365 Days of Saving Money: Pick Beverages You Can Make

This year is all about saving money every day while trying to increase your income potential. If you did one thing each day that could save as little as $5 over the course of a year, you could have an extra $1800 in your pocket at the end of the year. Not all of these tips may apply to you, so to keep it fair, not all of them will apply to me.

Yes, they're back!

I ranted and raved about how Kool-Aid on sale still wasn't really saving money. In our house, we favor beverages you can make yourself. Much more often you'll find Ice Tea, Homemade Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, and anything else you can make in a pitcher. Not only does it save money, but it's healthier in the long run. I can control the sugar that goes in, it doesn't have food coloring, high fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. And there's nothing better than sipping fresh lemonade on a summer afternoon on the patio.

365 Days of Saving Money: $3232 Annually (Running Total)

Special Circumstances Meet Budget

No matter how hard I try to make sure that my budget is a reflection of my needs and expenses, life always gets in the way. It seems like, "Special circumstances, meet budget. Budget, meet special circumstances. Budget! Stop peeing on special circumstances!"

Mr. MT and I have discovered that we feel better when we eat more fish, chicken, and fresh vegetables. I mean seriously better. Due to a recurring ulcer plaguing me from my pre-teens, I'm not even supposed to eat red meat. But so help me I'm a carnivore through and through. I love a good steak. I also love a great piece of fish, farm fresh produce, and more. The problem is so-called "higher quality" proteins are much more expensive.

Between Safeway's specials, our local farmer's markets fresh fish, and a high quality local Asian market, it will take more effort, but we'll be able to add substantially more fish to our diet. It's not just food; special circumstances, whether medical, dietary, or housing considerations, can all interfere with a standard budget.

I'm not the healthiest person. Due to allergies and sensitivities, I have to be careful where I live, I have to occasionally replace expensive filters for my special Aireox filter. Don't get me started on cleaning products! One of the main reasons I got into frugality was because learning how to make my own cleaning products was cheaper and healthier than the pricey trendy alternatives.

No matter what the reason, it can feel like a kick in the teeth. It's even harder when you read other people's blogs and how-to suggestions sometimes. I could cut my food budget even further, too, if I could eat canned food. It's just not that way for us.

I could wallow, but instead I'm proud. I'm proud that although life isn't easy, we're still trucking, we're still trying to make good decisions each day, and we're still making slow headway.

The Rule Of Things: Rule #1: Someone Will Always Have Something Better

Some may think as a frugalist that I don't believe in having things or lifestyle inflation. The reality couldn't be further from the truth. I just don't believe in "purchasing things for the sake of things." A lot of that is due to my parents. My father always told me: "There's always someone bigger than you, smarter than you, richer than you, or with more stuff than you. If you work hard, and keep a good head on your shoulders, you can be happier than any of them."

You really can't find joy in things. A favorite line of mine from the 4-Hour workweek refers to a man who was"riding on the sugar high of a new BMW purchase until someone bought a more expensive Mercedes." The minute you get a 3G iphone, they come out with 3GS. After you purchase your ipod touch, you wonder if you should have held out for the ipad. You buy a 1080p TV, only to find out that your 60HZ is a poor comparison to its 240HZ second cousin. You get really excited about dual core, only to get run over by quad core computer processors.

As I said, this is not to say that I am anti-things. My father also raced vintage race cars, and there is a big piece of me that hopes that an MGB or a Triumph Spitfire might be in my future as well. I'm horrible at cleaning, so when the budget allows I will hire a cleaning service. These things that bring me joy have nothing to do with how much they cost, or what they represent to other people. They are simply things that bring me joy or allow me to prioritize where I really want to spend my time.

Do you enjoy the paintings in a museum more on the free day or when you pay to see them? Or do you just enjoy seeing a painting because it's beautiful?

Someone will always have more, be able to get more. It's important to be content outside of "stuff." That's why I like frugality. Spending less on things I don't need will free up my time and money for things that I like, and what I like is immaterial of my neighbor, or my neighbor's capabilities.

Use Free Virus Protection

So three weeks ago, my beloved netbook caught the piggy flu of computer viruses. It was thoroughly painful to watch and we were up until 2 a.m. trying to get it to live. Luckily, my Uncle is incredible and fixed it over the next week for the low cost of a sushi dinner. (Not too low, but it is a write-off!) It was still scary. I was sitting there looking at my husband, trying to explain that I was having a meltdown because our taxes that I had been preparing were on it and I didn't want to do them twice.

Now when someone asks if you're using protection, my computer is not what I jump to in thought, but we all had a great discussion. It's especially wonderful when your family is as cheap as you are...everything we looked at, is free. Currently, my netbook is protected by Spyware Doctor, and our desktops are being protected by Avast. Avast already protected me from a malware attack yesterday, so I'm pretty impressed. Check these out if you're surfing without safeguards.

The TaxMan Cometh

This is the first year that I have hated tax season. Normally I am highly organized and have my taxes out the door by February 15th. This year has been a nightmare.

1. Because of the move I actually have to file state taxes this year AND I had to figure out the difference between the income and expenses from each state.
2. Because we closed our business and reopened it in a different state I had to file four Schedule "C" forms. FOUR!!!!!
3. Because I received unemployment income from Nevada (a state that doesn't tax income) after I moved to Oregon (perfectly legal, but they tax you a lot) my unemployment caused us to owe considerably.

So now we have to pay taxes in Oregon and this year I have to start estimated taxes. It's more than a little overwhelming, but it motivated me to get personal finance software to better organize for next year. I'm almost ready with our estimated taxes for this quarter, which means I'll be ready with our taxes ahead of schedule at the end of the year.

So the TaxMan may cometh now, but next year, I'll be ready!