Monthly Archives: February 2010

5 Frugal Deals You Can Find in March

February 25, 2010
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(Here is the text version of the tips I offered earlier this week on the 10! Show.)

The best way to live frugally is to stock up on stuff when it’s one sale. And in March you’ll find deals on lots of things worth buying, if not stocking up on. Here are the five frugal deals you can find next month.

1. Winter gear like skis
Regular stores will be marking down the winter sports gear but if you head to a shop like Play It Again Sports, where I got my cross-country skis, you’ll pay even less. Even on sale cross-country skis at a regular retailer cost more than $200. I got mine for less than $100.

2. Winter clothing and coats
Even though we’re sick of the snow and can’t wait for warmer weather, now is the time to stock up on winter clothing and coats for next year. I just got a great deal on long-sleeved shirts from the Gap, and retailers like Lands’ End have marked nearly everything down for winter. Teens and tweens can stock up cold-weather fashions at stores like Plato’s Closet.

3. Small consumer electronics
Black Friday is a long way off so stores often run March deals as a way to get people to buy electronics. If you are in the market for a new printer, you can bring your old printer in for free recycling at Staples and the store will give you $50 off the purchase of a new printer costing more than $199. You can also get a great deal on an external hard drive from iosafe.com. This device, which is Mythbusters-proof, normally retails for $399. In March you can get it at Costco for $249.

4. Crafting supplies
March is National Craft Month, meaning that people who like to quilt, knit and scrapbook are going to find lots of sales and promotions at local craft stores. One example is at AC Moore, which will have jewelry supplies on special.

5. TVs and Entertainment
Now that the Consumer Electronics Show is over, manufacturers have started rolling out their 2010 “models” of TVs. And stores need to make room for them. That’s why you’ll find huge markdown deals on TVs in March, such as Samsung TVs at World Wide Stereo. You’ll find savings of $300 to $1300 on flat screen TVs there. You’ll also find deals on home entertainment systems, such as the Chordette Gem, a transmitter of sorts that lets you play your Bluetooth-enabled iPhone or iPod Touch in any room of the house. At Hifi House during March, you’ll get $100 off.

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Want To Be In My New Book?

February 25, 2010
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I’m looking to do mini profiles of real-life people who have made money from their junk or got cash for their clutter–as you know, the topic of my next book. I’d love to hear how you cashed in on the stuff you had cluttering up your living room, dining room, kitchen, garage, basement, bedroom, home office and more.

It’s OK if you only made a few bucks from your stuff–I’d just like to talk to you about *how* you made that happen.

Please email me at leah dot ingram AT comcast dot net, and we can set up a time to talk. Feel free to forward this information to others you know who may fit the cash-for-trash profile!

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Frugal Findings from Suddenly Frugal on the 10! Show

February 24, 2010
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I did my third appearance in two months on the “10! Show” on NBC 10 in Philadelphia today. In this segment I show viewers where they can find steals and deals in March. Tomorrow, I’ll post the text version of my tips, with more details and links to some of the retailers I mentioned.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video.

If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of my book Suddenly Frugal, you can use the image link below.

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Results of Cash for Clutter Survey

February 24, 2010
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Thanks once again to all of the Suddenly Frugal readers who took the Cash for Clutter survey. To remind you this is the topic of my next book. It was interesting to discover how in line this book is with what interests you, my readers. Here are some results highlights from the survey.

For starters, 92% of survey takers have sold their clutter for cash. Many of the people who took this survey use more than one selling method and they have sold many different kinds of items.

When selling stuff, people use the following methods:

  • 74% hold yard sales
  • 51% use Craigslist to sell stuff
  • 48% rely on eBay
  • 40% take their castoffs to a consignment or resale shop
  • 20% find other ways to make money from their stuff, ranging from classified ads to neighborhood listserves to Amazon’s Marketplace to local flea markets.

When trying to get cash from things they no longer need, here’s what people are selling the most often:

  • Books (77%)
  • Clothing (72%)
  • Furniture (71%)
  • Games and toys (61%)
  • Appliances (35%)
  • Jewelry and accessories and jewelry (33% each)
  • Other “stuff”, including sporting equipment, collectibles and electronics (38%)

People do fairly well in selling their stuff, in that most make a couple hundred dollars from items they might have just thrown out! Of those items, here’s what sells the best:

  • Furniture (43%)
  • Clothing (19%)

One person added a comment that she’s made nearly $3,000 from selling her furniture. Wow!

People reported that while they sold books often (77% of the time, as mentioned above), they didn’t make much money off of them. This is why I’m including a chapter in this forthcoming book about how you can “make” more money swapping old books for new ones. The same can be said for movies and music. One person I interviewed for the book was able to get $4,000 worth of movies and books for free.

I loved doing this survey and reading people’s responses. Many of you also made suggestions for topics you’d like to see me cover in future blog postings, and I am thinking about how and when I can cover them all.

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Suddenly Frugal on 6ABC

February 23, 2010
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6ABC, the ABC affiliate in Philadelphia, broadcast a segment yesterday featuring Suddenly Frugal and my tips for planning a vacation on a budget. You can watch that segment here:

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Free Pancakes at IHOP Today

February 23, 2010
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Today is National Pancakes Day, and IHOP is offering free pancakes to its customers. (I’m getting hungry just writing this post!) From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. you’ll get a free short stack of pancakes. Yum! Wish I lived near an IHOP…

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Cooking Without a Kitchen: George Foreman Grill

February 23, 2010
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Though the George Foreman Grill was first introduced as a, well, indoor grill, I rarely use it that way–though now that the outside grill has crashed and burned, that may all change.

But having this countertop appliance has been wonderful during this period of cooking with out a kitchen. Because my George Foreman Grill came with 5 Plates, I can use it to do everything from grill meat to make omelets to cook up waffles. But I think my favorite use for it has been to make grilled cheese.

You’d think that without a stove or a griddle, it would be impossible to make grilled cheese. But this handy contraption not only makes grilled cheese that my kids are always asking for seconds for, but it does it in, like, three minutes. This is a quick, easy and cheap dinner for us.

If you’d like to try your hand at making grilled cheese this way, you’ll need the “steak grill” plate on the top and the “bake” plate on the bottom.

Heat up the grill until it’s ready to go, and then you simply make grilled cheeses like you would in a traditional pan.

Place slices of cheese between bread, put a pat of butter on each side of the sandwich, then place in the George Foreman grill and close the top.

About a minute later, flip the sandwich so you can get nice “grill” marks on both sides of the sandwich.

In less than three minutes, dinner is ready.

With regular-sized, square pieces of bread, I find that I can make three grilled cheese sandwiches at once.

Do you have a George Foreman grill and, if so, how do you best use it?

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Update on Cash for Clutter Survey

February 22, 2010
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Thank you to the hundreds of people who took my Cash for Clutter survey. I’m analyzing the data now and will post the results later this week.

While you can still “take” the survey, Survey Monkey isn’t recording any additional responses at this time. I haven’t figured out a way to “close” the survey without losing the stats. Someone on Twitter suggested that I try Survey Gizmo the next time I need to hold a survey. I think I might.

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4 Suggestions for Avoiding a Job Scam

February 21, 2010
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One of the products of our down economy is this: job scams are on the rise. With people more desperate than ever to find employment, they are more likely to fall for a promise of a job–even if there’s a price tag attached. That’s why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has come up with these four suggestions for avoiding a job scam:

  1. Don’t pay money for the promise of a job.
  2. Federal government jobs and jobs with the U.S. Postal Service do not have any fees associated with any application or job inquiry.
  3. Be very skeptical of anyone who asks for money in exchange for a so-called “opportunity” to work from home.
  4. Before paying money, check out the business with the Better Business Bureau.

If you think someone has scammed you, report the fraud to the FTC.

Here’s a video that’s worth watching, too, especially if you don’t want to become a job-scam victim

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Freebie Friday (February 19-25, 2010)

February 19, 2010
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Free food for you this Freebie Friday!

Free Food!

Complimentary Concert

  • Students from the Merit School of Music in Chicago will be giving free concerts on February 19th and February 20th in the West Loop. This year’s 29th annual Performathon is at the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center, 38 S. Peoria St., just west of Greektown, and will feature close to 100 different performances and events.
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Doggie Dental Care on a Budget

February 17, 2010
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My dog Buffy!

I got a press release yesterday, encouraging me to practice good hygiene–on my dog.

You see, February is National Dental Health Month. (Actually, according to the American Dental Association, it’s National Children’s Dental Health Month.) It seems that some canine-oriented companies have jumped on the dental bandwagon.

Now as a human I understand the value of good dental hygiene: I brush twice a day, floss nightly, and rinse with Listerine to kill any bacteria–not only because this is important for my teeth but because there is a possible link between dental plaque and the kind of plaque that causes heart disease.

But my dog? I’m sure as heck not going to try to floss my dog’s teeth, and I’ve never considered brushing them (though I know that some dog owners use meat-flavored tooth paste to get the job done). Instead, the dog has more Nylabones lying around the house than my kids have toys, because Nylabones are supposed to get rid of the tartar on doggie teeth. Sure, they’re not cheap (about $5 a bone at PetSmart) but they last for years. We also feed him hard food and give him hard treats. I remember my vet telling me that this is best for the dog’s teeth.

Now here’s what gets me: this press release suggested that if I’m not taking my dog in for annual teeth cleanings at the vet, I should try giving him their product instead. First of all, I am intrigued by the product–Pedigree Dentastix and I found a $1 off coupon on the Pedigree site so I can try it out. But does Pedigree understand what a doggie dental cleaning entails? Putting your dog under. Not only is that potentially dangerous but it’s expensive, too.

While we humans can open up and get our teeth cleaned, in order to clean a dog’s teeth, the dog needs general anesthesia. The only time the vet has cleaned my dog’s teeth was last year, when the dog needed surgery for something unrelated. The bill, with the teeth cleaning, was hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Not only do I not have pet insurance to cover things like surgery, I don’t have pet dental insurance either. (I also don’t have human dental insurance at the moment either but that’s fodder for another blog post in the future.)

So where does that leave me? Pursuing doggie dental care on what I consider to be a reasonable budget of Nylabones, dry food and hard treats. And maybe those Pedigree Dentastix if the dog likes them.

What about you?

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Cash for Clutter Survey

February 17, 2010
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I’ve created a survey on Survey Monkey to gather your thoughts on the topic of my new book–getting cash for your clutter.

Click here to take my cash for clutter survey.

Thanks in advance for your help. I value your input.

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5 More Money-Savers for a Vacation

February 16, 2010
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Most people assume that when they go away they have to stay in hotels and eat out all the time. Not so. Coming on the heels of my recent piece “7 Money-Savers for Your Next Vacation,” I thought you’d all appreciate these 5 additional money-saving tips for those planning a vacation–maybe Spring Break? These mostly focus on looking into vacation rentals as opposed to traditional hotels.

  1. Keep baggage fees to a minimum by packing light. Remember, most vacation rentals come equipped with washers and dryers, and vacation rental managers often provide free laundry detergent and bath amenities. Travelers may choose to use these perks to pack less, avoiding airlines’ baggage fees and restrictions. If packing light isn’t an option, at least see if shipping your stuff ahead of time via UPS or FedEx makes more sense financially then paying those airline fees!
  2. Use space to your advantage. Vacation homes and condos can be from 400 to more than 10,000 sq. ft., often costing less than a single hotel room. Rates for some three-bedroom vacation rentals may start at just $69 per night, but sleep up to eight guests versus a few. Plan to travel with another family or two, and you’ll cut your rental costs to practically nothing! Plus, if you’ve got kids–and so do the people you’re traveling with–instant playdates!
  3. Save on Dining Out. With full kitchens, and sometimes, outdoor grills, travelers can make and store meals and snacks for less. Sometimes even motel-like properties have full kitchens that you can use. I know that every June when we got to the Jersey Shore, we stay in a traditional beachfront motel with a full kitchen, and save money big time by at least making breakfast and lunch “in house.”
  4. Entertain for Free. Most vacation homes, villa rentals and condos include amenities not found in hotels, some with private swimming pools, whirlpool spas, game rooms, fireplaces, DVD players, Internet access and free movie and video game rentals when booking some professionally managed vacation rentals. Many are in communities with access to fitness centers, hiking trails, parks, beaches and more. Basically, you can do all the fun stuff you like to do on vacation without spending extra money in the process!
  5. Go slightly off season. Going to the beach in January is no fun but booking in June versus July can offer additional savings. Using our Jersey Shore example again, by going two weeks earlier this year than last, we’ll save $100 per night on our room. (Jersey Shore expert Jen Miller offered this advice in an earlier blog post right here.)
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10 Most Recycled Items in 2009–Actually Searched-For Recyclables

February 15, 2010
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[ADDENDUM: It dawned on me after I posted this--and after people commented on the post--that this information must be skewed somehow. How is it possible that paper and plastic aren't in the top 10? Well, that's because they are picked up curbside AND because this report was about most searched items for recycling, not the most recycled items. So my apologies if the information below was misleading.]

Earth 911 recently came out with a report about the 10 most frequently recycled items in 2009. I have to say that the list doesn’t surprise me, except for the fact that paper is nowhere on this list. What’s up with that?

Here are those top 10 items. When available, I’ve also included information on how you can make money on recycling those goods or more information on where to go to recycle them. When it doubt use the Earth 911 website:

1.      Computers (see if office supply stores like Office Max or Staples are offering money off the purchase of a new computer if you bring your old one in to be recycled. In absence of that at least find out if, when you buy a new computer, the store/company will recycle your old one for free as Dell does.)
2.      Batteries (you can recycle cell phone batteries via drop boxes in Verizon stores)
3.      Televisions (as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, you may be able to qualify for a tax rebate when buying an energy-efficient TV. Check this Energy Star website to locate rebates in your state.)
4.      Paint
5.      Aluminum Cans
6.      Used Motor Oil
7.      CFLs (I know stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s take these for free for recycling. Too bad they don’t offer you a coupon, too.)
8.      Glass
9.      Fluorescent Lamps
10.    Christmas Trees

Interestingly that same report include the 10 states that were most active in recycling. Glad to see that my state, Pennsylvania, is on the list. Here it is in full:

1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. Illinois
5. Florida
6. Pennsylvania
7. Georgia
8. Ohio
9. Michigan
10. Virginia

Given this information what do you think needs to happen to get more people to recycle and to recycle more? I’m thinking that financial incentives, like those that Recyclebank offers, is the way to go. (Full disclosure: I have an agreement with Recyclebank that allows the company to reprint my blog postings on their website. I do not receive any money for this, though.)

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Suddenly Frugal in USA Weekend

February 12, 2010
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Pick up a copy of USA Weekend this Sunday, February 14th for a story on three money-savings secrets, with advice from yours truly. Notice the red LL Bean backpack pictured in the piece. While that is not the actual red backpack I took to college many years ago, it was a red LL Bean backpack that got me through those four years, plus many afterward.

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Freebie Friday (February 12-18, 2010)

February 12, 2010
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I’m happy to include some Valentine’s Day freebies in this edition of Freebie Friday. Sure, it’s nice to get a gift from a loved one on Valentine’s Day (which is obviously free) but if you can pick up some free stuff for yourself, well, that’s even better.

Valentine’s Day Freebies

Miscellaneous Freebies

Kids Eat Free

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Valentine’s Day Deals: Free-Trade Flowers from Whole Foods

February 10, 2010
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Roses are the preferred flower choice for Valentine’s Day, and florists know it. No wonder roses are often the most expensive all year during the days and weeks around Valentine’s Day. But this year, if you’re giving someone special flowers–one of the top gift choices according to the National Retail Federation–I can offer you a green option that will save you green.

Through February 14th (this Sunday, people) Whole Foods Market is spreading the love with a dozen fair-trade, long stem roses for just $12.99. Or you could get a Double Dozen, 24 long-stem roses for just $19.99.

Those are the double-dozen bouquets (above), which Whole Foods’ PR agency sent for me to talk about on my now-canceled “10! Show” appearance. I plan to give them away to my elderly neighbors who could probably use some cheering up during our snowstorm!

I realize that these free-trade flowers traveled quite a distance to get to your local Whole Foods, but take a look at Whole Foods Whole-Trade policy to realize the good things the company is doing to support the local communities that grow these flowers.

Bottom line: about a buck a bloom for roses is a great deal for Valentine’s Day. The fact that they’re picked in a fair-trade environment is a bonus!

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Valentine’s Day Deals

February 9, 2010
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I was supposed to do a frugal Valentine’s Day ideas segment for “The 10! Show” tomorrow, based on the latest National Retail Federation research that said that Valentine’s Day spending would be down this year. That is, while loved ones would still be buying each other gifts, they would be spending less overall and choosing practical, affordable gifts over the extravagant ones.

According to this NRF research, instead of jewelry and dinners out, these gifts are going to top frugal Valentine’s Day lists this year:

  • sweaters, winter accessories and other clothing options
  • greeting cards
  • candy
  • flowers

Additionally, most people were going to be doing their shopping in discount stores instead of traditional department stores.

Based on all of this, I’d been gathering information and product samples from PR agencies and companies that have deals worth mentioning. Unfortunately, the incoming Nor’easter here in the Mid-Atlantic, during which we’re supposed to get up to two feet of snow, will make it impossible for me to safely get to the NBC10 studios in time. So my segment is canceled, and I will be return all the product that I can return to the companies that sent it to me for free.

In the meantime I was thinking: what am I going to do with all my great ideas? Blog about them, of course.

So for the next few days, I’m going to do a short blog posting on some of the items I would have talked about on camera but which I think the Suddenly Frugal readers will want to know about, too.

First up: affordable flowers!

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National Bagel Day Freebie

February 9, 2010
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To celebrate National Bagel Day, which is today, February 9, all fans of the Einstein Bros. Facebook page will have the opportunity to download a digital coupon for a free Einstein’s bagel with the purchase of a bagel. Coupons will be available to existing and new fans on February 9, 2010 only and are valid through February 16. Offer continues while supplies last and is valid only at participating Einstein Bros. Bagels locations.

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Cooking Without a Kitchen: My Trifecta (Not Trifle)

February 9, 2010
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For last night’s dinner I managed to have a trifecta of non-kitchen appliance use. Here’s what I did:

  • Cooked pork in the Crock-Pot. (It’s the salad-dressing recipe, which my husband announced he no longer likes. Great.)
  • Steamed broccoli in the rice cooker (yet another misnomer)
  • Baked potatoes on the grill

The only problem with this scenario? Our grill quite literally went down in flames last night. How do you know your grill is done for? When there are flames shooting out the back and the bottom falls out–still flaming. Thankfully we got 12 inches of snow this weekend so the fire got doused on contact. Unfortunately, the flames were also shooting around inside the grill, leaving us with potatoes that were quite toasty and burned–but still somewhat yummy.

I’ve got meatballs in the freezer that I think I’ll cook, with pasta, in the rice cooker for tomorrow’s dinner. With my grill out of commission, I have one less option for cooking meat.

This whole “cooking without a kitchen” has been an interesting experiment in being frugal–and not taking the easy way out and getting take out–but I must admit that the novelty has officially worn off.

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