The Latte Effect: When Financial Changes May Be a Little Late

My article posted on savingadvice on 7/28/08:

It was recently announced in the news that Starbucks will be closing over 600 stores due to a phenomenon nicknamed “The Latte Effect.” This basically describes the actions people often take when economic times are tough and money is tight, which includes cutting back on extra expenses like coffee, manicures and hair treatments. While some people may be able to relate to this new trend, I personally don’t relate to it at this point in time. This is because I’ve been cutting back on these things for years and tough economic times have really not had an effect on me in this area.

A few years ago when the economy was strong and people seemed to be spending money like crazy, my husband and I got serious about paying off our debt. While doing so, we decided that extra expenses (like coffee and beauty treatments) would be a once in a while treat rather than a regular occasion. Once we paid off all our debt, we decided to continue our way of spending, as in spend less than we make so we could save and invest. With an extra $1000 a month of income that exceeded our bills, we decided to save that money rather than spend it.

You can read the rest at http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2008/07/29/102222_the-latte-effect-when-financial-changes-may-be-a-little-late.html.

Summer Fun on a Budget

This article of mine was posted on savingadvice on 8/1/08:

Summer is already half way over, but you still have at least one more month of fun in the sun to enjoy (depending on where you live). So whether you’ve already maxed out your summer budget, or are simply looking for some inexpensive activities to fill the rest of your summer with, here are some ideas to get you started.

Camping
Camping is a summer staple for many families because it remains an inexpensive alternative to an expensive vacation spent in a hotel. By camping somewhere relatively close to your home and sleeping in a good old fashioned tent instead of an RV, you can take your family camping while keeping the costs to a minimum (mainly camping fee, food and gas). If you don’t have camping gear, borrow some from a friend!

Picnics
Especially when children are home from school all summer, eating at home can be boring. Make the inexpensive option of eating food from the fridge vs. eating out more fun by taking your food from home to a park and eating it there. All you need is a blanket and some plastic silverware (or even regular silverware if you don’t mind doing the dishes). Add a Frisbee or some kind of outdoor game and you have a fun date with your kids- or your spouse even! Even if you don’t have kids it can be fun to spend some quality time with your spouse and get back to your childhood roots by playing Frisbee. I have a friend who keeps a blanket and a Frisbee in the trunk of her car for impromptu picnics anytime!

You can view the rest of the article at http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2008/08/01/102223_summer-fun-on-a-budget.html