Frugality

We have saved quite a bit of money this year by taking advantage of Staples’ ink cartridge recycling program. Staples allows you to recycle up to 10 ink cartridges a month and receive $2 in Staples Rewards for each cartridge recycled. This gives us $20 a month in Staples Rewards to spend. So far this year we have used them to get a printer,router, toilet paper,paper towels, and lots of office supplies. By combining the monthly rewards with coupons,rebates, and the 1 cent back to school items we have been able to really stretch our rewards.

To get started recycling ink cartridges at Staples you need to sign up for their Staples Rewards program. It is a simple form and should only take a few minutes to complete. You also need cartridges to recycle. If you don’t have enough cartridges of your own to recycle you can buy cartridges for about 25 cents each on Ebay or Craigslist. That still leaves you with a nice profit on each cartridge. After recycling your cartridges you will receive your rewards online the following month. You can either redeem the rewards online or print them out and use them in the store.

There is a limit of one Staples Rewards account per household plus there a few items for which the rewards are not valid. Office Depot and Office Max also have ink cartridge recycling programs. Office Depot limits your rewards to the amount of what you spend in their store limiting the usefulness of their program for me. They do allow 20 cartridges a month to be recycled for rewards though which might make their program worthwhile for others. I don’t have any experience with Office Max because they have more restrictions on their ink recycling program and they don’t have any stores in my area.

Recycling ink cartridges with the Staples Rewards ink cartridge recycling program is an easy way to save money on office supplies and household items.

Last week my wife and I did a movie theater mystery shop that required me to basically be at the theater all day for 3 days.  Some theater patrons that I observed participated in dishonest and sometimes really gross behavior in order to save a few bucks.  I’m not talking about sneaking candy into the theater.  That behavior might be unethical but it is not stealing.

The gross behavior I observed was a man digging through the trash for a popcorn bucket and drink cup.  He then took them into the bathroom.  Presumably to clean them out.  He later returned with a full bucket of popcorn and full drink.  The reasonable assumption is that he took these items to the concession stand and got the free refills on both of them.  I’m all for saving a few bucks but I am not going to eat out of a container that has been in the trash.  That is just plain gross.  You don’t know what could have been put in there and you are not going to be able to get them clean in the bathroom.  Even if you could be sure that they were clean this isn’t something I would do because it is simply stealing.

We also observed people being let in a side door and sneaking into a movie.  This is another form of stealing.  In the  past I used to sometimes cross over to another movie after watching a movie for which I had a ticket.  I used to rationalize this behavior as frugal but that is one of my supposedly frugal behaviors I no longer indulge in because I have determined it to be wrong.

I doubt that the people who stole from the theater actually thought they were being frugal but just to be clear: stealing isn’t frugal.

 

I’m back from my trip which ending up costing me more than I planned. While on the trip my Sprint phone died on me. I had been looking at the LG Optimus V Prepaid Android Phone for Virgin Mobile for a while now and I decided to go ahead and get it. I don’t usually have any desire for electronic gadgets but I had been wanting this phone did appeal to me. I can somewhat rationalize the purchase since my plan with Virgin Mobile will only be about $27 a month with tax for unlimited text, data, nights and weekends and 300 anytime minutes and my plan with Sprint is just over $35 a month. With the slightly over $8 a month savings I’ll break even on my purchase in 21 months. It will actually be a little less than that since I did make my purchase through Mr. Rebates which will give me 1% cash back and I should get another 1% cash back from my Discover credit card. I’m also hoping I can sell my old phone for a little cash.

I haven’t done much with the phone yet so I am hoping that it works as well as I think it will. The setup process was a little messed up and I see three pending charges in my debit card account for the setup when there should only be one. I’m guessing the other two will go away and only one will be completed but I’m keeping my eye on the account in the meantime. If you have a more expensive phone plan than making this switch would be easier to justify.

I included a link to the Amazon page selling this phone but I bought mine through Best Buy which I think offers a better price right now. Make sure you shop around because the prices for this phone vary quite a bit.

The following is a guest post.

One of the first things you realize when you become is engaged is that it can be quite expensive to plan a wedding. You want to save money where you can, and that means some careful planning. The good news is there are plenty of ways that a newly engaged couple can save money.

Here are eight things you can do to save money for and on the wedding:

1. Combine Expenses

Go through your expenses together, and decide what can be combined. This doesn’t mean that you have to combine bank accounts, but it is good practice for when you have to share expenses. If you can find a way to combine some of your expenses, such as phone service, netflix accounts, or insurance, you can save money. Family plans, offered by cell phone companies, tend to save customers lots of money through an umbrella account. Instead of paying for one person to have unlimited text, it’s two for one.

2. Make Dinner Together

Even if you aren’t living together yet, you can still make dinner together. This saves money, since going out to eat consistently can add up quickly, and it is a fun thing to accomplish as a team. Plan some meals, and then cook together. It can be much more enjoyable than going out.

3. Look for an “Alternative” Ring

There is no reason to get diamonds, just because it’s the traditional option. My sister-in-law has a sapphire engagement/wedding ring, and my ring has emeralds in the band, rather than diamonds. You can get a piece of jewelry that makes a unique statement when you consider pearl, topaz, emerald, sapphire, and ruby rings, instead of diamonds.

4. Go Out During the Afternoon

If you still like to go out on occasion, go during the afternoon. Matinée movies are cheaper than evening movies. Lunch at a restaurant costs less than dinner. Another bonus: You often see fewer crowds at lunch and a matinee.

5. Create “Green” Wedding Invitations

More and more people are sending email invitations to their weddings, and setting up RSVP websites. This is a great way to save money, and, better yet, you can position it as a green decision. You save money on printing, and you save the earth.

6. Wedding on a Weekday

The most important people in your lives will take time off work to come see you married. For the others…well, a smaller wedding means smaller costs. A week-day wedding usually means lower prices at the venue, as well as lower hotel rates and less concern about booking conflicts.

7. Wedding Contributions as Gifts

My mother’s friend did our wedding cake as our gift. So we didn’t have to pay for a beautiful, professional, and ultimately, expensive cake. Let it be known, tactfully, that you are happy for your talented friends and relatives to contribute in lieu of gifts. It will save you money, and get everyone involved in the celebration.

8. Order Food that is in Season

This can reinforce your “green” wedding preference, and it means less expensive food. Focus on items that are in season, or that are locally produced. You won’t have to pay for long-distance shipping of other items. This is a fairly simple way to save money.

In the end, with a little creativity, it is possible for a new engaged couple to save money on living expenses and on the wedding. Your wedding should be a celebration of your love, not a wake for your savings account.

Here is a breakdown of my income for February.

Online Income	$626.28
Interest	$22.77
Stock Dividends	$12.95
Mystery Shops	$117.20
Survey/Cashback	$47.53
Job	$124.40
Total	$951.13

My income was lower in February than I prefer although it is nice to see most of the income is alternative income and passive income.  It isn’t good to have a month where your expenses were higher than your income.  I’ll make more money than I spend this month because I will be receiving my medical study payment.  It isn’t surprising my income was down in February because I didn’t do much to make money.  I need to put some work into increasing my passive income and alternative income.