Another Option

Whenever I try to explain the concept of the eBooks we sell at Frugal Living Press, I get one of two reactions: Most people seem intrigued with the idea of a book you can buy online, download, and either print out or just read on your computer monitor. Others squint one eye and curl one corner of their lips and generally say something like, “What an odd concept.”

I was interviewed the other day by a reporter for the Web site of a well known, national organization—I can’t tell you which one until the article’s published—and after I explained the concept of eBooks to him, he placed himself squarely in the “odd concept” category, because, he said, “I like to read in bed, and I can’t imagine taking a bunch of printed pages to bed with me. It just wouldn’t be comfortable. It wouldn’t seem like a ‘book.’”

I was forced to come up with a favorable, positive response; I certainly couldn’t let the interview hang on that last, negative utterance. Besides, he’s right. I might as well ‘own’ that fact. Pride and Prejudice they’re not.

“Our eBooks really aren’t the type of books you take to bed,” I admitted. “They’re quick, to-the-point, how-to books that probably are not in the nocturnal reading category.

“Take Shrewd Shopping, for example. That’s the kind of book that you leave on your desk by your computer so that when you’re shopping online, it will be there for reference. Or Real Food, Real Cheap: You might want to underline food-shopping suggestions and make notes in the margins and take the appropriate pages with you when you go to the grocery store. But printing out our eBooks and taking them with you to read in bed before you fall asleep? Probably not.”

And our latest eBook, Frightfully Frugal Halloween, well, obviously it’s not a barnburner that you’d cuddle with on a rainy day, but it is certainly chock full of party, costume and food ideas that can help you save some cash while having fun with your family and friends on a very popular holiday.

I don’t think electronic downloadable books in PDF format will ever replace “real” books. At least, I hope not. I’m told that the latest version of Kindle will download PDF files, which would be a real boon to those of us who sell only digital books.

Holding a book and reading each page before the physical act of turning to the next one is something I savor, something I look forward to at the end of each day, or while sitting in a coffee shop or out on my porch. Pages from a printer or an electronic book device will never replace the feel of a real book. We acknowledge that. But we’re not trying to replace “real” books; we’re just adding another option, one that, we think anyway, is completely appropriate for the type of information we offer.—Carol Wiley Lorente

Long-Lasting Effects

Not long ago, we were, as usual, bemoaning the fact that we were all feeling a financial pinch like we’ve never felt before. We all agreed that, when this Recession is over and we’re making some money again, we are going to save every dime that isn’t nailed down for life’s necessities. Everything else is going to go into a savings plan so that, if the economy ever dives again in our lifetimes, we would be more prepared than we were this time.

Most Americans think the lessons learned from this Recession will be long-lasting: According to a recent Time survey, 61 percent of the people surveyed indicated that, when the hardship is over and good financial times return, they’ll continue to spend less than they did before the Recession.

One fascinating finding is that the intention to live more frugally can be divided along age lines. According to a New York Times survey, the majority of younger Americans surveyed said spending less will be a permanent result of the Recession. Older people surveyed tend to believe we’ll return to our pre-Recession ways of spending once the financial crisis has passed. Although older people tend to be more conservative, the New York Times survey suggests that older Americans more than likely feel this way because they have seen the Great Depression and a few recessions come and go, and they believe that good times eventually follow bad. Perhaps this Recession has spawned a generation that will be more similar in their spending habits to their Depression-era grandparents than their 1950s parents.

The resolve to handle finances differently and live more frugally resonates throughout the results of the Time survey: Although nearly half of those surveyed saw their economic status decline in the past year—and although 57 percent believe the American Dream is “harder to achieve”—56 percent believe “America’s best days are ahead.” In the meantime, more people are growing and canning vegetables, making chicken soup instead of buying cold medicine, taking vitamins, buying less bottled water, visiting the public library, and putting time and effort into looking for discounts (23 percent say they are starting to haggle over prices).

Though we tend to believe that hard financial times contribute to domestic problems, the Time survey results show just the opposite: A third of those surveyed said they have been spending more time with family and friends, and four times more people said their relationships with their children have improved than say they’ve gotten worse.

“A consumer culture invites us to want more than we can ever have; a culture of thrift invites us to be grateful for whatever we can get,” the Time article goes on. “So we pass the time by tending our gardens and patching our safety nets and debating whether, years from now, this season will be remembered for what we lost, or all that we found.”—Carol Wiley Lorente

"I'm so frugal that...."

I’m so frugal that:

You knew it was coming, right? Our economy isn’t out of the woods yet, and may not be for some time, but that does not mean that we have to walk around with long faces and wringing our hands 24/7. This is one of the best times to learn from one another about how to be frugal without depriving ourselves.

Alice, Carol and I were reminiscing about our frugal parents and grandparents, and how we learn from preceding generations. It’s true that we don’t just learn frugality; there are many, many lessons our families hand down but for the sake of today’s topic, let us share these “I’m so frugal that” tips with you, our readers:

From Carol, who says, “I’m so frugal that:”

· Our dinner menu is determined by what’s on sale at the market. If chickens are on a twofer, then we’re having chicken.
· I do not buy processed food. In the long run, it is not cheaper than real food to your wallet, to your waistline or to the environment.
· We cook almost every meal at home.
· My husband and I eat meatless meals several times a week.
· I am an admitted trash picker. I get a huge kick out of finding something useful in some else’s trash. Over the years, I have scored, among many other things: a perfectly good wicker coffee table, a practically new infant seat, an antique table, a vacuum cleaner (it lasted for 25 more years), and two radiator covers. The radiator covers alone saved us around $900.
· When the strap on one of my Skechers broke off, I cut off the strap on the other shoe so they would match.
· I wash out plastic food storage bags and reuse them.
· My husband and I bathe the dog and clip her nails ourselves instead of paying a doggie salon to do it. Plus, Doggie is going to be vacationing at a friend’s house instead of a kennel the next time we leave town. In return, I’ll be baking for our friend.
· I have rediscovered the public library. When I do have to buy a book, I always buy a used version if I can find one.
· When I renew my cell phone contract, I always take the free phone.
· When my husband and I go to the movies, we see the second-run shows at the discount movie theater for $5.

From Alice, who is so frugal that,

· I freeze my bread and only take out as much as I will use in a day. For one person, this saves because bread gets moldy after a few days.
· I make empty boxes into cat beds, and when they get dirty (or too full of hair) I just recycle and put a new one down.
· I carry a protein bar in my bag at all times so I am not tempted to eat “fast food” if I am out and get hungry. I carry bottles of water in my car for the same reason.
· I used the suggestions in Margi’s “PAWS” For Savings eBook for cat toys.

Thanks to Carol and Alice for the frugal tips, but we would love to hear from you. Please let us know what you do to save money, time, energy—it doesn’t matter; if you’re frugal, we all want to hear about it!

Posted by Margi L. Washburn

Practicing What I Preach.

In my book, Shrewd Shopping, and in my class for senior citizens at the local community college, I talk about how to get deals over the Internet. Sometimes I need to remember to practice what I preach.

Yesterday, I was diagnosed with fast-growing cataracts. I need new eyeglasses, but they might not help after three to six months because the cataracts are growing so quickly. The prospect of buying new glasses was upsetting enough, but the thought that I’d have to buy another pair in a few months was doubly discouraging. Eyeglasses can cost hundreds of dollars, which is why people make do with the glasses they have. I can’t “make do,” because mine are no longer helping at all.

My business partner had once bought glasses from Zennioptical.com for $35, which makes total sense: When you don’t have to deal with insurance companies, medicine (from Canada) and medical supplies can be found online at prices that are a fraction of the cost elsewhere. So I checked out a few: Sears and Pearle Vision came to around $259 for bifocals, including frames. Zennioptical.com came to a bit over $60 and also included bifocals and frames.

Then I remembered to practice what I preach: I went to my old standby, Ebates.com, typed in “eyeglasses” under “product search,” and two websites came up: VisionDirect.com and EyeBuyDirect.com.

VisionDirect.com offered a 10 percent e-coupon and 5 percent cash-back, but when I went to the site, I found that the savings and rebate were just for contact lenses. EyeBuyDirect.com offered a 20 percent-off e-coupon with 7 percent cash-back, which totaled 27 percent off the $52 price, or $46.55. And, I still get $0.36 in my rebate check from Ebates.com.

It’s easy to purchase eyeglasses online. At an online optical shop, click through the pictures of eyeglass frames to find one you like at the price you like. Although you obviously can’t try on the frames, each frame does have a measurement, and the online optical shops explain how to select frames that fit. The more bells and whistles you add to your eyeglasses, the more they will cost. For example, tinted lenses cost more than untinted; progressive bifocals cost more than lined lenses; and antireflective coatings and such are also going to add a few dollars.

You must have your eyeglass prescription, and you need to know the distance between your pupils (the “PD”); if you’re buying progressive bifocals, you’ll need the PD for each. (You are entitled to your prescription and PD measurement from your eye examiner.) If you’re buying single-vision lenses and your prescription does not show the PD, ask someone to measure the distance between the pupils as you look straight ahead. Just plug all the information from the prescription into the online form, and—voilà!—you’ve just ordered eyeglasses at quite a discount, and they will be shipped to you. It takes about two weeks.

Lesson learned: Practice what I preach!—Alice Rose Kieft