Barter etc./daily bargainhunting

Informal bartering is a great way to maximize resources.  My friend is un/underemployed & he is great at organizing - so we are HIRING him to help us shape up our new apartment. Not quite a barter - but you see what I mean - We pool resources all the time - I just worked with him for almost a whlie day on the PR for an event at the church - Knowing how to do that when you have to is a real asset. Now, having moved out of another apartment, we donated some furniture to the church & some other musical/sound equipment is on long-term "loan"  - which saves us storage - besides being useful -

Because I am actively involved in the music program, playing my recorder, I have bought a lot of music, for which I am being reimbursed.  I am always looking in used bookstores for materials & found some renaissance music in a funny old dusty bookstore - as well as language materials for my German student (I tutor)- Good prices as opposed to retail!  I am trying to get better about saving all my receipts for such stuff - it does add up & as I make $ for music, etc. it helps to save them all.

We are broke again - so it's time to get creative.  I am collecting my Xmas presents bit by bit starting now - easier on the budget that way - & I avoid the holiday rush & certainly get things no one will get elsewhere! 

Have some time so I am hitting my freebie sites & signing up for my samples.  My heavens! the deodorant sample size I got gratis cost $1.29 plus tax at the drug store the other day.  It's nice to compare prices to get a sense of accomplishment.  Not to mention the color shampoo - which I have gotten recently at the 99 Cent store - which is $8/bottle at Rite-Aid!  I pointed that out to my husband, who wonders why I stockpile shampoo, etc....(But even he is picking up his special dandruff shampoo at a discount when he sees it now...I am getting to him.)

Helping my friend out, too - by forwarding him audience gigs, extra work, etc. from our local craigslist (we are in L.A., so there's a lot.)  He says craigslist doesn't do anything for him - but he did just get a car for $400 from it - so that's not too bad.  (His other car needed $600+ worth of repairs - so it made more sense to start over.)  I have gotten free haircuts - all sorts of things - besides jobs.

We are watching old movies on Turner Classic Movies - a good deal of our entertainment - and we do finagle free tix to things on occasion. And look out for free concerts, etc. The city is good for that. I am on several email lists, which keep me informed...

Spending 10-20% of what retail would be is customary for us.  Reminds me of an old Woodly Allen joke in which he said that the great sin in his childhood household was buying retail!  The markup is incredible.  I windowshopped in an admittedly lovely home/garden store in Pasadena & saw reproductions of old clocks for $50 (I got one as a discount store for $10) - & an angel garden figurine very similar to mine - again - mine was $10 at Ross & theirs was $50!!It's fun perusing in those stores, because there's no chance I will be able to buy anything - whereas in thrift shops, I always manage to spend money! 

Ah, the holiday - we are spending at least some of it on the boat - our one luxury - but the boat itself was a bargain - boy, do they depreciate like crazy & my clever husband knows how to maintain it - And the harbor is delightful.  So, really, our lifestyle is quite nice - & even the pennypinching is sort of fun, really....

More later -

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