The No-Spend Zone

Heavy Thrifting - Until Next Time

So that's it then.

Twenty-eight days later and I've only gone out twice. I've been shopping a total of three times. I've filled up my tank exactly once. And everyone in the newsroom asks me how my stains are and/or offers me food.

I've opened a savings account and set a monthly direct deposit from my checking account.

I've learned a safer, cost-focused method of driving.

I've become a total miser.

So I never biked to work, not even once. If you're that surprised we've probably never met. It was a good idea, and something I really wanted to do. Next time, when I'm not sick for the bulk of my month, I'll bike.

I want everyone to know that I'm not just going to go out and spend like mad. It's just not in my nature.

But I've got to let my friends Bridget and Amanda take over for a little while. I hope you follow their financial misadventures  with me. I'll be back at some as-of-yet undecided point in time.

Thanks for tuning in.

~Brayden

My bad day

I've been bad.

Here I am, almost through my entire no-buy month without making a single discretionary purchase, and what do I do but allow myself to go get blottoed on South Beach.

To be fair, I've got a friend in from out of town and so a few members of the Miami Herald newsroom party pack got together at the Studio and sang and sang and sang. And drank, too. There was a lot of drinking.

Then, half way through the night, I stumble down the block to a 24-hour Mediterranean restaurant and buy myself a falafel! For 10 bucks! Seriously, this -- and the three beers I bought at the bar, for $8 each -- was the first time I've spent any money this month at a non-supermarket establishment. It cost me $40 for three beers, a pita and and a few hours of fun.

Not exactly Heavy Thrifting. But I guess it could have been a lot worse.

I suppose we all have our bad days. The goal is just to minimize them.

You're on thin ice Comcast

I'm considering canceling my Comcast cable service.

There are a few reasons for such a drastic move:

1) My roommate suggested it.

2)  It would shave a little bit off my so-called "non-negotiable" expenses.

3) Cable television is no longer necessary.

It's this latter point I'd like to touch on.

Most of us have already caught on to YouTube and its digital treasure trove of random hilarious media. (Rick Astley, anyone?)

But the future of television will take place on a computer monitor, and we're just in the very beginning of the transition.

Just last month NBC Universal and News Corp. debuted their video-on-demand website Hulu, which offers TV shows and movies, for free. Since my television broke during my latest move, I've been watching Hulu at night, and it's pretty good. Obviously their selection is still at this point quite limited, but the quality is top notch and the commercials (which you can choose to watch all at the beginning when viewing a film) are really quite minimal.

Hulu is only one of many video outlets sprouting up all over the Internet. Why should I continue to pay Comcast, who can't even manage to get my Video On Demand working?

Party time

Tomorrow is my day off (note day: singular) and we just happen to have a real star visiting us in Miami, none other than Ms. Susan Hopkins herself. Believe me, the drink is going to be flowing. (She's said she'll pay my tab, but I can't allow that. (Can I?))

We are going to the beach to Karaoke until Ronny kicks us out. With domestic beer something like $8, I'm definitely bringing a flask.

As my month-long blog nears its end (it will end on the 5th), I'm a little excited. First, because I'm deeply curious of exactly how I'll re-acclimate to a less stringent spending diet. Will I just dive right back in? Would that be dangerous to my health? Could I even if I tried?

But also because a couple friends of mine are going to be taking over the No-Spend beat for a little bit. That's them to the left: Alice (in Wonderland) and the Mad Hatter (Bridget and Amanda, respectively). They've just moved in together. If I recall correctly, Carroll's Alice and Hatter seemed to suffer from chronic communication problems. Will our real-life roommates better manage their interpersonal relations? It remains to be seen.

I'm not quite done yet. And I will be back at some later date. But I hope that you will get to know Bridget and Amanda when they join us in a few days.

Video killed the blog star

I finally figured out how to embed the video, so here you go.

I had a lot of fun making this one, and I see no reason I shouldn't go and make another. All I need is another good idea, some fringe, yet practical, method of Heavy Thrifting.

Maybe I'll go Dumpster diving? No, I don't think America* is ready for that. (While we're on the subject, a question: Do our filthy, disgusting -- yet incredibly practical and, if you believe in conservation as I do, then I'd even say morally impressive -- garbage-reclaiming practices really need to be corporately sponsored?)

For now, I'll think on it and accept any suggestions you may have.

I've been tempted lately with the snack machines a little. But then I found a bag of cranberry, pecan & white chocolate trail mix I'd hidden in the fridge. (So good.) As long as I bring in my own snacks, there's no reason to buy their more expensive, subpar offerings.

I feel bad about the guy that works the cafeteria register. I'm sure he thinks I've been fired.

PS: Do me a favor, and click on that little Digg button down there. Yeah, it's OK. It's just a click. Maybe you have to register. C'mon. You've registered. It's pie. No problem. Right?

*(or intrepid reporter Brayden Simms, for that matter)

The truth about stains

This link will direct you to the Heavy Thrifting month-in-review article, which appears in Sunday's Miami Herald Money section.

This link will take you to the video capturing my trip to the Bargain Barn thrift store with video producer Niala Boodhoo.

If it hasn't been established well enough already, this data file will forever ensure my digital legacy is synonymous with cheap.

I am hilariously embarrassed.

I'd like to thank Ms. Boodhoo for her steady hand and mostly kind editing skills. Still, you know its good when the first thing your video producer* says before showing you the edit is: "I'm sorry."

Let me know what you think.

And be kind.

* (wow, I have one of those)

a sound saving strategy

If all you ever do is work, there is never any time to spend the money you're always earning. It's really quite a sound saving strategy. And all you have to do is give your life to your work.

I haven't quite reached that level yet -- though some fear I'm already too close. Trust me, I believe that time off is time well spent. Still, the overtime is nice.

Maybe this is too soon, but it's been weighing on my mind: I don't know what I'm going to do in a week, when I'm free from the shackles of my no-spend experiment.

The truth is, No.1 penny pincher that I am, next month, when I'm not hosting a blog on saving, I will definitely spend more money. At the same time, it's not like I'll be going to the mall or anything. I won't up and buy a pony.

Actually, now that I think about it, my health insurance kicks in on April 1 (seriously). So, hypothetically at least, I will be spending less from my so-called "non-negotiable expenses" and therefore less overall.

Unless, of course, I go and blow it all on who-knows-what.

Heavy Thrifting - hunting for bargains

Today video producer Niala Boodhoo chaperoned me on a trip to a thrift store in downtown Miami. She got a lot of footage, so hopefully she'll be able to edit out all the parts where I make a fool of myself, though probably not. You'll be able to view that video here in a couple days, after, apparently, the many hours it will take her to whittle it down to two measly minutes.

I took Niala to the Bargain Barn, on NW 1st St and NW 22nd St, in Miami's Wynwood Art District. The Bargain Barn is the best place to find cheap, used furniture in Miami. But tucked away in the back, they also have a modest sized thrift shop, and I was on the hunt for work clothing. Still, filming and all, we took the 10 cent tour.

Thrift shopping is a great way to save money, but it's more than just a cheap thrill. When you buy your clothes thrift, you know you are conserving resources: both by spending fewer dollars and by contributing to a process that encourages the reuse of products and the reduction of waste,  rather than the typical cycle of production and disposal.

Furthermore, organizations such as the Bargain Barn (operated by the Miami Rescue Mission) use the money gained through thrift sales to provide food, clothing, shelter and recovery services to the less fortunate. Imagine that; instead of buying new clothes, manufactured no doubt by low-wage workers stuffed in a sweatshop; you recycle what would otherwise be thrown away, and in so doing, contribute to the betterment of some unknown lives.

What's the down side again?

I gave myself a $10 budget.

I ended up buying two fancy, button-down dress shirts for work, a swanky silver silk tie emblazoned with lizards, a hard copy version of Steven King's unabridged The Stand and a cereal-worthy blue mug and saucer combo (originally from IKEA). I brought everything up to the counter fully expecting to have to make a difficult choice. The price ended up being $10.70.

So I splurged a little.

Much to Niala's disgust, I wore the clothes right in to work.

Below, my thrift store ensamble:

(can you make out the lizards?)

Photo by Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Every little bit

I finally confirmed my ING account. Turns out its a perfectly reputable online bank after all. I've set it to transfer $200 from my checking account biweekly, on every payday. 3.1% interest here I come!

Sometimes, though, I get to thinking: What's the point of saving something that seems to be progressively declining in value? The dollar is depreciating. Doesn't that mean that the longer you hold on to it, the less it's worth?

 I guess we just have to have faith in our economic system. The alternative is bleak. Heck, the choice itself is fairly bleak. Quite the conundrum, if i do say so myself.

Despite my cynicism, this is Heavy Thrifting. We're going to put this money away, and watch as the returns roll in. Those beautiful, slightly-higher-than-usual, marginal, inconsequential returns. Still, it's more than I would have otherwise, and for free.

I'm craving some free right now. I had to see the doctor today; but since my insurance doesn't kick in for another week, I paid full price. That really smarts. Maybe I can wait to fill the prescription...

Every little bit

Not working is the best

Not working is the best.

The. Best.

I spent some money today; it is the weekend after all. But I've also been very productive.

I called the Ticket Clinic and secured a lawyer for the ticket I got, on my birthday, for illegal use of the HOV lane. It cost $87. (With any hope, court fees will be nominal.) Even though this occurred pre-Heavy Thrifting, I'm glad to pay it off this month. It represents one of those financial irregularities, the kind that strike at whim, take $100 from your wallet and go on their merry way.

Like today, I went grocery shopping with a friend. As we were leaving, she backed into another car. No one was hurt, but in an instant she knew she was out a couple hundred dollars. Bummer, but it happens. There's nothing you can do about it except pay up and move on.

I think the ticket irregularity skews my data back in the right direction. It works because being written tickets is, at least for me, a semi-regular occurrence.  You never know when, but once and while, you're going to get written up for something. And you're probably going to forget about it and have to pay the late fee.

In lighter news, I finally cooked.

I wanted something enormous, delicious and healthy, so I made a vegetarian Thai green curry.  It's got it all: coconut milk, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby carrots and more. The total tab at Publix for the ingredients was $25.11. It was great for dinner and its going to be even better tomorrow once it thickens. And the next day. And all week.

Good thing I love vegetarian Thai green curry.

Chick patties with duck sauce

At long last, the weekend. (Yes, this is the beginning of my weekend. I know, I know: Worst. Weekend. Ever.)

Let's see, what fun activities do I have planned for this beautiful two-day oasis of time off?

Well, I need to schedule an appointment with the doctor and hopefully go see her; call a lawyer about the ticket I got on my birthday; fill a prescription; find and install four new tires before mine explode; get an oil change while I'm at it; go to the bank; and write an article for Sunday's paper.

I know, sounds expensive.

Too bad I can't wait a couple weeks until my insurance kicks in. Wait, can I? Should I sacrifice my health for savings? No, I don't think so. Not this time, at least.

Also this weekend, I'd like to check out the Bargain Barn down on NW 1st. It's been a while since I've been there, and I'm in the mood for a bargain. I wonder if they sell tires...

Earlier today, on my way to work, I hadn't made myself a lunch. So as I left the house I just grabbed an assortment of frozen goods. And I have to say, I really enjoyed the chick patties with duck sauce.

Seven days without spending.

Six days, no spending

Man, those two-for-one English muffins have been coming in real handy.

(You know what they call English muffins in England? Muffins. What? It's true.)

I have now gone six days without spending money. (Well, for the most part; I mean I'm still living in my apartment and using electricity and gas; I drove through the SunPass lane on the Turnpike. But, I have not transacted with anyone or anything. I have not swiped my credit card or made a small impulse purchase.)

I feel a teensy transcendent.

It is now hard for me to spend money. I don't gaze longingly at the snack machines. It's kind of how, after a few years practicing vegetarianism, it can be quite difficult (at least for me) to put a piece of meat into your mouth and chew. It feels wrong.

Today at work someone came by asking if anyone had change for a five. I didn't -- I had three ones though. I offered them, but he didn't take any. I think he felt bad, but I told him, honestly, it's OK -- I'm not going to spend them.

I can't wait for the weekend to begin.

A literal penny pincher

My great uncle and my father took me out for breakfast this morning. I ate sparingly and saved half for dinner. (Before you protest about my free-mealing, know this: Every other Saturday, a rebel group from the Siminofsky clan catches breakfast together; the tab is rotating, I just lucked out this time.)

During the course of our meal, I noticed something:

A man came into the restaurant to pick up a take-out order. He paid the cashier in cash and she handed him his change, 2 cents, on top of his receipt. Using only his receiving hand, he reached inward, squeezing the pennies together between his thumb and forefinger, and, using his remaining three fingers to release the receipt into the counter top tip jar, stuck the pennies into his pocket and left.

I couldn't believe it! Right before me: a literal penny pincher. And there I was, angry.

I don't know whether he should have given the register girl the two cents, but why go through all the effort to save them, either? Why, if you're going to pollute the tip jar with your financial waste, not just throw the two cents along for good measure? I mean, if you don't want to tip the register jockey, OK, fine, you're not obligated. But you don't have to throw it in her face, either.

It got me thinking about charity.

Now, I'm not a religious man, but I do believe in sharing the wealth.

I find, and a new study supports the theory, that it makes me happy to give money to other people.

Heavy Thrifting is not  about holding back on tips or being stingy with the ones you love. It's about being smart with your money, not being a jerk.

It should be, like I've said all along, a holistic process, wherein the entire spending spectrum is analyzed and edited for maximum efficiency. I'm working on it.

That doesn't mean I'm not going to tip. It just means I'm not going to restaurants.

I have a dream

A co-worker today mentioned that this whole no-spend month is great and all, but that I could just put off my major purchases for the following month and skew the numbers.

This is true.

In a perfect world, the good folk at The Miami Herald would pay me, for the rest of my life, to be a tightfisted, money grubbin', penny penchin' mooch. And I'd be the best damned scrooge that ever there was, more niggardly (that is NOT a racial epithet*) even then ol' Ebeneezer.

But, as I'm sure all of you are most painfully aware, this is not a perfect world.

Moving on.

So, how am I taking care of myself? What exactly am I subsisting on?

Today, for breakfast, I had a big bowl of oat cereal in soy milk, with a banana cut up in it. For lunch I had another banana and a granola bar. For dinner I had a couple frozen tamales. My boss gave me a small bit of her fish.

I think that's pretty healthy; I mean my frozen dinner is not so great, I'm sure it had a lot of sodium. But who cares? The rest was fruit, oats, fish and bean. So I'm fine, this isn't killing me. This is mostly sustainable. I mean, fully sustainable, but, you know, just not fully probable.

Now that I've cataloged my day's caloric intake, my stomach is starting to grumble. I'm going to go grab something to eat.

*Honestly, this is just a word that sounds like a racial slur, it has a precise meaning, and it doesn't have anything to do with race. I am sorry if you are offended.

Sharing is caring. Coughing is pretty annoying though.

I'm feeling kinda pathetic for not being able to bike at all to work, so far. But I'm also feeling kinda like my chest is going to explode if I cough just one more time. So it's a trade off.

Just to keep you all up to date: It has been twelve days now and there is exactly $138.77 on my credit card, which comes out to  around $11.50 a day; which doesn't sound so great to me, but when multiplied by 31 (AKA the number of days in a month) comes out to $356.50; which would actually be a particularly low monthly credit card bill for me. Of that $138.77, approximately $38 was spent on one tank of gas, and the remainder, in three separate trips, on groceries at Publix (twice) and Target.

In the past twelve days I have transacted, as in with a cashier and my money, only four times. (I have also written two checks; one for rent [$450] and one for utilities [$25].) The guy who runs the register down at the Herald cafeteria ... I miss that guy. I hope he doesn't take this the wrong way.

This cough. Is. Killing. Me.

On that note, I used a tea bag four times today at work, to soothe my seriously aching throat. How's that for conservation? Four times! Plus my boss gave me the tea bag. And, now that I think about it, some of her eggplant from dinner. Plus another wonderful co-worker, Brenda Muncy, god bless her, gave me the ziti that came with her entree, which she told me she really wasn't going to eat anyway and would just be going to waste. Plus I got a garlic roll.

What, so I've got a good support group! It was hardly a feast. But it did allow me to keep my two frozen tamales sitting in the freezer for the next night. And it was really nice of all involved. Thanks guys.

I may have to break down and buy some throat lozenges. Honestly. It. Just. Won't. Stop.

I promise that when I get better we will go on exciting adventures. Or something. I probably won't be going to any junk yards. But maybe, just maybe, we can make it to the thrift store.

The no bumper blues

Do you think that, because my car is lacking a back bumper, I save a fraction on gas costs, due to my car being lighter than normal?

About a year ago I got into a crash on the turnpike. I was exiting when all of a sudden the car in front of me changed lanes. Then there was a stopped car right in front of me. I jammed on the brakes, looked - quickly, - pulled right and thought I had made it. Then I was hit from behind.

The cop determined it was my fault. I got a ticket for illegal change of lanes.

A year later, I'm still out that bumper. I've been pulled over a couple times because of it, written tickets for other offenses, even though the officers made sure I knew that they "could have written me up for the bumper."

I don't mind, really. I mean I'm resigned. But the truth is: It's just so awful.

What it looks like to me, and I'm sorry if you're opposed to graphic imagery, but what it always reminds me of is a mouth cancer victim, one of those old dudes who dipped too much chew and then lost his lower jaw. It's a terrible scar. It's embarrassing.  It's illegal, apparently, though I'm not really sure why.

You cannot look at a random girl driving unless you are approaching from the rear. And then you'll want to hold back, or turn quickly into some fast food parking lot.

Still, on my budget, in my life, it's just not worth the cost of repair. Surely the problem is simply aesthetic. Wouldn't a costly body fix be akin to plastic surgery, not for medical necessity but for cosmetics? And what do I need of cosmetics?

Plus, I've got just a little bit more room for parallel parking purposes.

Trying not to make haste OR waste

I drove, with a friend, to the bank today, to check up on the ING situation. They still haven't notified my bank, but they didn't take my money, either. So I'm not sure what to think. I'm a little nervous, but they said two to four days. It will have been, by the time I post this, technically three. We'll see.

On the way back my friend wanted to stop at the gas station. I thought nothing of it. Then we walked in.

I started, as usual, combing the aisles, checking out the snacks, sizing up the drinks. A buffet of colorful, quick-fix eye candy. But then I realized: I'm not going to buy anything here. Normally, I enter a gas station, with a friend or whatever, I pick up a Gatorade, a Red Bull, maybe some Combos. I wanted something to drink. But I had something waiting for me in the fridge at home. It was a strange sensation, being taunted by the routine; sweet, sweet routine.

I think I've been eating more modestly now that I haven't been eating out as much. Restaurants serve such humongous portions. (You should probably always just cut the meal in two and save half for later; instead, you usually eat too much, and then what's left isn't enough to save. What a country.) At first I was hungry. I've adapted by now. So I guess I need fewer groceries, as well. Man this is too easy.

It's kinda funny, isn't it, that I've had to be paid in order to stop wasting money? It's probably the most fun thing to waste, though, so I guess it makes sense, really, when you think about it. (Time is really good, too. To waste.) I guess I don't really make haste, or waste. Well, at least I'm working on it.

Everybody's doing it: hypermiling

I don't drive a lot. But when I do, lately, I've been hypermiling. Not like a professional, mind you, basic concepts only.

Hypermiling, quite simply, is driving with the purpose of maximizing fuel efficiency. But unless you've read about this bunch, you've no idea the extreme measures to which some hypermilers go.

The basic concepts are as such: braking is bad; idling is bad; taking unnecessarily long routes... bad. And stay the speed limit. The faster you drive, the less efficient your engine.

The real hardcore hypermilers, the pioneers, always use some sort of hybrid vehicle, with a meter on the dash keeping exact track of the fuel economy. Now I have nothing quite so fancy. My rules are thus:

1) I accelerate at a gradual pace.
2) I do not follow closely, as I do not want to brake.
3) I hope to make lights; I look in advance; if I think I'm going to miss it, I let go of the accelerator.
4) Sometimes I, uh, run stop signs. But only in areas where I know its totally cool. Seriously. You all do, somewhere.
5) I try not to slow as much as one might hope for turns.

You may be surprised at how much these simple steps could save.

According to an article from CNNMoney.Com:
"Accelerating more slowly away from green lights and stopping more gradually for red lights cut fuel consumption in Edmunds.com's tests by 35.4 percent for the Land Rover and 27.1 percent for the Mustang."

I used to drive always in a rush, with a need to get wherever I was going, and fast. I was an angry driver, cutting people off, flipping the bird.

Now I drive with the object of conservation, to maximize the efficiency of my engine and of my wallet.

Check out this story on hypermiling from the Washington Post.

Upping my interest

Being sick for the Nth day already, I didn't know what to write about tonight, so I went ahead and opened a savings account with ING Direct, thanks to a suggestion from a reader called Mali.

I was actually a little nervous about sending my delicate financial information over the Interwebs, but the website was so encouraging and orange, the legal information all very hip and down-to-earth. I may have fallen victim to marketing-induced peer pressure, but I just couldn't say no.

Regardless, I am now making 3.10% on my savings, ladies and gentlemen. Which, to be honest, is not all too great. It is, however, significantly better than what I make through my Sun Trust FSU checking account, I'm sure. Actually, I have no idea what minuscule fruit my Sun Trust account bears, but I'm sure it's substandard.

Again, I'm adding just a little bit to my savings, without spending a penny. I'm just making what I already have go further, just a little bit. But, every little bit, right?

Additionally, it is apparently very simple to access ING over the Web, a task at which Sun Trust has had an awfully difficult time, in my own personal experience. Still ... I hope it's not a scam.

Does anyone else do this crazy online savings account thing? Am I a financial radical or something? I'm dubious. Let me know what you think.

On the spending front: nothing today. Well I drove a very small distance. But aside from that, no transactions. I call that a win. Still, I'm excited to be well enough to bike. Also, not being sick would be awesome in general.

I need more bananas. Maybe I'll have time for a little Price Choice tomorrow.

An end to waste

Call today No Spend Day number two.

I've been eating all my groceries; I hate it when salad greens go bad (and don't they usually? I have the damnedest time finishing a bag of spinach, though it's really simple just to pan fry the wilted leaves before they turn brown and mushy.)

I find myself wasting so much. Here I am, a conscientious objector, and even I can't seem to rid myself of the destructive habit. Like I said yesterday, it's the little things. When I think of all the things I've thrown out in my day, or just bought and never even used.

The name of this blog is derived from a practice a bunch of my long-time friends and I engage in with reckless abandon: that's right, thrift store shopping. I encourage everyone who hasn't tried it to give it a chance. It's a process for sure, there's a lot of sifting, a ton of definitely-nots. But every so often you find a diamond in the rough, a shirt -- or pair of pants or winter coat -- that should never under any circumstances have been given away. Some people -- nay most -- just don't know what they have.

I read that in Africa the textile industry has had a hard time getting off the ground due to the low-cost competition from Western World second-hand clothes.  It's kind of a problem. Well at least it's not going to waste.

The world is finite; and so are our personal resources.

Today I bartered a spray bottle from a friend, so I can fill it half with water and half with soap, just to save some money on my dish soap, a totally negligible cost. But I think it has to be about the little things. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single something or other, if I recall correctly. It may seem daunting, but let's just see how it adds up.

If you have any suggestions on how to make the most of my limited resources, please share.

And when I get better, we'll have more fun adventures. :cough:

Staying sick for savings

Same story here. I called in sick again.

Didn't really do anything today but sit around and think of ways to save money.

I think its all about the little things. They add up. I think I can save a large amount just by changing each individual spending habit in a very small way, tweaking for maximum efficiency.

Little things.

I've gotten e-mails from readers on this line of thinking. One reader e-mailed me on a wise idea for conserving by diluting concentrated dish soap with water in a spray bottle, to make the soap last longer. This is a great idea because it allows us to get the most of what we have, to save not  by cutting back at all but by using our resources more effectively.

Later I finished a jar of salsa. But instead of throwing it out, I rinsed it, washed it, and put it in the cabinet. It's really a fine jar, as far as I've ever seen. What's the sense of wasting it?

A couple more things before I drift off in my cold medicine stupor:

1) http://www.thunderfap.com/

Check out this site; I'm not sure if it's legit or not, but I've gone and "ordered" a few free goods. Maybe I'll get put on a mailing list, but I don't mind much, it's just mail. And I always use a fake e-mail address. I'll let you know if I get my Flex-Force garbage bags.

2) http://www.communitywater.com/core/content_tapvsbottled.htm

Another reader suggestion. Quote from the site:

"Bottled water is not necessarily cleaner or safer than most tap water in the United States. That is the conclusion of "Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype"- the Natural Resources Defense Council's new study on contaminants in bottled water."

I don't know the validity of this website, but it's definitely food for thought.

Don't you just love teamwork?

So I'm still sick.

Well, kinda; I mean I am sick, but with a whole new illness. My immune system is totally in sync, apparently, with my desire to stay at home and save money. I suppose I should be grateful to my blood cells. Way to step up for the team, guys.

Someone posted in the comments yesterday about the high level of pharmaceuticals contaminating our drinking supply. Well that's a bummer for sure, but hopefully I'll pick up some antibiotics from the steady stream of tap water I've been consuming and rid myself of this fever.

So a lot of people have been giving me negative feedback on the tap water deal. I understand, I guess you can't really be sure exactly what's floating around in there. But as someone in the comments said, it's really the same with bottled water. (Personally I think Coca Cola's Dasani tastes metallic.) I have no firm reason to trust the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department. But I'm not sure that I should trust a corporation any more. Bureaucracy vs. Capitalism. Close call, really. But without any compelling argument one way or the other, it's really going to have to be all about the money. Simple math, really.

Now that I think about it, today, probably for the first time in many years, I did not actually engage in any sort of financial transaction whatsoever. So call this my first true No Buy day. Think about it: When was the last time you passed 24 hours without swiping you credit card or exchanging dollar bills? (Let me know!)

That's it really, I'm spent.

Simple living

To the left is my lunch (click to enhance); that is, a Morning Star Chick Patty on two slices of wheat bread with salad greens to taste, plus condiments, of course. I had a banana. And I had a Natures Valley granola bar. Pretty good, right?

I was hungry.

But I persevered. A few colleagues ordered from Mario the Bakers; I abstained. Although, admittedly, I was happy to partake when I was offered a garlic roll. Mmm, free.

To drink, I ordered from this fine restaurant to our right (again, click to witness the full beauty): I filled an old coffee mug with water from the tap in my kitchen. And you know what? It tasted fine.

And when it was empty, I filled it from the tap at The Herald. And that was pretty fine, too. Same as any Dasani or Aquafina I ever had. And it's right there. For free. Isn't there some kind of saying about buying a cow?

I was still a bit sick today, so I chose to drive to work, instead of biking. But, in repentance, perhaps, I did not use the A/C. It wasn't bad at all; and it's only a few blocks (33rd to 13th, to be exact). Didn't roll the windows down either, because I didn't want to hinder the fuel-efficient aerodynamics, or get my hair all breezy.

And that's all for today, really. I'm still not feeling exactly tip top, so I haven't been inclined to go anywhere. Including gas to and from work ($1? what do you think?), electricity (being very liberal...50/31=$1.60/2=$.80) and food ($5?) I probably spent only near $7 today in negotiable expenses.

Think I can do better?

Have you ever thought about it? How much did you spend today? Let me know in the comments.

Sickness to richness

I called in sick this afternoon. I must have consumed a mere fraction of my normal energy today, resting in bed mostly, having eaten only a banana plus probably a gallon of nutrient-rich fluids.

So mark it two days of success for the sickness-to-richness scheme.

Yet, despite my intestinal discomfort, I somehow found the strength to venture to my local Publix. (I originally had intentions of also visiting Target and Price Choice, but my stomach would not abide.) I don't think I did all too badly, but of course its not as if my kitchen is bare.

Above and to the right is my receipt (click for full detail): You will see I bought a healthy mix of fruit (bananas), vegetables (salad greens) and yes, I must admit it, frozen vegetarian products. Whether or not they are ultimately good for me, I can't be certain; but they were on sale. I picked up a couple Nature Valley bars at buy-one-get-one-free. We'll see how long this lasts me.

On a $31.86 receipt, I saved a whopping $7.19 (click receipt at left to verify). That feels good. I may need to start clipping coupons.

Even though I was home all day, most of the electricity was turned off. Which is really  contrary to a normal day, when everything is left on and no one is home. Oh, and I just paid our power bill for the month: $54, divided by two of course. It's going to be tough to bring that number too much lower, but I'm on light patrol, so we'll see.

All told I spent about $54 today, on groceries and power, plus a couple bucks, I'm sure, on gas, even though I only drove 10 blocks. But I certainly didn't splurge on any leisure and I'm ready to prepare my lunch in the morning.

It's definitely a close call between the allure of Ms. Panettiere (right) and a good bargain (left). But today's shopping was about saving, not splurging.

Sorry Hayden, you know I'm in love with you, and our names rhyme and everything which is just so adorable, but it looks like sustainable living won out this time.

This time.

(Seriously Ms. Panettiere, if you're reading this, you should call me, we'll save dolphins or something. Seriously.)

Getting sick for savings

The first official day of my budget reduction has turned out to be a total bust – I had to call in sick to work with some awful stomach ailment, which will hopefully be healed by
tomorrow.

On the upside, I haven't eaten a thing all day (nor should I have), nor have I even left the house for the temptings of the giant Target three blocks down (which to be honest has been the outlet of choice for many of my I-want-it-now spending splurges), and that means savings, savings, savings.

Hey, now that I think about it, this get-sick-for-savings regimen has been a real success., assuming I haven't done myself any long-term harm. Obviously this only works if you are afforded sick days, if you are willing to forgo any professional opinions or if you are a Scientologist. Certain cancers are also highly dissuaded against.

I did manage one productive task between trips to the bathroom: I paid off my entire credit card bill online. This means we are starting with a blank slate. From here on out, any credit purchases made will be available for all the world to scrupulously dissect and ridicule. ($5 for a platter of rice and beans?? Noob!)

Tomorrow I go shopping, complete with photographic evidence of all the bargains I burgle. Seeing as I have off, I will hit up all the stores within non-gas-guzzling distance, AKA Publix, Target and Price Choice. I will try to compare prices, or at the very least buy from the clearance and Buy-One-Get-One-Free items. I'll give you the full tally tomorrow.

Again, any and all ideas would be more than welcome in the comments section.

Thanks!

Breaking it down

To make this a true experiment, I'm going to keep perfect, verifiable records of all my expenses.

All my spending will go on the credit card, except for those expenses for which I use checks and that I will record meticulously. I am going to have to forgo cash. I will live in a cashless world. Through online banking, I will be able to check at any time how much I have spent so far and on what. I will report honestly.

First, I'll need to break down all of my negotiable expenses into categories. Then it's just a matter of figuring out small ways to cut back for each. As far as I can imagine right now, the only expenses I can realistically cut are:

1) Food  --  I will go shopping at a grocery store. I will buy fruits and vegetables. I will put them together in various and exciting combinations. I am in possession of both sandwich and paper bags. I have a working microwave and a toaster oven. I have aluminum foil.

2) Utilities -- Gonna tell you the truth, I don't know how much of a difference I'll be able to make here.

There are a few minor things I can do, I guess. But listen to this: We don't use the A/C. I know. Craziness. Well, it broke. A couple months ago.

It's been kinda wintery lately. Sorta. For Miami.

3)  Automotive -- This includes gas and anything else car-related. I don't want you to think that I'm going to go and fill my tank all the way up right before this thing starts either. I'm not going to cheat. And I desperately need new tires, but my parents had already decided to buy those for me for my birthday last week -- I swear! -- so that will be free.

4) Leisure -- So, it's come to this, has it?

$#%7! Excuse me. But leisure is going to be the real challenge, is it not?

It is going to take creativity. It is going to take charity. It is going to take full use of all of my limited resources.

Leisure will be a daily pursuit.

Free is the key, here. Free fun, or at least severely-discounted fun. In other words: The beach = yes; South Beach = no.

So that's how it's going to be. Tune in for updates and cheap suggestions are always welcome.

The experiment takes shape

This spending diet is going to be a really interesting experiment.

Yeah, that's right, an experiment, because I'm going to get all scientific on this thing. My entire spending universe will be meticulously recorded, to the nearest half cent. I will abide the scientific method. And I will try my damnedest to include an Erlenmeyer flask. (Or at least just a flask.)

To the science!

Hypothesis: I can cut back drastically on expenses, and in so doing can actually increase my total happiness.

Premise 1: I cut back drastically on expenses while maintaining an exactly similar level of happiness.

Premise 2: I put the money I save into some kind of savings account, to be used on something important, like traveling the Indian subcontinent for a month, or for retirement or something.

Conclusion: As long as I can prove Premise 1, through this month-long experiment, I prove that it is possible to become more happy by reining in your spending habits.

The horror

My life is not ready for this. My house is not ready for this.

My fridge, full of half-eaten chicken meals and other mysterious past-date artifacts. The kitchen counter, an unwashed parade of cups and plates. My non-functioning oven, now simply used for its extra counter space.

Oh, the horror.

It is from here, at this height of opulence, that I am going to have to somehow cut 10% from my total budget. I can't imagine where it'll come from. Maybe the couch cushions.

Don't get me wrong: I'm enamored with the idea of getting paid to save money; it makes me feel all tingly inside, like I'm goofing off at work but the boss says it's OK.

All I'm saying is: I'm not exactly ready to stop spending. It’s such a practical habit.

I’ll admit it, I like spending money. It gets me things, beautiful things that I want, anything at all. Money's always the life of the party, always there for you when you need something to eat. Well, it's always been there for me at least. So I guess I should consider myself lucky.

That's why I have to do this. This is for Joe Middle Class, Mr. College Graduate. It's for me, but also for all of us, with liberal arts degrees and not a clue how to use them.

I've always sort of resented wealth. I've long thought that the path to financial heaven was paved with bad intentions, that in order to make filthy, stupid amounts of money, you've got to trample a few on your way up. I never wanted that for myself.

But I'm not talking about amassing sick amounts of wealth. I'm talking about saving what I make.

I make a decent wage, approximately equal to a similarly-experienced teacher. Caloo calay! I've finally arrived: I'm living on a teacher's salary!

So you see, I'm not really rollin' in it. In order to have it, I'm going to have to hold on to what I'm given.

The question is: To what lengths am I willing to go?