Wise Bread (Jeff Yeager)

When Something Breaks, Should You Repair or Replace?

Jeff Yeager — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:36:18 +0000

My Grandpa Clyde was one of the great handymen of all time. He could repair just about anything.

Before Clyde bought something, the first thing he'd ask was whether he could get parts and supplies to repair it himself when it broke. If the answer was "no," he wouldn't buy it. If the answer was "You don't need to worry about it, Mr. Yeager. This will never break," Gramps would thank the salesman politely and walk away, rather than accuse him of being a bald-faced liar. As Grandpa Clyde was fond of saying, "Automatic means you can't fix it yourself," and he wanted nothing to do with it.

Unfortunately, times have changed since Clyde's day. We now live in a world of planned obsolescence and one in which it costs more to repair most items — if they can be repaired at all — than to replace them. That's not only costing us more, but it's a massive waste of the earth's resources. America's nearly 2,000 landfills stand as sad monuments to our throw-away culture.

But sometimes it still pays — financially, and of course environmentally — to repair rather than replace, even if you're not as handy as Clyde and have to pay someone else to repair it for you. Here are some rules of thumb about whether to repair or replace. (See also: Should You Repair a Dripping Faucet?)

The 50% Rule

Financial pundits often talk about the "50% rule" when deciding whether or not it's more cost effective to repair an item rather than replace it. The conventional wisdom was that if a repair was estimated to cost 50% or less than the amount you paid for an item, it was usually better to have it repaired. This is still a good guide to keep in mind, although many consumer products (e.g. electronics, furniture, appliances, even clothing) have continually dropped in price (in inflation adjusted dollars) in recent generations. So now, to be more accurate, the 50% rule should be based on replacement value, not original purchase price, or even on the estimated current market value or resale value of major items like automobiles. Regardless, it's simply one rule of thumb among many other considerations.

Appreciating Appreciation

Before you decide to replace something instead of have it repaired, carefully consider whether the item you're thinking about trashing might appreciate in value over time. In the case of a well-made piece of furniture that is likely to become an antique, the choice to repair it is probably obvious. But it may not always be so apparent — when they needed repair, I wanted so badly to pitch those clunky old stereo speakers my dad passed along to me when I was a teen and buy some trendy new (cheap) ones at Kmart. But Dad wouldn't let me; now those JBL speakers are classics and worth nearly as much as my 401(k) (sadly, in that sense).

Around the House

Well-made, older appliances may be worth the cost of repair (if you can still find parts and someone to do the work), but you need to factor in that most older appliances use considerably more energy than newer models (see energystar.gov), so in the end it's often more cost effective to replace them when they need repair. On the other hand, replacing older windows in your home (if they're still in serviceable condition) with more energy efficient ones may not be a smart investment, taking a good many years in most instances to recoup the significant upfront investment. What about the roof over your head? Investing in maintenance and even fairly major roof repairs to prolong the life of a roof — provided that it's in generally sound condition — is often more cost effective, particularly for larger roof surfaces.

Rags or Riches

When it comes to clothing, the priority should be on taking proper care of it (don't use the clothes dryer!) to make it last rather than investing in repairing it. Because most non-designer clothing is relatively inexpensive, it's usually cheaper to buy something new once garments become threadbare. Even if you put on a few pounds, tailoring garments usually only makes financial sense with higher-end apparel items, unless you're a seamstress yourself.

Is It Plugged In?

A friend of mine who owns an electronics repair business once told me that nearly half of all the items people bring into his shop are simply suffering from a faulty electrical cord, plug, or other connection problem, or something else with a simple fix like cleaning out an air filter or replacing a worn-out belt. If that's the case, then repairing it will save you major currency (get it?). But, if it's something more major and requires special parts, even my friend admits that most new electronics are so inexpensive that it's probably not worth the fix.

The common line is that it's better to repair than replace, but that's not always true. Here's how to figure out what you should do when something breaks.

Guest Post Blurb:

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

10 Painless Ways to Save for Vacation

Jeff Yeager — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:36:07 +0000

The average American family plans to spend about $1,650 on summer vacation, according to a study by Visa. That's more than chump-change, particularly in these hard economic times.

Here are some simple ways to pump up your piggy bank so that your vacation is paid for before you ever leave home. (See also: How to Make Money by Taking a Vacation)

Make Mine a Water

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of us spend nearly 45% of our food budget on meals prepared outside the home. Cooking more meals at home can save you about 80% compared to restaurant meals, but -- even if you still want to eat out -- just by ordering tap water instead of overpriced beverages with your restaurant meals the average family of four can save about $800 a year ... nearly half of your vacation budget. I'll drink to that.

And Speaking of Water

Heating domestic hot water -- the water you use to bathe, wash dishes, etc. -- accounts for about 15% of total home heating costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It's easy to cut that expense in half and save hundreds of dollars a year by turning down your hot water heater to 110 degrees and/or turning it off completely overnight, installing inexpensive low-flow shower heads and putting an insulating blanket around your hot water heater, and washing clothes in cold water only. When you're lying on the beach on vacation, surrounded by warm ocean waters and breezes, you'll be glad you did.

Call Your Insurance Agent

It pays to call your insurance agent once a year and ask him or her to help you lower your premiums. Often times there are special discounts you may now be eligible to receive (e.g. a "good drivers discount") or your coverage can be updated and adjusted to possibly lower premiums (e.g. reducing or even eliminating collision coverage on an aged vehicle). And "bundling" your policies -- for example placing your auto and home policies with the same company -- can many times save you 10% or more off the total premium.

Find Some Money

Check the websites www.unclaimed.org and www.MissingMoney.com for unclaimed funds and other property that might be due you. These sites allow you to search for unclaimed property (free of charge) and are sponsored by the nonprofit organization The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). This could include monies due you or your family members from sources like forgotten bank accounts and inheritances, to utility bill refunds, security deposits, etc. NAUPA says that about one out of every eight Americans is entitled to unclaimed assets, with claims averaging about $1,000.

Start Paying $5 a Gallon for Gas Right Now

When gas prices go up significantly, studies by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that we change our driving habits and drive less by consolidating trips, sharing rides and taking public transportation. With gas prices predicted to go to $5 as early as 2012, start now by "paying yourself" the difference between what you pay at the pump and $5 a gallon -- it will help you grow your vacation savings account and encourage you to drive more thoughtfully before gas prices force you to do so.

Pack a Big Bag Lunch Once a Week

Of course, carrying your lunch to work will save you big bucks compared to dining out or fast food -- maybe even $1,000 per year or more -- but brown bagging it can be a hassle. If you're too lazy to pack your lunch every day, try carrying an entire bag of groceries to the office every Monday and make your lunches on the spot. This makes dining en office the most convenient choice, so you'll do it more often and save a bag full of cash for vacation.

Ask for Discounts

Don't be shy -- or a jerk -- but try politely asking for a better price on major purchases like electronics, furniture, appliances, and consumer services. A study by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that more than 90% of those who got up the nerve to ask for a discount on such purchases reported at least occasional success, with the average savings per haggling transaction being almost fifty bucks. And when you book your hotel and make other vacation plans, don't forget to ask for a discount then, too.

Go on a Fiscal Fast

Here's something that can be as fun as it is challenging: Go for a week without spending any money. Make it a competition and involve the whole family. Use up the food in your cupboards and freezer. Try carpooling to work or telecommuting. Play board games with the kids rather than spring for movie tickets. A 2010 Gallup poll showed that the average American adult spends $63 per day in stores, restaurants, gas stations and online, much of it on discretionary, nonessential purchases.

Pay with Cash

Put away your charge cards and force yourself to pay for purchases with cold, hard cash. Numerous studies have shown that you're likely to spend less when you forgo the convenience -- and the temptation to splurge -- associated with using credit cards. One study by BankRate.com showed that customers who used credit cards at fast food restaurants spent nearly 50% more than customers who paid with cash. Talk about a spending habit that's hard on both your wallet and your waistline.

Reorganize Your Clothes Closet

Professional home organizers claim that most people wear only 20% of their clothing more than 80% of the time, but that doesn't stop us from buying even more -- a family of four spends almost $3,000 on clothing every year. Instead of going shopping, reorganize your clothes closet and start wearing that 80% you've probably forgotten you own. And here are some tips to make your clothing last longer and save even more. Who knows, you may even find a bikini in the back of your closet to take with you on vacation this summer.

10 easy ways to save $1,650 a year--the cost of an average American vacation.

Guest Post Blurb:

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more Lifestyle articles from Wise Bread.

50 Healthy Foods for Under $1 a Pound

Jeff Yeager — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:00:06 +0000

If you are what you eat, then I should weigh-in at under $1 a pound.

That's because, as a general rule of thumb, I try to only buy foodstuff that costs under a buck per pound. Under $1 a pound, year-round — that's my grocery shopping mantra.

It's not just because I'm a world-class penny-pincher and smart shopper; believe it or not, it's also about eating healthier. When you look at the USDA "food pyramid," many of the things we should be eating the most of — grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables — happen to cost the least. It's often the stuff that's bad for us (at least in large quantities) — red meat, fatty dairy products, and processed foods high in trans fats — that cost the most, on a per pound basis. (See also: Tips and Tricks to Eat Healthy on a Budget)

To prove my point, I've put together this list of 50 healthy foods that I've purchased at least once in the last six months for under $1 a pound. First, a few disclaimers about my list-o-fifty:

NO, I don't live on another planet or in a part of the country where the cost of living is deflated. In fact, I live and shop in the Washington, DC metro area, which has one of the highest costs of living (and groceries) in the country.
NO, I'm not saying that all of these items are available in every store, at all times. But if you shop carefully, you can always find at least some variety of these foods around which to plan your meals. Many of the items on the list (e.g. most root vegetables, bananas, beans, etc.) can usually be purchased for under $1 pound even when not on sale or in-season. Other items on the list were "store specials," and typically would cost more than $1 a pound, and/or they were in-season so cost less.
NO, none of the items on my under $1 a pound list are organically grown. The pros/cons of that debate aside, for most people with a limited budget, the choice isn't whether or not to buy expensive organic, it's whether or not to eat highly processed crap like fast food or eat inexpensive healthy foods like those on my list.
NO, I'm not saying that by eating only these foods you'll have a complete, healthy diet. But they certainly can be the backbone around which to plan healthy, inexpensive menus for your family.
NO, I don't burn up a lot of time and gas by running around to a lot of different grocery stores, and I rarely use coupons. I shop only once every week or two, and I usually shop at only one or two stores. I plan my meals around the-best-of-the-best weekly store specials (aka the "loss-leaders"), the sale items that are usually on the front page of the weekly circular most stores publish. If you're not a creative cook like me, try a website like Delish or Epicurious, where you can enter the ingredients you have to work with and get all kinds of recipes.

So rev-up your shopping cart, but be careful: There's a Green Cheapskate loose on aisle five!

Apples - One a day keeps the cheapskate away.

Asparagus - HUGE store special at 99 cents a pound during Easter week. I bought 10 pounds, blanched it and then froze it.

Bananas - Potassium for pennies.

Barley - A tasty alternative to rice and potatoes.

Beans - (canned or dried) Kidney, pinto, navy, black, red, and many more.

Bok Choy - Steam and serve with a little soy sauce.

Broccoli - Yes, a store special. Usually closer to $2 per pound.

Bulgar Wheat - Try it in pilaf or a tabouleh salad.

Cabbage - Green and red —I like mine fried.

Cantaloupe - No, sorry, I can't; I'm already married.

Carrots - Raw or steamed; rich in carotenes, a healthy antioxidant.

Celery - Stir fry it for a change.

Chicken - Whole or various parts, on sale.

Chickpeas - AKA garbanzo beans — mash 'em up as a healthy sandwich spread.

Cornmeal - "Polenta" is all the rage these days, but I loved it 40 years ago when Mom called it "cornmeal mush."

Cucumbers - Try peeling, seeding, and steaming with a little butter and salt.

Daikon Radish - My new favorite raw veggie.

Eggs - Don't overdo them, but eggs provide high quality protein and still cost about $1 per pound. (Plus, there are many eggscellent things you can do with the shells.)

Green Beans - Frozen, but fresh are sometimes on sale for under $1 a pound in-season.

Greens - Kale, mustard, turnip, and collard greens are rich in vitamins and a good source of fiber. Here's how I cook 'em.

Grapes - Store special at .99 a pound.

Grapefruit - Bake with a little brown sugar on top for a healthy dessert.

Lentils - Perhaps the perfect food — healthy, cheap, and versatile (think soups, salads, sandwich spreads — and those are only some of the "s" possibilities).

Liver - Chicken livers usually cost under $1 a pound, and sometimes beef and pork liver can be found in the DMZ ("Dollar Maximum Zone").

Mangoes - High in fiber and vitamins A, B6, and C.

Milk - Yep, on a per-pound basis, milk still costs well under $1 a pound.

Napa Cabbage - Delicious steamed or raw in a salad.

Oatmeal - The good old-fashioned "slow cooking" kind...that takes all of five minutes.

Onions - Try baking them whole in a cream sauce.

Oranges - Frequent sale price when in-season.

Pasta - Store special at .89 a pound — I nearly bought them out!

Peanut Butter - Special sale price, but stock up because it usually has a long shelf life.

Pork - Inexpensive cuts of pork frequently go on sale for 99 cents per pound or less; sometimes even ham during the holidays.

Potatoes - White and red — baked, mashed, boiled, broiled, steamed.

Pumpkin - Yes, you can eat the same ones you buy as holiday decorations, and they usually cost under 50 cents a pound.

Rice - White for under $1 a pound; brown, a little more expensive but better for you.

Rutabagas - Hated them as a kid; can't get enough of them now.

Sour Cream - 99 cents on sale, but long shelf life, so stock up. My cucumber awaits.

Spinach - Frozen (but Popeye doesn't care).

Split peas - Add a hambone and make the ultimate comfort soup. Try it in the crock-pot!

Squash - Try baking acorn squash with a little brown sugar.

Sweet corn - Canned, or fresh on the cob, in-season. (Try this recipe for summer corn fritters.)

Tomatoes (canned) - Canned are often better than fresh to use in cooking, and occasionally you can find fresh on sale for under a buck, in-season.

Turkey - A popular bargain priced loss-leader around the holidays — buy an extra bird and freeze it for later.

Turnips - Make me think of my grandparents, who always grew them.

Watermelon - Whole, in-season melons can sometime cost less than 20 cents a pound if they're on sale and you find a big one.

Wine - Well, at least the stuff I drink — 5 liter box (approximately 11 pounds) for about ten bucks, on sale. (BTW, the beer I drink is even less expensive per pound.)

Yams/Sweet Potatoes - One of the healthiest foods you can eat, and usually available year round for under $1 a pound.

Yogurt - 8-ounce containers on sale two for $1.

Zucchini - OK, they're a type of squash (above). But I love them so much they deserve their own place on the list. Plus they look great in pantyhose.

Now look at all the money you've saved!

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more Food and Drink articles from Wise Bread.

12 Surprising Ways to Reuse Aluminum Foil

Jeff Yeager — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:00:10 +0000

Ever since the mandatory conversion to digital TV -- the proverbial death knell to rabbit ear television antennas -- I've wondered if aluminum foil sales have plummeted.

If you grew up with rabbit ears, you know what I'm talking about. Who didn't fashion aluminum foil into a homemade antennae appendage in hope of enhancing the reception of their rabbit ears? I was never convinced that it worked, but at least it gave us something to do, since we couldn't see what was happening on the screen.

Even with the demise of rabbit ears, aluminum foil sales are still big business. Over 1.3 billion pounds of aluminum foil is produced every year in the U.S. -- that's a heck of a lot of leftovers. While aluminum foil is just as recyclable as aluminum cans, many curbside recycling programs won't accept it for sanitary reasons (check with your local recycling program for their foil policy). That's a shame, because recycling aluminum uses only about 5% of the energy that it takes to produce aluminum from raw materials.

Alas, until aluminum foil recycling becomes more commonplace, here are some ways to get the most mileage -- and most value for your money -- from your aluminum foil by using it more than once:

Wash it and use it again (and again)

I swear my mother is still reusing foil from the time of Christ for wrapping and rewrapping leftovers in the fridge. Just wash it in soap and water, flatten it out with a rolling pin on the kitchen counter, and it's good as new. (Caution: Foil that has come in contact with raw meat should not be reused for other food purposes.)

Sharpen scissors and garden shears

Fold used foil so that it's six to eight layers thick, then cut thru it a few times with dull scissors to instantly sharpen them. To sharpen hefty garden and pruning shears, fold the foil so that it's even thicker.

Reduce static cling

I don't understand how it works, but if you throw a crumpled piece of aluminum foil into the clothes dryer, it seems to magically reduce static electricity. A true miracle of cheapskate science.

Shoe/boot forms

Wad up balls of old foil and stuff them into leather boots and shoes to help them keep their form when you're not wearing them.

Paint and plaster texture

Use crumpled up foil to add interesting texture to painting and plastering projects. Also when you're painting, old foil is handy for masking doorknobs and other fixtures you don't want painted, and wrapping your paintbrushes and rollers in during a lunch break.

Deter pets and other animals

For no apparent reason, our cat started using our fireplace instead of her liter box. We put a couple of sheets of used aluminum foil on the floor of the fireplace -- which cats, dogs, and other animals can't stand -- to break her of that bad habit. Hang strips of used foil on strings around the garden to deter birds, deer and other unwanted pests, too.

Protect young plants

Make a collar out of used foil to fit loosely around the stems of young tomato plants and other plant starts in order to keep cutworms and other insects at bay.

Make metals shine

Scrub rust off of steel and chrome with a wad of aluminum foil instead of using steel wool -- it works even better. You can also use aluminum foil and simple household products like baking soda and salt to clean silver and gold, with the proper know-how.

Shim a table leg

Ball up some old foil for under the short leg of an uneven table to make it a level field once again.

Scrub grills and baked-on messes

A wad of used foil makes a great scouring pad for cleaning the gunk off BBQ grills and stuck-on food from pots, pans, and inside ovens.

Repair stripped threads

People often say that I have a screw loose. When I do have a nut, bolt or screw with stripped threads, I wrap a little aluminum foil around the bolt or screw and try gently tightening it again. A quick temporary fix.

And remember your 10th wedding anniversary

Lucky break for your wallet! Believe it or not, 10th wedding anniversaries are traditionally celebrated by exchanging gifts made of aluminum. What could be more romantic than a piece of homemade aluminum foil art?

When I was working on this piece I read that some folks recommend putting sheets of used foil on snowy sidewalks to help melt the ice faster and make shoveling easier. Well, I tried that this weekend at home and had no such luck. So I'm not sure about that one.

Now, if I could just find some creative ways to repurpose my old rabbit ears...

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more Green Living articles from Wise Bread.

10 Shocking Facts About Our World

Jeff Yeager — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:00:01 +0000

When you write about money and the environment for a living, you're constantly bombarded by related facts, figures and other interesting stuff. It seems like a day doesn't pass without someone emailing me a press release about how much CO2 is released via cow flatulence every year, or how much money you could save by heating your home with cow chips. Come to think of it, maybe I'm just on some type of All Bovine News list serve.

Last year I decided to keep track of some of the most interesting eco-facts (as in ecological as well as economical) I ran across, and start a new annual tradition: The Green Cheapskate's Top 10 Shocking Eco Stats of the Year. Here goes:

10. The organization Environmental Defense says that U.S. cars and trucks emit 314 metric tons of CO2 every year, and -- in case you were wondering -- that's equivalent to burning as much coal as would fit in a 50,000 mile long freight train. Gosh, I'd hate to be stuck at a railroad crossing waiting for that one to pass.

9. Remember the Exxon Valdez oil spill? Thank God something like that hasn't happened again. Sorry, but according to the National Academy of Sciences, on average there are 27 oil spills every day somewhere in the waters of the worlds, and the Valdez spill doesn't even make the list of the top 30 all-time largest.

8. But now for some good news about oil: The American Petroleum Institute (API) tells us that if the government would lift those silly environmental restrictions and allow the petrol industry to drill everywhere, there's enough oil right here in the U.S. to fuel 60 million cars and trucks for 60 years! Unfortunately, API seems to forget to mention that there are already more than 250 million cars and trucks in the U.S. Somehow "drill baby drill" doesn't sound like the lifesaver API claims it is when you know all the fossil fuel facts.

7. To paraphrase Jack Nicholson's character in A Few Good Men, "Credit cards? You can't handle the credit cards!" Apparently that's true for most Americans. BankRate.com says that people who pay for fast food using a credit card spend approximately 50% more than those who buy their burgers with cash. And the average purchase on a credit card ends up costing 112% more (that's right, more than double) because most people fail to pay off their cards monthly. So according to Bankrate, a $1,000 charge on an average card will take almost 22 years to pay, and will cost more than $2,300 in interest ($3,300 total) -- if only 2% minimum payments are made.

6. Man, have weekly allowances ever increased since I was a kid. According to an Associated Press article, American kids between the ages of 12 and 19 now spend about $179 billion annually. That translates into more than $100 per teen per week.

5. Maybe kids these days are raking in the big bucks by mowing neighborhood lawns. According to the U.S. EPA, Americans spend $25 billion a year on lawn care. Residential lawns and gardens are doused with 80 million pounds of chemical pesticides and 70 million tons of fertilizers annually.

4. I love that Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi. You know, the one with the lyrics, "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." Every year in the U.S. we pave over roughly 1.3 million acres of formerly unpaved land, according to a Carrying Capacity Network conference held in Washington, DC. Since that's almost twice the size of the Hawaiian Islands, I guess Joni actually understated the problem.

3. According to the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis, more than 2,500 deaths and 330,000+ injuries every year in the U.S. are caused by the use of cell phones (both handheld and hands-free phones) while driving. Yet only six states prohibit the use of cell phones while driving, and that only applies to hand-held phones; no state currently prohibits the use of hands-free phones.

2. World hunger stinks, but maybe it doesn't have to. According to the website globalissues.org, it would cost about $13 billion annually to satisfy the world's basic sanitation and food requirements. As they point out, that's roughly equivalent to what Americans and Europeans spend on perfume and cologne every year. Can't we all agree that the world would smell a lot better if no one wore perfume or cologne, but no one was starving to death either?

1. Oh well, I'm sure the next generation will be more ecologically and economically savvy than we are. Or maybe not: According to the Children in Nature website, "Children can identify up to 1,000 corporate logos, but fewer than 10 plants or animals native to their backyards."

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more Credit Cards articles from Wise Bread.

12 Cool Things to Do with Used Dryer Sheets

Jeff Yeager — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:29:39 +0000

Since nearly half of all marriages in the U.S. now end in divorce -- and those that do last less than eight years on average -- I suppose it's a matrimonial miracle that after more than 25 years of wedded bliss, my wife and I have only one major dispute.

I'm referring, of course, to fabric softener sheets. She swears by them, and I swear about them, every time she buys them at the supermarket or I find one clinging to the inside of my boxer shorts. (Trust me, at my age you don't need softening sheets in your shorts.)

Rather than argue with my truly wonderful wife about whether fabric softener sheets are worth the money, I decided to instead go for the Guinness Book of World Records for lengthy marriages and keep ours intact by finding some creative ways to reuse spent fabric softener sheets. Here's what I found:

Use them more than once. Although my wife disagrees, I've found that the same softener sheet can be used up to three or four times in the dryer and still get the job done.

Anti-static dust wipes: The anti-cling chemicals in dryer sheets make them perfect for dusting television and computer screens and other electronic dust-magnets.

Lint brush in a pinch: Used fabric softener sheets can be used to remove pet hair and lint from clothing and upholstery.

Pot scrubbers: The softening chemicals in dryer sheets help loosen food particles stuck on pots and baking dishes; place a used sheet in the dish, cover with hot water, and let soak overnight. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning. (Editor's Note: this one may not be for the chemically squeamish.)

Soap grime-fighter: The same softening chemicals make used dryer sheets good wipes to use in removing soap scum from bath tubs, showers and tiles.

Sweet feet: Stuff dryer sheets in your shoes overnight to keep them smelling fresh. They'll also freshen closets, dresser drawers and cabinets.

Dust-free blinds: Not only do spent dryer sheets make a handy wipe for metal and plastic blinds, but the chemicals in them help to repel dust.

Better smelling bookshelf: The bookshelves in my dungeon of a home office smelled like mold until I started sticking a used drier sheet between every third volume or so on the shelf.

Get your shine on: When used as a polishing rag, dryer sheets make mirrors and chrome appliances shine. They're also great for cleaning windows and other glass.

Clothes storage: Placing used dryer sheets in with sweaters and other seasonal clothing before you store them will not only make them smell fresher, but the smell helps keep mice away.

Car care: Keep some in the glove compartment to dust the dashboard and wipe the windshield; they'll make your ride smell a little nicer at the same time.

And finally, can spent fabric softener sheets actually keep a marriage fresh? Why not try a "Dance of the Seven Fabric Softener Sheets" for someone you love? Now that's hot.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

20 Money-Saving Ways to Reuse Old Pantyhose

Jeff Yeager — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:00:02 +0000

I was a bank robber, the first Halloween I can remember. That involved carrying a burlap bag filled with stacks of newsprint "loot" over my shoulder, wearing a black turtleneck sweater like Illya Kuryakin wore in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and — most memorably — sliding one of my grandmother's worn out silk stockings over my head.

That memory (the last part, in particular) is etched upon my mind. And, my therapist says, no amount of counseling is ever likely to erase it.

Silk stockings are of course as long gone as my dear grandmother; truly sad to say, in both cases. But here are 20 creative ways to repurpose today's worn out nylon pantyhose, even if you're not planning to rob a bank.

1. Gift wrap storage

Keep rolls of gift paper neat and tatter-free by storing them in old pantyhose — one roll per leg — and hanging them in the closet.

2. Green Cheapskate soap on a rope

Put bath soap slivers in the foot of a pair of pantyhose to get every last bit of suds out of them in the shower. Rub-a-dub-dub, there's a cheapskate in my tub. (See more "Recycling Oddities.")

3. Plant ties

Use lengths of pantyhose to stake up tomatoes and other plants in the garden; because of its elasticity, it's easier on tender plants than string.

4. Mold and mildew stoppers

Partially fill pantyhose with kitty litter and place in shoes, luggage, closets, dressers, etc. to absorb moisture and reduce mold and mildew.

5. Panty-pantry storage

Store onions, potatoes and garlic in pantyhose and hang them in the pantry to promote good air circulation and keep them from rotting.

6. Sweet smelling sachets

Fill lengths of pantyhose with potpourri, tie off at both ends, and use to keep closets and dressers smelling sweat. They also work well when filled with cedar shavings or moth-repelling herbs to prevent damage to clothing in storage.

7. Pillow stuffing

Cut pantyhose into strips and use to stuff throw pillows or toys.

8. Repair torn pair in a pinch

If she has a run in the left leg and a matching pair with a run in the right, my wife sometimes cuts off her bad legs (so to speak) and doubles up, wearing two layers of panties with a good leg attached to each. (God I love that frugal woman.)

9. Packing peanut storage

Store menacing foam packing peanuts in a pair of pantyhose to keep them from invading the house until you're ready to reuse them. Cut a hole in the toe and tie it off with a twisty seal for easy peanut dispensing.

10. Homemade bungee cords

The elasticity of pantyhose make them perfect all-purpose tie down straps, or tie a metal "S" hook from the hardware store on each end for a homemade Bungee cord.

11. Lint mitt

Use like a mitten to remove lint and pet hair from clothing and upholstery rather than a lint brush. The mitt will also remove deodorant residue from clothing.

12. Scratch-less scrubbers

Try pantyhose to scrub tile and other surfaces where you're afraid of scratches. Also good for applying polishes to silver, brass, gold and other easily scratched metals.

13. Protect prized veggies

Put pantyhose over vegetables like squash and melons while they're still growing in the garden to protect against pest damage without using chemical pesticides. Is that a zucchini in your pantyhose, or are you just happy to see me?

14. Flower bulb storage

Store seasonal bulbs in pantyhose and hang them up in a dry place to promote good air circulation.

15. Shoe shine buffer

Old pantyhose are perfect for putting the spit-shine on shoes.

16. Wear them outdoors

Guys, don't be shy about sporting a pair of worn out pantyhose next time you go camping or work in the yard. Real outdoorsmen (and outdoorswomen) have known for years that they prevent chigger and other insect bites and minimize foot blister.

17. Draft dodgers

Partially fill pantyhose with kitty litter to seal off cold drafts from under doors and windows.

18. Fishing trick

When I wasn't wearing my Granny's worn out stockings over my head, my Gramps was using them to catch catfish. He'd wrap a piece of chicken liver bait in a section of nylon stocking to keep it on the hook; the fish would still bite, and he'd still have his bait.

19. Paint/stain/plaster applicator

Use pantyhose to add interesting texture and designs when applying and/or finishing paint and plaster.

20. Special photo effects

Stretch pantyhose over your camera lens to give photos a muted or starburst effect. (NOTE: It's best to have her take them off before you try this.)

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more DIY articles from Wise Bread.

5 Easy Ways to Save Some Green This Holiday Season

Jeff Yeager — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:00:03 +0000

Given that Christmas has become a $400 billion annual spending spree here in the U.S., sometimes I think Scrooge had a point during his "bah humbug" period. Certainly a little spending moderation can't hurt this holiday season, and it might even put us back in touch with the true spirit and ideals of the season. Here's how to enjoy the holidays and avoid a financial hangover come New Years Day.

Agree on a sensible gift exchange plan with family and friends.

Don't be shy about broaching the subject of having a scaled-back gift exchange with family and friends. Many times, others will thank you for having the courage to bring it up. Consider setting a spending limit — and sticking to it — and adopting a "secret Santa" plan, whereby each person in the family draws a name and buys a gift only for that person rather than for everyone in the family.

Or consider an alternative gift exchange plan, like only giving homemade items, re-gifted items, gifts of your time, or just exchanging cards instead of gifts. Remember, it's the thought that counts.

Make entertaining more about special people and activities than about expensive food and drink.

Celebrating with family and friends need not leave your bank account as empty as Santa's workshop after the holidays are over. Put the focus of holiday entertaining back where it belongs — on enjoying good times with good people.

Make meal events a potluck or progressive dinner, so that everyone can share their favorite recipes (and some of the cost). Host a brunch rather than a dinner party; brunch-foods like egg dishes, breads, and salads tend to cost less than dinner fare. And deemphasize food and drink by planning fun group activities, like an old fashioned caroling party or playing games instead of having a traditional — and costly — cocktail party.

Decorate with creativity, not credit cards.

It's easy to overspend when it comes to decking the halls, but simple elegance usually trumps glitzy glamour when decorating for the holidays. Take an inventory of decorations you have on hand before you shop for more; it's easy to forget about items you have in storage or bought last year at after-Christmas sales. Incorporate inexpensive greenery and other natural materials as much as possible, including those you might collect from your own yard or swap with neighbors.

If you buy a real Christmas tree, buy the largest one you can find for the price and cut off unneeded lower branches to use in wreaths and garland. Or consider buying a truly "live" tree — one with the root ball still intact — and plant it in your yard after the holidays; according to the U.S. Department of Energy, as few as three strategically planted trees in your yard can significantly reduce household heating and cooling expenses.

Take stock of what you already have before you hit the stores.

Every year billions of dollars worth of gift cards go unused, either expiring or losing value; start your holiday shopping by digging out any gift cards, rebates, and gift certificates you have tucked away in a drawer and use them before they expire to buy gifts for those on your shopping list. Also, "re-gifting" an item you already own is officially in this holiday season, provided that you truly believe the recipient will appreciate it and it's in good shape. Remember: It's only re-gifting if you believe it's re-gifting (or, in the case of intimate apparel, if you've worn it more than one night).

Take time out for those in need.

Volunteering your time as a family to help those in need this holiday season is not only the right thing to do, but I'll bet you an eggnog that it will inspire you to spend less, too. Helping those who are truly needy gives most of us a new appreciation for the blessings we already have. Check out the following websites for volunteer opportunities in your area: VolunteerMatch, Idealist, BeTheChange, 211, Give and CreateTheGood.

And here's a gift that just about everyone can afford to give this holiday season.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Carving a Pumpkin This Fall? Don't Throw Any of It Away!

Jeff Yeager — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:02 +0000

"Jeff, can't we at least celebrate the holiday before you eat the decorations?" I've heard that more than once from my long-suffering wife during our 26-year marriage.

You see, cheapskates like to celebrate Halloween and other holidays just like everyone else. But we grimace at wasteful rituals like throwing away a perfectly good pumpkin after using it for only a few days as a decoration. Americans buy more than one billion pounds of pumpkins at Halloween, and the vast majority of those end up in the trash. But at the Green Cheapskate's house, we eat our jack-o-lantern, every last bit of it.

While some particularly meaty varieties of pumpkins are specifically grown to be eaten (including Sweet Jack-be-Littles, Cheese Pumpkins, Sugar Pumpkins and some delicious heirloom varieties), any commonly available pumpkin is perfectly edible. Best of all, at Halloween (and immediately after Halloween) you can usually buy pumpkins for less than half a buck a pound. At that price, why not pick up a couple extra just to eat?

Pumpkins are a true American vegetable, a favorite of the Aztec, Inca and Mayan people before becoming a staple of early European explorers and settlers in the New World. Pumpkins belong to the same family (Cucurbitacae) as gourds, melons and cucumbers. And, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, pumpkins are packed with beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that fights cancer.

If you're buying a pumpkin specifically for eating, the smaller ones are usually the best. If you're going to use it as a jack-o'-lantern as well, you can eat or freeze some of the pumpkin when you carve it, and then pickle the remaining rind when Halloween is over, provided that it's still in good shape. So, here's how to eat your jack-o-lantern:

Seeds First

Toasted pumpkin seeds are a healthy snack filled with zinc, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper and protein. They're also great in salads, muffins, bread, and in other recipes as a nut substitute.

Remove the seeds, rinse them in water to get rid of the stringy inner membrane, and dry them out a little on a towel. Flavor with coarse salt for a traditional taste, or let your imagination and spice rack run wild. Some options for flavoring designer seeds include: pumpkin pie spice; Cajun seasonings; ginger powder; garlic salt; curry powder; Tabasco; cinnamon; vinegar and salt. Once seasoned, bake the seeds on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (single layer thick) in a 250-degree oven for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Or, my preferred method is to cook them in a spray-oiled skillet over medium heat on the stove top, stirring and shaking (the skillet, not your booty) constantly. On the stove top, they'll be toasted nicely brown in only about five minutes. Store in air-tight containers.

The Meat of the Matter

The thick, bright orange pulp lining the inside of the pumpkin is the real meat of the matter when it comes to making pies, cakes, bread, soups and most other pumpkin delicacies. Using a large spoon or other sharp-edged instrument, scrape and scoop the pulp from inside the pumpkin, working it down about an inch or so, to the whitish-colored layer beneath the skin. This will leave you with the outer shell to carve as a jack-o'-lantern. If you're not going to get double duty out of your pumpkin as a lantern, then it's easier to slice it as you would a melon and use a knife to peel away the outer skin and white layer.

Once you've extracted the pulp, steam it over a pot of water until it's tender (about 30 minutes or more). Run it through a food processor to puree or mash by hand (add a dash of lemon juice to prevent freezer burn), and freeze it in plastic bags or containers to use later in your favorite recipes. You can also eat the cooked pulp just like squash, but it's even better than squash. Here are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin Cider Bisque:

Make a cream soup by melting two tablespoons butter and mixing in 2 tablespoon flour, and then slowly stir in 2 cups of whole milk. Stir constantly over medium heat until thickened. Add one cup pumpkin puree (see above), and heat through. Slowly add 2 cups cider. Correct seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream, or cold with apple slices to garnish. (4 servings / approx. cost per serving = 30 cents)

Pumpkin Milk Shake:

Try this one as soon as the pulp cools. In a blender, mix 1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1/4 cup milk, 4 tablespoons pumpkin puree, and a dash of any or all of the following: pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, nutmeg, rum extract. (1 serving / approx. cost per serving =35 cents)

Jack-o-Lantern Casserole:

The Green Cheapskate's salute to cosmetic surgery -- truly tongue AND cheek, but pretty tasty. Save the cut-out nose, mouth, eyes, etc. from your jack-o'-lantern carving to decorate this face-shaped casserole. Fry one pound of sausage and one cup of chopped onion on the stovetop until brown. Add two cups of cubed, raw pumpkin pulp (you can get about that much by cutting the pulp off from the bottom of your jack-o'-lantern lid). Cook it for about 5 minutes, until the pumpkin starts to soften.

Stir in one can of condensed Cheddar cheese soup and 1/4 cup milk, and remove from heat. Grease a round or oval casserole baking dish (about face size). In the empty dish, mix two cups Bisquick mix with 3/4 cup water, spreading the dough evenly on the bottom of the dish. Pour meat mixture on top of dough. Sprinkle one cup shredded Cheddar cheese on top of casserole. Spray "face parts" lightly with spray oil, and arrange on top of casserole. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until face parts are lightly brown and the dough has cooked through. (6 servings / approx. cost per serving = 60 cents)

Truly Smashing Pickled Pumpkin Rinds:

If your lantern survives the night of hell-raising by neighborhood teens and shows no signs of worrisome rot, inordinate candle scorching, or excessive wax buildup, real cheapskates separate themselves from the rest by pickling the rind of their jack-o'-lanterns the day after Halloween. I'm told by Miser Adviser Doris Sharp that this dish is particularly popular in Northern Germany. Here's how:

Peel off the outer skin and cut the white-colored rind (about 1 inch thick) into two inch squares. For each pound of pumpkin, use 3/4 lb sugar, 2 cups vinegar and a piece of fresh ginger. Use a stick of cinnamon for the whole batch of several pounds. Put pumpkin in vinegar and let it soak overnight. Remove the pumpkin from vinegar (discard*) and let it dry on a towel. Bring fresh vinegar to a boil with sugar, ginger and a stick of cinnamon. Add pumpkin and simmer until pieces are translucent and golden yellow, about 3 hours on low heat. Never stir with a spoon; just shake the pot occasionally so the pumpkin doesn't fall apart. Can and seal, or store in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Pedal Your Way to Health, Wealth and Happiness

Jeff Yeager — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:00:02 +0000

Thirty-five years ago this week, my brother and I took off on our Raleigh ten-speeds on the first major bicycle trip of our lives, a 3,200-mile pedal-powered journey from our parent's home in Ohio to the Black Hills of South Dakota and back again.

At the audacious ages of 18 and 16 — with the Allman Brothers Ramblin' Man playing on the 8-track in our minds — the world was ours to devour. To say that we considered ourselves invincible is an understatement; our young minds were crammed with thoughts of high-adventure, rowdy times, and pubescent fantasies. Fortunately, we got more than our fair share of each of those over the next two months, and on countless bike tours in the years to come.

That trip and that machine — the simple bicycle — changed my life forever. Still today, hardly a day goes by when I don't pedal at least a few miles, usually to run errands or just stretch my legs, which admittedly aren't as supple or strong as they were thirty-five years ago. I recently pedaled my 85,000th lifetime mile and in another couple of years — crazy drivers willing — I hope to cross the 100,000 mile mark. Not bad for having owned just two bicycles (both relatively inexpensive) in my adult life, with my "new bike" having only about 30,000 miles on it.

If you've not been on a bicycle since you were a kid, maybe this is the summer to rediscover the joy and freedom of what it arguably the fastest machine ever invented by man, when you factor in the energy it requires to build/buy and get on down the road.

Or better yet, why not make your family vacation this summer a bicycle trip? It's inexpensive, eco-friendly, healthy, and, I bet, will give you memories to last a lifetime: Here's some tips:

Go the distance

With just a little practice, novice cyclists and even children (approximately age 12+) should be able to comfortably pedal at least 10-20 miles a day. And for adults and older children, it doesn't take much practice before 50 miles or even further is a manageable distance to cover in a single day, depending on terrain and your physical condition.

Keep it simple (and cheap)

Start and end from home. It's as easy as drawing a circle on a map of say a 100-200 mile radius from home and figuring out what there is to see and do in your own backyard. I bet you'll be surprised.

Pick a route

There are more than 38,000 miles of designated bicycle routes in the U.S. that connect two or more states, and many times that amount of local bike-friendly routes, hiking/biking trails, and other roads well-suited for cycling. Check with your state's Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator.

Don't overspend

You don't really need fancy and unnecessary equipment. For short trips, an inexpensive bicycle or even a used bike from a thrift store is fine. Don't go gear-crazy: ten-speeds are more than enough.

Pack light

Take along only the bare essentials. Wash your clothes along the way rather than pack more. Buy food as you need it rather than take it from home. Ask yourself: "What's the worst thing that will happen if I don't take this with me?" Once you're packed, take a ten mile test ride, then go through your gear again and see if you've changed your mind about anything.

Safety first

Helmets and reflective clothing/gear are a must. Learn the rules of the road. Riding safely with saddlebags (aka "panniers") and other gear on your bike takes practice; take some training rides and specifically practice the skill of riding in a straight line and controlling your bike with the added weight.

Take a course

Courses in safe cycling, bicycle repair, and bicycle touring are offered by many local community colleges and bike clubs, as well as online.

Stay cheap

Cycle touring lends itself to camping, couch surfing, staying at youth hostels, and using the "Warm Showers" network, a nationwide community of fellow cyclists who will put you up for the night.

Have fun, and stop and say hello if you see me along the road. I'll be the tall guy on the old ten-speed, wearing the Allman Brothers Band t-shirt.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

5 Ways to Save Time and Money on Your Lawn

Jeff Yeager — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:00:28 +0000

I'm always struck when I travel outside the United States how rare it is to see large expanses of lawn in residential areas in most other countries. Americans are truly grass crazy. We're downright sod-o-maniacs, you might say.

But our dandelion-free, putting green-perfect lawns are tough on the environment and tough on our wallets. Between the water they require, the pesticides and fertilizers, and pollutant spewing, four-cycle lawnmowers, our lawns really aren't as green as they look.

And with U.S. lawn care services now a $12 billion annual industry, our lawns are cutting a lot of the green out of our bank accounts as well. Basic lawn-care service averages about $120-$150 per month, which could easily be an expense of $1,000 a year or more depending on where you live and the length of the growing season.

Author Michael Pollan wrote, "A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule." Down with the dictator!, I say. Why not reduce the size of your lawn this summer -- or even eliminate it entirely -- and save money, time and the environment too?

Here's how:

Mulch

Mulching over areas of your yard will help to control weed growth and retain moisture. This is particularly effective for shady spots and other areas where grass is hard to grow in the first place. And you don't need to pay a lot for mulch: Make your own from shredded leaves and twigs, or check with your highway maintenance department, landfill, or your local arborist to see if they have mulch for free/cheap.

Hardscaping

My dad, who hated mowing the lawn, was always threatening to "pave over the whole damn thing with green cement!" Apparently dad had totalitarian issues of his own. Environmentally friendly "hardscaping" alternatives to pop's cement plan include the use of river stone, gravel and flagstone as a sort of indestructible mulch. Think Japanese gravel garden or faux dry stream bed. It's best to put down a fabric weed block -- or a thick layer of old newspapers -- under your hardscaping material.

Ground Cover

A combination of ground cover and mulch/hardscaping is an ideal eco-friendly lawn alternative for most homeowners. It's much lower maintenance, far more cost effective, and so much more interesting than a boring expanse of grass. Choose ground covers that are native to your area or which otherwise don't require watering or fertilizer and block weed growth effectively. Some favorites include pachysandra, creeping thyme, phlox, liriope, sedum and creeping juniper. The cost per square foot to plant most ground covers is roughly the same as to plant sod -- but you'll save big money and time in maintenance over the years to come.

Tall Grass & Wild Flowers

For a beautiful, natural looking yard that still incorporates grass, consider using native prairie and other tall grass seed, mixed with wildflower seeds conducive to your climate. Just let this drought resistant combination do its own thing all year long and maybe cut it back once a year at the end of the growing season, if at all.

Return of the Push Mower

If you still have a patch of grass that needs to be cut and you haven't tried an old fashioned push or "reel" mower in the past 20 years, you'll be surprised at how far that old piece of technology has come. They're now incredibly light, easy to push, and oh so wonderfully quiet -- not to mention pollution free and low maintenance. With the soft clipping sound of the razor sharp blades and the smell of fresh air and fresh-cut grass, cutting the grass with a reel mower seems more like meditation than yard work.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

10 Ways to Get More Wear Out of Your Clothing

Jeff Yeager — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:00:05 +0000

With the average American family of four spending almost $4,000 per year on clothing, think of the money you can save by extending the life of your clothes and hanging onto them longer. Here are some practical ways to do just that:

1. Launder Less Often, and Only in Cold Water

Many of us are guilty of over laundering our clothes, which costs time and money and is usually unnecessary. Washing and drying is often actually harder on clothing fabric than wearing it! Consider wearing apparel items more than once between laundering, and wash most clothing in cold water only; cold water costs less, is gentler on fabrics, and will get most clothes just as clean.

2. Hold the Bleach

Bleach can cause clothing to disintegrate more quickly. If you need to brighten white clothes, try using baking soda and hot water instead.

3. It Pays to Get Hung Out to Dry

Electric- and gas-powered clothes dryers not only cost a pretty penny to own and operate, but they cook and beat the life out of your clothing too. Drying your clothes on a good old-fashioned clothesline can increase the lifespan of some garments by as much as fifty percent...plus your clothes will smell terrific.

4. Zip Up Before You Wash

Metal zippers on jeans, jackets and other apparel items are like tiny chainsaws in the washer and dryer, ripping away at other clothes the whole time unless you zip them up first.

5. Don't Let Small Problems Become Big Ones

Most rips and tears start out small, so check your clothes carefully after every washing to catch and mend snags while they're still small and easy to fix.

6. Soggy Shoes

The lifespan of footwear is often cut short by the effects of moisture, even more so than by pounding the pavement. To make your shoes last longer, don't wear the same pair every day. Give each pair at least a day in between to dry out from the moisture they absorb from your body and the environment. In humid or rainy weather, crumple up a couple of pieces of newspaper and stuff them in your shoes before you go to bed at night; by morning, the paper will have wicked-up the excess moisture. Frequently shining or sealing shoe leather helps protect it from moisture as well.

7. Don't Throw It Away, Remodel It Instead

Even if you're challenged when it comes to needle and thread, there are a lot of simple, fun things you can do to customize and update clothes that you're bored with or that are out of fashion. Check out the book (from the library, silly) Sew Subversive (Taunton 2006) for some easy and creative clothes remodeling ideas.

8. Think "Vintage" Not "Used"

We're getting rid of a lot of our threads before they're threadbare. Only a small percentage of the clothing we throw away in the U.S. is truly "worn out." Fortunately, some of those duds make an encore appearance at thrift stores, yard sales and resale/consignment shops, where you'll usually pay only ten or twenty cents on the dollar compared to new/retail. Also, form a clothes swapping club with friends and family members who wear similar sizes, so that when you get tired of a garment you can pass it along to someone who will wear it.

9. Storage and Organization Are Key

"I forgot I even had that in my closet!" How many times have we all said that? Store off-season clothes in plastic totes and add a couple cedar blocks for extra protection. Keep a written inventory of your clothes, and make a "progressive shopping list" of new things you'll need to buy in the near future; that way you can pick them up the next time you see them on sale.

10. Buy Classics, Not Fads

Build a wardrobe around just a few colors that look good on you and that combine well with one another, giving you diversity without needing to buy so many clothes. Look for classic styles, well made garments, and durable fabrics, and don't get suckered into trendy fashions and colors that will become outdated before you even get out of the store. When it comes to paying top dollar for the latest designer fashions, remember what billionaire Warren Buffet once said: "I buy expensive suits. They just look cheap on me."

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

This article was selected for the Carnival of Shopping #22!

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

The 7 Rules of Budget Travel

Jeff Yeager — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:00:06 +0000

I'm a big believer in the popular environmental mantra: "Think Globally, Act Locally." When it comes to saving the planet, that saying is as true as it is simple.

And when I travel, my rule of thumb for keeping it green and keeping it cheap is: "Think Locally, Travel Globally." You'll usually find the most eco-friendly and genuine travel experiences when you spend less — not more — and get local, no matter where in the world you're wandering. It's all about traveling independently (not in a tour group or packaged tour) and drilling down to the local level, getting a true sense of place by experiencing it as if you live there.

Here's how:

Guidebooks kill

Consult a good, locally researched guidebook like those in the Lonely Planet series for basic background and logistical info before you travel, but don't use it to plan your every move, like where you'll stay, eat and hang out. By the time a guidebook recommends something, it's usually overrun with tourists (and overpriced).

Travel without reservations

Except for perhaps the first night or two when you're traveling overseas and going to be suffering from jetlag, avoid making advance reservations at hotels and other accommodations before you leave home. You'll generally pay a lot more for lodging reserved from overseas, and they're rarely the type of local, affordable places you can only find once you're there. Plus, advance reservations limit your ability to be spontaneous in your travels.

The "Three L's Rule" (Look for Lines of Locals)

If you're looking for a good meal or friendly place to have a beer, put away your guidebook and open up your eyes and ears. Looking for where the locals hang out and chatting it up with them is the best — and cheapest — way to travel.

Local transportation and short distances are best

To travel slowly, covering short distances, and staying places longer is the key to really getting a sense of place and people. Linger in places you've never heard of and where you don't see another tourist; don't plan an itinerary that's just one popular tourist destination (AKA "trap") followed by another. Taking public transportation, hiking or bicycling will give you a great opportunity to meet local people and see how they live. Plus it will save you a busload of traveler's checks.

Cheap sleep

Americans can travel to almost anywhere in the world and pay top dollar to stay in an American-style hotel, just like the ones back home. Why even bother to travel if that's what you want? Look for locally owned, "mom and pop" places to stay, pensions and public camping facilities (sometimes free). Check out youth hostels, couch surfing and house swapping for a highly affordable, and rewarding, travel experience.

Prepare at least some of your own meals

Sampling the fare in local restaurants is one of the joys of travel, but you'll sell your trip short — and spend a lot more — if you don't at least occasionally pick up some groceries from a local market and prepare some of your own meals. Maybe it's just simple breakfast foods or picnic supplies. Shopping for food where the locals shop is one of the most enlightening cultural experiences I know of when you travel, and it just happens to make travel much more affordable.

Keeping it green when you travel

Not surprisingly to this Green Cheapskate, a recent study commissioned by eco-friendly lodging chain Element Hotels found that 41% of the people they surveyed said that their vigilance about conserving resources is "due to the economy" (i.e. "It saves me money!"), while just 28% said it was "due to the environment." The upshot is that when people travel, their eco-conscious habits often slip; they're not as vigilant about things like turning off the lights in their hotel room, since they're not paying the electric bill. Don't leave your eco-ethics at home when you hit the road this summer, because you can't fool Mother Nature.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

6 Upsides of the Down Economy

Jeff Yeager — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:50:15 +0000

My father-in-law had a saying: "If you don't have a good time, you usually learn a good lesson." I'm reminded of that a lot these days during the current economic recession.

I'm not saying that the economic downturn is a good thing, particularly for people who have lost jobs or their homes. But fortunately that's not most Americans. For the rest of us, some involuntary belt tightening might have some silver linings. In other words, I think the current market corrections we're going through might just trigger some long overdue — and ultimately very positive — lifestyle corrections for many Americans.

Consider:

We're borrowing less and putting more into savings

We've truly learned a lesson — albeit the hard way — about living beyond our means. In 2008, savings rates rose to 1.7%, coming off the lowest savings rates since the Great Depression. And figures recently released for April 2009 are even more impressive, showing the personal savings rate for the month at a 14-year-high of 5.7%.

We're wasting less

AKA Using it up, making it last, doing without. This is clear from the increase in thrift store and re-sale store sales. Goodwill Store revenues in February were up 7.2% over last year, and for the first time in generations, many thrift stores are selling their wares faster than additional merchandise is being donated.

We're building smaller homes

It's bad for your bank account and bad for the environment to construct, heat, cool, electrify, decorate, maintain and pay taxes and insurance on unnecessary square footage. For the first time in more than 10 years, the average size of new homes being built dropped by nearly 300 square feet, or 11%. Studies show that we, as humans, are inherently uncomfortable living in too large of spaces, and the recent economy has shown that we're definitely uncomfortable trying to pay for them. In with "Not So Big" and "Little Boxes"!

We're driving less and staying around home more

When gas was at $4 a gallon, two-thirds of Americans said they changed their habits and drove less...and nothing awful happened because of it. It save resources, generates less pollution, and, because we're spending more time closer to home, it stands to bring our families and communities closer together. That's why I still continue to pay $4 a gallon at the pump, or, rather, pay myself the difference in my "$4 a Gallon Savings Club."

We're eating lower on the food chain, which is usually healthier

Sales of poultry are up, red meat are down. We're buying more staples, and fewer processed foods. We're eating more fruits and vegetables, and raising a lot more of those ourselves: Home vegetable gardens are projected to be up 40% this year compared to 2007. If these trends continue, the next dire headline out of the recession might just be "American Obesity Epidemic Declines!"

Hard times might help to revitalize local businesses/economies

In the long run, it stands to reason that the current recession might actually help to revitalize long struggling local businesses and economies. Consider these factors: * Transporting products from far away becomes less cost effective, making the produce at local farmers' markets, for example, more cost competitive. * Big national chains are going under in record numbers, opening the door to local/independent businesses. * Local businesses are more responsive to changing demands and have fewer, if any, demands by shareholders for higher returns on investment. * And many local communities, like those in the Berkshire region of Massachusetts, are taking matters into their own hands and finding creative ways to help local business not just survive, but thrive.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

How to Save Gas, $30,000 and Your Pride

Jeff Yeager — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:14:10 +0000

A brash foursome of 90210-good-looking American college jocks barged ahead of us in line, only to be told that all the cars available had manual transmissions. That's the case in most countries of the world other than the U.S., where only 5% of us drive a stick shift. They glanced at each other with uncertainty, and then their fearless leader said cockily, "A stick? Cool man! How hard can it be?"

After waiting patiently, my wife and I finally got the keys to our rental car and headed out to the parking lot. There sat the four pushy princes in their five-speed Fiat, lurching forward a couple feet at a time, then stalling, lurch, stall, lurch, stall....

Smoke rose from the tires. A series of foot-long skid marks trailed off across the parking lot behind their car, looking like the "Tear Here" marks on the bottom half of your electric bill. The lurching motion became so violent at one point that the driver's Smith sunglasses flew off his face and smacked against the windshield.

The cool dudes inside the car were not amused, although the gathering crowd of locals was having a blast watching. As I smoothly slid our rental car into first gear and rolled out of the parking lot, I gave a friendly shoulder shrug to the onlookers and said something in quasi English-Greek, like "Yish! Crazy Americans."

Save Serious Cash

Learning to drive a car with a manual transmission might not only save you some major embarrassment in life, but it can also save you gas and some serious money.

Consumer Reports found that cars with manual transmissions get two to four miles per gallon more than the same models with automatic transmissions. If you drive, say, 15,000 miles per year, that's going to save you about $350 annually at today's gas prices.

But that's only the beginning of the savings. New cars with manual transmissions generally cost about $800 less than those with automatic transmissions, and a manual transmission is less expensive to repair or replace when the time comes. Plus, because you're using the car's engine to help you decelerate, manual transmissions are easier on the brakes, which means added savings on brake maintenance and repairs.

All told, you'll probably save about 5,000 gallons of gas and $30,000 or more by only driving cars with manual transmissions over the course of your lifetime. And with a little practice, driving a stick is easy, fun, and oh sooo cool.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

How to Save Money and Still Dress Green

Jeff Yeager — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:23:27 +0000

I'm now officially concerned that America's green movement may have run its course. My reason for sounding the alarm: A story on a morning talk show last week about the rush by high-end fashion designers to bring five-figure "green gowns" and other pricey "eco-apparel" to fashion runways and your nearest Saks Fifth Avenue.

You don't have to spend like a fat cat to dress well.

If there was ever a movement NOT in need of its own criminally overpriced designer fashion line, it's the green movement. You know, a movement that's about, well, "conserving" resources.

Call me jaded (because I am), but my real fear is that it signals the beginning of the end of the green movement, not because fashion designers are jumping on the hybrid bandwagon, but because many Americans -- too many -- will probably rush out to actually buy this Emperor's new green-label, high fashion attire. What better way to show your solidarity with Mother Earth ... and flaunt your fortunes in the process?

Forget about the good that you could accomplish by donating that same money to one of the thousands of nonprofit organizations working to protect the environment. And even forget about the size of the carbon footprint you're probably creating to generate that big bankroll in the first place.

The fact is that less than 2% of all clothing thrown away every year in the U.S. is trashed because it's truly "worn out" -- as in threadbare, falling apart, full of holes. The other 98%, for the most part, is dumped just because we want something new or we've outgrown our duds, and we're too lazy to pass them along to someone else who can use them.

Once again, the most eco-friendly thing you can do when it comes to your clothes closet is to be a cheapskate and simply consume less. Make your clothes last longer -- and save energy and $ -- by washing them less frequently and, ideally, in a front-loading washer (one without a clothes torturing agitator), using only cold water. Line dry your clothes whenever possible to extend the life of the fabric and reduce both your electrical usage and your monthly bill.

Most importantly, wear your clothes out. Help make threadbare the new cool fashion statement, the true designer apparel of the green movement. And when you're ready for something new, buy used. Rummage sales and thrift stores are treasure trousseaus of bargain-priced clothing, much of it high quality and barely used, and all of it representing energy and other resources that have already been extracted from Mother Nature's womb.

So don't be suckered in by the Emperor's pricey new green wardrobe -- the dude may not be naked this time around, but his vanity and stupidity are definitely in Full Monty mode.

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

17 Creative Things to Do with Phone Books

Jeff Yeager — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:06:54 +0000

Is it just my imagination, or are they sending out updated editions of the phone book and Yellow Pages a lot more often than they used to?

When I was growing up, it seemed like we had the same phone book the whole time. I remember it, because my Uncle George — who fancied himself the Human Hulk — said he knew a trick whereby he could tear an entire phone book in half with his bare hands. It didn't quite work out that way, although he did thoroughly mangle the A-G listings.

And the Yellow Pages; I don't ever remember getting an updated version. Our copy was sort of our family Bible, not only a source of information but a record of our lives. Especially the page with the phone listing for our family doctor, which was crammed with frantically written margin notes in my mom's handwriting, instructions from the good doctor's office for treating her two accident-prone young sons. Things like: "Induce vomiting immediately!", "Not contagious...as far as the doctor knows," and (multiple entries) "Should pass in his stool within 48-hours."

Okay, so maybe it is just my imagination, but certainly the phone company is distributing a heck of a lot more phone books than they need to in this era when so many of us retrieve the phone numbers we need on the Internet instead. More than half a BILLION phone books are printed and distributed every year in the U.S., which is nearly two books for every American. That consumes about 19 million trees. Here's how to help curb this waste of paper and make the best use of outdated phone books you have on hand:

Opt Out: Go to www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org and register to be taken off the distribution list for white and yellow page phone books.
Recycle: Less than 10% of all phone books printed are recycled, even though they can be recycled into everything from ceiling tiles to cereal boxes. Go to earth911.com to find your nearest phone book recycling center.
Repurpose: As they say, "One man's trash is a Green Cheapskate's treasure." Here are some creative reuses for old phone books and Yellow Pages.
Child Booster Seats: Cover them in fabric remnants.
Press Autumn Leaves/Plants: Better yet, have the kids sit on them at the same time.
Flip Books: Here's a fun art project!
Window Wipes: Perfect for cleaning windows with a simple mixture of vinegar and water.
Phone Book Step Aerobics: Duct tape them together to use in stair-stepping exercises.
Fire Starters: Perfect for the fireplace, grill or woodstove.
Garden Mulch: Shred 'em (a few pages at a time, Uncle George), they're great biodegradable weed blockers.
Origami: Recreate the Tale of 10,000 Yellow Swans with a single book of Yellow Pages!
Pencil/Pen Holder: Here's a nifty craft project idea.
Papier Mache: It's not just for the Jr. High science fairs anymore.
Packaging Filler: Balled up or shredded.
Wax Paper Substitute: Use to separate baked goods and items in the freezer.
Paper Dresses: Careful, or his fingers may just do the walking through your Yellow Pages.
Make Your Voice Heard: Sign a petition to the Yellow Pages Association insisting that they move to an "on-demand system" of distributing directories (i.e. you only get one if you ask for one).

This post from the Green Cheapskate by Jeff Yeager is republished with the permission of The Daily Green. Check out more great content from The Daily Green:

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more Green Living articles from Wise Bread.

Chicken GUTS & Author GLORY: Tales From My Cheapskate Book Tour

Jeff Yeager — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:56:27 +0000

Editor's note: Wise Bread blogger Jeff Yeager is promoting his new book on frugal living with the cheapest book tour ever! He'll bike instead of drive and couchsurf instead of staying in hotels. This is part 2 of his story. Read part 1 here.

Having been an author for all of three weeks now, I admit that I still get a definite ego buss whenever I’m introduced as such. “Author” is one of those occupations that gets people’s attention. It conjures up images of busy book signings, thought provoking lecture series, and a glamorous life of penning deep thoughts in far off places.

It was 5:15 in the morning, and I just couldn’t get the second chicken into my saddlebags. I’d managed to cram the pre-roasted bird in among the vegetable scraps, cooking utensils, and whole potatoes I’d brought with me from back East the day before, but the second chicken – the raw one – just wouldn’t fit. I fumbled around in the dark, not wanting to wake my CouchSurfing host, but I knew I needed to get that slippery yellow fryer stowed pronto or I’d never have time to bicycle the 12 miles across town for the “cheapskate cooking” demo I was scheduled to do live on San Diego Living that morning.

With the stance and determination of an Olympic shot-putter, I grabbed the bird in my right hand and pushed with everything I had. The plastic wrapper snagged on a metal rivet on the inside of the saddle bag, and a geyser of cold, gelatinous chicken juice squirted over my hand and ran down into the pack, the same compartment that would carry all my clothing and other gear in the days and weeks to come. Ah, the enchanted life of an author ...

Despite the trickle of chicken juice seeping from my saddlebags as I bicycled through the empty streets of predawn San Diego, I was plenty psyched about doing the cooking demonstration on Fox Channel 6. I love to cook – in large part because I love to eat – and I’ve written a lot in my book and elsewhere about the beauty of cooking and eating on the cheap. My contention is that when it comes to food, like so many other things in life, the best options also happen to cost the least.

In fact, one of my rules of thumb is that I’m hesitant to pay more the $1 a pound for foodstuff when I go grocery shopping. That may sound impossible, but as I discuss in my book, it’s actually very practical and steers you toward a healthier and more enjoyable diet. It forces you to eat more of the types of foods we should be eating the most of (according to the USDA Food Pyramid) since they tend to cost the least, buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, and limit your consumption of fatty meats, dairy products, and processed foods. It also forces you to shop smart, and actually think about what you’re going to eat rather than rely on the same old tired recipes.

The show’s producer had asked me to come prepared with all the ingredients to “stage cook” (i.e. “fake cook”) a three course cheapskate menu, hence my “before” and “after” chickens. I vowed to cook using only ingredients costing under $1 a pound and, as an added hook for the Channel 6 viewing audience, I promised to incorporate creative ways to use up those little packets of condiments we all seem to take too many of whenever we get carryout.

Here’s what I cooked that morning and a link to the Channel 6 website where you can find the recipes. Trust me, these are really tasty, economical, healthy dishes, despite their gimmicky names/cooking techniques:

Tomato-Garlic Bisque with Fresh Egg and Stale Bread (using ketchup and half-and-half packets from the carryout)
Compost Pile Roast Chicken (marinated in soy sauce and spicy mustard from your last Chinese takeout, and roasted with fruit and veggie scraps otherwise destine for the compost pile)
Hobo Potatoes (cooked in recycled aluminum foil)
Pineapple/Bananas Foster on Bicycle Spoke Kabobs (an old long-distance cyclist’s trick)

With the cooking segment and a couple of other local TV spots successfully under my belt, I’d almost forgotten about the spurting chicken juice as the sun began to set and I bicycled back toward my host’s house for the night. Why not celebrate with a quick beer? I was parking my bike by the door as two professionally dressed young couples entered the inviting little neighborhood pub. Seated next to them at the crowded happy hour bar, they politely asked, “Are you a bike messenger?”

“No,” I said. “I’m an author.”

Their expressions, even their posture, were immediately transformed. They reached over each other to eagerly shake my hand. I gratefully obliged, only hoping that they didn’t detect the residue of the chicken juice from that morning.

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Wise Bread Author Launches Cheapest Book Tour - No Cars, No Hotels, No Problem

Jeff Yeager — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:20:35 +0000

Editor's note: Wise Bread blogger Jeff Yeager is promoting his new book on frugal living with the cheapest book tour ever! He'll bike instead of drive, and couchsurf instead of staying in hotels. This is his story.

I wasn't just crossing a state line - but the entire country - to rendezvous with total strangers I'd met over the internet. And, yeah, our email banter had been plenty explicit. Eventually, inevitably it ended with an exchange of real-time address info for the big night we planned to meet for the first time and spend together.

I buzzed the security gate at LD's condo in a leafy San Diego neighborhood and heard a voice hidden by the court yard foliage say "Jeff, is that you? I'll be there in a minute. Just wait by the gate."

A wave of deja vu wafted over me. Was that Chris Hansen from Dateline NBC on the other side of the gate, or was I really about to lose my CouchSurfing virginity?

Don't get me wrong: I've crashed my share of couches during my fifty years.

In fact, in the late '70's following a night I'll never forget (because I don't really remember it to begin with), I slept half the night on a friend’s sofa that was lumpier than a camel’s back. Turns out it was indeed lumpy, but not as lumpy as I thought: Half way through the night I heard a muffled call – “Get off! You’re squishing me!” – and realized that a fellow late night reveler was directly beneath me, sandwiched between the sofa cushions and frame.

And over the years on my marathon bicycle trips and other travels, I’ve slept in some strange places. Youth hostels and fleabag hotels were considered luxury accommodations. I’ve slept in city parks and under bridges; I’ve voluntarily checked myself into local jails for the night, and spent more nights stretched out on church pews than I’ve spent time sitting upright on them for Sunday services.

But as I got ready to take off on the first leg of the Tour de Cheapskate – a series of book tours by bicycle – I was having a tough time lining up accommodations (free, of course) in the places along the way where I’d need to lay my head for the night. In addition to promoting my new book, the Tour de Cheapskate is designed to be a fund raiser for local libraries along my route. I’m donating the money I save on transportation and lodging from the per diem provided to me by the publisher.

Fellow cheapskates who have learned of my journey through my website and other sources have been extremely generous in inviting me to spend the night with them (you know, we of the Cheaphood like to hang together). But few of those invitations are from folks along my route. How could I score free overnights in the places that matter?

Enter CouchSurfing, as in www.CouchSurfing.com. Hundreds of thousands of folks around the world have registered with this nonprofit organization to make their empty couches someone weary traveler’s bed for the night. Their robust website allows you to target available couches worldwide, right down to specific neighborhoods in major cities and out of the ways places that you’d never imagine finding accommodations of any kind.

CouchSurfing hosts are under no obligation to accommodate a guest, and some people register just for the social networking aspects of the organization. You need to register (for free, of course) in order to use the network, although there’s no requirement that you need to reciprocate by making your couch available to others.

After two nights spent on LD’s futon, I’d easily saved $250 on hotels which I could instead donate to the San Diego Count Public Libraries. But as I said goodbye to LD before heading off into the coastal mountains, I realized that savings was a modest sum compared to the value of new friend I now have in San Diego.

* * *

Wise Bread blogger Jeff Yeager is the author of the book “The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches”. Fresh off an appearance on the NBC Today Show, Yeager hits the road on the Tour de Cheapskate. Traveling by bicycle, Yeager will be staying with fellow cheapskates along the way and donating his expense savings to local libraries. If you’d like to host him, you can email Yeager at UltCheapskate@aol.com and your can follow his journeys exclusively on Wise Bread!

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Cheapskate on Board

Jeff Yeager — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:22:13 +0000

“Jeff! I was just talking about you. Are your ears burning?”

I resisted the urge to give my usual response: “No. But my colon is on fire.”

After all, Will Chin was going to be my new editor-in-boss here at WiseBread. Don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with the Boss Man. Particularly since I was calling Will to reconfirm that he wouldn’t be editing my posts if I agreed to sign on as a WiseBread blogger. As my Mom always told me, “save the potty humor for later, Jeffrey.”

So, now that the deal is inked, I can introduce myself and let my true frugal flag unfurrel. Sorry Will. (But in deference to you and your profession, I’ll at least wait until my next post to start with the lawyer jokes.)

**********

My name is Jeff Yeager, and I’m the Cheapest Man in America. What? Don’t believe me? Just ask my poooor wife, Denise. She should know. After all, we’ve been married 24 years, or, as Denise says, “nearly three and a half wonderful years.” Not all at once, mind you.

I’m also a freelance writer, and I occasionally appear on the NBC Today Show reporting on, well, cheap stuff. My first book, “The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches – A Practical (and Fun) Guide to Enjoying Life More by Spending Less”, comes out this week from Random House/Broadway Books. I write what the publisher describes as “an offbeat blend of original humor and practical advice for living well on less.” My wife describes it “Jeff being Jeff.”

In short, I believe that living on less is a good thing to do. It’s the only financial advice that will work for almost everyone. It’s about a quality of life you cannot buy, a sense of satisfaction you cannot fake, and an appreciation for others that gives life value. It’s also about helping to save the planet and sharing with those in need. Simply put, living on less can be funny, but it’s not a joke.

***********

Yeah, and this consumer crazed culture we live in can be funny all right --- as in, if you don’t laugh you’ll cry. For example, every year Americans spend about $2 billion – an amount roughly equal to the GDP of poverty stricken Guyana - on unwanted hair removal (e.g. electrolysis, bikini waxes, etc.). We also spend a matching $2 billion annually on often futile attempts to promote hair growth (e.g. Rogaine, hair transplants, etc.).

So, I guess the good new is, as a nation we believe we have the right amount of hair. The bad news is location, location, location.

***********

I’m looking forward to exploring the Realm of the Cheap with all of you here on WiseBread.

Stay Cheap!

Jeff Yeager

The Ultimate Cheapskate

Written by Jeff Yeager and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.