Milking the Dollar$

It appears Trent Hamm of  The Simple Dollar has a problem when it comes to garbage bags.  Like many of us, he is a frugal guy, but one thing he cannot switch to are the cheaper brands of trash bags.  After a couple “incidents” involving cheap bags spilling their contents in his home, he gave up on them and went to an expensive brand.

Trent apparently is not alone in his dislike of cheap garbage bags.  It seems like everyone has some story of a “catastrophic failure” where the 3 month old remnents of some unidentifieable meal of the past has ended up on their living room carpet before reaching the dumpster.  I myself have had the misfortune of witnessing such spills. 

Fortunately, the problem is not the cheap trash bags themselves, but what we treat as garbage and how we prepare it.  I happen to be an advocate of cheap bags, so instead of rushing off to buy those expensive, gimicky ones, keep reading and I’ll teach you how to make cheap trash bag work.

Matt’s Golden Rules of Garbage

You read that heading right; I even have a set of rules pertaining to garbage.  Actually, they are more like guidelines, being there is no punishment if they are not followed.  Instead, you will just be rewarded with saving money by getting to use cheap trash bags. 

 Remember, it is important to follow all of these rules, because each is essential in keeping trash inside the bag and off the floor.

1. Organic matter is not trash!  Food scraps, plant material, and even your dead goldfish do not belong in the garbage.  Not only do they cause odors, but they also create instability amongst the contents of the bag, which is a recipe for one gigantic mess.  Instead, compost them.  Compost piles are great in that they benefit your garden, as well as the environment.
2. Liquids should never be put in the garbage!  That trail of liquid garbage you leave from the trash can to the dumpster is your own fault.  Liquids give added weight to a garbage bag, making the likelyhood and extent of spills greater.  Therefore, make sure every container you toss has been completely emptied. 
3. Recycle!  It is sad that many people never think twice about throwing perfectly recycable material into their garbage can.  Many of these items, such as glass bottles and plastic jugs are bulky and have edges which increase the likelyhood of a puncture.  This doesn’t even consider the fact that some materials, such as alumium and steel can be recycled for profit.  Thus, if you want to use cheap trash bags, sort your recycables and place them in seperate containers.

Final thoughts

I will be the first to admit that cheap trash bags are not nearly as “user-friendly” as their expensive conterparts.  However, if you stop treating your garbage can like a free-for-all dump, you can get by using the bargain ones. 

By following all of the above rules, I promise you your garbage will be more compact, lighter, and contain no hidden “landmines” waiting for you to make the wrong move.  I myself try keep organics and liquids out of my own can, while recycling everything else.  Thus, I am able to use bags from Costco and The Dollar Tree without any problems. 

Remember, the problem is not the bags.  It’s you!

After chipping a tooth recently, I have been overly occupied with my teeth.  Mostly, I’ve been obsessed with taking extra good care of them, given they are the only set I’ll ever have.  As a side effect of this new-found concern, I have discovered a lot of secrets for providing them great care, without spending a lot doing it.

Below are some of the details of my budget oral hygiene regimen.  As usual, my only real secret is that I have sought out the greatest value in every aspect of their care. 

Products

1.)    Toothbrush:  The toothbrush is probably one of the most basic dental hygiene devices.  New versions hit the market regularly; however, although effective, most are just marketing scams.  All you really need is a basic toothbrush with soft bristles. 

My personal rule is to never spend over $1 per toothbrush, which is a lot easier than one might think.  I have found that dollar stores tend to have the best bargains on these.  In fact, today I just bought a 2-pack of Colgate Plus brushes for just $1 which actually 50% less than what my toothbrush budget allows. 

One can easily save an extra $5-$10 annually of toothbrushes by going the dollar store route, so visit yours sometime to see what they have.  Remember, dollar stores vary greatly in the quality and variety of the products they sale, so don’t give up on the first one you visit if you don’t find a decent toothbrush for a bargain price.

2.)    Toothpaste:  As long as you find toothpaste that is approved by the American or Canadian Dental Association, I wouldn’t worry about the brand.  I know many of them make bold proclamations about why you should shell out $4-$5 per tube, but again this is marketing. 

My toothpaste rule is the same as my toothpaste rule, $1 per tube.  Again, visit your dollar or big-box store.   The brands I use are AIM, Ultrabrite, and Pepsodent.  All can be found easily for $1 or less and have generally received good reviews. 

I must caution against purchasing cheap toothpaste of a mystery brand.  Many are not approved by the ADA, have already expired, and/or are of foreign origin.  However, all three of the brands I listed are dirt cheap and widely available, so there is no need to worry if you stick to any of them. 

3.)    Dental Floss:  Again the dollar store is usually the best option.  I, however, buy my floss from Wal-Mart, since my tight teeth are better suited for the ribbon-style variety.  However, you should be able to find a regular roll for less than $1 at your local dollar store.  If you go to a big-box store stick with the store/generic brands.

4.)    Mouth Wash:  I get my mouth wash from Wal-Mart because it is the cheapest.  Stick with the generic brands because you are getting the same active ingredients for less.  I personally use the Equate knock off of Listerine. 

Dental work

Without dental insurance, finding affordable dental care can be tricky.  However, I have a couple of suggestions that you might find useful

If you’re a student at a good-sized university you’re in luck!  Most larger schools have on campus health care facilities catering to students.  These usually provide health care at a bargain rate.  I personally take advantage of the one at the University of Montana where I am a graduate student.  Prices for me are cheap, ranging from a $30 cleaning to a $435 crown.   Therefore, if you are a student, you should investigate what your school has to offer. 

Unfortunately, I bet a majority of you aren’t college students.  If that’s the case, look to see if you have a dental school in your area.  Most offer cheap dental work by students in training.  The thought of having a dental student work on your teeth might cause you anxiety, but don’t let it.  Most of these kids are well supervised and determined to do a good job.

Preventative care

Most of the time, the cheapest option of all is to prevent problems in the first case.  This is especially true when it comes to your teeth.  I’ll sum up how to do it simply – brush at least twice daily, floss regularly (rinsing with mouth wash), and don’t eat sugary crap!

It’s really that simple folks.  Common sense and a healthy diet will go a long way in keeping those dental bills down.

Final thoughts

As you can see, it’s easy to save money on dental care.  Just remember to watch your diet and stick with the low cost products.  The savings might not sound substantial, but trust me, they really add up.  Have a great week!

I just came across this article on Yahoo Shine.  It argues that you don’t need expensive shampoos for healthy, clean hair.  Included are the top 19 drugstore brands as rated by the readers of TotalBeauty.com.  Interestingly, none of the extreme bargain brands even make the list (I’m talking about you VO5 and Suave!). 

Anyway, just thought I would pass it along.  Remember there are a million ways to cut back on spending.  That includes saving a couple bucks every time you need a new bottle of shampoo!

The Best Drugstore Shampoos  

I have always loved living downtown.  Being able to walk or bike to the places I need to go is not only convenient, but it’s also cost effective.  However, if I ever had the misfortune of living in the suburbs, I’d definitely look into slugging.

Slugging  (also known as “casual car pooling”)  is a unique and cheap way for individuals to commute into and out of urban areas.  It involves waiting in a “slug line” at a designated point and effectively hitch-hiking downtown.  

One might wonder why anyone would bother to pick up someone they don’t know?  The secret is that the driver and the “slug” actually form a symbiotic relationship.  You see, the individual slugging gets a free ride into the city, while the driver (when he or she picks up enough people) gets to use the carpool lane.  Thus, it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Below is a link to a video on Youtube about slugging.  As you will see, it’s hosted by Jeff Yeager himself (if that tells you something about it’s cheapness).  Enjoy!

Slugging 101

Photo courtesy of Alfonso Romero

Ready to celebrate our nations birthday, but don’t have the funds to throw a kickin’ party?  Relax, your patriotism will not judged by the contents of your wallet. 

 Having fun this Fourth of July can be both fun and frugal.  Below, I have listed some links that will help liberate you from high holiday prices: 

1. How to Have a Cheap 4th of July Barbecue
2. Cheap 4th of July Party Ideas
3. Have a Frugal Fourth of July
4. Frugal Fun Forth of July Ideas
5. Stay safe and save money this Fourth of July

Most of these articles are very similiar in spirit.  Below are some common themes, I identified while reading them:

• Keep the food simple:  hotdogs, burgers, salads, easy deserts, etc…
• Stay close to home:  Not only are gases prices rising, but the roads are also at their most dangerous time of the year
• Enjoy some free entertainment:  A quick Google search should direct you to events in your area.  Firework shows, for one, are always free.

Remember, there’s always something cheap to do on the holidays, especially on the Fourth of July.  Have a great one!

On June 2nd of this year, I finally cancelled my Alltel contract and ported my number over to prepaid service provided by Page Plus Cellular.  I had wanted to leave Alltel for a while, but didn’t want to pay the early termination fee (ETF) for doing it before my contract was up.  After an exhaustive search, I found no practical way to avoid the fee; however, I decided to cancel it anyway with the idea that the savings would soon offset the fee. 

Today, I sat down and calculated how much my 1st month of prepaid service had cost me.  After a little calculater work, I was very pleased to find out it was less than 1/5 of what my average Alltel bill had been. Overall, I had saved over $60!

My story

For about 8 months prior to going prepaid, I was on a smart phone plan with Alltel.  As i would soon find out, however, there was nothing smart about being on that plan. 

Before getting a Blackberry, I was on a normal plan with a friend which cost me $65/month.  When I went to upgrade my phone, the salesman convinced me that a Blackberry would save money.  Although I knew a plan for the Blackberry would bring my total bill up to around $75, I thought it was a good idea as well, since I was under the impression I would be able to significantly lower my internet bill by using it as a modem.  To make a long story short, my whole internet plan never panned out, and I soon began to regret ever getting that Blackberry. 

After months of being disgusted with high phone bills, I decided to research prepaid plans.  This wasn’t something I finished overnight, and I recommend that if you go the prepaid route to take your time.  There are so many options today in prepaid cell service that the best choice for you is personal.  I recommend you not only look at how many minutes you are using, but also your usage of SMS texts, picture messages, and internet.

In the end, like I said previously, I chose to go with Page Plus.  Given my phone usage, it was definitely the cheapest option for me. Also, they are on Verizon network so the coverage is great in my area.  In a nut shell, I now pay $10.95 for 2000 texts/month, a $0.50 monthly surcharge, and $0.06 for every minute I use.  For this month I spent a total $13.78!

Comments

In the end, lowering my cell phone bill from $75 in May to $13.78 the next month made me wish I’d only done it sooner.  Prepaid has grown a lot in the last year, and I have plans for multiple posts on how it can save you money.  Stay tuned!

Photo courtesy of Ivaylo Georgiev

These days renting a movie from a video store is a big waste of money.  For instance, if I were to rent DVDs here in Missoula, I could expect to pay about $3-$4 per rental.  Sure, I might get to keep each for 2-5 days, but for me having an extra day or two doesn’t justify those bloated prices.  For example, if you rent 2 movies every weekend at $4 per rental, you’ve spent $416 in a year on movie rentals!

However, don’t despair, because Harry Potter doesn’t have to break the bank.   Below I have listed some alternatives, you should consider instead.  As you will see not only are they all significantly cheaper services, but in many instances, they are also more convenient.

The alternatives

1. Redbox:  This is my favorite alternative to the traditional video store experience.  No, I have not yet tried renting from Redbox (stay tuned for my full review), but they boast over 15,000 locations, and most importantly, they’re one of the cheapest.  As noted, Redbox operates kiosks in thousands locations across the country, many located in supermarkets. Each rental costs just $1/night, and you can even reserve copies from any kiosk through their website.  One small downside is that each kiosk only holds around 70-200 titles, but from my own experience, they tend to have most of the new releases.  For further information or for the location of your nearest kiosk, click on the link above.
2. Netflix: With Neflix, there is no need to worry about location.  Netflix is an online rental service that sends movies straight to your door.  For a monthly fee, subscribers get access to around 100,000 titles. Options range from a $4.99/month  limited plan to a $16.99/month unlimited plan.  For the casual renter, Redbox may be a better value; however, if you watch >20 movies/month or live in the middle of nowhere, Netflix may be the way to go.
3. DVD Play:  DVD Play is similar to Redbox in that it is kiosk-based and rentals are $1 per night.  Their weakness seems to be the lack of locations (they are partnered with Safeway) and the fact they only hold up to 100 titles.  However, they are indeed cost effective if you happen to have one nearby.
4. Your local library: Some people will likely be amused that I put the library on this list.  However, you might be surprised by what you found if you ever cruised your library’s movie section.  They may not have all the latest releases, but many are well stocked with a variety of contemporary films.  Plus, if you have a library card, the rentals are free!

Just how much will you save?

All of the above-mentioned options are much cheaper in the long run than renting from a traditional video store.  To illustrate this, I have prepared price a comparison below featuring each possible scenario. 

The savings calculated in this example are based on an individual renting 10 movies/month for an entire year.  For the purpose of comparison, the assumed annual cost associated with a traditonal video store is calculated by multiplying $4/rental x 120 rentals for the year.  Altogether, the total cost of getting these movies from a video store comes out to $480.  Now let’s see how much you could save by choosing an alternative source:

• Redbox: At $1 each, the total amount spent on movie rental would equal $12/month or $120/year.  That’s a total annual savings of $360!
• Netflix: To watch 10 movies/month with Netflix, the cheapest plan you could get would be the $12.99 unlimited plan.  With that plan, annually you would be spending $155.88  or alternatively saving $324.12 over video store rentals. 
• DVD Play: See the Redbox figures.
• Library: Your yearly expenditures would be approximately $1 for a total savings of $479.  That may sound great, however, the library’s selection probably wouldn’t suffice as sole source of video rentals for most of us. 

Netflix vs. kiosk

 Since both the Redbox and DVD Play are basically the same price wise, the real decision in choosing where to rent  for less is whether or not get a plan with Netflix or rent from a kiosk.  Both are good options, so it’s best to choose what you value the most in a service:

• Convenience:  If you live in a rural area, a kiosk might not be close enough to be considered practical.  Plus, you have to consider gas consumption which can add up running $1 rentals back and forth to a kiosk. 
• Grace period: That Redbox dvd only costs $1 to rent; however, remember it has to be back the next day.  For every day over, you spend another $1.  With Netflix, however, you get to keep the movies for as long as you like.
• Flexibility: If you are on the Netflix, plan you still pay no matter if you rent movies that month or not.
• Frequency:  You have to watch a lot of movies through Netflix to beat the value of  kiosk rentals. 

Conclusion

If you watch movies regularly, picking any of the above will save you money.  As seen in the above example, that amount could be a couple hundred dollars, which is substantial.  In the end, this is a personal decision, so pick the one that works best for you and kiss Blockbuster goodbye!  Your wallet will thank you!

It appears Fat Wallet member “Spac3d” has discovered a way to cancel your Alltel contract without paying the dreaded early termination fee (ETF).  For those of you who don’t know,  most cell phone companies require you pay an ETF if you want to get out of your contract before it is up.  Most range between $175-$250.  For example, when I was with Alltel, the fee was $200.  Therefore, if you want to get out of your Alltel contract, now is the time!  Just click on the link above to get the original thread.  Good luck!