Free Books!

I love books. In the past, I found great pleasure in browsing used book stores; however, I also spent a lot of money on books that I just didn't get around to reading. Now, I can get the pleasure from shopping for books without spending a penny.

 Amazon has a free PC version of Kindle. I downloaded it. Now as I browse through the collection, I sort by price. There are many free ebooks. I download a few of these ebooks daily. I have learned a great deal from reading these books, but even if I don't get a chance to, I am not wasting any money.




Originally published in The Dollar Stretcher Tips.

How Frugal Living Makes Your Life Better

Many people associate frugality with deprivation. They assume that they'll suffer without the things they want and be miserable. I've found that the exact opposite is the case in my life. I'm what you'd call a "Black belt" frugalista, but I've found that my life is richer because of it. Here's some of the top ways that being frugal makes your life better.

1. Ability to work fewer hours. If you have lots of expenses and debts to repay, you have to make as much money as possible so you can pay everyone. If your debts are minimal or non-existent and your expenses low, you can chose to work fewer days or hours each week. This time can be used for hobbies, fixing up your house, reading, spending time with the kids, time with significant other or friends, or exercising.
2. Ability to retire early. If you keep your expenses low, but continue to earn a higher amount, you can bank that excess in a combination of retirement and other investment accounts. Once the balance is high enough, you can retire, and live off of your savings. You could actually retire while you're young enough to make the most of it.
3. Better health. The cheapest health care is preventative health care. Treating a heart attack is expensive. Preventing one through proper diet and exercise is cheap. Many frugal practices are great for your health. Perhaps you bike to work to save on gas and the cost of owning a car, but a side benefit is that you get a rocking workout twice a day five days a week. Or you want to save money on meat by eating more vegetarian meals, smaller portions of meat or stretching meat with TVP. This will lower your overall fat consumption and help to maintain weight and cholesterol levels. You can garden to save money on groceries, and the side benefit is that your kids get excited about eating vegetables because they grew them.
4. Higher quality time with loved ones. When you save money by going on a picnic instead of a movie date, you save money, but you also get to spend time talking and laughing. If you cut the cable, you can spend more time playing with your kids. I love it when my friends and I get together for cooking (see my post on my family's Apple Processing Day), foraging or crafting. It's much more fun than going to the mall.
5. You own you. Consumers are owned by their stuff. If you learn to want less, you own you. You can still get stuff (I'm still obsessed with books), but you are in control of them, not vice versa.
6. Freedom to switch jobs/careers. If you live a lifestyle that requires a high income, you are stuck in your job, or have a narrower pool of available job/career choices. If you have low expenses and a bank of frugal tips to fall back on, you can quit your job to take something that's a better fit, even if it pays less. If you regularly complain about how much you hate your job, or daydream often of owning your own business, frugality can free you to live your dream. 
7. Freedom from some tough choices. If your wants are in control of your life, you can have some tough decisions. What happens if your favorite band is releasing a CD right when rent is due and your bank balance is low. Do you buy the deluxe edition CD and hope the landlord is understanding? If you are frugal, you know that within a month the CD will be cheaper and eventually you can find it at thrift stores. Or you could check it out from the library. 
8. Option of having more or better. If you spend money as soon as you make it and don't practice frugal tactics, you're limited in options. If you have $25 for a book, that's all  you can buy new. If you have $25 for books, but shop at a thrift store, you can buy 5-10 for that price; a yard sale could yield 25-100 books for that price. If you are willing to buy clothes from the thrift store, you can nicer name brands or even designer apparel for the price of Wal-Mart clothes regular price.
9. Better food. When I was less frugal, I wasted money on fast food and junk food. It tasted like crap and cost me a lot. Now that I'm frugal, I get much better food. The money I used to spend on a fast food meal can make a pretty elaborate meal at home. I shop at farmer's markets and scoop up whatever is in season and cheap, and have thus discovered Jimmy Nardello peppers, dragon's tongue beans, and Sicilian eggplant. I've tried new recipes to use up garden surplus, bargain purchased goods, or trash (roasted squash seeds!). 
10. You get your life, not the Jones'es. When trapped in the consumer mindset, you have to have the latest gadgets, even if you don't use half of the features, the flashiest car even though you hate to drive, and a house in a fashionable neighborhood with impeccably fashionable landscaping and decorating. When you are frugal, you chose what is important to you and put your money towards that. If you want to have elaborate landscaping, you can do that, but if you'd rather live cheap and travel extensively, that's an option too. Your money is spent on what makes you happy.

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Not Buying It

I don’t shop on Black Friday (and definitely not on Gray Thursday). I like to save money, and I love to find a good deal, so why wouldn’t I love Black Friday?

Most of my purchasing is for things that I need, but I also do allow myself some things that are just wants. However, I do not buy things that I don’t really want. Black Friday and related days are about buying stuff that I’m supposed to want.

Most people buy things that they think they want, things they are told they need: fancy cell phones, flat screen TVs, and high-power blenders; 50 pairs of jeans, 100’s of T-shirts and even more shoes; New luggage, new computers, and new gaming systems; DVDs, name-brand sneakers and toaster ovens.

Do these things really make anyone happy? Has anyone ever gotten a high out of using their new blender? Do you watch all of your new movies and conclude that your life is awesome? Do you jump higher when wearing your new basketball shoes? Does your new cell phone really make you more connected? Do your family members enjoy those Christmas gifts so much that they are glad you skipped Thanksgiving dinner so you could go buy them?

Black Friday is a scam. Just like television commercials and programs that show us all of the wonderful, shiny, delightful things we just must have, Black Friday is about making us think that our lives will get better if we buy this stuff. Our food will taste better when prepared with power blenders and fancy coffee makers. Our friendships will be richer once we have an iPhone to chat with others. Our sex will be better if we wear the right underwear. We’ll finally feel rested if we cover our bed with the right high-thread count sheets.

Full-color sales ads are delivered to every house shouting out ridiculously low prices on great things. There are extremely low stocks of the “good stuff” for which people will wait in line for 12 hours, but that doesn’t stop the hunger for more goods. People trample each other, vying for the best position to get the newest gadgets. Fights break out. People die. Somehow we turn into more primitive versions of ourselves.

And at the end of the day, our cars are packed full of all these attempts at happiness. We drive home, unload the car and spend the evening alone in our house. Our only companions are silent; somehow they don’t seem quite as dazzling now as they did mere hours ago in the store. But never worry, soon the credit card bills will come in. The phone will ring off the hook as the collectors come calling.

Non-Shopping for the Recovering Consumer

I used to be a consumer. I liked to buy stuff. Good stuff. Stuff that made me happy. A lot of it. Especially books. My favorite thrift store used to sell books for $.10 apiece, and I would stop in every payday to spend a few dollars. Eventually, I realized that I had to get my spending under control, or be buried under a mountain of books.

When I go to a used bookstore just to browse (or while waiting for them to make an offer on my old books), I practice non-consumption. When I find a book that sounds interesting, I resist the urge to buy it. Instead, I take a photo of it with my bottom-of-the-line camera phone. Later I visit my library's website and put a hold on that book. I get to enjoy reading it and usually find that, while I enjoyed it, I don't need to own it. I get the pleasure of reading the book without paying a penny.

Sometimes I find the book so amazing that I know I'm going to come back to it again and again. In that case, it goes onto my wishlist on Paperbackswap. If after six month or so, I haven't received it from a fellow swapper, and it still sounds just as amazing as it did before, I might check out Amazon's Marketplace to buy it from an individual seller. Otherwise, I keep waiting for it to either become available at a good price, or I may find that I lose interest in owning it. However it works out, I always save money over just buying whatever books sound interesting as I shop.

I do the same thing with movies. I have a "Films to Watch" file on my computer. Whenever I see a trailer that looks good or hear of a new movie, I add it to the list. I then request these titles from the library. Some aren't available, but most are (I love my library). If I watch a library movie and find that it rocks my world, it goes on my Amazon wishlist or perhaps my birthday wishlist. I do the same thing for CDs.

Sometimes it's not a book or a movie that I want to try out, but an appliance or gadget. I will post a request on Freecycle and watch for listings from others. Sometimes I get items for free to try out. If Freecycle doesn't provide, I will start to keep an eye out at non-traditional outlets such as yard sales and thrift stores. Since I don't know how I'll take to the item, I don't want to spend big bucks purchasing it new.

If you are a recovering consumer, it can be hard to stop shopping cold turkey. Practicing non-shopping can not only keep you from making a purchase, but get you to think about why you want something, or even if you do.



For further reading, check out Penny Pinching Party, Frugal Tuesday. www.None.com

Spend-Free Challenges

How much did you spend last month? How much did you really need to spend? Most of us have a tendency to spend without thinking. We spend money on things we don't really want and then we have to work longer hours and don't get to attain our goals.

A great practice that I commonly participate in is Spending Free Months. For the entire month, I don't spend anything except for utilities and rent. No going out to eat. No groceries. No shopping. No gas except to commute if the weather is particularly nasty.

It takes some planning to pull this off. Before the month, I make sure I have food in the house, especially staples such as flour, sugar, cheese and milk. I fill in any obvious gaps (such as no pasta), but don't spend extra to stock up. I make sure I have refilled any prescriptions and filled the gas tank. In general, I make sure my basic needs are met. Also, in preparation, I may put a temporary hold on services such as Netflix, if possible.

Once the month begins, I plan meals around items in my pantry. It helps me to grow as a cook and I try lots of new recipes. I particularly like to use up any items that have been in the pantry for awhile. On a recent month-long challenge, I found a can of garbanzo beans that I had forgotten I had. I made hummus for dipping and veggie sandwiches. Once I roasted a 15 lb turkey that I had bought during the Thanksgiving sales for $7. That made for many sandwiches stir-fry, casseroles, omelets, wraps and a big pot of amazing turkey noodle soup.

I don't spend a penny on entertainment. I go to free concerts or movies in the park and free community theater productions. I go for bike rides and hikes. I have friends over for dinner or tea instead of meeting them out. I also look online for free fun in my city such as festivals and free days at local museums. I check the free local daily for any announcements of giveaways at restaurants (Once I found that a large coffee chain gave away free coffee if you bought a travel mug).

Since I am not spending time in stores, I have lots of time for frugal tasks. I darn socks and replace buttons. I harvest wild foods to supplement my pantry or to stockpile for winter. I work in my garden. I walk or bike to work when the weather is cooperative. I clip coupons and dumpster dive.

I visit the library often. I get lots of free entertainment. I check out a lot of good books and will pick a new skill to learn or subject to explore. I check out movies and documentaries. I check out CDs, and try a few new bands each time. I can also read the newspaper or magazines. Some libraries have free concerts, lectures, movies or classes.

The benefits of these challenges are great. I save around $600 extra each month that I complete a challenge. In the next few months, I am more aware of my spending, and as a result, don't spend as much as I did beforehand. This enables me to save an extra $200 a month for a few months after. I learn what things mean a lot to me that I missed greatly (having coffee at my favorite locally owned coffee house) and which things I didn't miss at all (commuting by car).

By doing a challenge every 4-6 months, I keep my spending in check all year round. This helps me speed up my savings for big goals. When I am not up to a full-month challenge, I may take a week-long or weekend-long challenge. Since my days off are usually my biggest-spending days, taking a two-day challenge has a high yield for the duration.

By doing a challenge every 4-6 months, I keep my spending in check all year round. This helps me speed up my savings for big goals.

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Dumpster Diving Surprise

Last night I was digging around in a dumpster looking for some magazines to read. This particular bin is always filled with magazines and newspapers. I always find a few magazines that interest me and will later recycle them. 

This time I found an extra goody: a pair of Dockers pants in excellent condition.

 I looked them over and found no tears, no stains, no ripped hems, no fading and no frayed edges. I checked for the stains that announce bedbugs. They were perfect. I checked the tag. They were my size.

When I got home, I tried them on and they fit perfectly. Yay! I wash clothes immediately upon returning home in hot water to sanitize and get rid of any bugs that may have tagged along.

Even if the pants hadn't fit, they still would have been worth pulling from the dumpster. There is no need to allow good usable material to end up in the landfill.

First since they were in such awesome condition, I could have taken them to a consignment shop to try to make a couple bucks. One of my friends dumpster dives in nicer neighborhoods and sells any clothes or accessories she can't use to a consignment shop.

I could also ask my sisters or a couple friends if they wanted them. One of my sisters is still wearing a great leather jacket I pulled out of a dumpster in Edgewater a few years ago.

There was a thrift store a couple blocks away, and I could have just dropped the pants off. Someone would have loved them and the thrift store would have made a few extra dollars for a good cause.

I also will sometimes take clothes that aren't in pristine condition. There is still the possibility of altering an item (cutting off the bottoms of ragged-bottom jeans to make jean shorts), using the items for chores/painting/gardening or to use for crafting (unraveling a sweater for the yarn or cutting denim quilting squares from old jeans).

Library Book Sales: Bag Day!

Today was the last day of my local library's quarterly book sale. That means: bag sale! You fill a bag with anything you want for $3. I always wait until the last day to go and I am never disappointed.

I first go through the entire sale looking for books that I definitely want to read and each time I find an item that is on my wish list. Once I have found these items,  I carefully start packing my bags. I make sure to use every available square inch of space. I put big books in first, then slide thin books or mass markets into the sides. Once I have fit them all in, I look again for more books, this time picking up books that sound interesting, but might not necessarily want to keep. I fill the bag to the brim.

By careful packing, I can fit 40 books into a bag, for a price of  $.075 per book. At that rate, I can risk not liking a book. Worst case scenario, I can always list it on PaperBackSwap or resell it.

I also find great deals on Audio Visual items. The first day of the sale there are lots of DVDs, but those are usually gone by the time the end of the sale comes around. Fortunately, I still have a working VCR (don't judge me), so I can scoop up those VHS that are still piled high. I can fit 25 VHS in a bag, for a price of $.12 each. If I don't like it, I can donate it and still be ahead compared to renting the movie. I'll also buy CDs that look interesting ever if I've never heard of the artist. Since I work alone, I listen to a lot of audio books and always pick up several titles. Once I'm done, I list them on PaperBackSwap (audio books earn 2 credits).

By shopping at the library book sales, I am helping to support one of my favorite public services. I am also supplying myself with lots of entertainment for a few dollars.

Alternatives to Shopping

Our consumer culture is fixated on going to the mall or shopping online. For those with limited funds or a desire for a less financially precarious life, there are many ways to get things that will enrich your life without spending money or stepping foot in a store.

PaperBackSwap. If you love to read, this really should be your go-to source for reading material. I have hundreds of books that I bought years ago and will never read again. I listed them on the site, and now I'm getting more books to read at no cost (besides shipping my books to other readers). A lot of the books that I've requested were impossible to find at used book stores and expensive on Amazon. Add to this the rich community among swappers and this site has my official recommendation.

Dumpster diving. This isn't for everyone; I know that. For those of you who aren't queasy, jump right in. There are all sorts of goodies waiting for you. Of course, you can't expect to find exactly what you're looking for; you are subject to the whims of those cleaning house. However, sometimes you do find exactly what you're looking for. One night after a concert, Trucker and I were taking a walk around the neighborhood. I decided right then and there to godiving and reached in to a dumpster. I pulled out a lovely, working lamp with lampshade. This was just a few days after I had decided to find another lamp for the living room.  Another time I found a copy of a novel that I had loved as a kid, and enjoyed reading it again.

Library. Get your books, movies and magazines for free instead of paying for them. My public library system is so amazing that I cancelled Netflix and rarely rent movies anymore.

Freecycle. Join your local branch of Freecycle. You can clear out stuff that you no longer want or need and ask for things that you do need. Some of the items I've seen offered are quite generous, such as pianos, bikes and office chairs. Added benefits are the environmental impact of less waste and fewer items being produced and that wonderful community feeling.

Crackle offers a rotation of movies that you can watch for free. You don't have unlimited selection, but I often find something that I'd enjoy watching. I don't have to pay for the DVD, rental fees or the outrageous prices for a movie theater ticket.

Project Gutenberg is a great source of free ebooks either to read on your PC or portable reading device. 38,000 free books in the public domain are waiting for you; you're sure to find something you'll enjoy reading.

Free boxes. Anytime I'm at a coffeehouse or a yard sale and I see a free box, I check it out. I've found good magazines and books, silly little kitchen gadgets and even clothes in my size in these free boxes. Once I found a Marc Jacobs jacket that was my size, in a color that looked great on me. It was missing a button, but I had some buttons at home and easily swapped them out.

Swaps. Have similar friends over for a swap meet. If many of your friends are film buffs, bring DVDs. If they are science fiction readers, bring novels. If you have several friends of roughly the same size, bring clothes to try on and trade; if your friends are all different sizes, swap accessories or jewelry. Make sure you each bring some booze or chocolate to really make it a party.

A Less Boring Life

When looking for ways to cut expenses, most people assume they will have to give up entertainment if they want to become financially stable. Of course, this can only last so long. No one wants a boring life, even if it does help them lower their credit card debt, so back they go to the world of movie theaters, Big Book Stores, pricey hobbies and expensive concerts. Are these our only options? A life of boredom or a life of high-interest-rate credit card debt? No.


My entertainment budget is lower than most people, but I have more entertainment because I diligently search out free and cheap entertainment. I am able to go out as often as I want to without worrying about the cost. Alternately, I have lots of options for entertainment at home if I'm not up to leaving the house.

Here are some ways I've found cheap entertainment.

* Library. Free books, movies, CDs, internet, lectures, classes, magazines, concerts and discussion groups. Some libraries (Chicago Public Library for one) even offer museum passes that can get you and a friend or two in for free.

* Local concerts. Top-40 concerts are pricey, too pricey for me, even if it's a favorite band. I just can't drop $40 for a few hours listening to music. I do go to concerts often, especially since my current city has a rocking music scene. There are dozens of concerts going on each night for free or perhaps a $5 cover. Before I go, I google specials and Happy Hour deals for that bar. (Lovin the Local Music Scene)

* Museums. Museum entrance is usually costly, ranging from $5 to $15 a person. I never pay. I check out the website for special promotions. Most museums will have free entrance at least once a year, and some will offer one day each week. It's crowded these days, so go as soon as they open to beat some of the crowd.

* Reading. I love to read and always have a good book with me. I never pay full price. I acquire my books in these ways: library (free!),  paperbackswap (free, but I pay to ship books to others), amazon.com (a penny listing book after shipping will be $4), library sales (especially on the last day when it's Bag Sale Day!), thrift stores (my favorite sells some books for $.25), yard sales, Project Gutenberg (free ebooks, http://www.gutenberg.org/). You can also search for free Kindle books.

*Movies. I used to go to the theater, but don't anymore because it's too loud and I'm fussy. I do love movies though, and enjoy them cheaply in the following ways: library, Family Video's bargain section (2 for $1), redbox (sign up for their codes for free or discounted movies), online free streaming (crackle.com), thrift stores (I have a VCR and I get tapes for a quarter), library sales, amazon (penny listings are $2.99 after shipping and most popular movies are a penny due to over-saturation). On the rare occasions when I want to see a movie at a theater, I go to a second run theater on the discount day for $1 entrance. There are also early bird specials, miliary/student/senior discounts and free days during summer for kids.

* Restaurants. I like to eat out, even though I can cook at home for a lot cheaper. I have an entertainment book (purchased late in the season for $8, entertainment.com) that gives me buy one get one free meals. Happy Hour specials often offer 1/2 off appetizers; a couple can replace an entree. Lunch is almost always cheaper than dinner. Hole in the wall ethnic restaurants usually offer delicious, authentic meals at ridiculous prices. My favorite little Greek dive is priced similarly to fast food joints.

* Outdoorsy stuff. Biking, hiking, walking, jogging, swimming, roller blading, and skateboarding are all free or relatively cheap and they keep you in shape. I also like to get something to eat in addition to enjoying the outdoors, so I enjoy mushroom hunting (after having field training and I don't eat anything that I am not completely positive is safe), berry picking, edible wildcrafting, and fishing.

* Travel. I can't afford to take six months off work to drive around the country eating bread from local bakeries (my ultimate fantasy trip!). I still have a raging wanderlust, so I take day trips. I'll fix a nice breakfast in the morning, fill up the coffee mugs and hit the road. I'll drive an hour or so to some small town and explore. I've found wonderful restaurants, quirky museums and wonderful little antique malls. My day trips, including gas, usually run around $50-75. Not cheap, but much cheaper than any typical vacation. (Feeding Your Wanderlust)

There are lots of other ways to get free or cheap entertainment. All it takes is a bit of flexibility and research. Search "Cheap" and your city, or "free festivals". If your city offers a free paper, pick it up and you'll find lots of free events, special promotions and coupons. You never need to be bored again.

Happy living!

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