I Did It!

I've been thinking about trying my hand at making home-made yogurt for a while, but I always balked thinking it would be too difficult... or I'd poison myself.  Finally, as a birthday gift to myself, I decided to just go for it.  My reasons for wanting to do this are threefold:

1. I bring yogurt to work pretty much every day for lunch.  Buying a ton of small cups is a hassle, I hate going to the grocery store, and my steps into my apartment are incredibly steep and narrow. Everything that comes in must go back out via those steps.  I try to reduce both bringing things in and out as much as I can since if I load myself down with groceries, I am often too wide to make it easily up the stairs--thank you 1800s property.
2. I tried buying the larger container to save plastic and keep my fridge less chaotic, but the large container doesn't really come in any good flavors.  I'm sick of Chobani vanilla and strawberry, and I never really liked those kinds anyway.  I'd been experimenting with just getting plain and adding things to it, which is fine, but not great.
3. For the ~$4 I spend on one quart of store-brand yogurt, I can buy a gallon of milk that yields four quarts of home-made yogurt.  That's enough of a savings that I owe it to myself to at least try.

I used The Frugal Girl's recipe, and it was actually pretty easy.  It's a few steps, but there's a lot of downtime in between them, so you can still be doing other stuff. Typically, on Saturdays, I go for a long run, then laze around the house reading or internetting, so this fit into that schedule nicely.

I used one quart mason jars, which I had already, so I didn't have to bring anything new into my house (though I did buy some plastic replacement lids because the original ones that came with the jars were rusting).

I did have to buy a 'starter' yogurt, which is basically just yogurt that is already yogurt.  You add that to your heated milk, and it adds the live yogurt cultures that you need to make something other than just hot milk.  I accidentally, because the grocery store was crazy busy when I went, bought coconut flavored yogurt instead of plain.  At first I thought it would be horrible, but the whole batch has a subtle coconut flavor that is quite pleasant.

The yogurt came out pretty runny, unfortunately.  I don't mind runny yogurt, but it was kind of messy to eat, so I decided to strain it to thicken it up a bit.  I took one of my reusable mesh produce bags, and washed it out.

Then I rigged up a mixing bowl with my fine mesh sieve resting on top.

Then I put the whole thing in the fridge for the afternoon, and when I check on it a few hours later, I had a bowl full of whey, and slightly thicker yogurt!

If you like *super* thick yogurt, you can let it sit straining for much longer than I did (approximately five hours), but I didn't want greek-style yogurt, just something with a bit more tenacity.

Overall, I'm pretty please with the way this all turned out.  After straining, I had a little over three quarts of yogurt, which is quite tasty.  I used only equipment I already had, and saved about $8 off the cost of three quarts of yogurt in the store.  The amount of time I spent doing this was, I think worth the $8 in savings, and the savings in time spent at the store buying yogurt, hauling it home, trying to find space for it in the fridge, and then having to take out the recycling.  Also, since the mason jars are cylindrical, taller and don't bow out at the top like yogurt containers, they fit better in my fridge.  

The batch I made should be good for a month, but I don't think it will last that long.  I bought a bag of frozen fruit to add to it to mix up my lunch, but I also have dried fruit, powdered peanut butter, jam and I whole bunch of other things that would be tasty.

I think I'm a convert!

Ever made your own yogurt?  Any tips or tricks to share?

The Savings of Being a Shut-In

Whenever people make the bold decision to slash their spending and live a frugal life in the most extreme manner, they usually stop going out.  After all, socializing is expensive. One drink leads to two, which leads to a need for a late-night snack.  Going out a lot requires outfits, which require shoes--it's a whole, expensive cans of worms!

I can now officially say that yes, the best way to save money is by not leaving the house, but also, it's totally not worth it.

Let me back up for a moment and take you back to the beginning of the month/ end of last month.  Life has been pretty sweet.  Work has shifted from being student focused to summer project focused, which is equally interesting, but a little less frantic; I've been taking rowing lessons, which I love; running has been going really well and I logged nearly 100 miles in May; weather has been mild enough that just having the windows open has been comfortable.  In short, everything was hunky-dory.

Then I got Mono.

That's right--the kissing disease.  The scourge of the Junior High School set. The disease that I was actually a bit smug about never having to deal with way back when, and that I kind of didn't realize that adults can get.

Symptoms of mono, for the unfamiliar include:

• Extreme fatigue--like sleeping 18 hours a day or more fatigue
• Sore throat--like swallowing knives
• Loss of appetite--best diet ever!

That's it.  Lather, rinse repeat for about 4-6 weeks.

So far, the savings have been impressive.  I have zero interest in food and everything I eat tastes terrible to me, so I haven't been to the grocery store except to deploy bf to buy me the occasional jug of juice and a few other things.  I also haven't been out to eat, though I have ordered a couple pizzas (if I'm craving something, I'm going to go for it, even if I can only eat half a slice). I can't really drive, so that saves money on gas and wear and tear on my vehicle.  Drinking is just as out of the picture as eating. As much as I yearn to enjoy a beer, in practice, I do not. 

So there you go.  The theory that you will save money by never eating out and staying in all the time is true!  I've tested and verified it, though I will say, it is not worth it.  Despite the fact that I sleep 18 hours a day, I still have a fair amount of partly awake/drowsy time that needs to be filled with something non-strenuous.  I can't read, because I fall asleep immediately, but I can watch TV.  And I have, I have watched ALL the TV.  I am now officially sick of watching TV, which is something I didn't really know was possible.

So yes, staying home all the time will save you money, but it may also make you a crazy person.  At least I know I am getting the most out of my Netflix subscription!

A More Zen Approach

I'm a pretty mellow person, at least, that's how I present myself to other people.  While I don't get caught up in a lot of time and energy consuming nonsense or personal drama, I do tend to get fixated on certain things--especially money things.  I've worked since I was 15, and I've worried about money since I was, I don't know, 8?  I think the first time I touched money I became acutely aware of the fact that all I could really do with it was spend it and then have none.

Since starting the job that I've now been at for about a year and a half, I've been lucky enough (after figuring out my budget) to sock away a decent amount of money--at least I've rebuilt my emergency fund from when I was unemployed.  I've also been able to pay a decent amount on my student loans and make a little bit of progress.  Certainly it's not as much progress as I'd like, but that's where my new zen approach comes in.

I've been obsessing--about money, work, everything to the point where it was really starting to make everything shitty.  I've had a lot of work drama in the last few months, none of it my fault, but despite my best efforts, I really let it get to me.  Add to that the regular stress of money, and the fact that money seemed like something more under my control, and I became quite unpleasant.

The problem is, even though you have a plan on paper, real life doesn't always work out exactly as you plan, and then that adds yet another layer of stress because failing to meet a goal is stressful.

So I've decided I'm all done with that.

I will no longer:

• Mentally take my work home with me, because they don't pay me enough to do that, and I'm not important enough to have that level of stress.
• Take responsibility for things that are not my responsibility.
• Try to pay as much as possible on my student loans and obsessively check my balance five times a day.  I'm paying a set amount each month, and no more.
• Say no to fun things because I need to max out my Roth IRA.
• Obsessively schedule workouts so I'm too tired to do anything but run and recover.

I will continue to:

• Pick up extra work shifts
• Use coupons occasionally
• Seek out free things
•  Put money into savings and IRA and watch my balances grow, but not freak out when it happens gradually
• Ride my bike to work, the store and the farmer's market

I will finally:

• Spend more time writing
• Hem that stupid dress that's been sitting on my desk for months
• Keep a neat and organized house
• Stop accumulating STUFF

It's actually pretty relaxing to just stop trying to control everything.  I wasn't being successful at it anyway, so really, just saying hands off is kind of nice.  I'm much happier when I'm not making myself miserable, which I really should have figured out a while ago.  It seems so simple.

Clean Slate For 2013

Can you believe that it's almost 2013?  It's just weird--not that another year has passed, but for some reason 2013 just seems like a weird number to me.  It'll take me a while to get used to writing that.  Anyway, my plan for the new year is to start it with a clean slate.  I've been carrying balances on my credit cards for the past month (no late fees or anything like that, just more owed than I would like).  With my next paycheck I'm paying them all completely off and heading into the new year with nothing owed except stupid student loan debt.

I'm also doing a major overhaul of my closet and wardrobe.  Since my closet is narrow and deep, I lose things in there, never have enough room, and usually just let my laundry sit on top my dresser until I wear it again and it goes in the dirty clothes pile.  I'm working on a new scheme to organize my clothing in a way that makes it easier to find things/ put them away, and that makes me not want to scream with frustration.  I'm also getting rid of a lot of things I just wasn't wearing.  Those really nice pants from Banana Republic that have only fit once three years ago?  Yeah, they're going to Good Will and I'm just going to accept that my huge thighs are unlikely to get any smaller.  Strong is the new Skinny!

As far as my Holiday Challenges, I'm pleased to report that I've been going to yoga a minimum of three times a week, even four some weeks!  My run streak sadly didn't stick as well as I hoped.  There were some mornings when I just didn't get out of bed in time, and doing a single mile on the treadmill just became annoying--it took longer to shower than it did to run!  It's not all bad though.  I have run more miles this month than any other month this year, and I've realized that even if I get a late start in the morning, nipping out for a two mile run really makes the day better.  I used to have the mindset that unless I was running at least four miles, it wasn't worth bothering, but now I love my little two mile runs!

For my Financial Challenges, I've been limiting eating out, I've been walking to work though I wasn't able to ride my bike for reasons I'll explain in a moment.  I've gone over budget in the clothing category, but that's just because I paid my Old Navy bill from the previous month--I haven't bought anything new!  My budget is full of no-spend day stars and I'm pretty pleased about that.

The reason I wasn't able to ride bike to work was because my bike was stolen by some nefarious jackanape!

RIP, my bike that I never named

They also stole BF's tire pump--dicks.  It's not all bad though, I put an ad on Freecycle asking if anyone had a bike they weren't using, and a nice lady gave me her daughter's old one!  I need to get it looked at by a mechanic and buy a lock, basket and lights, but it's a nice bike that should last me quite a while.  I'll also be storing it indoors so no one can get their hand on it!

2013 begins with no credit card debt, a new bike and a new diet plan!  I signed up for Taylor's DietBet, which is a fun little online wager.  Everyone who wants to play kicks in $2, and then if at the end of the month you're at your goal weight, you get to split the pot!  It's a nice little incentive to do what I should be doing anyway.

Things are looking up!

Things I'm Grateful For--Financewise

I'm an optimist by nature and I try not to get down about things, especially things I have little control over.  I feel like since starting my new job and adjusting to my new rate of pay with health, dental and union dues taken out, I've been a bit down in the mouth.  I feel like I've been playing catchup since January, but I know it could be much worse.  Therefore, I'm going to take a look at the things that are going on in my life, financewise, that really make me happy.

• I don't have a car payment.  That makes me so, so happy.  I haven't had a car payment for a couple years, but every time I hear or read about someone's, I just get really glad that I'm done with that whole thing.  Yes, my car is kind of crappy at times, but it gets me where I'm going and should last quite a bit longer.  Plus, now that I own it outright, I can reduce my insurance coverage and save more money!
• I can walk/bike to work.  I know I bring this up a lot, and I'm not trying to sound braggy, but I'm really, really glad I live so close to where I work.  Yes, walking 35 minutes there and back is sometimes a bit annoying (when I oversleep or when it's pouring rain), but when I look at gas prices creeping up, that makes me want to lace up my fashion sneakers all the more.
• The Mayor of Providence loves libraries.  I've mentioned before, that the financial circumstances in The Ocean State are quite grim, and the city of Providence is presently on the brink of bankruptcy.  As someone who works for a non-profit that gets all of its funding from the (broke) city and the (broke) state, this is a bit scary.  Add to the anxiety the fact that in East Providence, two of their libraries just closed, and last year when the City of Central Falls declared bankruptcy, their library closed (thankfully, it has since re-opened with very limited hours)  But, we're very lucky in the fact that the mayor loves the libraries, realizes their value and has promised to keep our doors open no matter what.
• I have the ability to cut costs.  If I had kids or a mortgage, I wouldn't have nearly as much budgetary wiggle room.  Since it's just BF, Wee Watson and I, we can go down to the bare minimum of spending without risking starving a child or living in a house without heat.  I do whine when I feel broke, but I also went to Old Navy the other day and bought a bunch of sports bras (which I needed and got a great deal on), so broke is just a state of mind.
• I am the picture of health.  I've never really spent much time at the doctor's.  I never had a yearly physical when I was growing up, my parents only took me to the doctor when I was very sick, and as an adult, I rarely have had health insurance.  Thankfully, I've had few times when I really needed a doctor, and I enjoy eating healthily (mostly) and exercising.  Still, there's always that nagging thought in the back of your mind that maybe, even though you feel like you're doing everything all the current wisdom says to do to be healthy, maybe there's some flukey part of your genetics lying dormant waiting to kill you.  According to my recent bloodwork, I'm going to live forever, which has been my plan all along, hence all the retirement saving.  The only number that was high was my cholesterol, and that was only my good cholesterol.  It's nice to have that all sorted and charted out.  It's like my body's credit score!
• I can move without pain.  Sure, this may not seem like it fits with the financial picture, but my recent running/yoga injury really reminded my how frugal it can be to control your own mobility.  I can walk/bike to work pain-free; I can do my job better because I can move around helping patrons which is good for them and the library (positive experience rather than me just pointing to something); I don't have to pay for any more prescriptions; I don't have to drive to the doctor's office or to physical therapy; I can use the gym membership I'm already paying for.  Also, I can run again, which makes me healthier and happier.  I can't imagine dealing with chronic pain or any chronic condition, and I am grateful every day that I'm not in that situation.  Health is the cheapest option.

What are you grateful for?

I Don't Know How to Walk

Obviously, that's not true.  I do know how to walk, but what I don't know, is how to walk for the pure pleasure of walking.  I do not know how to walk without walking somewhere, and usually that somewhere is a place where I spend money.

Last Saturday, it was a lovely day outside.  Clear skies, 64 degrees, the perfect day to go for a walk and I tried to talk myself into doing just that.  Here's a recap of the conversation I had with myself:

It's a beautiful day!  I should go for a walk!

Maybe I should walk on the treadmill, I really want to make it count 

and I don't really like to power walk outside.

That's silly, the whole point is to get out there!

I guess I could walk to Berk's and look at those shoes....

No, I don't need more shoes, and Berk's is less than a mile away, 

that's barely a walk.

I could walk to Wildflour and get a cupcake.

You don't need a cupcake.

But Wildflour is almost three miles away, that's a good long walk. I could get a juice.

You can't go to a particular business just because it's far away, 

and I'm talking you out of paying $6 for a juice.

After that mental wrestle, I just stayed in and read a book.

The problem is, I love to go for walks, but it's not as fun alone and without a purpose, it just feels weird and uncomfortable.  Going for a run, that's a thing, but just going for a walk by yourself... I don't know.

My mother and I always went for walks when I was growing up, and it was great.  We'd walk and talk and it was really the only time we spent alone.  Since my mother and I are not close at all, it was nice to know that we could always go for a walk and catch up with each other.  BF thinks walking is boring and it's like pulling teeth to get him to go around the block with me.  Even when I bribe him with an ice cream treat, our walk is only to the store and back (four blocks).

When I was in grad school, I used to go to Old Navy every day to walk around mainly because it's a huge store and I didn't want to appear to be one of those 'mall walkers.' Those people are the worst.  This walking habit costs me hundreds in Old Navy clothes (at least they're cheap).  After I got tired of going to Old Navy every day, I started going to Target and Bed Bath and Beyond.

If I lived closer to the beach I could walk by myself--people do that.
But I don't want to live by the beach, and I live right by a park where people also walk

Here's a line from a blog post I wrote in 2008: "I went to the mall on Saturday. I had to go pick up a pair of shelves (at some chick’s house) that I found on craigslist at 11am, and while I was carrying them to my car, I realized that it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly for the first time in quite a while, yet it was crisp and refreshing—the kind of weather where you want to get shit done. So I went to one of the places I hate most in the world, (also indoors because regardless of how lovely the day is, I’m just not an outside girl. I don’t have an outside agenda, and as much as I do sometimes long to walk for pleasure, I prefer to walk somewhere so I know when I’m done)."

So this problem is on-going, and honestly, one of the main reasons I picked Providence as a place to move is because it's so walkable--but I still need an agenda.

Part of this problem is solved by the fact that I can walk to work--so that's good.  I can get the walking out of my system and get paid when I arrive at my destination, but what about days off?  How can I get my walking fix without going broke?  Perhaps this is something I just need to get over, or perhaps I need to lie to myself about where I'm walking, perhaps there's another solution I haven't considered.

Anyone else have this problem?  Any suggestions?

How Frugal is a Springtime Cold?

I know I'm not the only one out there who has been felled by what seems to be an interminable spring cold.  It seems like the entire state of Rhode Island is down for the count, and as this sickness drags on and on, I'm forced to examine to positives and negatives as they relate to personal finance.

Negative: So. Much. Kleenex.  BF and I were both sick last weekend, and somehow I'm the lucky one who is still sick.  We've gone through tons of kleenex and toilet paper, and my nose is completely raw.

Positive: Lack of appetite/energy.  I've been pretty un-hungry and incredibly sluggish therefore, I haven't really gone to the grocery store or eaten out.  I even had to blow off drinks with friends on Saturday because I'm a total snot factory.  Sad, but thrifty.

Positive: Free Vitamin C!  A friend of mine had bought this Emergen-C stuff because it's supposed to help with elasticity and connectivity on the muscles of people who work out a lot.  Turns out, it tastes like pure evil.  She could barely choke down a cup, and when she asked if I wanted it, I though how bad can it be?  It is awful.  Drinking it is like a punch in the mouth.  BUT, it has 1000% RDA of vitamin C, and I'm too stuffed up to taste it!  I've been guzzling this every morning, and yes, I'm still sick, but it can't really hurt anything.  I'm also making an effort to eat up the other foods around the house that I don't really like--like that low-sodium soup.

Don't buy this unless you hate yourself

Negative: Online Shopping.  I still have enough energy to shop online, and in the past week, I've purchased a pair of shoes, an anorak and compression socks--but these are all things I need!

I don't have a raincoat!  I need one!

Positive: Paid Sick Time.  If this was last year, I would not only lose money by calling out sick, but I would likely be badgered into making that time up before I was well again.  This time, I called my boss, said I'm sick, and I still get paid the same.  There are no words for how awesome that is.

All totaled, this springtime cold is actually rather frugal.  It's a shame that I have to feel so lousy to save money, but it's nice to have a positive spin to put on things.  I'll get back on track with more regular posting once my eyes/nose/ears/sinuses are back to normal.

Ugh, Spring

It is beautiful here.  The trees are blooming, the flowers are creeping out of the ground, and my seasonal allergies have returned.  My throat is itchy, my eyes are watering and I can barely breathe.  There is really nothing more unfair than the fact that as soon as outside becomes lovely again, I lose the ability to breathe.

Sorry for the wires, taken out of my kitchen window

For those who are in the same or similar boat, I have some strategies for how to still enjoy nature while saving money i.e. drugs.

I like Claritan, I've found that it works well for my allergies, but I do not like how much Claritan costs. In fact, every time I see an ad on tv for Claritan, I just picture the price going up and up.  Thankfully, Claritan has been around long enough that there's a generic equivalent, but since generics don't advertise, people may not know about it.  I'm here to tell you: You don't have to go broke paying for allergy pills!

On Amazon, you can get a box of 45 Claritan for $19.99.  That's a markdown from $46.29, which is over $1 a pill!  Good God!

Compare that to my best friend: Loratadine.

It's not fancy, that's for sure, but for $18.65, you can get 400 tablets.  Yes, that's 400 with two zeroes.  Double bonus, these pills are much smaller, and work exactly the same.  Over the summer, I don't wait until I have allergy symptoms, I just take a pill daily, because I can afford to.  When I was taking Claritan, I was rationing those things like you wouldn't believe, and I was pretty miserable because of it.

But what if Claritan is not your histamine blocker of choice, you like Zyrtec instead (why do they all have such stupid names?). 

You can get 70 Zyrtec for $31.08 on Amazon, or you can get Cetrizine HCL for $16.99 for 365 tablets.  It has the same active ingredient, and when you do a search in Amazon for Zyrtec, this one pops up as well.

I'm not trying to be a shill for Amazon, but that's where I usually get drugs like this.  You can find them in stores, but not always and not all stores, so I just go straight for the online.  Thankfully, the only real allergies I have are seasonal pollen-type allergies, but if anyone else has a good generic they like, let me know in the comments.

**Disclaimer, I'm obviously not a doctor, I'm a librarian, don't do anything rash or against your doctor's wishes just because I said so.

Providence Frugality Audit

With props to Annabelle over at Shopping Detox, I though it would be interesting to take a look at my fair city through the lens of frugality.

A little background: Providence was founded in 1636 by a man named Roger Williams.  Williams had been kicked out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his radical views about religion i.e. that we should have freedom of it.  He wandered to then unsettled Rhode Island, which was inhabited by the Naragansett Indians, got along with them (there's some more history that I'm leaving out here), and fast forward almost 400 years, and we have the city I now call home.

Providence is a pretty compact city, and is kind of organized like a broken wheel--neighborhoods radiate out from a central downtown area (where there is very little parking, many people say).  This is good in that it makes for a more walkable city, this is bad in that it's in the top ten of worst cities to drive in in the United States, but I blame Rhode Islanders and their not knowing how four-way stops work.  Public transit is mediocre and getting worse by the day, but you can live here without a car, so it gets frugality points for that.

+1 Frugality Point for walkability

Winters are relatively mild here, with the average winter low being 30 degrees.  Winters feel colder, however, because the air is so damp and the houses are often from the colonial era and are poorly insulated.  I have to say though, in the grand scheme of things, Providence winters are really not bad.  It typically doesn't get super cold until late November, and warms up around March.  Coming from Fargo, ND where we have blizzards in May, I'll give the frugal weather points to Providence.  Also, the summers get hot, but aren't unbearable, so you can get away with minimal air conditioning.

+1 Frugality Point for weather

Rents in Providence are pretty high, I couldn't find an apartment in any neighborhood for less than $600/month, but you often get a lot of space and character for that money.  Compared to my apartment in Fargo, which was $300/month, but then an additional $250 per month to heat in the winter, I think Providence is doable.  It's certainly cheaper to live here than in Boston.

This is not my house, but is an example of a typical multi-family
home found in Providence.  Each apartment is usually a whole floor. 

+1 Frugality Point for reasonable rents BUT

-1 Frugality Point because for high unemployment 

Providence is also great for free or cheap things to do.  Having both the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University means that there is a lot of cheap theatre, a world-class art museum (that's free before 1pm every Sunday or free with a pass from the library), tons of educational talks, lots of community events and Providence's coup de grace: Waterfire.  

Waterfire is basically baskets on the river that people fill with cedar and set ablaze, then there's music and street food and other things going on.  Honestly, I don't really get it, and I once had someone (not from Providence) ask me if he was supposed to bring his own chickens or if they would be provided.  Waterfire is not a cookout.  Waterfire happens about every other week in the summer, and each week is a little bit difference, like one week, will be symphony week, etc.  I usually go to one or two a year just because it's a fun energetic way to spend the evening, and you can drink beer in the streets.  It attracts hordes of people from all over, and is totally free (beer costs extra).  You can also pay extra and ride in a goldola right next to the flaming baskets, but I don't know why you would want to do that because it gets awfully smoky.

+1 Frugality Point for free or cheap access to culture

Providence also has one of the highest rates restaurants per capita than any other US city.  We have a culinary arts school (that educated Emeril Lagasse), and Providence is where the diner was invented.  The nice thing is that there are tons of good restaurants here, but that is decidedly unfrugal.  when I first moved here, I was eating out sometimes three times a day--not frugal, and I gained a lot of weight meaning my clothes didn't fit.

-1 Frugality Point for having so many delicious restaurants that I want to eat at all the time

One thing that one has to mention when discussing Providence and frugality is the current budget crisis.  The state of Rhode Island is broke and the city of Providence is in a very bad way.  Last year, when Mayor Angel Tavares took office, he announced that Providence is facing a structural deficit of $110 million for the fiscal year.  Providence has not been frugal in the past, but will have to become frugal in the future, or else... I don't know what, I guess the city declares bankruptcy like nearby Central Falls did last year.

-2 Frugality Points for being in a budget crisis

That means that Providence comes out even as a frugal city.  For the people that live here, you can get by fairly cheaply, but with the looming deficit and the mayor's pronouncement that things are grim, taxes are going to continue to go up and retirees currently enjoying cushy pensions are going to have to sacrifice.  It's the new austerity!  

Verdict: Frugal Failure on the road to recovery

The Frugal eReader

If you didn't get an eReader for a holiday gift this year, odds are you've been hearing about them more and more. As a librarian, I hear about eReaders constantly, and I always forget that some people don't think about them as much as I do. Here are my suggestions for those considering picking up this gadget. These are based on my own personal experience, and what I've learned over the past year.

The biggest eReaders are the Kindle from Amazon, the Nook from Barnes & Noble and the Sony Reader. Kindle and the Reader have been around the longest, but the Nook is fast becoming the new eReader to buy. To use, they're all pretty similar. The Kindle has a number of different versions (it seems like every year there's a new one), and two different screen sizes --6" and 9.7". The Sony Reader has three different versions and three screen sizes--5", 6" and 7" all with touch screens. The Nook has a 5" screen and comes in standard (black and white, no touch screen) and full color touch screen.

They all work basically the same, but as far as frugality is concerned, there is one huge difference-- on all eReaders except Kindle, you can download library books. Kindle uses a proprietary digital format that you can only get from Amazon, whereas the others are compatible with Adobe Digital Editions, which is free. In my mind, this is a no-brainer, I bought a Nook, and have spent about $15 on books for it whereas if I had a Kindle, I would either never use it, or go broke buying books.

There are cheap ways to get Kindle books, and they give you some free ones too, but from where I'm standing, I'm a little broke from shelling out $150 for the device, I don't really want to spend any more on books. The cheapest way to get books will always be to borrow them.

In addition to borrowing books for free from the library, you can also get free classics on any digital device via Project Gutenburg. This means you can search from thousands of texts on which the copyright date has passed, and the works are now in the public domain. In lieu going into a lengthy breakdown of copyright law, I will instead use an example: You know when you go into a bookstore, and you can get a really nice copy of something like Treasure Island or Wuthering Heights for about $5 whereas a new bestseller retails for $25? It's because the authors of Treasure Island and Wuthering Heights have been dead so long that their estates no longer receive royalties from sales of their books. It's also how people get away with writing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Project Gutenberg is awesome. Yes, there are a lot of stinkers in the collection, but I am now the proud owner of the digital works of the Bronte sisters and Louisa May Alcott, which makes me quite happy-- and I don't have to return them.

There are other eReaders on the market that I know nothing about, like the Borders Kobo, or the Sharper Image Literati, but I do know that these too can borrow books from the library.

I certainly don't know everything about every eReader, but if you are considering buying one, please make the decision with your eyes open. Do some research, visit them in the store, learn the pros and cons and figure out what really works for you. There are a few caveats that go along with borrowing books from the library as well:

1. You have to plug in your device in order to borrow library books. You can purchase anything wirelessly on every device, but in order to borrow, you have to be plugged into your computer and manually drag the book file to your device.
2. Not every book the library owns is available digitally. I had to tell this to a girl recently who was under the mistaken impression that every book we buy for the library comes with a digital version as well (no idea where she got this idea). The library buys eBooks just like it buys regular books. When you check out the digital copy, it means that someone has to wait until you're done reading it and return it before they can borrow it--just like a physical book. Many people have the mistaken impression that digital means it's like a website that anyone can look at. Authors and publishers still own the work, you're just buying or borrowing the right to use one copy. So...
3. Make sure your library owns books you want to read. Because of copyright protection, and because of the run on eReaders this year, my library system is scrambling to pump up the eBook collection. For most libraries, this is a fairly new collection, and may be a bit spare i.e. they won't have everything you want. I would recommend seeing what's available to you before buying the device. There's no point in buying the device, finding out after the fact that your library doesn't have anything you want, and then blowing a bunch of money buying books just because you really, really want to use it.

Also Consider the size and weight of the device you're purchasing. It's meant to be portable, but if it weighs five pounds and requires a special case to cart around, is it really convenient? I bought the Nook because it is slightly larger that a mass market size (smallest size) paperback. This means that it fits quite easily into my purse, but also that the screen is quite small, and I do a lot of page turning, which gets annoying at times.

I wrote another post for my library blog detailing a few of the other drawbacks of eReaders. Convenient though they are, they still aren't books, and just like anything, there are pros and cons. I certainly don't regret my decision, and I'm pretty proud of myself for doing as much research as I did (I almost never do research before buying things), but I still prefer a good, old-fashioned book.

Nature vs. Nurture

This is something I've mulled over in my head plenty of times, the idea of how we become who we are. It's particularly interesting as some fundamental differences between my parents and I have become more and more apparent over the years, but others similarities have cropped up as well--namely, frugality.

When I was a kid, it used to drive me nuts the way that other kids seemed to have more toys more clothes--just more stuff than me. My parents have both worked in professional careers since I was in Kindergarten, yet it always seemed like my parents were telling me no when I demanded things. I started to assume other people made more money than my parents, or that we were actually poor and no one had the heart to break it to me; it's only now, fifteen years later, that I'm finally starting to get it. My parents are savers.

The problem is, this was never explained to me. Maybe I'm just obtuse, but I honestly think my parents could have served me well by explaining to me the concept of saving for the future, rather than leaving it to me to figure out. Since my mother is a banker, I always knew that I had a college savings account, and a regular savings account, but the regular savings account was always just money waiting to be spent, in my mind. She stressed the importance of looking after your credit score, but never really sat down and explained her own choices to live frugally and save/invest for the future.

As a result, I overcompensated in completely the opposite direction. I spent and spent every penny that came my way, and spent a lot of pennies that I didn't have as well because I was sick of being told no. I mentioned a while back that I used to spend all my money on crap that I would never consider buying these days, but I honestly think I did it as a weird form of rebellion. Every time I spent money on junk, it was like I was telling my parents "you can't tell me what to do!"

Fast forward to ten years later, and I'm writing a blog about frugality where I consistently tell people that stuff is overrated and you probably don't really need it. Life has a strange way of flipping back on itself, and I have to wonder if a lot of the way I am today is a result of the example set by my parents, or if I did get here all on my own. There's really no way to know for sure, but we can certainly speculate.

I do have to say, and this is from the hindsight is 20-20 perspective, my parents could have been a bit more honest with me when it comes to money stuff. They could have told me flat out, we live like this for this reason, we're not poor, we're just frugal. Maybe it wouldn't have penetrated my snarky teenage skull, but it was worth a shot.

Money is a taboo topic, but it doesn't need to be. I'm not saying everyone should post their personal budget online, but there are plenty of ways to have an honest conversation without giving too much away. I'm certainly not going to pretend to have more than I do just to--what? impress people? Is it impressive to have a little more money than someone else? Or is it just handy when you want to go out for dinner?

I think it's more impressive to maximize whatever you have--no matter how little. I get a lot of emails from people telling me that they're impressed with my adventuring despite the fact that they know I'm poor--that's high praise. In fact, a friend wants to have coffee and discuss how exactly I just afforded my recent trip to San Diego. I'm going to suggest she come over and have coffee I make, rather than going out for it, because that's one way I afford trips like that.

New Meaning of Frugal

A Guest Post by Danie D.

My name is Danie D, and I'm a lot like you. I consider myself to be smart, not arrogant. I'm frugal, not cheap. I buy in bulk to save the most, but I recognize the absolute savings of not buying anything at all. I started what you might call a frugality quest a little more than two years ago. It paid off in a low cost and plentiful bounty. But I got (steady) money and I got lazy. Now circumstances warrant I reclaim my "recessionisms," and I'm realizing it's a lot more difficult that I anticipated. But it's also a nice challenge. And who's not up for a good challenge?

First, the things you need to know to understand my situation. I got a new, higher paying job in 2008. My partner and I moved from Las Vegas to San Francisco with hope in our hearts and not much else. He didn't have a job (we, at the time, did not recognize the severity of the recession) and we made a lot of expensive mistakes ($195/month to park in a garage instead of an annual street parking permit for $78). I bought what I thought we needed, regardless of what was on sale. I charged everything for at least two months, probably more.  We moved into a safer, larger, more expensive apartment. The mister had two temp jobs that came and went. Credit card bills came and 0% interest expired.

We committed to change out of necessity. And it was exciting. We found interesting, free things to do. I clipped coupons and boasted my savings. We could pay the bills, eat AND go to a movie. We were doing it. Eventually the mister got a job. We didn't really need to be as frugal. We could eat out. We could travel. We got drunk on financial freedom. We talked about tightening up, but never found the right time to cut back. And then we broke up. "We," became me. Two incomes dropped to one. And I decided not to find a cheaper apartment. It was a risky move, but I had my reasons. So there I was, alone in a half empty apartment, realizing he owned almost all the pots. It seemed like a good time to get back into old habits. But while that was the goal, that's not what's been happening.

My definition of "frugal" has changed. I used to consider frugality as getting as much as possible for a little as possible, and keeping it handy "just in case." In my post break-up examination of the world, I'm asking "in case of what?" Worst case scenario, I lose my job. Cabinets full of food won't help me pay my rent. Boxes of noodles won't pack me up and ship me home to my parents. I am asking myself what I really needed. And the answer is not six boxes of macaroni and cheese for the price of one. The answer is "less." I need less. Frugality (the 2010 interpretation) is having and maintaining that which you need, not buying what you might need in a specific situation.

So I'm purging and I'm using. Broken things are being tossed. Wrapping paper is getting recycled. Plastic storage bins, donated. Items I don't like, sold. Clothes I don't wear and games I don't play, donated. I'm using all the lotions I've received as gifts, and all the toothpaste and floss my dentists have given me. I'm compiling all the notepads I've bought, used, but never filled. Frugality is (again, at this moment) finding I already have what I need. Just because deodorant is on sale, I don't have to buy it. I should remember the four I still have at home.The same goes for toothpaste, soup, rice, and the other things I've accumulated "just in case."

Instead of trying to get more, I'm focusing on doing the same with less. I do think I'll end up saving money but more than that, I'm creating a challenge and rising to meet it. And that's free fun.

Because it's free, of course

A friend sent me an article the other day, which surprised me at first, but then really makes sense when you think about it. According to a study by OCLC, a nonprofit library co-operative and research organization, Public Libraries circulate more movies than Netflix, Redbox and bricks and mortar video stores.

Since I'm a librarian, and I know that we have an exceptional collection of DVDs that circulate like crazy, I wasn't shocked by this, but I still thought Netflix would be the clear winner. Thinking back to my own video needs though, I have Netflix, which I've dropped down from the 3-at-a-time plan to 2-at-a-time to save $5 a month, but I still borrow heavily from the library. Between the two, my needs are more than met.

It's just so basic, if you can get something for free--legally, why wouldn't you? Frugal Rule #1 Get Thee to the Library!

The Quest for the Free Flu Shot

I don't have health insurance, and I work with the public, so every fall I'm bombarded with reminders to get a flu shot. Problem is, that most of the time the flu shot for people without insurance costs $20, or you have to go somewhere that's doing a free clinic, stand in a long line and hope that they don't run out of vaccine. Last year was a year that I was unable to get a free shot, and it was probably the worst year to not get vaccinated considering I had two other friends who got swine flu.

What I wrestle with every year, is whether or not I should just pay $20 and get the shot at a convenient time, or if I should continue to scan ads and announcements trying to find a free flu shot that fits with my work schedule/ isn't 30 miles away. This is the constant battle with the whole frugality lifestyle, it seems. Not flu shots, but the time it takes to get something for free or for cheaper. A lot of people say it's not worth it. They might say that as someone who cannot afford to get sick I should just pay $20, get the shot and be done with it. $20 is a bargain compared to potential lost work time.

The other side of the argument is that most years I don't get a flu shot and I also don't get the flu--why waste the money? I can honestly say that since I started running regularly, I rarely get sick. Considering that people have come into my library and let me help them on the computer for fifteen minutes before announcing "I have pneumonia!" there's something to this whole exercise keeps you healthy theory. Maybe I should just skip the shot and save the money.

I go back and forth, and if this year is like last year, I'll probably go back and forth until it's too late to actually get the shot. Of course now that I've announced that I rarely get sick, who knows what will happen (shake fist at universe).

What would you do?