In view of these lean times, I have been trying to modify my spending. I went to the local 99 cent store yesterday and nearly fainted with joy. I had gone for one pack of flashcards…and left instead with 6 multicolored packs of flashcards, raisins, a notebook, sour straws, and 3 cups of organic vegetarian chili. Organic vegetarian chili! A hefty $2.50 at Whole Foods, but a negligible 99.9999 cents here. I didn’t touch the meats…the knock offs of spam (“luncheon meat”) were especially questionable. But you can’t go wrong with Health Valley organic chili and split pea soup.
I guess being thrifty at the 99 cent store doesn’t really work if one ends up spending more than was intended. But the frenzied spending was substantially more pleasurable than agonizing over the purchase of a $5 thimbleful of cheese at WF (or even Ralphs for that matter) for 15 minutes.
Aside from day to day expenses, I’ve also adjusted my banking and investing; I’ve decided to delay contributing to my retirement IRA for this year until I see what the stock market decides to do. I have contacted a credit union to discuss my options. By the way, this is a fabulous explanation of the subprime crisis.
It’s frustrating that so much of the financial advice out there really does not apply to grad students; no one is setting up nice little 401ks or 403bs for us. And we basically loose half a million dollars in delaying retirement savings for, I think, 5 years. I created my own retirement account before starting grad school, and have been trying to add to it, but ultimately, it’s only a half measure. I can only hope that the big bucks I’ll make as a professor will make up the difference. Ho ho.
In the meantime: 99 cent stores, no car (love pubtrans!), shopping Gap sales only, limiting eating out to once or twice a week, packed lunches, no movies, and save save save. In the words of the immortal Sandra Tsing Loh, a true “dumpie”–downwardly mobile professional.
To tell the truth, it’s actually a bit fun. I’ve taken to tabulating the numbers of bus rides I take, so that I might have a moment of financial triumph at the end of the term when I realize how much money I’ve saved by using a bus pass. And using the heck out of it–lately I’ve been up to 6 rides a day! Moreover, this is a fun–and deceptively productive–activity to do during lectures.
Someday, I will be a crazy miserly recluse, who saws off her own gangrenous foot rather than go to the free clinic and risk the cost of antibiotics.
If you are having fun saving money, you really need to read Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced “decision)’s The Tightwad Gazette. Dacyczyn is the tightwad extraordinaire and her newsletters (now published into book form) are packed with tips for how to save money. Some of the tips are great, some are not things I would ever try unless I was actually destitute, but after reading the book, you’ll never look at spending money the same way again.
Good luck with the scrimping.
Comment by lisa — September 29, 2008 @ 12:05 pm |
Sign up for e-mail lists at favorite stores, if you haven’t already. 15% more off at the Banana Republic sale, hooray! And Ann Taylor coupons are amazing, I get $25 off cards all of the time.
Comment by Lindy — September 30, 2008 @ 2:23 pm |
I looked at that Gazette as you recommended and now I’m terrified. I don’t have the cajones to carry this cheap life through to its fullest.
And the 99 cent organic soup was the most wretched thing I have ever forced down the ole alimentary canal.
Comment by apricot — October 8, 2008 @ 11:05 pm |
You could be selective tightwad.
No need to pledge your soul to the cult!
That’s a shame about the soup: (
Comment by lisa — October 9, 2008 @ 5:15 pm |