Want some free entertainment? Of course you do! Read on Frugalites.
A week ago, we were all in a delicious food coma after consuming mass quantities of turkey, stuffing, and pi.
Today the only evidence of that grand feast are the π/2’s scattered around the house, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Frugal Boy. Frugal Boy has learned that if he is quiet, he can do things that his parents wouldn’t necessarily approve of.
Like most things pertaining to children, the photographic evidence clearly shows that Grandma was the root of the problem. ;-P
Ahh, the afterglow of the shopping event of the year. This year we splurged on a new mattress for our guest bedroom. It was past time to replace the mattress of unknown age that I picked up at a second hand shop. Spending money on items between you and ground is something that I am less frugal about. Shoes, mattresses, and tires are just some of the things that I will gladly shell out a little extra on.
This year, Lowes’ Black Friday deal ended up sucking me in. They had a deal on LED lightbulbs for a buck a piece. I couldn’t believe how cheap that was, and yet I was a bit wary. Two years ago we shopped for TVs during Black Friday and from that experience I knew that manufacturers make special product models just for BF. These special productions runs usually cut corners and produce an inferior product. Two years ago, we ended up getting a name brand regular tv model on clearance for the same price as a BF generic. A decision I do not regret.
So color me unsurprised when I went into Lowes (on Monday, I’m not crazy enough to go on Friday) and saw that the expected life of these super cheap LEDs was only 2000 hours. Most LEDs have expected life 5-10 times as much for 2-3 times the price. Still, I loaded up a cart and swapped out most of the CFLs in our house.
Now for the math, was it the right decision?
Most of the CFLs replaced were 13 watts and had been installed about 3 years ago (~1/3 of expected life).
The LEDs are 9 watts and our electric rate $0.0912087/kWh (taken from our last utility bill).
I wanted to find out how many hours of life I needed to get from the LEDs to break even at $1. The difference between the CFLs and LEDs was .004 kWh.
2741 Hours
Damn, I screwed myself.
The good news is that if you are replacing a higher wattage bulb, say a 60 watt incandescent, the math works out favorably. In that case you only need to get 215 hours of life out of these cheapo LEDs to break even.
I guess I can console myself with the fact that the replaced CFLs were already 1/3 into their stated lives and CFLs contain mercury. Also, I did pass those CFLs onto neighbors who replaced incandescents. Yay for the world, boo for not doing the math beforehand.
The two key fobs to our car died a long time ago and we have just used the key ever since. Last week I decided to do something about that. The battery type is listed right on the back of the fob (CR2032).
I searched online and saw one forum saying that Dollar Tree had 3 for a $1. Naturally, I tried there first, but our local dollar tree doesn’t carry button cell batteries. I did find a set of two at Wally World for $4, a price that beat Walgreen’s 1 for $5.
With the replacement battery procured, I had to figure out how to open the fob. There was a very small indentation at the 5 o’clock position that a flat head screwdriver could fit into.
With the fob opened up, it was a simple matter to replace the old battery and close up the fob again.
Prices for new fobs for our car range from $12 (Amazon) all the way to $100 (stealership).
There are so many things we can be thankful for in our lives. All too often the greed inside pushes us to look at what we don’t have instead of being grateful for what we do have.
We are hosting Thanksgiving for the first time. It is a lot of work to clean up the house and plan several days worth of food, lodging, and entertainment, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The flurry of emails and phone calls from various parents, siblings, and extended family as we try to coordinate who is bringing what is a constant reminder of how many lives we are a part of.
Last night we went to the mall to stretch our legs and get some exercise. We were walking along a narrow aisle in Kohls when Frugal Boy belted out a “HII”. I had to look around a bit to see who his target was when I spotted her, an elderly lady in a wheelchair. I hadn’t noticed her before Frugal Boy’s enthusiastic greeting. People tend to blend in and get tuned out, but not for a two year old. Her face lit up with a huge smile with one simple word. As far as I could tell, she was there by herself; alone amid a sea of people.
Generational homes use to be quite common with three or more generations all living under the same roof. Then sometime around the Industrial Revolution that changed as younger generations left home to go where the jobs were, oftentimes in the city. The end result is that we often rely upon nursing homes to care for our elderly family members because we do not have the proximity or time to look after them. One of the best movies that looks at how family structure has shifted is The Gods Must Be Crazy. The intro is particularly entertaining as it mocks the complicated lives of ‘civilized’ people.
Anyway, while I fully expect Frugal Boy to leave the nest and pursue his own path and honestly I would be disappointed if he didn’t, I do expect to keep in touch with him. For now, I needn’t worry about having an empty nest. I just enjoy cuddling with him and reading books.
Family is the most important thing in life. Without family, what are we?
There are so many things we can be thankful for in our lives. All too often the greed inside pushes us to look at what we don’t have instead of being grateful for what we do have.
Independence
I appreciate being able to cast a vote and influence governmental decisions. While an individual vote doesn’t go very far in a federal or even state election, it does carry more weight on the local level. I have argued before that local elections are far more important than the more publicized federal races. It is nice to be able to talk to the mayor and get a bonafide response, not just some canned template letter from a spokesperson.
I enjoy religious choice. There are many different belief systems or lack thereof in the world. Many people live in countries with state sponsored religions or even worse they live in societies that would ostracize or even kill those that would change their religious preference.
The ability to freely travel through not just the different states of America, but also different countries with little impedance is a wonderful opportunity. A passport is only $100 give or take. In 28 years I have visited 40(ish) states and four foreign countries. Just imagine explaining that to someone living in 1915! We regularly drive hundreds of miles to sight see and visit with family.
Finally I am thankful for the chance to pursue my own interests. This is mostly possible thanks to our financial security. I can spend a night doing wood working, watching a tv show, or playing a board game with my wife.
Thanksgiving is only three days away and I only have one more post to do about being thankful. It is good to reflect on how much we have in our lives when we are constantly being bombarded by advertisements telling us how much we don’t have. A major part of living frugally is to avoid envy. I personally knew a pair of small business owners that each made a quarter of a million dollars a year in their mid 20s. Neither were happy with that though, because they were chasing after the people making half a million. Sometimes less is more.
