Posts tagged penny pinching

I just earned $240 in 15 minutes by Ramit-ing Cablevision

I’m a longtime fan of Ramit Sethi’s personal finance and general life-dominating advice, and just tried out his negotiation tactics for the first time on Cablevison to extend the one year discounted rate on our internet service. The biggest key that was not previously a big part of my negotiating strategy was being REALLY NICE. Thanks, Ramit!

NYC people—would you mind taking my informal anonymous survey? It’s just three questions. Our lease is up for renewal, so I’ve got rents on the brain, and I’m also curious what percentages of income everyone is actually spending on it. Thanks!

NYC people—would you mind taking my informal anonymous survey? It’s just three questions.

Our lease is up for renewal, so I’ve got rents on the brain, and I’m also curious what percentages of income everyone is actually spending on it.

Thanks!

Thrift store mission complete!

Thrift store mission complete!

Did you know that you can use Flex Spending for over the counter pain relievers, over the counter allergy medication, bandaids, and condoms? UPDATE: I asked my HR department for an official list of what is covered, and it says, “Starting January 1, 2011, you will not be able to use these spending accounts to pay for most over-the-counter drugs and medicines unless you have a doctor’s prescription.” Other things that are reimbursable with a doctor letter: Corn pads Laxatives Massage Chair Neti Pot supplies Medicated shampoo It does say the sunscreen that is SPF 30 and above, hand sanitizer, and toilet seat covers are eligible without a letter, though.

Did you know that you can use Flex Spending for over the counter pain relievers, over the counter allergy medication, bandaids, and condoms?

UPDATE: I asked my HR department for an official list of what is covered, and it says, “Starting January 1, 2011, you will not be able to use these spending accounts to pay for most over-the-counter drugs and medicines unless you have a doctor’s prescription.”

Other things that are reimbursable with a doctor letter:

  • Corn pads
  • Laxatives
  • Massage Chair
  • Neti Pot supplies
  • Medicated shampoo

It does say the sunscreen that is SPF 30 and above, hand sanitizer, and toilet seat covers are eligible without a letter, though.

Inspired by Greg and Andrew’s similar challenge set to begin in May, CR and I embarked on a “Post-Easter No Drinking Challenge” on Monday for the rest of this month. I am always proud of myself for not being a daily soda drinker, but our NYC social events are so heavily tied to beers and bars that it’s easy to get through a week and realize you’ve had a beer every night, which is even worse for your wallet and your gut than a Pepsi. This is our sweet Google Doc to mark our progress, currently showing two days of success. Go team!

Inspired by Greg and Andrew’s similar challenge set to begin in May, CR and I embarked on a “Post-Easter No Drinking Challenge” on Monday for the rest of this month. I am always proud of myself for not being a daily soda drinker, but our NYC social events are so heavily tied to beers and bars that it’s easy to get through a week and realize you’ve had a beer every night, which is even worse for your wallet and your gut than a Pepsi.

This is our sweet Google Doc to mark our progress, currently showing two days of success. Go team!

On our flight home the other night, WiFi was available for $15, but you could use Amazon for free! I took the opportunity to pick up some things for our yard that have been on my list, including this super cool bug net for our table. We’ll soon be enjoying the benefits of a screened porch for a fraction of the cost. Jealous?

On our flight home the other night, WiFi was available for $15, but you could use Amazon for free! I took the opportunity to pick up some things for our yard that have been on my list, including this super cool bug net for our table.

We’ll soon be enjoying the benefits of a screened porch for a fraction of the cost. Jealous?

How to Quit Instant Oatmeal Packets 
and/or How to Quit Wasting Money on Cooked Oatmeal from Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Bergen Bagel, etc

When I changed jobs last year and found myself with a less-equipped office kitchen, I reverted back to instant oatmeal that I could make with the boiling water from the water cooler. BUT—buying a 10lb bag of old-fashioned oats is way cheaper, and doesn’t have weird chemicals, sugar, and salt. 

Now, every day I:

  1. Measure 1 cup of water & 1/2 cup oats into 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup (this size is necessary to avoid it bubbling up and spilling out all over the microwave)
  2. Drizzle in a little maple syrup
  3. Microwave for 3:20
  4. Sprinkle in some frozen blueberries (or bananas, or apples&cinnamon)
  5. Pour into travel mug
  6. Eat at work an hour later, still hot!

It takes less than 5 minutes, and the 3 minutes while it’s in the microwave can be used to curl your eyelashes.

infinitezest: adriennes: laughingsquid: Docracy, Open Source Legal Documents Today’s Ask a Lawyer: infinitezest, what do you think of this? There should be a prenup in there. Sure, Adrienne.  As you may know, before law school I worked at an organization called HALT, which did a lot of advocacy in favor of getting consumers access to legal forms like these.  You might be surprised, but in some states it’s still illegal for people to help you fill out these forms because they would be guilty of the ‘unauthorized practice of law.’  That should tell you how much the legal establishment values these forms. Now that I am a lawyer, I take a more moderate position.  Consumers should have access to these form, and the market should be allowed to develop these forms so that they are actually good.  Too much of what’s out there is proprietary crap that’s difficult to modify in any way for your particular situation.   I have two caveats on using these forms, though.  First, there are a lot of state-specific requirements for language that must be in documents, especially for wills, trusts, and end-of-life planning.  This means that a one-size-fits-all form will not be a good option and, in some cases, be totally invalid in court.  It would be terrible if you brought a DNR to a hospital only to find that it wouldn’t be honored because it was missing certain ‘Whereas’ clauses.  Second, one of the things you pay a lawyer for is experience, which means that they sit with you, listen to your requirements, plans, etc. and give you their advice about what should be on the forms.  When you fill out one of these forms, you lose that.  You may not even know the right questions to ask or whether you are missing something important.   Now, there are some legal issues like, for example, a living will, that are pretty standard.  In many states the form has actually been codified by legislation, so all that companies are doing is copy and pasting the text it into a Word doc for you to fill out.  Where the issues are clearly defined and narrow, forms are a good option.  But if there is a complex issue with a lot of money on the line—like a prenup or a will if you have actual assets and/or children—you’ll want an attorney involved.  I would find a good form, fill it out and then bring it to an attorney to have them talk with you about your intentions, look to see if the form reflects them, and suggest any edits or changes.  Not all attorneys will agree to this limited scope of representation, but you should be able to negotiate such an arrangement with someone for a fixed fee.  They will likely make you sign something saying that they aren’t responsible for the outcome, but all that means is that you can’t sue them for negligence if/when something goes wrong.  It’s a gamble you have to make on your own, but there could be situations where it’s appropriate.  Or, perhaps, where it’s your only option because you don’t have a lot of money to get a will drawn up from scratch.   As for Docracy?  I’d hesitate to use an open source form because I don’t trust the internet hivemind for important matters like end-of-life planning.  But that’s just me.  Instead I would recommend an established company like Nolo Press, which provides such forms for a reasonable fee in the $20 range.  For that money, you get forms vetted by attorneys, published by a company that’s accountable in a court of law.  Other than statutory living wills, which you can probably get for free if you look hard enough online, it’s worth it. Reblogged to conclude today’s Ask a Lawyer. Thanks for the info!!

infinitezest:

adriennes:

laughingsquid:

Docracy, Open Source Legal Documents

Today’s Ask a Lawyer: infinitezest, what do you think of this? There should be a prenup in there.

Sure, Adrienne.  As you may know, before law school I worked at an organization called HALT, which did a lot of advocacy in favor of getting consumers access to legal forms like these.  You might be surprised, but in some states it’s still illegal for people to help you fill out these forms because they would be guilty of the ‘unauthorized practice of law.’  That should tell you how much the legal establishment values these forms.

Now that I am a lawyer, I take a more moderate position.  Consumers should have access to these form, and the market should be allowed to develop these forms so that they are actually good.  Too much of what’s out there is proprietary crap that’s difficult to modify in any way for your particular situation.  

I have two caveats on using these forms, though.  First, there are a lot of state-specific requirements for language that must be in documents, especially for wills, trusts, and end-of-life planning.  This means that a one-size-fits-all form will not be a good option and, in some cases, be totally invalid in court.  It would be terrible if you brought a DNR to a hospital only to find that it wouldn’t be honored because it was missing certain ‘Whereas’ clauses.  Second, one of the things you pay a lawyer for is experience, which means that they sit with you, listen to your requirements, plans, etc. and give you their advice about what should be on the forms.  When you fill out one of these forms, you lose that.  You may not even know the right questions to ask or whether you are missing something important.  

Now, there are some legal issues like, for example, a living will, that are pretty standard.  In many states the form has actually been codified by legislation, so all that companies are doing is copy and pasting the text it into a Word doc for you to fill out.  Where the issues are clearly defined and narrow, forms are a good option.  But if there is a complex issue with a lot of money on the line—like a prenup or a will if you have actual assets and/or children—you’ll want an attorney involved.  I would find a good form, fill it out and then bring it to an attorney to have them talk with you about your intentions, look to see if the form reflects them, and suggest any edits or changes.  Not all attorneys will agree to this limited scope of representation, but you should be able to negotiate such an arrangement with someone for a fixed fee.  They will likely make you sign something saying that they aren’t responsible for the outcome, but all that means is that you can’t sue them for negligence if/when something goes wrong.  It’s a gamble you have to make on your own, but there could be situations where it’s appropriate.  Or, perhaps, where it’s your only option because you don’t have a lot of money to get a will drawn up from scratch.  

As for Docracy?  I’d hesitate to use an open source form because I don’t trust the internet hivemind for important matters like end-of-life planning.  But that’s just me.  Instead I would recommend an established company like Nolo Press, which provides such forms for a reasonable fee in the $20 range.  For that money, you get forms vetted by attorneys, published by a company that’s accountable in a court of law.  Other than statutory living wills, which you can probably get for free if you look hard enough online, it’s worth it.

Reblogged to conclude today’s Ask a Lawyer. Thanks for the info!!

Laughing Squid

How to Make Liquid Hand Soap from a bar of soap (The Farmer’s Nest) Turn this into a gallon of hand soap? Yes, please. Cheese grater (from the dollar store)2 Tablespoons of Liquid Glycerin (found in the band aid section at any drugstore or grocery store)1 - 8 oz bar of soap 1 gallon of water (Thanks, Erin!)

How to Make Liquid Hand Soap from a bar of soap (The Farmer’s Nest)

Turn this into a gallon of hand soap? Yes, please.

Cheese grater (from the dollar store)
2 Tablespoons of Liquid Glycerin (found in the band aid section at any drugstore or grocery store)
1 - 8 oz bar of soap 
1 gallon of water

(Thanks, Erin!)

I decided this morning that I can quit buying more expensive travel tissues if I just have something to stock tissues into myself (I’ve been sick a lot this winter, can you tell?). Lo and behold, I found this super easy sewing project!

I decided this morning that I can quit buying more expensive travel tissues if I just have something to stock tissues into myself (I’ve been sick a lot this winter, can you tell?).

Lo and behold, I found this super easy sewing project!

This phone photo does not do it justice, but the other night we made some delicious simple lasagna from scratch, coached by Ms. Swanson. Ingredients: 2 eggs, 2 cups semolina flour for the noodles (<$1)2 cloves garlic (<$0.20)1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes ($1.79)lots of mozzarella (~$4.50, we opted out of fresh since it’s all just melting anyway)handful basil ($1, but ~free if it’s summertime and we can get it from the yard)parmesan (<$1) I love having a pasta machine. For under $10, this was a great meal for 5 people. Heidi Swanson’s Thousand Layer Lasagna Recipe

This phone photo does not do it justice, but the other night we made some delicious simple lasagna from scratch, coached by Ms. Swanson.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, 2 cups semolina flour for the noodles (<$1)
2 cloves garlic (<$0.20)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes ($1.79)
lots of mozzarella (~$4.50, we opted out of fresh since it’s all just melting anyway)
handful basil ($1, but ~free if it’s summertime and we can get it from the yard)
parmesan (<$1)

I love having a pasta machine. For under $10, this was a great meal for 5 people.

Heidi Swanson’s Thousand Layer Lasagna Recipe

Lori Stearnes of Omaha also benefited from the generosity of a stranger who paid all but $58 of her $250 layaway bill for toys for her four youngest grandchildren.

Stearnes said she and her husband live paycheck to paycheck, but she plans to use the money she was saving for the toys to help pay for someone else’s layaway.

Anonymous donors pay off Kmart layaway accounts (AP)

An overall heartwarming piece, but does it make me a jerk that this quote makes me mad? Someone offered this family a break—why didn’t she use the money she’d saved to have savings and maybe help her grandkids with a college fund or pay down the credit card debt she probably has?