3 Things I Did to Spend Less Money

Here are THREE things I did today to cut down on my monthly spending:

1. Canceled My Premium Cable Channels. - Yeah, most of you would say “cancel the whole shebang, you indebted person you”. But sadly, I’m TV addicted. Giving up my HBO and Starz package isn’t too much of a sacrifice. Like I need to see Lindsey Lohen over emote one more time in I Know Who Killed Me. But say goodbye to the new season of Project Runway? No way Jose!
   SAVED: $30 a month.
   
   
2. Canceled “the Organic Box” by Spud.
   I try to provide my family with organics whenever I can. It healthier, greener and the produce that was being delivered to my door via Spud.com has been absolutely top notch and delicious. Plus each week I was able to adjust what I wanted so I wasn’t stuck with getting three bunches of kale that I had no idea how to use. For now, I’ll have to suffer with some B-List veggies and battle the crowds at the Farmer’s Market.
   
   If you’re interested in using the box, click here and you’ll get a $25 reward after 4 deliveries! Go to www.spud.com and sign-up using my super special promo code CR5-993460. (they deliver to Seattle, Portland, SF and LA) and hey, I get a kick back too, so go for it my friend!
   SAVED: $29 per week.
   
   
3. Downgraded My Coffee Beans
   Yeah, I know, I know, I can get some cheap ass French Roast beans in bulk from Costco but my body and fine tuned pallet are sadly addicted to Peet’s Coffee. For the last year or so, our poison has been the Sulawesi-Kalosi ($13.95 per pound), an amazingly smooth Indonesian bean. But today I bought a pound of equally tasty Sumatra ($11.95 per pound) at a savings of two dollars (plus I got a free cup of coffee with a purchase of a pound of beans).
   SAVED: $2 per week

Grand Total of Savings Created Today: $154 per month.

Day One: Canceling My New York Times Subscription

I woke up this morning with not the thoughts of sugarplums dancing in my head, but thoughts of bills doing the goosestep thru my wallet. What does my roster of bills need? Some editing. Sadly, it’s time to cut some fat from my overextended budget. First thing to go? My subscription to the New York Times.

Why do I subscribe?
1. It’s my favoritist paper in the whole wide world
2. When I read it, I feel like I’m a smarty pants.
3. I love the visceral feeling of opening the actual paper while sipping a cup of coffee. Pure bliss.
4. I’m obsessed with crossword puzzles (although by Thursday, I question my intellegence and self worth)

But it’s time to let go of that pert near $50 a month charge. I’ll be joining the masses who are now reading the paper online, for the big old price tag of free. Sadly, I won’t have access to the crosswords, but really do I need to be reminded of my lack of trivia and tidbits each and every week? (seriously, I have absolutely no clue to the answer “Creator of 1867’s “Grand Caricaturama”.)

Of course the day I announce to the world I’m canceling my subscription, the headline on page one of the NYTs is “Given a Shovel, Digging Deeper Into Debt”. Color that kismit.