We didn’t get one last year because we were moving from one area to another, but this year, we’re all nice and settled. To put it bluntly, the boyfriend and I are coupon whores. We hate eating somewhere if we don’t have a coupon. Wow, that makes it sound like we’re being cheap. Frankly, we are. Unless we have some reason to eat somewhere without a coupon (meeting friends somewhere, special occasion, whatever) we just don’t. Or, we sometimes eat without a coupon… begrudgingly.

Nearl all of the coupons we use right now come in the mail. You’d be surprised the amount of junk mail and coupon flyers that arrive in our mailbox. But it tends to be the same things, week after week. Even though the Arby’s coupons are amazing (3 for $5 Beef ‘N Cheddars!), man cannot live on shaved roast beef alone.

So, like our experiment two years ago (which went very well), we’re grabbing another Entertainment Book. I frankly don’t know how it will work out. The quality of the coupons in the Entertainment Book varies widely from region to region. The ones in Rochester were spectacular, and it more than paid for itself. The nice thing about Entertainment Book’s website is that they give you a preview of some of the coupons you’ll be getting in your book. I can tell from the preview for the Washington DC/Northern Virginia one that we’ll use enough to at least save us the price of the book. So it’s about as safe of a gamble as they come.

Come back at the end of the year, and I’ll tally up exactly how much we save, and estimate any extra costs (gas for driving out of our way, Metro fare, whatevs). Hopefully, it will make for an interesting year that gets us out to places that don’t mail coupons straight to our house.

If you decide to try out the Entertainment Book for yourself, be sure to check out my list of tips for getting the most out of your Entertainment Book.

*Disclosure: I get $4 if you buy an Entertainment Book through one of the links on this site. The links also serve as coupons themselves, and will sometimes save you money off the price of the Entertainment Book when you go through the link rather than going to the website directly (depending on the current promotion).

Related posts:

1. How Much Can You Save with the Entertainment Book?
2. Review: The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke
3. The Case for a Paper Address Book

While we’re avoiding saying the word “fees” so that we don’t look silly, let’s avoid paying them as well, shall we? Because by definition, fees are something you shouldn’t have to pay – they’re a price for nothing. They’re candy coated as being for “conveniences," – like paying late, paying for intangible services, and (my favorite) paying because a payment didn’t go through… those things are convenient? Bah!

Obviously the best way to avoid fees is to… avoid them. Stay on top of things, make all of your payments on time, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, we know that. But fees happen anyways – they sneak their way onto cell phone bills, credit card bills, even student loans and mortgages. What a load of horse hooey! But it happens to the best of us, and when it does, it’s time for stronger tactics.

Negotiate Your Fees Away

Yes, fees can just *poof* disappear. Most of the time, all you have to do is ask. It sounds too simple to be true, but… when’s the last time you tried asking? For me, it was yesterday. And it worked.

In September, I set up my federal student loan payment for automatic payments. It went through just fine for the month of October, so I thought nothing of it. On Monday, I got an email saying that my payment went through, so I thought all was well. But by Wednesday, the payment still hadn’t been taken from my bank account. So I logged in to see what was up. Well, a payment bouncing back and a $20 fee, that’s what was up!

I used the live chat on the website to get some answers because of course, they want to discourage you from calling. It was actually a fairly helpful chat and not a robot, so I found out that my routing number had been mistyped (I left off a "1", but in my defense the "1"s on checks kinda look like the weird symbols they use right next to the routing numbers!). My payment hadn’t gone through and I’d been charged an "NSF" fee. I asked the woman in the chat if I could get it waived, but she told me I had to contact my school (boo!) and gave me the number.

So I called Financial Services at my college, and all I had to do was explain what had happened with the routing number. I didn’t even really have to ask about getting the fee waived – the woman at Financial Services could tell that’s what I was calling about. She offered to waive the fee, since it was a one-time occurrence and it’s already corrected and set to not ever happen again.

And that’s $20 that can go toward my loan principal instead of fees. Hurray!

I did have to pay a $1.50 fee for a “privilege” of paying online with an instant e-check. My other options were: pay $4.14 for the privilege of paying instantly by credit card, or set my payment up to go through in a week an a half… and hope they didn’t charge me a late fee in the meantime. That’s the thing about fees: they will find a way to get you sometimes.

The next time you’re faced with a fee… try asking not to pay it. This isn’t the first time that simply asking has erased a fee for me, so I know it’s not a fluke. You’d be surprised how many people never even try. But think of it this way: the answer is definitely “no” if you never bother to ask.

(Psst… phone phobia? Not an excuse.)

Related posts:

1. Avoid Late Fees and Stay on Top of it All
2. Five Tricks I Used to Pay Off My Credit Card
3. Credit Card Bills: Auto-Pay from Online Savings

Now is the time for action, which is why we have Blog Action Day. This is the third annual inception of Blog Action Day, and it’s also the third year in a row that I’m participating: previously, it was the environment, and then it was poverty. This year, it’s climate change.

We’re Broke, Not Broken

I know it can be tough to find ways to make a difference when you’re just starting out with your own life. Believe me: there’s not a lot of spare room in my own budget. But taking action doesn’t necessarily have to cost anything. There’s lots you can do for free… and yes, some things may even save you money.

Stay informed: As with any major issue, the best and most important thing you can do is stay in the loop. Get your news and ideas from a variety of sources and mediums. One TV news channel doesn’t cut it… even all the TV news channels together don’t. There is more free and available information online than you could ever absorb, so vet a handful of trustworthy sources, and keep up with them.

Don’t waste your money on green-washed products: Just because a product says “Green!” or “Eco-Friendly!” on the packaging doesn’t mean it really is. Go for simple products will less packaging – these will save you money while still being better for the environment. If you’re staying on top of the issues and the news, you’ll get a sense of which “green” products are worth buying, and which are not. And remember the three “R”s: reduce, then reuse, then recycle. And buy recycled when appropriate to keep the cycle going.

Small efforts are worth it: Because most of the time, small efforts don’t just help the environment, they also keep you healthy, reduce clutter, and make life less stressful. So when someone tells you that reusing something isn’t worth it because small efforts don’t matter, think about the other ways you’re helping yourself and your family by doing it. Check out The Good Human’s “Do One Thing” series for small efforts that are really worth it!

Secure your own mask first before helping others: Yes, you should do what you can, and try to get your friends and family involved… but some effects of climate change may already be inevitable due to our slow movement on fixing the issues. Let me ask you something: Do you have flood insurance? I’m serious. Scientists have been warning us that sea levels will rise, and the ocean temperature is definitely rising. Are you prepared if your neighborhood floods? Is your employer prepared if your place of work floods? Find out. Don’t assume things will be okay – know.

Handwrite letters to your legislators: A professor of mine once had a conversation with a Congressman in New York. He said that he receives dozens of emails a day, but do you know how many letters he gets in the mail from his constituents? He got 12 that year. A real letter on real paper with an honest-to-goodness stamp will stand out and really get your legislators’ attention. Write your thoughts, include some facts and sources, and demand real change. If that doesn’t work, put on a suit and go pay them a visit. Take some friends with you.

Related posts:

1. Rethinking my Bank Accounts
2. College Money Tip #3: Bank Better

In July of 2008, my boyfriend ordered the 2008 Entertainment Book for us, and his roommates. We got a super deal – it ended up being like $5, including shipping. I know our savings added up to more than the $5 cost, but now we’re wondering – should we order the 2009 Entertainment Book now, at its higher early-year cost?

Factors to Consider

First of all, we won’t be in the Rochester area all year. The boyfriend is looking at jobs down near DC, and I’m looking at internships all across the northeast. So we’d have to be sure that we’d “earn our money back” by July.

Another question is, “Did we spend more last year because of the Entertainment Book?” Did we go to places we never would have, if it weren’t for the book? Did we overeat or overspend, because of the coupons? I believe the answer is, for us, no. We stuck to our usual ritual of eating out once per week, and we didn’t go out for entertainment more than usual.

The last factor is, of course, how much did we save last year? I wish we’d kept a log of the coupons we used, so that I could offer up 100% accurate statistics (and also, I’m a data junkie). But we didn’t. All I can go by is the expired 2008 Entertainment Book that’s in my hand, and add up the value of the missing coupons.

How Much We Saved in 2008

There were a total of five people taking coupons from our coupon book. Sharing with friends, relatives, and housemates can severely stretch the savings of the Entertainment Book, so I highly recommend sharing.

Here are the coupons that we used between July and November 1st, 2008:

Wild Noodles: Buy one entree, get a second free (BOGO). Estimated savings: ~$7.00
Chinese restaurant BOGO entree: ~$6.00
Three hamburger joint BOGOs: ~$12.00
Three pizza place coupons: ~$18.00
Moe’s Southwest grill: (no idea, roommate used it) Guess: >$3.00
Coldstone Creamery BOGO: ~$5.00
Two BOGO rounds of miniature golf: ~$6.00
Buy $10 in arcade tokens, get $10 free: $10

Total: about $67

Based on this, I’d say that the book is definitely worth purchasing at its full price of $30, but even better… the Rochester one is now on sale for $15 (plus $2.79 standard shipping). As I flipped through the book just now, I also saw coupons for places that I know we visited during that time span, but forgot to bring the book of coupons with us – there were even more savings to be had!

Tips for Using the Entertainment Book to Save Money

1. Books vary widely by area. Check the Entertainment Book website and make sure there are some coupons for places you actually want to go to in your area, before you buy.
2. Flip through the book when you first get it, and pull out coupons for places you visit regularly. Keep these with you and make sure you use them!
3. Let roommates or friends rifle through the book occasionally, but keep the book in your car most of the time. I can’t tell you how many coupons went unused simply because the book was at home!
4. If you have this conversation a lot: “Where do you want to eat?” “I dunno, where do you want to eat?” (Repeat until end of time), then the book may help. If you’re anything like me, it will remind you of places you wanted to check out, or you’ll see super deals that inspire you to try a new place.
5. Don’t eat somewhere just because you have a coupon, or because you feel like you should use more of the coupons in the book. Even with these coupons, most restaurants can’t compete with the price of a home-cooked meal.
6. Check online for coupons, as well. The Entertainment Book has online coupons, and you should also look on the company website. Use the best coupon you have, regardless of its origin!

Do you use the Entertainment Book? How good is the one in your area? Any tips to share for getting even more bang for your buck out of the book?

Related posts:

1. Coupons from the Entertainment Book, Act 2
2. Review: The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke
3. The Case for a Paper Address Book

The Flower City! The Kodak City! The World’s Image Center! Rachacha! I’m a fiercely loyal Rochester, New York native and I adore this city, despite its flaws *cough*lack of public transportation*cough*. But if you can get around Rochester, I highly suggest you do. As a part of WiseBread’s group writing project, here’s a list of things you can do in Rochester, for five dollars or less:

Free!

Mendon Ponds Park: trails, water activities, and sledding in the winter! Also a great place for Geocaching (see below).

Urban Exploration: check out all the weird and wonderful parts of the city – I highly suggest a trip to the Legal Wall if you’ve never been (but wear good shoes, because there tends to be a lot of broken glass).

Geocaching: “The High Tech Easter Egg Hunt” is a ton of fun! A hiking GPS is most useful, but you can get by with one of those talking car ones, if you’ve got it. Don’t have either? Do what we did when I was a broke freshman – look at the satellite image of where the cache is on Google Maps, and use that as your best guess of the location. Harder, but fun, and free!

Festivals: Rochester is a festival town, so there seems to be one every weekend. Each festival is different, so don’t knock them all if you visit one and don’t like it. Might I suggest Park Ave Fest for college students? (It tends to be a bit more, uh, inebriated.)

Rochester Public Art: A guide to all the public art in and around Rochester. If you’re looking for more of a tour-like experience, check out ARTWalk.

Mount Hope Cemetery: Free historic walking tours on weekends from May – October. Twilight tours and other interesting tours are only $4/person.

Self-Guided Walking Tour of High Falls: Print this out and head down to the historic High Falls district! There are even more online walking tours in Rochester.

Bike Ride Along the Canal: Assuming you have a bike, that is. You could also walk!

$5 or Less

Ice Skating at the Ritter Ice Arena at RIT: $5 for most public skate times, but only $3 for noon-time weekday sessions. Skate rentals are $3, if you need them.

Cell Phone Tours: $4.95 gets you one day access to an audio tour of Rochester landmarks, right on your cell phone!

The “Dollar Theater” – Second run movies at cheap prices. Called the “Dollar Theater” because all movies on Tuesdays are only $1. The highest price you’ll pay is only $2.25, so it’s still a steal, and a great way to catch films you thought you missed in the theater!

Abbott’s Frozen Custard: As much a Rochester staple as Wegmans and Kodak!

Buffalo Wild Wings (BDubs): Discount Wings on Tuesday, Legs on Wednesday, and Boneless Wings on Thursday!

Bowl-A-Roll: Lots of specials, including College Night (Sunday & Monday after 9pm, $1 bowling and $1 shoe rental) and FREE bowling if you visit one of a long list of merchants!

$5 or Less with a Student ID

Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion: Pretty much the coolest gardens I’ve ever been to. Trust me, they used to take us there as a field trip every year when I was in elementary school,  and I still never tire of going!

The Little Theater: Art house films for only $5 for students, children, and seniors.

George Eastman House: One of those “must see” things in Rochester.

Susan B. Anthony House: Women’s suffrage for the win! $3 admission for students.

Just over $5

Seneca Park Zoo: The prices drop closer to $5 during the winter!

Red Wings Baseball: Reserved seating is just $6!

Find More

This is by no means an exhaustive list, just some suggestions! This list was originally posted in August of 2008 – I’ll try to keep it updated, but I can’t guarantee the long-lasting-ness of this list. Some more places to check for cheap or free things to do in Rochester:

City of Rochester list of Festivals, Parades, Concerts and More
RochesterDowntown.com Entertainment Guide

Photo by _yoshi_

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The music part is because of an episode of Mythbusters, where they proved the plausibility of plants growing better due to music or talking. On the show, the plants that got the heavy metal music grew the best. But I don’t have much heavy metal, so I just play the plant some Steve Miller Band because, hey, I know I grew up better because of SMB!

The plant is my new frugal baby. The Boy and I went to the store to get some fresh basil for a recipe, and noticed that the supermarket was selling potted basil plants for the same price as fresh cut basil! So we bought the little plant, and nearly killed it. My thumb is not as green as my mother’s, and we put off getting a pot for it and planting it properly for a few weeks.

But finally we got a pot, used some soil that was sitting in his shed, and now the basil plant is big, bushy, and smells delicious. The only thing is… we have yet to cut off any of the leaves and use them for a recipe! There’s a lesson in this, I’m sure – if you’re going to plant your own herbs, start with the ones you use the most!

I have a feeling this might get out of control – last night The Boy looked at me and said we should get a mint plant – so that we can chew on the leaves! I don’t mind getting Little Basil a friend or two, but in order for this to actually be a money-saving thing, we have to make sure that they’re the herbs we find ourselves actually using.

Many other bloggers have picked up the trowel, as well: PaidTwice is experimenting with tomatoes and my fellow Rochesterians at Spilling Buckets are growing buckets of plants!

Point of interest: I’m not a diehard believer that playing Steve Miller Band for my basil plant will do anything for it – it’s just an excuse to be wacky!

Photo credit: Sea Turtle

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What really stuck out for me were all the comments calling Anya’s life “miserable.” Most of the negative comments took offense to the idea of Anya buying second hand clothes, and not having a TV. (Since when, I wonder, is the television the only bringer of happiness?)

My own situation is not all that different from Anya’s. In fact, in some respects, I’m more extreme. I’ve been Compacting since January – that is, not buying anything new except for food and toiletries. So I started thinking about it - am I more or less happy now, as compared to before I started compacting?

Before I get into anything, I would like to say that this is entirely non-scientific. There are a lot of other things that have changed in this time period (my job, my major, this blog, the house I live in…), so it’s nearly impossible to tell. Still, it’s worth musing on.

The Television
I’ve spoken before about my ability to live without a television, and I stand by it. I now often forget that I can flip on the television and watch live broadcasts - I’m no longer used to the idea and it almost never pops into my head as an idea for entertainment, or even as a procrastination tool!

Not watching TV has given me so much more time, and flexibility in my time. The television I do watch, I watch on DVD or on syndicated internet – I choose when I watch it. I believe I am much happier having control over my TV instead of being bound to its time slots.

Yes, you could argue that a Tivo would offer me the same benefit, but think about it. I already HAVE that benefit – why would I need to buy a Tivo and pay a monthly subscription for a benefit that I already have?

Second Hand Clothes
Easily the second biggest beef negative commenters had with Anya’s article. I have to admit, I haven’t actually bought any second hand clothes… ever. Not even since I’ve started Compacting. I have a dresser and a closet full of clothes, so the need for new ones simply hasn’t come up.

I have no problem with the idea of buying and wearing used clothing. I’m not sure why it bothers other people, but I can’t see it affecting your level of happiness. I don’t think it matters at all where clothes come from – what matters is how they look and make you feel. If a sweater falls really well on you, does it matter that it came from Goodwill?

Not Buying… Things
I have a “things” problem. Even now, after having moved house and scoured my possessions, trying to only bring with me things that really mattered… I still have too much stuff. Most of my stuff is still sitting in boxes, waiting for me to get around to organizing my new bedroom.

Even having not purchased any “things” in the last 9 months, I still have an entirely messy room with too much stuff in it. Getting more stuff is simply going to compound the problem.

Buying Experiences Instead
I’ve been to more concerts and amusement parks. I’ve gone out with my friends on hikes and seen places in my neighborhood that I had no idea existed. I hang around on my campus and enjoy the free or cheap entertainment ($1 for two comedians this Saturday – I’m so in!). I hang out with my friends and play wacky card games.

Spending less money on things means having more money to spend on life. A few months ago, I tried to think about the thing that matters to me most. It’s not my computer (although sometimes it may seem that way), and it isn’t my collection of all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s my friends and my family.

I love my computer because it’s an easy tool for contacting people. I love my car because it takes me to the places where people are. I love talking about Buffy with people even more than I love watching it. The things I value most in my life are those that help me reach people. I’m happiest just spending time with people. Just last night I had the time of my life… grocery shopping with my friends.

Happiness is not confined to objects for me anymore. I know, it all sounds very cliche. But not spending money hasn’t turned me into an awful miser. I feel much happier having a handle on my money, and I really don’t believe anymore than owning “things” is the road to happiness.

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