Thriftism

I've recently started taking part in the PINCHme program to get samples. This is the first week that I've done an unboxing, but I plan to continue sharing going forward. If you want to know more about getting a sample box sent to your home every week, check out our Money Makers and Freebies page or visit our post on PINCHme Perks . WHAT I GOT TODAY The sample box I got today had around $11 worth of samples ranging from beauty products to microwavable rice. Below I break down the approximate price/value of each product I got this week.  Scotch-Brite Extreme Scrub ($2.44) 2 Pack - $4.88  Sample only contained 1 ~ $2.44 Scotch-Brite Extreme Scrub Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Aloe 0.75 oz ($1.83) 3 Pack (1 oz) - $5.49  Sample only contained 1 ~ $1.83 Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Shout Color Catcher - 4 Count - $0.98 Shout Color Catcher - 4 Count Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer ($2.26) 1.7 oz - $15.99...

The first time we went to Mexico I was very hesitant to take the bus. I don't know about your experience, but where I live, the bus is not convenient. You have to switch a few times and it'll take you an hour to get anywhere, not to mention the bus only comes by once an hour. Basically, I'll take the bus if it's my only option. Plus, public transport used to seem a bit daunting to me. For those of you in larger cities, laugh away, but again, I was hesitant to take on the bus in a foreign country.  Contrary to my first opinion, in most counties, public transportation is  THE  way to travel. Puerto Vallarta doesn't have an underground system (at least not that I'm aware of), but they do have plenty of buses and taxis. Taxis are great if you need to get to a specific location and you're in a huge hurry and don't mind paying for your convenience. Otherwise, buses are still pretty quick and much more affordable.  If you've seen our Cancun Buses v...

May is long gone and we were slow this month getting our monthly update out, but here it is (finally). We did get the video out quite a bit sooner, but never got around to this post. Here is a complete update of our 2018 goals as of June 1, 2018. Financial Goals Gain Employment (Race) ☑ Done - Race started working in February. Save 50% of our income We are back on track with this goal. While April was a rough month, in May we were able to save 74% of our income bringing us to around 61% of our income for the year. I am not posting both with and without mortgage anymore as the extra payments on the mortgage are increasing our net worth and should therefor count as savings. We are also planning on paying off the mortgage this year and will then start putting money back into our regular savings.   Increase passive dividend income by 25% We are on track for 24% increase this year - slightly below our goal. We haven't been contributing to dividend earni...

Happy June! With a new month rolling around, that means we need another budget update. For a quick reminder, we run our budget solely on my income of $2,400/month which gives us a gross income of $31,200. We do not include health insurance in our budget as ours is currently covered by our jobs, but if this was our household income we would also be taken care of by insurance subsidies. We do not include all discretionary spending such as traveling or major home renovations, but we do include all entertainment, grocery, dining out, and every day expenses. It is our essentials budget that we live on before adding in trips! If we can do it, so can you! The Budget Our goal budget is balanced with total income minus expenses equal to zero. Numbers in red are expenditures, while black is income. The green background indicates under budget. Red squares point out our overspending.  We did change up the budget a bit to reflect that the student loan is paid off. We split t...

The process of leaving or separating from your previous employer is wrought with complexities and important decisions that can have major impacts down the road. Add to this the emotional baggage that may come from an involuntary departure and the situation can become overwhelming. I hope to make one of these components, 401k rollovers or retirement rollovers, a bit simpler with some basic advice based on my experience during this transaction.   Rules and Regulations It is important to understand the rules and regulation surrounding company sponsored retirement plans. As a general rule the IRS allows 60 days for you to rollover or transfer your retirement to an individual account (IRA) or even into another company's (your new employer) retirement plan. What happens after 60 days will vary by company, but will typically involve additional costs or tax penalties depending on the retirement account. My Experience For me, after 60 days, my company would allow my retirement fun...

When I think of fall recipes, I think of pumpkin pie, soups and apple crisp. Apple Crisp is so delicious and so simple to make that I've decided it will now be a year-round recipe. Just freeze some apples from your fall harvest to freeze or if you're buying apples anyway- enjoy whenever!  Apple Crisp is tasty, much more simple than pie - no rolling crusts, and a bit healthier than pie as well. Think of it as a form of crustless apple pie! While you may not want your children cutting up the apples for this one, all the remaining steps are super simple (and safe - beware of hot oven) that you kids can join in the baking fun! For a printable recipe, scroll to the bottom.  What You'll Need: Apples (Filling) 10 Cups Apple Slices (Use your favorite - we like granny smith or homegrown pie apples) 1 Cup Sugar 1-2 tsp Cinnamon 1 Tbsp Flour 1/4 Cup Water*** Topping (Crisp) 1 Cup Flour 1 Cup Pack Brown Sugar 1 Cup Oats 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/...

Happy May! With a new month rolling around, that means we need another budget update. For a quick reminder, we run our budget solely on my income of $2,400/month which gives us a gross income of $31,200. We do not include health insurance in our budget as ours is currently covered by our jobs, but if this was our household income we would also be taken care of by insurance subsidies. We do not include all discretionary spending such as traveling or major home renovations, but we do include all entertainment, grocery, dining out, and every day expenses. It is our essentials budget that we live on before adding in trips! If we can do it, so can you! The Budget Our goal budget is balanced with total income minus expenses equal to zero. Numbers in red are expenditures, while black is income. The green background indicates under budget. Red squares point out our overspending.  We did change up the budget a bit to reflect that the student loan is paid off. We split t...