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I know that some feel that tobacco use is a taboo subject but unfortunately some people do smoke. I agree that quitting smoking is advantageous to health issues, financial issues and overall quality of life issues but until the individual is ready to quit on their own free will they may as well do it as financially feasible as possible. Here at ExpenseCutting.com we are dedicated to cutting all your expenses not judging what you spend your money on.
I began smoking in my late teens, I’m 35 now. When I started a pack of Marlboros cost approximately $1.50 per pack. Since then, where I live, the price had raised to over $5.50 per pack. I know this is low compared to some places but nevertheless it is still expensive. As we are aware a lot of the price increases have been through taxation. With my wife and I both smoking approximately two packs a day which would cost over $650 a month. With that ridiculous amount of money being spent we really tried to “cut back” but that didn’t work. We were just not ready to commit to quitting, unfortunately.
We then considered “rolling” our own cigarettes but the thought of buying rolling papers and licking the edges to seal the cigarette did not sound appealing to either one of us. Plus it still wouldn’t be the same as the Marlboros. We then discovered the “stuffing” or “injection” method which includes loose tobacco and premade empty cigarette tubes. We first bought a small, cheap, handheld cigarette “stuffer” but that was a joke. Half the time the cigarettes would not stuff properly and it took a while to make any significant amount. We then upgraded to a “stuffing machine” but it was a lower end plastic model. Although the production time decreased the end result was still subpar cigarettes. Frustrated with that we decided to go to the higher end machine and give it a last chance.
We purchased a Top brand, Top-O-Matic “stuffing” machine that is quality construction, made of steel. The machine is capable of making both 100”s and regular cigarettes. It routinely makes perfect cigarettes at a fraction of the price. As with anything, it takes a little bit of time to perfect the process. Once you determine the precise amount of tobacco to use making cigarettes is easy. A trick is to leave the bag of tobacco open for a few house to let it dry a little. This makes the process smoother. I can make a carton in 20-30 minutes and that is while I bs over morning coffee.
You can purchase “Cigarette tobacco” by the bag but you will pay all the taxes that come with it. If you purchase “pipe tobacco” it is much cheaper because it is not taxed at the same rate. I have tried both and see no difference between the two. Of course there are different brands and different grades as there are with cigarettes. You may need to sample different tobacco brands to find what is the same as the cigarette brand you smoke. Better yet visit a Tobacco shop in your area and ask. I’m sure they will be able to point you in the right direction. I have found that for me Criss-Cross Original blend is just like smoking Marlboro Full Flavor.
Both the tobacco and filtered tubes are available in all varieties. Regulars, lights, Menthol, you name it. With the price of the tobacco being approximately $17 (makes roughly 2 ½ cartons) and a box of 200 tubes (a carton) being approximately $4. I’m saving over $550 a month. That’s huge savings!
An additional benefit is that the tubes are not FSC. If you research FSC’s you can determine for yourself all the issues that come with them.
I see so many smokers that are aware of making your own cigarettes but they don’t give it a try. The only startup cost is the cost of the machine that will run you $30-$50 depending on where you purchase it. Your return of investment will be achieved the first month you use it. So if you smoke do yourself a favor and give it a shot… don’t pay the ridiculous “sin taxes” anymore. It’s the next best thing to quitting.
Below is a Youtube viseo that demonstrates the process to give you an idea of what it’s all about.
Be sure to comment on any experiences you may of had with this method.
How would you like to be able to go to the grocery store and know you are getting the best price available? No cutting coupons… No searching adds… No “store savings” cards. Just get in the car and go. Well you can… That is if you know where to go.
They are called salvage grocery stores, discounted grocery stores and overstock grocery stores and they can save us upwards of 50% off our food bill. With the cost of food constantly rising people are becoming wiser with their spending and are taking advantage of the huge savings these stores offer.
The concept isn’t anything new. The store simply buys items that were returned to the supplier by other grocery stores or warehouses. They then sell those items on their shelves at discounted price.
The items could have been cosmetically damaged in delivery or in some other way. They could be near or at their manufacturer’s “suggested sell/use by date” or simply an overstock/closeout item. Sometimes they have products with packaging that is old or mislabeled. At others it could just be items that didn’t sell well on the shelves at the original grocery store.
Regardless of the reasons why the product was returned the salvage stores are worth taking a look at. Despite the potential for old dates and dusty box tops the food isn’t all that bad (or bad for you), Most of the time you wouldn’t even know the difference. The only concerns that I have seen people have with the stores were some dented cans. As long as the canned goods are not leaking or bulged the contents are generally safe.
The stores are regulated by the USDA. The USDA states that the sell by dated items pose no safety hazard or poisoning threat. Excluded from the list is baby food and formula which should not be used after the expiration date. They contend that the sell by dates refer to a product’s freshness, not its safety.
According to Dr. Ted Labuzza, a food science professor at the University of Minnesota, “Foods can remain safe to consume for some time beyond sell-by and even use-by dates provided they are handled and stored properly … their quality might suffer — for example, emulsified dressings may split — they will not pose a safety hazard unless contaminated.”
A check of the typical family’s pantry most likely would reveal a number of expired products that are routinely consumed without anyone ever knowing the difference. Albeit, it is a general practice for these type of stores to have a “no question asked” return policy. If you don’t like it, return it for an even exchange or your money back.
Find a store in your area and at least give it a try. It will save you money and cut the food expense.
Below is a short video from ABC’s Good Morning America show giving an overview on these types of stores.
Please share any experiences that you may have with these types of stores. Do you shop at one or maybe plan on it? Leave a comment!
We have all heard the sayings before about how nothing is free but what if that wasn’t exactly the case? It turns out that we can get stuff for free without any obligations or hassles. Websites like Freecycle allow people to become part of a community where they can give away or get things at no cost. They call the exchange of items “gifting”. The usable unwanted items are offered up as “gifts” to someone who will be able to use them. You can view listings of items offered up for “gifts” or you can even post for items that you want. The idea behind freecycling is to keep usable items out of the landfill. We can save some green by going green. Definitely a win, win situation!
I have used these websites/networks in the past and can tell you that it’s not mostly junk like one may imagine. There are a lot of usable things from household items, construction material, pets/pet supplies, furniture and so on. You’d be amazed at things you can get. When my daughter started school she needed a desk for her bedroom to do her homework. My wife and I checked stores but only found overpriced junk. That’s when we found a solid wood desk offered for free on craigslist. We picked it up, put a fresh coat of paint on it, and it was as good as new. When my daughter came home from school that day she truly believed that it was a brand new desk. Basically all that is required is to arrange a time for pick up with the “gifter” and going to pick it up. A lot of the time you don’t even have to interact with the “gifter”. The item is left on a porch or driveway, you get it, and then on your way you go, which is very convenient. When I have had interaction with the “gifters” I have found them to be really nice people and enjoyed our conversations. So don’t always be leery of dealing with “strangers”. Just use common sense. Oh, by the way, using these websites/networks are free too!
The most popular websites for “freecycling” are listed below. Some are better than others so you choose which ones work for you. There are other networks too so search for your local area and see what you can find. They are another tool that we can use to cut our expenses with the additional reward of helping out the environment.
- Freecycle
- FreeSharing
- Free-Economy
- FreeMesa
- FreeNapkin
- FreeUse
- Freegle
- Recycle4Free
- ReUseIT Network
- SharingIsGiving
- Staga Network
- World Wide Free Share
- Craigslist (for sale section/ Free)
Be sure to check out this short video from The Early Show on CBS. It gives an overview on how this stuff works.
If you have had dealings with freecycle type networks please let us know. What type of things have you seen and/or got? Leave a comment!
A lot of times when people think of cutting expenses they think they are going to have to give something up. That’s not always the case. Sometimes, as I pointed out in the article Stop Paying the “Stupid Tax”, we can save a lot of money without losing anything. Social Buying Networks, or Group Buying Networks, fall in to this category.
Much of social buying is marketed to your local area. It is not uncommon to get offers from local restaurants for a $50 gift certificate for only $25. Carpet cleaning half off or oil changes half off with a free car wash. The offers can be basically anything from entertainment to spa services to travel so they are worth checking out. You don’t have to take part in them if it’s not something that interests you. continue reading…
Don’t let the salesman laugh all the way to the bank!
Whether it is a large purchase such as a house or car or a somewhat minor purchase there is always room for negotiating. Obviously the seller wants to get the most out of whatever they are selling and of course we want to pay the least. The strong advantage that we have is that we have the cash and they want it.
In negotiating we are our own worst enemies. We may be in a desperate situation where we need the item that the seller has to sell. An example would be that our car just blew up and now we need another car right away. Even if that is the case we should never let the seller know this. They will use our vulnerabilities against us to maximize their gain. How many times have you heard a seller say something like “I have another guy coming back in an hour to look at the car again”? The seller is implying that you better act now and pay what they think you should or you will lose the deal. Never fall for this tactic. There are a lot of cars for sale at any given time or for that matter any item that you are purchasing. Most always it’s just a ploy to try and make you act now rather than wait.
You may not know what it is but we all have paid it one way or another. The “stupid tax” is the money that we wasted at some time in our life that we could have… should have… and now that we are smarter… would have not spent.
The “stupid tax” can include anything from paying for the “platinum” cable package for your television that you never take advantage of to wasting food by leaving it in the refrigerator to the point that it goes bad.
The “stupid tax” not only includes spending money foolishly but those mishaps that happen from time to time. Spilling drinks on our laptops, denting our car while backing up in to a tree because we weren’t paying attention and making insane bets on your favorite sports team are all examples of the “stupid tax”. We know that accidents will happen but an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure. In this case a lot of money to be saved.
Another way of paying the “stupid tax” is by not maintaining the things we already have. It could be leaving the perfectly fine garden hose out all winter only to find that in the spring that it’s now shooting water out of the side. It could be running the lawn mower with no oil in it causing the engine to fail or any number of things.
If we would just stop for a moment and think about the money we are wasting by doing stupid things were can avoid the “stupid tax” all together or at least mostly. continue reading…
Many people look at debt as being part of life. The belief that there will always be a car payment or credit card bills sinks us into a false sense of reality. The truth is we don’t have to be a slave to the system. We can live a better life being debt free.
Living the debt free life is just that, a way of life. ExpenseCutting.com is dedicated to teaching and sharing that way of life. Before we can really put our best foot forward in getting debt free it is important to understand why debt is so dangerous and why it is a must it get out of debt as soon as possible.
Today I included a podcast from a good friend to this site, Jack Spirko. Jack’s website, The Survival Podcast, teaches its audience about prepping, survivalism and basic daily living through articles, videocasts and most of all podcasts.
Jack is a huge advocate of getting out of debt. In one of his podcasts he explains the dangers of debt. I thought it would beneficial to our visitors to listen to the show to understand why debt is so dangerous.
Jack relates a lot of the content of the show to his audience so take what you like from the show. Excuse the audio quality. At the time Jack did the podcast from his car as he drove to work.
If you like the show you may want to visit his website. While you are there let him know where you discovered him.
Jacks show notes:
- The basic rules of survival
- What the reaction to swine flu teaches us about debt and panic
- Why debt really is cancer and why it will make you act in fear
- How debt leads to bigger government
- Why 401k balances are not really what led people to run to government in the economic crash
- Why financial management and debt elimination cannot be separated from survivalism
- Why the stimulus will “work” short term and what you should do when it does
- A tale of two men John and Tom and what it teaches us about managing our lives
- Why people in debt spend more money then people who are not in debt (I am talking about new spending)
- Why you can’t do many of the simple survival steps well until you eliminate or at least begin to eliminate debt
- What planning vs panic teach us about debt
- The main way to be a survivor is to reduce dependence
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One would be surprised how a little “pocket change” spending adds up to a whole lot of cash. A typical morning for a lot of people is waking up at the very last second possible. Hitting the snooze button one too many times then opening their eyes to realize that they have to hurry or the kids will be late for school and they will be late for work.
One of many days I found myself running around the house in a mad panic trying to get everyone ready to go. After what seemed like I accomplished the impossible everyone was finally ready to go. We hoped into the car and off we went. When we arrive at the school the doors pop open but not before I reached into my wallet without thinking twice. I pulled out some money and handed it over to the kids for lunches. Now that the kids are on their way it’s off to work. Well, almost. On the way I had to stop at my favorite mini mart to have that first coffee of the day that I didn’t have time for earlier. While I was there I had to grab a donut or whatever else looked good at the moment. Now I was on my way but not before handing over the cash!
After arriving at work and finally settling in its time to focus and be productive. Sometime later “Joe” comes by and reminds me that the office lottery pool money is due and he is collecting. Out comes the wallet and there goes some cash. Just before lunch “Jane” pays a visit and explains how her son is selling candy bars for a school fund raiser. There go a few more bucks. Now it’s back to work but not before I realize that it’s time for another cup of coffee. To the vending machine I go, popped in a few quarters and out came a hot coffee. Back at my desk it’s time to work on that project due this afternoon. continue reading…
Today we celebrate t
he love we share for one another. Let us not forget that love should be shown all year long. In doing so, give gifts from the heart. A thoughtful hand written note and a single rose is as treasured as the finest gift.
Don’t tarnish love by trying to buy it. Don’t disgrace love buy giving to gain approval. Give your love unconditionally then you shall recieve unconditional love.
P.S. True love sees no dollar signs but in the world we live in dollar signs help you express your love. So spend wisely and give generously!
