Pennywise

I talked about pocket change vs. a living wage. Right now, hubs and I are guarding our living wage and working on stashing pocket change. Did you guess why? Hint: laptop, minivan, replacement, repairs.

We 're not desperate. We're not going to miss any bills. With recent expenses, though, we feel we must be careful. A few thoughts:

Double duty: de-junk the house and pocket the money. It's time to clean the bookshelves and pay a visit to half Price Books again. Maybe Chuck will be willing to browse his CDs at the same time. It worked for my cookbooks! I created space on the shelf and put $20 in my pocket.

Use caution, not credit. Paying cash ensures immediate payment with zero interest. This means preparing to have cash on hand - or preparing not to spend.

Eat at home. Most of the time this is easy. I should say it's easier, cheaper, and healthier, too. I'm planning on trying a new marmalade recipe soon. One more set of pretty jars in the cabinet - one more product (jam, marinade, sauce) that we won't buy in the future.

Walk. I'm lucky to live within walking distance of my workplace. In winter weather, I've managed to get in one to two days a week. That's one or two days less wear and tear on my minivan. It's also one or two days of lower gas consumption. It's an investment in my overall health, too, and there's no price tag on that.

Put off non-essential purchases. I can't decide if Amigo's socks fall into this category or not. At the least, I can wait for a sale or a good discount code.

Use bonuses carefully. Chuck used a prescription rebate ($10 on a $20 purchase) to replace a lampshade. The lampshade was wearing out and could have become a fire hazard. The in-store sale and the $10 coupon made it a deal.

Clean the bathroom cupboards. Yeah, yeah, no fun, but I always seem to find toiletries in the far corners under the sinks. Conditioner, shampoo, you name it, and then I don't have to buy it. Work for me.

And in the long run, I'm going to work and work and work some more to get the Puppet in the Governor's Mansion recalled. He and his handlers are responsible for my pay cut and the uncertainty in my job security. Getting him recalled will help many: public employees and those they serve.

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