Frugal Versus Cheap

Frugality has become very popular over the last several years due to the economy, job market, and rising cost of things like groceries and utilities.  A change in a person's living situation, or simply a desire to be debt free or spend less can set off a chain of events that lead to an examination of lifestyles and ways that money is being spent.  Frugality is a mindset.  It is a way to look at the money you have available to you, what you desire in your life, and using your resources wisely.  Unfortunately, sometimes, people can become overzealous with their frugality and go over to cheap.  What's the difference?  For some people, it's semantics.  One person's cheap is the other person's frugal.  My personal definition of cheap is when your actions take away from others or from your or someone else's quality of life.  While it's great to save, moderation in all things is best.  

So how do you know the difference?  Here are some examples below: 

Frugal:  Buying paper towels on sale with a coupon.

Cheap:  Hanging up paper towels to dry that have been used for “wet only” items.

Frugal:  Using a 2-for-1 coupon to purchase meals at a restaurant or splitting a meal.

Cheap:  Failing to tip the server or only tipping for the 1-meal price.

Frugal:  Using wrapping paper from the dollar store or buying it on sale after Christmas and storing it.

Cheap:  Using birthday, wedding, or happy anniversary wrapping paper for Christmas because you’re too cheap to buy more. 

Frugal:  Having a pot luck meal, making the main entrée, and asking others to bring sides. 

Cheap:  Having a pot luck meal and assigning things to bring so that you don’t have to do anything except set the table…. And then keeping the leftovers. 

Frugal:  Agreeing to dinner and then splitting the tab.

Cheap:  Agreeing to split a dinner tab but ordering an expensive meal, drinks, appetizer, and dessert while the other person bought an inexpensive entrée and drank water.  

Frugal:  Purchasing an outfit on sale, at a thrift store, or by using a discount coupon.

Cheap:  Buying an expensive outfit, wearing it, and then returning it to the store.

Frugal:  Agreeing to carpool to an event and splitting the cost of gas.   

Cheap:  Agreeing to a carpool and then not chipping in for gas when everyone else does.

Frugal:  Buying vegetables on sale or that are marked down and close to their expiration date to be used immediately.

Cheap:  Going home and exchanging your fresh vegetables you just bought for ones that are starting to go bad and then taking them back to the store and demanding a refund, claiming your fresh veggies went bad too quickly.

Frugal:  Buying an item on sale, and enjoying it to its fullest extent, being sad if that item tears up or becomes defective after receiving a lot of use from the item.

Cheap:  Buying an item, using it well, then having it tear up.  Going into a store, buying the same item but repacking the well-used and broken item in the box, claim it’s defective, and then demanding your money back.

Frugal:  Saving leftover condiment packages such as ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, etc., from carryout or drive through meals for later use (i.e., items that were voluntarily given to you along with your meal).

Cheap:  Entering a restaurant and stuffing your pockets with sugar, salt, pepper, plastic utensils, napkins, ketchup packets, hot sauce packets, etc. (i.e., not given to you but offered to go along with meals in a restaurant and putting the restaurant at a disadvantage by taking them). 

Frugal:  Using coupons to get discounts at a restaurant.

Cheap:  Going to a restaurant and asking the cashier to use coupons other people have turned in.   

Frugal:  Learning to cut your family's hair. 

Cheap:  Taking your kids to free haircut days at JCPenney, having the kids' heads shaved so they can go 3 months without having a haircut, and then failing to tip the hair stylist. 

These are but a few very real examples of things that people have done in the name of saving money.  You have to decide for yourself how far you are willing to go to save money, but keeping the above examples in mind can help decide if you're being truly frugal or cheap. 

Stockpiling to Save Money

Stockpiling can be a way to save a great deal of money.  It allows you to shop from your own shelves and also to wait for sales on products you do use.  I know we've all seen the couponing shows and the mountains of groceries some of them amass.  That's not really what stockpiling is about.  Instead it's about buying items when they are the lowest possible price and being able to keep enough on hand to get you through until the next sale cycle.   This keeps your costs down so that you're not running to the store to buy something and end up paying a premium price.  It's also about buying the things that you know you will use/eat and having them on hand so that you're not making numerous trips to the store. 

Above is a photo of my own personal stockpile.  I also have two much smaller stockpiles.  One is in the bathroom containing shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, bath soap, and other toiletries.  The other is the laundry room and has cleaning products, laundry soap, fabric softener, and paper towels.  No, it's not mountains of stuff.  Just 2-3 of a particular item stored so that they're convenient to use when I need them. 

I do not buy items I don't use or that we won't eat just for the sake of buying.  I rotate out what we have.  I also watch for sales on items that we do use and buy as many as I can and put them in my stockpile so that we can make it through to the next great sale. My goal is also to buy things that will keep and can be used in recipes. 

This stockpile has gotten us through some tough and busy times.  Last year, we used our stockpile from the middle of November until mid-January.  We didn't have an economic reason for doing so.  We were just busy!  We still had to grab a few perishables like loaves of bread, fresh milk, veggies, and the occasional odd ingredient, but for the most part we didn't have to go to stores and deal with crowds. Had we had a job layoff or a decrease in work income, we could have used items from our stockpile to save money.

Another thing about stockpiling is that I've been able to help people.  I've taken bags of groceries to someone who has lost their job.  I've been able to donate to food pantries, and I'm always the person that someone calls and says, "Do you have any....?"  I can usually answer yes. 

If you are interested in stockpiling, start with one or two things.  When you find a great sale on something you use, buy 2-3 extra.  Stick them on a shelf where they're readily usable.  Keep doing this, and you will end up with a decent stockpile.  You don't have to get a lot of items.  Start small.  When you have more of an idea of what works for you, then you can add to it.  Watch sales cycles, and buy accordingly.  Many items go in 4-6 week sales cycles.  Use that  as a guide on what to buy.  If you use 2 cans of tomatoes per week and there's a sale, you will need to buy 8-12 cans to get you through to the  next sale cycle.  Stock up accordingly.  

Other items go on sale seasonaly, and it's great to know what those items will be so that you can stock up for a longer period of time.  For example, holidays are an excellent time to buy baking supplies.  Flour, cake mixes, sugar, pie filling, chocolate chips, and spices go on sale.  Most items can be stored in a deep freeze or air-tight containers and will keep for a year this way.  Soups and canned vegetables also go on sale more in the winter than the summer.  In the summertime, you will find your best deals on things like paper plates and cups, paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, barbecue sauce, canned beans, and charcoal.  

By watching what is on sale, tracking sales cycles, and then buying enough to get your family through, you can save money by only purchasing what's on sale and waiting until the next sales cycle.  It saves money, time, and gas by cutting down on trips to the store, and it might possibly save your sanity by not having to worry about what's for dinner tonight! 

Getting the Most Out of At-Home Hair Color

Have you ever tried to use at-home hair color only to have it not work for you?  Do you have gray hair that is hard to color, especially with at-home colors?  Here are some tips that may help you get the most from at-home hair color products. This is a long post but will be well worth the read.

My eldest brother, Roger, was a hair stylist and cosmetologist, and prior to his death years ago, he gave me some helpful hints.  Here are some with regard to hair coloring.  

Make sure that the hair color you choose is suitable for what you want it to do.  Read the box.  If you want gray coverage, you must use a permanent hair color.  If you see semi-permanent or demi-permanent, the color will wash out in a certain number of washes.  Some hair colors now just simply say they will last through X number of washes.  That’s a semi-permanent color.  Take that into consideration when purchasing color.  If it says lasts through 28 washes and you wash your hair every day, the color will be washed out, literally, by the end of the month.  This is great if you just want to try a new color without committing fully.  However, if you want gray coverage, you will be disappointed.  For me, semi-permanent color will literally wash out of my hair as I’m washing off the color I just applied.  Permanent hair color will not wash out or come off; you will only see root growth.  The color may dim, but the effect will stay. 

If you use any hair-styling products, this can affect how your hair absorbs the hair color.  Even if it’s just mousse or hairspray.  Hair product residue can account for splotchiness/spots after you’ve colored.  This is especially true for straightening, smoothing, or heat-protecting serums.  Most contain some form of silicone.  Read the ingredients listed in hair products.  If you see anything that ends in “cone,” that’s a silicone based item such as silicone, dimethicone, or simethicone.  Polydimethylsiloxane (or PDMS) is another term you may see.  These all serve to coat the hair shaft, smooth, and seal it.  Seal it?! That’s right.  That goes against what you’re trying to accomplish by coloring your hair!  You will need to do something that strips all product residue off your hair before coloring so that nothing remains to block color absorption.

Finally, let’s talk about gray hair.  It’s that stuff that crops up on your head like a sneaky traitor bent on letting people know you’re just not as young as you once were (wink!).  Some of us were afflicted with a family trait that causes premature graying. I have prematurely gray hair, as did my father and brother.  In addition, that gray hair often seems to be tougher, coarser, wirier, and so resistant to color that you couldn’t get it to change colors if you sprayed it with spray paint!  But you can!

In order to absorb hair color, the hair shaft has tiny scales that must open so that the dye can be deposited on and in the hair shaft.  At the end of the process, a conditioner and smoother is applied to seal the color/dye in place.  (It’s more technical than that, but it’s a general idea of how it works.)  If you are going with a lighter color, you must also “lift” the color from your original hair, then deposit the new color, via dye, onto the hair shaft so that it absorbs.  That same process is needed in order to get gray hair to absorb color and not be just gray.  The chemical (peroxide) that causes this change is said to have a certain volume.  You may see 10 volume, 20 volume, 30 volume, or 40 volume.  This determines how much original hair color is removed or lifted when the chemical is applied.  For example, 10 volume takes it up 1 level, 20 volume 2 levels, 30 volume 3 levels, and so on. 

Most department store products contain 10-volume solution.  Some contain higher volume and usually say so on the box.  However, the wording may not be consistent.  It may say volume.  It may say level.  It may say it comes out in X number of washes. My favorite hair color, Loreal Feria, lists “level 3,” which would correspond to 30-volume developer solution.  That’s what I need for my stubborn grays.  If you have hair that is normal, most hair colors will work for you.  However, if you have hard-to-color hair or gray hair that is nearly impossible to color and you don’t want to have to go to a salon, here is a trick that may work for you to get the most lift so that the dye works as it should.

It’s likely in your kitchen cabinet, and it serves a dual purpose.  Not only does it strip any residual hair care products off your hair, it opens up the hair shaft that it’s ready to accept and absorb hair color.   

It’s baking soda.  Yes, you read that right.  Baking soda.

And slightly “dirty” hair. That’s hair that’s been washed in the morning, allowed to do its thing all day without hair products, and then colored at night…. Or washed at night and colored in the morning.  You get the idea. 

What works best for me is to wash my hair in the morning using baking soda with a diluted vinegar-water rinse then color it that night.   I put the baking soda on my scalp, near the roots which have grown out, and massage the hair between my fingertips.  The point is to really rough up the hair and rinse the baking soda out thoroughly.  After that I use a generous solution of half white vinegar and half water to apply to the hair.  Massage through, then rinse.  The white vinegar and water neutralizes any residual baking soda. 

This is going to leave the hair feeling strange and dry, almost sticky.  This is good.  It means the hair shaft is “open.”  I recommend allowing it to air dry or dry quickly with a blowdryer and then put your hair up out of the way because you do not want to apply styling products.

A few hours later, I dye my hair.  This allows some natural oils to seep out and protect the scalp.  I apply the color to the roots only, let it sit, and then massage the color through the hair.  Follow the directions on the box of color to complete the dye process.   That’s it! 

Be aware, though, that you might just want to color the roots.  Hair that has been dyed previously already has a hair shaft that is open and will readily absorb color.  This is why some people buy the same hair color and then occasionally get a surprise darker head of hair than usual if they apply the hair color to the entire head of hair from roots to tips. 

I’ve seen some recommendations to add baking soda to your shampoo and scrub.  That works okay, but oftentimes shampoos contain moisturizers and smoothers.  These are the very things you were trying to get rid of, and this defeats the purpose of using the baking soda.  You can use a slight bit of nonmoisturizing dish soap to make a paste and apply to the hair, but only do this when you’re ready to color, as dish soap is very harsh and strips the hair even more.

So there you have it!  Using these techniques is not a fail-safe method, but it can help you get the color results you want to achieve, especially for hard-to-color or gray hair.  It’s an economical way to achieve a style you want, get results that are consistent, and avoid an expensive trip to the salon.

Printable Grocery and Product Coupon Links

One of the best ways to save is through printable coupons for groceries and other items.  Many manufacturers will e-mail coupons or coupon links to you in e-mail newsletters or have them available to print on their websites.  These are wonderful ways to save on your favorite products. Combine these with other coupon strategies, as noted in a prior post HERE, and you can reduce your grocery bill significantly. 

Below is a very long list of printable coupon sites from manufacturers and other sources.  I bookmark these for future reference. 

People wonder is it worth it to print coupons because of the cost of printer ink and paper.  The answer is yes.  Why?  Because oftentimes these coupons are not available anywhere else or they are a higher value than what is printed in the newspaper inserts available on Sundays. 

Coupons function as a part of a company's marketing budget.  It's a way for them to not only get information about their product to you but to entice you to try that product by way of offering a discount through a coupon. 

By using these coupons combined with sales along with rebates, store coupons, and tracking of sales cycles, you can save significantly on your shopping budget 

I strongly encourage opening a web-based e-mail account to use for all of these coupons and newsletters.  Otherwise, you may find your inbox clogged and/or the majority of them going to your spam folder, which defeats the whole purpose!

IMPORTANT NOTES: 

1.  Make sure your Java is up to date, as many of these printable programs use Java to generate the coupons.  If your Java is out of date and the coupon messes up, you will not get a second chance.  The website uses a technology that identifies the number of times a certain computer has printed a coupon.  Most websites will allow 2-3 prints, but some do not.  It's wise to make sure everything is up to date, you've loaded paper, and your printer cartridges are working before hitting the print button.

2.  You may need to download a coupon printer from the site. Some coupon sites will request to install a coupon printer driver that is a simple program to generate the coupons.  As a general rule, if they come from an acceptable site such as coupons.com, Red Plum, Smart Source, or Coupon Network, they are okay.  You may also see a link in your address bar that says "bricks.com."  This is also an acceptable site.

3.  Most manufacturers also use one of these sources to print coupons from their websites, so it's advisable to install these printer drivers. 

4.  Links to coupons often open in another window.  If so, once the coupon is printed, try hitting back on your browser.  You may get a notice stating the page has expired.  Click try again, resend, refresh, or OK, and often you can get a second print of the coupon.  This is perfectly fine/acceptable and is a common practice. 

Here are some links to my favorite newsletters and/or websites that offer great coupon values: 

Loadable Coupons:

Savingstar.com

This is for people who have savings cards issued from stores.  Check to see if your store’s savings card is listed, sign up, and then shop.  When the purchase is confirmed by Savingstar, your account will be credited.  Once you receive $5.00 in credits, you can request that money be issued to you in the form of a direct bank deposit, Paypal deposit, or gift card from a retailer. 

https://savingstar.com/

Cellfire

These are coupons that are loadable to your cell phone.  Check to see if there are participating retailers in your area, then just bring up the coupon and have the cashier scan it at the register. 

http://www.cellfire.com/

Printable coupons

Coupons.com  

This is a great site for printable coupons.  You can check to see what’s available under not only your own zip code but under other zip codes throughout the country, as well.  To change zip codes, click on the link titled “Local Coupons.”  Enter a zip code in a spot on the left-hand side, and press enter.  Then click the “coupons” tab.  You can then sort by Food, Beverages, Household goods, etc.  Coupons.com also has a savings club that offers exclusive printable coupons to members that are not available elsewhere.  If you watch for promotions, oftentimes there are offers to get a year for free.

As a note, coupons.com requires that a small printer driver/applet be installed on your computer.  It is safe and is necessary in order to be able to print coupons. 

http://www.coupons.com/

Red Plum

Again, may require you to install a small printer applet that is considered safe for use.

http://www.redplum.com/

Coupon Network  (Also a source to find out what Your Bucks/Catalina offers are available or coming soon.*)

Again, may require a printer applet in order to print; considered safe for download.

http://www.couponnetwork.com/printable-coupons

Smart Source

**This is the website where it is most important that you not only have Java installed, but make sure you accept their printer applet and turn your popup blocker off.  It’s the trickiest one about not printing or giving some obscure error such as telling you that you’ve violated some rule. **

www.smartsource.com

Common Kindness.org 

These are coupons that serve as both discounts and fundraisers.  Sign up and choose a local organization to help, and then you can print coupons.

**I strongly advise printing these coupons one at a time, as sometimes the coupon sheet cuts across the next pages if there is more than one coupon and then will not print again.**

http://www.commonkindness.com/

Hormel (Hormel lunch meat, Cure81 hams, Hormel Always tender meats, Hormel entrees, Lloyd’s Woodfire heat and eat products, Hormel Chili, and numerous others.)

Sign up and sign in.  They will also e-mail specials and newsletters.

http://www.hormel.com/updates/coupons/

Ready Set Eat  from Conagra Foods (Hunt’s, Pam, Healthy Choice, Pam, Chef Boyardee, Marie Callendar’s, Orville Reddenbacher, Reddi Whip, Wesson, Fleischmann’s, and another long list of items.)

http://www.readyseteat.com/profile/newsletter-opt.do?newsletterOpt-50984=Y

Making Life Better by Unilever Products (Knorr products, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Country Crock, Jif, Lipton teas and rice/pasta products, Ragu, Skippy, and many bath and laundry products.)

http://www.makinglifebetter.com/offers/Coupons/

SnackPicks.com  (Keebler crackers and some Kellogg’s brands)

Sign up, then click on the coupons and savings link.  Make sure you approve for them to send you newsletters and updates, as they will send either high-value coupons to your e-mail inbox or provide links to print coupons. 

http://www.snackpicks.com/en_US/home.html

 Kellogg’s.com (Kellogg’s products, mostly cereal,  Pop-Tarts but other products, too.)

This site is a shared site with Snackpicks.com but often has different coupons.  There may also be other printable coupons under the Offers & Promotions tabs and “Other Coupons” section.  

http://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/home.html

Betty Crocker.com  (Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Cascadian Farms, Muir Glen tomatoes, Yoplait Yogurt, Pillsbury products, General Mills cereals, and more!)

Sign up and sign in, and you will be sent special offers via e-mail and newsletter.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/coupons-promotions/coupons/default

Nestle Very Best Baking (chocolate chips, baking products, etc.)

http://www.verybestbaking.com/Coupons-Promotions/Coupons-List.aspx

Pillsbury

Sign in and print coupons and get the newsletter for extra printable coupons

http://www.pillsbury.com/coupons-promotions

Land O’ Moms (Land O’ Frost deli meats and kits)

They’ll want you to give your name and e-mail address.  Sign up for the Newsletter to receive news and special offers.  The latest coupon is usually on the right-hand side of the home page. 

http://www.landomoms.com/ 

Pompeian Products (Olive oil, vinegar, and grapeseed oil)

http://coupons2.smartsource.com/smartsource/operations/offers/Pompeian/PompeianCoupons.html

On the Border Products such as chips, salsa, and sauces from Truco Enterprises

http://www.trucoenterprises.com/files/coupon.pdf

International Delight Creamers and other products

http://www.internationaldelight.com/special-offers

Coffee-Mate creamers

http://www.coffee-mate.com/Offers/Default.aspx

King’s Hawaiian Bread and Rolls

http://www.kingshawaiian.com/club/

Hiland Dairy Products  (Dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, orange juice, etc.)

Must sign up to be able to print.

http://hilanddairy.com/coupons/coupon-list

Wholly Guacamole and Salsa (Facebook page; they almost always have a coupon there!)

https://www.facebook.com/WhollyGuacamole/app_399260323430416?

Michelina’s Frozen Entrees and Dinners
http://www.michelinas.com/savemoney.aspx

Chinet Paper Plates, Cups, and Napkins

Sign up for their Newsletter, and they will send you a link every month to an awesome coupon that is usually $1.00 off one of their items.  This is a great way to stock up on paper goods, especially with the holidays coming up!

Link to join here:

http://www.mychinet.com/club/join/referrer:|promotions

Blue Bell Ice Cream

Sign up, then sign in.  The link for coupons is in tiny print at the menu on the bottom of the page. 

http://www.bluebell.com/

Blue Bunny Ice Cream Coupon

Again, sign up/sign in, and then you can print.  It’s usually for $1.00 off.

https://www.bluebunny.com/iScreamTeam/SignIn.aspx?required=1

Tabasco Sauces
http://www.tabasco.com/site-tools/grocery-coupon/

Underwood Deviled Ham (lower left corner of page)
http://www.underwoodspreads.com/

Marie Callender (If available, they'll be here)
http://www.mariecallendersmeals.com/promotions.jsp

*CATALINA OFFERS:  Those are the red-striped things that look like receipts when your cash register receipt is printed.  Many people throw them away without ever looking at them.  Don’t!  Many times companies will print these as rebates if you buy a certain amount or number of their products.  For example, recently KC Masterpiece and Kingsford charcoal and other manufacturers teamed up to offer a catalina.  Buy a certain amount of products and receive a $6.00 catalina for money off your next purchase.  That’s like someone handing you $6.00 and saying, “Here’s money to help with your groceries.”  If you get a red-striped coupon receipt that says $1, $2, $5, etc., off your next purchase, you’ve just been handed the equivalent of cash!  Make sure to keep an eye on the expiration date, and check to see if there are any restrictions, but these are like gold!

Grocery Savings Strategies

This is this my most recent shopping trip.  I paid $61.24 (plus tax) for this batch of food.  Normally, I am an avid couponer, but most coupons are for nonperishable food items.  It is very hard to find deals on meat or find coupons for meat items.  Some meat packaging websites will offer coupons for their brand of meat (such as Hormel) and the brand that is store owned, Red River Ranch Angus, but those are few and far between or are only for specific items.

My strategy for saving on meat is twofold:  First, I know the days the meat is marked down at the store where I shop, which is Homeland.  Second, I have a coupon that is issued by the store for $5.00 off a $50.00 purchase.  These $5/$50 coupons are usually available in fundraising booklets.  One place to find such a coupon is on the back of the Homeland Cares coupon books (see photo below).  The second is from a fundraising book called Enjoy the City.*  which can be purchased online.

I check the marked down meat first.  I then stack up $50 worth of meat, and use my $5/50 coupon.  By using that coupon, it automatically takes my purchase down by 10%.  Add in the markdown on the meat, and you've got significant savings.  Even if the meant is not marked down, by using the $5 off $50 coupon, you've automatically reduced the cost by 10%. 

Today's purchases included extra items, making the total a bit more than $50, but everything will be used to prepare the meat I purchased.

Here is a list along with prices: 

Bell Peppers x4  @ $0.79 each = $3.16

Green onions x1 @ 0.69 each = $0.69 (not a great deal but I needed them)

Yellow Onions x2 @ $0.79/lbs. = $1.01 

Jar sliced jalapenos x1 $1.89 =  $1.89

Campbell's Chicken gravy x1 =  $1.49

Best Choice chopped green chiles x4 $0.99 each = $3.96

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts $2.99/lbs. @ 2.65 lbs. = $7.95  (the one item not on sale)

Beef Top Blade Patio Steaks = $3.31

Ground beef 1.5 lbs. @ $3.84 each = $11.52 

Stew Meat (sirloin chunks) 1 lbs.. x1 = $3.94

Stew Meat 2.5 lbs.  = $7.86

Stew Meat 3.5 lbs.. = 10.07

Boneless Pork Tenderloins = $4.26

Subtotal $61.11

Minus $5.00 coupon

Final total with tax**  = $61.24

*Enjoy the City books are available for many metropolitan areas and may be directly purchased from the website linked above.  They are not just for Oklahoma.  Most major grocery store chains have coupons for a certain dollar amount purchased in these books, so it is worth your time to check into them.They also contain numerous coupons for other activities, restaurants, and stores in your area.

** A note about sales tax.  Even if you use coupons and bring your total down, tax is charged on the original dollar amount, not the amount minus coupon, so keep this in mind when figuring totals.  Particularly if you are on a tight budget.

Hope Kids Outreach, for whom I am a board member, is selling the Homeland Cares Coupon books for $5.00 each.  You make your money back using the $5/50 coupon on the back, and it contains $40.00 of manufacturer coupons that often double at Homeland and are not available elsewhere.  If you are interested in purchasing one, please let me know in the comments and leave an email, and I'll be happy to contact you.