Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Buying Books & DVDs - I Love Amazon!
I’m one of those die hards who still buys books as opposed to converting to Kindle although I’ve been having thoughts lately of crossing over. One day when I’m trendy again. In the meantime, my love for reading has not waned and I often have an itch for a good, new read. I left all my books and DVDs in Los Angeles so I must replenish. I went into a local bookstore to re-buy my favorite David Sedaris books (“Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “When You Are Engulfed in Flames”) and was slightly shocked when the bookstore attendant told me at the register that each humorous gem was $15.99. Of course I didn’t want to look like I couldn’t afford it so I bought the books and left the store. As soon as I got home I realized I was crazy. That’s gas and food money! But I needed my literature, I countered to myself. I decided to go online to see if I could find the books cheaper before I trekked back up to the store to make the return. Sure enough, both books were being sold on Amazon for a little over $10 new and a penny used. Hmmmm……a penny vs 15.99. That was a no brainer so I hightailed it back over to the store and returned the books. I’ve shopped Amazon before for Christmas gifts but my frame of mind was completely different. I wasn’t looking for a bargain. The David Sedaris paperback books still came out to $4.00 a piece with the shipping but still a great deal. I also shop Amazon now for DVDs. I bought Chris Rock’s “Bigger and Blacker” comedy for $3.68 with tax. Not the $1 flea market price but with Amazon I find exactly what I’m looking for.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Buying Furniture and Electronics on a Budget - Craigslist, Flea Markets & Yard Sales
My original relocation plan landed me in Philadelphia in a furnished room so furniture was not necessary. Philadelphia did not turn out to be my cup of tea so I traveled down to Charlotte, NC where I have family and found myself a nice, clean 1bd apt. for $400 a month. This place, however, was unfurnished. I did not have much money to spend on furniture, kitchen appliances, etc. so I had to be smart and economical.
CRAIGSLIST-
Most of us are familiar with Craigslist but this area is where the site can and will be your best friend. Craigslist has the sections “Free,” “Furniture,” and “Electronics” amongst others. Search these categories!!!!! Every once in awhile in the free section you’ll find great pieces of furniture that someone like the former me would simply give away rather than be hassled with a garage sale or even dragging it down to the trash. Bookshelves, endtables and computer chairs seem to be the most common in this section. You might find a couch or bed but odds are they’re very well worn. The furniture section of craigslist is one of my favorites. You will find very good and sometimes original pieces for dirt cheap. Sometimes the owners will even deliver the furniture to you. Refrigerators, couches, coffeetables, bed frames, armoires, you name it. You can even splash up your walls with artwork sold on craigslist in the “arts+crafts” section.
THE PAWN SHOP-
Ok. The show “Pawn Stars” definitely made me more interested in giving pawn shops a second glance. I can’t lie. I got my first glance when I took my laptop in one once for a loan. I took brief notice of the jewelry and musical instruments then disregarded it. When I found my apartment in Charlotte my cousin told me to check out pawn shops for lcd televisions. I did as told and was very pleasantly surprised. There were tons of tvs. At least in Charlotte. I found a great 26” lcd tv for $100 and dvd player for an additional $20. Had a haggled about the price I might have even gotten them for cheaper.
YARD SALES-
In Charlotte there are tons of yard sales every weekend. This came in handy when I needed to buy furniture. Most people are almost giving things away at yard sales. I bought an extremely comfortable, cushiony couch chair for $50, a beautiful coffeetable for $15, and a huge, framed wall mirror for $10. Instead of driving by the next yard sale you see or thinking that you don’t want to buy another person’s used stuff, pull over and take a look. You might be surprised by what you find. Even if it’s some cool dvds for $1 a piece.
FLEA MARKETS-
You can seriously find everything at a flea market from a pack of gum to a pet chinchilla. I like flea markets for the many knick knacks you can buy for little cost. I bought my candle holders, books, dvds, dishes, jewelry box and other odds and ends here.
GOODWILL-
The Goodwill is another place to find nice odds and ends to decorate your place. I bought vases from here for $1 a piece. You can also find interesting tea kettles and other dispensers for the kitchen.
CRAIGSLIST-
Most of us are familiar with Craigslist but this area is where the site can and will be your best friend. Craigslist has the sections “Free,” “Furniture,” and “Electronics” amongst others. Search these categories!!!!! Every once in awhile in the free section you’ll find great pieces of furniture that someone like the former me would simply give away rather than be hassled with a garage sale or even dragging it down to the trash. Bookshelves, endtables and computer chairs seem to be the most common in this section. You might find a couch or bed but odds are they’re very well worn. The furniture section of craigslist is one of my favorites. You will find very good and sometimes original pieces for dirt cheap. Sometimes the owners will even deliver the furniture to you. Refrigerators, couches, coffeetables, bed frames, armoires, you name it. You can even splash up your walls with artwork sold on craigslist in the “arts+crafts” section.
THE PAWN SHOP-
Ok. The show “Pawn Stars” definitely made me more interested in giving pawn shops a second glance. I can’t lie. I got my first glance when I took my laptop in one once for a loan. I took brief notice of the jewelry and musical instruments then disregarded it. When I found my apartment in Charlotte my cousin told me to check out pawn shops for lcd televisions. I did as told and was very pleasantly surprised. There were tons of tvs. At least in Charlotte. I found a great 26” lcd tv for $100 and dvd player for an additional $20. Had a haggled about the price I might have even gotten them for cheaper.
YARD SALES-
In Charlotte there are tons of yard sales every weekend. This came in handy when I needed to buy furniture. Most people are almost giving things away at yard sales. I bought an extremely comfortable, cushiony couch chair for $50, a beautiful coffeetable for $15, and a huge, framed wall mirror for $10. Instead of driving by the next yard sale you see or thinking that you don’t want to buy another person’s used stuff, pull over and take a look. You might be surprised by what you find. Even if it’s some cool dvds for $1 a piece.
FLEA MARKETS-
You can seriously find everything at a flea market from a pack of gum to a pet chinchilla. I like flea markets for the many knick knacks you can buy for little cost. I bought my candle holders, books, dvds, dishes, jewelry box and other odds and ends here.
GOODWILL-
The Goodwill is another place to find nice odds and ends to decorate your place. I bought vases from here for $1 a piece. You can also find interesting tea kettles and other dispensers for the kitchen.
Grocery Shopping vs. Eating Out
There are habits that are hard to break like the convenience of dining out. I’ve always been a decent cook but never had the time or energy to really get down in the kitchen. Besides, a great way to unwind from work was to go out for a glass of wine and a good meal with a friend. Sunday brunches in West Hollywood were my favorite.
Once I moved to Philadelphia I pledged to cook majority of my meals. Grocery shopping as opposed to eating out - and yes, fast food also counts as eating out - is more affordable but there’s an art and strategy involved with buying food. I was an exclusive Trader Joe’s and Wholefoods shopper pre-unemployment. I still will buy certain items from Trader Joe’s due to my almost gluten free diet i.e. rice macaroni and cheese, corn spaghetti, Udi bread, etc., but I pretty much had to rule out Wholefoods. They’re out of the budget. I will occassionally treat myself to a frozen, gluten free pizza but that’s it. Regular grocery stores only.
This might sound like a no brainer but for whatever grocery store you shop at get their value card. There are always items that are discounted provided you have the card. Shopping non-brand name goods will also save you money. Most store brand goods taste pretty good and are cheaper simply because they are done in-house and therefore more affordable to produce. Buying non-brand name goods might hurt your ego a bit but once you get used to saving money you’ll get over it. Also visit different grocery stores because some are better than others for certain foods/meats/produce. Now that you’re budgeting there’s no money to waste on fruit that’s not sweet or meat that’s too expensive and not a decent cut. If you live in an area with independent, ethnic grocery stores I recommend checking these out. They tend to have excellent fruit and meat selections for a fraction of the cost of chain grocery stores. Also go to your town’s local farmer’s market. It’s a great way to get fresh, organic fruit and vegetables for a good price. I myself haven’t delved into couponing yet, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to sift through some of that junk mail for a good deal. Trust me - when groupon or livingsocial begins selling discount grocery store coupons I’ll be all over it!
For toilettries and other merchandise I find stores such Walmart and dollar stores like Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar General to suit my budgeting needs. Some people might cringe at the idea of shopping at Walmart but it’s an affordable option to get things you need despite what you might hear about their employment practices and pushing out the mom and pop store. I also like to get items from the dollar bins at Target. My strategy for buying toilettries is this: buy only as much as you need. Lotions, soaps, toilet paper, etc can really add up at the register when you’re trying to either buy in bulk or a large size. The goal is to keep enough money in your pocket until the next pay period and still maintain a nest egg, albiet a much smaller one than before. Emergencies don’t stop just because your money isn’t what it used to be. Neither does the occassional itch to splurge on something so make sure you still have some coins in your pocket at the end of the day. Back to topic. I like buying the single bars of soap, mini lotions, q-tips, shaving gel and my deodorant from the dollar travel bins at Target. I buy the dollar paper towels and the 6 roll, store brand toilet paper. By doing this I have money left over for the more expensive items like my face wash and lotion and I won’t flinch at the register when I see my total. There are many out there who have families so this sort of shopping will not be condusive for you. Costco and Sam’s Club might be the better route to go.
I will occassionally go out to eat, but instead of dining at the trendy restaurants, I’ve been exploring more of the mom and pop restaurants. My desire to dine is satisfied and I’ve contributed to sole proprietor’s business. Whereas eating out and shopping at expensive grocery stores might have cost several hundred dollars a month, it now only cost about half that, probably less.
Once I moved to Philadelphia I pledged to cook majority of my meals. Grocery shopping as opposed to eating out - and yes, fast food also counts as eating out - is more affordable but there’s an art and strategy involved with buying food. I was an exclusive Trader Joe’s and Wholefoods shopper pre-unemployment. I still will buy certain items from Trader Joe’s due to my almost gluten free diet i.e. rice macaroni and cheese, corn spaghetti, Udi bread, etc., but I pretty much had to rule out Wholefoods. They’re out of the budget. I will occassionally treat myself to a frozen, gluten free pizza but that’s it. Regular grocery stores only.
This might sound like a no brainer but for whatever grocery store you shop at get their value card. There are always items that are discounted provided you have the card. Shopping non-brand name goods will also save you money. Most store brand goods taste pretty good and are cheaper simply because they are done in-house and therefore more affordable to produce. Buying non-brand name goods might hurt your ego a bit but once you get used to saving money you’ll get over it. Also visit different grocery stores because some are better than others for certain foods/meats/produce. Now that you’re budgeting there’s no money to waste on fruit that’s not sweet or meat that’s too expensive and not a decent cut. If you live in an area with independent, ethnic grocery stores I recommend checking these out. They tend to have excellent fruit and meat selections for a fraction of the cost of chain grocery stores. Also go to your town’s local farmer’s market. It’s a great way to get fresh, organic fruit and vegetables for a good price. I myself haven’t delved into couponing yet, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to sift through some of that junk mail for a good deal. Trust me - when groupon or livingsocial begins selling discount grocery store coupons I’ll be all over it!
For toilettries and other merchandise I find stores such Walmart and dollar stores like Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar General to suit my budgeting needs. Some people might cringe at the idea of shopping at Walmart but it’s an affordable option to get things you need despite what you might hear about their employment practices and pushing out the mom and pop store. I also like to get items from the dollar bins at Target. My strategy for buying toilettries is this: buy only as much as you need. Lotions, soaps, toilet paper, etc can really add up at the register when you’re trying to either buy in bulk or a large size. The goal is to keep enough money in your pocket until the next pay period and still maintain a nest egg, albiet a much smaller one than before. Emergencies don’t stop just because your money isn’t what it used to be. Neither does the occassional itch to splurge on something so make sure you still have some coins in your pocket at the end of the day. Back to topic. I like buying the single bars of soap, mini lotions, q-tips, shaving gel and my deodorant from the dollar travel bins at Target. I buy the dollar paper towels and the 6 roll, store brand toilet paper. By doing this I have money left over for the more expensive items like my face wash and lotion and I won’t flinch at the register when I see my total. There are many out there who have families so this sort of shopping will not be condusive for you. Costco and Sam’s Club might be the better route to go.
I will occassionally go out to eat, but instead of dining at the trendy restaurants, I’ve been exploring more of the mom and pop restaurants. My desire to dine is satisfied and I’ve contributed to sole proprietor’s business. Whereas eating out and shopping at expensive grocery stores might have cost several hundred dollars a month, it now only cost about half that, probably less.
Supporting Yourself While Unemployed - Relocation
Earlier this year I was at the height of my fashion design career. I was making a salary of 60,000 a year along with selling my own designs online and in trendy Los Angeles boutiques for additional income. I wasn’t doing badly for a single woman in her early thirties and the prospect of doing much better seemed very attainable. Then it happened. I got fired. My performance could not keep up with my rapidly growing workload (a testament to my prior good job performance) and an assistant was not an option. I had been unemployed in late 2008 when the recession first hit the fashion industry hard and tha tparticular company had to downsize. I knew how hard it could be and vowed not to put myself in that same position of struggle again. I had to make some major and minor adjustments to my life but the end result is living a comfortable life on unemployment or working a job that does not pay your desired living wage.
CITY LIVING -
As much as I loved Los Angeles I knew I’d have to leave the city of angels behind unless I wanted to relocate to a not-so-desirable neighborhood and still be paying rent that was out of my new financial range. I also had to reevaluate my expenses. My car was paid off but I was paying insurance and gas always seems too expensive. Los Angeles is a city that requires a vehicle to commute so this might pose a problem. I decided to move from California and relocate on the east coast. This was a big step and major cultural change. I did some online research and chose Philadelphia due to its close proximity to New York, decent public transportation system and affordable living. I had never visited Philadelphia before and read some disparaging things about the city but I was in survival mode and figured I could handle it. So there it was. I bought a one-way plane ticket and sold my car. I was bound for the city of brotherly love. (*Note to readers: I do not recommend moving to an unfamiliar city. I have an adventurous streak but this is not for everyone. Had I visited Philadelphia first I probably would not have relocated to this city. I have since moved to Charlotte, NC and live in a nice, clean 1bdb apt. for $400 a month) Once I arrived in Philadelphia I found a room for rent in a big house in the suburbs for $500 a month which I viewed as a bargain. I was told by a friend that this amount was actually too high. Sure enough I was able to find another room for rent for $300 in a well-kept row house. My rent in La Habra, California was $1175 for a 2 bedroom and this was considered a bargain. By moving to Philadelphia and consolidating my living space I had just saved myself over $800.
CITY LIVING -
As much as I loved Los Angeles I knew I’d have to leave the city of angels behind unless I wanted to relocate to a not-so-desirable neighborhood and still be paying rent that was out of my new financial range. I also had to reevaluate my expenses. My car was paid off but I was paying insurance and gas always seems too expensive. Los Angeles is a city that requires a vehicle to commute so this might pose a problem. I decided to move from California and relocate on the east coast. This was a big step and major cultural change. I did some online research and chose Philadelphia due to its close proximity to New York, decent public transportation system and affordable living. I had never visited Philadelphia before and read some disparaging things about the city but I was in survival mode and figured I could handle it. So there it was. I bought a one-way plane ticket and sold my car. I was bound for the city of brotherly love. (*Note to readers: I do not recommend moving to an unfamiliar city. I have an adventurous streak but this is not for everyone. Had I visited Philadelphia first I probably would not have relocated to this city. I have since moved to Charlotte, NC and live in a nice, clean 1bdb apt. for $400 a month) Once I arrived in Philadelphia I found a room for rent in a big house in the suburbs for $500 a month which I viewed as a bargain. I was told by a friend that this amount was actually too high. Sure enough I was able to find another room for rent for $300 in a well-kept row house. My rent in La Habra, California was $1175 for a 2 bedroom and this was considered a bargain. By moving to Philadelphia and consolidating my living space I had just saved myself over $800.
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