Chainsaw Safety Class And Other March 2022 Expenses

After my enthusiastic foray into newbie ski classes earlier this yr, I’ve now signed up for SOMETHING EVEN MORE DANGEROUS: a newbie chainsaw security class. I can’t say I’m excited about it, however I’m wanting ahead to growing this ability. We stay in a spot the place a chainsaw is a necessity and utilizing one safely is paramount (assuming, you realize, you need to retain all of your limbs). We’ve gotten by these previous six years with Mr. Frugalwoods as our lone chainsawer (chainsawyer?), however my time to study has come.

Final month a large tree fell throughout our driveway, which after all I didn’t uncover till I used to be driving the youngsters to highschool within the morning. I hopped out of the truck to see if I might roll the tree off the driveway, which was a pleasant joke I performed on myself. The factor was monumental. A chainsaw was the one possibility and my husband was sick in mattress.

So we trudged again dwelling and…. he needed to go away his sickbed to return noticed this factor out of our means. I used the log peavy to roll the bucked rounds into the woods, however he needed to do the sawing himself. It actually hit dwelling for me how not-independent I’m within the occasion of a downed tree. Whereas I by no means imagined being an individual who wanted to take a chainsaw course, that’s in truth who I’m. The category is later this month and I’ll let you know the way it goes. Assuming I nonetheless have fingers sufficient to sort.

Come Hear Me Speak…. TODAY!

I’m talking on a panel at this time (Friday, April eighth) on the on-line Mamas Talk Money: The Legacy You Leave convention at 1:30pm ET. For those who’re keen on attending this three-day on-line convention (which you haven’t missed but–it begins at this time!), it can save you $5 off the $49 ticket worth by utilizing the coupon code FRUGALWOODS. Go here to get your ticket and register to attend. I hope to see you there!

Different Purchases of Be aware

The Dentist!

Now that we’re on the ACA, we now not have dental insurance coverage and are paying out-of-pocket for our dental visits. Since we anticipated this, I known as all of our native dentists to search out out their out-of-pocket costs for cleanings and exams and got here up with some wildly divergent outcomes. Ultimately, our current dentist has probably the greatest costs I discovered and, since we’re very completely happy there, we determined to remain. But it surely was an ideal reminder to me to ALWAYS comparability store. For the whole lot. Even for belongings you wouldn’t consider comparability purchasing for, just like the dentist! Costs should not created equal.

A Neck Massager!

Okay I swore I’d by no means purchase one other certainly one of these, BUT certainly one of my BFFs purchased one and had me strive it out once I was at her home for lunch at some point and… my life was modified. So modified, in truth, that I violated my very personal 72-hour ready interval and ordered one which very day. This factor is that good. What separates this massager from massagers I’ve had prior to now are the arm/hand slots. It has little pockets on your fingers, which you should utilize to steer it round your neck and shoulders whilst you sit on the sofa watching the Ali Wong comedy particular, consuming boxed white wine. For instance.

A Bathing Suit!

Mr. FW chainsawing final month’s driveway tree

To proceed my yr of studying new (and reasonably harmful) issues, my associates and I need to study stand-up paddle boarding this summer time. In imagining myself on prime of a paddle board (which I’ve but to supply… ) with the solar beating down, I wished to discover a UPF-protection long-sleeved swim shirt.

I started researching and realized that almost all/all of those shirts do not need, ahem, chestal-region basis clothes sown into them. They’re simply plain outdated shirts and you need to purchase one other bathing swimsuit prime to go beneath. This appeared like a uncooked deal and in addition like it could be uncomfortable.

Thus, I acquired the concept to analysis moist fits. Two minutes into that analysis, I realized that “actual” wetsuits are $900. Additionally they’ve lengthy pants, which I don’t need. Nor do I would like bikini bottoms or quick shorts. So then I researched fake wetsuits and came up with this one, which has the whole lot I would like:

• Lengthy sleeves
• Made from a sturdy materials
• Sown-in chestal-region basis (no must put on something beneath it)
• UPF 50+ solar safety
• Knee-length shorts, which I recognize for some actual apparent causes

I nonetheless really feel type of silly sporting it as a result of I’m (clearly) not a surfer, however I do suppose it’s going to essentially snug for paddle boarding and sitting within the sand with my children. TBD. Haven’t worn it but; there’s nonetheless snow on the bottom.

I Love the Free Expense Tracker from Private Capital!

I exploit a free on-line service known as Personal Capital to maintain observe of our cash: our spending, our internet value, our investments, our retirement–the whole lot.

Did I hear you haz a neck massager? I gots a neck!

Monitoring bills is likely one of the finest–and best–methods to get a deal with in your funds. You completely, positively can not make knowledgeable choices about your cash should you don’t understand how you’re spending it or how a lot you could have. For those who’d wish to know extra about how Private Capital works, check out my full write-up.

With out a holistic image of how a lot you spend each month, there’s no technique to set financial savings, debt reimbursement, or funding objectives. It’s a should, people. Private Capital (which is free to use) is a good way for me to systematize our monetary overviews because it hyperlinks all of our accounts collectively and gives a complete image of our internet value.

For those who’re not monitoring your bills in an organized style, you may think about trying Personal Capital (be aware: the Private Capital hyperlinks are affiliate hyperlinks). 

Credit Playing cards: How We Purchase Every thing

We purchase the whole lot we are able to with bank cards as a result of:

1. It’s simpler to trace bills. No guesswork over the place a random $20 invoice went; all of it exhibits up in our month-to-month expense report from Personal Capital. I additionally spend much less cash as a result of I KNOW I’m going to see each expense listed on the finish of the month.

2. We get rewards. Bank card rewards are a easy technique to get one thing for nothing. Via the playing cards we use, we get cash back in addition to hotel and airline points only for shopping for stuff we had been going to purchase anyway.
3. We construct our credit score. Since we don’t have any debt, having a number of bank cards open for a few years helps our credit score scores. It’s a unclean delusion that carrying a stability in your bank card helps your credit score rating–IT DOES NOT. Paying your playing cards off IN FULL each month and conserving them open for a few years does assist your rating.

For extra on my bank card technique, take a look at:

Money Again Playing cards to Think about

For those who’re now money again curious, there are a selection of playing cards in the marketplace proper now that supply fairly good money again percentages. Listed here are a number of I’ve discovered that I believe are a superb deal:

Awww ski season is over 🙁

1) Blue Cash Preferred ® from American Express:

• 6% money again at U.S. supermarkets on as much as $6,000 per yr in purchases (then 1%).
• 6% money again on choose U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• 3% money again at U.S. gasoline stations and on transit (together with taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and extra).
• 1% money again on different purchases.
• Earn a $300 assertion credit score after you spend $3,000 in purchases in your new card throughout the first 6 months.
• $0 charge for the primary yr; $95 annual charge thereafter. Charges and charges particulars here.
• Phrases apply

2) Blue Cash Everyday ® from American Express:

• 3% money again at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $6,000 per yr in purchases, then 1%).
• 2% money again at U.S. gasoline stations.
• 1% money again on different purchases.
• Earn a $200 assertion credit score after you spend $2,000 in purchases in your new card throughout the first 6 months.
• No annual charge. Charges and charges particulars here.
• Phrases apply.

3) Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards:

• 1.5% money again on each buy, daily.
• $200 money bonus after you spend $500 on purchases inside 3 months from account opening.
• No annual charge.

4) Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards:

• Limitless 3% money again on eating, leisure, common streaming companies and at grocery shops (excluding superstores like Walmart and Goal).
• 1% again on all different purchases.
• 8% money again on tickets at Vivid Seats by January 2023.
• $200 money bonus after you spend $500 on purchases throughout the first 3 months from account opening.
• No annual charge.

Littlewoods serving to me begin vegetable seeds for this summer time’s backyard

5) Chase Freedom Unlimited:

• Earn an additional 1.5% on the whole lot you purchase (on as much as $20,000 spent within the first yr), which is value as much as $300 money again:
  • 6.5% on journey bought by Chase Final Rewards
  • 4.5% on eating and drugstores
  • 3% on all different purchases.
• After your first yr (or $20,000 spent), you earn:
  • 5% money again on Chase journey bought by Chase Final Rewards
  • 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply service
  • Limitless 1.5% money again on all different purchases.
• No annual charge.

6) Chase Freedom Flex:

• 5% money again on as much as $1,500 in mixed purchases in bonus classes every quarter you activate.
• New 5% classes every quarter.
• 5% money again on journey bought by Chase Final Rewards
• 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply service
• Limitless 1% money again on all different purchases.
• $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
• No annual charge.

For those who’re keen on travel rewards, individuals love the Chase Sapphire Preferred. You’ll be able to earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, which is $750 once you redeem by Chase Final Rewards.

Large caveat to bank card utilization: you MUST pay your bank card payments in full each single month, with no exceptions. For those who’re involved about your capacity to do that, or suppose utilizing bank cards may immediate you to spend extra, stick to a debit card or money. However when you’ve got no downside paying that invoice in full each month? I like to recommend you bank card away, my pal! (be aware: the bank card hyperlinks are affiliate links).

Money Again Earned This Month: $64.06

It needed to’ve been a minimum of 50 levels. Clearly no want for pants or sleeves.

The silver lining to our spending is our cash back credit card. We earn 2% money again on each buy made with our Constancy Rewards Visa and this month, we spent $3,203.12 on that card, which netted us $64.06.

Not some huge cash, nevertheless it’s cash we earned for getting stuff we had been going to purchase anyway! Because of this I really like money again bank card rewards–they’re the only technique to earn one thing for nothing.

To see how this provides up over the course of a yr, take a look at How I Made $712.59 With My Cash Back Credit Card.

The place’s Your Cash?

One other simple technique to optimize your cash is to make use of a high-interest financial savings account. With these accounts, curiosity works in your favor versus the rates of interest on debt, which work in opposition to you.

Having cash in a no or low curiosity financial savings account is a waste of assets–your cash is simply sitting there doing nothing. Don’t let your cash be lazy! Make it give you the results you want! And now, take pleasure in some explanatory math:

Let’s say you could have $5,000 in a financial savings account that earns 0% curiosity. In a yr’s time, your $5,000 will nonetheless be… $5,000.

Let’s say you as an alternative put that $5,000 into an American Express Personal Savings account, which–as of this writing–earns 0.50% in curiosity. In a single yr, your $5,000 can have elevated to $5,025. Which means you earned $25 simply by having your cash in a high-interest account.

And also you didn’t must do something! I’m a giant fan of incomes cash whereas doing nothing. I imply, is anyone not a fan of that? Apparently so, as a result of anybody who makes use of a low or no curiosity financial savings account is NOT earning profits whereas doing nothing. Don’t be that particular person.

Be the one who earns cash whereas sleeping. Extra about high-interest financial savings accounts, in addition to those I like to recommend, right here: The Best High Interest Rate Online Savings Accounts.

Sure, We Solely Paid $28.09 for Cell Cellphone Service (for 2 telephones)

Our mobile phone service line merchandise shouldn’t be a typ0 (though that definitely is). We actually and really solely paid $28.09 for each of our telephones (that’s $14.05 per particular person for these of you into division). How is such trickery potential?!? We use an MVNO!

What’s an MVNO?

Glad you requested as a result of I used to be going to inform you anyway: It’s a mobile phone service re-seller.

MVNOs are the TJ Maxx of the mobile phone service world–it’s the identical service, A LOT cheaper. For those who’re not utilizing an MVNO, switching to at least one is a straightforward, slam-dunk, do-it-right-away means to economize each single month of each single yr without end and ever amen.

Listed here are a number of nice MVNOs to contemplate:

For extra, I’ve a full chart of suppliers and their costs right here: How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill with an MVNO: I Pay $12 a Month*

*the quantity we pay fluctuates each month as a result of it’s calibrated to what we use. Think about that! We solely pay for what we use! Will wonders ever stop.

Be aware: these MVNO hyperlinks are affiliate hyperlinks.

Expense Report FAQs

• Need to understand how we handle the remainder of our cash? Take a look at How We Manage Our Money: Behind The Scenes of The Frugalwoods Family Accounts
• Don’t you could have a rental property? Sure! We personal a rental property (also called our first dwelling) in Cambridge, MA, which I focus on here.
• Why do I share our bills? To present you a way of how we spend our cash in a values-based method. Your spending will differ from ours and there’s no “one proper means” to spend and no “excellent” funds.
• Are we essentially the most frugal frugal individuals on earth? Completely not! My hope is that by being clear about our spending, you may acquire insights into your personal spending and be impressed to take proactive management of your cash.
• Questioning the place to start out with managing your cash? Take my free, 31-day Uber Frugal Month Challenge.
• For those who’re keen on different issues I really like, take a look at Frugalwoods Recommends.
• Why don’t you purchase the whole lot regionally? We do our greatest to assist our local people and purchase as a lot of our meals as potential straight from our farmer neighbors. Our city doesn’t have any shops, so we depend on on-line ordering and large field shops for requirements. The closest shops are 45 minutes away and we go there a few times a month to top off on what we are able to’t get from our neighbors or on-line.

However Mrs. Frugalwoods, Don’t You Pay For X, Y, Or Even Z???

Questioning about frequent bills you don’t see listed beneath?

• We don’t have a mortgage as a result of we paid it off (details here)
• We pay payments in full the month we obtain them. That’s why you gained’t see month-to-month funds for issues like automobile insurance coverage or property tax. These bills present up as the complete annual (or bi-annual, and so on) quantity within the month we pay them
• Here’s what we do for medical health insurance.
• We don’t have any money owed and we paid money for our automobiles.
• Right here’s how we make charitable contributions: How We Donate To Charities Like Billionaires and in addition How We Make Meaningful And Tax Efficient Charitable Donations.
• Right here’s an summary of how we save for our youngsters’ greater schooling: How We Use 529 Plans To Save For College
• We stay on 66 acres in rural Vermont, so our utilities and family bills are totally different from conventional city and suburban houses:
  • We don’t pay for water, sewer, trash, or heating/cooling as a result of now we have a properly, a septic system, our city doesn’t present trash pick-up (we take it to a switch station as soon as per week in luggage we buy from our city), we warmth our dwelling with wooden we harvest ourselves from our land, and we don’t have central air-con (we use window items throughout the hottest elements of the summer time).
  • There are, after all, prices related to sustaining these programs (similar to having our septic system pumped and inspected) and people bills present up within the months we pay them.
  • We have now solar panels, which account for our low electrical energy invoice.
  • For extra on our rural way of life, take a look at my sequence This Month On The Homestead in addition to City vs. Country: Which Is Cheaper? The Ultimate Cost Of Living Showdown

For those who’re questioning about the rest, be at liberty to ask within the feedback part!

Alright you frugal cash voyeurs, feast your eyes on each greenback we spent in March:

How was your March?