I Love My Tervis Cup

Every weekday I use my Tervis cup to carry tea to work and then I continue to fill it with water through out the day. But, sadly one morning before leaving for work I sat my cup on top of the car and it slid off and broke the lid. Not Cool!

I’m a creature of habit, and I know that comfort is very important to me also. We all know that water consumption is one of the key elements to good health and I probably fill my 24 oz water cup 4 or 5 times a day. I have tried drinking from different cups and bottled water and it’s just not the same which results in me not drinking enough water.

So, off to Bed Bath and Beyond I went with coupon in hand and purchased a new lid for my Tervis cups. (I have 2 that I alternate between, one was a gift and one I purchased at a thrift store in Texas for $1) Anyway…. I was making conversation with the clerk ringing me up and told her about the cup falling off the hood of the car and that I was lucky only the lid had broken. She said “Tervis cups have a lifetime warranty, you could just bring it back here for replacement” I said, “I didn’t buy the cup here”, and she said “That’s ok, we can still replace it for you”

Now, while I’m not real keen on returning something back to a store I did not purchase it from, I do think contacting the manufacturer would be a good alternative. Oh, and the warranty does not cover the lids.

These cups retail for around $25 so for a creature of habit like myself to continue to get the proper amount of water in daily, this guarantee is good news. Very Cool!

Also noted, I could have just flipped the cup over to see that it reads “lifetime guarantee” Ahem (eyes rolling), not exactly a lightbulb moment for me 🙂

I’m often guilty of not considering manufacturers warranties before replacing something. This is a good lesson for me to start doing that. Or even better considering the company’s reputation and warranty policy prior to making purchases. I certainly would pay a higher price for something of better quality and lifetime warranty.

Drink up friends!!! By the way, the reason the water in my cup looks a little brown is because it had a little leftover tea in the cup when I filled it up. It’s not bourbon, I promise 😉

Till Next Time,

Lori

Five Frugal Things

There is a blog I follow that I really enjoy and get a lot of great frugal ideas from. The Non-Consumer Advocate is based on the concept of use it up, wear it out, make do or do without. One of her frequent blog posts is five frugal things and I find I get so much motivation from reading all the comments and different frugal tips.

Keep in mind that it’s the small things we do daily that make a big difference. It’s not just about saving big bucks on a new car or a home loan because how often do you do those things. It’s the day-to-day opportunities and choices we make that make the real difference in being frugal. So, while they may seem repetitive and just a small savings, those are the most important. It also creates habit in us to keep frugality in the forefront of our minds. I like to make a game out of it. See how long I can hang on to that $20 or altering a meal plan to use up what I have on hand already.

Here are my five frugal things.

I brought leftovers to work for lunch. Actually the Z Man and I do this 99.99999999% of the time.
I made / reheated last nights dinner on the wood stove, saving on electricity by not using the kitchen stove.
Made a February challenge with some friends to reduce the number of days I spend to 4 days a week. Last week was 3 days, and so far this week there have been 0 spend days. This challenge does not include the spending of monthly bills, medical, or work related expenses. I’m feeling that 4 days isn’t really a challenge for me, so I think I’ll lower it to 2 or 3 days a week. What this challenge does is helps you plan all your purchases and prevents those quick trips to the store just because.
I did my monthly meal plan for February and purchased all needed ingredients (that wouldn’t spoil) for all meals in one large grocery shopping trip. However, even though I planned all our meals for February, I’ve decided we are going to do some major freezer and pantry meals because we have plenty on hand.
Returned my books on time to the library and checked out three more. No late fee and free reading / listening to books on cd in the car too.

Now it’s your turn. What are your five frugal things?

Till Next Time,

Lori

Menu Planning

I know there are a trillion blogs out there that have menu planning ideas, instructions, down loads and there is a good reason for that. Menu planning is key to a frugal lifestyle. You are probably already aware that the best area of your budget to save money is in the grocery column. The best way to save money at the grocery store it to make a list of what you need and stick to it. But in order to make the list of what you need, first you need to know what you and your family will be eating that week / month. That brings us right back to menu planning. Here is a download of my February menu plan.

February Menu Calendar

As you can see it’s just a simple excel spreadsheet listing each day’s dinners. I don’t include lunches because that usually is either leftovers or a salad in a jar for us. Weekday breakfast is usually something I make over the weekend like muffins, whole wheat waffles and /or boiled eggs that we eat on all week. The main thing that helps me is a dinner menu, so I’m not stopping at the grocery store on the way home because everything I have is frozen. Planning = savings.

I make my menu around what I have in stock. The things we grow and “put up” including fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork and the venison that the Z Man harvests. That means that my grocery list is mostly made up of fresh veggies, milk, butter, flour, sugar…. the main staples of cooking. I make a monthly menu and then I do one large monthly grocery purchase. I buy all the things that will keep for the month without spoiling. Once a month grocery shopping has saved us quite a bit. Making a menu, making a list and sticking to the list, I have found is the best way for us to stay on budget with our grocery shopping.

It’s also important to include special dates in your monthly menu plan. For example you’ll see that for Super Bowl Sunday I have seafood nachos and buffalo wings on the menu. Both of those recipes I had to buy specific items for, so I put crab meat and wings on my shopping list. It’s not about depriving yourself of good food or eating cheap food, it’s about planning so you know in advance what you can afford and there are no emergency shopping trips because I forgot to set out the whatever to thaw. It’s just a little tool that keeps me on track, and one less thing I have to think about each day. It also helps me with meal ideas, I can refer back to a menu or add a new recipe that I want to try. How many of those do we see on FB every day? Yep, it’s that simple, but such a big help.

So, what’s on your menu for dinner tonight?

Till Next Time,

Lori

Emotions Can Be Dangerous…

First let me apologize for not having posted in what seems forever. I’ve missed it so much! I believe this post will give you some insight as to why it’s been so long…

How can emotions be dangerous especially to your financial goals you ask?

Ok, so maybe you’re not asking, but I’m back to the blog world now and have a lot to share. 🙂

The harvest season (meaning the over time pay season) at my job begins in April and ends in October. This is the time of year that I count on to bank some extra money.

Let me interject here that this is a very high paced, service and retail oriented business. With that, comes all the stresses that you could imagine.

I’m not complaining, let me just say that I am very thankful for my job, all 6 days a week of it. But, I am tired. We are all tired and are already looking forward to fall. And, I’ll admit that there is something a little sad about wishing your summer away. But, it is what it is.

Anyway… The Zman and I have given ourselves a 5K financial goal this year. Meaning we want to save an additional $5,000 over our current savings into retirements, and other savings.

But, let me tell you how I just about blew the whole plan!!! You’re about to read how emotions can be dangerous, especially to your finances!

It all started on Monday…

The ZMan was working night shifts this week, which means we pass in the morning before and after work with just enough time to kiss hello and goodbye. 😦

When I get to work, the phone starts blowing up with customers needing and wanting and complaining and praising and you name it we had it going on. The full spectrum of a customer bringing us homemade chocolate chip cookies to being called every name in the book and crying. It makes for a l-o-n-g day. A long week, a long summer!!!

Earlier this year The ZMan and I had decided to pass on our annual beach trip this year to work on our $5K challenge. (I know poor me, right!) Well…..

By Monday afternoon I had decided that we were in fact going to go on our annual beach trip, but not only that… we were also going to go out and buy a truck and a camper so we could go on our annual beach trip, because I didn’t want to stay in a cabin anymore. And, well I deserve it because I work hard, and people can be mean, and I’m tired, and I need a break and I and I and I and I and I……

Yep, I was ready to wipe out our entire savings, and take out a loan to finance our well deserved camper and truck so we could go on a week long beach trip. It was going to be great, and honestly I thought it was the best idea ever. No matter the cost and giving up a full week of pay with overtime to do it, it is going to be GREAT!!!

Oh Yea, I can feel the sand under my feet and taste the salt in the air now……

Sidebar here…. I have done this before. Several years ago I made plans for us to go camping and reserved a spot in the campground at the beach for a camper that we didn’t even own yet. Then we bought our camper for our vacation. The lady taking my reservations asked me what size camping site I needed to fit my camper in and she got a real big kick out of the fact that I was reserving a spot for a camper that we didn’t own yet. I suppose size does matter sometimes 🙂

Anyway…. back to my story… I came home from work and gave The ZMan every good reason why we needed to do this, could afford it and would save money in the years to come because of it. Heck, it’s like an investment!

He was an absolute saint to me. He listened and agreed that yes he thinks we deserve a nice vacation too. So….

We were looking at campers and trucks, and talking about what kind we wanted. I was making dinner, having a glass (or three) of wine, beginning to relax, and even getting excited for us getting new toys and going on a great vacation. I was feeling so much better, having fun even.

That’s when The ZMan (the Saint) blindsided me with the sweetest voice and loving eyes and said “but Babycakes (that’s me by the way), what about our $5K plan?”

That one question set my world right again. I immediately looked up to the sky and thanked GOD for loving us. I am blessed with a perfect life with the love of my life and sometimes I forget that. The ZMan absolutely talked me right off the ledge. Well, he did more than talk, but that’s between me and him 😉

I am blessed with a Husband that loves me enough to understand and even entertain my emotional (crazy) splurge ideas and take part in honest conversations about how great this or that might be, and then bring me back home to what is really important to us. Our future together.

No our life might not “seem” perfect to others because we work hard, eat leftovers, hang our clothes on the line to dry, recycle, repurpose and reuse, shop at Goodwill, drive older cars, heat our house with a wood stove, and try to find more ways to save.

But, we think it’s perfect, and that’s all that matters to us.

So, we will not be buying a camper or truck, and we are sticking to the plan and passing on going to the beach this summer.

Thank you so much for letting me share my little story with you, I hope you enjoyed it. I’ve missed blogging and can’t wait to get back to it full on.

Y’all Take Care!

Lori