Rolling The Coins of One's Life, Or Frugality In The Modern Era
Tonight, after running a space heater for a bit, which naturally caused my CD player to start detecting CDs successfully again, I sipped some wine and gathered up three rolls worth of dimes and one roll of nickels, preparatory to depositing them to my account tomorrow. All in all, it took maybe forty minutes, maybe an hour, because I was a bit tipsy. I spent several minutes with my fingers trapped inside the coin rollers, as if they were Chinese finger cuffs. Totally the wine's fault, that: it's not that I'm naturally uncoordinated or anything.
Really.
Even so, you would have to say that accumulating $17 while drinking wine is a pretty good hourly wage.
We'll ignore the fact that this change was mine to begin with, so I wasn't technically earning new money.
We'll also ignore the fact that earlier tonight, in the space of about ten minutes, I spent ten dollars on wine, cookies, and a lottery ticket, and also made an inquiry into a special order at a wine and liquor store that could cost $38 plus taxes.
Those details do not further the story, so shall be omitted.
How many people actually do anything with spare change? Oh, there are the change counters at some banks and at some stores. But how many people just let their change sit there doing nothing? No wonder pennies have been rumored to be on their way out for years. If currency isn't being spent, does it have any value?
I've mentioned before the interesting manifestations I have witnessed of humanity's version of frugality: selling junk food to strangers on a bus, swiping used food off a restaurant's deserted table, etc. What are some of the new details you pay attention to in calculating a budget these days? I've cancelled a subscription to a magazine I never finish reading anyway; I've preemptively cancelled my Amazon Prime membership so it won't renew this fall--shop locally, spend less, I say--Amazon makes it too easy to spend.
I've even gone through my bookshelves to see if there are books that, if I'm honest with myself, I won't ever read again, and that I might be able to trade in to a used book store for credit for other used books (I've found three so far; if you knew my pack rat tendencies when it comes to books, you would be shocked, believe me).
On the flip side, I also spent $18 on the new Green Day CD at a local record store, when I could have bought it for $10 through Amazon, so how frugal am I being? Do I get frugal spirit points for shopping locally? Or at least good karma?
But back to my original point, or my question to my readers, rather: are there any interesting, subtle ways that you have found to be more efficient in your spending these days?
Really.
Even so, you would have to say that accumulating $17 while drinking wine is a pretty good hourly wage.
We'll ignore the fact that this change was mine to begin with, so I wasn't technically earning new money.
We'll also ignore the fact that earlier tonight, in the space of about ten minutes, I spent ten dollars on wine, cookies, and a lottery ticket, and also made an inquiry into a special order at a wine and liquor store that could cost $38 plus taxes.
Those details do not further the story, so shall be omitted.
How many people actually do anything with spare change? Oh, there are the change counters at some banks and at some stores. But how many people just let their change sit there doing nothing? No wonder pennies have been rumored to be on their way out for years. If currency isn't being spent, does it have any value?
I've mentioned before the interesting manifestations I have witnessed of humanity's version of frugality: selling junk food to strangers on a bus, swiping used food off a restaurant's deserted table, etc. What are some of the new details you pay attention to in calculating a budget these days? I've cancelled a subscription to a magazine I never finish reading anyway; I've preemptively cancelled my Amazon Prime membership so it won't renew this fall--shop locally, spend less, I say--Amazon makes it too easy to spend.
I've even gone through my bookshelves to see if there are books that, if I'm honest with myself, I won't ever read again, and that I might be able to trade in to a used book store for credit for other used books (I've found three so far; if you knew my pack rat tendencies when it comes to books, you would be shocked, believe me).
On the flip side, I also spent $18 on the new Green Day CD at a local record store, when I could have bought it for $10 through Amazon, so how frugal am I being? Do I get frugal spirit points for shopping locally? Or at least good karma?
But back to my original point, or my question to my readers, rather: are there any interesting, subtle ways that you have found to be more efficient in your spending these days?
Labels: attention to detail, economics oversimplified, silver linings
posted by Devin at 11:30 PM
2 Comments:
I like the way your mind works. It is reflected in your writing style!
Devin,
I love the image of you rolling coins. Reminds me of watching you shuffle cards (I think you were tipsy then, too).
I'm growing a bit of my own food now. But I'm not sure I'm really saving money yet. The garden plot is $20 per year (not much, if you ask me), the window boxes and baskets, the concrete drill bit (which I totally love), seeds, dirt ... that all adds up too. But, I think I'll start saving money eventually.
I'm also going to pick and freeze A LOT of berries this summer.
I make my own sprouts. You can do it, too; and it's fun:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sprouting-your-own-Sprouts/
I make my own almond milk. But it's such a pain in the bum that I don't do it so much, and I drink a lot more black coffee these days.
I've thought about collecting the lint from the lint traps at the local laundromat, making pillows out of it, and selling them on the beach.
I have a friend who sold duct tape wallets in Santa Monica.
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