By Paul Michael

Big bad pimple ruining some of your recent photos? Maybe a few blemishes upset a perfectly good shot? Well, for today only Wikisend is giving you a free download, with free activation, of a nice little software package called Image Mender. And it's easy to use.

If you're not into paying several hundred dollars for Photoshop (and even more for training) then this tool may be just what you need. It's very basic. Just highlight the areas that you want to clean up, hit 'mend' and the software does the rest. The results won't be perfect but they'll be a whole lot better than what you started with. You can also use it to remove logos and other annoyances. A great tool for people who need a little retouching done to their pics, but don't want to pay an arm and a leg for the privilege.

Just click here to get the zipped software. Remember, this is a one day only deal. At midnight it goes bye bye.

Permalink | 1 comment | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Deals and Coupons, Freebies, Technology

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By Philip Brewer

There are a lot of budget templates out there.  Any will serve the purpose, and if you've got one that's working for you, that's a good enough reason to stick with it.  If you don't have a budget, though, or if you're going to be changing your budget categories around for some other reason, I've got some thoughts on what makes a good category.

My own thinking in this area dates back some fifteen years, to when I was setting up spending categories in Quicken.  The software came with some default categories, but I found they didn't suit me.  I was reminded of this just recently, when (working on another post) I was looking through the Bureau of Labor Statistics document that lists the relative weights of various categories of spending.  I was intrigued to find that their categories look a rather lot like mine.

My categories

When I was designing the structure of my categories, the first change I had to make was to get rid of a top-level category for insurance.  Instead, I put insurance expenses where they belong:  auto insurance under transportation, health insurance under medical, and homeowner/renter insurance under housing.

I also eliminated a top-level category for utilities.  I put the power bill under housing.  (I'd put heat, water, garbage, sewer, etc. there too, but those items are included in the rent where I live right now.)  I put the cell phone and internet charges in a new top-level category for communications, and put postage there as well.

In addition to putting car insurance under transportation, I made sure to put all my smaller transportation expenses there as well--not only fuel and car maintenance, but also bus tokens and bicycle maintenance.  Having them all right together makes sure that I know just how much owning a car really costs compared to the alternatives.

Categories matter

Budget categories are important--they can either illuminate or obscure our spending choices.  For example, does the fitness center membership go under entertainment, or under medical?  You can make a case for either.  Your choice is driven by your values, and by your view of how the world works.  But be aware that it will influence your future behavior.  (For example, suppose you decide to cut your spending and start by looking for something to trim from the entertainment budget:  Is the fitness center membership there, or safely tucked away under medical?)

As I said, the Bureau of Labor Statistics categories turn out to look a lot like the categories that I used.  (In particular, they put both insurance and utilities in almost exactly the same categories where I put them, except that they had a merged top-level category for "education and communication" which does include phone, internet, and postage--but also has tuition, text books, child care, and nursery school.)

Because our categories match up so well, it was easy for me to see how my spending compared to the average consumer.  That's not an important comparison--my spending is influence by my own values, so there's no particular reason that it would look especially like that of the average consumer--but for me it was an interesting comparison.  For example, because we live in a cheap apartment, our housing budget is a much smaller fraction of our total budget than the average consumer's.  Our spending on food, clothes, and entertainment, though, is roughly in line with the average consumer.  My budget line-item for medical is hugely higher than average, because I'm about to go out and (try to) buy my own medical insurance, instead of getting it as an employee benefit.

Looking at the BLS categories would be especially useful if you're creating your first budget, in that it's going to have lots of categories that you probably wouldn't think of.  Many of those categories will come in at zero and should just be left out.  (We don't have a line item for "renting and repairing medical equipment" or for "moving, storage, and freight.")  But it's a useful memory-jogger to see the long list of categories and think, "Oh, yeah, we do need to budget a little something for new sheets and towels."  The average urban consumer, for example, allocates 0.555% of the budget to "Club dues and fees for participant sports and group exercises."  If you do yoga or aerobics or tai chi or belong to a softball league, you'll want to have the expense as an item on your budget.

As I say, if your budget is working for you, there's probably no good reason to change it.  But if you're changing your categories anyway for reasons of your own (or making a new budget), you could do much worse than basing your categories on those used by the BLS.

Permalink | 1 comment | Philip Brewer's blog | Channel: Budgeting

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By Margaret Garcia...

Things are getting worse not better—my work has been scaled back, our bills have not been scaled back and there’s little sense in being angry at the budget when not enough money was made to execute it properly in the first place. So how are we going to make the home repairs for summer? Tune up the car to go visit grandma? Get swimming lessons for the kids? Acquire the dehydrator for the raw foods diet?

Perhaps, rural living is helping---we know most of the neighbors and they know my husband has a valuable part-time skill---he’s a computer handyman---and that in a pinch when you need some quick little blurb written or kids need tutoring, I’m your woman. And that’s all we’ve needed to get by this spring.

We have a new queen size bed that retails for $2000 but we are on computer repair installment with an extended family in trade. We get a bed, and they get top priority for computer servicing. Our local mechanic suggested we ‘horse trade’ services. So, we pay for parts, but not labor and in turn, his computer problems are solved without the big bill. I’m tutoring a kid for a woman who will carpool with my husband to save on gas.

While this does mean we are taking in less cash for both my sideline and my husbands, we are seeing more clients and are banking on them telling their friends. My husband has never advertised his business but he always has a few consistent jobs to do every week. Taking in more trades means getting to know more people in the community. In turn, we let people know what we are looking for and they spread the word.

Case in point is my new Excalibur Food Dryer that I priced at $179.00. I didn’t have the money but my husband helped the owner learn how to sell his stuff on eBay and in exchange we got the dryer for free. We didn’t know this guy, but the family that we traded the bed on knew we what we were looking for and hooked up the connection for us.

Sometimes trades don’t work. Don’t just take a trade because the people are offering you something. If it isn’t something you use or need, don’t trade. Those are the clients that should just get charged your regular standard amount for your service. We’ve gotten caught in this one a few times. I’ve got extra Tupperware I don’t use because of this. And one year I had movies I never got around to watching. Make it worth it! I think we’ve been blessed by being a diversified household. Someone always needs one of the three or four skills we have. If you do this as a family, it really works.

My greatest trade is a rent free cottage in the woods in which to write in peace. It’s kind of a karma trade. Two years ago my husband offered this couple our garage and DSL for their business as they were moving across country. Now, I’ve secured the vacant cottage and cabin they left behind unrented. I’m watering their orchard and mowing the lawn in exchange as well. Summer retreat is looking nice!

Truly a fine way to meet the neighbors and to get that community spirit flowing. What karmic trades are happening in your neck of the woods?

Permalink | 2 comments | Margaret Garcia-Couoh's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, Art and Leisure, Budgeting, DIY

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By Julie Rains

Want to get good grades in college or help your favorite student thrive? My older sister gave me what I still consider the single best piece of advice on how to do well in college. Struggling College Student of College Survival Tools agrees, and has timeless and contemporary tips. 

My older sister’s best advice on how to do well was pretty simple: Go to class. Struggling College Student’s equivalent is “stay away from… skipping class” (#6).

With the exception of a couple of sessions (one of which was to attend an NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game in Philadelphia; another was to catch a ride home on a Friday afternoon), I never missed a class. I wasn’t trying to be a perfect student (which perhaps I should have done) but it did occur to me, at some point in my college career, that doing a bit of work on the front side meant a lot less work overall.

More tips from me: 

• Do all of the required reading
• Go to tutoring sessions if you need to or think you could possibly benefit; getting help from another student or instructor, rather than drudging through books or assignments alone, can give you better perspective on a subject and may cut your studying time dramatically
• Tackle any problems as quickly as possible; don’t wait until the days before the final exam to visit your professor’s office
• Get a job or engage in some sort of significant extracurricular activity; you’ll end up managing your time better
• Watch out for deadlines
• Participate in discussions (especially if you are taking an online class) even if you think you know everything already; you can at least learn what other people know or think about a topic that will help you later
• Visit class websites daily or the amount of information you have to process will be overwhelming

and from Struggling College Student:

• Dedicate 3 hours per week to every 1 credit hour you are taking (for example, study 36 hours per week if you are taking 12 credit hours), according to a poll of professors (seems excessive but studying some on weekends can help you make this quota)
• Minimize or completely avoid television, video games, and hanging out with friends who don’t study much
• Have fun but don’t overdo the socializing and partying

My sister’s advice (given 25 years ago) is still relevant. If you’ve got tips for soon-to-be or current college students, please share.

Permalink | 17 comments | Julie Rains's blog | Channel: Life Hacks

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By Myscha Theriault

When it comes to industrial shelving, I’m a total groupie. Why? This stuff is everything a significant other should be.  Read on for details.

First of all, it’s multifunctional.

Talk about furniture that’s seriously able to rock and roll with life’s little changes. Want some professional shelving in your gourmet kitchen? No problem.

Looking for a no fuss solution for your loft style spa bath? It’s got that covered too. Office storage module, garage organizers, dorm room entertainment center, food storage, laundry room furniture . . . This stuff can rock and roll wherever you need it to.

It’s super low maintenance.

Guys, are you with me? Sanding, dusting, refinishing and taking care not to leave water spots are all concerns that go out the window when industrial shelving becomes your furniture of choice. Bonus? It’s dirt cheap. Talk about designing on a dime.

Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

The sets I’ve had over the years have seriously “done me right”. Move after move, drop after drop, and most recently through a pretty serious flood. (More on that in an upcoming post.) It still looks great, and can still transition from garage storage to kitchen shelving whenever I need it to. Gotta. Love. That.

If you’re looking for furniture you can flat pack, take anywhere, and use hard for years to come in various rooms throughout the house, this affordable resource from your nearest box store is not likely to let you down.  

Permalink | 6 comments | Myscha Theriault's blog | Channel: Frugal Living

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By Jason White

Growing up, I stayed with my grandparents during the day on summer breaks from school. Our mid-mornings were usually spent casually watching The Price is Right. This was back in the days when Bob Barker was still hosting the show, and the "guess the price of the car game" always started off with a "1" in the ten-thousands column. My, how times have changed! My favorite part of the show was the Showcase Showdown, where contestants would bid an amount "closest to the actual retail price without going over" on a host of prizes. Maybe those Showcase Showdowns ingrained something in my frugal memory bank, because my family now enjoys a grocery budgeting game with similar rules.

Grocery Shopping: Price is Right Style

Today when my family visits the grocery store I carry along a pen and a sheet of paper (usually just the back of our grocery list). I used to perform this exercise in my head, but as my brain has grown older and calculators have become cheaper, I now rely on technology for accuracy. This would be a good time to remind you that under my frugal shopping rules one should never enter a store without a list. Even a small mental list of just the few items you need will suffice in a crunch. Without being armed with a list there are just too many opportunities to pick up unnecessary items and blow your food budget .

Rules of the Game

With our food budget firmly established ahead of time and our list of weekly staples properly spelled out, we embark on our weekly grocery shopping journey. I usually follow along behind the wife and kids equipped with my paper, pen and calculator. As the kids toss boxes of Pop-Tarts into the shopping cart I write down the price (rounding up to the nearest $0.50) and keep a running total working down the sheet of paper. It isn't necessary to write the item description, but for example purposes I've included it below:

• $1.50 Pop-Tarts: $1.50
• $2.00 Mac and Cheese: $3.50
• $2.50 Strawberries: $6.00
• $9.00 Laundry Detergent: $15.00

You get the idea. The estimated item price is listed first, followed by a description, and then the running total. Again, it isn't necessary to list the item price and description on your list - we simply keep up with the running total column.

Now, Time to Calculate and Submit Your Bid

By rounding up to the nearest $0.50 we are intentionally inflating the cost of our goods a bit to prevent a budget overrun, much in the same way The Price is Right contestants undervalue the estimated price of their Showcase Showdown prizes to avoid over-estimating their packaged deal. When the shopping cart is full, or your list is complete, grab your calculator and multiply the final total by your tax rate to estimate sales tax owed. Add this amount to your running total for grocery purchases. If this amount is less than your food budget you've done well. If not, return to the aisles to look for cheaper alternatives, or move that steak dinner to next week's menu schedule.

Permalink | 15 comments | Jason White's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Budgeting, Shopping

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By Xin Lu

At any port you can probably see hundreds to thousands of empty shipping containers just sitting around waiting to be loaded. In recent times these containers have not only transported goods across oceans but have also been transformed into energy efficient dwellings with some great design and ingenuity.

In the past decade many habitable container projects have been completed around the world. At fabprefab there is a selection of these projects for shipping container enthusiasts. The picture used here on this article comes from a funky development called Container City I in at Trinity Buoy Wharf in London, England. The Container City site explains that shipping containers can be linked together to create strong steel modules that can be used to create many different types of accomodations. This type of construction takes very little time to build and the cost is low because 80% of the materials used is recycled. The shipping containers can be painted with insulating paint and use energy efficient appliances. Additional earth-friendly features could include water harvesting, solar panels, and green roofs.

In America at least two shipping container complexes recently made the news. One is called the City Center Lofts in Salt Lake City, Utah. The plan is to erect a seven floor residential building that includes an art gallery. Another project is slated in Detroit and the plan is to create a 17 unit condominium project at a cost of 1.8 million dollars. The condos will range from 960 square feet to 1920 square feet and will be priced at $100000 to $190000 each. That might be a little expensive for Detroit since homes were selling for less than cars there .

I think it is awesome that people are creating new homes from recycled industrial products. However, another recent news report states that the United States is having a shortage of shipping containers since the weak dollar is pushing up the demand of exports from the United States. Perhaps the next commodity bubble is in shipping containers?

Permalink | 6 comments | Xin Lu's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Green Living, Lifestyle, Real Estate and Housing

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By Philip Brewer

Self-sufficiency is producing the actual stuff you use--your own food, your own clothes, etc.  It's not a common lifestyle.  Most people chose instead to follow the path of self-reliance.  Rather than directly producing the things they use, they produce something they can sell for money, or else they work for someone who will pay them money, aiming to earn enough to buy what they use.

Actual self-sufficiency takes on nearly mythic significance in the United States, because so many iconic figures in our national history were self-sufficient:  

• Native Americans
• Early settlers
• The pioneers

The notion shows up in popular culture other places as well, as in the wonderful British TV series "The Good Life," (available in the US on DVD as Good Neighbors) about a couple ditching an affluent lifestyle in favor of being self-sufficient in their own little suburban plot.

The thing is, though, self-sufficiency turns out to be a hard way to live.  It takes capital (in the form of land), it takes skills that most people don't have, and it takes lots of hard work.  During the 1960s and 1970s there was a back-to-nature movement of people trying to be self-sufficient, often in the form of a commune (which is rather easier than trying to be self-sufficient at the level of the household or the individual).  Some of those old communes are still around, but most people who tried self-sufficiency gave up pretty quickly.

The appeal of self-sufficiency never disappears, though.  Just recently, as a response to environmental degradation and soaring prices for food and fuel, self-sufficiency is once again showing up, under names like urban (or suburban) homesteading.  More and more people are turning their lawns into gardens, getting a few chickens (even a goat) and producing a large fraction of their own food.

As I said, though, it's a hard way to live.  You can have a higher standard of living if you work for money and then buy the stuff you need--and not just a little higher; stuff that's mass produced by low-cost labor is incredibly cheap.  For example, I've seen perfectly good wool sweaters at the store for less than the cost of the yarn to knit a nice sweater.

The whole structure of the economy is designed for people to work for wages and then buy what they need--and that design turns out to favor the wealthy.  The poor and middle-class get a higher standard of living, and the rich get richer.

Sometimes, of course, that standard of living creeps up high enough that the household is no longer really even self-reliant.   Depending on how you measure it, personal saving in the United States has been close to zero (or even negative) since 2005--and, since we know that a small number of wealthy people are saving plenty, that means that large numbers of poor and middle-class people have been spending down their savings or sinking into debt.

It's easy to make the case that our economy is structured specifically to tempt poor and middle-class folks to enjoy a higher standard of living than they can actually support.  When they do, they not only make rich folks richer, they also trap themselves in the money economy.  Even if you have the skills, the inclination, and the willingness to do the hard work, you can't move yourself toward self-sufficiency when you've got debts that have to be paid with money.  

Once trapped in the money economy through debt, people end up stuck being little money-producing machines for the rich.  It's not too extreme to call it wage slavery or debt peonage (albeit at a rather high standard of living).  In any case, it is definitely not freedom.

You don't need to be self-sufficient to be free--it's good enough to be self-reliant, as long as you're careful with debt.  In fact, unless you've got some capital already--such as family land--a period of self-reliance during which you live below your means and accumulate capital is probably a necessary step toward self-sufficiency.

Even then, there's some value to the tactics of self-sufficiency.  Hobbies that produce something useful can often pay their own way, and are certainly better than hobbies that leave you seriously out-of-pocket.  It's worth having a garden, even if you don't grow all your own food.  It's worth knitting a sweater or sewing a dress, even if you don't make all your own clothes.  It's worth learning how to fix a bicycle, even if you also own a car.  

Think of it as strategic partial self-sufficiency.  Think of it as a step on the road to freedom.

Permalink | 16 comments | Philip Brewer's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Career and Income

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By Myscha Theriault

Here at Wise Bread, we’re not just about saving money and reducing budgets. We’re also about providing ways to live a more luxurious lifestyle within a reduced set of financial parameters. In other words, we show you how to be a high end cheapskate. Want some ideas? Read on.

Decanters.

Don’t feel like justifying your brand choices to new acquaintances? Prefer the look of fine crystal or cut glass to bottle labels? Decanters are a great way to add class to your bar or entertaining area and make sure the brands of spirits you choose are nobody’s business but yours.

Heirloom and Estate Jewelry.

Whether it’s handed down, purchased at auction or picked up at pawn shops, previously owned jewelry is a great way to establish a nice collection for a significantly reduced price. Think pearls and studs for women, pocket watches and tie clips for men.

Maximize High End Gourmet Purchases.

The way I see it, there are two ways to get the biggest bang for your gourmet buck.

• Stretch them as far as possible as an accent ingredient.  This can be done with truffles, shaved specialty cheeses for pasta dinners, sliced steak salad to serve four people on one piece of meat, etc.
• Combine one or two high end items as featured meal elements or a high end side / appetizer. Examples? One pound of shrimp can make a decadent dinner for two, or shrimp cocktail for several folks. While this isn't the cheapest meal you can make, it is WAY cheaper than eating out.

DIY.

Got some great skills? Architecture, carpentry, gourmet  cooking, vehicle restoration, custom interior painting, landscaping, gift wrapping, gardening, flower arranging, crafting, furniture restoration, artistry, photography, sewing . . . you get the idea. A personal area of expertise can really bump up your lifestyle a few notches.

Bartering.

While swapping casseroles for homemade jellies is great (I do it myself.), consider stretching your parameters a bit. How about a custom interior paint job in exchange for a bathroom remodel minus the cost of supplies on each? A few quarts of gourmet hummus swapped for an hour of professional massage therapy? Refurnished serving buffet for a professionally painted family portrait? Using those DIY skills as a form of currency can help you get what you want without laying out cash.

Using Unexpected Budget Ingredients in a High End Manner.

Frozen spinach for a Mediterranean cheese log, boxed wine for marinades and mulling, basic dry goods for biscotti on the cheap, repurposing and refinishing thrift furniture, salvage and hardware materials for custom storage and DIY pot racks . . . lots of options are out there to implement the unexpected for a high end result.

The Classics.

Whether you pay closer to full price and own fewer clothing items or hunt for classic wardrobe items online and at thrift stores, the styles will be stable and the quality above par.  Having fewer items to take care of that will stand the test of time is in my humble opinion, the way to go. You can also apply this strategy when power shopping for vehicles. Certain classic models (even used) hold their value better than others. An example? Volvo.

Explore Every Penny Pinching Method Available.

Particularly when they are methods that won’t necessarily show, like perfume or brand changes on basic items. Some other great resources and ideas?

• Buying in bulk, whether generally, for the freezer, or with an assembly cooking strategy in mind, can be a great way to carve out extra cash. 
• Visit the Frugal Duchess. The Frugal Duchess blog has some great ideas for savings including multi purpose uses for your French coffee press that would make any gourmet tea lover proud.  
• Philip Brewer’s recent post. It’s all about healthy frugal eating and how some may find it challenging in this country. 
• Xin Lu’s recent articles on seven ways to get free shipping materials and how to make your own flavored water.

Got any more ideas for luxury level tightwaddery? Chime in and share the love!

Permalink | 14 comments | Myscha Theriault's blog | Channel: Frugal Living

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By Linsey Knerl

The web is full of ways to live green, but have you ever thought about being Earth-friendly in your death? While it’s not always pleasant to think about, maybe we should. If you want to be sure that you have a full and ecologically responsible life, maybe “greener” burial products are for you.

The Green Burial Council, founded in 2005, has a unique perspective on death and burial services. In an attempt to reduce the “waste” that is caused by traditional American practices, it has created a host of sustainable deathcare options. Yes, I said “deathcare.” Whether you are looking to be buried or cremated, there are better choices, and many of them are far cheaper than the norm.

Before my look at the Green Burial Council, I was unaware of the dangers that come with the continuation of our current burial practices, which include:

Embalming – This traditional process uses fluids containing formaldehyde, which has the potential to seep into groundwater. While the EPA acknowledges its role as a possible carcinogen, the World Health Organization goes a step further, labeling it as dangerous.

Vaults – These large concrete “tombs” make up 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete, which end up below ground. They are not required by law, but are often a basic requirement by traditional home funerals and burials.

Cremation – While it leaves far less behind to deal with, cremation has started to cause concern with the amount of fossil fuels required to perform the procedure.

As an increasing number of Baby Boomers make plans for their departure, this has never been a more relevant time for change. With the Council working to standardized requirements to become a “Conservation,” “Natural,” or “Hybrid” Burial Ground, there may be hope in our lifetime for more responsible practices.

It may take some adjusting to accept the Best Practices of the GBC, which include home funerals, dry ice preservation for open viewings, and bio-degradable paper shrouds. But if the cost of these uniquely old-fashioned methods is any less than what funeral homes currently require, I think people will become more open to it. For a complete list of green funeral providers, cemeteries, and products near you, see the Council’s approved list.

Want to see the most fabulously comprehensive piece on green funerals? This article at TreeHugger has everything you need to know about green funerals, how to make your wishes known, and where to begin the journey for planning out the end of your journey.

Permalink | Comments | Linsey Knerl's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Consumer Affairs, Green Living

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