Bargain Find

I found this great crocheted bedspread at the local charity shop for $15.00! What a find. I could not purchase the thread to make one for $15.00. 

In light of the current global financial woes, I thought I would share some of my techniques for saving a few dollars. As I have always been a bargain shopper and do not object to buying things second hand, being frugal is my normal routine. My problem in the past has been spending lots of small amounts that add up. I have resolved that problem, by deciding that I like having a bank balance; a positive bank balance. I like having extra money in the bank and being able to pay my bills the day they come in. It is nice.

So how have we gotten here? The first step is to STOP using credit cards. John and I stopped using credit cards about 10 years ago. If we cannot pay cash for it we don't buy it. We will save up for it. I have no problem with having a credit card. They come in handy in an emergency, but once used they should be top priority to pay off. 

The second thing we do is to shop second hand first. We wanted to upgrade our lounge suite, so we shopped for about 3 months, looking at all the new things, the used items, over and over again. We decided that we wanted a leather suite and the style we wanted. Then it was a watch and wait game. We found what we wanted at a second have furniture store. We got a 3 seat lounge, 2 recliners, and a comfy chair, all burgundy leather, for $900.00. We would have had to pay $2400.00 new for just the lounge and 2 recliners. 

When we needed a new fridge in February, we looked at new and scratch and dent and finally ended up buying a large Whirlpool from the classifieds for $400.00. It’s a great fridge.

In fact all of my furniture is used, except for 2 small end tables I bought at a discount store, $80 for the pair.

The third thing we have done is limit the loans. We have a mortgage and 1 small car payment and a truck that is paid for. We also did not go for the maximum the bank would loan. This is the only debt we have. 

The fourth thing is I am careful at the grocery store. We have Aldi's, which is a discount grocery. You have to bag your own groceries and there is mainly Aldi's brand, but that is okay, it saves a ton on our grocery bill. I also shop for meat sales, so whatever meat is the bargain that week is what we have. Shopping the local farmers market is another way we save money. The less packaging it has the cheaper it will be. We also avoid convenience foods; they can use your weekly food budget up quickly. We cook at home and limit eating out. 

The fifth thing is shopping for bargains and sales. I always look at the thrift shops and sales racks first. Don't get me wrong I have no problem paying for quality items, such as, shoes. I just try to find a bargain and keep looking until I find it. I recently purchased a pair of Timberland sandals for the summer for $20.00; they were marked down from $160.00. I certainly do not advocate purchasing undies and such second hand, but for summer shorts, jeans, etc....second hand and last season stock can save you heaps of money.

The other thing I do is watch my bank account. Actually I might be developing a slight compulsive behaviour with this one. Anyway I monitor it, track of it, and try to anticipate upcoming expenses, especially, yearly expenses. For example my car registration is due in October. I was going to go to visit my Aunt in Victoria, but have put this off until I get my car inspected to ensure that I don't have any extra expense to pay out. Also I have to pay taxes this year, Damn Income Tax, so I will have put my WHOLE family on extra frugal alert. This brings me to my next point.

The sixth thing is communication. We do not pretend that Mom and Dad are endless money pits. We try to teach the kids about money and I have no problem letting them know, here is what is happening and we have to cut back a little more. I certainly do not give them details about the family finances, but I do not pretend we have more than we do. The other part of this is we have 1 bank account and both our salaries go into this account. We do not make large purchasing without discussing it with each other. You have to be honest with your spouse about what is going on with the money. We rarely argue over money. In fact I don't think we have argued about money in several years.

The last thing I will talk about is a Plan. We have a plan, a goal. We want to move back to the country and do a partial retirement. I do not want to work until I am 70. To make this happen we have a plan. This plan was enacted before we moved to Australia and is well on its way. We purchased our house in February. Our purchase was not an emotional one. It was an investment one. We purchased in an area that we feel will grow over the next 10 to 15 years. We purchased a house that is in good condition, with only minor upgrading to be done. So over the next few years (as we save the money of course) we will start to upgrade the kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and lay some wood flooring. All in an effort to help our property value increase and it will over time. We also were fortunate enough to purchase our home below the property value. We did purchase at an action and we were the high bidder, but 24,000 below the reserve. We stuck to our price and were prepared to walk away, 3 days later the seller accepted our bid. 

By keeping the plan in mind we are able to work towards it. We want our bush property and the peace that comes with living in the bush. 

Alright; I suppose that is enough rambling on my part. 

Cheers,

Julie