Dollar Frugal

So, I was glancing down at my homeowner’s insurance statement the other day and I noticed that the premium had gone up.  Way up.  Over the course of two years, the company had estimated that my home had gone up in value by $5000 and my premium had also increased - $100!

My insurance premium had only cost somewhere around $353, so around a 28% increase in insurance premium raised my eyebrow, especially since my home had gone up in value, according to the insurance company, by only 5%.  So I called.

Nope, that’s correct.  Insurance premiums are on the up.

Has your insurance premium gone up?  Anyone have any insight into why this is happening?

Here are the links from the blogroll for the week:

Jesse talked about people’s excuses for their debt.  I run into this all the time.  It gives me a headache.  Just realize that your consumer debt is your own fault.  Please.

Laura has a hilarious video about consumers and advertisers.  I think that we are wising up as our wallets are getting skinnier.  Thank goodness - it had to come sometime!

Boomie talked about our new frugal economy at the Wastrel Show.  I’m glad we’re changing for the better.

The writers talked about continuing to contribute to your retirement account while you’re in a bad economy.  I can’t wait to pay off my house and start fully contributing to my retirement account.

Meg talked about her tenant problems.  I am so glad that I don’t have these headaches.

Wealth, Money and Life Network

If I Had a Million Dollars @ Saving for Home

Dividend Stocks in the News @ Dividends 4 Life

Getting Back on Track @ Her Every Cent Counts

Happy Birthday Clever Dude @ How I Save Money

Budget Ahead for Gas @ Just Personal Finance

Jim Rogers Still Bullish @ Living Off Dividends

Hope you have a great week!

For the last seven years that DH and I have been married, I have been completely frugal.  In my every action, I’ve thought, “How can I make this cheaper?”  And I’ve succeeded.

But I’m tired.  And I have problems that have come out of this.  When I go on work trips with my friends, I still am able to spend a bit more than normal.  And I don’t do that with my family, so it feels bad to go back home, which isn’t good either.

So, I need to find a balance.  The house is almost paid off.  It’s possible that this is an effect of almost being finished with that huge task.  I’ll probably never need to have a mortgage again, no matter how many times my military career needs me to move (I’ve passed the threshhold of being able to purchase a home in almost any market in the US, save a few places in DC or California).

I’m feeling un-frugal, which is very unlike me.  It’s also a horrible time to not be frugal, since the economy is in the toilet.  I’m not sure what’s going on, but I feel like I have to let myself naturally pass through this time without forcing myself to undergo such militant frugality that I normally practice.  I’m not being irresponsible at all, but it sure feels like it.  The normal act of spending money feels strange to me, but I think I need to.  My dress pants were getting worn out and my jeans had holes in them, so I replaced these items.  I felt guilty about that.

So, to sum up, I’m going through a change in my life.  I don’t think I’m going to be able to continue making $4k house payments every month with these new developments.  I’m still paying off my house in 2009, which is totally doable (as of today, I owe $22k on it), but I need to loosen up a bit, because I think I was getting too frugal.

Have you ever gone through a feeling that you were being too frugal?  Does it pass, or was it permanent to bring you back from being crazily frugal?

Photo credit: carf

We always go to the park to go “out” to eat.  This can save you so much off your bill by not having your food at the restaurant.  When you eat your food away, you don’t have to pay a tip, and you can bring your own drinks.  If you have free drinks at your home (water or CVS-bucks-bought-sodas), then you can save up to $2 per person.  If you don’t have to pay tip, you’re automatically saving 15% off the bill!

Today, we had an awesome lunch at the pavilion at the park.  It was pouring rain, but we were dry under the overhang and enjoyed the peaceful sound of the rainfall.  We saved at least $10 off our meal by bringing along drinks and not having to tip within the restaurant.

You could also bring along sides or purchase cheaper sides at the grocery store.  Another way to save might be to have a picnic in your backyard (to save on gas money) or on your patio.

How do you save money at restaurants?  When was the last time you had a picnic?

Photo credit:  Mexicanwave  

DH and many of my friends think we are insane for not having cable, but let me just tell you how much I love it.  When I don’t have cable, I can’t just veg out on the couch for hours and lose my time.  I feel like I need to take advantage of my free time.  I use my free time to write on this blog, write heartfelt emails to my friends, study for college classes that I take, study on the internet or in library books about topics that interest me, and spend time with my family.

Many people out there are spending $30 every month to veg out in front of their TVs.  What more functional things could they be doing during that time?

What are the things that you could be doing instead of sitting in front of the TV?

Here are the next 5 blogs from the illustrious blogroll here at Dollar Frugal:

Sharon wrote about her old paper bag and how they gave her the refund anyway.  I’m very guilty of this same practice (using things until they fall apart while others laugh at me).

Green 3 wrote about two of her anniversaries.  Congrats to Green 3!

DD at Happy Rock talked about financial simplicity.  This practice makes things so much less stressful!

Annie at In Debt Net blogged about women and their loss of realness.  I think this is so true.  Many of us don’t know what our real personality is when we can buy any personality and try it on for awhile.

The Moneykings talked about drug ads.  Are Americans stupid or do we really not see how many problems we have?

Wealth, Money and Life Network Articles

The MMA Rate Mystery Solved @ Dividends 4 Life

TMI Post @ Her Every Cent Counts

The Government Does Not Want My Money @ How I Save Money

How Much Cash is Enough @ Just Personal Finance

Gartman Gives Up On Commodities @ Living Off Dividends

No Spa For Me…Wait @ Saving For Home

Have a wonderful week!

One thing that really bothered me about DS’s school last year was that after they came in on the first day, they turned in all their shiny new school supplies and they were divvied up throughout the year as someone needed school supplies.  This means that if someone didn’t bring school supplies, they were given choice of school supplies that other students bought.  Also, toward the end of the year, the teacher ran out (because not everyone purchased supplies), so the teacher had to ask for school supplies again.

What do you think about this practice?  Do you think we should have to purchase school supplies for others to use?  Does your school have this practice?

Agh.  DS wanted to play football.  Badly.  No, I mean, like, he couldn’t live without it.  So, I grudgingly forked over the $75 for the registration.  This includes his shirt, pads for the season and insurance.  Whatever.  It’s team sports, which I think are extremely important to a child’s development.

Then, we went and bought $45 cleats.  That’s at the cheap end.  I can’t wait until he’s in high school and I have to pay over $100 for shoes.  Yuck.  I guess that’s why I’m getting myself set up financially now to support him.

Next, we took him to the park to try out the new shoes.  He’s kinda lazy.  I hope he doesn’t give up so easily when other kids are around.  Or he will be in big trouble.  How come my folks never told me how expensive these sports are?

Do you have kids that participate in sports?  What are your costs and how do you offset them?  Did you participate in sports when you were a kid?  Did you have any idea how much they cost?

I’ve noted that many frugal souls find pleasures in the free so that they won’t feel bereft of glee in their lives.  Here are my current guilty (free) pleasures:

1.  Saving Diva got me hooked on Quarterlife.  She’s right, it’s horrible, but addictive, especially since it’s free!

2.  Saturday nights are my “date night“.  I get a glass of wine and DH and I watch my “white trash” TV, as I so affectionately call it.  “Cops” is followed by “America’s Most Wanted.”  DS gets to play his Playstation if he’s been good throughout the day.

3.  L.L. Bean catalogs.  I heart their clothes but I’m not really in the market to be purchasing any new clothes for awhile.  I noticed my khakis are getting worn out the other day, but I’ll probably just use my birthday money to buy some new ones somewhere cheap.

4.  Dick’s and R.E.I. websites.  I need some pants that can be washed in a bathtub but that hold up to being beat up.  I’ve been fantasizing about these $65 pants.  I love both the gray and khaki colors, but I would hate spending $130 on two pairs of pants when the money could be better put toward my mortgage.

I keep telling myself that when the mortgage is paid off, I’ll be able to purchase the things that I want freely, but I’m pretty sure I’ll go into retirement investing overdrive at that point.  So, the sooner, the better.  Now, if only DS’s football gear for the fall season had been free…

What are your guilty pleasures that take the place of the regular person’s costly expenditures?  How do these items save you money?

Good evening!  We’re back in the saddle here at Dollar Frugal today with our monthly goals.  I have stated in my blog that we follow “groundhog day goals,” which means that I revisit my goals each month on the month-date matching (2/2, 3/3, 7/7, etc).  Here are my goals from last month:

1.  Pay off 42,000 of my mortgage.  I don’t have any other debt (beyond monthly utilities and food costs), so this is my only debt payoff.  A+.  I’ve paid off $33,992.52 already for this calendar year.  Only $8007.48 left for the year to reach this goal - and 4 payments to do it in!

2.  Cut sugar out of my diet.  B.  I’ve been super-cognizant of health in my foods this month.  Results?  Expensive groceries, but I feel much better about my choices.

3.  Schedule more of my weekends.  C.  This is happening more, but not the 5-5 that I wanted.  I will work up to those 12 hours.

4.  Input new layout for my blog by July 15.  B.  The new layout has been done, but I’ve been unable to work out the glitches.

5.  Be on track to payoff the house by March 2009 instead of May.  D.  This goal is not going to happen.  I will continue to strive for my best possible, but personal things have come up that we will not be able to put as much money as previously toward the payoff.

6.  Find a decent living room set and get it to my house by the end of the year - under $500.  D.  DH says that used sofas are not allowed.  Scrap this goal as well, but I’ll change to it finding a desk and a bookcase, which he doesn’t think are as gross to buy used.

7.  It’s more expensive, but purchase groceries that are more healthy and interesting.  Our bodies are more important than our money.  B.  We went on vacation this month, so restaurant food isn’t very healthy, but it is interesting!

Another new thing:  a new goal every month.  Right now, I’ve already completed a few of these items, so I can scrap them for some new goals.  Here’s my new goal for August:

8. Get back to one post per day on this blog.  I’ve been faltering lately, as I’ve been trying to spend a lot more time with my family, but this blog brings me a certain thing that cannot be provided by other activities. 

I challenge you to state your goals here in my comments section.  Next month (September 9th), I will challenge everyone that comments here to see how they’re doing with their goals. 

Post your progress for the month below!

Here are the commenters from last month (post your progress in the comments below if I call you out!):