by Jaime Thompson on August 31, 2010
Getting ready to shop the upcoming holiday weekend sales? Maybe you’ve already been busy with back to school shopping. Have you ever thought to calculate how many hours of work those dollars spent just cost you? It’s a powerful tool that might make you step back and reevaluate how you shop and what you buy. I’m sure you have an idea of your gross salary, but lets look at what you actually take home after Uncle Sam, health insurance, and your 401k among other things take their share. Go and get your most recent pay stub. It’s in your organized file cabinet, right? Divide your take home pay by the number of hours the paycheck covers. What did you come up with?
Lets say your result is $20 per working hour. So now we’ll apply that to your purchasing power. Your $6 a weekday morning coffee and muffin habit means you have to work an hour and a half to pay for it. The $60 video game, 3 hours. Those must have designer jeans at $200 a pair cost you 10 hours at work. $460 car payment is 23 hours in the office. That one payment is over half a week of a typical work week and we still need a place to live and food to eat.
Want another view? Include the hours you spend commuting to and from work and any other work related activities you do outside of the hours that paycheck covers. Sadly, that $20 just dropped even lower. This isn’t a way to shame you into not spending your money, just a tool that might make you think about how hard you really work to make that purchase. Remember it’s not just a dollar amount, but your precious time spent working to earn that dollar.
Photo: Time Card by flickr user TheGoogly, used under CC license
by Jaime Thompson on August 28, 2010
We all know by now we should be using compact fluorescent light bulbs, unplugging electronics and appliances that aren’t in use, washing our clothes in cold water, and adjusting our thermostats when we aren’t home. These will all help save us money every month on our utility bills and it’s just better for our earth. But what other ways can we be green in our lives and help us keep more money in our pockets?
Some retailers will pay you to recycle! Office Depot and Staples offer a store credit for every ink or toner cartridge you recycle with them. M.A.C. cosmetics will give you a free lipstick when you return 6 of their primary packaging containers. Recyclingforcharities.com allows you to recycle electronics such as cell phones, cameras, and PDAs. You select the charity you want your unused product to benefit and then you can take a tax deduction (assuming you itemize your tax returns).
Another great idea is Freecycle.org where you can find items other people no longer need and get them for free! No, you aren’t going to find a brand new stainless steel fridge, but if you want to try your hand at camping, you can probably find someone who has an old tent lying around that they no longer use. In fact, it’s a great way to help clear out some things you no longer need but are still in usable condition. After all, we want to enjoy life, not just a garage full of clutter.
(Photo credit aussiegall)
by Derek Sisterhen on August 11, 2010
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Past Due: Radio 118 – KISS Your Way To Happiness
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“Back to basics.” That’s what researchers are seeing in Americans in the wake of the Great Recession. Some people are taking it to extremes: Tammy Strobel and her husband Logan moved into a 400-square foot apartment and only allow themselves 100 items.
They’re also debt free and can work very flexible schedules because their cost of living is so low.
Today we talked about how relationships with others provide the most happiness to human beings, and how to overcome the financial obstacles that stand in the way.
Today’s Mentionables:
RowdyKittens.com – Tammy Strobel’s blog documenting the simple life she and her husband now lead
TheDailyGreen.com – Jeff Yeager posts as the Green Cheapskate
Get Naked: Stripping Down to Money & Marriage – my latest book has just been published!
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by Derek Sisterhen on July 21, 2010
Getting ready to shop the upcoming holiday weekend sales? Maybe you’ve already been busy with back to school shopping. Have you ever thought to calculate how many hours of work those dollars spent just cost you? It’s a powerful tool that might make you step back and reevaluate how you shop and what you buy. I’m sure you have an idea of your gross salary, but lets look at what you actually take home after Uncle Sam, health insurance, and your 401k among other things take their share. Go and get your most recent pay stub. It’s in your organized file cabinet, right? Divide your take home pay by the number of hours the paycheck covers. What did you come up with?
