I'm Frugal-You're Stingy!

“I have enough money to last me the rest of my life…
Unless I buy something.”
--Jackie Mason

I’m frugal – you’re stingy!
Cheap is one of those words which prove ‘fuzzy.”

>>Frugal: Drives 25 miles to save 25 cents on dishwashing liquid
>>Stingy: Makes $80K a year but allows unemployed friends to pick up restaurant tab
>>Sparing: Reuses dental floss
>>Cheesy: Watches PBS but never makes a donation
>>Cheapskate: Gives free magazine subscriptions as wedding gift
>>Skinflint: Tips 5% for good service

Speaking of frugal…if you ever watched Tim the Tool Man or the Red Green Show, you know how useful duct tape can be. Here are a few other uses you might consider…

>>Use it to bind a splint on a dog’s injured leg, repair tomato stems broken off, or double as athletic tape.
It also works as a temporary fix for torn screens and windows; a wrap for bicycle handle bars or as quick temporary fix for your canoe or kayak.

Here are a couple of other money-saving ideas…
>>Cut steel wool pads in half to get more use.
>>In winter, leave the bath water in your tub after you bathe until it reaches room temperature. Its heat & moisture will go into the room rather than down the drain.
>>Use discarded broom and mop handles for a variety of things including – use them to tie your tomotoe plants, extended paint roller handle or even as a rolling pin.


Solar Hot Water Heaters

Here is information on solar hot water heaters. There's an overview about the different types and which ones are better. Other plans as well…You can find it here:

http://www.bringaboutgreen.com/solar/solar-water-heater/how-solar-water-heaters-work

http://www.bringaboutgreen.com/building-wind-generator

Save gas & money by shipping online.
You can print your postage online and save up to 10% with the Post Office’s Click n Ship and get free delivery confirmation.
www.usps.com

More tricks to save on meds…

--Ignore the expiration date. Most OTC drugs such as Tylenol and Advil can be used six to nine months past their expiration dates if they’re not stored in the bathroom where humidity can damage their effectiveness.
--Compare prices to find the lowest medication cost by visiting these sites:
www.rxexaminer.com
www.destinationRx.com
www.CRBestBuyDrugs.org

Studies show online job searches are more effective…make a good impression by using the following site which has been shown to be used by 75% of hiring managers.
www.linkedin.com

Despite a push by eBay to encourage sellers to offer free shipping, a study shows you should charge for shipping. The study shows when the same product is offered, the one with a lower opening bid and a reasonable shipping charge, outsells those who charge more upfront but offer free shipping…folks are more likely to bid up those with the lower initial bid. eBay now offers up to five free listings per month without an insertion fee.

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Consumer debt continues to contract, but this is being more than offset by the expansion in federal debt. Over the past year alone, federal debt in America has surged from US$9.645 trillion to US$11.813 trillion. In other words, during the past twelve months, American federal debt has risen by a shocking 24.47% and it now stands at 83.52% of GDP! Now, given the ability of the American government/Federal Reserve to essentially create dollars out of thin air, I have no doubt in my mind that it be able to inflate the economy. However, this will come at a huge cost and the victim will be the American currency.

>>>consumer bankruptcies for 2009 topped 1 million - the most since 2005. That's up 35% from the same time last year.

"Bankruptcy filings continue to climb as consumers look to shelter themselves from the effects of rising unemployment rates and housing debt," said ABI executive director Samuel Gerdano.
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have begun adding their voices to the international choir calling for a new global reserve currency:
• Last week, World Bank President Robert Zoellick warned that the dollar's status will be challenged and shouldn't be taken for granted.
• According to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, it's likely that the role of special drawing rights (SDRs) based on a basket of currencies will be discussed as an alternative to the dollar during meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Istanbul next week.
• Meanwhile, global governments, central banks, companies and investors continue to slash their dollar holdings. According to the IMF, in April through June of this year, the greenback's share of global currency reserves fell to the lowest level in a decade. Holdings of euros, in contrast, rose to a new all-time record high.
Three recently released government reports now point to fiscal doomsday for America; and one of the reports, issued by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), says so explicitly:
• The CBO paints two future scenarios for the U.S. budget deficit and the national debt. But it plainly declares that fiscal disaster will strike in EITHER scenario. Furthermore ...
• The CBO states that its fiscal disaster scenarios could cause severe economic declines for decades to come, including hyperinflation and destruction of retirement savings.
• The CBO then proceeds to admit that even its worse-case scenario could be understated by a wide margin due to panic in the financial markets or vicious cycles that are beyond control.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/102xx/doc10297/06-25-LTBO.pdf

That’s it for this week. This issue is dedicated to my father who passed away this week. He was known to be very frugal!

Bruce “the Poor Man”
http://www.poormansurvival.com