often the first thought when 'stuff' happens. (And ambulance-chasers scare me witless.) Then again, if I had a child born with Erb's Palsy - damage to the brachial plexus during delivery - I might be more inclined to consider legal action. Or not.

Not every action, or inaction, is a result of incompetence or gross negligence - in my humble opinion. And, I would imagine, a good attorney would say the same thing. Just gotta watch out for the ones who don't.

Or the ones that claim great success, but link all those successes to pages that don't exist.

Life insurance, especially term-life, is a rather gruesome prospect. Based on age, personal health, family health, and risk factors like substance abuse or hazardous activities - someone has to 'guess' how long I'm going to live. If I'm young and healthy, chances are minimal that the insurance company will have to pay out on a thirty-year policy. But, the older I get, the greater the risk that I won't outlive the policy.

Let's play what if. Start with my basic stats: 54 year old female, 6 feet tall, 145 pounds; choose a $100,000 policy, for 30 years; factor in health: no cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or hazardous activities. That makes me Preferred  health class.

Factoring various periods of non-smoking, the costs run:

• Active smoker: $1,782 to $2,161 per year, no monthly payment options;
• Less than 1 year: no cost improvement;
• More than 1 year: $802 to $959 per year, most with monthly payment options;
• More than 2 years: $592 to $959 per year, most with monthly payment options;
• More than 3 years: same as 2+ years;
• More than 5 years: same as 2+ years;
• More than 10 years: same as 2+ years;
• Never smoked: same as 2+ years.

If we go with the same policy, but for 20 years:

• Active smoker: $816 to $1,566 per year, most with monthly payment options;
• Less than 1 year: no cost improvement;
• More than 1 year: $435 to $683 per year, most with monthly payment options;
• More than 2 years: $364 to $672 per year, most with monthly payment options;
• More than 3 years: same as 2+ years;
• More than 5 years: same as 2+ years;
• More than 10 years: same as 2+ years;
• Never smoked: same as 2+ years.

Those are some huge differences, just from walking away (and staying away) from cigarettes. Obviously, there's an age factor at work on the costs, as well. But at my age, quitting may be the single best thing I can do for my physical and financial health.

There was a brief story on the local news recently, explaining that we can expect an 8% increase in the cost of meats and produce over the coming weeks. So our effort to do the right thing, to improve the content of our diets, is being not-so-subtly undermined.

In March, the Alabama Farmer's Federation announced a 3.8 percent increase in the cost of groceries in their state, prompting an article: 5 Ways to Save on Produce & Meats, in The Birmingham News. With another increase on the way, the advice is welcome.

In a nutshell, 1.) Buy produce in season, from local sources; 2.) Cut, slice, and chop meats and veggies yourself; 3.) Non-organic is cheaper, but remember to wash well; 4.) Buy meats on sale and in bulk; 5.) Save money with coupons and by shopping at warehouse stores.

Even when prices aren't soaring out of reach, these are good shopping habits.

When you think about it, there are several reasons why scrubs work as casual attire.

First, they're lightweight. In Arizona, that's a must. We've already had weather in the 90s and it's heading back that way with a vengeance. Summer everywhere calls for clothing that breathes, but doesn't wilt. Hence - scrubs. (When was the last time you saw a wrinkled, frumpy-looking nurse?)

Second, styles have changed. Scrubs come in a myriad of shapes, styles, colors, and patterns. The nurses on Mark's floor at the VA had some great outfits that started me thinking about this years ago. Just look at the black hearts jacket. This is not the olden days - white uniform, starched cap, and {shudder} those shoes.

Last, but perhaps most important, is the laundry-factor. Scrubs are designed to wash up often and well. Think about it - or maybe not - nurses and doctors come in contact with some, um, interesting substances on any given day. The clothes they wear must be easy to get clean. We've got some pjs from the VA that still shed any and all stains, even after 7 years.

So, see? Not such an odd idea, after all.

There are a lot of pros and cons floating through the Webverse related to this potential merger. As a consumer, I can't say that I'm finding too many pros. Let me amend that - as an urban  consumer, there aren't many positives for me in this melding of companies.

So, I'll start with:

The Negatives

Increased Cost

Any time corporate mergers thin the options for consumers, there is little incentive for providers to be financially competitive. When you're the only game in town, people either pay what you charge or do without your products and services. Great for companies- and shareholders; crappy for consumers.

Currently, T-Mobile has the best rates (that we've been able to find) in the industry. Periodically, we check; just to make sure that we're not getting hosed. We're not. (I doubt that that will be true if the merger goes through.)

Decreased Innovation

Again, if you're the only game in town, why waste potential profits by creating/acquiring the latest and greatest products for your industry? It's simpler, and cheaper, to just barely stay ahead of the competition. And, if you're AT&T, you probably have a lock on most of the infrastructure. (Although, to be honest, my experience comes from the days of divestiture and landline service.)

Again, T-Mobile phones are some of the best out there - with the exception of those phones that are not made available to them.

Customer Service

If customers have nowhere else to go, do CSRs really have to be nice? Probably not. Will they, anyway? Probably not.

One of the reasons that we have stayed - for 7 years - with T-Mobile is customer service. When Deutsche Telekom came in, things got a little iffy; but it's still possible to find someone who knows what they're doing and - critically - cares about doing it. I have serious doubts that this will continue under the AT&T umbrella.

The Positives

Shareholders will make bundles; AT&T will make bundles; Deutsche Telekom will make bundles. (It's all goood.)

It is possible that T-Mobile USA and AT&T Merger Means Faster and More Widespread Broadband - or not. And I quote "AT&T is committing to build out to nearly every part of the U.S. within six years." I am so ... impressed ... by the organizations that are jumping on this bandwagon.

But, you know? I could be wrong. Still angry; but wrong.

We'll see what happens - if the merger goes through - and my service ... changes.

I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it would be to have an RV breakdown. That's a whole lot different than getting a tow for a little hatchback or finding a mechanic with parts for your mid-sized sedan. No, an RV is a whole 'nother situation.

Seems to me that it'd just be asking for trouble to head out without some kind of protection. Especially when there are companies that offer 24-hour service, all over North America, with no mileage restrictions.

But, hey. That's just me. I'm a worrier.

If You Drive

I'm talking about that four-letter-word: walk. One of the reasons that we continue to live here is convenience. Most of what we need on a regular basis, as well as a few emergency items, are within walking distance.

Dollar store, smoke shop, beauty salon, bakery, two convenience and one drug stores, auto parts store, a few fast food places - all within a quarter- to half-mile of our apartment. There's even a clock repair shop, lighting store, and a chiropractor in spitting distance.

Naturally, if you don't have a little shopping community at your back door, shop-walking (walk-shopping?) isn't an option. If you're in better shape than I am, your walk-to-shop range may be a little wider.

When You Drive

One of the biggest gasoline wastes is idling in traffic. Not to mention the toll that rush-hour traffic takes on mind and body. Getting from A to B, as quickly as possible, is the best solution for everyone.

Work

If you have the luxury of getting in a little earlier, leaving a little later - avoiding the peak drive times in your area - you can save gas and cut stress. Sometimes just leaving 5-10 minutes earlier or later can make all the difference in how long it takes to get there. A total win-win.

Play

It pretty much goes without saying, (but I'll say it anyway) scheduling trips to the supermarket, doctor's office, or post office during rush hour isn't the best idea. By waiting until all the worker-bees get to their hives, you can cut a ton of time from your trip. And, again, de-stress the process.

Where You Drive

Work

There's not much fudge room here. The boss, oddly enough, actually expects you to show up for work every day. But, as things change in the world, there are some possible options.

If your work (and personality) allows it, telecommuting is a great way to avoid traffic and high fuel costs. Even if it's only a couple of days each week. Or perhaps your company would consider 4-day weeks; 10 hour days, instead of 8.

Play

This one's a little easier - don't go, if you don't have to. If you have to, plan ahead. Start at point A, travelling logically from B to C to D to home in one big loop. Know where you need to go and, if necessary, map it out in advance.

Shop online: in many cases, shipping is less than the gas it takes to run all over town. Many grocery stores will shop for you and deliver right to your door. With Safeway, for example, if you schedule delivery in a 4-hour (rather than a 2-hour) window they cut the delivery charge.

How You Drive

Okay, lead-foot - this is for you.

Every 'expert' will tell you that driving the speed limit saves fuel. It also saves money - on speeding tickets. But, from my little corner of the speedway, there's something a little different to consider: consistent speed.

Revving up and slowing down, revving up and slowing down guzzles gas. That's why city driving, with all those stop signs and red lights, is a bear on mileage. If you can't avoid city streets, at least don't race from intersection to intersection. You're gonna have to stop at the corner, whether you get there in 30 seconds or in a minute.

Part of me is relieved that we don't have a working, gas-needing vehicle right now. But the realist in me knows that even though I'm not buying gasoline directly, I'm still paying for the rise in fuel costs indirectly. Anything shipped by truck is going to get more expensive.

And once the price goes up, it takes forever to come down. Actually, in my experience, what goes up, must come down doesn't apply to the cost of anything I need to buy.

What about you? How do you save on gasoline? I'd love to hear your tips and tricks.

I hate using plastic bags, but they are (so far) the best option I've found for keeping produce usable longer. The key is getting it put away, properly, as quickly as possible. It's never going to be any fresher than the day you bring it home.

We wash, cut up, and bag most of what we buy immediately.

Photo: Wikimedia/Francinegirvan

Celery and Green Pepper: Clean and cut into strips about the width of a quart-size freezer bag. We divide into two or three bags. (If one goes, it doesn't take out the whole batch.) Squeeze the air out and they'll last up to a month in the veggie bin.

Carrots: Scrub (not peel) them well and trim ends. Cut into usable sizes: strips for snacking, larger pieces for cooking. Bag by size and, again, get all of the air out.

Fresh Greens, e.g., Spinach, Lettuce: Wash well and shake off excess water; core head lettuce. Bag carefully; don't bruise. Leaf lettuce, collard greens, kale, etc. need a damp paper towel in the bag. (We bag head lettuce in halves or thirds; no paper towel.)

Fresh Herbs, Green Onions: Common wisdom says store these in water. I wash them well, remove iffy leaves and fresh-cut the herb stems. (Don't trim root-end of onions.) A sturdy mug is less likely to fall over in the fridge.

Onions and Potatoes: The exceptions to the rules. These veggies need air or they rot. My absolute personal favorite storage method is wire mesh, three-tiered hanging baskets. Just hang somewhere that's not too warm, with good airflow. Should work just as well for turnips, rutabagas, parsnips and other root veggies.

Fruits are, naturally, totally different. If you cut them up before storing, they tend to turn brown or dry out. For almost all of our fruits, I like (again) those mesh hanging baskets. Or paper bags, in the veggie bin. Keep apples away from everything else; they give off gases as they ripen which accelerate ripening (and rot) in most other produce.

So, what did I miss? Do you buy, and successfully store, other goodies from the produce aisle? Please share your tips and tricks in the comments.

We all need to make our food dollars go as far as we can. Not throwing away half of what we buy is a darned good place to start.

Digital Coupons

The main source of digital grocery coupons are the stores themselves. All you need is a store discount / saver / club card, whatever they call it where you shop. Then, go online to the store website, choose your coupons, and upload to your card. (If the shopping part was only that easy.)

Grocery Stores

I've listed these two stores, because they're in our area and I know they offer online ecoupons. Check your store for similar deals.

Safeway.com has a pretty extensive collection of coupons. Sort them by your purchase history (items you've bought before), best value, new offers, and deals about to expire. They're not region-specific, so you should be able to use them anywhere in the country.

Kroger / Fry's is another great source. The last time I checked, there were over 100 coupons available for everything from bread and soup to laundry soap and pet food. Again, you can sort by newest, expiration, popularity, or value.

Online Services

P&G eSaver is one of my personal favorites. They offer coupons for a huge number of Proctor & Gamble products and - love this so much - will upload them to your store shopper card. Just register your card and off you go - save away.

Shortcuts.com is a free service from AOL that has several different options. You can register a shopper card from a large selection of participating stores and upload your choice of coupons. They also offer printable coupons, cash-back savings, and online coupon codes.

Cellfire.com is another online service that lets you upload coupons to your store card. But, unlike other services, you can also get non-grocery coupons sent to your mobile phone. You'll never leave home without savings at your fingertips again.

Printable Coupons

Most sites offering printable coupons require that you download their special printer software. It's important, because the coupons' bar codes won't scan if not printed properly.

Grocery Stores

Albertson's, which may be a different online company in your area, only provides printable coupons. (At least, I couldn't find any electronic ones.) The offers seem to vary, somewhat, by store and region.

Whole Foods Market is located across the US, as well as British Columbia, Ontario, and the UK. The products look to be exclusive to the store, but there are a lot of available coupons.

Online Services

CouponBug and Coupons.com seem to offer the same (exact) printable coupons. There are also savings card options, as well as coupon codes for online shopping. (The majority of their deals seem to be in the printables, but they do work with several different shopper cards.)

Kingdom First Mom has some great coupon resources. Including a searchable database with information on - literally - thousands of coupons, deals, and offers. It took me a little time to figure out the lingo (for which KFM offers a glossary).

This is, by no means, a complete list of options. But, it should get you started saving on that weekly grocery bill.

Please feel free to share your favorite sites, pages, and online deals.

That's why I was really excited to discover BookSneeze®. I didn't know there was a place where, in exchange for an honest review, I could get free books. How fun is that?

Naturally, my first thought was Free books! It wasn't until I was choosing my first book that I realized there was a secondary benefit: stepping outside my usual genres.

Lately, I've been reading what I've got around the house. (Never quite seems to be enough for a new book.) Which means a lot of Nora Roberts and J. D. Robb. Nothing wrong with that, just due for a change.

It'll be nice to broaden my horizons. Heaven knows, I'm going to read and read and read anyway.

According to an article I was reading today, online shopping is green shopping. How's that for tremendous news? Of course, you probably already knew that; I certainly did.

Shopping at your local mall or favorite store means that a shopper, and dozens like him/her, are increasing energy consumption and pumping more emissions (that we really don't need) into the air. By staying home, comfy and cozy in that favorite chair, and ordering what we need online, we aren't putting cars on the roads and crap into the atmosphere.

Of course, you can't quite get everything online. But for every trip that you don't make, you're doing the planet a favor.

Attempted Adoptions

Some sources tell of attempts to adopt out the sled dogs. No report I've found has any documentation that any adoptions took place. And many of those articles are highly critical of later claims that the animals were too old to adopt out.

A Rifle, A Knife, and A Mass Grave

Either way, on two days near the end of April 2010, the drafted employee - by fair means and foul - killed upwards of 70 dogs. Not all of the dogs died quickly or easily; some ran off and had to be shot again, long distance. Rumors tell of some dogs having their throats slit or being dumped into mass graves while still alive.

The BC SPCA is investigating.

Impulse or emotional spending is one of the biggest hits to our budgets and credit cards. And, when it's all said and done, we rarely feel better because we're now cash-poorer or deeper in debt. In fact, shopping-as-therapy is almost guaranteed to make us feel worse.

That's why I gave it up, years ago. I had closets and drawers full of stuff I never (or rarely) used and my credit cards were groaning under the weight of all those charges. Believe me, the impulse is still there (watches, shoes, and handbags call to me); I've just learned to turn a deaf ear and blind eye.

The latest The Simple Dollar column, "The Lifestyle You Want," looks at some basic emotional and financial truths. Starting with "If you're unhappy with your life, buying stuff won't change that." Truthfully, how much do we really need - not want, not desire - but need to be happy?

My Gotta-Have List

• A roof over my head that doesn't leak ~ I am not likely to enjoy living in my vehicle or taking up permanent residence in a tent in the wilderness.
• Running water and a working toilet ~ For pretty much the same reasons as above, these are things I just gotta have. No negotiating.
• Electricity and/or Gas ~ Being averse to living in a tent or vehicle, I am also averse to having no lights or heat (or cool). I know it's odd, but that's just the way I am.
• Food, on a fairly regular basis ~ It doesn't have to be gourmet; it just needs to land (by my own hand or Mark's) on a plate near my face every day, or so.
• Clothes ~ Again, like the food, it doesn't have to be fancy. Heaven knows, I don't go anywhere fancy. But I do like to cover up the ugly parts, even if I'm just sitting around playing computer games.
• Select Electronics ~ Okay, I'm not as basic as I'd like to think. I need a TV and a computer and a basic cell phone - I just do. Right or wrong.
• Books ~ I would probably be willing to swap the TV for an unlimited supply of reading material. In fact, I'm pretty sure that would be more than a fair trade.

Off the top of my head, I can't honestly think of anything else that's a deal-breaker. A working vehicle would be really great. However, since ours died a couple of years ago, I know that it's possible to get around without one. It's not convenient or always easy, but it can be done.

Your Gotta-Have List

What about you? What would be on your list of gotta-haves? Better yet - what can you, absolutely, give up or do without?

This free, downloadable book offers five (5) simple ideas for regaining and keeping control of your money - and your life.

Idea #1: Spend Less Than You Earn!

"In the end, this is the fundamental rule of personal finance."

It seems so obvious, doesn't it? No matter how much you make each year, that's all you have to spend. If I only have $500.00 in my pocket, I can't buy a $700.00 leather jacket - not without adding to my debt or depleting my savings account. Both bad ideas.

Idea #2: Earn More!

"There are some common things that anyone can do, regardless of their financial state, to earn more money."

Some of these seem so simple, you'll wonder why you didn't think of them. They start with the current workplace: show up alert and ready to work, do your job well, keep a positive attitude, and avoid toxic people. From there, the tips look at getting additional education, finding your passion, and starting a side business.

Idea #3: Live Frugal!

Living frugally doesn't mean living poorly.

These 100 tips (also found here) look at getting the most out of your money - break unhealthy spending habits; make, don't buy, gifts; learn to stop impulse shopping; save on food by buying and cooking in bulk - to name just a few. Maybe all 100 won't speak to you, but I'll bet many of them will.

Idea #4: Manage Your Money!

Use every spare dime to build a stable future.

There are a lot of ideas here, most of which we know; even if we don't remember to practice them. From the obvious - Pay off those credit cards and pay down that debt, to the ones we forget - Max out that retirement account and start investing in the future.

Idea #5: Control Your Own Destiny!

I love this one. "It's not about being rich; it's about freedom."

Isn't that, deep down, what we're all looking for - freedom? The freedom to do what we want, when we want. No debt hanging over our heads; no supervisors micro-managing our every minute.

I know that these ideas speak to me. And I'll definitely be doing a lot of thinking - and rethinking - thanks to the jumpstart this eBook has given me. How about you?

There are a ton of sites with pre-made forms; some even have downloadable spreadsheets.

Download a Spreadsheet

These will require appropriate software. But, not to worry. If you don't have Excel on your computer, OpenOffice.org will (for free) run anything created for use with Excel. Just a note: since there are free options available, paying for a spreadsheet or form doesn't (to my mind) make much sense.

FreeFinancialAdvice.net

This site offers a terrific Excel spreadsheet that allows you to finely tune your spending. I was quite impressed with all of the available categories, as well as how nicely it did the calculations, so you can see exactly what's going where. It doesn't, however, have a budget vs. actual setup.

You'll also find links to, as expected, free financial advice. Whether you want to learn how to spend less, or earn more - the information can be found here.

spreadsheet123.com

There are a ton of options here (I could play all day), designed for use with Excel or OpenOffice.org. Personally, I liked the Family Budget Planner Spreadsheet. This is a more family-friendly setup, with tabs for Income, each quarter, spending totals, and results.

It comes with some information already entered, so you can see just how it works. And, because it's your spreadsheet, you can change category names and contents to suit your needs. (Just a warning: deleting whole sections in the monthly/quarterly tabs will create a calculation error in the spending totals section.)

Print a Worksheet

If you aren't comfortable playing with spreadsheets, not a problem. It's simple to find printable forms on the Internet. You'll be doing a lot more manual calculating, but it's a great way to start learning about budgeting.

Smart About Money

From the National Endowment for Financial Education , this site offers a Resource Library that is just filled with forms and advice. The 'Managing Your Money' section has worksheets (in PDF format) for printing or download. The six-page file covers just about every way you can look at what you earn and where you spend it. It even includes a perpetual calendar for entering payment due dates.

Me? I'd use that calendar to record spending, as well. There's plenty of room to stick in that $134.98 from the grocery store or the $15.62 from a quick stop at the local fast food shop.

BetterBudgeting.com

This simple page gives you space to list income, home expenses, car expenses, debts, and a generous collection of miscellaneous items. As with any pre-populated form, it may have categories that you don't use and not have categories that you need. If nothing else, it's a great starting point toward creating your own forms.

These are only a couple of ideas to help jumpstart your budgeting system.

Whether you prefer to manipulate a spreadsheet or simply list your income and expenses on piece of paper each month - getting started is what matters. Well, that and keeping it going.

I'm working from a reduce-the-stress starting point. There are a lot of travelers at the end of December. Being with family is something we're expected to do at this time of year. I say "Pffft!"

Stay with me here.

Being with family is great - any time of the year. Every time of the year, truth be told. So why not save a fortune and get together just a little after the holiday insanity?

Do yourself, your wallet, and your blood pressure a favor - plan a get-together for a time when the rest of the universe isn't trying to move everyone they know into the same zip code.

Many, many years ago, when gas was $0.15/gallon, anti-lock brakes for the average car didn't exist. (Yes, I am that old. {sigh} ) Those of us who learned how to drive on wet/icy pavement, were taught about precisely how to pump the brakes and steer into the skid. We had to do the work; the cars couldn't.

Then, came anti-lock brakes. The number of accidents was predicted to plummet and insurance companies were thrilled. They offered discounts to anyone and everyone who owned a vehicle with these magical, mahvelous brakes. Life was good.

For a while.

Then ... accident statistics started rolling in and insurance adjusters started having seizures. The predicted reduction in accidents didn't really happen; at least not at the levels that insurers were promised. Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

People were taught to (see above) pump the brakes and steer into the skid. The steering part was still good; the pumping part, not so much. By pumping anti-lock brakes, drivers were undoing the benefits of the system.

Insurance companies got a clue. And acted - quickly.

Trust me! I can - vividly - remember (in the 90s) when my premiums went up because my insurance company (and all of her relatives) removed the anti-lock brake deduction. I made phone calls, panicked phone calls, and the story was the same - everywhere. The deduction/reduction was gone.

Today, there are sites all over the Internet that claim deductions for anti-lock brakes. Experience tells me to be - incredibly - skeptical.

After addressing meat, produce, dairy, and bakery items, we are left with the middle of the store. In so many ways, this is the risky part of the shopping trip. The items you'll find here tend to be the snacks, sodas, and pre-packaged processed stuff with a longer shelf-life than Styrofoam.

Frozen

Vegetables

Frozen vegetables are less processed than canned, meaning more nutrients and fewer preservatives. Like anything else, however, you need to read the labels carefully. We found several packages with added sugar and/or sodium.

Store brands are almost always the best deal. At our regular store, the 12 oz packages are almost always on sale for $0.88. We get two meals out of each package, putting the cost at about $0.22/serving.

Fries and Pizza

Non-name brand french fries are frequently half the cost of the big names, and potatoes are potatoes. The frozen pizza that costs $4.99 across the street is frequently $1.50-$2.00 cheaper at the grocery store. (If not, we don't get one.)

Ice Cream

Our store has a 'premium' ice cream that is about a third the cost and usually has better ingredients. Back before diabetes came to live with us, we bought the giant buckets of ice cream - about $4.00 for 3 gallons. And every bit as good as any other option.

Frankly, we don't buy much else in this section. But, what we do buy, we buy on sale.

Canned and Boxed

Side Dishes

These are convenience foods - open a box, add milk and fat, and poof! a side dish. Throw in a little protein and it's a complete meal. Store brands are affordable, but all of them are full of preservatives and sodium.

With a little time and effort, I promise - you can make your own equivalent for less. And you'll be cutting down on the sodium and chemicals in your diet. Leave these on the shelf.

Vegetables

We just don't buy canned veggies. They are heavily processed, have far less nutritional value, and just don't taste as good as the frozen version. Except for tomatoes and tomato products.

Instead of canned sauces and chili, we tend to buy the ingredients and make our own. It's more cost effective and we know what we're eating. Trust me, canned tomatoes or tomato paste aren't much different from brand to no-brand (with the exception of the really inexpensive generic, white labels). Don't pay more for the pretty label or big name.

Coffee and Tea

If you are into caffeine - as we are - this may be one area where compromise simply isn't possible. Cheaper no-name coffee and tea are rarely the same quality as name brands. They cost less because there is more filler (coffee) or poorer quality leaves (tea).

Our answer? Stock up when our favorites are on sale.

Paper, Plastic, and Cleaning Supplies

Paper

In a nutshell, we buy 4-packs of Kroger-brand toilet paper. It's similar to Scott-brand, but about 1/3 the price. And it lasts forever, compared to the cushy soft kinds. Generic paper napkins are usually good for daily use.

Plastic

The same with storage and trash bags. Most of the store brands are fine. Just don't necessarily buy the cheapest, and check the mils (thickness) on the trash bags.

Cleaning Supplies

For liquid dish soap (we don't have a dishwasher), this is a case where the store versions tend to not work as well. They seem to be watered down, so you end up using much more and erase any possible savings. It's easy to get a mid-range option - such as Ajax - on sale and stock up.

With laundry products, less is more. "Everyday Cheapskate" has a great recipe for laundry detergent that saves a fortune. And, instead of fabric softener, one-half to one cup of vinegar in the final rinse helps soften without perfumes. Hard water? Add one-half cup non-iodized salt to the wash water and get rid of the dinginess.

For other cleaning situations, I suggest "Pioneer Thinking" Cleaning Solutions section and - again - "Everyday Cheapskate" columns. There are recipes and tips, enabling anyone to avoid paying high prices by making their own supplies.

Bottom Line

No matter what you need, there is a cheaper way to get it. P&G eSaver Coupons are one of my favorites. They load right onto your store shopping card; no clipping or schlepping or forgetting. Most are good for about 90 days, so if you're waiting for a sale - the coupons will be there when you need them. And they come right to your email inbox.

Several columns and blogs are dedicated to helping you save time and money. One I just discovered is Deal Seeking Mom. If you weren't aware, a lot of people offer coupons on eBay. (Learned that one from DSM.)

Finally, don't buy what you won't use. A great deal isn't, if it's something that will just take up space and gather dust.

Social Security

What, exactly, is this Social Security? In simple terms, it is a nest egg - a percentage of every dollar earned, - taken out of our paychecks - and set aside against the day when we can't work anymore. It's not a gee-I'd-rather-go-fishing fund for 20-somethings, but a support system for people who've worked long and hard, and are ready (after 20, 30 or 40 years) to say "I've done all I can. And I am done."

Most of the people in this country aren't retiring with 5-digit pensions and guaranteed healthcare, e.g. Congressmen. (Which is a whole 'nother issue -- or maybe not.) They are the average Joes and Janes who expect that - because they paid their money - they get their benefits.

This is a bit like my employer saying:

"Hmmm. We're having a bit of a problem, financially; so we're going to need the money from your 401(k)."

Me: "Excuse me, but that's MY money, taken out of my paycheck and put aside for MY future."

Employer: "Yes, well, we truly appreciate that you have been financially responsible, but - since we haven't - we need to take your money to fix our problems. We'll pay it back {wink, wink; nod, nod} just as soon as we can."

Since the Bush administration took office, they increased the deficit to the point of a national bankruptcy. (Just look at the above chart.) They also factored in the payments to Social Security as a way to make the damage seem less severe.

Now, we have the current administration; continuing in the same vein. It has to stop. Those monies are not for the use of the government - in any way, shape, or form.

Social Security belongs to the citizens who worked hard, paid in, and expect to receive their benefits at retirement. Period.

I have been reading (voraciously) a great column on creators.com that offers ideas for living below your means. Among other things, this is a lifestyle of paying off debt, using cash not credit, and getting the Best Buy possible - on everything.

This is not learning to live without, but learning to choose wisely. About giving up bad financial habits and, to borrow an overused phrase, thinking outside the box.

Credit: acobox.com

I have always believed you should never pay full price, never buy retail, when there are so many other options. Why do you think Black Friday is such a huge shopping day? Everyone loves a great deal.

Who wants to pay $400.00 for a desktop CPU when it's available for $190.00 - with free shipping? Not me. And, certainly, not you. Right?

What about 3 sets of iPhone earphones for, not $30.00, but less than $7.00? You've now got stocking stuffers for three iPhone users for just over $2.00 each. Brilliant!

Other holiday shopping tricks? Start picking things up as early as possible. You can take advantage of sales, spend a little here and a little there, and avoid paying full price in a panic to get something under (or on) the tree.

Set a budget and stick to it. Look at how much money you can afford to spend - realistically afford. Put aside for food, gifts, and decorations. When the money is gone, you're done. Period. No credit cards allowed.

I can't say it enough: Shop early -- and shop smart! Your bank account will thank you. And you might just find that your stress level is much, much lower this year.

It couldn't be easier. Simply visit http://www.facebook.com/kmart or http://www.facebook.com/sears fan pages. Select the eGift Cards tab and follow the steps.

The beauty is this isn't just for Facebook friends. You can use this application to send a virtual gift card to anyone you know. All you need is their email address.

In denominations from $5.00 to $25.00, it sounds like a great idea to me. What about you?

Turn It Off

It may seem obvious, until you've followed a teenager or absent-minded spouse around the house, flicking off switches. I used to come home and find every light in the place on - with my ex sitting in front of the TV, oblivious to the world. Once he started paying the electric bill, he got over that one right quick!

The rule became, simply: "If you turned it on, going in; turn it off, going out." The cats didn't care if the bathroom was dark. And they could certainly hit the bed without benefit of light.

We probably cut the bill by a good 30% after he started paying attention. The downside? Three of the four cats loved to pounce on unsuspecting feet from the relative anonymity of a dark hallway. Still, peroxide and band-aids were cheaper than the electricity.

Don't Turn It On

This was my personal contribution to the ever-growing electric bill. I habitually had the television on for 'company' or background noise. Silence really bothered me.

It, admittedly, took some adjusting. But with the help of a small radio that I centrally located on top of the fridge, I could have my 'company' and not hammer the electric bill. I even sang along and seriously confused the cats!

You've never lived until you have a cat want to look into your mouth to see where that gawd-awful sound is coming from. {sigh} Everybody's a critic!

Better Bulbs

Currently, we have two lamps and a wall fixture in the living room; a fluorescent unit in the kitchen; a ceiling fan and bedside lamp in the bedroom; and a bathroom fixture with enough wattage to give you a tan. Seriously! The thing actually heats up the whole bathroom!

But mostly, we use little strategically placed nightlights. There's one each in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. They use very little electricity and provide enough light for most purposes.

The rest of the fixtures (bathroom tanning salon, notwithstanding) have CFLs. While these bulbs are more expensive than standard incandescent bulbs, they (as I'm sure you know) last a long time and use a lot less electricity. (60 watts vs. approximately 18 watts, depending on the bulb, for the same amount of light.) We buy a bunch at a time, either at the local dollar store or the corner drug store, when they're on sale.

I'm going to look for some that will fit the bathroom fixture. Before my retinas (retinae?) are completely fried.

Appliances

Refrigerator/Freezer

One thing we noticed, living in a small apartment, is how often the refrigerator turns on. Since apartment complexes don't always go for the latest energy-efficient appliances, it's a safe bet that this puppy is an electricity hog. But, that's easily dealt with.

Ours has a single control for fridge and freezer. Starting just above the middle of the range (1-9 in this case), we adjusted the setting slightly warmer. Keeping a close eye on food in the freezer and milk in the fridge, we continued adjusting over several days, making certain everything stayed frozen, or good and cold without freezing.

Ideally, a freezer/fridge thermometer should be used to verify the temps are no higher than 0° and 35°, respectively. (Do the same for a chest or upright freezer.) Otherwise bacteria continue to grow and you run the risk of food poisoning or simply ruining the food.

Dishwasher

We don't have a dishwashing machine. {sigh} If you do, and I'm pretty sure I hate you, there are ways to reduce power usage. Don't run partial loads. It takes just as much electricity to run a half-empty dishwasher as it does a full one, and you'll be running it more often.

Use a shorter cycle, if your machine has one. There's a huge difference between light load and blast-the-teflon-off-the-pans. Run the dishwasher at night, when rates tend to be lower.

Don't use the dry cycle, if you can avoid it. Letting the dishes air-dry overnight uses, on average, about 1,000 fewer watts. And if you don't have a dishwasher that heats the water, don't get one. They use about 3,000 more watts of electricity per load.

Clothes Washer

Obviously, an EnergyStar-rated appliance is the best bet, with front-loading washers beating out top-loaders. If your budget looks like our budget, trading up is probably not an immediate option. Other than replacing what you have, there are a number of things that will help with these two meter spinners.

Use the coolest water temperature you can. Most of the power needed to wash a load of clothes goes into heating the water. No matter what the wash temp, I always rinse in cold water. Adding a cup of vinegar to the final rinse helps get the soap out, eliminating the need for an extra rinse cycle.

Unless clothes are absolutely walk-to-the-machine-on-their-own filthy, try a shorter cycle. From what I can tell with our machine, most of the time spent (per load) is waiting for the darn thing to fill up. But anything that reduces the power consumption, while still getting the clothes clean (kinda the point, huh?) is good.

Clothes Dryer

When it comes to drying clothes, you're really talking the electricity grabber of the pair. Ideally, hanging everything to dry (like my mom and grandma always did) is the best option. Zero energy use! We don't have the space to do that, so a clothes dryer is a necessity.

With that said, don't overload the dryer. Our apartment-sized dryer is, oddly enough, a little smaller than our washer. To compensate, I don't throw in a whole load. By putting in a few items, pulling out the dry and adding the damp, it actually takes less time to get everything dry enough. (I also try to hang the jeans or towels, etc. that are waiting their turn, so the air starts drying them for me.)

Which leads me to another energy saver. Anything that ends up on a hanger, in my opinion, doesn't have to be dry as dust. As long as clothes aren't crammed and jammed together, the circulating air in the closet will finish drying things before there's a risk of mildew. And overdrying actually contributes to excessive wrinkling in a lot of fabrics.

Unplug It

This one's a toughy, for us. We have a lot of electronics and small appliances. Even when they're not in use, many are still drawing some electricity. (My cell phone actually tells me to unplug the charger when charging is complete to save electricity. Cheeky brat!)

Not everything that plugs into the wall, mind you. But, anything with a clock or always-on light uses power all the time. Just less when it's only sitting there looking pretty. (Mr. Electricity explains it in much better detail than I can.)

Almost all of our 'stuff' is plugged into a surge protector. I have been considering routinely turning off the strips when we shut down for the night. Unfortunately, I'll probably have a few meltdowns when the coffee pot fails to turn on in the morning. (I'm not at my best and brightest when I first wake up.)

Don't Heat/Cool It All

If you wandered over to visit Mr. Electricity, you've noticed that - far and away - the biggest energy hogs are heaters and coolers. That furnace or A/C unit will make the meter spin like a whirling dervish. It's actually rather scary!

We don't heat or cool every room, all the time. During the day, only the living room vent is open; at night, only the bedroom. And keeping the thermostat below toasty or above frigid makes a huge difference.

If you have a bigger place than we do (not difficult to imagine), space heaters and ceiling fans use a lot less power. Just make sure the heaters are off, if you're not in the room. And watch the kids around them. Of course, a few well-placed afghans to throw over your legs or across your shoulders, as well as on the bed at night, keep you nice and cozy without any electricity at all.

(Aw, come on! You knew I was gonna go there!)

TV / Internet / Phone

For us, this is an area over which we have virtually no control. Our cable and Internet are included in our rent. We aren't allowed landline phone service.

TV Service

There are two basic options for TV service: satellite and cable. If you live in an apartment, you probably aren't going to have the ability to put up a dish. That leaves cable. The only way to reduce this expense is to cut back on the number and type of channels.

Packages vary, often dramatically. A good place to start pruning is premium channels. Yes, having those movies coming right into your living room every month is wonderful. But, they are expensive and services like Netflix may fill the gap at a much lower rate.

And you have to ask (okay, I have to ask) - do you really need 300 channels? Really? To save $30.00 / month, couldn't the family survive with ... say ... 200?

Internet

Like TV service, there are a couple of options here: cable and DSL. The adjustments for Internet connection service come in terms of connection speeds. Typically, that can be 1.5 Mbps, 7 Mbps, or 12 Mbps.

From most providers, cable is slower and DSL is more expensive. The speed you need depends on your activities. Watching movies (since we're trimming premium TV channels) and some online games are going to require better speeds.

Back when we had our own service, mid-range speeds worked pretty well for our purposes. And, through our ISP, were dramatically cheaper.

Phone

This is where I get a little cranky with some companies. Often they don't offer a decent bundle package that doesn't include landline phone service. Probably because most of them are primarily phone companies.

With that said, if you're currently paying for cell phones, how important is a landline to you? If you make lots of local calls, you may be able to get by with a cheaper option. However, the per-minute charges for long distance are going to add a variable that means your bill will never be the same and could - periodically - be quite expensive.

If you can get your company to work with you, it might be beneficial to do without this additional expense.

TV / Internet / Phone Summary

Thanks to the DTV conversion, almost everyone needs some sort of cable/satellite TV service. As always, the question is how much? The same goes for Internet service. If you have a computer, you need to connect - somehow.

Before you pay another big bill, really look at your options. It isn't too difficult to find great deals, as long as you understand what you need and what you can do without.

Budget Tweak

When I started budgeting, a single paycheck didn't cover the rent. (Hubby-to-be paid half, but I budgeted as though he wouldn't.) Each month, as I put down the bills for the first-half and second-half, I split everything in half. This is a tad tricky, as you have to set it up after  the mortgage/rent is paid - budgeting for the next month; if that makes sense.

Taking our worksheets from our first Thrifty Thursday, we want to look at our total expenses, regardless of due date:

Now, we're going to create a single budget that will be used for both paychecks. Remember, this will involve setting aside money from each check toward monthly expenses - money that can't be used for anything else. Just because there's $250.00 in the checking account, doesn't mean a new DVD player in your future.

As you can see, this is a little easier for budgeting purposes. You can see that, given bills and spending habits, each check is just a tad short of the total going out. Adjusting the budget doesn't involve as much moving-this-to-pay-that; you simply prune Groceries or Gasoline or Miscellaneous once for the whole month.

Now, you have two different, but effective, options. If having equal budgets for each paycheck is more to your liking, I have one very important suggestion: transfer any monies not needed during the first half into savings, to be moved back when bills are due. Do the same thing for the mid-month paycheck.

Money that isn't in checking, can't be spent frivolously. And, you can earn a little interest on those pending payments.

Trimming the Budget

The point of any budget is to ensure that critical bills get paid - in full and on time. With a finite amount available, something has to give. Fixed Essential Expenses (mortgage, car loan, insurance) are just not adjustable. Within reason, everything else is.

Cell Phones

We tend to look here, when the budget gets wildly out of balance. Partly, because this is one of our biggest issues - how many minutes and text messages do we really need? And what about Internet access? For us, with no other phone service and three users on the account, it became quite a balancing act.

Minutes

Over time we've gone up and down on the minutes - 500, then 900, then 750. Most months we don't use nearly all of them, but some months are crazy. On our current plan, each person gets about 4 hours/month for personal business. Unlimited nights and weekends, as well as free calls to/from anyone with our carrier, cover social calling.

Adjusting

• Pull together several cell phone bills. At least, six months worth; a full year would be better. Write down the whenever/daytime/paid minutes from each statement, total them, and divide by 6 (or 12). This is your average monthly minutes used.
  
  If this number is less than your monthly plan, there's room to reduce that plan - as your carrier allows. Ours, for example, has 3 levels and unlimited. We can move up or down, within those limits.
  
  Some newer companies, like Boost Mobile, have some great rates for unlimited everything. If you aren't in the middle of a contract, switching carriers may be an option. Be warned: not all phones are compatible with all services and changing companies may require purchasing a new phone. Not an inexpensive consideration.

Texting

This is our compromise area. Since we are carved-in-stone about the minutes, we have unlimited text messages for all three phones. I don't use them much, but the guys do; so it works.

These days, most carriers offer unlimited texting as part of every package. Why would anyone choose a plan that forces you to track texts each month, or risk additional charges? They wouldn't and you shouldn't, either.

Internet

With our carrier, there isn't much wiggle room on Internet/web access. Each phone has its own minimum required  service plan. The more the phone can do, the more the service costs. Basically, all or nothing.

Since Mark and I are web-junkies - we surf and play games through our phones - cutting this access isn't an option. It's a known evil that we choose to live with. However, not all plans are created equal - our $30.00 smartphone service is $39.99 (or more) with some other companies. It pays to check.

Equipment

With phones doing everything but the dishes, it's easy to get caught up in wanting the latest and greatest. (I live with one of those but-I-neeeed-this-phone types.) Touch-screens, GPS, full-web browsing - every week brings something newer and better. In our case, each line is eligible for a phone upgrade at the end of the current 2-year contract.

Adjusting

• If the latest and greatest phone is tempting you, there are options. First, breathe - and think about it! You don't have to be the first on your block to have {fill in phone name}. Not if you're having trouble covering the bills.
  
  Consider allowing your current plan to expire and use the time left to search for a better deal. That phone you can't resist may be free with new service from another carrier. Or the new plan may be so much cheaper that the cost of the phone is less of a burden. Either way, you'll have a pretty good idea what the phone is going to cost, and may be able to salt away a few dollars toward the one-time expense.

Cell Phone Summary

If the cell phone bill is a rather large chunk of your budget, this may be a good place to start trimming. Look at what you use, compared to what you're charged. A plan with 1,000 minutes isn't a good investment when you barely use 500 every month. Paying for a fixed number of text messages per month is virtually unnecessary. And $50.00/month for smartphone Internet service may be the final sign to move along.

Before you renew your contract, explore your options. It isn't too difficult to find great deals, as long as you understand what you need and what you can do without.

Worksheets

Last week, we created several lists: Income, Expenses, and Non-Essentials, recorded in date order. These are going to be the basis of our budget. For now, we only need the first two - and a nice new page to start our budget.

Trial Budget

Since this is the first attempt to manage income and expenses, we're going to call it a Trial Budget. Chances are pretty good that (unless your guardian angel is a former CPA) this first pass will show some problems that need correcting. So, we're going to try  to create a budget.

For the sake of simplicity, we're going to assume that you get paid twice a month. (If you get weekly checks, sort your information by week.) Note: Always record bills with a due date by the due date. That way every month has all expenses listed.

First-Half

On the front of your new page, write Trial Budget, First-Half, and make 2 columns: Income and Expenses. Copy the items from last week's worksheets - in order by date and amount due (Rent, Insurance, Gas, Electric, Phone, Credit Cards) or date and amount paid (Groceries, Gasoline, Movies, Miscellaneous). Remember - only the items that were due or spent at the beginning of the month.

Our example:

In the words of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Don't Panic!

It is entirely possible, and probable, that some of the bigger bills (Mortgage) are routinely paid with money carried over from the end of the month. Until we set up the Second Half budget, we won't know. So, at this moment in time, we're still good.

Second-Half

On the back of your Trial Budget page, write Second-Half and make the same 2 columns: Income and Expenses. Again, transfer the items from last week's worksheets. This time - only what was due or spent during the second half of the month.

Okay, now we need to panic -- just a little bit.

In our examples, more money went out at the beginning of the month. The paycheck from the second half picked up some of the slack. Nonetheless, out-go exceeded income by $55.00.

Over the course of a year, that's $660.00. It has to get covered somehow. Let's see if we can't figure it out.

Budget vs. Actual

Since we're working with historical information, we know what was due (statements), what was paid (checkbook), and can calculate the differences. At the bottom of the First-Half page, make 4 columns: Expense, Due, Paid, and Difference. Fill in the information from the top of the page and your checkbook for any bill with a due date. Such as:

Now, flip the page over and let's do the same for the Second-Half:

Like it or not, we now can see where the money is (and isn't) being spent. And, just as importantly, what - exactly - is (and isn't) getting neglected. Over time, this can create problems that range from never-ending debt to potential loss of basic utilities.

Homework

Yup, this week there's homework. Our new worksheets / Trial Budget showed that Essential Expenses aren't getting paid completely each month. Therefore, it's time to get a clean sheet of paper and start making adjustments.

Our Trial Budget: First-Half showed that the Visa was short-paid. Therefore, we need to create a Budget: First-Half that pays every bill with a due date in full. Any shortage must be adjusted out of the other expenses.

In my example, that means reducing (most probably) Movies and Miscellaneous by $10.00 each, to cover the Visa payment. For your budget, it may mean cutting the Groceries or Gasoline. Only you know where you can (and will) give up a little.

So - until next Thursday - grab your worksheets and turn that Trial into a Real Budget.