Freitag Friday

Translation: Friday Friday

While traveling in Switzerland last year I stumbled on the coolest business I have ever seen. I walked into a boutique that was full of messenger bags, handbags, purses, backpacks, lap top cases, cell phone cases, pouches, wallets... pretty much every kind of bag you can think of. "Bags... how exciting...." you must be thinking.

But these bags are special.

They are made of Semi truck tarp "used truck tarpaulin", car seat belts, bicycle inner tubes, and used air bags.

Still don't think they are cool?

Listen to the story of how this company came to be, from their website http://www.freitag.ch/

In 1993 two bike riding designers (brothers, actually) lived next to a truck route in Zurich, Switzerland. Looking out of their kitchen one day, they thought it would be nice to have custom messenger bags made from one of those dirty 100,000 mile truck tarpaulins. They thought it would be unique, made only from recycled materials, and because the tarps are waterproof, the messenger bags would be waterproof, too!

They started off making the bags just for themselves, then their friends wanted them, and then shops and museums wanted them, too.

14 years later, each bag is still handmade, and still made from all recycled materials, and each one is still completely unique.

But now Freitag bags are sold worldwide! Worldwide!! Here in the United States 24 different cities sell Freitag bags!! Quite a jump from making two bags for themselves. These brothers have made their dirty truck tarps into high-fashion boutique wear.

There bag styles are called things like dragnet, night club, laura, top cat, dexter, renegade, fritz... and the list goes on.

Shop over 1,000 bags on their website. OR you can actually design your own bag online. They have a program that allows you to pick the type of bag you would like, and pick out of the truck tarps they have available, then click and drag your mouse around to make the bag look exactly how you would like it. Now tell me that isn't cool.

They even have a store made out of old railroad crates (don't quote me on that one but it was made out of old..... something.)

Being quite broke at the time all I could afford at the time was a wallet. And I believe that cost me around 35 US Dollars. And if you sniff the wallet it does have a slight stench. But it is my favorite wallet.... ever. It is in my purse at this very moment.

Why am I talking about this on my personal finance website? Because these guys are my personal finance heroes.

Unique idea.... check.

Took the chance to make it into a business... check.
Low cost of supplies.... check.
Great marketing.... can you say worldwide?.... um, check.

They literally took trash and made it treasure. Awesome treasure. Imagine if you could take something that is thrown out every day and make it into something that sells.

These guys are my heroes.

Extreme Frugality, an entertaining how-to guide

WARNING: These extremely frugal tactics are not for the faint of heart. Don't try these at home, kids.

I had fun imagining all of the extremely frugal things I could do to be frugal if I needed to be. They are quite funny to imagine, but I just couldn't do most of them. BUT, in case you are literally broke and hungry.... or just bored and have questionable morals, here are a couple examples of EXTREME FRUGALITY.

1. Stocking up on the free items they offer at the condiment station:

You'll never have to buy these items again:
-ketchup
-mustard
-straws
-napkins
-creamer
-salt
-pepper
-splenda
-jelly
-mints
-stir sticks
-wet naps
-sweet and sour sauce
-soy sauce
-taco sauce from Taco Bell
-Arby's sauce

(Ok, now visualize someone stopping by your place, and they open your pantry cupboard door for some reason, and instead of cans and bottles, you have bins and bins and bins full of packets. I think its hilarious)

2. Shopping for your school supplies at local businesses that offer logo pens, pads of paper, or whatever else they are offering.

3. Stop in for your daily coffee/lattes at your banks free coffee & cappuccino machine. I mean, they must owe you something after those overdraft charges you handed over to them before you got your finances together.

4. Score a free meal during sample day at the grocery store. Call all of your grocery stores ahead of time to find out when each store has sample day and plan your schedule around it.

5. Heck, even if its not sample day, go to the deli and ask to sample a couple different pasta salads. Tell them you're planning a party and you just aren't sure what you want to serve. Can I try that one on the far left, too? Imagine the possibilities... how many grocery stores are in your city? Hit them all.

6. Lunch didn't quite fill you up? For dessert head over to an ice cream shop and sample a couple ice cream flavors... I mean, they make those tiny spoons because they WANT you to do it.

7. This dessert requires a little planning, but pretend you are planning a wedding, and schedule appointments with different bakeries for cake sampling. These are guaranteed to be delicious desserts. They want your business.

8. Want a healthy breakfast? Go to your local farmers market (with no intention of buying) and sample all of the fresh produce, and fresh cheese. Mmmmmmmmm.

9. Free food right in your backyard. Make a dandelion leaf salad.... make sure there have been no pesticides though!

10. Know your area well? Find a good area to pick berries along a path or roadside.

11. Pull a Vince and Owen and take up wedding crashing. Visit a hotel each Saturday and find banquet halls full of people and join their fun and eat their food. If you're lucky it will be an open bar.

12. And if you are really EXTREME, and you can't afford your nasty habit, smoke the butts of other peoples cigarettes found in the ashtrays found outside of most buildings.

13. And if you are not afraid of breaking the law, send mail by writing your own address in the normal "send to" spot, and put the address of the final destination in the normal "return address" spot. Do not include any postage. This letter will be "returned to sender" which in this case is the intended destination. But really, I think that is called mail fraud.

And that is all I have for now, folks.

Who doesn't love free stuff!?!

Who doesn't love free stuff? Every couple days while browsing the wonderful world wide web I check Walmart's free sample page. There are a couple offers at a time for new products on the market.

I have received lots of random samples of products including shampoo, conditioner, other toiletries, cat food, tampons, a greeting card, etc. Fun stuff! The shampoo and other toiletries are great for packing on trips.

I know there are other sample pages out there, but most of them seem to require you to complete offers, subscribe, get a lot of spam, etc. Walmart's free sample page is nothing like this. You click on the free sample that you would like, enter in your basic information, perhaps answer a couple questions, and that's it! A couple weeks later a little package shows up at your doorstep.

Piggy Bank Cash In Day!

UPDATE: I turned in my piggy bank change to the bank today to add to my savings! I have been collecting change since May 1st and the grand total is $59.05. Woo hoo! This is averaging about $24 a month, which would be $288 a year! Veeery niiiice (borat style).

I am not going to include any advice about going to any Coinstar station to do this, because I don't see the sense in this. They charge a 8.9% fee! This is just not acceptable to me. Just head over to your bank to cash out your change for free!

Grand total: $159.05.... if I save just $7.95 more this month I will be right on track on my "2K in 12 months" goal.

Remember not to be "cheap" while budgeting!

This weekend reminded me how generous people in my life are. As a result I have made a mental note to make sure to remember not to be "cheap" while budgeting!

I was out of town for the entire weekend. I packed in multiple activities each day in multiple cities. This morning as I was going over the weekend in my head, trying to track my spending, I realized how many meals were given to me for free!

Friday night I visited my sister's boyfriend's newly acquired bar & grill. He gave me a (really delicious) pizza "on the house" for making the visit!

I spent that evening at a friend's house who lived in the same city as my sister and her boyfriend. She cooked the whole group who stayed over eggs and hash browns Saturday morning!

Saturday lunch was the only meal I paid for. While tubing with friends we all split cost on food for lunch (beer and food 15 each!).

Saturday evening I went to a graduation party where there was a whole food extravaganza for dinner. Mmmmmm.

After spending Saturday night at my Mom's house, she let me raid her fridge for brunch on Sunday.

Then on Sunday evening I was invited to dinner to visit a friend who had moved out of state and was visiting her parents back home. We caught up over homemade lasagna and salad.

All of this makes me realize just how lucky I am to have the people in my life that I do. While on my mission to save, I need to keep in mind the generosity of my friends and family, and make sure not to be too cheap to return the gesture when the opportunity presents itself.

I think everyone can be generous without breaking the bank.

Here are a couple things I like to do, or plan on doing soon:

- Sharing produce from the garden with my parents, friends, and coworkers.

- I am going to a country festival for 5 days with a group of people and I always buy 2 dozen fresh bagels (with a coupon this year, yay!) for breakfast for the week. A couple bucks for a whole lot of happy campers!

-Sending cards/care packages to friends who live out of town. A card "for no reason" with a nice personal note in it feels very good to receive. I try to take the time to send a couple of these a year. Also, for my friends who are still in college, I like to send care packages on occasion. After realizing how much I loved care packages throughout college, I try to pass on the favor. I stick in lotions/products/candles/candy from the dollar store, and I am always picking up cute holiday socks right after the holidays when they are super on sale, to save for next years care packages.

This weekend made me realize these little gestures are not things that I should cut out of my budget!

Piggy Banks... Not Just For Children!

In my attempt to save 2K in 12 months, I have decided to revisit my childhood. I am saving all my change in a piggy bank.

I purchased a plain ceramic pig from Michael's Art & Craft Store. I actually purchased a set of 3-pack of smaller ceramic pigs from Michael's, and a couple paint pens. I used a 40% off one item coupon to knock down the cost as much as possible.

Initial cost of pigs: $9.99
Sale price: $5.99
Paint pens: 3 x $.99= $2.97
Total Price: $8.96 plus tax

Of course, I could have made a piggy bank for no money at all, but being the crafty gal that I am, I couldn't resist the opportunity to go out and make one that is exactly what I wanted. If you don't care about the looks of your piggy bank, use a simple jar, milk jug, or coffee can. My only advice is choose something that isn't too big. Changing your coins in once every couple months will keep you motivated. And if you can't trust yourself, cut a slot in the top and seal the rest of the container so you can't touch the money until you change in your coins.

If you want to do this as a family activity with kids, try making your own piggy bank out of paper mache.

Why did I get 3 pigs, you ask? Well, I gave one to my roommate. Although this seems like a nice gesture it was purely selfish. I decided I would be more motivated to save my change if we were having a change RACE. So he decorated the "seams" of the pig with paint pen to look like baseball stitching. For a guy, its a creative, great looking piggy bank! I decorated mine with random doodles. I used the third pig as part of a present for my friend who just bought a condo, a creative house warming present. Anyone who just made the largest purchase of their life needs to save a couple pennies, right?

If you're looking for a great, original, and inexpensive gift for someone, consider decorating a piggy bank. This would be perfect for any child, and just as perfect for a graduate. Know someone headed to college? Write "BEER FUND" on it and voila! no longer a gift for a little kid. Know someone saving for a motorcycle? Write "HARLEY FUND" on it and it will be perfect! Someone has made a business out of this... although I think that anyone, even those with little creativity or artistic talent, can make their own for way cheaper.

I have been following one rule. Don't spend any change. At the end of each day I empty out my purse, wallet and pockets and put my change in my cute little piggy bank. The other day at the gas station counter my total bill came up to a dollar and four cents. I was thinking.... "Yessssssssss" (Napoleon Dynamite style). The lady thought she was being nice by taking four cents out of the "give a penny, take a penny" bowl, but I was thinking... nooooooo, that would've been 96 cents for my piggy! What a nerd I have become.

I have technically been cheating on my 2K in 12 months, because I have been saving change since May 1st. But Monday is the big day where I plan on heading to the bank to see how much change I have managed to save up! I can't wait! Although it looks like it is a close race between my roommate and myself, I am nervous. He just started a job detailing cars. Since it is detailing for a car dealership, the cars are already sold from their original owners, he gets to keep all of the change he finds while detailing. You wouldn't believe how much he comes home with every day!

Now go out to your car, clean it out, and use all the change you find as the start to your very own piggy bank. Every penny counts!

Tuna, the other.... other meat.

Tuna, also known as Tonijn, Thon, Thunfisch, Tovoc, Tonno, Atum, Tyheli, Atun, Tonfish... and according to Jessica Simpson, chicken, is consumed all over the world.

It seems as though people either love or detest tuna. I am definitely a tuna lover. Lucky me because tuna is healthy, convenient and best of all.... CHEAP!

A little history for you....

The Tuna industry has been around for just over 100 years. Before the tuna industry existed, sardines were extremely popular, but around 1903 the sardine population dwindled. One sardine manufacturer tried using empty sardine cans for packaging tuna. Up until then tuna was thought to have no commercial value. Americans loved it and more and more plants started canning tuna! Tuna became even more popular during World War One. Tuna was a high protein food that was conveniently canned, perfect solution for American soldiers.

Today over 1 BILLION pounds of tuna are consumed by Americans a year. Wowza!

The most common form of tuna is chunk, light tuna in water. Since this is all I buy, its all I'm going to talk about! This type of tuna comes in canned and pouched form. Although the pouched form is a great idea, and makes eating tuna even more convenient, I stick to good ole' canned tuna. The pouches are more expensive, and the little time it takes to use a can opener and drain the tuna is not worth the extra money for me. Plus I drain the juice into a bowl as a snack for my kitty, and he looooooooooves it.

Did you know you can buy tuna on amazon.com? Just a little fun fact that seems strange to me.

So... Tuna is Healthy, Convenient and Cheap. Let me expand on that.

Healthy:

One 2 ounce Serving of Tuna:
-60 calories
-0.5 grams of fat
-0 grams of carbohydrates

Lets compare this to 2 ounces of ground beef (85% lean beef):

One 2 ounce serving of Ground Beef:
-142 calories
-8 grams of fat
-0 grams of carbohydrates

And when is the last time you had a 2 ounce hamburger!

Eeeeks! This is over 2 times the calories, and 16 times the fat!

There are many health benefits to tuna as well. Tuna (along with most fish) is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower the risk of heart disease, ease the pain of arthritis, reduce asthma complications. Tuna, as a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, can lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Tuna is high in protein which is necessary for building lean muscle mass and giving you energy.

There have been claims that tuna, and other fish, are high in mercury and dangerous to eat. The U.S. Tuna Foundation addresses these claims here. Yes, you read that right, there is a U.S. Tuna Foundation. :)

Convenient:

There are tons of recipes for what to do with your tuna. I usually eat tuna for lunch, so I need something easy and quick to make.

My favorite recipes are:

Tuna salad sandwich:

-1 2 ounce can drained
-1 tbsp reduced fat mayo
-1/3 cup cashews
-1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
-1/3 cup diced celery
-salt and pepper to taste
-tortilla

Mix the first 6 ingredients and spoon onto the tortilla and enjoy. (The cashews, cheese and celery really stretch out the tuna making this a very filling meal). Also, I usually use a tortilla, but you can use bread or a lettuce wrap for variety.

Tuna.. on a salad:

I make a salad with lettuce greens, tomato, hard boiled egg, croutons, cucumber, and shredded cheese and add a 2 ounce can of tuna on top. I add ranch dressing and it is a delicious salad that always makes me stuffed for hours, a hard feat for a salad.

Tuna pasta salad:

-1 cup frozen peas
-2 2 ounce cans tuna, drained
-1/3 cup reduced fat mayo
-1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
-2 cup dry pasta (I used medium sized shells)

I usually make this in the evening and it is good to go for lunch the next day, although it can be eaten hot or cold.

Cook pasta according to directions. Cook peas in microwave according to directions. Mix cooked pasta, peas, tuna, mayo and cheese. Refrigerate until cold. This is more than one serving.

There are many more things you can do with tuna. Check out these recipes!

Cheap:

A can of chunk light tuna in water is usually 59 cents in my area. Whenever I find a sale, which is not very often, I stock up. I do not have a membership to Costo or Sam's club, but I've always wondered how much cheaper it would be to buy a huge carton of tuna cans. I would definitely buy a pack of 100 tuna cans at a time.... is that strange? I'll have to ask a friend with a membership to bring me along next time they go.

But even if I always spend 59 cents a can, this is super cheap! Try eating tuna a couple days a week in your brown bagged lunch.

Tuna can be good for your health and your wallet!

Reuse, Reduce, Recycle: Good for the Environment... and your Budget!

We have all learned about producing less waste by following the 3Rs; Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle. Practicing these 3Rs is not only good for the environment, but Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle is also good for your budget!

REUSE:

"Reusing items -- by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them -- also reduces waste. Reusing products, when possible, is even better than recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again."
-from http://www.epa.gov/msw/reduce.htm

Ideas:

1. Reuse old T-shirts as cleaning rags.

2. Reuse shoe boxes as storage for organizing pictures, cleaning products or cosmetics.

3. Reuse water bottles. My mom said that if you would have told her when she was young that they would sell water in bottles it would have sounded ridiculous. Yes, this might make her seem ancient... but that doesn't change the fact that water is FREE! Refill your water bottle at night, put it in the fridge, and have a nice cold bottle of water ready for you then next day! Rinse and repeat.

4. Reuse plastic containers for Tupperware. Wash your containers from cream cheese, butter, sour cream, etc. and use them as Tupperware to pack your brown bag lunch (hint hint... brown bag your lunch!).

5. Speaking of brown bagged lunches... Use your brown bag over and over again until it gets stained or ripped. My sister uses the cute little bags with handles from stores like sephora, bed bath and beyond, etc. to pack her lunches. These can last several weeks to months!

6. Reuse soda cups. Do you get your soda from a fountain machine at a gas station? Many gas stations offer a discounted price if you re-use the same cup.

7. Reuse shipping envelopes. Any larger envelopes you receive with bubble padding inside are worth saving and reusing. Use marker to "erase" old information, or tape on a clean piece of paper to cover it, and use tape to seal. Voila! You just saved yourself a buck.

8. Reuse jars. Are you a crafter? Use jars from salsa, cherries, pickles, baby food, etc, for storage for your craft supplies.

9. Reuse plastic shopping bags. These can be used as garbage can liners for small office, bathroom or bedroom garbage cans. Or as a packing filler for shipping. Or for transporting (bringing extra clothes to work, bringing a dish to pass to a party. etc)

REDUCE:

"Waste prevention, or "source reduction," means consuming and throwing away less.

It includes:

-purchasing durable, long-lasting goods;

-seeking products and packaging that are as free of toxics as possible;

-redesigning products to use less raw material in production, have a longer life, or be used again after its original use.

Source reduction actually prevents the generation of waste in the first place, so it is the most preferred method of waste management and goes a long way toward protecting the environment."

-from

http://www.epa.gov/msw/reduce.htm

1. Dryer sheets. Cut your dryer sheets in half.

2. Shampoo. Does anyone actually use the "dime size amount" the bottle recommends? I know that I fill up my whole palm and slather it on. Probably half of it goes down the drain. Try using half of the amount you currently use and only have to buy shampoo half as often. Try this with your conditioner, shower gel, shaving cream & toothpaste as well!

3. Soda. Drink water instead of soda every other time you would normally drink it, especially in restaurants.

4. Stamps: Pay all possible bills online.


RECYCLE:

"Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. In addition, it generates a host of environmental, financial, and social benefits. Materials like glass, metal, plastics, and paper are collected, separated and sent to facilities that can process them into new materials or products."

-from http://www.epa.gov/msw/reduce.htm

Ideas:

1. Find an aluminum recycling center around your area that pays out cash for cans. Bonus: Take the tabbies off of cans when you are at bars/events to save and add to your collection.

2. Recycle your old cell phones. When you upgrade your phone, sell your cell for money!

3. Recycle your old ink cartridges. You can get money for old ink cartridges, too!

4. Better yet... join FREECYCLE. Freecycle is one of the greatest things out there on the world wide web. See if your area is active! According to their website, "The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free.
When you want to find a new home for something -- whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of the local Freecycle group.
Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure. Our main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages."

Conclusion:

If you incorporate the 3Rs into your lifestyle, you'll end up with a couple extra bucks at the end of each month, and can feel good about yourself for helping the environment.

UPDATE: I opened an ING Direct High Yield Savings Account

I have opened my first ING Direct High Yield Savings Account. It was easy as pie! Easy as falling off a log! Easy as 123! Easy as abc! Like shooting a fish in a barrel!



I signed up within 10 minutes, following all the simple instructions. Then the next day I had two small deposits in my checking account that I needed to confirm and voila! I am now the proud owner of a savings account that earns 4.5% interest. My initial deposit is $100 dollars. This is the first addition to my "2K In 12 Months". I only have to come up with $67 more dollars this month to stay on track!



I also set up a monthly direct deposit. So the first of every month $100 dollars will be deposited into my ING account from my checking. I have the feeling that the first few months I will be hurting a little from this difference, but after that, I won't even notice it!

$100 down.......$1,900 to go!

Weekend Entertainment... On a budget

Keeping my social life while maintaining my budget is one of my biggest problems. I will live frugally all week long, but when Friday hits I can't seem to control my spending. One of my big problems is that I go to the bars for entertainment on the weekends. Bars are expensive!

I'm not sure what it is like in your area, but the average cost of drinks in the bars I frequent look like this:

2.75 beers
4.00 mixed drinks
3.00 shots
4.00 bombs

I can easily spend 50-60 dollars a night... which leads to around $100 dollars a weekend. If I keep this up for a whole month I can spend $400-$500 on entertainment! This is over 10% of my income!

So I have composed a list of fun alternatives to drinking at the bars. A lot of these are geared towards summer. I'll try to think of more "winter" ideas... but right now winter is just not on the brain.

Tubing: Get some friends together, pack a cooler, and rent tubes. Float down the river, get tan, drink, eat and be merry!

Day at the Park (or someones house with a yard:) Break out croquet, lawn darts, bean bags, bocce ball, hacky sack, blongo ball , and have an impromptu tourney.

Camping: Cheap and fun, assuming you have the basic camping equipment. Some campgrounds require you to bring wood from no farther away than 50 miles. If you can do this, buying/finding wood before you go will save you even more money.

Road Trip: After college, everyone seems to go their separate ways. Keep in touch by making plans to road trip to visit friends that have moved away. Try to get a car load of people to go, the more the merrier! (Plus the gas prices are split more ways) :)

Frolf: Frolf = Frisbee + golf. Frolf also equals FREE! Well, you'll have to purchase a disc, but these can be found at a used sporting equipment store for less than 10 dollars. But unlike golf courses, Frolf courses are free to the public.

Day at the Beach: Not everyone has this option, but if there is a lake or ocean within 50 miles of you, take a day off to lay on the beach.

Rent a Kayak or Canoe: If you have a lake nearby, get your exercise AND have fun by renting a canoe or kayak and touring the area.

Fishing: 20 dollars for a fishing license for the season!

University Tour: Your tour can be either self-guided or find a campus center for an official guide. Bring your camera, take pictures of your Alma mater or your favorite local campus. I recommend taking the pictures, getting a couple printed, and frame them.

Farmers Market: Cheap, fun, exercise. Also a great place to go if you like to people watch. Did I mention how much healthier you will eat? And how much money you will save? Just make sure you don't go produce crazy. Only buy as much as you will be able to eat before it goes bad.

And last but certainly not least....

Festivals: Find a festival in your area using this site. I try to hit as many of these as I can! My favorite weekend of the summer is a country music festival.

Next time you're sick of the same old, same old, or your wallet is looking a little thin, try something from this list! I know I'm going to try to do them all before the summer is over!