Random Money Thoughts and Tightwad Gazette III

Today I am sitting on my back porch as a way of avoiding the housework I must do today.  Well, I'm not avoiding it, just delaying it.  As I sit here I made a list of the things that were on my mind. 
Here they are:

1. Desk. Need a desk for my son to put in the den next to my desk. He’s been using my desk and it doesn’t work to share. I will have him use a card table until I find a used desk.. Solves two problems – will he really use a desk of his own and and if we decide this is a need, he can use the card table until we find a used desk.

2. New workout shoes. I wore my workout shoes on vacation as we did a lot of walking but Curves insists on wearing “clean” shoes when you work out. I can’t afford new shoes. Instead I will clean them off with all purpose cleaner after my evening walk and will be able to take them to Curves instead of buying another pair.

3. I need to clip and organize my coupons as I grew lax over the past few weeks between graduation and vacation.

4. Bike more. Yes, gasoline has gone down in price but at $3.39 a gallon it still is high by any standard. I’m biking places now. The bike basket I bought over two years ago doesn’t fit my bike and is collecting dust. Instead of ordering a new one on line perhaps there is some way I can make it work by “remaking” it.

5. I need to get rid of more clothes so I can make room for some of my new sewing creations.

6. I need to make a list of items to sew for Christmas presents so I can do a little bit at a time. One idea for gifts is to make kitchen valances out of different holiday fabrics that I have found on sale throughout the year. I have the following theme fabric: Valentine's Day, Easter, Patriotic, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

7. Price Book – my dream would be to own a tablet computer and put my price book on that, but not on an austerity budget. I need to re-organize and re-do my Price Book and put it in the old fashioned way – a small notebook – to fit my purse. I have everything in Excel but I am finding prices are really starting to vary from Wal-mart store brand items to other grocery store brands. I can no longer rely on memory. Prices are changing constantly and I am struggling to figure out the best price for meat. There is power and money to be saved by updating this tool.

I have read the reading for today for the Tightwad Gazette III and will post it this evening.  I am surprised that after 2 books Amy is still giving great advice and it is not just a repeat of prior books.  You will love going through this book with me.