Frugality

The Crazy Cost of Health Care

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Stethoscope & ophthalmoscope
photo credit: a.drian

The cost of health care seems crazy. I had some lab work done last month and for one lab test I was charged $110. My insurance company decided that a fair amount for this test was $7. My total bill of over $450 was reduced to a total of $50.50. If I wouldn’t have had health insurance I would have been ripped off. This experience makes me wonder if the lab seriously overcharging at $110 or the insurance company is seriously underpaying at $7 or both.

I think that something needs to be done to better the nation’s health care system. I’m not necessarily advocating a nationalized health insurance plan. There would be plenty of drawbacks to such a system. I’m not sure what the answer is. For now, I just plan to keep my health insurance,check out my health care costs ahead of time as much as possible, take better care of myself, and hope for the best. With luck this will keep my health care costs from getting too crazy.

I’m Doing It! Buying a Small House or Van

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Little House
Little House

It has been my dream to buy a small house or a van to live in for quite some time. I’ve never done it though because the circumstances weren’t quite right. Well, sometimes the circumstances were right but I came up with some other excuse because I was afraid to actually take this step.

I’ve decided it is time to actually do this. I’m interested in the house in the picture. It is currently for sale for $15,000 but is already under contract. If the buyers back out I plan to buy it if it doesn’t have any major problems. The house is rather small at 504 sq. ft. and has 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. That will be big enough for me.

If I can’t buy this house or find a similar deal than I’m going to go ahead and buy a van to live in. This would be a lot cheaper upfront although probably more expensive in the long run. The real estate agent is going to let me know in a couple of weeks if the house becomes available again. In the meantime I’m perusing the real estate listings and vans for sale to find another deal. My goal is to have a house or a van purchased by the end of next month.

Frugality and Weight Loss

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scaled perspective
photo credit: billaday

Many bloggers like to compare personal finance and weight loss. It is an easy analogy to make. Both usually involve setting a goal and working toward it. There are fairly simple rules you have to follow to be successful (spend less than you earn, eat fewer calories than you burn) but yet success can be difficult. Following a strict budget is similar to following a strict diet. Both require a measure of self-discipline. It seems that if you are successful at one you should be successful at the other. This isn’t always the case. I have my personal finances under control but am still struggling to lose weight.

I’m not sure why this is. It might be because it is easy for me to not spend money as I don’t have a strong desire to spend money on most things. I do have a strong desire to eat junk food though. This is hard for me to overcome but I think I might be making some progress. I haven’t eaten fast food or bought any junk food so far this month other than my free Mcdonalds. Of course, it is only the eighth day of the month so this isn’t much of an accomplishment but it is better than usual and I feel that I will be able to forego eating junk food this month. What is working now is just thinking of the negative consequences of eating the junk food. This still seems like deprivation though. I want to get in the mindset where eating healthy is its own reward and something I look forward to. I don’t really get excited about eating healthy foods. If you have any ideas on how to change this mindset I would like to hear them.

Keeping Cool Without A/C

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Warm March Day
photo credit: fauxto_digit

We like to put off turning on the A/C for summer as long as possible. We haven’t turned it on yet this year although we may end it up doing so tonight since it isn’t going to cool off much overnight. Anyway, here are a few strategies we use to keep cool without using the air conditioner.

Use Fans- We have a fan that fits in the window in our bedroom that moves a lot of air. We also have several ceiling fans that help us feel cooler. I think it is important to note here that fans do not cool the air. When they are blowing on you they make you feel several degrees cooler but they do not actually cool the air. Therefore, if you are not in the room where the fan is blowing you are wasting electricity by having it on. The obvious exception to this is when the fan is blowing cooler air from outside or elsewhere.

Avoid Creating Heat – Try not to use the oven, clothes dryer, or dishwasher when it is hot. It is also helpful to take your shower or do any other activity that creates heat during the cooler morning hours if possible. Keep the curtains closed on windows that let in direct sunlight.

Drink Lots of Ice Water – Drinking ice water or other cool beverages will cool you off and keep you hydrated. I drink lots of ice water in the summer and the rest of the year as well.

One more tip is to stay in the basement where it is naturally cooler. I hang out there most of the day anyway since that is where the computer is. 🙂

There are many more strategies to help keep cool but I think these are the most beneficial.

Garage Sales and Thrift Stores

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Shopping at thrift stores is an often recommended piece of advice for those who are looking to save money. I don’t often shop at thrift stores since most of them I’ve encountered are dirty, poorly-organized, and the prices aren’t much cheaper than what I’d find on the clearance rack at a discount store. I did recently happen to find a thrift store to my liking though. I’ve been needing some hiking shorts and decided to check out a nearby thrift store while my GF was shopping. I was hopeful when I walked in because the store was clean and the stock was well presented. After checking the prices I knew I had finally found a decent thrift store. I was able to find two pairs of like-new hiking shorts priced at $2.30 each. The store was having a 50% off sale so I ended up getting both pairs for that price. This was much cheaper than I would have paid for these new and exactly what I needed.

As good as deal as the thrift store is it still doesn’t have prices as cheap as many garage sales. The drawback to shopping at garage sales is that it can be difficult to find what you want. Shopping at a community garage sale makes it much more likely you will find what you want. I went to a community-wide garage sale this weekend and there were over a hundred different garage sales. I didn’t really need anything and just bought a few books for 25 cents each. That may not have been a savings since I usually just get books for free from the library. Some of the books, like the two Calvin and Hobbes collections, are ones I will want to read again though. If I had been looking for something specific I had my mom and several aunts and cousins there shopping so they probably would have found it.