Indirect buying can be cheaper than direct buying

A comedian told a funny story about how he does not understand why shopping is a past time for women. He said "if I am cold, I buy myself a coat, then I am not cold anymore". There is nothing to discuss, ponder over, or to do a "wait and see". Buy what you need, what could be more simple than that!

Simple? YES, great price? NO! I was looking to buy the Microsoft Productivity software. You know, the whole suite of software where it comes with Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. I could not find anything for under $150. I was looking in Craigslist like I always do, and came upon a used computer that was preloaded with the Microsoft Productivity software. The lady that had placed the ad was very kind, and gave me the computer at no charge. So, rather than buying the software directly, I got the computer with the software already loaded.

Get someone else to do it!

I saw the cutest little saying when I was at my local Hallmark Store the other day at the mall. " Some people are so good at getting things done. Maybe I can get one of those people to do something for me". Are there some things on your list that you hate doing? The list is quite lengthy for me, but on top of the "I hate to-do" list is house cleaning. I decided to hire a cleaning person. I know some of you think that cleaning people are expensive, and they won't clean your house like you would. The latter is always true, but paying a lot may not have to be true. You can find a good inexpensive one through Craigslist. Be up front, and tell them you only have say $50 to spend every 2 weeks. Give them a priority list, and ask for a cleaning every 2 weeks. Perhaps the thing you hate cleaning the most is the kitchen and the bathroom. Put that on top, and make sure they do that first.

Choose not to do it!

My husband has an interesting perspective for items on his "to do" list that he is not getting to. If there's an activity that's onerous, hard, expensive, or just a " don't want to", he always asks himself this question. "Does it need to be done?" I am amazed at how often the answer is "no". When that's the case, it's simply checked off, and no action takes place. For example, we were dreading having to go to the "meet the teacher" night. The teachers can only meet for 5 minutes, the waits are long, and we had nothing we wanted to discuss. But we had always done it, and it seemed like the right thing to do. After a short discussion, my husband and I decided to stay home. I breathed a sigh of relief, and we relaxed that night with a little coffee! I know you can't always avoid things you don't like. So, here's the pecking order. 1) Does it need to be done? 2) If yes, can I get someone else to do it? Tomorrow, I will talk about an item that needed to be done that I got someone else to do.

Purchasing coupons and stock piling what you really want

I used to clip the Sunday coupons, and file them religiously. I spent a lot of time on an activity I did not particularly enjoy. I came to a realization that my biggest savings came when I stockpiled the items we used at rock bottom prices. Now, I don’t even buy the Sunday paper, and use a coupon clipping service for my needed items. I am not tempted to buy items I don’t want, but get great prices for the things I really need. Sure, I don’t save 50 cents on every item in my cart, but stock piling items I use, more than makes up for it. I spend between $5-$10/month on coupon clipping service. I used to spend $8 on the Sunday paper. Recently, I ordered (20) $1 off Quaker oatmeal coupons for $2.50 shipped. I will get 20 boxes for free this week after double coupons.

Scouring the FREE items on Craigslist

Most mornings I check to see what's FREE on Craigslist. Most days, it's simply to get a vibe, and nothing comes of it. However, I've had great luck in finding treasures. In the last month, I have gotten the following for FREE:

1. The Total Gym in very nice condition
2. A desk top computer which included the Microsoft Productivity Software
3. Wooden Desk in very nice condition.

I am currently looking for a free HDTV ( perhaps one that has a simple problem or a non-flat screen that is simply too big to move) . I spend about 10 minutes a day both looking and inquiring about the items.