Make Do and Mend

During World War II, the British government had a fantastic propaganda campaign going. War rationing hit the UK hard, and new clothes were not easy to come by. We need those nylons for the boys on the front!

Well, nobody's under war rationing right now, but the economy isn't showing many signs of getting better any time soon, and I think it's worth revisiting that old campaign to try and re-learn some of the tricks our grandmothers were using to keep themselves in stylish clothes when money and new fabric were scarce.

Busy Bee

So, I have a history of making impulsive decisions and then immediately following through on them because I'm too impatient to wait, and by wait I mean "stop, think it over, and make a plan."

By and large, this has worked out for me. I feel like my gut  instinct is good. However, I still don't think of this as a particularly great quality about myself because occasionally and eventually it inevitably leads to trouble.

That being said.. this time, I think it's going to be ok.

Product Review: Mint.com

Well, I'm back. Mr. Scrimp and I had a great weekend in Pittsburgh, eating, playing games, hanging out with great friends, and sleeping on an air mattress--I'm really glad to be back home and able to sleep in our own bed!

Sometimes I start to get really burned out on life in general and these mini-vacations are a really good way for me to step back and recharge my batteries. I'm feeling ready to to face the world again.

Today I'd like to recommend you visit my new favorite website--Mint.com

Money Stress Management

I'd like to take a moment to talk about money, something that I haven't done a lot of recently but which definitely comes under the Scrimpalicious heading and mission statement (which is in my head). After all, I did start this blog with the intention of being helpful to people who haven't had years of practice at budgeting, making things, and trying to save money.

I just opened our gas bill, and to say I'm experiencing a little sticker shock is an understatement. I think that's probably the case for everyone, and those of you living in Southern states that have had all that unexpected snow can look forward to a similar experience next month, most likely.

So what do you do when a bill is way over what you budgeted for?

If "way over" just means an extra $20 or $50 and you can scrape it together, that's fine, but what if it's an extra $200 or even an extra $500? 

Well first, you make this face:

Then...

Car and Website Link

So, I have a new favorite-ish website. That is, it would be my favorite if I were doing much shopping these days, but I'm not. Mr. Scrimp and I are doing a good job of making ends meet, but we still don't have a lot of extra money, especially because we just bought a car!

That's right, the Scrimps are now a two-car family. We were borrowing a car from my fabulous in-laws for a few months, and when the time came near to give it back we initially discussed just sharing Mr. Scrimp's car. The problem is, his work schedule is totally unpredictable, and generally involves late nights. My schedule is exactly the same all the time and involves early mornings.

We hopped on Craigslist and managed to find a 93 Plymouth Laser (google it--I had to) for $700. It didn't need any work, and although the interior is sportscar tiny and the visibility is a little weird on the driver's side sometimes, I really like it. It's easy to drive, it gets fab gas mileage, and it gets me where I need to go.

Anyway, the point is, with big expenses always looming on the horizon (and they always are), I don't do a lot of frivolous shopping, even at Christmas. We're making most of the Christmas presents we're giving to other people this year, and our shopping budget for each other was sharply limited.

And the whole point of this story is to tell you about The Bargainist, a website I found a day or two ago that I love to read just because it's a pleasure to know that someone out there can probably take advantage of it, even if I can't right now.

The Bargainist lists online coupons, sales, and other deals at retailers both online and off. For instance, did you know that right now, Aeropostale is having a 50-70% off sale on its entire online store? I sure didn't.

Check it out, my friends. How about a code that will get you 70% off your entire online order--including gift cards--at Restaurant.com? The Bargainist has it.