Hello everyone! This post was originally intended to be a recap of January here, with some acknowledgements, but I thought I’d first bring up the topic of buying organic. I’m curious what your thoughts are on the subject.

Buying Organic – How Often is it Truly Important?

This came to mind from a couple of places. First, the notion that seemingly everywhere we go in a grocery store, we’ll see some foods being labeled as organic. Be it fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, or anything else – it appears that there may be a really solid market out there for products sold as organic. The second place this topic came from was a conversation I had recently with someone, who strongly believes in organic as much as possible when it comes to diet, thinking it’s more than worth the extra cost.

Now, I do subscribe the the notion that investing in quality, fresh, nutritious food is a smart move. Obviously, your health will likely be better off with such purchases being consumed. Additionally, taking a financial angle, making smart choices each day can lower health care costs over the long run. It’s clear that choosing good nutrition can positively impact the quality of one’s life.

That being said, my thoughts have been that this more the case when choosing between alternative types of food. For example, choosing a frugal breakfast of oatmeal is likely a better choice than eating a bagel. It’s healthier and likely cheaper too.  However, when choosing between the same food – but one option is organic, and the other regular (non-organic) – the decision gets a bit fuzzier to me.

Here’s an example: if I want buy blueberries, and a container of regular berries costs $2.50, but organic berries cost $4.00, is it worth paying $1.50 for the organic version? Keep in mind that the quantity of berries is the same.

This example can be applied to any type of food, whether fruit, vegetables, dairy, etc. The idea of paying more for the same type of food that looks the same, but has the “organic” label, always makes me wonder. Personally, for the kids, I might get organic milk and cheese. That seems worth it, when I think about hormones and dairy. But I really wonder about some of the other types of foods, and often think that we can wash things thoroughly. I mean, if I buy a non-organic apple, for example, am I really doing something unhealthy? Is there that much of a difference between an organic apple and a regular one that’s been washed?

When you look at the potential volume of food that we can buy organic, the incremental costs could really add up. That gets me wondering how we should pick our spots buying organic, and how important it always is. I mean, I’ve seen cotton being noted as organic!

Feel free to convince me. I’m focused on nutrition now, and would like to hear any thoughts on this topic. If you think I’m wrong, please feel free to tell me why. I’m open to change

My Questions for You:

• Do you place a high value on buying organic, or do you look the other way
• If you do buy organic, what do you purchase in that category and why?
• Do you have any advice or suggestions for others deciding on whether or not to buy organic?

Top Referrers for January

The following are the “lucky dozen” – lucky for Squirrelers, that is. These are the 12 sites that brought the most visitors here in January. Thanks to each of you!

1. The Simple Dollar
2. Festival of Frugality
3. Yakezie
4. The Dog Ate My Wallet
5. Funny About Money
6. Get Rich Slowly
7. So Over Debt
8. Sweating the Big Stuff
9. Budgeting in the Fun Stuff
10. Digging Out and Up
11. Money Relationship
12. First Gen American

Squirrelers in Blog Carnivals

Squirrelers was included in the following blog carnivals in January:

10 Winter Savings Tips was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance at Sweating the Big Stuff

What Do You Think About Gift Cards as Holiday or Birthday Gifts? was included in the Canadian Finance Carnival at Canadian Finance Blog

Squirreling Gone Wild #31: The Surprise 90% Discount was included in the Festival of Frugality at Funny About Money

10 Ways to Save Money on Auto Insurance was included in the Totally Money Carnival at Mother Miser

15 Ways to Grow and Protect Your Net Worth was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance at Diva in Debt

Lottery Coupons: Save Money on Losing Money was included in the Festival of Frugality at The Frugal Toad

Sometimes we Have Rainy Days – Even With Money was included in the Yakezie Carnival at Prairie Eco-Thrifter

Crazy Job Interview Stories was included in the Totally Money Carnival at Passive Income to Retire

Will Less Teens Driving Today = Fewer Expensive Car Purchases in the Future? was included in the Yakezie Carnival at The Amateur Financier

Make Sure to Review Your Credit Card Statement was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance at The Jenny Pincher

Can you cut expenses with these?

It’s nice to find ways to cut out expenses, and operate a bit leaner financially. That is, as long as the changes don’t impact your day-to-day life too much:) Then, it’s a matter of viewing them as trade-offs.

A recent article in on Yahoo! Finance discussed 12 things that people can choose to stop spending on in the new year. Now, I often think that it’s worthwhile to consider how much time one spends on trying to save money, as it’s necessary to make money first before we can save it.  That being said, if we’re going to spend some time focusing on saving on consumer purchases, we might as well do it with some type of framework.

Recall that I recently posted on the topic of trying to spend wisely, where I suggested that we ask ourselves the following questions before purchasing:

1. Do we truly need the item?
2. Can we easily find a lower cost alternative?

Keeping that in mind, I’m going to go through the list of what to cut from our budgets (from the aforementioned article), and will answer those two questions for each one. Then, I’ll describe what I’ll actually do in practice.

1. Coffee Shop Visits
• I don’t truly need to do this, though I enjoy it
• A lower cost alternative is available, such as home brewing
• What will I do?: I will keep visiting. I suppose it might seem like I’m going against the system I devised, but I look at the visits as more than coffee. Which, by the way, is simply black coffee and not one of the more expensive drinks. I view it as renting space where I can get some work or writing done while enjoying a drink. The combination works for me in terms of productivity, so I’m going to keep doing it occasionally.
2. Incandescent Light Bulbs
• I don’t really need to buy these exact type
• Not sure a lower cost alternative is available, unless you operate on sunlight:) Well, longer-term the energy-efficient ones are supposed to be cheaper anyway.
• What will I do?: Buy the energy-efficient ones, and save money in the long run. Besides, the others are effectively being phased out.
3. Disposable Water Bottles
• I don’t need to buy these bottles
• Lower cost alternatives are available, such as carrying a reusable bottle or using a water fountain. Remember when that was the norm? If not, maybe it’s just people that aren’t super young anymore:)
• What will I do?: Use reusable bottles. I’ve bought a few, and will use them regularly. The disposable bottles I have bought were purchased in bulk for maybe 10 to 15 cents each – as opposed to the $1 or more rip off for single bottles many places. But still, once you get past the initial investment in a reusable container, it eventually represents the cheaper choice.
4. Baggage Fees
• Usually, for shorter trips, I don’t need to check a bag
• A lower cost alternative is available: packing lightly, and carrying on
• What will I do? Going forward, on personal travel I will be sure to pack lightly and avoid such fees. Of course, I had previously discovered an alternative way to avoid checked bag fees that I won’t try on purpose, but thought I’d share anyway:)
5. Subscriptions You Don’t Use
• We don’t need to spend on things we don’t use!
• A lower cost alternative might be available if you choose to read - going online is one way
• What will I do? Continue to go subscription-free. One can go online for much information, or go to the local library and read hard-copy periodicals in many cases
6. Baby Food
• I’m a parent, but past the baby days. But if you have a baby, store bought baby food technically isn’t a need
• A lower cost alternative could be making it at home, so yes – one is likely available
• What would I do? In that case, being in the position of being a parent of a baby, I would still buy some pre-made baby food. Now, I do think that it seems like a good idea to mix in some homemade food. However, with the demands of daily life for many working parents, time is valuable. Speaking from experience, I think buying at least some baby food is worth it for working parents.
7. Credit Score Fees
• I think checking one’s credit score is very important, probably a need
• Apparently, free options are available
• What will I do? I like the option of getting something for free.
8. Cable
• I don’t truly need cable
• Yes, there are plenty of lower cost alternatives for watching shows and movies.  Hulu and Netflix were a few mentioned.
• What will I do? Good question. Cable right now offers some things kids really enjoy, which has tipped the scales in its favor. But wow, it’s not cheap. I’m contemplating ending it, with other options filling in the gaps.  It’s not a need.
9. Landline Phone
• I don’t need a landline phone
• There are lower cost options, and alternatives that are arguably more necessary
• What will I do? I don’t have a landline phone, and haven’t had one for a while.
10. Cleaning Supplies
• I think they’re needed
• There might be lower cost options, in terms of homemade concoctions
• What will I do? I think there’s room for swapping out chemicals for more natural options for certain things, but I don’t have the time to devote to making my own cleaning supplies at this time. I’m sticking to primarily store bought items.
11. ATM Fees
• ATMs are useful, but their fees are not necessary
• There are lower cost options, such as finding an institution that doesn’t charge you fees along those lines
• What will I do? What I currently do, which is limit ATM usage to my own bank, where I don’t pay any such fees
12. Home Repairs
• It’s necessary to do home repairs, but only sometimes necessary to pay someone to do them
• There is a lower cost option: DIY
• What will I do? My past history has been to do repairs for the basics, but then call a professional for something that’s bigger and time consuming. I’m fine with paying when needed for such things, where it makes sense of course. No reason to stubbornly avoid paying other people or having a false sense of bravado when it comes to fixing things.

My Questions for You

Are there any of these expenses that you are fine taking on, as I am? If so, which ones?

Or, do you actively try to avoid expenses even if it means extra time and effort?

Can you think any other similar items that can be included on a list of expenses to stop paying?

Recently, I had to purchase a box of envelopes after discovering that I didn’t have any at home. With online bill pay, the need for envelopes just isn’t top of mind in my home. However, once in a while you need to actually send a check via mail.

Anyway, I added buying envelopes to the list of things I needed to get done on that day. So, on my way to a local Wal-Mart, I spotted an office supply store very close to my destination and immediately thought “Envelopes!”.  So, I stopped on in and searched for envelopes.

Once I found the aisle with envelopes in the office supply store, I narrowed my search to the standard security-lined variety.  In doing so, I was searching for the best value. After all, an envelope is an envelope, right? Now, I didn’t want to buy in bulk and buy too many, so I settled upon a box of 45 for the price of $4.49.

After I paid, I got back in the car and drove over to Wal-Mart. As I walked into Wal-Mart, I quickly went through the store picking up the few items that I needed.  Before I got to the checkout area I thought about my envelope purchase just 20 minutes ago from the other store. That got me curious about what the cost would be for envelopes from Wal-Mart, so I walked over to the supplies area to look for envelopes and satisfy my curiosity.

As I found the envelopes section, I quickly found a box of security-lined envelopes. A glance at the price yielded a surprising figure: $0.97. That’s right, 97 cents!

I did a double take, and it was definitely $0.97 for a box of envelopes. I then looked at the box, and yes – it was for security lined envelopes. I very quickly thought “what about the number of envelopes in the box, maybe there are less”. Well, I looked at the box and it indicated that there were 40 envelopes in the box.

So let’s revisit the prices again (excluding taxes):

Office Supply Store: 45 envelopes for $4.49 – about 10 cents per envelope

Wal-Mart: 40 envelopes for $0.97 – about 2.5 cents per envelope

Basically, it cost me 400% more to buy envelopes from the office supply store vs. Wal-Mart. But wait – isn’t the former an office supply store after all?

Well, it might be, but that doesn’t mean that prices will be lower there. Now, for all I know the envelopes from Wal-Mart might have been a bit lower quality. Who knows? But as I mentioned before, an envelope is an envelope for these purposes, right?  To pay 4 times as much at an office store seems a bit crazy.

Doing so would almost be like ignoring coupons or coupon codes that could instantly help save money. For example, for a different type of purchase in an entirely different store - let’s say soaps, lotions, etc – you could take advantage of a coupon code to save money. So clearly, across product categories and stores, there are ways that we can save money.

Anyway, back to my specific experience – I went ahead and bought another box of envelopes, this second one from Wal-Mart. I had to go back the other direction anyway, and then stopped at the office supply store and returned the envelopes I had bought there.

Lessons Learned:

• Just because a certain store specializes in a certain type of product, it doesn’t mean that it offers a better price than a general retailer
• Prices for given products can vary significantly from store to store – even as much as 400%!

My Questions for You:

• Have you ever bought something at one store, then discovered that you could have purchased it cheaper somewhere else?
• Have you ever noticed any products for which there’s a wide range in prices, depending on where you buy them?

In some lucky parts of the country, the weather is warm all year. Outdoor activities aren’t curtailed much during the seasons. Lucky for you folks! For the majority of us, however, summer is a great opportunity to fully enjoy the outdoors before the weather gets cold.  Of course, there are outdoor activities year round, but the range of what you can do in 80 degree weather with many hours of sunshine in greater than what you can do in 15 degree weather with less sunshine!

With that in mind, we recently spent a day driving a few hours each way for some outdoor fun. In lieu of an overnight vacation, I’m focusing on activities that are within driving distance and seasonal. Anyway, we set out to go from Chicago to the Indiana/Michigan border for blueberries and the beach.

Blueberry Picking

Just as you cross the border into the southwestern tip of Michigan, there are a number of blueberry farms. There, we picked fresh berries! Coming from an urban area, it’s almost a novelty to pick fresh fruit and vegetables. Thing is, it’s educational for kids to see where their food actually comes from. In this case, I thought blueberry picking was a good choice because it was right in the heart of the short season, and they’re quite the healthy food!

Anyway, we had a blast going out in the field and picking blueberries. For my oldest child, it was fun being able to run around and hunt for the best blueberries, and filling up the bucket with as many as she could.  For me, I was thinking about how tasty fresh picked berries would be, and how cheap they were:)

How cheap were they? Well, if you picked, they were just $1.40 per pound. What a deal! After we finished, we came out to nearly 2.5 pounds, totaling $3.45. As we were ready to pay, we discovered that you could buy berries that they had just picked for $1.90 per pound. So, we bought two more pounds.  In total , we paid $7.25 for 4.5 pounds of blueberries!  Compare that to a typical supermarket, where 4 pounds of blueberries might cost up to $40 all told. More than anything, it was a lot of fun.

The Beach

Then, following blueberry picking, we went to the beach.  Some of you might be wondering, “what kind of beach can be in Michigan?”. Well, I’ve been to 47 of the 50 states, have seen quite a few areas, and think this particular beach is a hidden gem. The name is Warren Dunes State Park, you can google it for more information.

The warm season to enjoy the beach is probably just a few months, but it’s a nice secret. There is a huge stretch of soft, sandy beaches, about as good as you can get if you’re not on the coasts.  Additionally, there are massive sand dunes adjacent to the coast. One reaches heights of 236 feet! We enjoyed the beach and got some great exercise climbing that massive dune.  It’s quite the challenge climbing something when your feet are sinking in deep sand!

Lots of fun for anybody healthy enough to spend time outside. Total cost: $8. Yes, for just an $8 entrance fee for our vehicle, we enjoyed a great beach, sand dunes, Lake Michigan, and a fun day outside.

Overall Assessment

We spent $15.25 between the blueberries and the beach/dunes park.  On top of that, we probably spent close to $25 in gas. Our food costs were no different than they would have been otherwise. So, for about $40, we had a great family day. We got to leave Chicago and go 2 states away for a totally different environment and great outdoor, summer fun.

Goes to show that fun doesn’t have to cost that much money. There are many times when we can have cheap fun.  In summer, when we can comfortably spend time outdoors, there are many opportunities to do so. We just have to find them!

My Questions for You

What are your favorite ways to spend time outdoors and enjoy the summer, without breaking the bank?

Did you get a chance to have any fun getaways this summer? If you’re a Squirrelers reader, I’m guessing you found ways to make it affordable:) Please feel free to share.

We all would like to have more money, right?

Well, maybe all is a strong word. Some people are totally content with what they have, and don’t think they need more. However, most of us fall into that first group. We would like to have more money!

Here are 5 steps for increasing your savings:

1. Discern wants from needs.  Figure out what you truly need, and distinguish these needs from what you want. Do you need a car? That’s probably the case, for most us.  Do you need a new car that costs $35,000? No. You could always buy a lesser brand that’s still reliable, and pay $20,000, for example.  Or, better yet, spend even less on a quality used car. The brand name is a want. The ability to safely get from Point A to Point B is a need.
2. Track your expenses.  Instead of spending indiscriminately, track your expenses. If you track cash outflow down to the penny, you can get a really good idea of where your money is really going. This can help you figure out where you can cut the fat, so to speak.
3. Live within your means.  OK, if you follow Step #2 above, you know how much you’re spending and on what you’re spending, right? Now you need to make sure that this fits within your income. Most people have a much better idea of what they earn than what they spend, it seems.  If you have both pieces of information, you can make sure that you’re spending responsibly.
4. Maintain a gap between income and expenses.   Once we’re able to live within our means, we can take steps to make sure that there’s a gap between our income and expenses that results in savings.  Of course this means income exceeds expenses, not the other way around:) Many people say 10% is a good figure, but I think that is way short for most people. Working up to 25% or more is more realistic, in my opinion, for today’s reality of a self-funded retirement.
5. Preserve and grow income.  Thus far we’ve focused on keeping control of expenses. That’s certainly important. That being said, we need to actually have money to save, before we can work on saving it! Let’s not take for granted the cash inflow part of the equation.  Working to maintain income first, and then working to increase income, are vital to our overall financial situation. Doing this, while keeping expenses under control as detailed in Steps #1 to #4, can supercharge our savings efforts.

The net result of increased savings is more money in our bank accounts.  From there, we can choose the best accounts for our needs. Ultimately, taking the money in these accounts and investing intelligently with a good rate of return (and time on ours side), we can work toward a bright financial future.

My Questions for You:

What steps have you taken to increase your savings?

Where do these steps above fit into your savings efforts?

Each of us has our own level of interest in our hairstyle. For some of us, our hairstyle is a big deal in our lives. For others, it’s mostly important to look good but not something we think about that much. Some people just don’t care at all.

Personally, I’m in that middle category when it comes to my hair. I want to look professional at work, and keep a low-maintenance hairstyle. It can’t be a bad haircut, but as long as it meets a certain standard, I’m cool with it. Therefore, it’s not high on my list as far as things that require a large expenditure.

Bottom line: I’m not looking to spend much for a regular men’s haircut

A friend of mine (great guy), however, has always seemed to care about haircuts….just a little too much for me to comprehend, actually.  He was recently telling me a story about a place where he and his wife both go, where the person cutting their hair has had a few higher profile clients. One of those was a past professional basketball player. This is likely the reason he brought up the whole topic, just since we are both big sports fans and have been for years.

Anyway, I remembered this conversation for 3 reasons:

1. The sports connection stuck in my mind
2. I found it interesting that he goes to the same place as his wife for his hair.
3. The high profile nature of that place’s clients must mean that it was expensive.

Recently, after getting my own haircut for $15 – including tip – I recalled the story my friend told me. I decided to send him a random text with just the following question:

“How much do you pay for a haircut?”

He responded back by telling me that he spends “only” $50 on a haircut, and that he cut back.

Huh?

I responded by instead asking “Why so much?”

He responded by telling me that he and his wife go there because it’s great quality at a reasonable cost. Plus, he says $50 is worth it as it helps him look his best at work, and it’s worth it for that alone. He’s gunning for the highest levels. Fair enough, but $50?

He’s a longtime friend, so I told him that I spend $15 a month, which therefore means that I’m spending $35 less per month less than he is. Annualized, that’s $420 less. Actually, it would have been more, as he later said that his figure was not including tip – while mine was.

His response to me: “Haircuts are like anything else, you generally get what you pay for.”

I smiled, as I picked up on his defensiveness and his thinly veiled shot at me. It was all in fun, by the way.

Aside from the fact that 2 grown, married men were texting about haircut costs (please ignore that for the moment!), does something strike you as unusual here? To me, it was that he spent $50 on a haircut. I don’t think it’s worth it for most guys to do that.

Now, I do understand that we all have our quirks, and our own sense of priorities. A great haircut may be more important to some people than others. That said, I don’t think the difference in quality between a $50 cut and a $15 cut is that great. Why do I say that? Because when I was younger, I regularly paid $35 to $40 for a haircut. I wouldn’t go anywhere else at the time. Once I tried a lower cost place, I discovered that you can get a cut that’s not easily discernable from one that’s more expensive – as long as you kept a simple, straightforward hairstyle to begin with. As a fan of frugal living, it seemed like a good deal to me.

Plus, as a typical guy who’s no longer a kid anymore, I just don’t care that much anyway. As long as it’s normal, and they aren’t shaving bald spots in my head or giving me a mohawk, I’m cool with it

Now, I realize that things might be a lot different for the ladies. I can’t speak to that with a lot of experience, obviously, so I won’t go there:) But for guys of normal means, it seems like $50 is a lot.

What do you think?

1. If you’re a guy, how much do you spend on a haircut?
2. If you’re a gal, how much does your guy spend on a haircut? Am I being too cheap frugal here, or do you think it’s worth it for a guy to fork over that much more for a haircut?

One more thing: Ladies, please feel free to add what you pay to get your hair done…if you’re open to sharing. Might make for interesting comparisons.

I have encountered a number of penny pinchers throughout my days. Most of us have known at least a few, if we think about it. In fact, if you’re reading a personal finance blog, you just might be one yourself….or at least close to being one:)

Of the people I have known that practice something approaching “extreme frugality”, most are great but just a very small few have done some things that I just can’t respect. Even then, at least I can have a good laugh at how crazy they really are. 

Here’s a story I came across from The Washington Post with unfortunate, not at all funny news about of how a dog died in a parked car on an overheated day. These happen a lot, and it’s really too bad these dogs’ owners don’t care for their pets properly, with the result being a sad ending. Like I said, not funny but unfortunate.

Per the article, in this situation the pet owner – who had obtained ”custody” of the dog after separating from her husband of 38 years – left her dog in the car while she was shopping at Costco. The weather was hot that day, with temperatures reaching as high as 104 degrees. She apparently bought the dog some food, treats, and bedding while in the store. When she returned to the car, the dog was dead.

What makes this a story related to money, however, is what she did after finding out that the pet died.

According to the story, after finding out that her dog died after sitting in a 104 degree car while she shopped, she then went back in the store and tried to ask for a refund for the items she just purchased for her dog.

Again, this is right after she found out the dog was dead. She left the dead dog in the car while going back in to get her money back.

I have to admit, the first thing I thought of (besides feeling bad for the dog, of course), was how bad this woman might have felt to see her dog dead.

After thinking about it, however, I came to another conclusion: how can anybody be so callous as to return those items immediately after seeing one’s pet dead? Really remarkable.

I see these reported actions as being shamelessly frugal. There are times to return unused items, but a time like that is one where you would think that shock and sadness would be the dominant feelings, not the need to recoup some small expenditures.

Maybe she was just sad, felt bad and didn’t know what to do. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. But this one…..I’m not sure.

What do you think?

1. Do you see it the way I do, that it’s an extremely shameless attempt to save a few bucks; or
2. Do you think that the lady probably felt bad and didn’t know what to do about it, so it’s harsh to call her actions poor?

This post was included in the Festival of Frugality at Frugal for Life

The attention of many people around the globe, every four years, centers around the World Cup. Yes, it gets people in a frenzy. Everyone has their own way of showing, it: traveling across borders to follow their team, wearing the jersey of their home country, being glued to the television, even causing pain to eardums everywhere while using a vuvuzela (these things intrigue me for some reason).

So, in honor of the globe coming together for the great soccer tournament that is the World Cup, how about a little analysis we can call the World Cup of Frugality!

In this case, lets take a look at a sample of 14 countries, and their rates of savings over the previous 20 years. The rate of savings is reflected as a percentage of disposable household income.

This list is heavily skewed to Western nations, based on the data I could find. The two Eastern nations are Japan and Korea. That said, it shows some interesting trends over the last 20 years, as can be seen in this table (Source: OECD Economic Outlook Database):

As can be seen, there are trends that we can clearly see, over the last 20 years. There are many ways to analyze this, particularly when adding additional context, but purely by these numbers, I see the following:

1. North American savings headed south. North American neighbors, U.S. and Canada, are clearly trending downward in savings  – particularly Canada, where the magnitude of the drop has been greater
2. Maybe it’s the English language.If you broaden #1 above by adding Australia, and recategorize it as the primarily English-speaking group, you’ll see all 3 have declined since 1990 (Australia appears to have stabilized a bit)
3. European neighbors are saving well.Take a look at France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: a core group of European countries that are close georgraphically and have shown high rates of savings.
4. Scandanavia has been a mixed bag. Sweden’s rate of savings is increasing, while Norway and Finland have been floundering in terms of squirreling away disposable income.
5. Italy, Netherlands, and the Pacific Rim: look out below! These two European countries, along with Japan and Korea, were saving quite a bit 20 years ago, but aren’t faring nearly as well now, showing precipitous drops in savings rates.

For me, it’s interesting to see how the rest of the world is doing, outside of my own home country (U.S.). Clearly, there are issues elsewhere too, though not everywhere when it comes to savings habits. What I did see, overall, were more sharp declines by individual nations than stability or strong increases in savings rates.

Ok, since this isn’t really a competition like the World Cup, let’s close by learning how to communicate in “frugalese” with our global friends. To that end, here is the approximate translation for frugal in each of these countries, in the language most commonly spoken in each:

This post was published in the Festival of Frugality at Where’s My Rolling Pin

The World Cup is taking the globe by storm, as it always does every 4 years. While it’s still growing in interest here in my home country, the U.S., it’s The Big Event for many countries around the world.

As an American, I did not grow up following international soccer, and had no idea how popular it was until the year 2000, when I happened to be in France during the Euro Cup. It was a coincidence, as I had never heard of the Euro Cup. That changed quickly, as when atop the Eiffel Tower late one evening, I heard a huge roar sweep across Paris – then another a short while later. As I came down the elevator and left the Eiffel Tower to find a Metro station to go back to my budget hotel, I encountered cars honking horns, people yelling Vive La France!, and eventually rioting. I heard someone saying, in English, that France had tied the game with a late goal, and then won it in overtime. Hence, the two loud roars.

I had to run into a cafe for shelter as bottles were thrown in the street by the rioters, and police with shields charging in the middle of it. Considering I had no idea any kind of soccer tournament was even being played, it was quite a first hand introduction to international soccer mania!

This brings me to 2010. I caught a little bit of the World Cup on television, and noticed this loud, buzzing noise in the background. It was constant, and just didn’t stop for the time I was watching. BUZZZZZZZ!

Intrigued, I did some research and found that the buzzing noise came from a contraption called a Vuvuzela. These things are basically plastic horns that fans blow in unison to create the constant, streaming, buzzing sound that we hear while watching these games. It’s considered to be an essential part of the stadium experience while watching soccer in South Africa.

Check out this clip from YouTube:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeotaq04JcE&feature=fvsr

These things have created quite a stir in this year’s World Cup. There are many people who want them banned, as they feel that they’re distracting to the players and television audience. This has inflamed many people.

Of course I had to see how much these things cost. A quick search found them going for between approximately $7.50 to $12.00 each, excluding any shipping costs.

So inexpensive, yet so impactful. What a beautiful thing:)

I would like one of these. Maybe they’ll catch on here in the US, and I could buy one at the mall. Who knows?

I could just see it now….going to the mall, searching for bargains while the vuvuzelas are blaring in the background. BUZZZZZZZ! For many cutting, deal obsessed, penny pinching people out there, frugality is practically a sport anyway!

One more thing: as for the people wanting these banned, I say lighten up! They add a unique flavor to the whole World Cup experience.

Most of the time, if I use a coupon with a purchase, it’s for something I buy at the grocery store or household retailer. Items like food, paper products, cleaning supplies, and the like are most commonly where I might obtain such savings. I might use the occasional coupon for dining out, getting oil changes, clothes, and various other purchase categories as well.

Pretty standard stuff.

But what about using a coupon at the blackjack table?

First, to clarify: I don’t like to gamble in casinos, as I see it as a poor fit with my life as a father of 2. That said, when younger and pre-fatherhood, I liked to go to Las Vegas every few years and had a bit of a different perspective then. Even then, however, I was always the resident “Mr. Frugal”. In a 3-day trip, I might let myself lose up to $50 tops in the casino, and that’s it. Not many people really understood that, but I viewed it as purely entertainment and that’s it. The odds aren’t in your favor, so it’s not exactly a good investment:) Even now, I would rather food and shows if I were to go there.

Anyway, I mentioned the blackjack table, and yes – I did use a coupon at one! It worked like this: the hotel at which I was staying gave the guests a coupon book for discounts on food, gifts, and a few for gaming. One of the gaming coupons was a matching coupon at the blackjack table. It has been a while, but if I recall the specifics of how it worked, I believe that if you made a $5 bet on blackjack, the house would double your bet. So, if you won, your $5 bet could bring you back $20 – netting a $15 profit.

The part I remember most vividly was approaching a table that had just one open seat; the others were occupied, by guys in very expensive-looking suits. It was hot in Nevada that day, so I remember thinking to myself that these guys must have been roasting in those suits. Anyway, it was apparent that their native tongue was a language other than English, as they muttered what appeared to be some harsh words as they lost the several hands I watched before entering. I don’t blame them for being frustrated, as they were losing hundreds of dollars per hand!

So there I am, with my coupon in hand, being Mr. Frugal, and I then decided to sit down. I showed the dealer my coupon and put down my bet. The guys in suits all looked at me with a “who is this cheapo” type of expression. I then sheepishly played my hand.

I remember getting an 11 with my first 2 cards, and the dealer showed 9. The surliest of the guys in suits had 10. He proceeded to get out additional chips to double down (get only one more card while doubling your bet), and yelled out his first English words: “I want ACE!” That would have given him 21, and helped him stop his losing streak. He also had a big bet on the table, it looked like $700.

So, what did I do? I decided to double down as well, and added to the original coupon-driven bet. The surliest guy glanced at me like I was a nuisance, as he was totally focused on what his next card will be. There was tension at the table.

The dealer then proceeded to hand out the cards. I ended up with 21, the dealer had 20, and Mr. Intensity got 19.

So, I walked off with $40 on a one-time, coupon-enhanced cheapskate bet, while he lost $700 to continue his streak.  He glared at me with contempt as I took my winnings and walked away. I’m glad I didn’t understand what he was muttering under his breath as I left the table! I just took my winnings, tried not to look right at that guy, and briskly walked away with a sense of sheepish satisfaction:)

I have to say that it was quite a way to leverage a coupon, and the frugal person ended up ahead in more ways than one in this case!

How about you? Do you have your own story about using a coupon for a purchase that’s a bit off the beaten path, or in a unique circumstance?

This article was included at Carnival of Money Stories #57 at My Journey to Millions