I totally overspent during the first week of my cash-only experiment (yes, I really did give up credit cards!) so I drastically scaled back during my second week. My cash outflow was drying up when – BAM! – I had to buy a new mattress. Believe me, it was that or sleep on the couch.
My mattress purchase leaves me with $157 for the month. Unless…I dip into savings to cover the mattress. Here’s how my spending looks so far.
Week 1 spending – $470 (including a pricey snowboarding trip)
Week 2 spending – $40 (just groceries)
Emergency mattress spending – $533
That adds up to $1,043. My target was to spend $1,200 this month.
Loading ...UPDATE: For some reason the poll is not working. We made some tech updates recently on BargainBabe.com so I’m checking to see if those affected the polling features. Hang tight!
The coupons I purchased from TheCouponMaster.com arrived yesterday in the mail, sorted neatly with a receipt for $3.95 ($3.01 worth of coupons plus a $.94 shipping fee). But now that I’m on a spending moratorium I’m not sure if I can use them. In fact, I’m pretty sure I cannot use them.
The problem is 22 of 31 coupons I purchased expire in July. $*%&#!
My spending moratorium puts the kabash on spending money on anything but groceries, basics like rent and utilities, and business expenses.
Three of the coupons are for a legitimate grocery item (ice cream), but the others are all for toiletries, which I often buy at the grocery store on sale but they are not truly grocery items.
My plan – before the moratorium – was to use the coupons at Target, which has really good prices on toiletries. Now I’m stuck between a rock and this friggin’ moratorium, which, until now, I have had no trouble observing!
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Wal-Mart is hiring 22,000 workers across the country, including 1,000 or more workers in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia,” according to a CNN story.
The hirings are significant in lieu of our depressing unemployment rate, which economists predict will rise to 9.2 percent after the economy lost 520,000 jobs last month. That’s a 25-year high!
I’m very conflicted about Wal-Mart. I don’t like to feature their deals on BargainBabe.com because of their checkered past. But I know for many people shopping at Wal-Mart is a way to make ends meet. I “vote” with my dollars and let others do the same. To each their own, right?
Because of the recession, however, I’m wondering if people are applying for and taking jobs they wouldn’t otherwise consider.
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More than 300 readers voted in my poll about which gift card they wanted to win in my email subscriber drive. The top choice – Trader Joe’s – squeezed out a win by three votes! Thank you for participating.
UPDATE: Target is now tied for the No. 1 spot. Because both TJ’s and Target were so popular and because some readers may not have a TJ’s near them, the winners will get to chose if they want a gift card to TJ’s or Target. I think this is the fairest way of handling the situation.
Here is how the subscriber drive works:
1. The drive begins today, May 26, 2009 and ends June 9, 2009.
2. One existing reader who already receives my weekday OR weekly emails will win a $25 gift card to Trader Joe’s. If you already receive my emails, you are automatically entered to win. You do not need to do anything to be eligible. You do not need to email me to double check.
3. One new reader who signs up between May 26 and June 9 to receive my free emails will receive a $25 gift card to Trader Joe’s.
4. Winners will be chosen at random on June 10. I will email those readers to make sure the email address is valid. Readers will have 48 hours to respond. If readers do not respond, alternates will be notified.
5. Winners will be announced on the blog. Gift cards will be mailed to the winners.
Any questions? Leave a comment.
We are focusing a LOT on crafting five-minute pitches for our businesses at the USC News Entrepreneur Boot Camp I am attending this week (hence all the guest posts). But before you can create a five-minute pitch, you need a sizzling 30-second pitch. UPDATE: I’m giving my pitch to four potential funders.
Loading ...Can you think of a better pitch for Bargainbabe.com? Your input makes this site better.
Related posts:
Which 30-second pitch for BargainBabe.com is the best?
Dispatch from boot camp: work smarter
Off to news entrepreneur boot camp
Loading ...What do YOU want for Mother’s Day? Share what’s on your wish list – it may give another reader an idea!
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