Money Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

Are Tablets Worth It?

Last Updated: December 8, 2014 BY Jordann - 24 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

I’ve wanted a tablet since the first one was presented to the world. The sleekness, the small size, the operating system!

I collectively gasped right along with the rest of North America. Ever the frugal girl, it would be years before I got to hold my very own in my hands, as a Christmas gift from my Dad.

I was in love, I got a Nexus 7, and I didn’t put it down for three straight days. It didn’t do anything my cell phone couldn’t do, but the seven inch screen was so much easier to navigate.

It wasn’t until I was sitting on my couch a few days later that the bubble burst. I had my lap top on my lap, my cell phone in one hand, and my tablet in another. My inner minimalist cringed. That’s just too much technology. I shrugged it off, I had a new tablet! Who cares if it didn’t actually add much functionality to my life, it was so pretty.

Then, on the way into bed, I picked up my phone and my tablet, and carried them over to my night stand. That cringe again. Two pieces of technology instead of the traditional one? Weird.

So, are tablets worth it?

[Read more…]

Spending Less Money on Clothes

Last Updated: July 18, 2020 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 71 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

My closet last year.

Hey everyone! Today’s post is all about spending less money on clothes.

And there’s a giveaway too. I’m glad to be a part of another giveaway. I really am enjoying taking part in these, and I hope you guys still love winning stuff! If you’re anything like me, then you probably enter tons of giveaways every week.

I made a post early last year titled A peak into my insanity (AKA my closet). At that time, I talked about how I had TONS of clothes. My closet is actually the old laundry room (we have the washer, dryer, etc. in the basement), so this is a decent sized closet that I have. And it’s COMPLETELY packed. You can hardly walk into it now.

I don’t wear a ton of it because a lot of my daily outfits are business clothes for my job. I had over 50 dresses, over 20 skirts, over 70 shirts, and so on. And this is with me selling my clothes every month. If I never sold clothes or got rid of them every month, I can’t even imagine what my closet would look like.

While I would love to save that my shopping problem is under control, it most likely is not. Yes, I’m not spending as much money as I used to, but I really need to start selling things in my closet in order to make things more efficient. Spending an hour each time I’m looking for a specific clothing item is just a little excessive.

Jordann, on my blog, recently talked about Maintaining a Minimalist Wardrobe. This is something that I definitely want to work on.

My plan

Now, I don’t plan on just not buying anything ever again. I do love clothes and dressing nice. Instead, my plan will be to focus more on quality and not just quantity. Yes, I will buy the occasional “trendy” dress from Forever 21 or Express, but for the most part I want to be saving my money and spending it on better quality items that will last longer. I will also be following a lot of the tips that are listed on J’s site How to Save Money on Clothes. I love her website and how she’s able to come up with so many different ideas.

I also plan on not buying items until I clear out items out of my closet. For every 1 item that I buy, I want to put TWO items from my closet into a bag that will be either sent to be donated or sold.

How much do I want to spend?

I do want to start spending less on clothes as well of course. I want to spend the least amount of money out of my own pocket on clothes that I can. My goal is to spend less than $100 out of my own pocket on clothes per month. So this does not include whatever I spend on gift cards or the money I get from selling clothes.

This is not exactly a “no spend” year, but it is a start. I know many people who spend much more than this amount every week on clothes.

This doesn’t seem like too hard of a task for me to complete, but it’s also about me cleaning out my closet. I have a couple hundred in clothing gift cards already, and will make a couple hundred more from credit card rewards. Also, I already have a ton of clothes in my closet that will work for the next year and still look great, so it’s not like I’ll be going naked everywhere.

I have a decent amount of clothing gift cards that I have received lately. Some I received for Christmas from my sister, and some I have won from giveaways. I plan on trying to use gift cards to fund my clothing spending. This won’t be super difficult, as I also plan on using the gift cards and cash that I earn from my credit card rewards towards this as well.

I also plan on selling a lot of my clothes that are currently in my closet and using this money towards buying new clothes as well. Wish me luck! At the end of 2013 I will make an update post on how much I spent on clothes throughout the year, and how much I spent out of my own pocket on clothes.

Are you trying to spend less on clothes?

What do you do to save money on clothes?

Last question, how much do you spend on clothes in a month and in a year?

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Last Updated: May 1, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 60 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Do you ever feel like you are trying to keep up with the Joneses? It seems like everywhere I turn, a big purchase is happening to someone I know. A massive 3 story house, nice cars, fancy vacations, a new iPad every other month and everything else.

When a friend goes out and buys the next greatest phone or buys a new car every couple of months, it kind of makes you wonder, and maybe it makes you jealous?

I’m not going to lie, the jealous monster takes over my life every now and then. This is something that I am working on and something that I need to change in my life. Am I the only one? Sometimes I feel like I’m the only person who is jealous and no one else has these crazy feelings. Since my extra income seems to be continually increasing, sometimes I feel the urge to spend it.

Maybe the jealous monster has taken over your life as well and you are trying to keep up with the Joneses.

We know someone who isn’t showy with his money, he is careful with how he spends his money. He doesn’t buy all the latest gadgets that don’t mean anything to him. Instead he spends money on his family, vacations, making his house into a home, family gatherings at his home, and other things that truly mean something to him.

He is the perfect example that just because you “might” have money to spend, it does not mean that you should. Buying all of the newest things all of the time doesn’t always mean everything in life.

[Read more…]

A Jar of Pennies…Planning My Future Budget

Last Updated: December 19, 2015 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 11 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

At the end of every day I empty out my pockets for loose change and throw it into an old Poland Spring 3 Liter bottle.

At first the change hit the empty bottom of the container loudly, but as the months passed it has gotten quieter and quieter as I put more money in. This makes me happier & happier.

This lil jar of change is my Mad Money stash because I believe everyone should have a little something for that rainy day. However, from the holidays and definitely what Michelle here as described as Lifestyle Inflation I almost brought my lil jar to the bank and cashed it out.

The plan for this lil jar will be future vacation or maybe the wedding dress of my dreams fund. Luckily I resisted the urge to cash it and realized I didn’t need more money…I needed a budget & the self-control to remain on that budget.

Hi Everyone, I’m a Chloe, from the blog Ergo, a 27 year old homeowner, who escaped of college without student loans & has a mediocre job.

Throughout the past 2 years though I have been carelessly living with a credit card swipe here & everywhere to the point where I have depleted my entire Checking account. I do have a savings account cushion that I WILL NEVER TOUCH so I’m not in debt yet.

However, if I continue on with my compulsive shopping habits and careless behaviors it will be the road I will be on. Now the Matter at hand is “How to build my Checking Account back up & Budget.”

I’m compiled a Mini List of a Few Rules & Tidbits I’m going to use to Start of my New Year w/ Saving Money & building back up my checking account:

Confront my Inner Battle between Need vs Want…
Shutting off my television at night. I sleep w/ the TV on…It’s not good for my TV or my electric bill. Also, I plan to not turn on every light in the house… Only if I’m in the room will I leave the light on.
Identify my Biggest Spending Habits. Lunch-hour. If I stayed in on my lunch hour, it would really make a difference. My biggest money culprit is eating Lunch Out & Lunch-time shopping. If I stayed in and walked around the Office Complex where I work, I’d get an extra work-out in too. This would kill 3 birds with one stone. A) Save Money by Brown-Bagging it. B.) Save Money by NOT shopping at the Nearby Mall & C.) Save Gas, which in turn saves money.
Date Night Every Other Week or Once a Month. If my boyfriend and I go out to eat it is at least $40. We eat out a lot. If I cut back to having a Date Night Once a Month after 2 & half years of dating I think that would be okay. There are MANY cheaper alternatives to the classic Dinner & a Movie Date…I can’t wait to find them!
Creating a Master Excel Expenses Spreadsheet – I plan on laying out ALL of my Expenses & using the nifty formulas to calculate exactly how much I can spend or not each month.
The most important thing I have to remember is just because I have a coupon, DOES NOT MEAN I HAVE TO USE IT! Additionally, if it is On Sale, IT DOES NOT MEAN I HAVE TO BUY IT! I’m guilty of both…This ties into Need vs. Want.

With these as my starting point, I definitely need to visualize the reality of the situation and take off those rose colored glasses w/ my personal finances. I’m shaking my head & kicking myself that I let my checking account get in fact so low. But in any changing experience, identifying the problem is the first step.

What Are Some Changes You Are Going to Make in The New Year to Save Your Pennies?

Why I Love My Budget (For Serious)

Last Updated: December 19, 2015 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 20 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hey everyone! I am currently on my way to St. Thomas (WOOHOO!) and have some wonderful posts lined up for while I’m gone. I always love finding new blogs, so I hope you enjoy these great writers who were actually willing to post for me 😛

Today’s guest post is by Emily from Evolving Personal Finance. Emily is a graduate student in North Carolina and writes about life transitions, finances and relationships, and living well on less.

I fall more in love with my budget with every year that passes, and I think that you should love your budget, too!

It’s taken me some time to understand the true meaning and utility of budgeting, but after five years of practice and honing I’m ready to share with you the reasons it’s grown on me so much.

My Budget Reflects My Values

This is a truism that works both ways – you can identify your values by how you spend your money and you can direct your spending to be more in line with your values. For example, my husband and I value our relationships with family and friends, so we save a ridiculous amount of money monthly toward travel so we can be with them for weddings and holidays. [Read more…]

Buying a House at 20 (How I did it)

Last Updated: March 29, 2021 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 106 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Buying a house at a young age and how to buy a house at a young age is a topic I am often asked. Whether you are planning on buying a house at 18, buying a house at 19, buying a house at 21, or any other age, it is a big deal.

We bought a house at the age of 20 – there I said it. Most people think we are crazy and either think the house is something dumpy, that someone in my family pays for it, or that I’m lying (yes, I’ve been told that). I am often asked how I bought a house so young and what I learned from it.

I am especially asked a lot of questions now about what I learned from it since a lot of my friends are buying their first homes right now.

So, I’ll start off with a little background: Why did we buy our house at the age of 20? I was still in college, and we both didn’t have the greatest jobs. However, we were both working full-time and made slightly enough money. There are sooo many things to learn and know about before you buy a house. [Read more…]

Stay Frugal This Winter

Last Updated: December 19, 2015 BY Jordann - 20 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Winter is not one of my favourite seasons. I live in Canada and here, winter is a long, dark, cold season. The snow hits in December, and stays until April. Temperatures can go down to -35C (-31F) and stay there for weeks, and we measure the snow on the ground by feet, not inches or centimetres.

I’ve never really been an outdoor sports kind of girl, and winter is no exception. Since I don’t ski, snowboard, snowmobile, skate, or play hockey, a lot of the great nordic past times are lost on me.

That said, I’ve got family here, so I really can’t see myself moving to a warmer climate anytime soon. So, I’ve come up with a bunch of fun, frugal winter activities that make passing this season a little easier, and a little more fun.

Fun, Frugal Winter Activities

Snow Man Building – After a fresh snowfall, nothing is more fun than building a snow man. The snow is usually best for building snowmen when the weather is warmer, the excess moisture makes the snow pack together well. As an adult, I find building snowmen creatively to be a lot of fun.

A Winter Fire – I love campfires, and winter campfires are no exception. They help you stay warm during a day of fun outside, and there’s no worry about starting a forest fire like there is in the middle of summer. Just make sure not to get too close! Once when huddled around a fire in the winter, I melted the rubber sole of my shoe – I was just trying to get warm.

Admiring Christmas Lights – This used to be something that the older members of my family did, but in the last few years I’ve really come around to their way of thinking. (Maybe I’m just getting old?) Taking a stroll around the town to admire some of the festively decorated houses can be a lovely way to spend the evening.

Sledding – Parks, meadows, and school playgrounds are great venues for sledding. Ideally, there’s a hill involved, but make sure it’s not too long (long walk back) steep (too much speed) or near any roads (danger!) Also, avoid waxing your sledding aparatus, lest you end up like dear Clark.

Hunkering Down – One of my favourite past times during a heavy snow fall (after I’ve ensured I don’t need to navigate the roads anytime soon) is to just hunker down in my little house and watch it come down. Add in a cozy blanket, a cup of tea, and a movie, and you’ve got yourself one of my ideal afternoons.

Now, a lot of these outdoor activities can end up pretty unpleasant. Cold feet, runny noses, chapped lips and too much ambition can make any of the activities above end up a lot less pleasant than you’d planned. So, follow some of these basic tips to help keep your frugal winter activities fun.

Warm Drinks – My drink of choice is hot apple cider (rum optional). I always make sure to bring a warm drink along on any trip in my mega-insulated mug. Whenever I start to get chilly, my warm beverage helps ward off the cold.

Lip Balm and Tissues – I run outside all winter long and these two items are always on my must have list. The cold, dry air chaps not just my lips, but the end of my nose and my cheeks. If there’s a breeze, my eyes run like crazy, streaming tears that are likely to freeze if I don’t wipe them away. The tissues also come in handy for my perpetually runny nose. (How’s that for a nice mental picture?) If I don’t have these two items during a winter excursion, I’ll definitely have less fun!

Appropriate Attire – Don’t be a tough guy/girl and skimp on winter gear if you want to have a fun day out in the white stuff. A wicking base layer is key to keeping any sweat your planning on working up from giving you a chill, and from there it’s all about insulation and wind breaking. Don’t forget to equip your feet, head and hands, as much as the rest of you.

Winter Doesn’t Have to Be a Drag

There are, undoubtedly, fewer frugal and fun winter activities than there are in the summer time. There are fewer festivals, flea markets, and open air events. But that doesn’t mean that we all need to reach into our wallets in order to have a good time in the winter. With a little creativity and preparation, there are lots of fun, frugal activities to do in the winter time.

My plan

How much do I want to spend?

Are you trying to spend less on clothes?

What do you do to save money on clothes?

Last question, how much do you spend on clothes in a month and in a year?

I’m compiled a Mini List of a Few Rules & Tidbits I’m going to use to Start of my New Year w/ Saving Money & building back up my checking account:

What Are Some Changes You Are Going to Make in The New Year to Save Your Pennies?

My Budget Reflects My Values

Fun, Frugal Winter Activities

Winter Doesn’t Have to Be a Drag

What’s your favourite frugal winter activity?