Lightweight Guerrilla Guide to Fast Money Keeping & Making
Two events in the past week have brought the unpopular and impolite (?) topic of money to the forefront for me…actually, the lack of money, and the absolutely cringe-worthy fear and oppression it brings with it. And it’s just…weighing heavy on me right now so I thought I would share some of my feelings and thoughts about it…you never know when someone else might be struggling with the same thing and maybe some things I’m going to try might be helpful to someone else…or at the very least make them feel like they’re not the only one struggling so (#miserylovescompany).
#1: Rent was due on March 1. That was not a shock. It’s always due on the first. But this was the first “normal” month at the new place (with the higher rent). January had a little extra in it for me, mercifully, or I never would have been able to make this move, but…February was back to business as usual and I really felt the impact of the higher rent. Once I deducted the rent amount from my paycheck, and the storage bill, which is also due on the 1st…and alloted for two weeks’ worth of gas and groceries…I found I would have $17 left for the next two weeks til I got paid again. Oofah! Clearly, that was not going to work!
#2: Last week we had reps from our new retirement company at work come to speak to us. THAT was an alarming 45 minutes! Most of the teachers are young, some half my age…so they mostly directed their schpiel to them: “start investing in yourself now, when you have 30-40 working years ahead of you, even if just a little bit, and you’ll be golden at retirement time” and I was like HELLO – DO YOU SEE ME? THE ONE WITH THE GREY HAIR AND FINE LINES AND WRINKLES SITTING RIGHT SMACK IN FRONT OF YOU?!? What about ME? With T-10 years to go? I don’t HAVE years and years of compounding interest ahead of me! What am *I* supposed to do??
Out of my whole life, my current job of 12 years is the only one that ever had a retirement plan, so that’s not a lot of years of “paying into the system.” I feel like I’ve had one financial smack-down after another for the past 20 years and have virtually no savings.
When I was half my age no one was talking to me about The Future. About Retirement. And Savings. Blah blah blah. I was in love and getting married and he had a good job with great benefits and I thought it would be forever and I was set for life.
SURPRISE. And not in the Puppy in a Big Box Tied with a Tiffany Blue Bow way. But in the You Can’t Plan Life way. Life will have big sucky parts and you can’t control or avoid them. They will change your life, they will change YOU. And you just gotta roll with it.
But unless you find a way to stop them, things roll DOWN.
SO – I spent some time this morning brainstorming WAYS TO MAKE/KEEP MONEY. And while most of the list below is pretty specific to me, I thought I’d share it anyway just in case.
ways to keep or make more money
Get Rid of the Rassin-Frassin Storage Unit
I thought I would be clearing out leisurely while in this larger apartment, la la la, but no. After paying rent here for the second time I realize I really need to cut whatever costs I can and while I’m going to HATE filling up my new space with boxes, I CAN fit the entire contents of my $130/month storage unit into the “library/dining” alcove (sigh), and while it will be ugly, that savings will give me some financial breathing room.
Storage units, while convenient and sometimes necessary, Are A Money Suck. Say it with me now: STORAGE UNITS ARE A MONEY SUCK. I’m embarrassed to tell you how much I have spent on this one over the past 7 years, but I will, just in case it will shock someone else into action, too. It started out at $89/month. Not so ridiculous, and I’d had to move hurriedly from a large apartment into a very small apartment, so at the time it was necessary. And other expenses related to my move were either decreasing or disappearing altogether. And I’d planned to “clear it out leisurely” while I was in that apartment.
Beware those words. “Clear It Out Leisurely” is code for “I Will Pay The Storage Bill Month After Month, Year After Year, and Never Really Do Anything About it Cuz Out of Sight Out of Mind.” The rate goes up like $6 or $7 a year and 6½ years later it’s up to $129/month. So just basing it on an average rate paid, the total spent comes to – are you ready? Are you sitting down? $8,502. Trust me. There is NOTHING in there worth $8,502. But paying the bill each month was EASIER than dealing with schlepping it all home and figuring out what to do with it. But I am SICK at the thought of all that money spent on…not looking at boxes or dealing.
Do you have a storage unit?? Storage Units are a Money Suck.
Sell Stuff
That’s an oversimplification, obviously, but I, and I think many of us, have WAYYYYY more stuff than we need, use, love, appreciate, etc. The amount of excess stuff I have (even after my many moves and downsizing sessions) is well beyond the “does it spark joy” guideline.
My guidelines for keeping things are:
- Does this fill a need?
- Does it have a home?
- Do I love it?
“Need” is an easy category. I need a toothbrush, a frying pan, a hair dryer, a filing drawer for important papers, a winter coat, etc. And I don’t like the “if I haven’t used/worn it in 6 months, get rid of it” plan, because seasons, holidays, moving, family, emergencies, etc. If I feel I do or will need it and it has a home, it can stay.
I’m trying to start emphasizing “does it have a home” OVER “do I love it” because I love LOTS of things. All that stuff in those boxes in my $8,502 storage unit? I’m sure I love it all. Or I would have gotten rid of it long ago. But I Do Not Have a Place for All That Stuff. It Does Not Have a Home. I am no longer considering a box, a home. So I can keep stuff that serves no real purpose other than “I Love It,” as long as it has a home. Everything else?? It’s outta here! Ebay, CraigsList, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor Neighborhood, garage sale, local flea market, etc. If the expected $ value of the item does not feel worth my time photographing, listing, packing, etc…it goes to the donation center. Otherwise, I’m getting what I can for it and lightening the load here. So someday I can downsize*
Cancel Subscriptions
Like the storage unit, it can be easy to overlook all the “several dollars a month” subscriptions you’re paying for without looking at the much larger total spent. Periodically, I make a list of all my subscriptions – streaming media, phone storage, editing apps, group memberships, etc., and I try to knock a couple off. They’re mostly under $10…but if there’s 10 of them…it adds up to $50-100 a month. Or more.
Do you REALLY take advantage of the “benefits” they’re offering?? I think the fear of FOMO keeps me hanging on and paying those monthly fees. But I’m gonna be brutal and really knock a bunch more off. Today. I will not “wait and see” how next month goes. They’ll all still be there if my financial situation changes and I want to re-subscribe.
The Stupid Latte Factor
I always hated this one. “Stop buying $8 cups of fancy fla-fla lattes and save $240 a month!” I’m not a daily or even weekly coffee drinker, but if I WAS, I, personally, cannot recreate an $8 latte for $0. So even if you’re a regular coffee/latte/cappuccino/etc drinker, making those drinks at home instead of buying them out, they’re not FREE. You’ve still invested in a machine, you’re buying the coffee, milk, sugar, flavored-creamer, travel mug, etc., and not at bulk wholesale prices like the coffee shops are! You’re not saving $240 a month to make these drinks at home. Maybe you’re saving a little. So now you’re saving a little bit, but if you’re a terrible coffee maker like I am (and I’ve tried many machines, coffee brands, etc., over the years. I am Just a Bad Coffee Maker), you’re still spending time & money but now you’re getting a crappy end result. Ugh. What are you really saving??
I do feel (and no, I am not on the cusp of being homeless or anything, so I am not taking extreme emergency measures at this time…I just want to get to a place where I can breathe easier) there needs to be a balance between Comfortable Financial Situation and Quality of Life. And giving up a highly specialized passion/obsession/habit for a very small amount of savings just doesn’t make sense to me.
All that said, our adult clients at work run a little morning coffee shop, and just about every day I get a cup of tea for a dollar. I do this because 1) I’m basically lazy and 2) the young lady who comes around to take our orders is adorable and I feel like I’m disappointing her when I don’t buy anything. But. I can put a .04 Lipton tea bag into a mug I already own, fill it up from the hot water thingie at work and put in (I’m not doing the math on how much a teaspoon of sugar costs from the 5lb bag, let’s just say it’s five cents – it’s not, but for ease of argument) .05 worth of sugar…and for 9 cents have the exact same thing I have been paying $1 for. So, .91 a day, $4.55 a week, $18.20 a month. $18 is a local dinner out with my girlfriends. That’s a worthwhile trade-off to me. I will be making my own tea going forward.
Figure out what’s a worthwhile trade-off for you and reap the benefits.
Sell Yourself
Ha, no, not like THAT. But if you have a skill or ability that has value to other people…use it to your advantage. Babysitting, dog-walking, photography, lawn-cutting, organizing, furniture-moving, elder-care. Or if you don’t want to do, then teach! Share your skill with others – painting, cooking, yoga, make-up, dog-training. The list is endless. We all have special gifts. And more importantly, in this case, we have special gifts that other people want!!!
Post ads online on CraigsList, Nextdoor Neighborhood or Facebook Marketplace, in your local Pennysaver or on a grocery store community bulletin board.
*Downsize for a Lower Home Cost
Obviously, this is the most dramatic of all, and more easily achievable by renters than home-owners, because, depending on our lease terms, we can literally just wake up one morning and say “I’m going to move!” and walk out the door. But, it’s something to consider. I do think people get stuck where they are because they’ve been there a long time, or it has “memories,” or “it’s where we raised our children,” or whatever, but…if the current costs are preventing you from affording the life you want, all those “memories” aren’t really doing you any good. And moving is hard (no one knows that better than I!) but again, weigh the cost against the reward to decide if it’s a good move (see what I did there?) for you in the long run.
Take a Part-time Job
This one is for those with more energy than me. But for the young and/or energetic, sometimes just a few hours a week at a second job can you put you over the hump to a better financial situation. I’ve done it in the past when I’ve found ideal situations, but now…I’m tired when I leave my first job. I can’t imagine having to go to another one.
Switch Utility Companies
Internet, TV, cell phone, heating companies, credit cards, etc., all have lower-priced competitors. Sometimes just a phone call or two will unearth some real savings…or calling a company saying you’re going to cancel their service will cause them to offer you a discount to stay.
Okay! I’m feeling a little more hopeful here. Like I have a couple definite strategies for both saving some money and making a little extra money to see me through this tight time. I know I didn’t reveal any startling new discoveries in the world of high finance here, but sometimes just hearing something from a different person, in a different way, can make things click for you.
Let me know if anything helps…or if you have ideas of your own to add! Thanks for getting to the end of this Very Long Post!
Iris
I surely hear you about your monthly paycheck stretching far enough. I’ve taken a hard look at my budget in the last year and found ways I could cut. For me TV was a big one. Yes, I still watch TV, but I do not pay for cable anymore. There were a gazillion channels that I would never watch and the bill kept going up and up and…. So, after MUCH research, I did “cut the cord” got a Amazon fire stick and a really reasonably priced app and I’m good to go. Obviously I still pay for internet, but not the high priced cable.
You have some good ideas there and I’m so proud of you getting rid of the storage unit and some of the subscriptions. Those rascals can add up in a hurry. You know sometimes we just get in the rut of paying all those monthly bills without realizing what all they are and whether we are getting our money’s worth. Good luck with the “expenses downsizing”.
Grace & Peace,Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com
bettyewp
I also no longer have “live” tv. I let that go when I moved here. I do pay for Netflix and Hulu, which come to $16/month, and with the “new account plan” that’s not really a huge savings over just keeping tv…but I PREFER the streaming..uhm…things…subscriptions?? to live tv, so I would (and used to) have had BOTH…and THAT was too much money.
And I haven’t actually MOVED anything out of storage yet. What a bear THAT’S going to be. I need “guy to move heavy things for three hours” for hardly any money. Sigh. WHERE’S A BOYFRIEND WHEN YOU NEED ONE?!? Or a daughter??
Whine whine whine, sorry.
Clover
Lots of good insight here! 🙂 Thank you. Money stress can be huge, and I always find that looking it in the eye and taking some action immediately lightens the heavy feeling surrounding it.
Ugh. Storage units. I had one years ago and when I went to clear it and bring the stuff home, I realized that much of the stuff I’d been paying to store for years was just ridiculous. Boxes labeled “Very Important Paperwork 1993”, stuffed animals from the 60’s and 70’s, and clothes I would never wear again. Back then, the cost was a good bit less, maybe $48 and month, but that was a lot for me.
I particularly appreciate your “if it has a home” approach and plan to implement it here. That is the key to much of my frustration around my home—-stray stuff. Gotta home it here, or re-home it somewhere else.
Also, letting go of subscriptions—-I just realized this week when paying bills that we’ve been paying for a photoshop subscription for about three years, $11-ish a month and I don’t think anyone has touched it in about 2.5 years. That’s almost $400 we’ve spent on nothing! Oh the shame. Lol
Thanks again! 🙂
bettyewp
Way too much stray stuff. Stuff inherited when my mother passed away. Stuff leftover from my ebay-selling days. I really don’t buy much “stuff.” I buy THINGS. HA HA HA HA. You know what I mean, I buy Things I Use. A double-decker dish drain, clear tote things for organizing kitchen and bathroom, a new hair dryer when my 15-year-old one finally died, etc. Things that have a purpose and a place to go. But there’s So Much Stuff from the past 30ish years that’s just HERE, clogging up closets and shelves, and while I want it all to be more CLEAR, I LIKE the celadon green lidded pottery french onion soup bowls that were my mothers (and 600 other assorted items) so it’s hard to just Make Them Go Away. My new thing is just trying to pass them along to family members so I know they’ll be appreciated and that the new owner will know the item’s story and history, and *I’LL* know that they know. Rather than just selling to strangers or donating to the thrift store. And I know this is probably (PROBABLY??) silly and I need to get over it cuz when I finally move to California, all this stuff is NOT going to fit in my car with me and I am NOT paying to move it across country and clog up a new home 3000 miles away. That NEW LIFE *is* going to be a clearer one. I have said it to the Universe and it shall be so.
Thanks for visiting!
jodie filogomo
Gosh, that’s an awful feeling when you’re not sure how to make ends meet. We downsized 3 years ago…and man that felt good. Needless to say we have my mom’s basement as our storage unit…..lucky us. Otherwise, I would have had to be a yarn purger. And while I think I could’ve done it, I might have gotten a storage unit too. I didn’t realize they were that much.
It’s funny because we were just talking about some of these things yesterday with friends. My husband is pretty good at talking to many of the companies almost yearly to reduce our costs if the fee has gone up. He does is with our hosting company even.
Huge hugs!!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
bettyewp
Storage units might be more here than other places in the country. Everything else is, so, why not?
Lucky you to have a “storage unit in the family” 🙂
Karen
One thing that has helped us is shopping at Dollar Tree for very lovely Hallmark greeting cards (one or two for $1), and $1 party supplies. Will never spend $4-5 on a greeting card or holiday or entertaining paper products again.
They have great food options for smaller (1-2) households too. Less waste on salad dressings, cereals, spices, household cleaning products, you name it. Smaller packages of many things. Many brand names and brand name closeouts there too. Different items every time we go. Fun to check it all out, and all for a dollar. Our Dollar Tree even has a freezer section of frozen fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meats. Many fun simple crafts and activities for grandkids too all for $1 each.
I know this sounds like a commercial, but it’s fun, interesting and a money saver for us to shop there!
bettyewp
No, yeah, Dollar Tree is great! I got my Happy New Year hat there! And Valentine’s Day goodies for my officemates at work. I guess the REAL trick to saving money would be to NOT BUY Happy New Year hats OR goodies for the officemates – ANYWHERE. But, jeez, bah humbug 🙁
Robin
Bettye, the “storage unit” really resonated with me. I rented a “storage container” at home to deal with a very over-stuffed third bay of my garage. (We won’t talk about the other two garage bays.) My goal was to move stuff out of the third bay into the storage container so I’d have room to work and then *leisurely* take care of it all. A year later, I still have the container and a stuffed third bay. Waiting for a bit of warmth in both and I need to get cracking. (I have a lot of clothes from weight fluctuations and a lot of *stuff* from my previous eBay life.)
I’ve given up on the notion of selling. My thrifts get a lot of good stuff. Will and I are planning a move at some point (I really don’t want to age out here in the middle of nowhere) so I need to downsize. It’s crazy for two people (read me) to fill a three bedroom house AND a three-car garage AND a storage container.
bettyewp
Leisurely, ha ha ha! Yup.
Where do you think you might go next, Robin?
Marceline Miller
such good stuff here, Bettye! and “yay” to Karen for the comment on the Dollar Tree — my very favorite store. If you don’t have Dollar Tree, Family Dollar is a good one, too.
The point about trade-offs (the homemade hot tea in exchange for monthly dinner out) really struck a chord with me.
I’ve always struggled with the “why can’t I have nice things?” attitude. Years ago I read something by a writer speaking of having to get by on very little money, that I never forgot. She said she knew should couldn’t have ALL the great stuff she wanted. So she picked “just one thing” that would be her splurge item and planned for that. In her case, it was year round fresh blueberries or raspberries or something like that. Now, who doesn’t love fresh berries? But that came off a little self-righteous to me LOL So I picked my “one thing” to be handbags. Of course, I have a pretty low cap on what they can cost. But still, they are my vice, so to speak.
bettyewp
Dollar Tree, yes! I do love Dollar Tree. I don’t go that regularly, probably mostly around holidays, but yes, their cards are VERY reasonably-priced, and you know what else? Their balloons! Like helium latex and mylar balloons, if you need them for a gift or event. SO much cheaper than from a regular party store.
Yeah, I probably have too many “just one thing”s. My main one is probably eating out. If I’m going to eat out, I like to go someplace “entertaining.” Good food, good ambiance. If I’m going to spend $15-20 on a meh meal, I’d rather spend $25-30 for a better one. I’m not even talking like a super fancy steakhouse or anything, just…not a chain or a diner, etc. Something just a step above that. That’s my fresh berries 🙂
But I WAS really good this week with not buying the $1 tea every day AND making and bringing breakfast and lunch from home instead of buying lunch out. Although my usual lunch out at work is either a McDonald’s cheeseburger, which is $1.59, or a spicy shredded chicken mini quesadilla from Taco Bell for .99! It’s pretty hard to beat those prices, even from home. Baby Steps.
Thanks for all your comments, Marceline!
JD
I love you, Bettye!!! You hit the nail on the head about money being an uncomfortable and impolite (?) subject.
It’s more than impolite for most…it’s downright taboo. We as Americans generally cringe and would never discuss it, even with our family members and close friends.
But the truth is, that many suffer or worry in silence and are so mired in that dread that they can’t think of what to do, let alone take a first step. A coworker told me that she is too ashamed to tell her family and friends because they might consider her a loser or a careless money manager.
May I offer a tip that helps me? (Thanks, I don’t mind if I do.) I use a service like ShopRite from Home where I shop online and for $5 they do the legwork and I show up, pay and walk out, avoiding impulse purchases. I shop from the circular, buying primarily items that are on sale, and as they sit in the online cart, I can go back in and look again and again and decide if I really need it or if it’s an impulse or splurge. It makes me hyper-aware of the cost because often I am purchasing items on sale at half of the normal price, so a splurge often comes at a deep discount.
I’m in the same boat as you, despite working for an organization that people might assume treat their employees with fairness and care because of their mission. NOT!
I am organizing a major fundraiser for my employer and because I’m strapped, I cannot donate a silent auction item, underwrite a need, or buy a $100 raffle ticket (or more) this year. The administration is giving me the hairy eyeball every time the subject comes up despite my efforts putting us in a better place financially two months before the event, than we were at the conclusion of last year’s fundraiser.
So this weekend is a big “sell it on eBay or Facebook” push so I don’t have to take money from savings to make ends meet again. It doesn’t help to be female in some cases – no matter how skilled or successful you are – and self-supporting/single. It’s not that we’re fiscally irresponsible, but heck…when you live in or near NYC or any metropolitan area, it isn’t inexpensive to live modestly.
Again, I’m glad you brought up this touchy topic. Best of luck to you.
bettyewp
Thanks so much! It was a weird post for me. It started out last weekend as something totally different…and then I got on the rant about the storage unit and it just kept morphing into something so far from what I normally write about or what I STARTED to write about (which was “Intentions for March” and was a list of things like “bring the outdoors in” and “add some spring to your wardrobe,” ha ha – just to give you an idea how far down the dark rabbit hole I went!). And all week I worried whether I should post it or not…people are certainly not coming here for MONEY ADVICE or to read my sad tale of “oh woe is me.” I didn’t even schedule it. But then this morning I was like OH WHAT THE HELL and just clicked the “post now” button, prepared to let the chips fall where they may. So I’m relieved to see so many people…identifying ? with it? I always feel like it does help a little bit to know that others are in the same boat as you during difficult times.
And I have also been using a grocery service for the past 2ish years. It’s my niece’s account, so she pays whatever the membership fee is, and I usually fit into the “free delivery” category, so then it’s just a matter of tipping the delivery person, which to me is a fair trade for the time I would spend at the market, the gas, and, as you said, the impulse items that would surely find their way into my cart. I am MUCH more controlled grocery shopping online, watching the total add up with each item that goes into your cart. I always try to keep a tally in my head when I shop in person, but I’m ALWAYS under by like 20% with my guesstimate. So I DO think that’s an excellent tip – thanks!
I’m sorry you and your efforts are being underappreciated at work. Grr. I can’t understand employers who fail to see their staff giving their all…let alone acknowledging or rewarding their efforts. Best of luck to YOU.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and share! Please come back!
Karen
And how did I forget Aldi’s ? So wonderful to go there and have ONLY ONE choice of everything! Quick, wonderful and many delicious options, and of course great prices. So pleasant. Excellent for people who are too tired to make product decisions or stroll the long, busy aisles of grocery stores, and mostly want to save on their grocery bill.
bettyewp
I have a (probably only) funny (to me) Aldi story…which is I’d been reading on the blogosphere that Aldi was selling fantastic, inexpensive Jo Malone (EXPENSIVE candle “designer”) scented candles. I would NEVER pay $67 for a candle, and the Aldi dupes were supposed to smell As Good, for a fraction of the cost – like maybe $7. So I told my friend, SWSRN, that I wanted to go to Aldi and she was like, really? why? She had been already, I never had an I had grocery delusions of grandeur. It was NOT what I expected! Starting with the pay shopping carts. Urgh. I remember those from the early 90s and urgh. Then, it was just a big ‘ol mess – like Marshalls on a BAD DAY. No rhyme or reason to where things were, the “non-food” aisle was particularly random and messy. And the closest thing I could find to my holy grail candles were some room sprays (NOT THE SAME THING). I did buy a can of some generic, I guess Aldi brand, German Potato Soup, or something like that…and it was HORRIBLE. I took like two bites and threw it out. And I can eat just about ANYTHING. Anyway, we did have a good laugh about it all while we were there – that it was SO far from what I’d envisioned. And if it was closer to me I might try again, but it was not a good experience AND it’s really far from me. So…I may not be back. Except I did hear that Aldi bought out Best Market…and while I’ve never been in one of them, either, they ARE the market that my Instacart delivery comes from. So someday I may be Aldi-ing after all. And Maybe this was just a particularly bad store. No frame of reference.
Karen
Haha….nightmare of an experience. I swore off Aldi’s for years–then I started hearing from all the people I know that shop there, and thought maybe I’ll try it again. And it was way better! Got to have a quarter, yes. And your own bags (or use their boxes). But once you remember to remember that (takes many times) it’s worth it to not schlep through the big grocery stores. I haven’t noticed too much mess, but I do try to avoid the non-food specials aisle. I can see what a mess that could turn into! Yuck and a turn-off for sure.
Karen
…ha, and yeah, their German imported soup is horrible–very, very salty. I can guess exactly what you bought! Sure it didn’t have beans in it? We donated the several additional cans we brought to a food pantry (felt guilty doing that actually!) No more canned soup from there!!
bettyewp
It might have had beans, I don’t remember. I’ve tried to just block it out 🙂
Jacki
I just can’t do Aldi’s — tried it twice and just didn’t get the allure.
But thanks for the reminder on those subscriptions – I mean to do that every month and then put it off because the charge went through and I have a month to do it, and it never gets done.