I'm Over It

Hi Kids.  I am over my little rant of yesterday.  There are kooky folks in this world and I can choose to react to them or not.  I am choosing to forget about yesterday's little unpleasantness. 

So, what's up?  Well, I am having to economize.  This is what I have done.  I gave up my artificial nails.

This was REALLY hard.  I don't mean to be completely shallow, but I have been so vain of my hands forever, and not having beautifully manicured nails is a big sacrifice for me.  I have had bi-weekly manicures for the past 25 years, and now I have quit cold turkey.  Goodness those nails are delicate.

I gave up styling my hair.  I let it go au naturel, and this is what it looks like.

Who knew?  I am a Curly Girl.  I am embracing my curls, heaven help me.  We shall see how long this lasts.  Thank goodness for bobbi pins.  I can always pin up this big mess.  It sure is long.  Well, a good haircut costs $100, so that isn't going to happen any time soon.

Why am I on this austerity program?  Well, I don't really want to talk about it, but the wretched economy has come home to roost.  At my house.  Times are tough all over the country and now it has become personal.

How are the rest of you dealing with the current economic situation?  Any tips on how to save?  And survive?

Comments

[Laurey]

I love your gorgeous curls, Nicole! My hair is down to about the waistband of all my pants now (I had a trim the other day). Sacrifice can be hard but the experimenting that you can enjoy is so much fun! I like to "invent" pasta sauces - I use a tin of chopped tomatoes and different herbs just about every time...it's great :D

I am a 'checkout chick' at a supermarket so I know where you are coming from with yesterday's whole retail thing. Glad to hear you have recovered!

Laurey in Oz

[Cindy]

Your hair is gorgeous and just think of all the time you'll have forgoing those manicures!

To save some money, I recently made 5 small quilt projects all from my stash. It took a little more time to root through all the fabrics, but it was fun mixing and matching different collections. And I'm loving the results.

It also helps to stay out of the stores. Again, more time to quilt!

[ranette]

I think your curls are wonderful!!! I gave up my $125 foil dye for $7 drugstore box color and there's not much of a difference really.

[Thelma]

Oh Nicole, I'm so glad you finally just came out with it..there were hints, like getting the dogs clipped 2 weeks apart, the Ahren contributing to the food budget comment. It's tough. Who would have ever guessed that we would get to this point in our lives and have to scrimp and worry over money like when we were newlyweds. It's scary and depressing. Your blogs are a big help to me.

I think you got lucky in the hair department, your hair looks great!

I'll too be eager to read the comments on surviving and saving!

[dee mcdonald]

I feel your pain. I gave up my highlights and just get regular color now. Your hair looks so lovely with all those curls. We've been hit hard as well but primarily it's with our retirement so we hope to catch up in the next few years....hope being the key word.
I worked for 14 years in retailing and it remains the perfect place to see the worst in human nature. Somehow you always find yourself being made to feel small for following the rules. Horrible job. Hang in there. I bet there are a lot more people who enjoy your help.

[Maria Stahl]

Your hair is just gorgeous, and you have lovely hands. I'm not a big fan of fake nails so I would probably prefer your hands now.

We are on an austerity plan as well. Hubby got laid off in February with no realistic hope of returning to his current career, so after some rather brief soul-searching, he has decided to go back to college for ANOTHER 4 years and become a nurse. Things aren't bad right now because he is still getting unemployment checks and the first tuition bill hasn't hit yet, but I know it's going to be a very interesting 4 years.

One teeny suggestion I would give you is find someone you can trust to trim your hair, and have it trimmed faithfully every 4-5 weeks. You'll be able to live with it a whole lot better than if you try to let it go altogether. Sooner or later you'll hit critical mass and go in for the Giant Expensive Haircut, or worse, you'll grab a pair of sewing scissors and lop it off yourself. Eek! Keep it trimmed and looking its best in this current style, for your own sanity's sake. Sounds like the burden of family finances will be on your shoulders for awhile; you have to stay sane.

[Chris@catsonmyquilts]

I have had a lifelong dream of having curls like yours! Oh well-that ship has sailed. We are downsizing here too after hubby retired over a year ago. He's working another job now but the paycheck has shrunk significantly. I do my own manicures, I stopped coloring my hair and have gone gray which I get compliments on, BTW, we go out to eat much less, and I have really made and effort to use my stash instead of buying a lot of fabric (except when you're having your fabulous sales)!! So life is still good even if it is a bit altered.

[christine]

your hair and nails are beautiful...I've always wanted curls.

If you wait until your hair can be measured in a 10" pony tail, you can get a free hair cut at participating salons through the Locks of Love hair donation program. They will then use your hair along with others who have made donations and create a wig for a child who has lost their hair.

Then I was also wondering about beauty schools....they must need someone to practice on...perhaps the charge for a hair cut is nominal? just a thought...

[Christine]

Your hair is so pretty and full of body, just like my daughter's! We have had to downsize alot, too. Clipping coupons and shopping sales is a must lately for groceries (they have gotten expensive!) Our annual vacations will be "staycations" for awhile, but the good thing about this is that we've discovered alot of hidden gems in our area that are great for kids and not expensive at all. Be sure to splurge once in a while, though, just to have a little fun. (smile)

[Jackie]

I can't give much tips on saving except that the surplus store is our friend right now. For your curls (I'm naturally curly) bobbi pins are a must and I also use nexxus versastyler. Oh and those days where you can't control them, I just put my hair up in a bun.

[Carol]

OMG I gave up my nails a few months ago...I had them for about 20 years. I didn't think I could ever do it...took a while for them to grow completely out but now they're nice and strong. I actually really like the time I save not going to get them done.
I'm a coupon girl again, like I was when we were first married and when our son was little and I wasn't working. I also watch for the Buy one-Get one Free at our grocery store. Then if I have a coupon (or 2) you can use 2 because you're actually getting 2, sometimes they pay me to take things home. This economy!

[Mary Flynn]

Yesterday was a repeat of Oprah I think..with Suzi Orman. She had some great tips I can share. Two income families should live on 1/2 of what is brought in so if one loses their job they can cope easier and money has been banked. Cell and home phone...don't need both. (unless your home is alarmed -another bill!)
A pedicure is a treat for me, manicures I do myself. I extended my hair cut and color an additional week.
PS...your hands are lovely without those fake nails.

[Lizzie Swinney]

NIcole,

I feel your pain. I work for the state and people think we make a lot of money. WRONG. And now they are cutting our salary by 10%. I am getting rid of things like Netflix, magazine subscriptions. Shopping at the cheap stores for things like toothpaste. I like to think on the positive side... the fourlough days will be used to quilt!

[Kristie]

I 'wish' I had your curls!! Instead I would suffer as a child with foam curlers in my head overnight - Ouch!

We're feeling the economic crunch too... My husband and I own a small IT company and our biggest client is a real estate agency whose sales have plummeted for the past two years. One thing that I've done is start using coupons, both the ones that come as Sunday newspaper inserts and ones that can be printed on the internet.

Do you have a CVS Pharmacy near you? There is a neat way to buy household items for VERY cheap using sales, coupons, and Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) that printout at the end of your register tape. For example, this weekend there was a deal on PaperMate pens. One pack of pens was on sale for $.99 - and it generated a $.99 ECB that is good for my next purchase, making the pens essentially free (except for tax)!

On July 5th I worked my coupons and discounts at CVS and was able to save $106.19 while spending just $9.81 out of pocket - and that included buying two Sunday newspapers! It took five separate transactions, but it was worth my time to save that much $$. And this wasn't for stuff that we don't use... I bought cereal, mayonnaise, pencils, tape, dish detergent, toothpaste, pantyliners, razors and replacement blades, and air fresheners - really! I still have the receipts to prove it! LOL

I learned the system by reading other blogs, like http://www.moneysavingmom.com and http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com. They frequently post tips and tricks as well as different internet coupons that are available. Let me know if you want any more info...

[Darlene]

Downsize & simplify have been words to live by our home for four years and we're so much happier without all the baggage! Ugh!!! I gave up many, many things three years ago when my hubby retired and I don't mind telling you that I'm much happier! I gave up coloring my hair because I discovered that I really love my salt and pepper grey (and I have it cut every six weeks rather every four); never have been a manicure/pedicure girl so that was no biggie; I still drive my Isuzu Rodeo because I don't want the dreaded car payment (got over the new car bug years ago)and the list goes on! You'll be fine!

[Maria Stahl (again)]

Thinking more about this.

I just cut our Netflix subscription down to 1 DVD at a time, unlimited, plus unlimited streaming through our Xbox. With school starting soon, nobody should be watching that many movies anyway.

Some small changes I have made, or am making: Trying to restrain myself from must ordering books on-line and using interlibrary loans instead. (We have a tiny one-room library and so nearly everything I want to read has to come by ILL.) Cutting our cable and just getting our news from the news websites and watching Hulu and Netflix. Grocery shopping at ALDI first, then filling in at a local Wisconsin chain (Woodmans) with great selection but unpretty stores. Buying my and the youngest kid's clothes on eBay. (Seriously. Lots of a bunch of kids' clothes can end up being garage sale prices for name brands.)

I'm also just trying to be wiser with the money we do spend. For graduation gifts this spring, instead of actual gifts or gas cards like I have done in the past, I gave the graduates a (small) check written to the school they are planning to attend. I don't want to fund somebody's drinking binge over the summer, I want to give them something that will last. That has seemed to work quite well. One girl tried to cash hers at the bank and the bank stopped it; a couple of checks are still out there; and I got a stack of rather surprised thank-you notes from kids thanking me for helping them with their college bills.

[Maria Stahl (again)]

"must ordering" was supposed to be "just ordering."

Also if anybody out there has kids going back to school, buy school supplies at the back-to-school sales (and buy a whole year's worth - they won't be that cheap again), but don't buy school CLOTHES. Wait a month. Then they all go on clearance.

[Patty]

We expect to get a notice any day now that DH's company is shutting down. Our retirement plans have shrunk to the point that we will never get to retire completely. Difference between now and back when we were young? We know we will survive it. Doesn't make it any easier though. Miss those days of wild abandon at the fabric store!!! Hate having to count pennies, (sigh)

[Deitra Mixer]

Uhm...You have the most beautiful hair I've ever seen. Seriously.

I started doing my own pedicures with an at-home french pedicure set. Not as glamourous...but it saves a TON of money. :) Also...we love HULU. There's so much free TV out there on the Internet, that we cancelled our Netflix altogether, and cut our TV back to basic cable. And that's really all the sit-on-your-butt-and-numb-your-brain entertainment we need!

[Becky in Georgia]

You have wonderful suggestions in the comments. Simplify seems to be the key. Making do with what we already have is also helpful. We will get out of this crisis. We'll be stronger and better able to cope. Take care! Sorry that your family is experiencing hardships.

Don't remember if you have children. Remember the dogs, not the kids:) Getting my son to economize has been the hardest. He just is not getting it that the $$$ add up. Good luck!

[Lisa D.]

Sorry that the economy is affecting you in this way - we're experiencing the same thing. Everyone is. Hang in there!

Your hair is gorgeous, by the way!

[Robin Chapa]

Your natural nails are GORGEOUS-- the kind I would KILL for! And your hair is amazing... I think it's great to save money & be naturally beautiful at the same time!

I often think that quilt historians will look at things made from this *economical crisis* and notice a lot of scrappy-ness, more hand quilting, more straight line quilting that most of us can manage on our little home machines. More scrappy backs-- all those little traits will be indicative of this sad $$$ era we're in.

The econ. crisis has hit my household big time, too, and we try to "eat in" a lot more to save money. I buy NOTHING that isn't on sale (which is a good rule of thumb anyway) and my new twins keep me at home so I'm not out and about, tempted to spend. Best of luck w/ you and your finances, too! Thanks for all of your fun posts!

[Katy]

First off, I love your natural hair! I wish mine has some wave/curls to it!

We are working to live on just my husband's income, we gave up our home phone, use coupns for everything, haven't gotten my hair cut for about 4 months, and we do the envelope system (getting a certain amount out of the bank at the beginning of the month for groceries, entertainment, restaurants, etc. and thats all we have for that month. No going over, otherwise it comes out of next months budget.)

I have also given myself a budget for fabric each month. If I've spent it all and find something I think I can't live without, I hope it would be there the next month. A lot of will power right there!

Oh, and my husband and I took a Dave Ramsey course (Financial Peace University) that has helped quite a bit! I highly suggest everyone check it out if you get a chance!

[Christine Thomas]

This is beginning to sound like World War II when everyone was rationing and gardening. Everyone shared ideas, tips, and suggestions. And no one is embarrassed to admit they need to economize. It can become a matter of pride to see who can do the best job or do more economizing. We've always lived frugally...maybe the biggest hit was when I quit my job 2 1/2 years ago and we don't travel as much. But that is mainly due to our children and grands moving back to town. I just grocery shop carefully and since I don't work, I don't need to clothes shop the same. We are a blessed family.

I don't do manicures and get my pedicures at the local beauty college (waaaay cheaper.) I really like your hair...but as I understand it...those with curly hair wish it wasn't that way and those with straight hair (me when I was younger) wish it wasn't so. You're lucky...you at least can take a hair dryer to it to straighten it. My short hair does not "curl" prettily. But I am content with it...so I shall not complain. Your nails look nice...maybe a friend could do your nails once in awhile? There you go...trade services.

Thanks for you thoughtful and thought-provoking posts.

[Peggy Lipsey]

You do have really pretty hands and nails and such lovely hair. Hang in there.