The Frugal Lawyer

I Love the Library

2008-05-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, Borders was the devil. I am incapable of going into that store without spending at least $150. I LOVE books. I love buying books. I love putting books on shelves in some sort of anal order that only I understand. I love looking at them. From time to time, I even get around to reading them.

After the last round of purchasing 8 cookbooks and spending $150 (at least some were on sale, right??), I said that the vicious cycle must stop.

So, I got on ye olde internet and I found that there was a library closer than I thought. (I knew there was a really inconveniently located one, but this one is much better.)

I love the library. I love that I can renew my 11 books on frugality online and that I can search for more books on savings online. All very good.

The library is good and it is saving me a fortune. Although I suppose I probably pay for at least a little piece of it through some sort of taxes. But whatever, I love my free books.

Although I did ask for three books for my birthday from The Boy. I still like to snuggle with a few that haven't been in the arms of another.

A Good Haul

2008-05-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

I left work a couple of hours early today because my sinuses are PISSED that I live in the middle of a dust storm. I got home to find three delightful samples.

Quite pleased with these. The Starbucks sample is a nice size. No, I don't drink anything with caffeine, but The Boy does. The little shampoos are perfect travel sizes. Except that I don't have intensely damaged hair. I will try the Acne Stress Control, although I fear it will somehow cause me to break out because my skin only likes precious precious Proactiv.

But, still. Awesome free stuff.

The sensitive poet within me will now describe what it is like to be a frugal lawyer in an occupational field not frequently associated with frugality

2008-05-21T00:53:00.001-07:00

my coworkers laughed
when they saw my coupon book
they did like the tabs

Savings: A Haiku

2008-05-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

When I rob them blind
CVS makes me happy
Extra Care Bucks rock

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

2008-05-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today, I went to the store early and bought my Sunday papers before grocery shopping.

I went through the CVS ad and planned this week's purchases so that I could utilize some coupons and my ECBs from yesterday. The Boy needed razor blades, so I convinced him to switch to a Schick Quattro since they were offering an ECB deal. I also got myself a new razor because it was on sale, I had a decent coupon, it came with 4 blades and it was an ECB deal. I also got four giant tubes of Colgate Advanced toothpaste because they had an ECB deal and I had coupons that were expiring on 5/24.

I applied the ECB from yesterday and a $5/$25 coupon and the grand total was around $5. (I also had a $3 credit from a refund for returning an envelope.) I got another $10 in ECB for next week. I was hoping for more, but I suppose I can't be greedy. I got very good deals. According to the receipt, I saved $34.98.

Then, off to Albertson's. I went for only one reason - Chef Boyardee. The Tiny Petri Dishes like them for lunch on the weekends, so I stock up when I can get a good deal. They were 10/$10, but if you bought $20 of a certain spread of goods, you could get another $5 off. I used my fruit roll ups gift card for $5 off and got 20 cans for $10. I wouldn't eat them, but if they like them, woohoo for bargains.

Then to Smith's. Produce is the devil because it costs a fortune and it sucks since I live in the middle of the desert. I cruised the aisles a bit more than usual and found a few unadvertised sales on some spices that I had new coupons for. I got a handful of other good deals.

Total spent on groceries between Smith's and Albertson's was $98.06. I saved $65.81. Not bad. I have saved more in previous weeks, but I bought a lot more meat this week, so the savings weren't as dramatic as they tend to be with cereal, etc. All of that and I did get two big roasting chickens and a roast and a ton of other stuff. I'm pleased.

Samples Samples and More Samples

2008-05-17T22:54:00.000-07:00

After Ganners suggested Free Stuff Times, I became obsessed with samples. I used to love when my parents would get them in the mail. They are so lovely and small and cute and free. So I have been signing up for all sorts of samples. Lots of great products and they usually come with generous coupons. They have been piling up, so...

Me: Oh, by the way, this is now the sample drawer.
The Boy: We have so many samples that we really need a drawer?
Me: Yes. See? This used to be the Asian drawer, but I combined the Asian drawer with the Valentine's Day drawer.
The Boy: We had a Valentine's Day drawer?
Me: Yes. There are a lot of extra drawers and I don't like when they are empty.

Getting my feet wet in the art of theft at CVS

2008-05-17T22:35:00.001-07:00

When I started this blog, I got a comment from janiejane and I clicked on her link and saw a blog about CVS. I LOVE CVS. I go to CVS more than I like to admit because I'm constantly picking up prescriptions, breathe right strips and mucinex. And it costs me a fortune. And I use that card. And I would forget about my coupons all of the time. But then I saw her blog.

Sweet holy jesus, it is possible to virtually steal from CVS. She leaves the store with bags and bags of loot and pays very minimal out of pocket. I couldn't figure out the method. So, like any OCD lawyer, I began my research. I found a how-to guide on CVS savings. So, I spent a fair amount of time this week studying the ads. Since I'm a first timer, all of the May Extra Care Bucks deals were still available.

When I got there, I had my list and coupons prepared. I had a $5/$25 coupon and a $5 ECB (Extra Care Bucks) coupon from earlier in the week. I also had a $45 gift card that I got from Discover (because I got an extra $5 back for a gift card instead of doing cash back).

I knew it wasn't going to be a super duper cheap trip because I got a scrubbing bubbles shower cleaner thing, but I had a number of coupons for it and there was a deal, so I figured I'd give it a try because I HATE cleaning the shower almost as much as I hate seeds. So I got some Advil (had a coupon) for $1.99, some toothbrushes, some brownie mix, four bottles of body wash that smells really good, some aspirin (pricey, but had a coupon and there was an ECB deal and i take an aspirin a day now since my heart will explode otherwise) and a bar of soap, which I actually needed. (But, instead of cetaphil, I am trying the CVS brand. We'll see how it compares.)

After the gift card and a lot of manufacturer's coupons, I paid $11.54 out of pocket. But the best part was that it spit out a million ECB coupons at the end. for $20.98. So, that's $20.98 that I have to use for the next trip, and of course, another $5/$25. I am excited about the idea that I can spend very little and get nice brands and shower gel that smells really good. (It is red softsoap with the world's most disgusting food and mango scent.)

Since I'm a novice, I didn't understand things well enough to split it into more purchases. I could have saved another $5, I think, by splitting it into another transaction. But i hadn't added well enough in my head before I got to the register. Next time, people, next time.

Another week of grocery shopping

2008-05-11T22:22:00.001-07:00

Except for the Whole Foods incident, I've done quite well with the groceries this week. Total savings of $72.99. Total spent: $115, but I had a gift card, so my out of pocket was around $90. Since I stocked up on so much last week, I didn't have to buy a ton of stuff this week. I did, however, buy 38 bottles of Propel Invigorating. I have no caffeine in my diet, but The Boy loves this kind of Propel. Between both Smith's and Albertson's, I got each bottle for around $.69. Not bad. That should last him a week or so.

I really wish I could find a place to buy inexpensive produce that doesn't suck. Nowhere delivers to this area and the stuff in the stores is overpriced and not always good. Maybe someday.

Whole Foods

2008-05-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

If it's not clear yet, I've got a spending addiction. Like many addicts, I've hit rock bottom and I'm trying to get clean. But, also like many addicts, the world is full of temptation and sometimes, one is just not strong enough to resist.

My two greatest spending temptations: West Elm and Whole Foods. Tonight, for the first time since my spending rehab started, I was faced with one of my temptations and I failed.

You see, due to my boring health issues, I have the world's most annoyingly sensitive stomach, but my intestines are filled with yeast, which we've been attempting to kill with an anti-fungal. In order to stop the yeast from coming back, I have to find a probiotic to replace the good bacteria. The super probiotics from my clinic make me vomit, so that didn't work. The dr told me to find another one or stay on the expensive compound medication forever and ever amen. He recommended Jarrow. I did a search and they have it at Whole Foods.

Crap. That means that I have to go into Whole Foods. I went in with a very specific strategy. I would enter the store, but I would not pick up a carrying device. I would go directly to the probiotics. I would select the probiotic and not look around and get the eff out of dodge.

But when I walked in, I saw that the Wild Oats canned goods were on sale. Just like Ganners said they would be. CRAP. only $.49!!!! The Tiny Girl LOVES green beans. I had to buy at least a dozen cans. I went back and got a basket, but then it was heavy, so I got a cart. So easy to push through their beautifully merchandised aisles...

Before I knew it, I was in the produce section. It's all so ripe and luscious and smells like heaven... I got out of there as fast as I could. Then there are raw nuts in bulk, unlike my ghetto ass grocery stores. So I had to pick up some pumpkin seeds for the Everything Nuts that The Boy likes. And then I saw coupon books, so I took 5. They contained no deals.

Then, the unthinkable happened. The Boy called. He was taking the Tiny Boy and the Tiny Girl to dinner and I was responsible for feeding myself. The world's most delicious and expensive salad bar was taunting me... Along with my favorite supermarket sushi with brown rice... CRAP CRAP CRAP. But I needed dinner, right? Shit. You know what happened. I took that paper salad box and filled it with divine veggies that are no different than the ones I can cut myself but they ARE DIFFERENT because they are from WHOLE FOODS and they come in SPECIAL PAPER SALAD BOXES. And they have artichoke hearts. I don't have artichoke hearts at home. DIFFERENT.

Even though I'm not supposed to eat sugar, I just wanted to look at the desserts because they looked so pretty and I like to look at beautiful pastries. Then a tiny cheesecake grew wee bitty pastry legs and lept into my cart! As if anyone could reject just an aggressive treat! SOLD.

Ready to leave. CRAP. Still need a probiotic. Holy hell. Do you know how many probiotic choices they have at Whole Foods? Apparently, that shit comes in refrigerated and non-refrigerated versions. I thought there would be, like, two to choose from. I picked one that looked like it had lots of ingredients and threw it in the cart. It wasn't cheap. Oh no. Nothing at Whole Foods is...

Then, I figure I'm safe. I'm in line. They don't have Hershey bars or red gum, so I figured I was safe. BUT they had adorable reusable bags MADE FROM RECYCLED WATER BOTTLES. And they are beautiful colors. And I NEED reusable grocery bags or the earth will shrivel up and DIE. I can't be responsible for killing the earth. So I bought five since they seemed like a true bargain at a mere $.99. Plus, it is totally cooler to advertise Whole Foods when I'm in Smith's as opposed to Walmart who has bags for the same price.

I spent $63. Nothing was on sale. NOTHING. I feasted on my WAY OVERPRICED but very DELICIOUS salad and sushi. That cheesecake was ... sweet jesus, it was good.

Wait, the green beans were on sale. I got green beans on sale, so it's okay, right???

Whole foods broke me. Back to one day clean. I'll be better this weekend. I promise. I'm sorry to disappoint you... I can't go to Henderson for a while. I'm not ready to be anywhere near West Elm. I'm still too weak....

For Jo Ann and Everyone Else Who Loves Saving Money

2008-05-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

When I first tentatively dipped my feet into the cold ocean of trying to save money, I posted to my other blog. One of my favorite equaintances (that's the word I thought I made up to describe my internet friends, but it seems someone else thought of it before, so I can't take credit) commented on the original post and gave me the best links on earth to help me with my quest. I am reposting those comments here rather than linking. I am going to attempt to make sure these format properly since Blogger wants to be an asshole about things. My own comments follow in all caps to indicate what I've tried.

From Ganners:
I am a coupon whore. I make no apologies. My friends think that I am nuts as we make a healthy salary. I am Italian, we do not pay retail.

Here are some of my favorites:
1. www.freestufftimes.comI get at least one free sample every other day. Anything from lotion to laundry detergent to free dvd rentals. Yes, all free...and $0.00 and you usually get a coupon for a future purchase. [I ADORE THIS SITE. I CHECK IT TWICE A DAY JUST TO MAKE SURE I HAVEN'T MISSED SOMETHING. THEY LINK TO THE WALMART SAMPLES PAGE A LOT, SO I ALSO BOOKMARKED THAT. I HATE GOING INTO WALMART, BUT I WILL GLADLY TAKE THEIR SAMPLES.]

2. www.retailmenot.comAnytime you buy anything online check them for a coupon code. A close second is http://www.couponcabin.com/ [I DECIDED TO SUBSCRIBE TO COOKS ILLUSTRATED BECAUSE I AM SLOWLY BECOMING OBSESSED WITH AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN. I GOT A CODE FROM RETAIL ME NOT AND GOT THE SUBSCRIPTION FOR A MUCH MORE REASONABLE PRICE. HAVE NOT TRIED COUPON CABIN YET.]

3. http://www.entertainment.com/ Buy a book. You can even get a coupon code at #2 for a discount on a coupon book! You will find new places to eat at, dry cleaning coupons, clothing store, flowers...a ton of stuff [IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, YOU CAN GET THEM FOR $9.99 RIGHT NOW AND THAT'S WITHOUT A CODE. MIGHT BE EVEN CHEAPER WITH ONE. I'VE ALREADY SAVED ENOUGH USING THEM TO PAY FOR THE BOOK. IF YOU GO TO THE MOVIES AT A REGAL CINEMA, IT IS A STEAL.]

4. http://www.savvycoupons.com/ Click on "my local" print them and go eat cheap

5. Get the Sunday paper There is a crap load of coupons in there. Just don't get caught up in the excitement of coupons and buy crap you would never purchase otherwise. [A TIP THAT I GOT FROM ROBIN - GET THE SUNDAY PAPER AT YOUR DOLLAR STORE. SHE MENTIONED TO ME THAT SHE CAN GET THE PHILLY PAPER 2/$1 ON MONDAYS. I GO ON SUNDAY AND GET IT FOR $.99. IT IS REGULARLY $2.50. I BUY TWO AND I AM STILL SAVING MONEY.]

6. Take time and shop your auto and home insurance. If you find a better deal be sure to check with your current company for possible hidden penalties for cancelling, rather than non renewing

7. If you have a savings account you contribute to or want to start one check out www.ing.com go find a coupon code and they pay you between $25 and $45 for opening a savings account and they pay a dang good % of interest. [I HAVE BEEN USING ING FOR YEARS AND I LOVE THEM.]

8. If you really want to be a budget natzi on stuff buy yourself a giftcard for the month. Once it is used up you are done. I do it for coffee places to keep me in line. Amex & Citi have a program where you get 2% back on gift card purchases.

9. Get an email address for signing up for offers from companies. It generates spam so you do not want it on your primary email. On every bag of drastically expensive cat food I save at least $8 for the Iams emails. [I DID THIS AND I USE THE SPAM ADDRESS FOR EVERYTHING ONLINE NOW. IT HAS CLEANED MY INBOX ON MY PERSONAL ACCOUNT, WHICH I LOVE AND I KNOW THAT I WILL BE BOMBARDED WITH SPAM IN THE NEW ONE. DOESN'T BOTHER ME AT ALL. I'VE GOTTEN SOME GREAT COUPONS EMAILED TO ME.]

10. www.coolsavings.com has good coupons to print http://www.couponmom.com/ --this lady will teach you how to make money by shopping at the drugstore for what you already buy.

11. Go to the websites of brands you love and look for coupons. Go to you grocery store website and look for coupons.

12. Got gift cards you will never use? Want to buy some for way less than face value??http://www.cardavenue.com/ http://www.plasticjungle.com/ http://www.stargiftcardexchange.com/ http://www.easycardexchange.com/ you can also look on http://www.craigslist.org/

13. Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens & Things accept each other's coupons AND you can use as many at one time as you want AND they even take expired coupons. The fancy BB&B carries my expensive hair care stuff, Pureology and Back to Basics. No where else can you get it at a discount.

Okay, this shit is too long for a comment post. Whatever. Saving money is a passion. I have saved over $2,000 this year. My New Year's resolution was to keep a coupon diary to add it up. Keep at it....we work too damn hard for our money to waste it.
Posted by: Ganners April 11, 2008 at 08:19 PM

Crap....I forgot one of the best.
http://www.restaurant.com/ You can buy gift certificates for a few dollars. If you sign up for an email from them to save even more or go to retailmenot.com for a current code. You can get $25 certificates for $4.00. I know....insane.
Posted by: Ganners April 12, 2008 at 03:16 PM

My Hair Looks Like Crap

2008-05-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

For those unfamiliar with my other blog, I am a little bit obsessive (and maybe a little bit compulsive) (should be sung to the tune of Donny & Marie). Some of my obsessions include:

red gum, preferably red stride or dentyne fire

shoes, preferably red, shiny, skinny heeled and painful

books, preferably funny or full of recipes

my two stupid cats (I'm sorry, but they are NOT smart, but I love them so)

Subway

my hair

My hair is one of the problems with the whole frugal lawyer thing. I am obsessed with it. I like the girl that does it. In fact, I have no intention of changing. Here's the thing, it's so not the frugal thing to do. The cut is almost $100. The color is $120 each time. Then add the tip. It's not an inexpensive trip. I am trying to go really infrequently, but my hair looks like crap. My re-growth (because roots is no longer the PC term, I hear) is gross. It's doing the weird flip thing that happens when it needs to be cut.

So, rather than tend to it, I'm going to wait another five weeks and get it done at Arcs. I'm going to whine and kick and scream to save the money.

I can say with certainty that I am not giving up the hair. I'll go to work in a towel tied back with some ripped up bath towels before I have unattractive hair. I am trying to be frugal, but I still have priorities.

How I Got Myself Into This Mess

2008-05-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

The same way most people do - I lived beyond my means and did so for years. I have what seems like the largest mountain of debt on earth. I know I can get things to a more manageable level, but with an onslaught of medical costs, it seems impossible right now. I've got a budget and the area that I can trim the most right now is the cost of groceries, so that's where I've been concentrating my energies. I've cut my groceries bills almost in half within a couple of short weeks. Yay me.

By the way, for any newcomers. The mountain of debt is approximately $167,000 of unsecured debt. Yes, I have a house and a car, but those things aren't counted here.

Things purchased with that money:

Law school education
Closet full of shoes that make my toes numb
Assloads of medicine and supplements
My eternal gratitude to my grandparents who saved me from bankruptcy and/or foreclosure when I couldn't sell the house I owned with my ex-husband when the Vegas housing market began to crumble a couple of years ago
Amazingly beautiful hair
Countless dinners at fine dining eateries
Paintings that I haven't gotten around to hanging
So, so many books (many of which I have never touched but HAD TO HAVE)

The list goes on and on. Right now, the only thing that goes onto my credit cards is medical expenses because I, quite simply, cannot afford them without incurring more debt. If you want the back story on the medical stuff, see the other blog. It is critical and necessary that I take care of my health now because I fear what will happen if I don't. But those costs have definitely created fear and panic about how I will continue things.

I do realize that I am lucky and I make a great salary. It is frightening to think that I am struggling to make things work right now. Which is why I am trying to change my behavior now, before it gets any worse.

Here's the story

2008-05-04T15:11:00.001-07:00

I've got this other blog. I post about all sorts of things, including my cats, red gum, my life and my health. Recently, I've been posting a lot about my quest to save money. Honestly, I've become completely obsessed with savings recently. Segregating those posts to a new blog is a gift to my dear friends and family who just don't want to hear another word about my coupon clipping obsession.