If you’re buying something boring off the registry, choose sheets, and make it fun.

Here’s how.

Buy the sheets.

Yawn.

Understand that sheets are something people don’t like to buy for themselves. If I could register for presents (no, I won’t, I’m not Carrie Bradshaw!) then I would always have fancy sheets on my list.

But I don’t like buying them myself. Nor do most brides and grooms, it turns out.

So, why not make it fun and awesome?

awesome fort kit to make sheets more fun!

Click here to view the whole post. It’s a really fun way to buy something boring, and make it fun.

I would do it for my sister and her husband-to-be! I would LOVE to be on the receiving end of a present like this! How fun!

The post Awesome Wedding Gift Idea: Build a Fort! appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!

I feel like I should take a bow.

Yes, I am excited. There’s a Pinterest board that my sister and I are sharing to pretend-decorate the new place. I’ve priced out some stupid shades from Ikea, that will be just fine until we find beautiful curtains that will really tie the room together.

I’ve signed 490 pieces of paper, both electronically and via PDF/fax/scan/email. I’ll be lucky if I don’t end up with a mail-order bride based on the sheer volume of things I’m signing that I haven’t fully scrutinized. For all I know, Andi is going to make me sign a piece of paper that states, “Andi is the bestest in the westest ever,” and I probably won’t even bat an eye.

One thing that did strike my attention, though, was Private Mortgage Insurance, or PMI.

What is PMI? (Private Mortgage Insurance)?

new place has a gas range

As far as I can tell, PMI is an expensive scam. It’s insurance that you pay if you don’t have 20% equity in your home. Insurance is all well and good, but this insurance is different. This insurance does not insure you, the homeowner, from anything.

Instead, you’re paying insurance to cover the bank’s butt, should you walk away from your home without 20% equity.

Also, it doesn’t just automatically disappear once you’ve hit the magical 20% threshold. No. You have to figure out who to call, figure out how to get that payment removed, how to get your own money back.

When I was looking, my mortgage guy showed me a loan where PMI was $225 a month, or … you know, more than a car loan!

And that’s just absurd.

Why do “They” Offer PMI, Anyway?

This is the part that really gets me. Clearly, allowing us to buy a house with less than 20% as a down payment is a nice thing to do. It opens up the possibility of home ownership to those of us who want to take advantage of these interest rates but are years away from having enough money to put down. I’m definitely in this boat, but due to the generosity of my parents, I don’t have to pay PMI.

I was talking to a friend about PMI, and she doesn’t see it as something so evil (to be fair, she was quoted $115 a month for PMI, verses the $225 a month that I was shown).

She said that in her family’s situation, PMI is a small price to pay for the ability to have cash around, in an easily-accessible bank account. I get that. I mean, as much as I get anything that someone who has a completely different life explains to me.

What’s the Point of PMI?

I think, honestly, PMI is set up as a deterrent to people who don’t yet have 20% saved. It’s another barrier. It’s like they’re saying, “okay, so you don’t have enough equity. We are going to make you pay an extra fee each month just so we know you’re serious enough to stick in this house until you’ve built it up.

Should you do it?

I wouldn’t. If I weren’t the luckiest girl in the world who is getting a gifted down payment, then I would be renting, not owning. It’s one thing to pay a homeowner’s association fee.

It’s quite another to pay insurance that doesn’t protect you.

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You can trade points for plays. You get three plays a day, free, and 100 points gets you an extra play. You can spend 500 points a day to get yourself eight plays.

What can you win? Well, there are different levels: small and big, and different chances of winning, accordingly.

My SaveUp Strategy

For a while, I thought I’d go big. I mean, who doesn’t want a $50,000 dream vacation fund? Terrorists, that’s who. But the odds are way lower (of course). So I switched my strategy, and won!

oh hi, angel.

There are always new $100 gift cards for various things, and a few weeks ago, I saw one for Victoria’s Secret. My strategic brain got to thinking. Okay, that’s a more narrow potential pool, I thought. I’m going to go for that. So, SaveUp, unlike real investing, is a place where it is a good idea to put all of your eggs in one basket. The plays are free, and you have a better chance of winning when you just throw all of your plays into one low-payout prize, so why not go for that? Go for ones you’re interested in, but also think about the ones that are highly boring to other people. Right now, I’m going for Trader Joe’s, which I think is universally appealing, but it still would be nice to have free groceries* for a little while.

A few days later, I get something in the mail that makes me feel important. Someone sent me certified mail! I have to go to the post office (conveniently located five blocks from work) to go get a package! Turns out, SaveUp were just covering their bases so that someone wouldn’t take my hard-won prize.

Over the weekend, I went shopping. One of my favorite pastimes is going to Victoria’s Secret and pretending I can buy anything I want. I load up the cart. I add things with abandon. Nothing is out of reach! I am going to get everything!

This time, I actually did get to spend without thinking too much. However! It does not take much to reach $100. I had about $140 in my cart.

Enter RetailMeNot

Next, I went to RetailMeNot to cash in on discounts. Victoria’s Secret allows for three discount codes per order. The first one was a tiered discount. $15 off $100, $30 off $150, $75 off $250. I typed that in. The second was free shipping if you ordered bras (I did). The third was for a free pair of undies. Score! I did a little math. The first discount made things weird. If I found $10 more product to buy, my entire purchase would actually be $5 cheaper than if I didn’t buy $10 more things. Okay, well, that’s only a good idea if I only spend ten dollars. Not if I find a $50 something or other. But I had a feeling their 5 for $26 was a discount if you bought at least five pairs and not multiples of five pairs. So, I put two more pairs of undies in my cart.

And the price went down by $5!

So, with the SaveUp gift card I won, plus the discounts I found via RetailMeNot, my grand total was $20.40. And I got a lot of cool stuff.

This feels like winning, because the only kinds of clothing I buy new are my underclothes.

Because even Frugal Portland has limits.

Which may be another reason TLC hasn’t called me back. “Not extreme enough!”

*by groceries, of course I mean chocolate covered frozen bananas and all kinds of trail mix.

The post How SaveUp and RetailMeNot Saved Me $130 appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!

my mom, with my sister in the background

Here are 7 Reasons My Mom is Awesome

My Mom is Generous

Hello, gifting a down payment? Sending cooking magazines and fun treats to me every chance she gets? Taking me out to get pedicures with her, celebrating with me, buying me all kinds of cheese, she is just so generous. Her love languages are gifts and time spent together. She likes nothing better than to dork around with me in the kitchen, which just so happens to be one of my favorite things, too.

My Mom is Funny

Sometimes unintentionally, like when she thought I was having happy hour with loggers. Sometimes intentionally, with a well-told story that gets the group (whichever group she happens to be in!) laughing. She is extroverted and speaks with her hands, so her stories get intensely animated sometimes. She can get us laughing until we cry.

My Mom Always Supports My Dating Decisions

Even when some parents wouldn’t, my mom has always said that no matter what, she loves me and wants me to be happy. Her unconditional support showed itself early in my life, making sure I had a sweet valentine, even when she knew I wasn’t getting attention from boys. It showed up when I introduced her to my (significantly) older boyfriend, with whom she is still close today. She stood up for me once when my southern relatives were pressuring me to get married so they could come visit. “You,” she said, while gesturing to the table, indicating plural (she doesn’t say y’all anymore, she’s been in the Northwest too long), “are all cordially invited to the Pacific Northwest, any time you choose. We do not need Kathleen to rush into anything.” Once, I mentioned, half jokingly, that I’d need to get married in order to get a food processor. There was a new, shiny, gorgeous one on my doorstep two days later. The message was clear: do not feel sad about being single. Your mommy will buy you a food processor.

My Mom is a Strong Person

I don’t mean you should call my mom if you need help moving things. No. She is a tiny woman, but has a huge presence. Her opinions are strong and plentiful, and she is not shy about expressing them. We have that in common. She is every bit of a southern woman, and it’s rather extraordinary since she moved to Olympia 28 years ago. She is always impeccably dressed and exceedingly well put together. The woman doesn’t even own jeans, people! And would die before she’d wear yoga pants out in public. She’s not too proud to admit when she could use a little extra help, though, so when someone that strong asks you to come be with her, you do not hesitate.

My Mom is a Fantastic Cook

Sometimes, my sister and I tease my mom because even though we are grown women, she cooks as if we are linebacker teenage boys just coming back from a tough practice. But then, we sit down and see all of our favorite foods. So, we eat like linebackers. Which I suppose just proves her right, doesn’t it? We did need all that food. She loves my future brother-in-law because that boy can eat. I think I’d say that cooking for others is one of her love languages too, which we also have in common.

My Mom Loves Deeply

My mom is like a mama lion. Once you’re in her pack, she’d protect you with her dying breath. She has so much love in her heart, and she shares everything she can with those around her. She’ll spend perfectly gorgeous summer days turning produce into homemade canned goods. Not because she is being a frugal homesteader, but because she wants to share the bounty of her surplus with as many people as she can. She even signed up for the gift exchange so that she could share canned goods with a blogger.

My Mom is My Role Model

My mom grew up in a small town in Tennessee. She did not have much money, nor many opportunities. So she studied her tail off, finished first in her class (while introducing the miniskirt to her hometown!) and went to college to be a nurse. She climbed her way up the corporate ladder, and, not too long ago, made the switch to be a federal employee. Now she’s a big deal. And she got there on her own. She is my role model for what women can do if they put their mind to it. She is a feminist to her very core, and she votes in every election. She let it be known even when I was a little girl playing with dolls that I could grow up and be whatever I wanted to be.

Even if she were someone else’s mom, and I’d met her through work or something, I would consider myself lucky to be her friend. I don’t know how many people can say that, and I just don’t think there’s a bouquet big enough to let her know how special she is.

So, thanks, Mom, for always being awesome. Thanks for leading by example and acting with integrity, love and generosity. Thanks for instilling in me a strong sense of self. Thanks for teaching me manners. Thanks for teaching me to be curious. Thanks for all the cooking magazines. Thanks for never letting me feel like I need a man to feel complete.

Happy Mother’s Day.

To all you moms out there, I think you’re pretty special, too. It takes a lot of patience to turn a ball of energy into a human. And even on your hardest days, I know you’re doing a great job. I hope you enjoy your homemade cards and burnt toast breakfast in bed on Sunday.

The post 7 Reasons My Mom is Awesome appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!

But it seems to me a little foolish to chase happiness.

A little… entitled to expect happiness in our lives.

Why are we Chasing Happiness?

What do we really hope to accomplish when we set out to find our happy place? Are we looking for perfection? Or a world where we never argue with our family?

Don’t get me wrong, friends. I am a happy girl. Am I happy because I make my bed every morning? Gretchen Rubin says that might be part of it. I’m not so sure. I make my bed (and do my dishes, and clean up clutter) in order to not go crazy. Clutter drives me nuts. I’d argue that happiness isn’t simply the opposite of being driven nuts, though it’s a lot harder to be happy when you’re irritated.

If Something Makes you Happy, Does More of that Thing Increase your Happiness?

three cups of perfection

A few weeks ago, a very good friend came to visit. He is a man of very few vices (he no longer drinks alcohol or coffee, stays away from sugar — he’s in great shape) and dark chocolate is one of his last remaining vices. There’s an amazing little chocolate bar in downtown Portland called Cacao that has the kind of hot chocolate you read about in the Polar Express (affiliate link, but hands down the best Christmas kids book of all time). It’s dark and thick, like melted chocolate bars. They also have about a zillion dark chocolate bars and chocolate sommeliers that can talk about chocolate bars that have hints of cherry or mahogany without a trace of sarcasm.

We ducked into this tiny slice of heaven after the skies had opened up and it was pouring outside. The rain was Hollywood style. We knew we’d be staying for a while, so we peeled off our outer layers and parked at one of the tables. After looking at everything on the menu, we decided to share a flight of their thick hot chocolates.

As we held our hands around these tiny cups, transferring their warmth to our hands, and eventually tasting the sublime chocolate, I said, “I know that chocolate somehow releases the “falling in love” signals in a person’s brain, but I have to tell you, that I cannot possibly fathom being happier than I am, right now, in this moment.” He’s a good enough friend that I could tell him I was simply in love with the moment, and he agreed. It was perfect.

I haven’t been back since.

I know that going back won’t make me happier, and the same goes for other things that make me happy. Ice cream makes me happy. More ice cream decreases my happiness (and gives me a tummy ache and a guilty conscience!). Going out for drinks makes me happy. Too many of those, and I’m sending text messages to the wrong people. Sitting out in the sunshine makes me blissfully happy, but if I did that every day, I’d get used to it, and instead of making me happier, I’d end up getting more upset on “normal Portland” days where the sky is gloomy and the rain is spitting.

Do We Have it Backwards?

What if, instead of chasing happiness, we instead tried our darndest to provide meaning? To do the hard work? To fill our lives with meaning? To do our part in making the world a better place?

Wouldn’t that be better?

A Suggested Alternative

Here’s my challenge for myself. For the next 20 days, I’m going to focus on increasing the happiness of those around me  instead of my own. That way, even though it’s easy to get bogged down in the fact that my whole life is going to be different at the end of this month than it is today, by focusing on the happiness of the important people in my life, I’ll get to my closing date with a lot less anxiety.

The post Chasing Happiness is a Fool’s Errand appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!

The wedding industry relies heavily on emotional appeals.  I detest when people appeal to my emotion (It’s so easy it’s unethical!)  What do I look like, a silly little girl? People who are making money from weddings fully realize they are making money from people’s dreams.

That’s why, when planning a wedding, it’s better to start with a reality and build up the dream around it.  Before deciding you have to have a small destination wedding at a fairytale castle, you need to know how much you can afford.  When you don’t start with a number, when you don’t begin from a place of reality, you are only going to end up severely disappointed or in an atrocious amount of debt.

Planning a wedding is often so disconnected from preparing for a marriage.  I have made it a point to make sure our wedding fits in with who we are because I want it to be a natural transition to marriage.  I want it to show how much we value our place in our larger friend and family community, to bring to life the spiritual beliefs we both hold about marriage, and to seem like a natural outpouring of the love, grace, and joy that already exists in our life together.  In other words, it is important to me that this event, this one single day (however important it may be), comes from the reality of who we are.  The last thing I want is for our wedding to feel like a dream.  You can wake up from a dream, but you can’t wake up from a marriage.

Not yet knowing all of this, we started planning without a number.  Tim and I are both dreamers and skilled internet trollers, so at first we were stoked on the idea of a small affair at the Fairmont Chateau (fairytale castle) in Lake Louise, Alberta.  It was going to be a gorgeous winter wedding at a fabulous hotel, our guests would eat like royalty and go on sleigh rides while we took pictures on picturesque mountaintops.  Now, for those of who who’s reality this fits, I’m jealous!  But we also love our people and wanted to throw a huge party when we got home.  When we got the number ($10,000 from mom and dad) we realized we couldn’t get all that, the idea did not fit our reality.  So we moved on.  Luckily, we weren’t too emotionally involved with Alberta, Canada.

Once you have the number, you can design the affair.  Let’s say you have $1500.  Just because you have a small budget does not mean eloping is your only option.  It is an option (and it’s a good one!), so it a courthouse wedding with a small reception.  However, you can still do a big affair with this number, just find a public space in the Summer, a friend willing to officiate, an ask your guests to bring a dish. Who doesn’t love a potluck BBQ?  Some might say this is redneck, but in the Northwest, we call it hipster/homemade.  Design your affair to fit your budget, and you won’t be disappointed.

Start with the Important

Besides wanting out wedding to feel “real” we also wanted to invite EVERYONE.  In my Irish Catholic family, weddings are hotly anticipated, I can’t deny my family that by running off to Canada!  We will also have a lot of people traveling to Portland who have never been, so we wanted to make sure it was an urban evening that highlights the best our fair city has to offer.  Portland is like the third person in our marriage, we simply can’t cut costs down by holding it in my hometown!  We also really wanted to do it on New Years Eve (DIVAS)!

So how are we going to have a big swanky city New Year’s Eve party for lots of people for only $12,000?  Well, we found a significant place to cut costs, and that was the food.  I mean, we love food, but we don’t need fancy food.  Sometimes I find catered food a total waste of money (thanks for the boiled chicken and lettuce!) so we decided to go a little low-end and provide…. pizza!  Local, delicious, Portland style pizza, that is. Add alcohol (beer and wine that is, let’s not get crazy), and we have a great place to start!  We are saving almost $5,000 by going this route and if if means we can have more people to enjoy our swanky pizza party, it’s fine by me!  The savings also means we can have a live band (our friends, who are charging us half their normal price) and a decent photographer.

The post Frugal Weddings Lesson Two: Start with a Wedding Budget appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!

a glass of wine makes a first date less awkward

Namely, the first date.

Who should pay?

Back in the olden days, the boy asks the girl out, and since the boy is the only one with the money, he of course buys the milkshake and the burger. Easy. Simple. Girls never asked boys out, and they certainly didn’t meet anywhere other than the school or dance competitions.

Yes indeed, the olden days in my mind are exactly like Grease. Thank you, Olivia Newton John.

But now, on these various dating sites (Match or How About We) the rules have changed, and probably for the better. The logic goes like this. If you are a female, you will get all kinds of gentlemen (and some sleazeballs) sending you winks, pokes, intrigues and whatnot. Some will send you emails. My favorite one thus far? “Email me back, I will do ANYTHING you want.”

But, it usually goes a little something like this:

Person one initiates contact.

Person two responds, adds cute witty things, pokes a little fun at something in the other’s profile.

Person one responds, shows how they can take a joke and dish it back out.

Rapport builds.

They decide to meet. Meeting should happen sooner rather than later. Otherwise you just put a bunch of effort into building rapport with someone you don’t find a physical connection with. And, call me shallow, but that’s important. Sunglasses and a hat disguise very easily what a guy looks like in person. And women are just as bad, from what I’ve heard. Using pictures from 20 pounds ago is deceitful.

Who pays? Person one, always? Does gender matter? Does the person who suggests meeting have to assume they are footing the bill?

Is that why most people just want to meet for a drink?

I’ve found, based on… hmm, I should have kept better track… five first dates from the internet, that the norm is to split the cost.

And that’s fine with me. I’m never suggesting we go out for caviar and then to a steakhouse, so I’m comfortable paying my share. In fact, I think it’s prudent to carry enough cash to cover your part. Or tip, if you find someone who insists on paying.

And gentlemen? You will stand out in the crowd if you insist on paying.

I suppose I always thought the back and forth was part of the script.

You know, the script:

Me, reaching for my purse: “do you want to split this?”

You: “No thanks.”

Me: “Are you sure?”

You: “Yes, I’m sure.”

Me: “Thank you.”

But it turns out, that script is from the olden days. Now it’s more like, do you want to split it? Sure. Sometimes he’s the one that asks if I want to split it.

Lest you read into this and think I’m a good-for-nothing gold digger, let me be clear: I am an independent woman who can pay my own way. I can even buy a condo (with help). I can certainly afford my five-dollar drink or ten-dollar burger. But it’s a very nice gesture if you offer to take care of it. I don’t expect to meet someone who will swoop in and solve all my money problems. And that’s typically not what a first date is about.

So, who should pay for the first date? Either split it, or take care of it. And if you want my advice? Treating someone gets you brownie points.

The post Who Should Pay for the First Date? appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!

Hood River is in fact on the river

Editor’s Picks

Since I love fuzzy accounting (Arthur Anderson would have liked me!), I enjoyed this post by Squirrelers about Alternative Ways to Calculate Your Real Net Worth.

Money Beagle lets us know that even though we might think we’re saving as much as we possibly can, There Are Always Savings Opportunities.

Now that I barely know what FHA stands for, I really enjoyed reading this: The FHA Might Need a Bailout.

Both Kristen from My Dollar Plan (Turn Your Spring Cleaning into Extra Cash) and Eric from Narrow Bridge Finance (4 Simple Ways to Make Money Through Spring Cleaning), offer some fantastic advice about getting rid of crap and making a few dollars doing so.

Glen Craig from Free From Broke asks,Where’s My Tax Refund?. I’m lucky that mine just showed up in my account, mere days after filing, but if you’re not so lucky, check out Glen’s tips.

Grayson Bell from Debt Roundup boldly in Love and Money – An Internal Debate, that he would not necessarily pay his spouse’s debt. I loved the honesty and openness in this post, and I’m fascinated with how couples handle their money.

Debt

SB from One Cent at a Time presents 19 Pretty Things to Make Debt Snowball a Motivating Factor, and says, “Debt snowball is an effective method for getting out of debt.”

Money Management

Miss T. from Prairie Eco Thrifter presents Is Automatic Bill Pay Right for You?, and says, “Automatic bill pay can be a great help to many consumers who want to make sure that their payments are made on time and in full. But there are some considerations associated with automatic bill pay.”

Martin from Studenomics presents How You Gamble With Your Financial Future Every Single Day, and says, “How you’re making mistakes with your money on a daily basis without seeing it.”

Oscar from Money is the Root presents The Perception of Value, and says, “Is perception of value really just a perception?”

Hood River has a well-labeled museum

Peter from Bible Money Matters presents Mint.com Will Soon Be Integrating with a Bank Website Near You, and says, “This past month Mint.com announced that they were going to be creating a new suite of tools that can be integrated with banking partners’ websites, to give customers of the partner banks a more comprehensive PFM tool, all while giving the banks a new opportunity to cross-sell other products from their bank.”

Philip from PT Money presents How to Retire Early – Let’s Run the Numbers, and says, “Ever wonder exactly how much you need saved to retire early? There is a way to figure it out and make early retirement possible.”

Hadley from Epic Finances presents Should you Switch Your Current Account?, and says, “You are not locked down to the same accounts you’ve always had.”

Danielle from Saving Without A Budget presents Money Myths Fourth Edition, and says, “The 4th edition of debunking money myths.”

PK from Don’t Quit Your Day Job… presents Were Your Parents Good With Money?, and says, “I present here some evidence that adult children are burying their heads in the sand with regards to their parents’ finances. Newsflash: your parents weren’t perfect with money, even if a majority of you feel that way.”

TTMK from Tie the Money Knot presents Should People Know the Details of Their Parents’ Finances, and says, “Most of us value of privacy, particularly when it comes to money. That being said, are there reasons why people should know details of their parents’ finances?”

Frugality

Green Panda from Green Panda Treehouse presents How-to Prepare For Your Post-College Trip, and says, “Let’s get ready for that first post-college trip.”

Lynn from Wallet Blog presents Break Out of Your Grocery Rut (and Save in the Process!), and says, “Some people shop at the same store at the same time on the same day, week in and week out. If this sounds like you, you’re missing out on some great bargains. Here are some ways to break out of your grocery rut and save money on your food budget.”

Jay from Daily Fuel Economy Tip presents The Best Tips to Get the Most Fuel Economy Out of Your Car, and says, “Get the most out of every single gallon of gas you buy.”

Lily from Paying Debt Down presents Tips to Cut College Costs and Avoid Borrowing for College, and says, “Tips for your specific college saving plans.”

Bob from Dwindling Debt presents Saving Money by Renting Out a Room, and says, “Offsetting your bills with a roommate may be a great way to lower your mortgage.”

Barbara Friedberg from BARBARA FRIEDBERG PERSONAL FINANCE presents HOW TO AMASS $70,000 BY CHANGING ONE LIFESTYLE HABIT, and says, “Find out how a middle class earner can make a few behavioral changes each week and end up with $70,000. It’s easier than you think.”

Hood River has a water wheel. These used to be much more important than they are now. Go figure.

Budgeting

John from Card Hub presents Spring is Here, Summer Vacations Are Near: Tips for Planning and Saving, and says, “Regardless of what screams spring to you, summer will be here before we know it, so it’s probably wise to start planning potential trips soon. Planning a vacation sooner rather than later gives you something to look forward to, enables better budgeting, and offers more time to find the best possible deals on hotels and airfare.”

Career

Mike from The Financial Blogger presents The 3 Prime Jobs I’ve Refused So Far, and says, “Have you ever turned down a sweet gig?”

Lenny from Best Money Saving Blog presents The Most Important Questions you Should Answer Before You Retire, and says, “If you have retirement on the brain make sure you read this first.”

Gary from Gajizmo.com presents Best Careers For The Future, and says, “Regardless of whether you are entering or exiting college or a post-graduate program, or even considering a change in careers, it is important to look at the long-term financial prospects of the industry you plan to work in. This is a list of the best jobs for the future, supported with statistics on job growth rates, salaries, benefits, and future stability of the sector.”

Sam from The New Business Blog presents Marketing and Advertising Tips for the Small Business Owner-Part 4, and says, “More tips to build and brand your small business.”

Real Estate

Daniel from Make Money Make Cents presents The Costs of Selling Your Home, and says, “Things to think about before you sell.”

Jack from Money Saving Ethics presents My Thoughts on the Real Estate Market, and says, “A finance professional’s opinion on the real estate market.”

Hood River is a rich agricultural area

Saving

Michal from Dough Roller presents How Much Money Can You Save Working From Home?, and says, “Forty percent of American employees hold jobs that could easily be done from home.”

Matt from Budget SNOB presents Saving on Travel in 2013, and says, “Tips on how to save on your travel in 2013.”

Lance from Money Life and More presents 3 Steps to Simplify Your Banking and Other Accounts, and says, “Over the years I have lived in many different cities and states. I seem to have opened a similarly large number of banking and other accounts as I’ve moved. It isn’t something I’ve consciously done, but whenever I move on to a new bank or service I almost always leave the old service open (assuming it doesn’t have any fees) just in case I need it again in the future.”

Investing

Roger Wohlner from The Chicago Financial Planner presents Investing: 7 Steps to Spring Clean Your Portfolio, and says, “Spring time is traditionally the time to clean the garage and to get the yard in shape. It’s also a great time to clean up your investment portfolio. Here are 7 steps to a cleaner, more efficient portfolio.”

Katie from IRA Basics presents What is an Educational IRA, and says, “Learn more about an education savings account.”

D4L from Dividend Growth Stocks presents Characteristics of Great Dividend Growth Stocks, and says, “What makes a great dividend stock? Investors in dividend growth stocks are looking for stocks that will increase their dividend each and every year at a rate that makes the stock a better investment than fixed income alternatives on a risk adjusted basis. I have found that stocks that are able to do this share some common characteristics.”

Jon from Novel Investor presents The Two Sides Of Investment Risk, and says, “Investment risk comes in many forms. Most of the time the market does a good job interpreting those risks. But not always.”

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey from My Personal Finance Journey presents Which Short-Term Bond Mutual Fund Should You Use For Your Fixed Income Asset Allocation in Taxable and Tax-Sheltered Accounts?, and says, “This post seeks to answer the question, “What is the best specific type of short-term bond fund for my needs?”"

nicole from Grumpy Rumblings presents Why I like stocks over real estate, and says, “Nicole and Maggie discuss why they prefer passive stock investing to active real estate investing.”

harry campbell from Your PF Pro presents What Should I Do With My Bond Funds?, and says, “Bonds are an essential part of any diversified portfolio. Although we generally don’t expect the same high returns with bonds as we do with stocks, there is much less risk. Bond funds can be a great diversification tool since they have low correlation with stock funds. Essentially, that means that the health of the stock market will have little to do with the bond market. Stocks could be soaring while bonds remain relatively neutral or even negative(and vice versa).”

Dividend Growth Investor from Dividend Growth Investor presents Six Dividend Paying Stocks I Purchased for my IRA, and says, “I purchased six dividend stocks in an IRA. By making this IRA contribution, I was able to reduce my tax due by more than half. The amount I put in that IRA produced an instant tax savings that was equivalent to over one third of its value in taxes. ”

Michael Kitces from Nerd’s Eye View presents Why Cancelling An Existing Whole Life Or Universal Life Policy May Be A Bad Idea, and says, “Normally, most people who don’t need life insurance simply cancel the coverage. But in today’s low return environment, the reality is that an existing life insurance policy can actually provide a remarkably appealing fixed return if held until death, which means even if you wouldn’t buy the coverage today, it may make a lot of sense to keep what you’ve already got!”

Credit

Glen from Credit Card Smarts presents More Credit Card Issuers Reduce Missed Payment Penalties, and says, “Missing a payment date on your credit card used to mean a late fee and a rate hike. But more cards are coming out that show leniency with late payments.”

The post Carnival of Personal Finance: Weekend Trip Edition appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!

I thought he was just being friendly. I like you too, Joe! But no. He wanted to talk to me about something specific.

“So, you’re Frugal Portland,” he starts. “How are you frugal? What do you do that others don’t in terms of frugality?”

I was puzzled. What’s he getting at? And further, doesn’t he read every single word of this fine blog? So I listed a few things. Turns out, he’d been contacted by a big time television network.

The photo is a non sequitur. But sometimes if you look up in a store, you see beauty.

They wanted him to upload a video describing all the ways that he was frugal.

The show? Extreme Cheapskates. We talked for a bit about our habits. Andi chipped in.

Here’s what we came up with.

Frugal Tips for the Real World

• Don’t buy clothes for a year. This one is Joe’s, but it’s not like he was someone who was dropping $5,000 on clothes in a year’s time anyway. I don’t know the numbers (not being Joe, and all) but I think, in all cases, this is only extreme if you are a clothes person, and you like your clothes fancy.
• Do not eat in restaurants, unless a) it’s a social thing, or b) you are traveling and might die without eating something. Yawn, right? Everyone knows that eating at home is cheaper than eating out. I’m pretty bored writing this. Yes, it saves money. Gobs of money if your habit is to go out and eat food in places where you never have to do dishes. But, jeez, that’s pretty basic. I’d switch the channel on this tip, wouldn’t you?
• Bike to work. This is more about saving the planet and making sure I get some exercise every day than saving money. And again, it saves me maybe a tank of gas a quarter. I’m sure you could save more if you swap out the bike on your 20-mile commute, but … who does that? Oh, right. The people who should be on this show.
• Drink cheaply (happy hour) out, and save the nice stuff for drinking at home. Andi (my favorite lightweight) suggested buying really nice whiskey (or whatever you drink) and making cocktails at home. That way, you’re not tempted to buy a $14 Manhattan at a restaurant and you have the added bonus of not having to drive after having one of those. Extreme frugality? Hardly. If we were really extreme we would be recommending drinking only tap water or alcohol at weddings.
• Don’t buy anything in boxes (except toothpaste) at the grocery store. I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating since it’s one of the few “tricks” that come to mind. Things in boxes are more expensive (both in the short-term and the long-term) than things like vegetables and meat. While we’re on this topic, eat your vegetables, dang it! Ones that come mixed into your fried rice do not count.
• Always bring your lunch. Always. Unless you’re meeting up with someone and the point is to reconnect.
• Buy local groceries. From the farmers’ market, from your CSA, or even just in the produce section, seek out local things. I’m lucky enough to be living on the set of Portlandia so I’m able to buy local meat and fish at the store, with remarkable consistency. Local food is cheaper because they don’t have to add shipping costs to their per-pound price. It tastes better because it doesn’t have to be frozen in order to get to your table fresh. The extreme version, I suppose, is an urban garden and a vegan lifestyle. “I only eat things that came out of my yard.”
• Make your own soap. Or other things, I suppose. I had an adventure in DIY hand soap as well as DIY drinking vinegars. I might try laundry detergent next.
• Clean with vinegar and baking soda. It works very well, and it’s much cheaper and better for you than the chemical stuff. Cheaper than the fancy organic stuff too.
• Buy (a lot) less house than the mortgage guy says you can afford. My very close friends bought a house last summer. They were pre-approved for… let’s just say a lot. They make good money, they’re successful, and the formula said they could afford close to triple the price they ended up paying when they bought their house. This is a brilliant strategy (both by the lenders and my friends, but I’m talking about my friends). They can save more aggressively, they can go on more or fancier vacations, or one of them can duck out of the rat race for a while. My friends have more options because less of their money is tied to a mortgage.
• Start your own frugal traditions with friends. One of my favorite things on the planet is family dinner, which you can read about or just know that it’s where you choose your friend family or families and alternate making dinner for each other. It is the bee’s knees, and always the highlight of my week. Always. It makes cooking more fun, and I’m very rarely cooking for one, which is helpful, since I tend to think I need to make enough for six, even when it’s just me and the upstairs dog. Thank goodness for Tupperware. (What’s the non-branded term for that? Reusable, washable containers for your food?)
• Let others know you’re interested in their hand-me-downs. This can be tricky, since some people have too much pride associated with accepting or giving used things. I make it known loud and clear (especially to the friends that are my size!) that I am happy to receive their castaways when they upgrade things or combine housese. My friends know that they can give things to me, and that I will pick through, choose the best things, and donate what I do not want.
• Get started with minimalism. The fact is, the less you have, the less you need. I am a minimalist, of sorts. I donate to Goodwill every other week, I make sure that I’m wearing everything that takes up valuable space in my closet, I go through my kitchen drawers at least twice a year, but it’s not extreme. I have more than one pair of pants. More than four pairs of shoes. At least two black dresses. There are people out there with far fewer things, so maybe the TV show can find them.
• Buy used cars. I’ve considered (many times) getting rid of my car altogether. But I don’t think I will. And now that I’m moving to a slightly less geographically convenient area (and I am a big wimp about biking when it’s disgusting outside) I will hold onto it. But I will never, ever buy a new car. In fact, I would very much like my 2005 Corolla to last another 10 or 15 years. Wish me luck!

That was our list. It works, but is it enough to get a TV appearance?

Frugal Activities that Might be Television Worthy

• Gross bathroom strategies. Including the “only flush for solids” rule and the “try not to use more than one square of bargain basement toilet paper” rule. Also included in this category: shower at the gym, wait until you’re at work to go to the bathroom, steal toilet paper from hotel rooms when you’re staying the night somewhere (I really do know someone who used to do that!), wash towels a lot less often, and maybe one or two more strategies.
• Duplicitous food choices. In college, I went to every single “free pizza” night for seniors. “Free pizza and let’s talk about teaching English in Korea!” I’m in. “Free pizza night to talk about Optometry school!” Didn’t take one biology class, but what time is pizza served? In that same vein, several years ago, one of my friends, in trying to go an entire week without buying groceries or spending money in restaurants, lined up first date after first date. By the end of the week, she’d had ten first dates, and didn’t have to buy a single lunch or dinner. Yes it was the week before payday, why do you ask? And, to be fair, she probably had to work really hard on those dates. I haven’t yet been on ten first dates but every time I meet someone new, it takes almost all the energy out of me. And to the best of my knowledge, she hasn’t done it since. But it’s good to know that she could if she wanted to.
• Dangerous food choices. Eating out of the dumpster. Eating food off someone else’s table. Eating mayonnaise past its expiration date. Drinking milk that failed the smell test. These are dangerous, and missing work because you ate poisoned food will not in fact save you money. All these strategies do are marginalize you from your friends.
• Acting like a jerk. We are all very lucky to have the friends we have. Let’s not be jerks to them, okay? Do not assume friends will take you out on their dime. Always offer to pay your fair share. If you’re striving to save money, then bring enough cash to cover your part plus tip. They ask you if you want to come to a concert with them? PAY FOR YOUR TICKET!

There’s no amount of money that can cover you if you ostracize yourself from your loved ones. Remember A Christmas Carol? That guy was the king of frugality. Fat lot of good that did him.

So, no. I don’t think I’m frugal enough for TV.

And here’s why:

In order to be on that channel, you have to be kind of messed up. I have a full, very rich life, and so that right there means I wouldn’t qualify. I surround myself with amazing people (at work, in my Portland circle, and more and more in my “holy crap I have honest-to-goodness friends all over the place!” circle), I do a lot of fun things, and yes, I save money where I can.

The post Frugal Tips for the Real World and for Television appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!

How About We Coupon Code (50% off!)

The nice folks at How About We contacted me the other day.

They saw my review, and let me know that yes, in fact, there is light density of potential dates in my area. However! Thousands of people are signing up every day!

Then they gave me a generous coupon code.

So, if you’d like to try this cool site, and you’re looking to save money, then a) we’re already friends, and b) use the code “cupcakes”.

Portland April (B)logger Happy Hour

When: Wednesday, April 17, 5:30 pm

Where: Bailey’s Taproom, 213 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon 97205

What it might look like:

Hopefully with different doofuses (doofi?) photo bombing.

How my mom will hear it: Click here for that gem.

Please come! I want everyone to be there, but I’ll settle for just the people who will be in town on Wednesday.

If you are here, and plan on joining us, please let me know! I have an event posted on Facebook and can “officially” invite you then.

The post How About We Coupon Code + Portland April (B)logger Happy Hour appeared first on Frugal Portland. Consider leaving a comment!