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Be Much More Frugal

Have you ever noticed that the things you buy every week at the grocery and hardware stores go up a few cents between shopping trips? Not by much…just by a little each week but they continue to creep up and up.

All it takes for the price to jump up by a lot is a little hiccup in the world wide market, note the price of gasoline as it relates to world affairs.

There is a way that we can keep these price increases from impacting our personal finances so much and that is by buying in quantity and finding the best possible prices for the things we use and will continue to use everyday… things that will keep just as well on the shelves in our homes as it does on the shelves at the grocery store or hardware store.

For instance, dog food and cat food costs about 10% less when bought by the case than it does when bought at the single can price and if you wait for close out prices you save a lot more than that.

Set aside some space in your home and make a list of things that you use regularly which will not spoil. Any grain or grain products will need to be stored in airtight containers that rats can’t get into so keep that in mind.

Then set out to find the best prices you can get on quantity purchases of such things as bathroom items and dry and canned food.

You will be surprised at how much you can save by buying a twenty pound bag of rice as opposed to a one pound bag but don’t forget that it must be kept in a rat proof container.

You can buy some clothing items such as men’s socks and underwear because those styles don’t change, avoid buying children’s and women’s clothing, those styles change and sizes change too drastically.

Try to acquire and keep a two year supply of these items and you can save hundreds of dollars.

Rebates: Reward Or Ripoff?

Rebates have become increasingly popular in the last few years on a lot of items and certainly on electronic items and computers. Rebates of $20, $50 or $100 are not uncommon.

I’ve even seen items advertised as “free after rebate”. Do these rebates come under the heading of “too good to be true”? Some of them do and there are “catches” to watch out for but if you are careful, rebates can help you get some really good deals.

The way a rebate works is that you pay the listed price for an item then mail in a form and the bar code to the manufacturer and they send you a refund thus reducing the price of what you paid for the item except with a time delay of several weeks.

Rule #1. Rebates from reputable companies are usually just fine.

You can be pretty sure you will get the promised rebate from Best Buy, Amazon or Dell but you should probably not count on getting one from a company you’ve never heard of. If you really want the product and are OK with paying the price listed then buy it but don’t count on actually getting the refund.

Rule #2. Check rebate expiration dates.

Many times products will stay on the shelf of a retailer after the date for sending in the rebate offer has expired so check that date carefully.

Rule #3. Be sure you have all the forms required to file for the rebate before you leave the store.

Rebates will almost always require a form to be filled out, a receipt for the purchase and a bar code.

Rule #4. Back up your rebate claim.

Make copies of everything you send in to get your rebate including the bar code. Stuff gets lost in the mail all the time and if the rebate is for $50 it’s worth the trouble to back up your claim.

Avoid Impulse Investing

Avoiding Impulse Spending

Answer these questions truthfully:

1.) Does your spouse or partner complain that you spend too much money?

2.) Are you surprised each month when your credit card bill arrives at how much more you charged than you thought you had?

3.) Do you have more shoes and clothes in your closet than you could ever possibly wear?

4.) Do you own every new gadget before it has time to collect dust on a retailer’s shelf?

5.) Do you buy things you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them on display in a store?

If you answered “yes” to any two of the above questions, you are an impulse spender and indulge yourself in retail therapy.

This is not a good thing. It will prevent you from saving for the important things like a house, a new car, a vacation or retirement. You must set some financial goals and resist spending money on items that really don’t matter in the long run.

Impulse spending will not only put a strain on your finances but your relationships, as well. To overcome the problem, the first thing to do is learn to separate your needs from your wants.

Advertisers blitz us hawking their products at us 24/7. The trick is to give yourself a cooling-off period before you buy anything that you have not planned for.

When you go shopping, make a list and take only enough cash to pay for what you have planned to buy. Leave your credit cards at home.

If you see something you think you really need, give yourself two weeks to decide if it is really something you need or something you can easily do without. By following this simple solution, you will mend your financial fences and your relationships.

Frederrick County Festival Says It’s ON

 

Those wishing to celebrate Latino culture during Hispanic Heritage Month, which kicked off Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15, can check out Frederick’s fifth annual Latino Festival Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon to 5 p.m. at Frederick Community College.

This year’s festival, set to take place between the FCC library and the field house, will feature food, music and activities for children and adults.

Proceeds from the Latino Festival go to Progreso Latino Scholarship Fund, which is managed by the Community Foundation of Frederick County.

Over the past four years, the festival has provided about $17,000 in scholarships for high school students with financial need who show academic promise, said Beverly Hendrix. Hendrix is the director of diversity at Frederick Community College and helped organize the event.

Denver Deli - Sandwich By Day, Salsa By Night

This spring, while Zaidy's remained a deli during the day, it transformed into Zaidy's Fusion Grill at night, featuring a menu of small plates and music, including salsa. "It has been terrible," Hannes says of the late-night activities. "There have been nights I can't get to sleep until after 1:30 a.m."

Hannes says he contacted the restaurant 37 times to complain, but the noise issue was not resolved.

On one occasion, Hannes called the Denver Police Department to report loud music; the officer who responded subsequently told Hannes that offering a DJ and dancing violated Zaidy's hotel/restaurant liquor license The restaurant's response? The dancing was spontaneous, and not a result of its advertised salsa nights, Hannes recalls.

Although Zaidy's is allowed ten special events a year under its current license, it is required to inform the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses of any such bookings. On July 13, the city sent a letter to the restaurant's owners, notifying them of several complaints of "excessively high noise levels, illegal live music and illegal dancing." The letter referenced a Zaidy's postcard promoting salsa music and dancing from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., and instructed the owners to "immediately cease" the music and dancing until they obtained either a standard cabaret license (which would allow a DJ) or a dance cabaret license (which would also allow dancing). The new activities were affecting nearby residents' "sense of peace," the city continued, noting that those residents were there before "Zaidy's changed its business concept and Zaidy's must accommodate the needs of the neighboring residents."

And what do the neighboring residents need? "We would like to see some diversity, such as art galleries and retail clothing stores," Hannes says. "We already have bars." Writer Square is home to the popular Front Porch and Red Square, as well as other eateries that have also been suffering through construction.

Salsa Dancing DJ’s Take It Live Across The Pond

Why not kickstart your weekend with a spot of Salsa dancing on Friday night? The highly-experienced salsa tutor / fashion designer Sheryl May will host her monthly salsa event at the Poverty Bay Club, with a 45 minute lesson to begin with. It doesn't matter if you've never tried it before, anyone is welcome so why not give it a bash? Once the lesson concludes, there will be plenty of dancing to follow and the bar will remain open. Costs $5 on the door.

Croatian sisters Maya & Vanya (pictured above) are being touted as one of the hottest DJ acts in the country at the moment and are scheduled to hit the decks at Soho on Saturday night.  They have playing at every major party in NZ over the last year but apparently you have to "see them to believe them." Maya & Vanya are also booked to play at Rhythm & Vines this year, so this will be a good chance to check them out and see what they're all about.