Getting Smarter

#8 Me is me and I am not sure about kangaa! I am not motivated enough to have two 'handles'

1. Throw out every single catalog that arrives. Every single stinkin' one of them. No need for the temptation.

2. Stay away from Costco. I don't need to consume massive quantities of anything. And- too much temptation.

3. Read magazines at the library, or in the checkout stand.

4. Each week, make a pot of some sort of bean-based soup or stew, and freeze in small portions to be eaten for a meal, lasting a week. Easy to get a small amount of meat to last longer, and probably get better and safer nutrition than anything frozen from the supermarket. Essentially, you also end up cutting down on meat consumption, and grocery bills.

go_2, I have only one handle here. I live in Melbourne AU.
having been a net/list admin many years ago I am so against sock-puppets / multi-handles.

Inform yourself on the benefits of joining a home exchange organization, It saves tons of money on hotel and restaurant costs while traveling. We have houses in coastal California and by swaping them we have been able to visit Austria, the Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico and 10 US states without major outlays for hotels.
We have arranged home exchanges with families in every country in Western Euope except Greece, three former East Bloc nations, plus Israel, Turkey, Hong Kong, Brazil and Chile.in the fourteen since we discovered home exchanging and now have 15 months of owed time in Europe accumulated so that when my wife retires we can spend 18 months wandering about Europe, Israel,and Turkey free of hotel bills.

I have looked at the house exchange programs any particular ones that you prefer, seems to be a lot out there all charging various fees?

For some reason that old chestnut, "Look after the pennies and the dollars will look after themselves," has always stuck with me. So even when husband and self were both employed full time we adhered to that and have done pretty well overall.

It's not about being "cheap." It's about not wasting money so that you have it to spend where it really matters to you, like traveling :) A couple of my favourites frugalities:

Rec centre pass - for $34 per month (and half that for husband over 60) we have unrestricted access to the community rec centre just a couple blocks from our home - 3 swimming pools, aquafit classes, sauna, steam room, whirlpool, yoga, full-equipped gym with advice from trainers, step-classes etc. There is also an ice rink in the complex which we don't use but could. We typically use the other facilities 6/7 days a week. When we are 85 the pass will be free - something to look forward to!

I love Skype - free internet phone. Can and do spend hours on the phone to friends and family around the world for free and if they have a webcam on their computer can even see them.

I cook big batches of whatever I am making and freeze serving-size portions. I take these to work for lunch or quick dinners at home. Also keep some frozen pizzas in the freezer for those nights when we don't feel like cooking and might be tempted to go out.

I DO shop at Costco. I can buy two of the afore-mentioned large pizzas for $9. Since we only eat 1/4 each at a meal that means pizza is $2.25 for two of us plus salad. I buy case lots of things that we like (e.g. tomato soup, tuna, fruit, etc). We have lots of storage so that means canned and drygoods for up to 1/2 what they would cost if buying one can at a time. I can buy 5 hearts of romaine for $4 and that is salad for more than a week.

When we are traveling in the campervan we try to keep it light. For example, if we know there is good water where we are going we don't fill the water tank. Why pay for gas to carry the weight. Don't keep the trunk of the car full of unnecessary junk/weight and drive at 89 k/p/h because I read that saves 15% of fuel over 110 k/p/h my old typical speed. At first I felt like I was crawling down the road but now I really like it - gives me a chance to really look around. I am embracing the old lady within :)

I avoid grocery shopping. Just put it off as long as possible becuase once I actually go into a grocery store I will buy more than I intended. I can always get a jug of milk at the green grocer and there is always "something" in the cupboards and/or freezer I can cook up.

We are doing a major kitchen/familyroom/dining room renovation. Tearing out walls and making a great room - new cabinets, appliances, flooring, everything. Husband bargains hard. Don't know if it is the economy or just that he is now into hard bargaining mode but the cost of everything so far is 30-50% of what it was 18 months ago when we initially got quotes.

Any time we buy anything we ask if that is their best price and the automatic answer seems to be "I can give you 15%." You can often get more than that, but that seems to be the standard given discount these days. Negotiate for cash because vendors have to pay credit card fees and will usually give you that percentage too. Just last week I was ordering new glasses with transitional lenses and when I got a shocked look on my face at the price, the fellow jumped in with, "Well I can take 20% off that." I hadn't even asked.

Husband takes long walks in the nature preserve near us. He started taking a bag with him and picking up pop/beer cans and bottles as a public service. They piled up in the garage. One day he took them to the recycle depot and they gave him $80. Now he is REALLY interested in picking them up. He puts this money into our "mad money" for travel - a special fund for doing stuff that would otherwise seem a bit pricey - like helicopter tours.

Several years ago I noticed the pile of unread magazines and journals piling up beside the reading chair. I put a stop to every one. We don't seem to miss them and that saves several hundred dollars a year.

City people tend to go to carwashes and I'd gotten into that habit along the way too. Trouble is over time car washes went from $1.99 to $8.99. Stopped that a few years ago too and now, unless it is the depths of winter I pull out the bucket and hose.

But still, even with not being too big on shopping "stuff "seems to accumulate around here. So every 2-3 years hubby rallys all the neighbours on the block for a block-long gigantic garage sale. The size of it attracts a LOT of shoppers (we advertise widely). We usually make from $800 to $1500. More cash for the mad money fund.

My one huge indulgence is books. Costco is a great source for those - about 50% off cover price. But now I have an even better source. Once a year my local gogos group (a charity that supports the Stephen Lewis Foundation) has a book exchange. It's designed to attract all the book club types. You pay $20 for a ticket and bring a pile of already read and good-condtion books with you to exchange for books you want. Now that is good value!

And we stay alert for ways to make extra money. My husband is a great carpenter and handyman so he's well known in the neighbourhood and picks up an easy $30/hr for renovating someone's bathroom or putting up some shelves.

But it's not all about SAVING money it's about enjoying life. When the bills are paid and there is a comfortable cushion in the bank you feel free to spend on the things that matter to you personally. One man's bottle of vintage wine is another woman's cashmere sweater. It's the indulgences that make it all seem worthwhile. In our case it's mostly about being able to head off several times a year for 2-3 months with no concerns about money. It's about surprising an adult son with a cheque for his uni fees or contributing to another's down payment on a house. Collecting pop bottles and buying tomato soup for 40 cents a tin may seem a strange way to go about it but its a helluva lot more reliable than the stock market :)

And yes, me too on checking out home exchanges. I've been meaning to do that for years. The year we went to Australia for six months we rented out the top floor of our house to a company that needed it for an executive seconded to the coast. That worked out REALLY well as they paid much more than a normal rental, put a huge damage guarantee on the furnishings and left it spotless. But it was a lot of work, packing up all our own belongings and leaving the house and grounds in spotless condition. Don't know that I would do it for a couple months only and don't know if I would be so lucky again with that kind of situation.

But that brings me to our other money generator. We have always had a suite in our home or on our property. In this house we have a suite on the lower level and we've had a quiet, lovely lady living there for the past several years. Never even know she and her cat are there. She looks after things while we are gone and pays a very decent rent. Lots of people tell me that they would never have a suite in their house but I do not know why. Be extremely choosey with your tenant and you will not even know they are there.

And one final frugality that I should NOT mention because I don't want the movie theatres to sit up and take notice but it is such a good one I just have to share it. Here in Canada movies are much cheaper than in many other places and we really like going to them. The place they make money is on the treats. BUT if you buy a large bag of popcorn their policy is that they will refill it. They don't say "just that night" so husband folds the bag up and puts it in his pocket and brings it back week after week after week. When it gets a little worn out looking he asks for a new bag which they cheerfully give him. Has not paid for popcorn for years. We take our own cans of pop (12 cents a can from Costco) and I stop at the bulk bins at Save On foods and buy about 80 cents worth of chocolate macaroons and we are set. Movies and treats for less than $20.

One of the brilliant jobs I had in Western Australia was guarding a fast food outlet. The indigenous kids had a drink container that was on permanent refill. The mananger didn't mind and I must admit I admired the cunning, and I can imagine Mr Living and the popcorn!

Making money from your home

Having a really good clear-out pays dividends in more ways than one.

First, it gives you more living space.
The less cluttered your house, the less cluttered your brain - or so it seems. When you've got rid of all those extraneous magazines/ articles you kept because they might come in useful (but have never looked at since), all those clothes you've kept because they might fit you again one day, the videos you've kept long after you switched to DVD, etc. etc. You begin to breathe and live again.

Now you can sell off much of the stuff you've grown out of - at a garage sale, at a specialist clothes shop (retro is very 'in' now and shops are lapping it up), at auction, through an on-line site (e-bay, or gumtree or craigslist), etc.

What isn't sold can go to a charity shop and give you a good feeling about helping plus recycling.

Put unsold furniture outside your house with a notice inviting others to take it - generally it will go within the day. (But if it's refurbishable to your own needs, keep it, sand and repaint, replace handles, etc.)

When you've de-cluttered, see if you now have space to let a room. It doesn't have to be full-time; sometimes people simply want office space, i.e. an empty room, generally with its own telephone line, maybe with a suitable desk and shelving. Or even just as a storeroom (but be careful here - you don't want to be letting it out to a fence!)
Other alternatives are students (term-time only) or even foreign students who pay well for room, board and a few hours conversation per week. For the latter TEFL isn't necessary as the students will also be attending a college, which is how you can find them.

Maybe you'd like to run a part-time business using the free space.
Various alternative therapies - reiki, hypnotherapy, etc.- need only a clean, clear and comfortable room in which to practice.

Sewing: made-to-measure curtains can provide a steady income, alterations if you're more experienced - some people don't even know how to take up a hem, progressing to wedding dresses if you're already an expert sewer.

But when your house has been de-cluttered you can really begin to think about redecorating, with an eye to short-term lets which can pay for trips abroad, and even leave you with left-over cash for a rainy day.
Short-term lets (from 3 weeks to 6 or more months) go for a much higher price than long-term, but your property needs to be in tip-top condition. So repaint, including furniture if necessary, tidy the garden, replace broken crockery etc., make sure everything is up to standard. Much of the work you can do yourself, hiring a retired handyman for anything that's beyond you.
The exta bonus here is that not only will you regain what you spent, and more, you'll have a newly-refurbished home when you return.
Another alternative (maybe to get the initial money for refurbishing?) is to see if a television or film company would like to let it from you as part of their set. Companies are always on the lookout for places and they don't have to be pristine - in fact the opposite may well be true - provided you've taken out your personal stuff. They pay even better than tenants and, if they decided to repaint the house, will redo it to your specifications when they've finished.

Finally, the least intrusive way of using your home to gain money is as a mailing address. This pays very little on a per-company basis, but if you build up a portfolio of 100+ companies you'll be $$$ in for what amounts to a 10 minute mail-sort every day.

Save money on outings

My best 60th birthday present was my 'freedom pass' which initially gave me free transport thorughout the whole of London by bus, underground, train, tram, after 9.30am - and now free local bus travel at any time in London, plus buses after 9.00am throughout the whole of England.
I've made good use of it, to parks and commons for walking trips as well as to various places of interest around the capital. When you're not paying for a daily pass you don't feel obliged to squeeze as much 'value' out of it as possible so walking becomes a pleasure as well as essential exercise.

My pass is supplemented by nationalexpress coaches 50% discount for over-60s; even their cheaper 'funfares' sometimes apply this discount.
Although theoretically one could cover the whole of England using only free local buses, the money saved would be more than offset by having to spend overnights along the way.

Overnights are cheaper at youth hostels, which are in general much more opulent than in the days of our youth. But check out first where they are. Also some excellent bargains at Travelodge; google for the ones you might need and check out local transport to/from them

When you get to wherever you're going don't forget to ask if they have an 'age concession'. You may end up paying 50% less to get in.

Take a bottle of mineral water bought from your local supermarket (fill it up from the tap when empty) or coffee or tea in a thermos, maybe a home-made sandwich or two, and you're set for a cheap day out.

It's an even better idea to first research on the internet the place you want to go to. There may be 'extras' you didn't know about - like the free tours at Hampton Court palace. I went on a super garden tour the last time I was there, because I'd arrived early to allow time for this.

Travel abroad for less

Our friend Resurgam thinks $100 a day is 'budget travel' (for one person). I'm sure many of us do it for a lot less than that, but if you haven't yet dipped your toe in the water here's some tips and hints.

Research your flight You can save a great deal of money by surfing the internet and being flexible about travel times.
[http://flightchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/#top] is the best site I've found so far, as it enables you to play around with options - from destination to date - and to amend them to fit your desired price.

Make your own travel guide I started out with LP guides, but found them too heavy to cart around the desert when carrying water, camera, etc. So I pulled one apart and put only the pages needed for each day in an A5 ring-binder; much better.

But it wasn't always up-to-date, so I supplemented it with pre-trip ThornTree info. This proved so good that I now do nearly all my research here, copying and pasting onto an A4 sheet set to landscape in two columns, cut and put once again into an A5 ring-binder. As a guide to prices, etc. I also add the date the info was received. It works a treat!

Also saves a lot of time at my destination/s because I arrange the pages according to my itinerary. I can also make notes on those pages when I find alternative advice on my travels, and accommodate it into my file on return.

Places to stay This is where you make the biggest daily savings. Hostels are better than hotels, being far more friendly and full of people who may already have been to where you want to go next. Just read the reviews carefully and avoid any with 'party' or 'fun' in them. [www.hostelbookers.com] is a good site, but there are others.

For solo travellers a dorm is a great bonus - especially if it's en-suite. Do you think the youngsters won't want to talk with an 'oldie' like you? Nothing could be further from the truth; they love it. Especially if you don't pontificate and treat them as equals - without expecting to hitch up with them during the day or evening.

Solo - or company? I find solo travel is more interesting. If you've done your research thoroughly, have a modicum of self-confidence and are willing to go with the flow and talk to people you meet far more interesting people - both locals and fellow travellers - along the way.

By being independent yourself, often you'll get invited to join a group for a day. Be circumspect; accept the occasional invitation, but only if you know what's involved and you're really geting along with someone. It makes a nice change, but being alone also gives you more opportunity to meet with the locals. (Sometimes, like I've been, you even get invited to stay with local people - something no amount of money could buy!)

If you're travelling with a spouse or partner, do make the effort to be outgoing with others and not keep yourself as a self-contained small unit.

Don't skimp - on entrance fees to places you'd visit if they were free. If you want to see them then do so, even if they break the budget for that day. You might not have a second chance. You can always retrieve that extra expenditure in some other way along the road.

Have fun At our age, after a lifetime of hard work, we've earned it. You're not going to get a medal for this, no-one is rating you on a performance card, this is your time - so, as far as is compatible with the respect that all visitors should pay to a gracious host - enjoy it.

If, some days, life is a bit tough, put this down to adventure and experience. You didn't leave home to find more of the same - just think of the stories you can tell when you get home.

So - final tip - Keep a journal and bore us all silly along the way (via internet) or when you get back home. If you rely on remembering everything along the way you'll forget all those tiny but beautiful moments which should be yours to cherish forever.