Sometimes it's just dumb luck

I work hard at being frugal whenever possible. With some vigilance and careful planning, it's possible to save a lot of money. It's not easy, and most of us work hard to live a thrifty life.


Sometimes, though, you just luck into things.


Tuesday was one of those days. Body butter was on sale at The Body Shop. While Tim may be going through less of it down here, I know we'll need it eventually. So I planned to get a few extra while they were cheaper.


The first bit of luck was that Ebates is currently doubling its cash back at certain stores. The Body Shop was one of them. So, instead of 5 percent, we were getting 10 percent back on purchases made through the site. I am a simple creature, and just that bit of luck was enough to make me happy, but there was more to come.


Through the store's reward system, we were due $25 off any one item. Usually, we use it to get extra body butters. This time, though, Tim and I had agreed that I could get something for myself. I had run out of a lotion that really made my skin feel better but, at $22 a bottle, would not make my wallet feel even remotely well. Using the reward, though, I got the lotion for free. Free makes me happy.


I added enough body butters to get the order up to $60 -- the minimum amount for free shipping -- and put the order through. I then went to make a second order (like I said, I like to stock up while the sales are on) and noticed something very strange.


The site was still claiming I had a $25 reward coming to me. So I made the new order. Sure enough, $25 was taken off. So I took the opportunity to get one other item I had run out of and, of course, some more body butters. The order went through without a hitch.


Curious, I went back to the home page and, wouldn't you know it, the website still claimed I was due a $25 reward. I made a total of four orders, each one giving us a $25 reward. Honestly, I would have kept going, but our finances couldn't really handle more than that.


In the end, it was quite the coup:

• 2 lotions I couldn't otherwise have afforded -- one free, one for $1
• An exfoliator delicate enough for Tim's skin
• A night cream I want Tim to try
• Some facial buffers (Tim's skin builds up easily and then gets itchy)
• A Christmas gift for $6.30 (retail $32)
• And 16 body butters

The partridge and a pear tree was extra.


At their normal rates, the body butters alone would have cost $288. I'd get 5 percent back ($14.40) through Ebates. This time, though, all four orders came to $283.25, and I get 10 percent back ($28.33).


I was half expecting an email from the store, saying there had been a mistake and that I would have to put the orders through again. But the confirmation arrived in my inbox the next day, and today I got confirmation of the products having shipped.


Sometimes things just fall into place for you. You don't even have to be particularly frugal. But those of us living a thrifty life know to take as full advantage as is possible. And then go brag to frugal friends. It's what we do.


What about you? When did you just fall into some great savings? Did you take full advantage or do you wish you'd gotten more?

Accidental savings

There's nothing that makes you feel quite so frugal as stumbling into a fabulous deal. I'm never quite sure why. Sure, plenty of planning and crafty use of coupons and sales can result in some triumphant savings. But there's always a bit of an added rush when you find a great deal purely by accident.


I've always wondered why this is. My theory is that it just makes you feel like all your frugal stars are aligning -- that every part of your life is now attracted to the magnetism that is frugality. But maybe it's simply that we are thrilled by anything that makes us feel lucky. It doesn't have to be big, either. Just finding a penny on the ground (or in a Coinstar machine) can keep me in a good mood for an hour or more. Guess I'm easily amused.


All this simply goes to explain why I've been pleased as punch with myself since Monday, when I secured a great deal with Qwest.


Thanks to the stress of trying to work and pack and get ready to leave town, I had procrastinated about turning off our basic services like TV and phone. By the time I remembered this, it was the Saturday before we moved and, apparently, Qwest doesn't do weekends.


That's how I ended up calling to cancel our telephone service around 3 p.m. on the day that we were leaving. Oops.


At that point, I was beyond ragged. I'd been been in moving (aka stress) mode for over a month, packing mode for over 2 weeks and had been cleaning since 9 that morning. I was barely coherent.


So when I called Qwest, I wasn't as firm as I perhaps normally would have been. Turns out, that worked in my favor. First, the man offered to transfer our service for free -- normally $30. It was tempting, but I declined. We were just going to use cell phones.


Then the "loyalty" representative noted that we were on a telephone savings plan. He offered me 5 months at half-off. Given that we current pay about $10-12 after taxes, I decided it was worth trying out. After all, if we decided once we were down there that we needed a landline, we'd have to pay the $30 connection fee.


Once he had sold me on that, he moved to DSL service. I am a staunch cable modem gal, and said that, for my work, I needed speeds faster than what DSL offers. He then pointed out to me that cable speed is based on users, so the speeds I was being quoted were tentative, at best. He also quoted me a price about half of what I'd have to pay for broadband. Between those facts and the exhaustion, I decided I'd try it before rejecting it.


I told him okay. After all, if it didn't work out, I could just cancel, right? Uh, no. There was a 2-year contract for that promotion. Even through the haze of severe fatigue, my reaction was practically knee-jerk. No, not interested. Not signing a 2-year agreement.


And wouldn't ya know it? His manager just happened to be right there and was giving him the OK to waive the contract. How fortuitous! Especially since his manager -- without being on the call -- seemed to magically know what we were talking about. Whatever. I got out of signing a contract.


There was one wrinkle: telephone assistance. We won't qualify for it in Arizona. Income limits are lower down there. That worked to my advantage, though. The rep changed the offer from 5 months at half off to 3 months completely free.


So now we're paying $0 to get the landline installed, $0 for the first three months while we decide if we want a landline and $25 for DSL ($37 after the first year). Of course, we'll probably downgrade to a basic phone line after the first three months -- assuming we keep the landline at all.


Even if we didn't change anything though, for the first year our phone and DSL total would be about the same as I was going to have to pay for broadband. So, all in all, I'd say I made a pretty good deal. Especially considering that I was having trouble forming sentences, let alone brokering a deal.


What is the best accidental savings you've ever experienced?

Bargain-shopping for school supplies

Photo by c.a.muller

It's that time of year again: School supplies season! (Which is weird, since it's only mid-June, but that's a subject for another day.)


I actually kind of enjoy this period because it's another chance to get deals you feel triumphant about -- especially since we're not actually keeping most of the items.


In fact, it's important for everyone to remember that you don't have to have kids to take advantage of school supplies sales. There are plenty of families who can't afford their children's supplies, especially as the lists of items get longer and longer every year.


It should be a no-brainer to check your circulars, since different stores will have different loss-leaders. And those of you with kids are probably old pros at finding the most expedient route.


So let's look at the less obvious things:


Don't shop alone.

Most of the cheapest items have very low maximum purchases. Usually it's right around two per customer. So the more people you have with you, the easier it is to stock up. (Though some folks simply do a revolving-door strategy: Buy, put items in car, go back in, buy more.)


If you can't get a friend to go along with you, use your kids. (Besides tax deductions, that's what they're there for, right?) Give each one enough cash to get the items and have them each get in line. There is no minimum age for being a customer. Although I recommend using only kids who are verbal/no longer in diapers.


Don't be lured away from your list.

You should know better, but sometimes it's tempting. You're tired or the price seems reasonable enough to just buy it and be done. But this early in the game, there's no need to get everything at once. (Unless you are going on an extended vacation.)


In school supplies, as in everything frugal, it's worthwhile to wait to see how things play out. Keep an eye on prices and whatever you need will probably go on sale in the coming weeks.


Know what goes on sale

I suppose this is part and parcel with the one above, but it bear mentioning. Staples and Office Depot routinely have backpacks for 25-50% off. Usually the themed ones are only 25% and don't last long enough to go to half off. But there are plenty of basic backpacks that can be found for under $10 when on sale.


Wide-ruled paper, crayons and pencils are usually offered for a penny, at least once before school starts. Usually pencils can be found that cheaply throughout the supply-buying season.


You should be able to find 3 notebooks and/or composition books for $1 several times before September. Basic binders should never cost you more than $1 each. If they are more, wait for a better sale.


Scissors aren't discounted as often, nor are glue and rulers. That said, stores are always Though stores are always changing the rules, so keep your eyes open.


If money is an issue, get blander stuff

Yeah, your daughter wants that Jonas Brothers backpack, and your son is begging for that GI Joe bag. (Apologies for stereotyping genders, but sometimes cliches exist for a reason.) And they'll be kind when "all the other kids" get what they don't.


But if you're even partially concerned about money in the future, you probably want to err on the side of caution. Like most boy bands, Jonas Brothers will soon be a thing of the past. (And your daughter will be mortified she ever liked them. Which does give some value to a themed backpack as blackmail, but still...)


Get backpacks made from hardy material, in colors they'll continue to like. (Hint: Not pink.) Get binders that are dark so that marks won't show as well. Depending on your kids' personalities, consider one or two nicer pens. Some people lose fewer writing utensils when they feel the utensils are special. Of course, if your kids would lose the socks while still on their feet, just wait for a sale on those bulk pen packs.


Know your rewards programs

Walgreen's Register Rewards are pretty easy to get and could help you afford a few extra items. Just be sure that you don't get too high of a reward. This week, for example, you can get a $10 Register Reward when you buy two sunscreens. But the RR has to be used on a single item, and neither Tim nor I buy anything there that is $10 or more.


Staples and Office Max/Depot rewards are really awesome for free supplies. You get a percentage back based on what you spend, as well as credit for recycled ink cartridges. Most of the stores only reward these monthly or quarterly, so you have to think ahead.


Don't use much ink at home? Ask friends and family for theirs. Most people throw them out anyway. Also, look around at work and see if there's a bin for them. If you feel awkward, go ahead and ask the boss or IT people if it's kosher to grab them. Most places really don't care. My mom picks them up at the University of Washington computer labs. They're just going to be recycled anyway, so the school doesn't care.


You can turn in plenty of ink cartridges at the supplies stores, so you can get a relatively hefty reward. Mom already had two $30 checks waiting for her. And with that Tim and I were able to afford a bunch of school supplies for a friend with a kid.


Know about carnivals

The friends we were buying for usually go to school supply carnivals. This way, lower income families can pick up donated items and cut down on what they have to buy. Usually, I'm told, you have to go to several to get a whole list done. Still, if you're having trouble making ends meet, this could save some vital dollars



How we did

Tim and I got permission from Mom to use one of her Rewards checks, which gave us a $30 credit. I also grabbed a $5 off of $20 coupon from Staple's Sunday ad.

As a result, we came away with:


For the kids:

1 GI Joe backpack ($14.99 on sale)
1 Lightning McQueen backpack ($14.99 on sale)
1 ruler
1 two-pack of scissors
1 bottle of glue
2 boxes of crayons
4 sets of 8 pencils


For my mom:

1 box of Sweet 'N Low (400 packets)
4 reams of copy paper



The copy paper has a rebate and will end up being one cent. That means, in total, we will have spent about $11 of our own money to help out some friends. (And to help out my mom who keeps us in copy paper all the time.)


Have any other tips for thrifty school supplies?

A new way to save money

There is nothing quite like the cast-offs from the affluent to make for good bargain hunting.


Moreover, it’s humbling to see the detritus from nearly 900 people’s families. It makes me realize just how wasteful we are as a society.


As I pawed through the discarded toys and games, I wondered why more parents don’t visit rummage sales. Not just because they could save money by buying there, but also because anyone at these sales quickly sees patterns that are very telling.


After the third, bulging Ziploc bag of Harry Potter Magic Trading cards, I began to wonder why parents even bothered. (I also wonder how Hoyle makes any kind of profit on playing cards – there were at least 20 packs of them there, and there’s usually two packs at any given garage sale. Who buys these things new anymore?)


Don’t parents know that what they’re buying will be quickly discarded? Most trends are. Remember Furbies? Tamagachi?


Then again, maybe the parents aren’t paying attention either. It would explain the three bread machines I saw for sale. And the five sewing machines last year. I won’t even try to guess the number of still-packaged candles and holiday decorations that filled various tables.


A lot of frugal bloggers talk about buying fewer things. Fewer buys means you keep more money. You also encourage less waste, which is good for the environment. Some PF bloggers advocate a very minimalist lifestyle.


For me, it’s a matter of being aware of my own limitations, as a procrastinator and a woman with a disability. I could buy a bread maker for $10 at a garage sale and call it a deal. But is it a deal if I never use it? Shouldn’t I take my cue from the fact that so many women are trying to get rid of these things?


I’m sure that there are plenty of women who consider their bread machines to be culinary staples, like a good set of knives. If that’s you, great. But it’s not me.


If I bought a bread maker, I would never use it. It would take up space and be a constant reminder that I wasted money. (This, ironically, makes me more determined to keep the item, since if I can make myself use it – which I so will any day now – then it wasn’t a waste of money.)


The fact is, my resources are limited. And I’m not just talking about money. We live in a one-bedroom apartment, so it’s easy for small items to become clutter.


I also have a very limited amount of energy. I don’t want to spend it feeling stressed and guilty about clutter. And I really don’t want to spend it cleaning up the clutter so that I can relax.


So I try to be conscious about what I buy. If I can’t be sure I’ll use it, if I can’t figure out where I’d put it, I don’t make a purchase. Whatever the item, I can usually get another one. I can’t get more energy or more space, at the moment.


I guess I just wonder what if more people thought this way. Folks into economic theory predict all sorts of fire and brimstone: businesses closing, fewer jobs, less money being spread around. But we didn’t limit ourselves and isn’t that what’s happening now?


I think that perhaps it would just lead to more competition in the more basic businesses. If people thought more about their purchases, it would lead to fewer unnecessary, easily discarded baubles and gadgets.


But that doesn’t mean the complete eradication of the entrepreneurial spirit. People who want to go into business for themselves can always find an industry. They can repair cars. They can offer computer support. They can sell any number of consumer goods that will always be in demand. And competition is always good for the consumer. So I guess I just really don’t see a downside to all this.