Confessions of a Former Mall Rat
Note: JSB is taking it easy today, so guest blogger Mrs. JSB is adding her two cents.
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.
Reading Meters To Save Money
With the Northeast in the grips of winter, it’s important to stay warm. Easiest way - stay inside and turn up the thermostat. But since we’re frugal, we stay inside and put on an extra layer. This should save us money, but never does. That’s because our gas supplier bases our bill on last year’s usage because nobody is ever home when they come to read the meter. It’s in the basement.
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.
How To Save Money And Get A Better Shave
I hate spending money on things I feel are overpriced. It’s not that I’m cheap or anything, I just lean a little toward the frugal side. Razor cartridges seem to go up in price substantially every time one of the companies adds another blade to the mix. I’ve never seen the point of spending upwards of $15 on a package of 4 razor cartridges. My wife is painfully aware of this, since she is the one I complained to every time I had to buy more blades.
So last Christmas my wife bought me a safety razor that uses double edge razor blades. You know - a razor similar to what your grandfather used. The model I received was the Merkur Slant Bar. There’s a marked difference between it and a Mach 3 or Fusion. This thing is built to last - it will probably be the last razor I ever need. The cost was about $30 - this is kind of a steep entry price, but the blades average out to be about $0.30 - $0.50 a piece. Typically, I’ll buy a sampler pack of 30 blades for $8.50 ($0.28/blade) and these will last me a year. Whereas blades for a fusion ($16 for 4) would set me back about $192/year.
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.
My Wife And I are Divorcing……Starbucks
Like most people, my wife and I have some habits. One of our more expensive habits was Starbucks. That is, until we decided to divorce the franchise! We seemed to be giving more than we were receiving - a bad situation for any relationship.
Our typical Starbucks bill (give or take a little if I wanted a giant chocolate chip cookie):
| 1 small Chai Latte: | $3.15 |
| 1 large Dark Roast: | $1.92 |
| Total | $5.07 |
We didn’t go to Starbucks every day, but we went frequently enough for it to be pricey. Especially when you go a couple of times a week, then muliple that number by 52 weeks.
So we adjusted our habit. We didn’t drop the habit of drinking tea or coffee. We just decided that it would be cheaper to do so at home. How much cheaper can it be?
| Coffee Filters | $2.00 |
| Coffee | $2.99 |
| Tazo Chai | $3.49 |
| Total | $8.48 |
Now, instead of spending $5.07 every time we visit Starbucks, we spend $8.48 per month. Let’s say we were going to Starbucks ten times per month or 120 times per year - that would set us back $608.40 per year. If we enjoy our coffee and tea at home, we’re only spending $101.76 per year.
Sticking to our plan to divorce Starbucks will save us $506.64 per year. That’s a separation we can deal with. We can add that extra money to our emergency fund or to our savings for the house.
How about you - is there anything you can do to make some changes that’ll save you money?
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About
Just Squeaking By is a blog about my personal finances and my quest to get them in order. Read more about Just Squeaking By
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