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Archive for April, 2009
I am writing this post standing up. Why? Because it hurts to sit down. You see, I have recently been dominated by the P90X; one of the million exercise infomercial products that I would normally mock and laugh at.
However, unlike a magic electro-belt that you plug into the wall until it supposedly vibrates you into shape, the P90X actually makes you want to die from exhaustion. The short of it is, it’s a DVD set of 12 workouts, each an hour long, that you rotate through on a schedule that keeps it 1) lively instead of repetitive, and 2) is better for your muscles than doing the same thing over and over.
Are you wondering how much I got ripped off? It is $120 + $20 shipping online, but I only paid $100 on Craigslist. Sound like a lot for some workout DVDs? Maybe. But it is still less than 2 months of gym membership payments; at least that’s my perspective.
So by doing the P90X I am saving 3 things: money on gym fees and the gas to get there, the time of going to and from the gym, and humiliation from showing off my wussy pasty body to a bunch of strangers grunting in a sweat box.
The P90X. Think about it.
PS: That’s NOT me in the picture, in case you were wondering…
I think by this point in time pretty much everyone know that if you shop around you can find things cheaper online. However, what a lot of people still don’t know is there are a slew of websites dedicated specifically to the best of the best when it comes to deals. You can find these sites by googling “one deal at a time”. The reason they are so cheap is because they typically find the best deals among older, overstocked, and warehouse merchandise and sell it one item at a time.
Below are three of the top “one deal a day” sites. I have seen some amazing stuff out there and have friends who have gotten some killer deals as well (one friend got a brand name ski backpack for $16 off steepandcheap.com).
Check them out; you never know what you will find.
This week, I want to do something a little different. Instead of encouraging people to save money, I want to encourage people to spend money (only if you have the cash on hand and it makes sense of course).
There are several things that keep humans alive, which are at the top of our spending priority list: food, water, and shelter. An iPhone won’t do much for you if you are starving to death and sleeping outside in the snow.
However, there are 2 other “necessities” that, in my opinion, should be labeled as purchase priorities: Shoes and a mattress.
You might be cheap in other areas of your life, or look for ways to cut costs with other purchases (which is great), but buying a nice mattress and a good set of shoes should be essential. When you breakdown your life, you realize that you will spend 1/3 of it lying in bed (8 hrs out of a 24 hr day). The other 2/3rds, if you are not sitting somewhere, you are walking. Not to mention that good shoes can last up to a year and a mattress up to 10 or 20.
So treat yourself nice and spend the extra money when it comes to shoes and a quality mattress, your body will appreciate it. (Note: I am not referring to $200 high heels that actually hurt your body).
The intention behind this post it to provoke thinking about 2 things: simplifying your life and making money. For the most part, those two things can often be paired together.
Often times when someone needs more cash or to get out of debt, one of the best things to do is look around the house for things to get rid of. Downsize a car, sell some furniture, etc. In the old days, this meant a garage sale. Now, it means Craigslist. Or for the lazy (like myself), it means Goodwill. Usually there is less hassle and a quicker turnaround.
Getting rid of things definitely simplifies your life, but giving it to Goodwill doesn’t necessary pay you for it like Craigslist or a garage sale. If you give enough, you can build up a sizeable tax write off. If not, you are just a nice guy giving to charity. Of course, giving to charity is a great way to bless others in need. However, if you happen to be the one in need or you want to make some money back on past purchases, it may not be your best option.
What do you do when getting rid of old stuff?