EXISTING ECONOMICALLY

Rule #267 is one that I am going to try and utilize more often. Stephen and I have been dating for almost 6 months (even though it feels like I have known him forever)! When we first started dating, I bought a lot of our dinners because Stephen was watching his spending in order to over come some small school-related debt. In January I quit my job to focus more one school, he took care of a lot of his debt and started working more. Now he pays for almost all of the meals.

I have decided to take Hamm's advice and plan a romantic date all for free.

Picnic on the Beach
Lucky for us, we live about 10 minutes from Wrightsville Beach, NC. After 6PM parking along the beach is free. So here is what I have planned.

5:00PM - pack a picnic basket with chips, drinks, fruit cups and sandwiches.
6:00PM - drive to Wrightsville Beach. (my favorite side is the south side, so we will head down there)
6:20PM - have dinner on the beach and watch the sunset. (sit up in the lifeguards chair if we are lucky; I've always wanted to do that)
7:30PM - go home & watch a movie (either a horror movie or a romantic comedy)
10:00PM - sleep :)

For five hours we can be doing something that does not cost a thing (unless you take into account that I had to pay for the gas that got me there, and the food and drinks that I already have in my house.)

Total Cost Of A Normal Romantic Dinner & Movie For Two: $48.00
Total Cost of A Free Romantic Dinner & Movie For Two: $0.00
Total Savings: $48.00

As I continue to learn the ways of being frugal, I have stumbled upon the first 'master of saving's' (Trent Hamm - writer of 365 Ways to Live Cheap) blog titled The Simple Dollar. He is a great writer and clearly has tons of excellent advice and probably a pretty big heart to be giving it out for free.

Yesterday I skipped all of my college classes and took a personal day in order to continue my research in all things blog and money related. I have stumbled upon many websites and tips that tell readers to get rid of old books before buying new ones. Being an English Literature major I can not see myself getting rid of old books. I have many bookshelves filled with old books and new ones. There are books I've only read once and will probably never read again, but they are still books right?

Divulging more deeply I learned about a book swap:
http://bookmooch.com/
http://paperbackswap.com/index.php
http://www.bookins.com/

Those are just a few examples of the many sites out there that let you ship away books you have read and pick new books to read. Most of the time there are no membership fees only shipping costs and you must register to join.

How it works:
You begin by registering. Once you have registered, you list books you do not mind giving up for trade. Each book you register and swap earns you credits. You can not request a book from another member unless you have the credits needed. This I'm guessing is to make sure everyone is actively participating and it increases the various books available for swap.

Once you have mailed a book out for swap, you no longer reserve the right to ownership. Therefore, unless you find another listing for that book, you probably won't see it again. Just something to keep in mind before swapping your favorite read.


I decided to join Paper Back Swap and immediately set up a free account to see what it was all about.

After reading the terms and services over slightly I got to thinking. An author can post his or her book on a site swap (published or not) in order to gain recognition. However, when reading deeper into the T.O.S. it stated that any property swapped becomes property of National Book Swap for five years. After those five years you may publish your book. This just does not seem like a good idea, so i reccommend saving your unpublished material for your editors eyes only.

Does anyone else use a book swap service? How has it worked for you?

Total Cost For A New Book: $5.00-$25.00/book
Total Cost For A Book Swap: $2.17/lb
Total Savings: $2.83-$$22.83

Under this topic Hamm writes "unused objects and items merely saved for 'someday' or for faint nostalgic reasons not only make your home or office appear cluttered ... but also contain within them value that you're not using elsewhere."

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I drove to Greensboro to visit my parents for my sisters birthday & while I was there I gave them some things I never use: a large plastic box filled with things I've forgotten about, a pink chair, and old teddy bears. With the nagging help of my future roommate (who said I wasn't allowed to move in without getting rid of it) I threw away a 'broken-but-repaired' wavy CD rack, but I still have a lot of things that are not worth anything execpt maybe worth getting rid of. Lets make a list:

Items To Let Go Of
$. Cosmopolitan Magazine Collection
$. Glass Jar full of Shells
$. Candle Collection
$. Koozie Collection
$. Blow Up Dice
$. Scrapbooking Bag & Goodies
$. Holiday Decorations
$. Art Supplies
$. Used Envelopes
$. Bag full of Random Office Supplies
$. Shoeboxes/Storage Bins (unused)
$. Old School Books
$. Old Bookbags/Purses
$. Computer Speakers
$. DVD Burner
$. My PJ's
$. Cute Used Gift Bag Collection

After I move out I will update everyone on what I was actually able to get rid of.

I think that pack-rat runs in my genes. I need help. Does anyone have any advice for letting go?

The first piece of advice provided by Trent Hamm in 365 Ways to Live Cheap is "Take Little Steps, Not Big Ones."

In this recommendation, Hamm relates saving money to dieting. He tells us that in the same way extreme crash diets don't work, extreme saving 'diets' also do not work. Eventually everyone is going to give in and overspend in order to fulfill a craving that has been lingering in their minds for days/weeks/months...it's only a matter of time.

Hamm wrote "find one tactic in this book and focus on just that tactic for a few weeks, incorporateing it into your life." So here is my new direction. There are 20 sections in this book that give advice on specific categories (shopping, health, electronics etc.) and I have decided to focus on the clutter section.

Currently I live in a one bedroom apartment. My boyfriend, who has his own place, stays at my apartment with his dog every night. Don't get me wrong, I love them both and want them here all the time. With this said, it gets extremely cluttered.

In one week I am moving into a two bedroom apartment with one of my really close friends. This will be the perfect week to start focusing on Hamm's Rule #99: Realize that clutter itself is a giant money sink.

Hello to everyone out there who has to live on a budget. My name is Lisa and I am currently a 20 year old junior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. I am double majoring in Human Resource Management and English Literature.

This blog is about my encounters with various lists and books that offer advice and tips on ways to save money and live cheap.

Inspiration:
$. My $1,200 monthly credit card bill and $700 rent + utilities bill (did i mention i do not have a job?)
$. The movie Julie & Julia
$. 365 Ways to Live Cheap by Trent Hamm - the first book/list i will be following

My goal is to begin the book, which is a list of ways to save your money, and follow every rule (within reason/accessibility/ease etc.) and document my findings, feelings, average savings, and advice.

Leave comments, advice, lists & I will follow them too!