After we moved, I didn’t sign up for Cable TV as I couldn’t find a good deal and was morally against paying the full price of over $50 a month again. So, we decided to try life without television. We don’t watch that much TV, but we are definitely used to having it around. The only show I watch religiously is PTI. I’d like to not have cable when we have kids, but I’m not sure we can pull it off.

So far, it’s been pretty bland. Contrary to what some may say, we did not spontaneously start to read Shakespeare or become triathletes. Our IQs did not mysteriously double. On the other hand, we do actually talk to each other over dinner now. I do miss PTI, or what my wife calls “the two loud guys”. We’ll see how the rest of the month goes…

The New York Times just ran an article titled ‘The Bank of Mom and Dad‘* about parents giving financial aid to their children well beyond college. Examples range from paying for extended schooling to paying for doggie daycare. Coincidentally, Make Love, Not Debt also posted about how her parents are not paying for their wedding. A very lively discussion ensued, with responses varying from speechless to, um, not-so-speechless. I’ll just say that it brings up my feelings about entitlement.

To be sure, I have made my own withdrawals from the Bank of M&D. Beyond the usual food and shelter up until 18, my parents helped me pay for out-of-state college. In fact, they gave me a choice:
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During our move, we were shocked by the vast amount of food we had stored away in our cabinets. In addition to staples like flour, sugar, and coffee, we have canned food galore, dried pasta, jarred sauces, rice, stuff like Rice-a-Roni; it was like we were stocking up for Armageddon! In addition, we always have a freezer full of ground beef, chicken breasts, Trader Joe’s pizzas, and various home-cooked food from the in-laws. Which is why I still haven’t tried out Dream Dinners. To the right is an actual picture of our cupboard.

So, other than milk and juice, we decided not to grocery shop for an entire month. Here’s our planned menu so far, along with main ingredients:
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…but I’m not. Funny how small talk with people has shifted from the weather to complaining about gas prices these days. From the grocery store to neighbors to well, the guy pumping my gas! The reason I don’t really stress about it is that combined, the both of us drive less than 10,000 miles a year. I don’t track my MPG or even look at the receipt when I fill up. The sad thing is that gas prices can really affect those barely making ends meet anyways. But if you’re loading your groceries into your 4WD Land Bruiser or Ford Extinction, watch me not sympathize.

Anyhow, I should give some tips. Lots of good info at FuelEconomy.gov. Also save 10-15 cents a gallon by using a 5% cashback card from Citibank or Discover. If you haven’t noticed, I’m still a bit grouchy today. =/

I hate moving. But one perk is that I get to become a ‘new’ customer again for Comcast. You may recall that I bargained myself down to $19.99/mo for six months for Comcast High-Speed Internet last year (saving $138). Now that those six months are over, I need a new deal! Well, right now the Comcast offer for new customers is:

» 6 months at $19.99/month
» Free cable modem after $80 mail-in rebate ($9 shipping)
» Free wireless modem
» $75 cash back rebate. (now maybe $100?)

Well, new address + wife’s name = new customer. =) Not counting the modem, that’s a savings of ($43-$20)x 6 months + $75 = $213! I usually don’t like rebates, but I’ll do these. If you are a current Comcast customer and can live without internet for 60 days, you can also get in on this deal.

As we pack up our things for our move down the road, my wife and I are constantly arguing about what to throw away and what to keep. Of course, I think all her stuff is “stuffed animals and junk”, and all my stuff is “useless gadgets and crap”. I think both terms are accurate!

I call this weird human condition the EATIOs (kinda like Cheerios). It’s short for Emotional Attachment To Inanimate Objects. This is not even restricted to things like cars or houses. There are things in our basement that we have not touched or thought about within the last year, but yet when the other person moves to throw it away or sell it, the other gets this deep visceral reaction to keep it. Some disputed items:
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I just ran across MagazinePriceSearch.com, which helps you compare prices on subscriptions, with some even rivaling those on eBay. Beware that some sites listed auto-renew you when the subscription expires! Some current examples (none of these auto-renew):

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance – $4.91 for 3 yrs. (36 issues)
Forbes – $6 for 2 yrs. (52 issues) $6 for 1 yr (26 issues)
U.S. News & World Report – $8.73 for 1 yr. (52 issues)

I just picked up Forbes for some cheap bathroom reading. [Update: My initial Forbes order was cancelled. What a waste of time. You can get $6 for 1 year from another site.]

If you’ve been printing up a storm during tax season like me, you’re probably also running low on ink. I just saw on TV that Staples is giving out $3 coupons for turning in any used ink or toner cartridge. The coupon can be used on anything in Staples, not necessarily another ink cartridge. This is great, because ink cartridges have huge markups.

Let’s take the HP #45 cartridge that I use. Retail = $29.99. Staples Refilled Brand = $21.66. eBay Refilled = $8.50 shipped to my door. When it’s empty, drop it off for a $3 coupon, that’s less than $6 each in the end! I’d turn in your empties now, because who knows when this will expire…

Well, it is quite apparent that saving money is a personal issue, as was shown when I explored buying generic brands or shared about my free haircuts. I certainly didn’t expect so much reaction from that! On the flip side, I’m sure even the most frugal among us have their indulgences. Maybe it’s $40 haircuts, or their wall-to-wall DVD collection. Or maybe it’s just ordering extra toppings on your pizza. Here’s a little list of things are that are worth the extra money for me:
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I noticed it’s been almost exactly a year since my first post about letting my wife cutting my hair. Since then, I haven’t seen the inside of a barber shop. So let’s see, I used to cut my hair about once every 3 weeks, at about $15 including tip. 52 weeks/3 x $15 = $260. Subtract $10 for buying the clipper kit, and we’re $250 ahead!

In addition, I actually prefer my home haircut to a barber now. Practice makes perfect! And the convenience factor is great, no appointments necessary.
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Wow, I just reread all the thought-provoking comments in my Don’t Be A Victim post. After some good discussion with friends, I’ve put a finger on why I feel so strongly about this – Entitlement. When people feel entitled to things it just irks me. I’ve also linked it to why many people have problems paying off their student loans after college…

*Newsflash* It is not your inalienable right as a college graduate (focusing on new grads here) to receive any of the following things:
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My wife and I were in Costco recently and came across the big tubs of laundry detergent. I moved instinctively towards the store-brand Kirkland, but then I got The Look. “Umm… no. We are going to spend the extra 4 bucks and buy the Tide.” Tip for the soon to be married – pick your battles wisely ;). 4 bucks is not worth it. We got the name-brand Bounce dryer sheets too. (Why we even need dryer sheets at all is beyond me)

This came to mind today as I was flipping through a free trial issue of Consumer Reports magazine I received. They compared 24 laundry detergents, and guess which was a CR Best Buy and beat out Tide? Yep, Kirkland Signature. Which got me to thinking, what products are we okay with ‘going generic’ with, and which are we not? Any why? It’s actually pretty funny, and doesn’t really make much sense at times.
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