Wow, can't believe that it has been many, many years since I last posted anything here. Since then, I have come to realize that extreme penny pinching takes more energy than it is worth it, and that the bottom line is if you are paying an amount that is worth what you are receiving in return, and it is something that you need and can afford, then go for it.

That being said, it is hard to ignore the cost of technology. It has become a requirement in our daily lives, from he phone we use, the apps we use, the PC and programs that make life easier, or at list somewhat much more fun.

There was a time when PC and laptops where beyond most peoples reach. Nowadays, a decent PC can be had for less the $500 with most of the software you will ever need pre-installed. And even when said software was not part of your package, there is often plenty of open source alternatives available. And that now includes the operating system.

I still remember when Linux first came out, it was a really interesting concept. Before that all I know was Microsoft DOS or Windows and these where not free. As much as I wanted to try Linux, I found the GUI slow and unimpressive when compared to Windows. And finding then installing software required the use of the terminal. The there was the computers. I buy one with a perfectly good running OS pre-installed. Why would I take that out and replace it with Linux. Really did not make sense to me back then.

Back then, manufacturers sold computers with separate installation disks for use during those times when luck was not on your side. Eventually they got rid of those disks in favor of creating a separate partition on your hard drive to hold the reinstall software. But what happens if you hard drive craps out?  Well that is exactly what happened when my Dell Laptop running Windows Vista gave up, completely dying on me. I wasn't too happy with Vista so started looking for an alternative and that was when I rediscovered Linux, Ubuntu to be precise. The GUI was very impressive, much more than I last remember. Software was easy to install, I hardly need to remember any command lines, and best of all, it was free. So I installed Ubuntu and have been using it ever since. Windows has just released Windows 10 and I am still using the same laptop I had when Vista was top of the line. And I have peppermint Linux running on a netbook and it works great.

Re-use old computers, use free OS and software. Now that is real money saved.

Penny Pinching in my youth

I haven't had a chance to post anything here is a long time. But waking up today, I remembered a method my Grandmother (and I am sure others) have used. My Grandmother grew up in a time of war. Basic necessities where scarce.  Tthat meant reusing things to the point of breaking. That could be old radio, radio parts, vehicles, etc.

So, when I was young, among the things my Grandmother liked to do would be to add garters back unto old "jockey" briefs. Certainly the garters where cheaper than buying new briefs. Soap also did not escape. We used bars back then and we would always take the left over bars that,, on their own, were too small to use, and squeezed these together so that they merged into a bigger one. Forget that the different coloured bars and fragrance did not look too appealing.

Brunch

Wikipedia defines brunch as "a meal eaten in the middle of the morning, in between the normal time of breakfast and the normal time of lunch, as a substitute for both of these meals." What a great, really penny pinching way to save money. Not only does doing brunch help you save money during vacations (where meals can get really expensive) but even when at home. We usually eat brunch during the weekends when most members of the house hold tend to sleep in.

Money Jar

Money jar is what a youngster would call a piggy bank. The piggy bank concept is that instead of spending money you are given or earned,  you save it by putting it into a piggy bank. For adults, this means putting any change you receive into the money jar so as not to spend it, and the amount builds up over time. After a while, the idea would be to deposit the contents of the money jar into a savings account where it would now earn interest.

There was a time I would take my money jar to the bank and they would gladly accept all those coins. Nowadays, services like coinstar charges you a service fee of almost 10% to count your money so that you can then deposit into your own account! To be fair, coinstar does give you the option to receive a gift card instead of cash. When you choose this option, then the fee is waived.

Is using a money jar still worth it?

The answer is still yes. You can conlude that without the money jar you would end up with no savings at all, versus retaining 90% of what was in the jar. You can also try locating a Credit Union that you could join. My Credit Union does have a coinstar machine but they do not charge if you deposit the coins into your account with them.  I also use the coins to pay for stamps, vending machine purchases (when desperate as these are expensive purchases)and highway tolls. You can also use these as allowances, bus fares, token purchases, small grocery purchases (Think convenience stores) and more. There are still a lot of places that will accept coins even if your bank does not.

Money Jar Alternatives

The concept has been brought into another level by some banks (notably Bank of America) that allow you to round-up your debit card purchases to the nearest whole dollar amount, and they then deposit this roundup to either a checking or savings account. Bank of America even matches your deposit. This serves as your money jar and it is suppose to help you save money in the long run. But does it really? Depends. There is a limit to what the banks will match. There are also fees (remember those) that could be lurking, potentially costing you more than you save.