Grateful

Lots of wonderful things have been happening lately, my friends have been incredibly supportive, and I thought I would write about a few of them.

Last week I wrote about my own personal challenge to see how long I can go without grocery shopping. It will be a week tomorrow, but so far I am doing pretty good. I still have plenty of things in the cupboards and plenty of culinary choices! I gave myself one exception - I could purchase items if I had to make or bring something to a gathering. Well, as it turns out I had a company potluck on Friday. However, I was able to make a delicious black bean salad with many ingredients I already had. I did have to pick up an extra can of beans, a can of corn and some cilantro, but I was able to pay for most of that with bottle returns - and the bottle return slip of a friend that went with me to the store. (Thanks Philip!)

Speaking of gatherings, I had a bridal shower on Friday night for friends of mine. At the end there was quite a bit of food and beverages left and when Maureen emphatically stated she didn't want to take it all home and asked if anyone would take anything I was right there with my hand up - and she loaded me up good. I was glad I had brought one of my extra tough cloth bags with me. I promised I would mention her in my blog - so here you go Maureen!! Thank you so much! I am having sliced cucumbers with my lunch today (The chicken salad is long gone, it was soooooo good.)

Speaking of generous folks, a friend of my mother's gave me a dinning room table and chairs! I am still getting settled into the house, but let me tell you, when you go from a 400 square foot apartment to a 2300 square foot house - that leaves a lot of blank space. One room that was empty was the dinning room as I had given my ex the table and chairs in the split. My mother has been looking for a dining set for me and it turns out that her friend Marilyn had one to give. My friend Kate had received the offer of a similar free couch from her mom, so she and I pooled resources and brute strength and rented a truck from Home Depot and picked up both the couch and dining set. Total cost was $20. Not bad at all!

To be honest, my new dining room table and chairs are a bit on the ugly side. Ok, more than a little - and this isn't the kind of ugly you can fix. However, beggars can't be choosers! I am planning on painting the table legs (which are a lovely mixture of 80's brass and wood) and then throwing a table cloth over the top. Unfortunately it can't be refinished because the top is veneer. The chairs.... well, umm.... they are comfortable. Ok, they are bad. And dirty. And there is no fixing them. They are upholstered and the frames are not good enough to recover. However, they will be perfectly fine until four new chairs find their way into my life.

I also got free entertainment, courtesy of a friend. Saturday Catie, David, Tommy and I got free tickets to see "The Antiques Roadshow" thanks, once again, to Philip! It was a long, long day of standing in line (funny, they don't show that part of tv) but fun for all of that. I will write more on that later, but the tickets were coveted and I was very lucky to get one.

And of course, I continue to be grateful to my sister Meg and friends Catie and Jen who have given me things to post on eBay. I am splitting the profits with Catie and Jen, but my sister said I can keep whatever I make. I have to laugh though - of the box of items my sister gave me - an awful lot of them I ended up keeping!

Another thanks to Passive Family Income, who put up this post: Make Money By Being Green. I used the links on recycling cell phones and was able to get a $8 visa card from My Bone Yard for an old cell phone I had laying around.

At one time, not so long ago, I used to be so stiff necked that I wouldn't accept help from anyone. I had a real hard time with taking "charity" though, oddly enough I had no problem giving it. I'm getting better at realizing that helping each other out is all part of what friendship is really about. By not being able to receive as well as give, I was shutting off half of my friendships. Of course, I have no wish to take advantage, but being open is part of what life should be about!

More to read:

Grocery store challenge - A Few Dollars Here, A Few Dollars There

Passive Family Income - New Ideas for Reducing Our Monthly Food Budget

eBay - Books Selling eBay vs Amazon vs Half.com

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How to Stop Being Depressed About Money

Today I was reading an article by Laura Rowley entitled, "High Anxiety: Americans' Top Financial Fears Revealed." Basically the article outlined a lot of what we know already - people are worried about their finances. Across the nation people are concerned about the rising cost of living, the economic situations, the housing crisis, their savings and their debt.

I understand. At the beginning of this year I was not only depressed but scared witless. I didn't know how I was going to make my bills. I've always had fairly good credit, thought myself pretty good with money - yet suddenly it felt like "bankruptcy" and "foreclosure" were not that far off. I thought I had made good choices in my life, yet here I was - broke. It wasn't even that I wanted anything big. I just wanted to be able to stop worrying. I didn't need a ton of money - just enough to pay my bills and maybe buy a little something when I wanted it. Now I was fretting every time I went to the gas pump, let alone every time I went to the mailbox.

Money is such a hard thing to talk about. Give Me Back My Five Bucks just wrote a post about how personal finance is still such a big taboo in people's lives. It is true - one of the worst things about money is that people feel they can't talk about it. That is what adds to the depression - you feel alone, helpless, without even knowing where to start.

Here are Dawn's tips to pulling out of the money depression and learning to feel peaceful again:

1. Ask yourself these questions:
What am I scared of? What benefits am I getting from being depressed about money? What would it feel like not to be depressed about my finances? If I wasn't, what would I be doing? Do I want to change? Am I ready to try?

2. Face the Fear
Depression about money frequently comes from fear. I certainly did for me! It is the fear of the unknown - what is going to happen, how am I going to deal with it? The first thing you need to do is get a handle on what is really happening with your money. You've heard of getting over a fear by facing it? It is the same thing! Sit down and start figuring out how much money is coming in each month. That one is usually pretty easy - look to your pay stubs. The next one is harder - figure out where your money is going. It helped me to gather monthly statements from every one of my bills - from the car payment to the utilities to my Netflix subscription.

3. Take Control
Now that you got the facts and figures, you can start making a budget. There are lots of resources online for how to do it. Take a look at BeingFrugal's article on it, for example.

Then once you've made a budget, start using it. Also start looking for ways you can cut costs, save money and earn more. There are countless ways to start changing your situation, but the important thing is, once you start moving towards a goal, you find you feel a lot better. It doesn't mean you still won't get in a funk - I have periods of "money blues" but knowing I have a goal and working towards it has kept me out of depression - and foreclosure.

4. Get informed.
There are hundreds of great blogs and articles out there on nearly everything under the sun when it comes to finance. I've put links to some articles and books I have found especially helpful on the bottom of this post, but look around. PFBuzz for example, has some great articles - and you can rate them as to how well they helped you.

5. Regularly review your goals.
Sometimes it can be easy to get off track. I know that there are times when I am very motivated and focused and putting a lot of energy into it - and then something happens: an illness or even a vacation, and it all goes to the wayside. It can be tough to get back on track. That is why it a good idea to make financial goals, review them frequently, and keep track of how you are doing. If you keep a notebook (or like me a blog) that outlines your success - that can be a real moral booster when times are hard.

6. If all else fails seek a professional.
Depression can be a very serious problem. Seek professional help if you need to - whether that is a counselor, therapist, minister, or financial adviser. Yes, these may cost money, but many have programs for people with financial difficulties - and your health is one of your best assets to get your life back on track.

More Suggested Reading on the Web:

BeingFrugal.net - How to Make a Budget That Works
Financial Ramblings - 19 FREE Personal Budgeting Spreadsheets
Consumerism Commentary - The Correct Way to Pay Off Personal Debt: The Debt Avalanche
I've Paid for This Twice Already - Using Language as Motivation
Fighting Foreclosure - 8 Tips to Help You Fight Foreclosure
Sue Meyers - Getting Rid of Depressed Feelings
Laura Rowley - Four Habits of Financially Peaceful People

Suggested Reading - Books:

Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny

Pay It Down! : From Debt to Wealth on $10 a Day

How to Invest $50-$5,000 9e: The Small Investor's Step-By-Step Plan for Low-Risk, High-Value Investing

Photo by Dailyinvention

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Kiva Loan - Repaid!

At the beginning of last month I wrote about Kiva and being a lender for that non profit organization. This week I have gotten two fantastic emails about my two loans at Kiva.

The first was that one of my loans was completely repaid. I chose to lend $25 dollars towards a loan taken out by Grace Cramson in Cape Coast, Gahana. Here is information about her business from the journal on her loan page:

Grace Cramson runs a very beautiful restaurant. Its views look up into the surrounding hills covered in palm trees and vegetation. Grace used her loan to increase her product line as well as stock up on beverages. Demand at her restaurant has slightly fallen off, but she plans to change this by installing speakers to play music to attract potential customers walking the street. Customers have been suggesting this to her for quite some time, but now she plans to take their advice. Between this loan and the next loan, she plans to take; she hopes to be able to save enough money so she can buy the restaurant outright. She currently rents the land, but her dream has always been to own it herself.

Now that the money has been repaid, I have several choices. I could re-lend these funds to a new entrepreneur, withdraw them into a PayPal account or I could donate them to Kiva's operational expenses. Even though I am struggling to make my ends meet, when read the bios of the people seeking loans, it is an instant reminder that my life is pretty darn good. Though it would be easy for me to withdrawal the money and add it to my monthly totals, I plan instead on finding another loan to help fund.

The second notice was that Sopheap Chea, who took out a $1,000 loan to expand her scarf weaving business in Cambodia, made a $50 payment on her loan, bringing the amount she has repaid up to $300. Her loan has a repayment term of 20 months, to be paid monthly. Here is a bit from the website:

Today we drove out to the Kean Svay district of Kandal province, a rural area approximately thirty minutes outside of Phnom Penh, to meet with Sopheap and hear how her business was doing since she received her Kiva loan. Even though business has been very slow, Sopheap continues to work hard weaving kromas, or traditional Khmer scarves, and has managed to consistently repay her Kiva loan on time.

Sopheap needed a Kiva loan several months ago because she and her husband had just spent a large amount of money renovating their house. Sopheap’s aging mother lives with them and the couple wanted to build a toilet for her, as the other one was too far away and a strain on her very weak knees. After this was completed they had little left over to purchase new threads for the couple to weave. They were very appreciative of their Kiva loan, which allowed them to continue their business as usual.

With her Kiva loan Sopheap had planned to expand her business weaving kroma by using the capital to purchase new thread and invest in a fourth loom, hoping to increase her production. She was able to purchase both of these as hoped but has in the past month or so seen a decline in the demand for kroma. Sopheap works through a middleman, selling her finished products to him to resell in markets and other villages. The beginning of the nation-wide legislative lection season a few months ago saw a spike in demand for kromas, as various parties purchase them and give them to potential voters in exchange for their support. However, the waning of the election season has brought with it a decline in the demand for kroma, and the middleman with whom Sopheap works has significantly decreased the number of Sopheap’s kromas he is willing to buy.

Sopheap is worried about the coming months and hopes that business picks up again. However, she recognizes she might need to move into a more lucrative industry and is already considering alternative businesses, such as preparing and selling food to sell to workers at a nearby garment factory, if she feels that she can no longer support her family through weaving. Regardless of the line of work she chooses, she hopes to make enough money to continue sending her children to school so they can someday pursue university educations.

I hope her business turns around!

Related Links and Articles:

- Kiva.org
- Why I am a Lender at Kiva
- Forbes Magazine: When Small Loans Make a Big Difference
- Wall Street Journal: Microlending for Microbankers

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A few dollars here, a few dollars there...

Money continues to trickle in from Amazon, eBay and Half. All of the money I have earned this month, except for $15, is from bank interest and sales through Amazon. I have several items up on eBay right now with watchers, so we'll see how they do as the auctions close. I have also been selling Catie's DVDs - the money from them isn't a lot, and we'll be splitting it 50/50, but hey - every penny helps!

Unfortunately with this month comes three major gifts to buy... ah well, these things happen! Two of them I am going to be able to save money on by using ebates. Here's an example: I have a Barnes and Noble membership card which gets me 10% off purchases. In addition, I can get 4% rebate with eBates, and combining those together will really help!

The other spot of good news was that $15 was a refund check from a doctor appointment I had awhile back. I am not entirely sure how that worked out, but something must have changed since I changed insurance companies. In any case, any extra checks are always welcome!

So, one of the things I have been thinking about lately is an article I read over at The Simple Dollar. Here's a quote from it:

In Your Money or Your Life, Joe Dominguez hits upon the idea perfectly on page 27 with his description of a “gazingus pin”: “A gazingus pin is any item that you just can’t pass by without buying. Everybody has them. They run the gamut from pocket calculators and tiny screwdrivers to pens and chocolate kisses.”

His gazingus pin is books - so is mine. Apparently it is a lot of other people's as well - Wow did he stir up some controversy when he decided to give up buying them for a year!

I thought about his challenge, but you know, since I have started this blog and started watching my pennies - I don't have as much of an urge to shop. There once was a time when I'd walk into a bookstore and regularly spend $150. Now that just isn't likely to happen - especially since seeing how inexpensive books are on Half.com and Amazon. I tell you, I am not likely to ever pay full price for a book again! Some people who know me well would say that my other gazingus pin was shoes - but there was a difference. I could easily walk into a shoe store and not buy shoes, not so much with bookstores.

I don't think I have a gazingus pin anymore. That isn't to say once things settle down, that couldn't change, but I don't see it in my life right now. I rarely even go places where I can spend money. So, I was trying to think of a challenge for myself, one that would effect my bottom line, be a challenge, and could help my spending habits - and I found it - groceries. Now is the best time to shop the farmer's market, and the market is the one place I don't mind spending extra money. I love buying locally raised, fresh produce - plus it tastes better and is healthy for me. This time of year the market is bursting with great food, and I love taking advantage of it.

However, I realize that my pantries are pretty well stocked. I really don't need much right now, and yet still, I go to the market every Saturday morning. My goal is to see how long I can go without buying groceries for myself. I want to try to eat down the cupboards as far as I can this month. I already went shopping on the 1st, so I think I am stocked on staples - so let's see how I can do.

I will make two exceptions - 1) if people are coming over and I buy something for them and 2) if I need to bring something somewhere and don't have ingredients on hand.

Once the cupboards are bare, I will go back to shopping again!

What challenges are you undertaking right now? What kind of goals are you working on?

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Cabin Fever

Last month's victory has been moved down the sidebar, now it is onto August. I start this month with only my bank interest earned last month. It looks so puny there! It reminds me of how far I have to go.

So, this weekend I spent time up at my cottage. You know, one easy way to save the money I need each month would be to simply sell the cottage. If I were to do that, I could probably save close to the $900 I need each month. Between not spending money on the mortgage, utilities, gasoline and maintenance, I wouldn't need to struggle. Here I am - a single woman with two houses - what am I thinking???

Well, I won't deny it. I have thought about selling the cottage more than a few times. Back when I first started this whole venture in May - determined to try to come up with the money I need to keep myself afloat and out of foreclosure - I made a massive list. It was a list of everything I could do to earn more money and make all my bills. When I was done I put it in order - ranking it from easiest to hardest. Down near the bottom, right by borrowing money from family, was selling the cottage.

Selling the cottage isn't simple though. There are a number of reasons why I don't do it, some that are emotional, some that are practical. I'll put them behind the cut though - since one of them shows a less than pretty side of my personality:

Reasons I don't sell the cottage:

1. It is a heck of an investment property. I bought it severely under value. The gentleman I bought it from had found it when it was abandoned. He got it for a song, then did a bunch of work on it, then lent it to a tenant... who trashed it. When I came along he was going through a nasty divorce and had no desire to make any profit on the property, (if he did, he'd have to split it with his soon-to-be ex wife.) So I paid only what the mortgage was - $72,000. Properties in this area (on much, much smaller lots) are selling for $85,000 - $135,000. My place still needs some work, but even the last loan officer I had said it was a great property. Since I bought it, I have done a lot of work and the work continues. I haven't had it appraised in awhile, but I have no doubt that were I to sell it, I could do very well.

2. It is my haven. When I head up to the cottage all the stress and tension from my day to day life sort of melts away. It is so beautiful there, with the trees and the water - nature all around. I don't feel that way in town. There I am truly happy. This weekend I stayed through Sunday night and got up this morning to drive in to work. It hurt to leave - it always does. While I know in my head it is just a piece of land with house on it, I could sell it now and buy another one down the road... my heart is still very attached to that particular ground, to that particular house.

3. It has potential for passive income. One of the things I would like to do is eventually rent it out for the occasional week or weekend. I was hoping to do that this summer, but it still isn't quite ready. However, if I were to get it into shape, there is the possibility that it could help pay for itself. It seems foolish to sell an asset with that potential if it is possible to avoid it.

4. I don't feel like I have gotten all I can out of it. I still feel like there are things to explore, things to do, days to while away in the hammock. When I am "done" with things, I can sell them, but I am just not "done" with the cottage yet. If I had to sell it, I could, but if there is any way I can hold onto it, I will.

5. It may not be necessary. I don't want to sell the place until I am really down to the bottom of my list and desperate. If I can come up with the $900 a month I will be fine, I can support both homes. Finding passive income streams, saving money, doing what I have been doing, I think I can make this happen without selling it. (In fact, in May of next year my car will be paid off - that's another $300 per month.) It would be shame to sell the place I love just because I have to struggle a little harder the next couple of years. The cottage increases my quality of life, and that is awfully hard to put a price tag on.

And finally, the reason I am a touch ashamed of, but will confess none-the-less:

6. Pride. When my ex and I split, the deal was that he take the house and his rental property. I take my cottage. He welched on his end of the deal, now I have the house and the cottage. I have always suspected that part of the reason he did it was because he wanted to hurt me - and the only way he could was by making me sell the cottage. I am not very proud of the fact that my pigheadedness is one of the factors that keeps me going - the desire to prove to people I can do this, even in the face of some pretty stiff odds. I refuse to allow anyone to make me do something I don't want to do. If and when I sell the cottage I want it to be on my terms, because I have decided it is the right course of action - not because someone else tries to put me in a corner.

My therapist regularly reminds me that I have choices, when I start to feel overwhelmed and frustrated with all this money stuff. Sometimes I have to remind myself that she is right - I am in the situation I am in because I chose it, and as difficult as it may be sometimes, it is all mine by right.



Photo by mart3ll




And here is the rest of it.

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Money Tracking for July

I was really, really bad about money tracking last month. I try to write down and categorize every expenditure, but last month it just went awry. The beauty of my monthly budget system, however, is that each month I can start out fresh. I am determined to do far better in August in keeping track of numbers! Here are some things I do know:

Utilities:
I was under by both gas and electric this month, but only because I am counting those bills in the month I pay them - not in the month they occur. It works out far easier to do it that way for reconciliation at the end of the month. This month all I had to pay for was utilities used in the apartment. Now that I am in the house, that will jump up dramatically.

Gas:
I actually was way under my gas budget for the month. Probably because I was so busy in town I spent very little time up north. Also, I can't help but wonder if my new route home is making a difference in my mileage. In any case my budget was $150.00 (which I went through last month) and this month I spent $82.26.

Groceries:
I was over my grocery budget by about $50. Some of that is because I am slowly restocking my pantry. I love to cook, but in the apartment I had very little room to store staples. Now that I have more space I am filling out my pantries. In addition, I bought goodies for the garage sale - not much of which got eaten (so I am using it up myself) but it did add to the bottom line.

Entertainment:
Once again, I came way under in this category. I am hesitant to change it because I know come fall I will be seeing a lot of shows and so forth.

Miscellaneous:
Miscellaneous is just that - all the weird things that don't fit into any category. I was WAY over in this area. I budget for $50.00 - I spent $326.84. Ouch. But that included the new lawnmower, the parts for toilet and freezer, big spray and bug bombs for my shed which has been infested, my ironing board, some home gardening and home repair tools, a couple of small gifts... and so on. It is obvious to me that I am going to need a new line item for home repairs. The question is, how to fund it?

This month I had several small windfalls - the garage sale, the eBay sale of my mother's footstool and my security deposit from my apartment. I also got another $72 in a refund check from my home insurance because I am no longer paying extra to insure my exes computer and camera gear. Despite all the money I spent, I still came in way over budget. I want to keep most of that in my checking account as "rainy day" insurance, but I am using $100 of the garage sale money and putting it towards my credit card and another $50 and starting a Home Improvement account.

In the future I will fund my new Home Improvement account by with money from my end of the month reconciliations. In June I would have added $23.52. This month, because I went over, I wouldn't add anything. Of course, this is only assuming that all other goals are met for the month.

Of course, the downside of starting fresh for August means that my $900 meter gets reset. As of today, I don't have any extra income or job opportunities planned, so that means I need to hustle!



Photo by _ES

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Garage Sale vs eBay - What is the best way to sell your junk?

Passive Family Income asked if I thought I could have sold items for more using eBay or CraigsList than I did at the garage sale. For me, the answer would be "not really." Most of my items were priced at $2.00 and below. I had a few larger items, but not many. One of my "hot sellers" was the boxes of clothing my sister donated to the cause. She had expensive brand name clothes that she wanted sold, so I marked them all $2.00 a piece or 6 for $10.00. To sell each individual piece would have been a pain, and almost all of them had been worn, so I felt this was the best way to do it.

As a side note... a young lady came to sale and was having fun checking out the clothes. She bought a couple of sweatshirts but didn't have the $10 cash on her for the shirts and skirts she picked out. She was sweet and chatting with us, and I was more than happy to hold her things while she ran home to get more money. When she got back, she said her boyfriend said she didn't need that many and to only pick out two things. What could I do? I gave her all 6 items for $4.00. She was shocked and it was fun making her day.

While there were probably some items at the sale that could have perhaps benefited from CraigsList or eBay, you have to consider the time you are willing to spend. If you sell it on CraigsList you have to make an appointment to meet with someone to pick it up. That makes sense if you are selling something that is fairly expensive, but not as much for $1.00 vase. Same thing with eBay really. In order for me to sell it on eBay, I would want it to be something that will stand out, that for some reason would appeal to an online shopper. (Plus you have to be willing to go through the trouble of mailing it.) I listed a book light I had twice with eBay, with no success, but I sold it at the garage sale!

I will say that there were a few items of my sister's that I held back for eBay. There were some name brand Christmas ornaments, for example. I think I can get more than $2.00 for them, so I will post them. I also chose to list a bunch of books my mom wanted sold on Half and Amazon, rather than putting them out with the garage sale books.

My friends and I also have some things that were at the garage sale but didn't sell, that I will try to sell on eBay. Kate has a couple of wedding dresses that I will post, and Catie left me a bunch of candle molds, cake pans and DVDs. I already sold one of the DVDs I posted last night!

For me it just kind of depends on the item - a quick break down would be:

Collectible, Vintage, Antique - eBay

Media (books/cds/dvds) - Half.com or Amazon

Large expensive item - CraigsList (Especially if it is something you don't want to mail!)

Small inexpensive items you might otherwise give to the mission - garage sale

Small inexpensive items that I don't want to deal with selling - a local mission

Broken or oddball items that otherwise might end up in the trash - Freecycle

EDIT: Looking for more information on online book selling? I am compiling all my articles about my experiences in one place. Check them out at The Online Bookseller.

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Frugal is as Frugal Does - Bargains and Rip Offs of July

Some breaks downs of the frugal, and not so frugal, purchases of July:

Toilet Repair Cost:
Kit = $19.99
Misc. Parts = $9.23
Additional = 3 trips to Lowe's, 9 hours of time, one home cooked dinner

As you know, my tenant complained that her toilet was running. Well, I had this great book on home repair and not a lot of money, so I decided to tackle the problem myself. After diagnosing the problem and purchasing a kit to replace essentially everything in the tank (plus the gasket and tank-to-bowl screws) I went to work. The instructions in my book were great and really helpful, as were the instructions that came in the parts package. However, neither could help me remove some of the old parts - especially the ones that were rusted on. (Trip number 2 was a run to get some new tools.) The only problem I had, that wasn't covered in the book or in the instructions, was that I had a metal feed line between the water shut off and the flow valve. It was ancient and wonky and kept leaking! I worked on it for a long time - trying everything under the sun. Not knowing I could just replace it, I was about ready to call a plumber. But before I did, I remembered my friend Randy, who is absolutely brilliant with all things mechanical. He came over the next night, pointed out the problem and we made that 3rd trip to the home improvement store. We picked up a new feeder line ($4.25) and installed it. After a couple other minor adjustments, it was fixed! I promised him a home cooked dinner for his help.

Result:
Utilities savings = Reset flush to manufacturer's suggested height, which will save me about a 1/2 gallon per flush!

Plumber Savings = At the minimum $70 per hour - more if it had taken him longer or if he had to use his own parts.

New Knowledge = Seriously, I now feel like I could tackle most toilet repair problems. I learned a lot! The way I figure it, as long as I have a home, I'll have a toilet, and this knowledge will undoubtedly come in handy again.

Happy Tenant = I have lived in apartments where the landlords didn't fix problems, and I know how frustrating that can be. On the other hand, happy tenants are more likely to stay longer, pay their rent on time, and keep the place in good repair. That's all good for me.

DIY Toilet Repair = Bargain!

Freezer Door Replacement Seal:
New Seal = $80.00
Hex Screwdriver = ?
Petroleum Jelly = $4.49

The tenant also was having problems with her refrigerator running all the time. A quick look told me that it was a seal on her freezer gone bad. Because of the age of her refrigerator I had to special order the part. I picked it up today and hope I can install it soon. According to the directions I have read online it looks fairly easy, but I will have to see if I have a hex screwdriver (I think I do) and get some petroleum jelly. Apparently it is a good idea to put the jelly on the hinge side to keep it from sticking.

Result:
Cheaper than a new 'fridge = A quick looking around showed me that similar size refrigerators were about $375 - $400. I might be able to get one for less, but still, $80 is a good deal if the refrigerator lasts for a few more years.

More knowledge = I haven't tackled this one yet, but once again, here is my opportunity to learn something new.

Happy tenant = we covered this one already. Plus, she should see a drop in her electric bill.

DIY Freezer Repair = Bargain!

New Reel Lawnmower:
Cost for new mower = $133.94
Lots of frustration

I did a lot of research online about mowers before I made a decision. I finally decided to go with a reel push lawnmower for a number of reasons: 1) I have a very small yard, more like a series of very small squares, 2) It would use no gas or electricity, making it a frugal choice, and 3) It was the environmentally friendly choice. I found an open box unit of the Scotts mower I chose on sale online. However, when it arrived the bolts to put the handle on were missing. Naturally I discovered this the day I was going to mow my lawn before the garage sale. (So I did it with a borrowed weed wacker instead - told you my yard was small.) I have made a couple calls to the company and several emails. Yesterday I got an email saying they would be happy to send me the parts. Today I got an email from a different employee saying they wouldn't. If they resolve the problem in the next couple of days I will still consider this a success. If not, I will have to return the mower. (And I will then try to find one locally.) I'd have to pay for shipping if I return it, so that would be a disappointment.

Result:

Reel Lawnmower = Jury is Still Out... Check Back for Decision

New Dining Room Rug
Rug = Free!
Carpet Cleaner = Free!
Coffee House Gift Certificate = $20

My mother found a beautiful rug on clearance at a sidewalk sale. They had marked it down to $100, then when she stopped by later to $50. She asked if they would take $40 for it. (My mother is brilliant at that. It is a skill I wish I was better at!) Great mom that she is, she gave it to me for free. It was used as a display so it was a little dirty, but I gave it a vacuum and it cleaned up nicely. My coworker also lent me his carpet cleaner so I can clean it up the rest of the way. This is the second time I have borrowed it from him, so I thought a thank you gift card was in order.

Result:
Free rug = how can you go wrong with that?

My dining room looks better = happy Dawn.

Better looking dining room = will show better when it is time to sell.

New Dining Room Rug = Bargain!

Shipping Envelopes
Envelopes = $5.19

I have quickly run through all my small boxes and shipping envelopes for small items, so I decided to bite the bullet and order some padded envelopes. I used ebates to purchase them so I could get a rebate on the deal. Before buying I compared the cost of getting them through OfficeMax or Office Depot. Office Depot was offering a 3% rebate on all purchases and they had large quantities of envelopes. OfficeMax only had smaller quantities, but was offering a 6% rebate. I assumed that larger quantity would equal smaller cost per unit (wouldn't you?) and was prepared to buy from Office Depot - until I did the math! Actually, the smaller packs at OfficeMax were cheaper per unit! Not by much, but hey, "out of pennies, dollars are made." Oh, and this was before the rebate.

Result:
The cost will be added to the S&H costs of my eBay items. I keep shipping at exactly what it costs me, but in the case where I have to pay for materials to ship in, that will be added in.

Buying online (and doing my research) = savings on gas money and frustration.

Because the eBay purchasers will be paying for the envelopes, but will I'll be getting my ebates rebate = free money.

Shipping Envelopes = Bargain!

Brassieres from Big Lots: (Now, that's just fun to say - go on, try it!)
3 bras @ $6.00 = $18.00
Gas to return them.

I don't usually shop at Big Lots, they just aren't on my typical route. But, the other day I was out to lunch and saw a Big Lots nearby and decided to stop in. Once and awhile you can find some nifty things. Well, I found bras.

That's right, bras. They had boxes of the Delta Burke brassieres on sale. Perhaps if I had seen this photo of Ms. Burke I would have been forewarned against buying them. Since I hadn't, I foolishly went ahead.

They were all marked with original tags at $24 - $26, but the sale price was measly $6. Since it is not easy to find undergarments in my size, I quickly picked out 3 of the finest and figured I'd give it a shot. Well.... I am not sure who Ms. Burke was designing for but ummmm, yeah, she should leave the designing up to others. While technically they "fit," they offered zero support. Despite the fact I was buying in the *ahem* larger sizes, these things would have made me look like I had cantaloupes in nylon stockings. Bad I tell you, bad! On top of that they gave me the weirdest Jane Mansfield bullet bra but far, far worse shape I have ever seen!! The awfulness actually cracked me up.

Result:
I had to return them, pronto. And you just knew it would be a guy working the return counter didn't you?

Lesson learned - don't by bras from Big Lots or Delta Burke.

Bras From Big Lots - Disaster!

Stay tuned - I am sure this will be a regular feature on my blog. Plus, you just know you want to find out how the saga of the lawn mower comes out, don't you? (I do!)

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End of the Month Reflections

Well, I have said it before, and I will say it again - July was one expensive month. I am glad I was able to hit over my goal. Some of my unexpected expenses were:

A New Lawn Mower
Toilet Repair Parts
New Freezer Seal
Ironing Board
Medical Expenses
Shipping Materials for eBay

Next month I am going to have to really buckle down. I am not going to use the overage amount from this month to carry it to the next. There was just too much going on. I am still sorting out my receipts, but I am fairly sure I blew through every budget.

My goal for next month is to get the majority of the items up on Amazon, eBay or Half.com. I was caught up, but after the garage sale I have a number of items, both my own and my friends', that I need to post. I also need to organize that room into something that makes sense so it works for easy of storage, mailing and posting.

I am also determined to get the third garage stall cleaned out. That could be a nice passive income rental for me. I got a lot cleaned out, but then had to move things back in for the sale. Basically what I need to do is organize my own two stall garage and move everything that has been stored out of the one stall. I think it should come together nicely and hopefully if I get it advertised next month someone with a boat or jetski will snatch it up before winter.

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House Painting

One of the good things that happened at the garage sale was that I met someone that I might hire to paint my house. He stopped by to check out the sale and we started chatting. I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but the house is in severe need of a paint job. My mother scathingly calls it an "eyesore."

The paint is peeling off the house like a Dutch girl with a severe sunburn. After talking with some of my neighbors, (who also happened to swing by the garage sale,) I found out why. Just before my ex and I bought the house it was owned by a young couple. His father was a teacher that painted houses in the summer months. Now, my ex and I knew when we bought the house that the paint job was bad, but we felt like it could hold up for a few years. We didn't realize how bad it really was... every windstorm our driveway would look like a light blue snow had fallen - the paint was just flaking off the house. As I hoped to prevent that problem in the future, I always wondered why. I knew they had used good quality paint, what did they do wrong? My neighbors were able to fill in the clues. Apparently they had spray washed the house and then two days later painted it - without priming it.

One of my neighbors said he warned them that you can't paint a house when it is still wet, but apparently they didn't listen. So now, this 5 year old paint job looks like it was put on 30 yeas ago. I have known since I took over the house that I would need to get it painted sometime before I sold it, I just wasn't looking forward to it - the last quote we got on painting it was $7,000. As you know, I am struggling each month as it is!

So, this gentleman and I got to talking and he offered to give me a quote. I told him to go ahead - but was very honest about my financial situation and that I just wasn't sure I could afford to get it done this year. His quote - $5,500. That included everything, scraping and painting by hand, the paint, the trim - all of it. Let me tell you, this is a big old house! You can see it in the photo on the right sidebar there. (No, that isn't it in the top photo - and I promise not to paint my house orange.) My house was built in 1847 and is 2,800 square feet. It is an old Victorian home, with all the frills and fancy trim that implies. The painter even offered to use as many different colors as I wanted. (I have several big sunburst wood designs, currently they are all red. He offered to paint them multi-colors if I wished, which is very popular in my neighborhood.) He even offered to quote me two ways - one getting the house completely painted, and two doing it two sides at a time - so I didn't have to come up with all the money at once. I appreciated him being willing to work with me. I also really liked that he lived in my neighborhood, he is someone who understands these big old wood homes.

While the last thing I want to do is take on more debt, I admit I am very tempted. I have a friend of mine who has done some house painting and I want to get his opinion. The question will be if I want to do it this summer or wait. This is the kind of investment I would feel good about doing - it would significantly improve my property value and make the home all that easier to sell. While I am still thinking about staying 3 years in the house, I would like to open up all possibilities - maybe I will stay there 10 years, maybe just one. To have this freedom would be a great thing.

I'm not going to make any decisions yet. I need to do some investigating on how I would want to finance this and really whether I can even do it at this time, but it is certainly something to think about!




Colorful photo by Big Grey Mare

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Garage Sales - Are They Worth It?

Friday and Saturday my best friends and I hosted a garage sale at my house. Our total take was over $600, mine was close to $200. Not bad, but the question remains: are garage sales worth it? And the answer is...

Yes and No.

I have a fairly good idea what my time is worth. Working hard all last week and then manning the sale from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for two days, plus spending money on snacks and other items - I know I did not make money in the long run. However, if you turn it around and consider the positives, I have to say I am really glad I did it. Here's why:

1. I got rid of a lot of stuff that was laying around the house - things that I didn't need or didn't want to look at anymore, like the topiaries I made for my wedding - gone! I went through the house from attic to basement, and now I can say with authority that while I may not need everything I have, I know what I have and made the choice to keep it. That's a pretty good feeling.

2. If I hadn't sold it, I would have given it to St. Vincent De Paul. It wasn't like these were things that I wanted to keep - selling it got me a few shekels and saved me the expense of driving it to the mission. In addition, there were some items that remained that I will be selling on eBay. I promised my friends I would split it 50/50 with them, so money will continue to trickle in.

3. The most important reason - I got to spend two days with my best friends in the world, sitting outside, enjoying the gorgeous weather, talking, laughing and generally enjoying ourselves. I don't know that we will have enough junk laying around to have a sale every year, but I could see this being a bi-annual thing, if only for the opportunity to spend time with hanging out!

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Garage Sale

I am posting this in advance, since Thursday I am going to be spending the day prepping for my garage sale. That’s right - I am having a big sale! Several of my best girlfriends and I are getting together to hang out, enjoy each other’s company, and hopefully sell some junk! I found a fair amount of stuff I could let go while moving, and this will get me ahead for next month - especially after how expensive July has been!

My mother and sister have both chipped into the sale by offering several boxes of stuff. If I get it sold, they are letting me keep the loot. Family can be wonderful! I am looking forward to going through the boxes, since I may find a few treasures I can unload on eBay. I am especially excited about my sister’s stuff - she is a woman with cool stuff. I may find a few items for my sadly empty house. Free stuff is a very good thing!.

In addition mom brought over a whole pile of books I am going to be putting up on Half.com and Amazon. More and more I am loving book sales. While it isn’t as steady as eBay, it is far more relaxing. You put the books up... and wait. There is no photo taking or descriptions to write. The downside of course is that Half and Amazon’s commissions are far, far higher.

Photo by lantzilla

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Tips on Where to Find a Reliable Handyman in Your Area

One of the very exciting things I have been doing is taking home improvement classes each Saturday. There is a nonprofit organization in my neighborhood that offers free classes in home repair. So far I have taken classes in Porch Repair, Cement Repair, Roofing, Exterior Door Installation, Window Replacement, and Brick Walls and Walkways. They've been great! I have always been fairly handy, but I didn't feel like I knew how to make home repairs. Now I do.

In almost every class, the instructor has offered some tips for finding good contractors and handymen. I thought I would pass them on. Here they are:

Tips for Finding a Good Handyman or Contractor in Your Area

1. Ask friends, neighbors and coworkers for referrals. This is the best way to find someone. Ask around - people are always happy to share their success stories!

2. Don't know of anyone who has had remodeling done? In our area we have Habitat for Humanity and other non-profit home building groups. One of my instructors recommended calling places like this and asking them for a list of referrals. He said that many of the contractors that work for companies like these are semi-retired and looking to give back to their communities. If you live in the inner-city or an older home (like I do) these people will frequently know the area and the type of construction.

3. In my Installing Windows class the instructor suggested using Angie'sList.com. They are a website you can join to read reviews on contractors, handymen, landscapers and mechanics that other people have used. After your work is done, you can in turn rate them. They receive over 5,000 reviews a month!

A couple other tips:

1, If you are hiring a contractor, make sure they have a license. In Michigan, a license is required. They get not only a copy to hang in their office, but also a small wallet sized one to carry with them. Be sure and ask if they are licensed.

2. Make sure they are insured. Especially if you are doing a big project, but even on the little ones. If something goes wrong, you want to know you are covered.

3. Ask them for references. Ask them for the phone numbers of people they have done work for. Every handyman, landscaper or contractor should have customers who will be happy to talk to you and tell you about their experience.

There are some jobs I can do myself, and some jobs I will need to hire out. I want to save money, but if the work isn't done right, then it is only going to cost me more in the long run.

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DIY Home Repair

Wow. July has been one expensive month! I am still sorting through receipts trying to figure it all out. I am glad I was over budget on income, because I am behind on savings!

In another post, I talked about the pros and cons of being a landlord. I had real life experience with that this weekend. The tenant emailed me last week to tell me that she was going to be out of town and would I check her refrigerator. It didn't seem to be keeping things cold anymore, despite the fact she had it on the coldest setting, and it was running constantly. She also mentioned that the toilet was running every hour or so. (Sometimes I wonder why she didn't bring this stuff up when my ex was her landlord. Did she have to save it for me??)

Frankly, I don’t know anything about refrigerator repair. So, I took a look on Google and found the Acme How To Web Site. It turned out to be really helpful! (I have bookmarked that site and will be going back often.) With the web site's help and going by the description of the problem the tenant had given me, I narrowed it down to three possible problems: Dirty condenser coils, a bad seal, or a bad switch. I printed off the instructions for each and headed up to her apartment.

I kind of assumed that the problem was the condenser coils - the refrigerator is older and I doubt the back of it has been cleaned in awhile. I quickly realized that they way it is built in, there was no way I could move it myself. I called Catie who said she’d come on over and give me a hand... but it turned out unnecessary. As I reached up to see if I could even move the refrigerator a little - I felt water. Looking at the side of the freezer I saw condensation, and instantly figured out the problem. The seal had gone bad. It was pulled and distorted out of shape letting freezing air out into the sweltering apartment. The web site had been right and the problem was not good! Using a flat headed screw driver I was able to push it back into place enough that it stopped the problem. Air still leaked a little, but finally the refrigerator stopped running. It was obvious though that I would have to replace the seal. Because it is an older unit and an odd brand, I had to special order the part - which will run me $80. Fortunately my quick fix should hold it until the new part comes in a few days, but I wish it had been dirty condenser coils - all that would have taken was some elbow grease.

Then it was on to the toilet.

Lifting the tank and watching the mechanism, the problem was once again pretty clear. Water was slowly leaking into the tank. Somehow the flapper valve had gone bad. I recently purchased a book on home repair, and felt willing to tackle the toilet issue.

Well... 7 hours later, 2 trips to Lowes, 1 trip to Home Depot, $30, several asprin and a “helpline” call and assist from my friend Randy later, and I now know more about the inner workings of toilets than I ever thought I would know. In many ways the experience was really good. I learned a lot. And actually, I was able to do 98% of the work myself. I would have been able to do the whole thing, had one step not been skipped in both my home improvement book and instruction manual.

It was a lot of work though. I replaced everything inside of the toilet, including putting in new screws and a new feed line from the water shut off. It probably wouldn’t be bad at all if I had to do it again, but it was a moderately challenging project considering I had never worked on a toilet before! On top of that some of the old parts were rather difficult to remove. Nonetheless the toilet is repaired and seems to be working well.

While, I know I saved a lot doing the work myself, still that $110 hurts a little - and that is just a small part of what I spent so far!

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8 Tips to Help You Fight Foreclosure

I started this blog in May to help me track and make some sense of my financial situation. What can I say? I have a mortgage I can't afford. If I could sell the house, I would, but it just won't sell in this market. My goal for Fighting Foreclosure was to document my own struggles as I pull myself out of my own "pit of despair." I know I am not alone out there, there are so, so many people dealing with the same thing I am. In fact, just recently I saw foreclosure rates are up 74.1% in my area!

Here are Eight Tips to Help Fight Foreclosure:

1. Track all your expenses.
Tracking every penny isn't easy (I still struggle with it,) but it can really help you see where your money is going. See if you are spending small amounts on frivolous purchases. I know sometimes it seems silly to save $1 here and $.50 there - and it is hard to see how that can make your house payment, but from pennies, dollars are made. Track everything - food, gas, cable, entertainment expenses, utilities, car payments - whatever you spend money on. Then look for ways to decrease these costs.

2. Use your assets.
Look around you - what do you have that can earn you extra income? Both your physical assets and your intellectual assets can earn you money.

Physical assets - the first question is, is there anything you can sell? I've been able to earn a bit each month by selling books on Amazon, Half and eBay. I am also having a garage sale in a week. But think outside the box - look for things that can give you a stream of money each month. For example, do you have a spare bedroom? I noticed on Craig's List lots of people, particularly college students, looking for rooms to rent. Not all of them needed a place for a full year, some just needed a place for a few months while they were between home and college. I really don't want roommates, but if I get to that point, these are the kinds I will be looking for. I have an extra garage stall I don't need, so I am looking to rent that out.

Intellectual assets - are there other things you can do? Can you earn extra money babysitting, tutoring, landscaping, sewing, cleaning, ghost writing? What do you know how to do that other people will pay you for? This may mean freelancing or perhaps getting a second job.

3. Make a To-Do List
Sit down in a quiet place with a piece of paper and pen and write down any way possible you can make money or save money - no matter how crazy, or how distasteful, it might be. Following up on that $20 you loaned a buddy 15 years ago in college or having to borrow money from mom may not actually make the cut, but write them down anyway. Then go through and rank them from easiest to do to least likely to do. For example, one of the easiest and "no-brainer" things for me was to simply follow up on a rebates I was owed but hadn't received. On the bottom of my list? Borrowing from relatives. Once you have made your list - go to it! Once you start you will be surprised at how fast things start to come together.

4. Get Informed
There are lots and lots of great Personal Finance blogs out there. Start reading them - many have great tips on subjects like earning extra income, frugal living and dealing with debt. I read the folks on my blog roll and I also check out the ones on pfbuzz. Reading personal finance blogs has given me tons of great ideas as well inspiration to keep going.

5. Speak to Your Other Billing Companies
I took a look at some of my bills and was able to reduce my insurance costs considerably. If you are already over your head and it looks like you can't make your payments - call them. Talk to your utility companies and credit card companies and explain the situation. Keep in contact with them. Explain this is a temporary situation and tell them what you are planning to do about it. This is why having The List is important.

6. Call Your Lender/s
Don't wait for them to visit you! Foreclosures aren't good for anyone - banks included. It is in their best interest to help you stay in your home, but not if you don't make the effort. Call them and tell them the situation and keep them informed every step of the way.

7. Consider getting a HUD Counselor to Help
I am not a financial expert, if I was, I wouldn't be in this situation myself! Get help from a pro. There is a map of HUD Approved Counseling Centers here.

8. Breathe
No one wants to go into foreclosure or lose their home. It is a horrible thing. Keep in mind though, it is happening to Americans everywhere - you are not alone. This will not kill you. It may make things harder for awhile, but it isn't the end of the world. You will survive even this!


Additional Reading:
For more tips and ideas, check these other reasources -

The Simple Dollar's Exploring The Latte Factor: What a Latte Really Costs You
Save, You Fool's 101 Ways I Saved Money This Year
Passive Family Income's New Ideas for Reducing Our Monthly Food Budget
Master Your Card's Do It Yourself Debt Settlement Plan
www. HUD.gov's Help for Homeowners Facing the Loss of Their Home

If you have other articles that would make great reading, please add them in the comments!

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July Goal Made!

Can you hear my long slow sigh of relief?

So, how did I boost my income by $878.78 in two days? Simple - two windfalls for over $400 each.

Windfall One:

The security deposit from the apartment. I've been waiting on it, but afraid to count on it. On my last apartment my landlords nicked me for $125.00 in "cleaning fees" even though I left the place spotless. So this time, I wasn't sure what to expect. Granted, me and a friend cleaned this place top to bottom (even sitting on the refrigerator to clean the ceiling fan in the kitchen) but still, I hate to count chickens before they are hatched. Also, landlords here have 30 days to mail your deposit. I hoped I would get it in July, but there was always a possibility of it not hitting until the first part of August. I lucked out though, it came last night!

Windfall Two:

A very happy eBay sale! My mother had given me a Baker Furniture footstool she had purchased awhile back. She had told me that I could expect it to get around $100-$150.00. The auction just closed an hour ago or so and to my shock it actually sold for over $400!! I had to quick call and tell her! She told me she wished she had warehouse full of them for me to sell - hee! Me too!

Still as great as this is, windfalls certainly aren't something that I can count on. In fact, this month was not looking so good until today. That tells me that I can't rest on my laurels - I have to keep pushing. There may be times ahead where I won't come near my goal. If I can plan ahead, so much the better.

In fact, this month (all 17 days of it) was looking a bit rough for me for a number of reasons. For one thing, I have had a harder time tracking my spending than I did last month. Writing down everything that I spend is really hard for me and for some unknown reason, this month I haven't been able to do it at all. I am pretty good at collecting receipts, but when I am using cash it is a real problem. I have a little notebook just for the purpose, but somehow I find it easy to forget. Or worst yet - I think I will remember... then I forget. I have to do better over the next two weeks, just so I can get on track again.

My other issue is that I have finally come to the conclusion that I need to buy a lawnmower. I borrowed Catie's weedwacker the other day and was able to make my lawn much flatter - which is all I was really looking for. (As you can tell, my lawn is really small if I can do it with a weedwacker!) It looks a tad rough, but far better than it did with the weeds growing in it! I am looking at a couple of options, but in any case, I expect it will run me over $100. I hate spending that kind of money, but I don't want the mailman to get lost in my jungle of a front yard either!

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PFBuzz and Personal Finance Bloggers

Awhile back, about the time I first started blogging, I joined pfbuzz. I was looking for ways to connect with other folks out there, people who are doing what I am doing - or have already done it.

It is a neat site - a constantly changing compilation of articles by people like myself, who are writing about personal finances. The articles are sorted into categories like Credit and Debt, Making Money, Investing, and my personal favorite, Frugality. I love reading other people's financial blogs, and this gives me a way to get a sampling of other ones that are out there! I have even submitted a few articles myself. The nice part is (other than the fact it is free, which is always good) is that once you sign up you can rate other people's articles. I look for highly rated articles to read, but I also like being able to vote on how useful I personally found the article. If you are at all interested in reading more on the kinds of things I write about and whole lot more, I say - check it out!

Here are a couple of articles I came across today from poking around on there:

SavingAdvice.com wrote this interesting piece called How Much Cash Do You Keep at Home?

I had to read that, because frankly - I don't keep any, unless you count my bag full of recyclable pop cans and the change jar I have on my desk. This article makes some good points as to why it might be a good idea... and why it is not a good idea to hide it from burglars! After reading that, I also had to check out his other post, The Best Place to Hide Money: Conversation With a Burglar. Fun stuff - but useful too.

I have said before that Money Blogs Make Me Happy. Sometimes I get a bit depressed when I think about everything that is weighing on me. Reading other blogs help remind me that there are people who are in far worse situations than I am, and that there are people who have come out on top after it. It feels good, like being part of a community.

You know, I would recommend to anyone who is struggling with issues, whether they be financial or family or fixing up a house, that they should find bloggers out there who are writing about it. And I can almost guarantee that if you can think of a topic - there is someone out there writing about it!

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Selling X-Files Magazine Back Issues on eBay

I wrote awhile ago that a friend of mine offered to let me sell some of her things on eBay. She moved and left four large boxes full of items that need to be sold. We have a deal for a 50/50 split on whatever I am able to make from the sales.

Many of Jen's things are pop culture, and a lot of them are X-Files collectibles, particularly back issues of magazines. I guess I didn't realize that there was a market for what I would consider fairly recent back issues of magazines - but there is. Today I sold two issues of Rolling Stone and both issues of Spin magazine that I have posted have bids on them. These magazines are from 1994-1998, approximately.

While there is a variety of magazines on different topics in the boxes, my goal is to get all the X-Files ones up first. The new movie opens July 25th, and I am hoping that the upcoming interest will spark people's imagination on eBay as well! The magazines (and action figures) are in great condition. I am determined to photograph and list as many of these items over the next week that I can. I am not sure how many there are total - but there are quite a few!

My goal has been to list 3 things a day, whether books on Half.com and Amazon, or items on eBay. Because my goal for the month is looking a little light, and the impending deadline of the X-Files movie, I am bumping that up to "as many as possible, with 3 being the minimum."

Here are a four things I like about selling back issues of magazines online:

1. They are easy to ship. I am sending all of these Priority mail, in which case the US Post Office provides free shipping materials. Magazines fit neatly into their packaging.

2. They are easy to store. As I photograph and post the magazines, I am putting them on a table I am using only for Jen's stuff. Magazines stack nicely and don't take up a lot of room. (Which is more than I can say for some of my mom's antiques!)

3. Cheaper fees. eBay fees are lower on books, magazines and music than on other types of items. I suppose it is because they want to compete with Amazon and other websites like that. The difference isn't significant, but every penny counts!

4. Typically you only need one photo for the listing. eBay will let you have one photo for free, but after that it is $.15 a photo. Now that isn't much, but again - every penny counts! When I sell mom's antiques, I like to have a fair number of photos so people can really see what they are getting. Unless there is something particular about the magazine (like damage) that I feel I need to display, one photo seems plenty.

Three Things I have learned about selling magazines on eBay:

1. Like books, condition matters. The Rolling Stone that was still in the plastic went for twice as much as the Spin magazine that wasn't. I also try to be very careful about being honest on the condition. I want bidders to know what they are getting.

2. List all the main articles in each magazine if you can. That way not only will the magazines I am posting appeal to the X-Files collector, they may also appeal to someone who wants a different article within the magazine.

3. The type of magazine matters. I don't think it is coincidence that the cool Rolling Stones and Spin magazines are getting bid on and the Newsweek with the X-Files cover isn't.

If you are thinking about selling back issues, here are some great articles by Auction Rebel that have helped me:

Selling Magazines on eBay
Selling Taunton Press Magazines on eBay



Photo by Phreak 2.0

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Divorced - Financial Lessons Learned

A coworker recently pointed out this article to me in the New York Times about How to Choose The Right Husband. I am not exactly sure what they were implying - the ink on my divorce papers is barely dry. It is going to be a long, long time (if ever) before yours truly would get hitched again. It is a good article though, I liked what it had to say. Having been married, I wish I had read this article before the wedding day - there were several items mentioned in it I could relate to - that should have been warning signs. I would be interested in reading the follow up on How to Choose The Right Wife.

I have written about my opinions as a divorce' on combining finances before. I was lucky, since our finances were already separate, I didn't have to worry about splitting up bank accounts or inheriting his debt. That doesn't mean however, that divorce isn't expensive, because it is. You've got the usual things that seem obvious, (like the cost of the lawyer,) but there is a lot more to it than that. First off, one of you is going to have to move out. That means expenses are going to get tricky. In my case, I moved, so suddenly I was paying my own utilities, rent, etc. on my own. That added up in a hurry! Then there is the re buying of items you have split. For example, the ex got both the dining room table and the lawnmower, so I am going to end up having to buy myself those at some point. It is those kinds of things you don't expect that gets you - let alone the money spent on kleenex, wine and Haagen Daas ice cream.

Master Your Card had a great article called 12 Things to Ask BEFORE the Wedding. If I did have the chance to do it again, I'd follow her advice plus do the following:

1. Ask what he makes a year. Then tell him what I make.
This has to be one of the biggest taboo questions I know. Couples will discuss politics, religion, favorite soda flavors* but they won't ask this one question. Look, the way I see it is this - this is the person you are entrusting to be there when you are old and craggy and need help wiping your butt. You seriously can't talk about how much your boss pays you? That's a problem.

2. Sometime before the wedding, each of us make a financial balance sheet - then show them to each other. There is a great article on beingfrugal.net about how to do it - and why. Basically, their contention is to do it in case someone gets sick or dies - especially the person who is in charge of the bills. I completely agree with that, but I also think it is really important for both people to know the financial situation. Just for my own knowledge I sat down and made my balance sheet. As the article said, it took me about an hour. I'll write more about the results in another post, but the important thing is that it quickly and clearly defined all my accounts in one easy page. Before I walked down the aisle again, I would want to know what I was getting into. Which leads me to #3 -

3. I wouldn't take anything for granted. In my situation, I assumed that my husband was making a very good wage, based on the way he acted. He seemed properly frugal, but at the same time, didn't mind indulging in extravagances like travel and dining out. He was a mature man, a small business owner who was very successful, and so, perhaps ashamed of my own foibles, I didn't ask. I should have. It wasn't until later that I found out he over 30 times the debt that I did... in credit cards alone! That is not to mention any other types of debt. How could I be so stupid? I was in love.

So many people end up going through divorce. It is sad. Maybe a few of them could be diverted if more people just talked to one another up front.




* What? You don't think soda flavors are personal? Try getting a Diet Coke drinker to see the beauty in a ice cold Pepsi.

Photo by Professor Frenchie

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Midweek Miscellany

Last month I was able to do some extra work to help raise funds. One of the jobs I did, (being an extra in a car commercial) I was paid on the spot for, but for the other (house managing,) I was mailed a check. I knew the check was supposed to be sent out sometime at the beginning of July, but I hadn't seen it yet. Since I have moved I was a bit concerned that it might have been lost in transit. So yesterday I contacted Shelly, the theatre manager, who sent me a form so I could have the check stopped and reissued... except that because they sent it to the correct address, it would cost me $20. I decided to wait a few more days to see if the post office would find me. Sure enough, last night I got home and there it was sitting in my mailbox. Hooray! That helped bump up my monthly goal, which I am glad of because I am looking a little light on income right now. I have a bunch more things to sell on eBay, so it looks like I had better be busy getting those posted.

Speaking of income, I have started work on cleaning out the extra garage stall. My garage has three stalls. Two are one unit with one door, but the third has a separate locking door. I am hoping to rent it out. It would be perfect storage space for someone with an antique car or a boat. It is going to take me a little while to do since there is a lot of miscellaneous junk in there right now - some of which is going to have to go to the dump, but I should have it ready to go by fall. This weekend I unscrewed some tool racks that were in there and rehung them in the 2 stall. Then I organized all my lawn equipment (shovels and what not) on them. It looks really nice. The next step will be sorting through all the assorted planting pots I have.

As another part of settling in, I am slowly changing my address on all my bills. I pay everything electronically, but the statements were still being mailed to my old address. As each one comes in I am evaluating whether I really even need my paper statements. In most cases, I don't. So, I am switching things over to email - it saves me a stamp to mail them the correct address and it saves in paper which is good for the environment! (By this method I saved myself $.84 today, and as we all know - out of pennies, dollars are made.)

One more quick thing on savings - recently I wrote about reevaluating my insurance - auto, home and life. Financial Ramblings has a neat article about car insurance and how the discounts are broken down. I found it interesting reading. Check it out if you get a chance.

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