Frugal Living

Yes, I know, it’s only the middle of February — however, if you are serious about having a successful garage sale this spring, you should start planning now!

I’ve been to hundreds of garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, second hand sales, new-to-you sales, mom-to-mom sales, etc. etc. and in my opinion, there are a few things you can do NOW to make sure your sale is a success… and it really won’t take that much time or effort!

1. Gather Boxes:

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You will most likely need lots and lots of boxes and bins to corral all the items you plan to sell {see #2 below}. There is no point in paying for boxes and bins you hopefully won’t need after your sale is over, so why not try to find them for free.

If you or your spouse work outside the home, try asking for extra paper boxes or other smaller boxes with handles. Also, you could try asking local restaurants or stores to save boxes specifically for you.

Put those boxes in a designated spot in your home or garage and then move on to #2 below!

2. Find Stuff to Sell:

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Obviously, you can’t have a great garage sale unless you have LOTS of stuff to sell. I absolutely hate pulling up to a garage sale only to see they have one small table of stuff to look at — it’s just not worth the buyer’s time to stop.

This is also an EXCELLENT opportunity to purge and organize every room in your house!!

Schedule a day or an afternoon to go through each room in your house {maybe one room every other week until the garage sale} and pull out anything you don’t need, use, want or love. Put those items in your designated “garage sale” boxes.

If you don’t think you’ll have enough stuff, start talking with a few of your friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbors, etc. and see if you can plan a combined sale. In my experience, the more stuff you have to sell, the more traffic you’ll get.

3. Decide on a Location and Approximate Date:

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Obviously, you don’t need to have every last detail nailed down at this point, but you should start thinking about an approximate date and location. If you are planning to do a combined sale, you’ll want to decide who’s house has the best location and then pick a weekend that will work for everyone involved.

Also, if you are planning to be part of any church, school, or community sales, you’ll probably want to get that information soon. I know some sales around here require participates to register several weeks and even months in advance!

4. Start Pricing Your Items:

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Again, it’s not essential to have every item priced and ready to go, but as you go through your house and start purging items for the sale, it might be smart {and very time-saving} to start pricing your items now!

Please, please, PLEASE remember that your stuff is used. You don’t want it anymore… and while I’m sure there are people out there who DO want it, you can not expect to get top dollar for your stuff!

In my opinion, the only thing worse than showing up to a garage sale that doesn’t have a lot to sell is showing up for a garage sale with ridiculously high prices. People are looking to get a great deal, so make sure your prices feel like a bargain.

5. Use Craigslist:

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If you have some big-ticket items, I would suggest trying to sell them on Craigslist before your garage sale because you can usually get a higher price that way.

If you don’t want to sell anything on Craigslist, then at least take the time to advertise your sale on Craigslist! It’s free and you’ll get tons of exposure! Another good idea is to look for other sales in your area and then plan your sales for the same weekend to ensure even more traffic.

By taking a little bit of time to plan ahead now, you’ll hopefully have a much more successful garage sale later this spring.

What are your tips for a successful garage sale?

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Last year, I shared the handy Excel workbook I’ve been using to track my finances ever since I was in college. Obviously, I’ve updated it over the years… but the basic concept is the same, and it works wonderfully for me. Based on all the emails I get, I assume it also works wonderfully for many of you!

Now before you get too excited, let me just reiterate that this workbook is NOT a budget — it does not tell you how much you can and can not spend. Instead, it’s a tool to help you track your finances and monitor how much you actually DO spend.

I know many of you are trying to create a budget to help you and your family save more and spend less, but in my opinion, it’s impossible to set up a realistic budget unless you first figure out exactly where your money is going and how much you are currently spending, saving, etc.

So if you’ve never actually taken the time to track your finances for an entire year, this workbook should be extremely helpful for you as the first step to then creating a realistic budget.

I’m not going to go into a ton of detail about the spreadsheet itself, because you can read about all the different categories and features here… but instead, I’ll give you a quick overview.

Basically, the workbook has 7 worksheets or categories {see image below}

Each worksheet provides a place to track monthly and weekly income, bills, expenses, debt reduction, giving, and investments.

You can see the summary of everything {including your overall surplus or shortage} on the last worksheet.

So the idea is that if you faithfully record ALL your income and ALL your expenses, you should be able to quickly and easily see how much you are spending on a monthly basis AND for each category {like gas, groceries, clothing, utility bills, etc.}

After you’ve tracked your finances for several months or an entire year, THEN it’s time to sit down and figure out where you might be able to cut back a little {or a lot} and create your budget based on those numbers. Creating a budget based on real-life numbers will be so much easier than just pulling numbers out of thin air; and you will be much more likely to stick to your budget — which is the whole point!

If you’ve never taken the time to track your saving or spending before, this could be an eye-opening exercise for you {numbers don’t lie!}… but I guarantee it will be worth it in the end!

Download your FREE 2012 Financial Workbook here!!

• Here is a link to the “regular” Excel File

• Here is a link to the “97-2003″ Excel File {if you are using an older version of Excel}

• Here is a link to an “Open Document Spreadsheet” — in case the others don’t work

• Here is a link to it in Google Docs. {some of the formatting is different here}

NOTE: The files will automatically download to your computer by clicking the link above. You will need Microsoft Excel on your computer to be able to use this worksheet — and you should save it in a convenient place {like your desktop} so you can easily update it on a daily/weekly basis.

I created this workbook so that you will be able to edit everything — because that only makes sense to me! However, even though I’m giving you full access to use and edit this workbook, I hope you don’t abuse that by trying to pass it off as your own

If you are trying to save more and spend less this year, download my FREE 2012 Financial Workbookand get started today!

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UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Congrats to:

Miranda (athankfullheart@…)

Rachel (krbetts@…)

Allison (allisonhawley10@…)

Amy (flyingpreacher1@…)

Susan (ssvandenberg@…)

I will email you to get your information!

Even as a very small child, some of my favorite play-time activities were playing store {I was the cashier} and writing numbers in my “bank book” {see picture below}.

When I was six, my parents helped me open my first savings account and then make small deposits on a regular basis. You can probably imagine how excited I was to balance a REAL bank register after each deposit!

I opened a checking account when I was 18, and was extremely hesitant to spend even one penny more than I absolutely had to!  I used coupons to buy groceries all through college, and worked as many hours as I could to quickly pay off my student loans.

Now that I’m “all grown up” I’m still frugal, I still use coupons, I still don’t spend money if I don’t have to, and I still balance my bank register after every transaction {yes, I do online banking too!}

Basically, I’ve been frugal for as long as I can remember — thanks in large parts to my parents who have always encouraged me and my sisters to save, save, save!

Because of my love for frugal living, I am simply ecstatic about today’s giveaway — The Money Saving Mom’s Budget. It’s a brand new book written by one of my blogging friends, Crystal Paine of MoneySavingMom.com.

Crystal’s book is not only packed FULL of hundreds of tips and tricks to save more, spend less, and pay off debt; it also contains a wealth of information on how to simplify and organize your entire life… which I’m all in favor of

Plus the entire book is written from a “normal” person’s perspective on finances; so you won’t have to weed through financial jargon or constantly wonder if you’re understanding it correctly.

As I was reading her book, I kept thinking “I could have written this” because I honestly agree with pretty much everything she says. You can read more about her book here, but then come back and enter to win one of 5 copies!

The Giveaway:

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Today, five lucky Simple Organized Living readers will win a copy of Crystal’s new book, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget! 

How to Enter:

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1. Leave a comment. How are you trying to save more and spend less this year?

2. Like Simple Organized Living and/or Money Saving Mom on Facebook, and then leave a separate comment letting me know you did {or that you do already}.

If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please visit the actual blog post to enter. Email entries, Facebook comments, and Twitter messages will NOT be counted.

Prizes:

(5) copies of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget as described above.

This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm on Tuesday, 1/17/2012 and is open to all U.S. and Canadian residents 18 years or older. I will use And the Winner Is to select the winning comments at random. Winners will be notified by email and noted at the top of this post. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner. Please see my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you have. Good luck!

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Since you already know how frugal I am, it probably doesn’t surprise you to know that I have NEVER been to the dry-cleaners! Yes, you read that right; Dave and I have never paid for anything to be dry cleaned… ever

Part of the reason for this is because we purposely try not to buy things that require dry cleaning. However, I’m also really cheap, and have figured out a few different ways to wash our “dry-clean-only” items at home!

Here’s how I do it…

Feather/Down Pillows and Comforters:

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I wash and dry our pillows and comforters right here at home by throwing a few tennis balls in the washer and dryer so the items don’t get lumpy.

Simply use your regular detergent and fabric softener, throw 3 tennis balls in with the items, and then wash on gentle cycle and dry on low. They should be good-as-new!

I will say that washing large items is easier in a front-loading washer because it doesn’t have an agitator in the middle. 

Clothes and Coats:

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Although we try not to purchase dry-clean-only clothes, we do have a handful of items that are supposedly dry-clean only — but I’ve never really paid attention to that! I’ve washed them all in our washer on the gentle cycle — using a gentle detergent like Woolite or something similar.

I also never put these items in the dryer, but rather lay them flat on a drying rack.

So far, the only item that didn’t come out fabulously clean was a 100% wool sweater that seems to smell a little after being wet. I actually didn’t like it that much anyway, so I donated it!

I’ve also tried using those in-home dry-cleaning kits like Dryel, but wasn’t extremely impressed with the results. I’d rather just wash everything with water and detergent.

Rugs:

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Since we have hardwood floors, we do have several different rugs — but they are all washable {or at least I’ve washed them all!} I’ve also used carpet cleaning products to spot-clean some of our larger rugs.

We don’t have any huge area rugs in our house, but if we did, I would simply call a carpet cleaner.

Obviously, I know there are some items that really DO need to be dry-cleaned — like formal dresses and men’s suits — but since Dave and I don’t make a habit of wearing formal clothes that often, we can easily get by without a dry-cleaning bill!

Oh and here are a few more posts about laundry:

• My Thoughts On Washing Whites
• A Laundry Experiment — 10 Ways to Reduce Static Cling
• More Tips to Simplify Your Laundry Routine

What are some dry-clean-only items you wash instead?

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I talk a lot about saving money — because it really is something I’m passionate about.

Dave and I do not make a lot of money, but by pinching our pennies and living a pretty frugal life, we are able to put about 50% of our income towards building our savings and investments each year. I know some of you might be reading this and thinking, there is absolutely NO WAY we could save 50% of our income, but I’d like to challenge you to just try saving a few extra bucks each month.

I firmly believe that no matter how tight your budget is, there is always SOME way you can save a few cents here, or an extra buck there.

One way we’ve been able to save more is simply by using less.

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I know that statement might sound overly-obvious… but have you ever tried it? I mean REALLY tried it? Below, I’ve listed several ways we save more by using less…

1. Dish Soap:

I only use about half the recommended amount of dish soap and dishwasher detergent and my dishes still come out sparkling clean.

2. Laundry Soap:

I usually use SoapNuts and vinegar for our laundry, but if I do need to use detergent, bleach, or fabric softener for something, I use about half the recommended amount — and I’ve never had any issues with this!

3. Hand/Body Wash:

When the hand soap and body wash bottles are about half empty, I add in some water and shake it around to “thin down” the soap and make it last just a little bit longer. Our hands and bodies are still clean

4. Napkins:

We almost always use cloth napkins, but if for some reason we need paper napkins {for lunches or really messy foods} we rip the napkins in half — yes, we REALLY do this!!

5. Paper Towels:

I only buy the paper towels that are divided into 3 small towels and we almost never use more than one small section. If it’s a big mess, we’ll use t-shirt rags or towels and then throw them in the wash.

6. Storage Containers:

We pack our lunches in re-usable lunch bags and use mostly re-usable storage containers as opposed to plastic bags. We also ALWAYS use re-usable water bottles.

7. Cleaning Products:

I make most of our cleaning products, shampoo and conditioner, and other toiletries for pennies… which is a huge saving over expensive store-bought products.

8. Meat:

Whenever a recipe calls for ground beef, shredded chicken, or another type of meat, I almost always use 1/2 to 1/3 less meat and then add in extra beans, rice, veggies, etc. to make up the difference. No one ever notices and the meal is much cheaper that way!

9. Dairy Products:

I use dried milk mixed with water or yogurt in many recipes that call for regular milk or sour cream. Dried milk is much cheaper and easier to keep on hand since it’s non-perishable.

10. Utilities: 

We ALWAYS turn of the lights when we’re not in a room, we turn down the heat when we’re sleeping or not home, we take very quick showers, and I run my washing machine and dishwasher on the “quick” cycle to save money on utilities.

I realize that many of you might be amazed and how “cheap” we are {and that’s OK!} but if you’re looking for a few extremely simple ways to save a few extra bucks each week, these ideas will do the trick.

And while it might not sound like much, a few dollars each week can really add up after a few month or years. Plus, by using less of many of these products, you’re helping the environment too!

Do you have any simple ways to save more by using less?

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I am NOT a financial expert — just a really cheap Dutch woman!

And even though we use a credit card for almost EVERY SINGLE thing we purchase, I am 100% against credit card debt… and I’ve never once paid any interest, late fees, finance charges etc. It’s how my parents taught me and it what makes sense for Dave and me.

However, I’m not 100% against any debt at all.

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Again, I’m not a financial expert, but I’ve talked with enough bankers, accountants, investment agencies, and other financially savvy people to know that some debt CAN be good debt! 

I know it sounds crazy to think there could be such a thing as “good debt”, but without any debt at all, it’s very difficult to have a credit history or a credit report. And without a credit report, you will probably have a difficult time if you ever needed to take out a loan or open a credit card — especially now days when banks are really cracking down.

What Debt is Good Debt?

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1. Having a credit card balance and paying it off IN FULL at the end of each month.

As I mentioned before, I’m 100% against credit card debt, however our credit card ALWAYS has some sort of balance from that current month. And even though we pay the balance IN FULL at the end of each month {and never pay any interest or fees} it is still considered a “debt” during that specific month because we own money that we haven’t paid yet.

And as long as you pay your balance in full each month, this type of debt actually looks really good on your credit report because it shows you are responsible and pay off your debt right away.

2. Student Loans:

Oh don’t even get me started on students loans!!! These were one of the debts we diligently worked to pay off — thanks to our Before Baby Bucket List. And even though I just hated having this debt, I was told that student loans are actually a good debt to have.

They usually have very low interest rates {mine were around 3% and Dave’s were actually at 0% because he was getting his masters}. They also show that you’ve participated in higher education which will hopefully prepare you for a higher paying job… and allow you to pay the loans off quicker.

3. Mortgage Loan:

I would say that FOR THE MOST PART, mortgage loans are classified as good debt because your home is probably your most valuable asset and it SHOULD continue to appreciate in value over time.

However, we all know how awful the housing market is right now and if you took out a mortgage for way more than you can handle, it might NOT be considered good debt anymore.

4. Small Loans that are quickly repaid:

There may be times, either for business or personal reasons, that you just have to take out a small loan. And even though it might be considered bad debt initially; if you pay it off quickly, it could actually help your credit report by showing how responsible you are with paying off debt.

What if You Have Bad Debt?

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I’ve been told that even if you have “bad debt” like a car loan, unpaid credit card debt, etc. it still might not hurt your credit report as long as you are making regular payments and decreasing the over-all debt amount each month.

So that’s just something to keep in mind as well! 

There is SO much more information I could share on this topic, but since I’m not a financial expert, I don’t feel like I should. However, as the holiday season continues to inch closer… and as you are tempted to buy “one more thing” for everyone on your list… just keep asking yourself if it’s worth getting into “bad debt” or not.

I would say that 99% of the time it’s NOT! 

What are your thoughts on good debt and bad debt?

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Several months ago, after I broke the news that we were pregnant, I talked about Having a Baby on a Budget.

Since then, I have stayed true to my frugal nature and with the help of Craigslist, my mom’s garage-sale addiction, lots of borrowing, and generous gifts from family and friends…

We’ve spent LESS than $300 on our baby so far!

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And that includes EVERYTHING for our  nursery, clothing, accessories, books, toys, bedding, diapers, wipes, other toiletries, car seats {yes we have 2}, strollers {2 of those}, diaper bags, towels, changing pad, extra blankets, breast pump, bottles, tons of formula, bouncy seat, Bumbo, Boppy, Johnny Jumper, Pack n Play, all my maternity clothes, and even our maternity photo shoot and classes at the hospital!

I’ve kept track of every penny we’ve spent and even surprised myself when I recently saw that the total was still under $300!

Now granted, we did receive several gifts, gift cards, and cash… but besides a few select items {like sheets, mattress pads, and toiletries} I’ve gotten almost every single thing used, or made it myself.

And you know what, our baby won’t know the difference! 

Do babies really HAVE to be expensive?

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I can’t tell you how many people have told me over and over again how expensive it is to have a baby and how those expenses keep growing and growing as the baby gets older. They’ll say things like, “you better start saving now”, or “get used to being broke”, or even “you’re not going to be able to spend any money on YOU once you have the baby.” 

Besides the fact that their advice is completely negative — and probably not the nicest thing to say to a soon-to-be new mom; I also do NOT think it’s truthful advice. Having a baby doesn’t HAVE to be expensive! 

I’m sure it’s fun to get all brand new things for your first baby, but I personally can’t believe how many people go crazy and buy all sorts of brand new items at ridiculously high prices… just because. Then, a year later, you see those same things {sometimes with the tags still attached} for sale at their garage sale or on Craigslist at a fraction of the price!

How wasteful! 

I’m sure many of you already know how frugal I am, but from the moment we found out we were expecting a baby, I decided that we would NOT fall into the trap of thinking our baby needed the latest and greatest of everything. Dave and I were both perfectly fine with garage sale, Craigslist, and other second-hand items for our baby… and boy has that decision paid off!

Oh, and I should mention that just because I buy everything used, does NOT mean that I buy inferior products. As you’ll read below, I’ve purchased many high-end, brand-name items for a fraction of the “new price”.

How I Stuck to my LOW Budget:

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1. I borrowed as much as I could.

I have several friends and relatives who are about my size and many of them offered to let me look through their maternity clothing. Most of them had also gotten used maternity clothes and were thrilled that someone else could get some use out of their things too. Over all, I spent $2.67 on maternity clothing – and once I’m finished with it, I can return the items to their owners and I don’t have to store anything!

I’m also borrowing a bunch of baby things from a few friends — like a baby bathtub, baby swaddle blankets, winter items, and some different types of baby wraps so I can get a feel for what our baby actually likes. Once I figure this out, I’ll probably go out and buy our favorite, but for now, borrowing works just fine!

2. I buy everything used.

You would not believe how many clothes, toys, books, shoes, and accessories my mom and I have found via garage sales, second-hand sales, or buying them from friends and relatives — all for pennies {and many of the items still had the tags on them!}

As you may have seen, our nursery closet is packed full of adorable little girls clothes {all the way through 12 months} and we already have a nice little collection of books and small toys started as well.

3. Craigslist is my friend!

I am somewhat obsessed with finding great deals on Craigslist – which has always paid off for me in the past; however I’ve been amazed at how many hugely discounted baby items are available via my favorite shopping website!

Here are just a FEW of the many deals I’ve gotten in the past couple of months:

• I found the $200 baby monitor I wanted for $30
• I found the EXACT $180 BabyBjorn bouncy seat I wanted for only $40 {and it came with a bunch of extras}
• I found a nearly new Pack n’ Play with ALL the accessories for $30 – delivered to my door!
• I found a Bobby pillow with 2 microfiber slip covers {still in the package} for $10 — normally this whole set would have been closer to $70 or $80
• I found a really nice Jeep umbrella stroller for only $5

I could go on and on… but I think you get the picture. Craigslist has some amazing deals!

4. I made things myself.

Yes, I suppose you have to be a bit crafty to be able to make many of your own baby items… but you CAN do it! I made all my own bedding for less than $8.00 and a bunch of my own baby hair accessories. I also used furniture from around our house for the nursery — and you’d never know it after a fresh coat of paint!

I encouraged friends and family to give me handmade blankets, burp cloths, and little toys as baby gifts instead of pricey store-bought items. Seriously, you should see all the creative handmade gifts I got!

5. I shop sales and rebates.

I know many of you are still amazed at the amount of free {or almost free} diapers, wipes, and other baby toiletries I’ve accumulated. But with the help of my mom, I am now fully stocked with baby toiletries and baby wipes for at least the first year. And I should have all the diapers I need {Newborn through Size 3} unless she regularly goes through more than 15 a day

Since I’m not a deal blog, I’m not going to go into all the details of HOW we find such great deals, but it’s basically a combination of saving up a bunch of coupons, and then waiting until a local drugstore {Rite Aid/Walgreens/CVS} has a great sale with rebates or in-store rewards.

6. I signed up for all the freebies.

Not only have I signed up for (and received) numerous free baby items via the mail, I’ve gotten even more free and very high-value coupons for baby items, formula, toiletries, etc.

Yes, I do get a little more spam email now, but I have them filtered directly to my spam folder — which automatically deletes every 30 days; so I really don’t have to deal with them.

Here’s a link to some good baby deals and freebies — but you’ll be surprised what you find if you simply Google your favorite baby brands!

7. I’m a firm believer that “less is more”.

I don’t care how many times someone tells me that I NEED a baby wipe warmer, I’m not going to get one! It’s not necessary in my opinion, and it’s just one more thing to buy and then clutter up my house.

And even though I’m already drooling over the super adorable baby girl clothes in the stores, I know I don’t need to buy any of them because our baby will be born in the Fall/Winter and she will probably live in onesies, sleepers, and sleep sacks for most of her first few months. I can easily get by with a handful of cute “going away” outfits and save my money for super cute outfits once she’s a little older.

It’s amazing how few things a baby REALLY NEEDS — food, sleep, warmth, love — and while it is definitely fun to shop for baby items, and may of the items make life more convenient, I’m sure our little girl won’t care if her baby wipes are warmed or not

Was It Worth The Extra Time?

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I know that some of you might be thinking about all the time I must have spent looking for these deals, making my own things, signing up for freebies, using coupons, sending rebates, etc. etc.

And you’re right, it did take a bunch of time… but I had 9 full months! 

Plus, it’s SO fun for me to bargain shop, barter with people on Craigslist, and hit up local garage sales. It’s a hobby I do anyway… now I just look for baby things as well as other things I want to purchase.

So yes, it was most definitnely worth any extra time it took on my part! 

How do you {or did you} save?

• Do you buy mostly new or mostly used baby and kid items?
• Do you have any tips or tricks for finding great deals?
• Are there certain items you would never buy used?
• Are there other items you wished you would have bought used instead of paying full price?

I’d love to hear YOUR frugal thoughts {or even if you think I’m nuts!}

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