Frugal Living

They say you have to break some eggs to make an omelette, and with each shell fragment that falls to the floor of Q's wondrous workshop... ...the interior of the van comes together a little bit more... I had been wrestling with how to build the overhead cabinet that runs across the rear of the van, and figuring it out and mocking it up earlier this evening marked a real turning point – all of a sudden, the back half of the van's interior popped into focus, and I could see that my vision for the cabinets really is going to work out after all. Moments like this make for some powerful fuel for this van conversion rookie's fire. Pristine weather is on tap here for the next week, and the boost from tonight's progress has me looking forward to seeing just what else I can accomplish in that time. Onward.

What would you say if I told you that the best sunscreen is actually the store brand? See how sun block from Target and Walmart stand up to brands (though I ended up buying my sunscreen from CVS last week).You might also enjoy (Note: Some offers may have expired)365 Frugality Tips Brew Coffee at HomeNew Coupons for Your Club Loyalty CardCoupons for Coffee SavingsCoupons for National S’Mores DayThe post Best Sunscreen May Be the Cheapest One at the Store appeared first on Suddenly Frugal Blog.

We’re excited to go on a little vacation to the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area in June. It’s a total tourist trap, but we’re going because it’s close enough for us to get there in a day, the scenery will be beautiful, and we think we’ll have fun :). Shane has made the trip many times with his parents as a kid, and I’ve been there a few times as well. We have some money set aside for a vacation, and our biggest expense will be the lodging. After exploring the idea of renting a cabin for more space (and seeing the big price tag for peak season!), we opted to go with a hotel. We wanted one that included breakfast, had a fun pool, a mini fridge and microwave, and great reviews. Unfortunately, that doesn’t come cheap. We could have saved money by going with a different hotel — but at the same time, if we’re staying somewhere for four nights, I want it to be comfortable, clean and nice. Hopefully it’ll be worth it. I’ve booked some “budget” hotels before and uh…sometimes you totally get what you pay for (arriving at a non-air-conditioned dirty room late at night in Seattle rings a bell…and we were able to cancel that without fee and switch to something much better that night. Phew). We’ve also scored an amazing suite with a fireplace (!?!) and a good breakfast by naming our own price in Columbus, Ohio while we were moving back to Indiana. It was like $50? What a deal. But that was one night. While you can save money by naming your own price via Priceline, or booking otherwise unknown hotels, we wanted to be sure we’d have enough beds (and two double beds wouldn’t cut it for us). So, we picked our room and booked directly through the hotel’s website since that was our cheapest option. They even were running a promo of 50% off your third night. Our next expense to contend with will be food. Breakfasts are covered, and we’ll pack plenty of snacks for the trip and our stay. I’ll buy what I can before we head out so I can be sure to get decent deals, and then we’ll stop at a grocery when we get there if we need to. We’ll do a few lunches and dinners on our own, either a picnic somewhere or at our hotel. Things like pb&j sandwiches, lunch meat & cheese, fruit, trail mix, pretzels, carrot sticks…you know, normal lunch fare. We can pack our cooler and keep items in the hotel fridge. See the comments section of this post at Money Saving Mom about meals you can prepare in your hotel room One idea is to take along a slow cooker, but I doubt that arrangement would fly with hotel housekeeping — probably a fire/liability risk. I might take my electric griddle or borrow my mom’s electric skillet, though, because food prepared on that will surely taste better than something in the microwave (though I’m not afraid to use that thing, either). I’m also toying with the idea of making some meals (or meal components) ahead of time, freezing it and reheating it in the microwave/skillet. Keeping meals simple and not eating every meal in a restaurant will save us a ton, but we will go to restaurants a few times to sample local fare. As far as attractions, we’re planning on going to the Ripley’s Aquarium, doing some sort of elevator/lift thing so we can get a great view of the area, and spending plenty of time in the Smoky Mountain National Park. Also — some time enjoying the hotel pool and just relaxing! I don’t want this to be a go-go-go vacation. I want to just have a nice time with my family. How about you? Going anywhere this summer? How are you saving? And, any tips for me going to Gatlinburg?  Photo credit Additional related posts: Financial lessons learned from a business trip abroad Trip to Florida update: Lodging The in-laws are coming! the in-laws are coming!

Many people that create a budget have a difficult time sticking to it for one reason — incidental expenses. Although incidental expenses are only a small fraction of your expenses, they can have a really big [...]Recommended For You:Make Better Financial Decisions: Take Care of YourselfWhy Keeping Track of Expenses Is ImportantThe Zero-Based Budget, A Critical Key for Saving CashFun Fund: Saving Money for Entertainment and Travel5 Steps to Making a Budget That Works Read the rest of 5 Things That are Killing Your Budget at BeingFrugal.net.

If you’ve got a ton of questions about buying your first home, you’re not alone. Join @RBC_Canada and a panel of 5 experts for the #FirstHome Twitter chat, on June 6 at 9 pm, EST. Get answers to your most burning questions – and a chance to win RBC Visa Gift Cards! This month I celebrate two years of home ownership. It’s been an interesting (sometimes overwhelming) journey that required years of research and saving up to make sure I was ready. Although home ownership has definitely not been easy, I feel like I made a smart, calculated decision that I’m still really happy about. Here’s why: My mortgage is comfortable When I decided I was ready to stop renting and become a homeowner, I knew the bank would approve me for much more than I was comfortable spending. And when I was pre-approved for close to $300,000, I had already gone over my finances and decided that I wasn’t going to take on a mortgage of more than $250,000. Related: Take this quick and easy quiz to see if you’re ready to become a homeowner! No matter how stable you might think your life is, things can change. Case in point, eight months into my home ownership adventure, I was faced with the opportunity to live in Germany for what turned out to be almost 11 months. Because my townhouse complex does not allow rentals, if I had taken on a bigger mortgage, there’s no way I could have afforded to g I can still save for everything else in my life I ended up taking out a mortgage of just over $238,000 – which meant my monthly mortgage payments are approximately $1,070/month. I decided to increase my payments by 20% and opted for a bi-weekly payment option in order to pay off my mortgage faster. Had I chosen a more expensive home, I wouldn’t have the wiggle room in my budget to save for retirement, travel frequently, and pay down my mortgage faster. The place feels like a home It can be so tempting to head to a home improvement store and go on a renovation and decorating spree. But if you haven’t set aside money in your home buying budget for improvements, it’s likely better to hold off until you can afford to pay for your purchases in cash. Part of my strategy to becoming a first time homeowner was to be able to make renovations or buy furniture and decorations as soon as I moved in. I wanted it to feel like home – so I saved $4,500 and spent the entire amount on new floors, fresh paint, and furniture (which I purchased off Craigslist to save more money). I have all my finances in order Buying my first home was the biggest, most important financial decision of my life. Not only am I single (so the “household” only has one income to support the mortgage), I also had to take in to consideration many different things – including my work history, credit scores, and cash savings. I knew that the cleaner my overall financial history was, the better chance I would have at snagging the best interest rate possible for my mortgage. I started thinking about becoming a homeowner six years before I closed on my townhouse. In that time, I eliminated all of my debt, increased my net worth by over $80,000, created an emergency fund, and tucked money aside for closing costs, moving expenses, renovations, and furniture. Doing my research well beforehand, and making sure I had enough money to cover every detail of the purchase made my home buying experience a lot less stressful. The post Two years of home ownership appeared first on Give Me Back My Five Bucks.

Online courses have exploded in popularity over the past decade. Now, students can complete entire degrees, at both the undergrad and graduate levels, without ever seeing a fellow student in person. University of Phoenix, for example, is the largest university in the country by enrollment, with more than 300,000 students — only a small fraction of which actually show up at one of UP’s campuses. Traditional brick-and-mortar colleges have sat up and taken notice. Several such institutions now have their own online degree programs. These schools also bring their highly regarded academic rigor to Internet delivery of course materials. One of the most obvious programs of study for an online degree is IT (information technology). The schools below have been singled out by U.S. News and World Report, as well as Top5.com as the best online IT schools in cyberspace. University of Southern California Through a system that rates schools based on faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, student engagement, and admissions selectivity, U.S. News has concluded the University of Southern California has the best online information technology program. Situated in urban Los Angeles, USC is a private university that is most well-known for its sports programs, but is also very selective, large, and is known in the education community as providing some of the best education money can buy. USC has recently expanded its education services to online courses, a service of which anyone interested in information technology should take advantage. Sam Houston State University Founded in 1879, Sam Houston State University, located 70 north of Houston, is the third oldest public institution of advanced education in the state of Texas. SHSU enrolls over 18,000 students a year in a variety of undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs. While the school is most well-known for its college of Criminal Justice, it also boasts a comprehensive variety of online courses, included classes in information technology. SHSU has been recognized by U.S. News for the effectiveness and quality of its online programs in a variety of categories, including information technology, bachelor’s degrees, and graduate education. Virginia Tech Nestled in Blacksburg, Virginia, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, most commonly known as Virginia Tech, is a public university well known for its affluence and expertise in the technology industry and applied sciences. Virginia Tech has pioneered an online system of computer software and feedback that streams one-on-one discussion and small group tutoring, which makes it the perfect learning environment for an individual interested in online classes. With classes from Virginia Tech, you can rest assured that you’ll have the resources and help to succeed in information technology. University of Bridgeport One of the most racially diverse campuses in America, the University of Bridgeport is an independent, privately funded university that ensures an individualized learning experience. This University was ranked by U.S. News as #1 for its information technology program in 2012 and is #4 in 2013, demonstrating that this program is consistently one of the best and most successful and reliable programs in the country. UB also has a variety of resources for English as a second language, or ESL students, if you wish to have a quality educational experience but worry about your mastery of English. Pennsylvania State University – World Campus Also known as “Penn State Online,” this is a component of the world-famous Penn State University that allows students from across the globe to get a quality education. This system was established in 1998 and hosts over 6,000 students every year from various states and countries, and offers more than 90 online undergraduate and graduate degrees. This program treats the student exactly as if they were a physical student at the University, ho

Previous installments: Part #1: How to create maps / Part #2: How to plan for food / Part #3: How to pack and ship your foodI haven’t been looking forward to writing this installment to the series because I didn’t want to add up the outrageous amount of money I spent on gear.Before my trip, I received the first check for my book, making this the first time in my life I had a good chunk of money in the bank. So, between wanting to buy the best gear for my trip and feeling okay about treating myself to gear I’d probably use over and over again, I wasn’t exactly frugal when making my selections. I was seeking top quality, light-weight gear. I wanted to embrace “ultralight” backpacking as much as I reasonably could. Over the course of the trip, though, my opinion on ultralight backpacking would change. But I’ll get to that later. Clothes Item Weight Price Wool Socks (carried two pairs) 7 oz $52 Patagonia Nylon Pants 10.7 oz already owned Synthetic boxer shorts (carried 2 pairs) 5.4 oz $40 Polyester undershirt 8.4 oz $60 Wool overshirt 10.7 oz $105 Thermal shirt 7.2 oz $34.50 Thermal pants 5.4 oz already owned Rain pants 9.6 oz $34 Golite Malpais Trinity rain jacket 7 oz $80 Golite Cady Synthetic Jacket 15 oz $69 Gaiters 8 oz $55 Gloves 7.4 oz $85 Winter Hat 6 oz $30 Beanie 2 oz $30 Facemask 1.8 oz $25 Baseball cap 2.2 oz already owned Orange vest 6.8 oz $10 Total 2 lb 6 oz (on person) 5 lb 2 oz (packed) 7 lb 8 oz (total) $709 I began the trip with a pair of nylon pants, a light wool underlayer shirt, a medium-light top layer shirt, two pairs of socks, two pairs of boxer shorts, a baseball cap, winter hat, gloves, rain pants, rain jacket, and a light jacket. This was a fairly minimal approach to carrying clothes on a backpacking trip, and they would have proved enough for a summer excursion, but once winter came I had Josh (my base camp) buy and ship me more items, including another wool shirt, gaiters (for trudging through the snow), a facemask, and beanie. Three things I learned about clothes: 1.) You only need one pair of pants. If my pants got soaked during the day, I wore my thermal bottoms at night, which kept me warm. In the morning, I’d put on my wet pants, which was unpleasant, but better than having to carry another pair of pants. 2.) Bring layers; don’t bring a heavy jacket. While hiking, I was constantly peeling off or putting on clothes to maintain comfort. This is possible with layers; it’s not with a big parka. 3.) I always thought recreationalists were lame for paying so much attention to their gear, especially their fabric type. But that stuff matters, especially fabric. Cotton does not handle moisture well; it’s very slow to dry. You’re better off wearing synthetic materials, or, better yet, merino wool, which breathes nicely, weighs little, and dries out very quickly.Those Patagonia nylon pants were amazing. They were old when I began the trip with them, but they held up for the whole trip and are still very usable. I probably had to stitch them up at least twenty times because of barbed wire incidents, though.My GoLite rain jacket was incredibly disappointing. It was very expensive, yet it failed to keep my clothes dry. Also, the seams started to come apart, which was especially disappointing because I'd hardly had to wear the jacket on account of it being such a dry fall/winter. Seam in jacket tearing. Thermal underwear was infrequently worn, but was absolutely critical on days when I had to walk/sleep in extreme cold.The GoLite synthetic jacket worked admirably. It was a good sized jacket: not too big, and thin enough to fit underneath my rain jacket. I've had this REI hat since May 2007, and it's still in great shape. Shoes Item Weight Price Vasque hiking boots 3 lb $80 La Sportiva Raptor trail running shoe 12.3 oz $85 Total 3 lb $165 I began my hike with some La Sportiva trail running shoes, which were very ligh

I've pulled together 8 Memorial Day freebies and deals for the 2013 holiday weekend, including offers from Fandango, Starbucks, Shoney's and 7-Eleven.You might also enjoy (Note: Some offers may have expired)Suddenly Frugal’s Freebie Friday: Veterans Day 2012…Discount Tickets for Holiday Shows and EventsGet Up to 50% Off TicketsThe post Memorial Day Freebies and Deals for 2013 appeared first on Suddenly Frugal Blog.

I’ll admit it – I’m a shopping addict. But the last place you’ll see me, if I can help it, is at a shopping mall or retail store. I’m an online shopper and greatly prefer it [...]Recommended For You:5 Things You Should Never Keep in Your Wallet or PurseProtect Yourself Against Identity Thief Before He Gets YouDo You Need Credit Monitoring? How About a Free One?How to Choose the Right Tax Software for YouBest Tips and Tricks to Save Money Shopping $500 Giveaway Read the rest of 7 Secrets to Smart Shopping on the Web at BeingFrugal.net.

Is your car ready for summer car trips? Here is a list of six things you should do before you hit the road for your summer vacation.You might also enjoy (Note: Some offers may have expired)7 Tips to Save Money at the Gas Pump9 Free and Low-Cost Ways to Save Money & Energy This…First Car: How to Buy a CarGUEST POST: No B.S. Financial Advice6 Upcoming State Sales Tax HolidaysThe post Is Your Vehicle Ready for Summer Car Trips appeared first on Suddenly Frugal Blog.