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stooping to the tricks

July 22nd, 2008 at 06:08 am

Saving log - $1 tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + $8 lunch

The shorts I bought yesterday didn't fit, so I returned them. Their sizing fooled me. I did manage to find another pair of shorts that did fit. So I recouped $19.

I had a hair more than 100K in my community bank account. I trimmed that down to under 99K and put the proceeds into ING. Just didn't want someone to say, "why didn't you keep it under the limit?"

Found an interesting article in the paper today.

Text is http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008063100_consumers210.html and Link is
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008063100...

First of all: this isn't particularly bad yet. And I haven't really noticed all that much frugality out and about. I see folks afraid but still driving around. I still see very few pedestrians, few bicyclists, and now its again easier to get a seat on the bus. I hear more complaints, but little clever thinking. I see a bit more fear - concentrated if you have lost your job or your house - but the fear feels spread out and low grade from the average person. Kind of like "nothing to see here, move along.."

I'd like to think that a new wave of permanent frugality is at hand, but right now everyone appears to be hoping against hope that they won't have to stoop to the tricks.

Speaking of tricks - my PDA off/on button now refuses to work. I thought about replacing it, but DH taught me that the all the buttons turn on the PDA. The sneaky way of using what you already have. Turning the PDA is a bit more problematic, because none of those buttons turn things off. You have to set the automatic shutoff to 30 seconds or a minute and let it shutoff by itself. Better to teach myself a little laziness than spend on a new PDA.

9 Responses to “stooping to the tricks”

  1. PauletteGoddard Says:
    1216704298

    "I still see very few pedestrians, few bicyclists"

    No one's that frugal where they want to risk their life against 'speshully entitled' drivers running red lights and veering through gas stations and zooming past stop signs. Although I admit I have not yet been hit as a pedestrian, even though I have been struck three times as a car passenger, scooter rider, and a car driver in the last nine months. Believe me when I tell you the bad drivers can still afford gas.

    How much do we have to save to be frugal? 50% of post-tax income? Do we have to spend 80% of what the median household would spend? Were Americans frugal when they saved 10% of their income back in 1968? Or was the mark of frugality saving 25% of what they earned back in the Great Depression?

  2. baselle Says:
    1216706398

    I believe you when you tell me that bad drivers can still afford gas - frankly there will be a stage when the nutballs are the only ones who will buy gas and take it out on the rest of us.

    Good questions. These days, when apparently the average household saves the freakishly low amount of about $400/yr, anything over that is frugal. The bar is plenty low, and most 'Mericans can't jump even that.

    Nearly every frugality example I read about in the MSM is really not about actually saving money - its about displacing discretionary spending. Macy's shoppers now go to Target and Wal-Mart; Wal-Mart shoppers go to Goodwill; everybody shops online instead of hitting the mall.

  3. PauletteGoddard Says:
    1216737157

    I noticed that. The 'how to survive a recession' tips: "buy store brands", "buy in bulk," "carpool," and "turn down the thermostat three degrees lower" If my spending is supposed to be equal to or lower than last year's from doing those three things, then I say I'm not in a recession.

  4. kashi Says:
    1216739335

    Hey! I'm coming to Seattle in a few weeks! Any tips on what to see/do/eat? Do you have a Top 10 Must Do in Seattle list somewhere on this blog? Smile Feel free to email me.

  5. Broken Arrow Says:
    1216742075

    Is it bad that the first and second thing I thought of when I saw "shorts" was shorting stocks? Big Grin

    As for PDAs, I'm looking into ways of possibly weaning off of PDAs completely. I'm not sure if I can and I do love my PDA. However, if I can do that, it'd save me from ever having to buy another one....

  6. baselle Says:
    1216758261

    kashi - good to hear from you! Don't know if I have a top 10 list, but if you let me know what you are interested in, I can give you a few cheap ideas. I'll email ya.

    ba - love my PDA. And it saves me a ton of paper and purse space. If I only can quit my Spider solitaire addiction, I know I could have made that on/off button last a bit longer. Smile and yeah, I'm "taking it in the shorts."

  7. MileHightGirl Says:
    1216758604

    The price of rising gas and food while uncomfortable mostly affects people who are struggling to begin with. The rest of the new behavior must be because of the media hype.

    I thought most people's budgets could spare an extra $200/300 a month for more expensive milk and gas without making them go into a panic. Turns out there are many people earning a good living who are living paycheck to paycheck who are affected just as much as those living near the poverty line. For them it's a needed lesson in budgeting. If the result of all this hype is a general public who consumes less and saves more, well then I guess it's a good thing Smile

  8. Mel Says:
    1216789749

    Just a little food for thought or your next entry -- if you were on the receiving end of a settlement for an injury, would you take the lump sum at once (tax free but any interest would be taxable) or go for a structured settlement, 20 years of guaranteed tax free payments?

  9. princessperky Says:
    1216830139

    I just read a ton of indistructable articles on the poor mans PDA..all sorts of ways to organize what is essentially a pocket notebook (the old kind with a pen and paper)

    So if you want to go the wean out route, you might find it useful. THough Isorry don't have the link.

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