One thing that is always worth one's money, is a good education.
We
should all pursue learning and the best education we can afford...and I'm
not just talking about those who are grade school or college age. No,
we should never stop pursuing opportunities to learn no matter how young or old we are. Thankfully there are countless opportunities to learn
outside of the classroom, and some for very affordable prices.
The library is a good place to start. So long as you can read, you can learn more about nearly any subject for free (or for mere pennies if you forget to return the books on time). But books are not the ideal learning material for many people, myself included. I learn much better when I can hear a voice, and better yet see demonstrations. While books are nice, I simply don't grasp the concepts as much as I would in the classroom. So for
those of you who like, and/or are accustom to, lecture style learning
don't fret for I have found us another free solution. :)
The new frugal favorite of mine (and my husband's) is using
an app called iTunes U. If you haven't heard of it, either get the app now on your mobile device or simply access it through the iTunes Store. On here
you can access FREE lectures from numerous colleges and universities (some even in video form) from nearly any university course topic.
My
husband has put a hold on pursuing his postgraduate degree due to life adjustments, however he has not put a hold on pursuing his education. He enjoys using iTunes U to listen to several courses from a variety of well known seminaries allowing him to not only continue learning but also to gain a diverse education.
Me? My recent favorite is working on that growing culinary hobby of mine by listening to Science and Cooking from
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science. The science behind culinary techniques is absolutely fascinating, and the videos allow me to watch the demonstrations of some world renowned chefs!
Learning and
increasing one's knowledge is absolutely worth every penny, but when you can get
such high quality education for free? Well, to pass that up would be foolish.
Once a Week Pizza Night
My husband and I decided that we would do a pizza night, once a week. While we share many favorite foods, there are others that we completely disagree on (ie olives...bleh!). Pizza is a wonderful option where we can split a pizza and do different toppings.
Problem is, ordering pizza every week is not a budget friendly option. Buying a pre-made pizza from the grocery store is one way to save on money, and grease. But, what we are trying tonight should save even more money, AND we can get the exact toppings that we want.
Last night I broke out that wonderful KitchenAid to save the most money possible and make homemade dough. Okay, well not entirely the cheapest possible. I added a special ingredient that wasn't required, but sure will be yummy. The homemade dough went from costing about $.50 to about $1.50 just with that special ingredient...but I seek quality, not just cost.
Better yet, cooking pizza once a week allows me to do a one time dough cook for the entire month (making 4 batches at a time), then we just stock up on our toppings when they're on sale. We save money, we save time, and as a wonderful bonus there's less dishes to clean. :D
Problem is, ordering pizza every week is not a budget friendly option. Buying a pre-made pizza from the grocery store is one way to save on money, and grease. But, what we are trying tonight should save even more money, AND we can get the exact toppings that we want.
Last night I broke out that wonderful KitchenAid to save the most money possible and make homemade dough. Okay, well not entirely the cheapest possible. I added a special ingredient that wasn't required, but sure will be yummy. The homemade dough went from costing about $.50 to about $1.50 just with that special ingredient...but I seek quality, not just cost.
Better yet, cooking pizza once a week allows me to do a one time dough cook for the entire month (making 4 batches at a time), then we just stock up on our toppings when they're on sale. We save money, we save time, and as a wonderful bonus there's less dishes to clean. :D
Stocking Up The Kitchen
The past couple months my husband and I have been wonderfully taken care of prior to the wedding as friends of ours gladly provided shelter and food for us as we adjusted to moving into a new area and saving for our future. Because of this, when we moved into our apartment...our kitchen/pantry was empty. We basically had to start from scratch.
So earlier this week we took a trip to Costco (a wholesale grocery store) to stock up our pantry. Since I've spent many hours reading blogs over the past weeks about all the wondrous money you can save by making simple homemade items (like pizza dough) I felt justified in buying massive staple items in bulk. The only stipulation is that we make use of them all.
What We Got:
25 lbs flour
10 lbs sugar
24 cans tomato sauce (to be seasoned ourselves)
1 lb yeast
3 gals Olive Oil
2 gals Vegetable Oil
5 lbs Brown Sugar
10 lbs Brown Rice
10 Boxes of Pasta
2 lbs Powdered Creamer
5 lbs Baking Soda
2 lbs Baking Powder
and other misc (non-staple) items
So after a huge dent in the wallet we now have our kitchen so entirely stocked...and stocked for a good 6 months to a year! It hurt to pay that cashier over $200, but we slept easy knowing that we would have spent much, much more restocking those very items every month for twelve months.
So earlier this week we took a trip to Costco (a wholesale grocery store) to stock up our pantry. Since I've spent many hours reading blogs over the past weeks about all the wondrous money you can save by making simple homemade items (like pizza dough) I felt justified in buying massive staple items in bulk. The only stipulation is that we make use of them all.
What We Got:
25 lbs flour
10 lbs sugar
24 cans tomato sauce (to be seasoned ourselves)
1 lb yeast
3 gals Olive Oil
2 gals Vegetable Oil
5 lbs Brown Sugar
10 lbs Brown Rice
10 Boxes of Pasta
2 lbs Powdered Creamer
5 lbs Baking Soda
2 lbs Baking Powder
and other misc (non-staple) items
So after a huge dent in the wallet we now have our kitchen so entirely stocked...and stocked for a good 6 months to a year! It hurt to pay that cashier over $200, but we slept easy knowing that we would have spent much, much more restocking those very items every month for twelve months.
Furnishing An Apartment
Recently having been married my husband and I had the wonderful joy of furnishing an apartment together. We were fairly lucky, however, that we had most of the items necessary to furnish it...even after my husband gifted nearly all his furniture away.
Not many can say that their first apartment together was so nicely furnished (in that it looks like all the furniture was acquired at the same time) for so little money.
What We Acquired in the Past Months:
Couch and Loveseat: $100 on Craigslist
Shelving Unit: $2 at a garage sale
Coffee Table (currently holding our TV): Hand-me down from a friend
Bed, DVD Shelves, Nightstand light, & Entertainment Unit: On loan from a friend who doesn't currently need them
Total Cost: $102
Collection of Items Acquired Over the Years:
2 Bookshelves, Dinning Room Set, and Desk: hand-me downs from an aunt moving across the country
Computer Chair: Gift from long ago
Vintage Treasure-like Chest: $20 at a flea market
Bathroom Shelves & Dresser: Hand-me down from family
Nightstand (that closely matches the dresser): $20 on craigslist
Foldable End Tray: Picked up on the side of the road only needing some wood glue
Kitchen Shelving Unit: $10 at a garage sale
Standing Lamp: $40
Nightstand/Desk Lamp: A gift from long ago
1 Large and 2 Small Matching Canvas Paintings: $45 at Marshalls
Other Paintings: Created/gifted by my artistic mother
Weber Grill and Patio Furniture: Picked up on the side of the road (grill is fully functional!)
Total Cost: $135
So believe it or not, a nice one bedroom apartment where everything matches and is nicely coordinated, can really only cost a grand total of $237...if you're patient...and lucky.
Not many can say that their first apartment together was so nicely furnished (in that it looks like all the furniture was acquired at the same time) for so little money.
What We Acquired in the Past Months:
Couch and Loveseat: $100 on Craigslist
Shelving Unit: $2 at a garage sale
Coffee Table (currently holding our TV): Hand-me down from a friend
Bed, DVD Shelves, Nightstand light, & Entertainment Unit: On loan from a friend who doesn't currently need them
Total Cost: $102
Collection of Items Acquired Over the Years:
2 Bookshelves, Dinning Room Set, and Desk: hand-me downs from an aunt moving across the country
Computer Chair: Gift from long ago
Vintage Treasure-like Chest: $20 at a flea market
Bathroom Shelves & Dresser: Hand-me down from family
Nightstand (that closely matches the dresser): $20 on craigslist
Foldable End Tray: Picked up on the side of the road only needing some wood glue
Kitchen Shelving Unit: $10 at a garage sale
Standing Lamp: $40
Nightstand/Desk Lamp: A gift from long ago
1 Large and 2 Small Matching Canvas Paintings: $45 at Marshalls
Other Paintings: Created/gifted by my artistic mother
Weber Grill and Patio Furniture: Picked up on the side of the road (grill is fully functional!)
Total Cost: $135
So believe it or not, a nice one bedroom apartment where everything matches and is nicely coordinated, can really only cost a grand total of $237...if you're patient...and lucky.
The Beginning
Having recently taken Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course (which I highly recommend if you haven't taken it already) my husband and I have laid out plans for our financial future. It's wonderful having a goal and a direction, but living it out gets a little tricky sometimes. So, I think, why not make it a fun challenge?
I have long enjoyed fashion, have a growing love for cooking, and LOVE a bargain. While my bargain hunting is nothing new to me, having financial goals in mind only ignites this passion all the more. It went from a fun side hobby, to a lifestyle challenge I willingly accept.
Please understand, this is not a blog about how little money I spend...anyone can do that. Simply live off of Ramen noodles and run your thrift store clothing into the ground if that's your only goal. No, one of my greatest joys is to find unique ways to make my money stretch far but only in ways that you wouldn't notice my frugal spending if I didn't tell you. In other words I find it a fun challenge to spend less, without sacrificing quality.
So feel free to read in on my endeavors as I spend money only where it counts the absolute most. :)
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