Perhaps some people don’t enjoy saving money. You’ll find me driving the extra 5 blocks to save a little money.

I’m reminded of this often. Every time I visit my parents, they ask the same question: “When are you buying a new car?” My car might be aging – 1999 Honda Civic, 178,000 miles – but it runs well and has been paid off for nearly seven years. Buying a new car to replace my well-running older car is not in my immediate financial plan. I tell this to my parents and I’m pretty sure they think I’m being cheap. I’ve explained to them that my wife and I are saving money to buy a house. Even so, the inevitable car question comes up when we see them. It’s getting old, but I just shrug it off now.

I was reminded again today when I found out that my sister-in-law and her husband are buying a house. They’re picking up a two-story house with three bedrooms and a bath and a half. They’re already planning to repaint walls, build a deck and construct a new entryway to the dining room. They’re plunking down 3%, which is required for the mortgage they’re signing. They’re 25 years old.

I think my wife got a little bummed when she heard the news. I know that she too wishes we were buying a house. But the thing is, when it’s time for us to buy a house, we’re going to be in great shape. In fact, we’re hoping to put at least 20% down on a home, and at the rate we’re saving, it could be more. That decreases the likelihood of struggling each month to pay the mortgage. That makes me happy.

So here are some tips I came up with to stay focused on saving, even when the people around you are spending:

1. Don’t let emotions get in your way – don’t try to keep up with your neighbors’ spending habits. We’re all guilty of impulse purchases. These impulses can eat away at a long-term savings goal. Take some time to think about purchases before making them.

2. Make saving a habit – have a portion of your paycheck deposited automatically into a savings account each pay period. This money will add up quickly, and you won’t miss it. Always remember to pay yourself first.

3. Treat yourself once in a while – sitting home all the time in an attempt to save money will drive you crazy. Be sure to go out and do things you enjoy. They don’t have to be expensive things. Check local publications – they’re usually filled with fun and inexpensive things to do.

The most recent flight delay occurred this past weekend. At first it didn’t seem like it would be all that bad. I had the laptop with me, so I thought I’d get on the Web and whip out a few blog posts! Much to my surprise, the Internet access wasn’t free and I wasn’t about to pay for it. This is when the delay began to bother me. I had three hours of sitting around ahead of me. Ugghh.

My issue with paying for the Internet access is that I get it free at a coffee shop after spending a few dollars on a coffee. But after spending a bunch of money at the airport, I still have to pay to access the Web. I refuse to pay for it. Next time I fly, I’ll have to plan a little better for situations like this.

My favorite thing to pay for at the airport:

Parking – leave your car in a lot for a few days and – BAM – you owe the airport $30 – $60!

How do you pass the time when your flight is delayed?

I’m not a morning person.

I wake up most days and head straight to the shower. I dig through my closet half a dozen times, throw on some eyeliner and fly through the kitchen making lunch and Chai Lattes.

I drive to work alone with the music blaring. I normally do not sing along. JSB will confirm it – I’m not much of a talker in the early a.m. My morning routine, however, is changing. For the past three months, I’ve carpooled at least once a week to work with some co-workers who live in my neighborhood. We take turns driving, chauffering each other to and from the office. We share driving duties equally. We don’t exchange gas money.

There’s a lot of talking in the car, but that’s OK with me.

When I carpool, I save money—specifically on gas, which becomes more expensive every year. Carpooling just once a week means that $38 of gas in my car lasts about two weeks. That’s better than $38 every week. Sometimes our group carpools three times a week. Depending on schedules, that means one person has to drive his or her own car just two days to and from work that week. That’s a big incentive, and a big savings.

When I carpool, I decrease the “wear and tear” on my car, a 2007 Honda Civic that—I must admit—is obsessively clean and neat. I’m able to keep down the number of miles I drive each week. Both factors will prolong the life – and “newness” – of my car. Beyond the money and neat-freakness issues, however, is the added bonus of less pollution.

When our entire group carpools, we pile four of us in one car, instead of four of us in four separate cars. That means a lot less carbon dioxide will be released into the atmosphere that day. That’s a plus for everybody.

We’re still working on the kinks in our carpool group. Important things like which radio station we agree on. Not that we’re listening much. We’re too busy talking.

The wife and I have decided that we’re going to save our rebate check. We could go out and spend it on something shiny and new, but that wouldn’t do much for us. We’re in the process of saving for a house so maybe we’ll just put it toward that. But then again – we should also start Roth IRAs. The money won’t be here for a while so we have some time to decide. The only thing we’re certain of right now is that we’re not spending it.

What do you plan to do with your rebate check?

The Problem – my car’s radiator had a few small holes in it. While not something that needed immediate attention, it is something that should be fixed before it completely fails. So right around the time I started this blog – I bought a replacement radiator. It costs me about $150 less than the garage wanted to charge me for it. You might be wondering how I saved so much. Well – like most anything else – buying car parts online is easy and typically cheaper. I bought my radiator from DriveWire.com because I’ve dealt with them before and have always been pleased. They always have free shipping on orders over $50.

The only other costs that I had to pay were for labor, fluid and clamps. The grand total for that was $80. The entire repair costs were $152. That, I think, is a pretty good deal. In comparison, a local garage quoted me a price of $400. I guess it pays to spend some time looking for better deals.

Have you saved money on car repairs by shopping for parts online?

My closet used to get updated on a monthly basis. In college, it was a new sweater here, a pair of jeans there. In the professional world, I acquired a basic work wardrobe and built on it, adding pieces according to the season. At some point, my style shifted — less conservative, more chic — so my closet shifted as well. I lost 10 pounds on the job and had to buy new pants. I kept up with the latest fashion trends and delighted in finding $225 Rock&Republic jeans on sale for $20 at my local boutique.

Those days are over. Now that JSB and I are saving for a house, I’ve become what JSB calls “frugal.” I talk myself out of purchases that probably seem reasonable to normal people. I look for sales, clearances, discounts. I’ve always been a bargain hunter (hello $130 JCrew fitted  wool blazer for $30), but these days its hard for me to buy clothing that’s not on sale. $79 for a blouse? I don’t think so. Now if it was $39…

I’ve become neurotic about it and I accept this about myself. The thing is, just when I’m about to lay down the cash for that $45, white, 3/4-length cable knit sweater from The Gap, I think to myself — I already have a sweater like this at home. Do I need the added clutter? Will I ever wear my old sweater if I buy this new sweater? So I put it back on the shelf and walk away.

Of course, I’m not so crazy that I don’t buy anything that’s not a necessity. Yesterday I indulged and bought a scarf from Urban Outfitters that I first spotted two months ago. I figured that if I’m still thinking about it months later, it’s probably a piece of clothing that I’ll wear for years.

I’m learning to be make use of the wardrobe I already have. All of those perfectly fine tops and skirts and dress shirts that are a couple of seasons old. The fun part? Discovering  never-before-worn clothes long forgotten, buried at the bottom of my closet. Maybe I need a smaller closet.

While basing the amount we owe on last year’s usage is fine, it’s never accurate. Usually their estimate is off by 20 CCF or so. I knew that you could mail in meter readings, but I’m not a fan of going through the hassle. It seems to be a waste of time and paper. So I logged into my online account with them – and to my surprise, you can enter a meter reading on the web site. So my next bill should reflect our actual consumption and save us about $30.

After using shaving cream from a tube, I honestly am not sure if I could ever use shaving cream from a can again. I find that the results I achieve with the brush-on shaving cream are far superior. The shave is closer and more comfortable. Plus – it smells much better. A tube will last me about 9 months or so and costs about $10.

Lets get onto to the actual shave. I usually use a three-pass shaving method. This amounts to a pass with the grain, one across the grain and a final pass against the grain. While it seems like this would take a bit longer to complete, I can actually shave in a bit over 5 minutes. This is a bit longer than it used to take me, but the shave is far superior and lasts longer.

Over the long run, the safety razor and blades are much cheaper than most alternatives. I can also feel good about producing less waste. I used to think of shaving as a task – now I actually find joy in it!