Ditz

Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: Outside the Bubble

Media Credit: Emma Ceddia LA Metro Isn't As Scary As You Think

In the last issue of Ditz, we learned the "7 Steps to Getting Hired" post-graduation. While helpful, that list can only get you so far in a recession. So if you're getting further away from graduation and no closer to that 401k and dependable salary, add some of this budget advice to your wisdom about jobs so you can get your finances in order and under control!


Give Your Car a Brake
Face it--if you're not making any money, how are you going to afford gas, insurance, car payments, and maintenance on a car? Take advantage of public transportation--it's cheap, reliable, and despite the horrible L.A. metro rumors, not as scary as some people think. In Los Angeles Metro.net is a great website that will help you map out your destination. Once on the site, all you have to do is enter your start address and where you want to go and Metro will do the rest for you. Not living in Los Angeles? Just use Google to find your city's transportation site--most of them now have Trip Planners online.

Still can't get over your fear of the train? Try riding a bike to places nearby, like grocery stores and laundromats. You should also consider Ride Share or the Ride Share section of Craig's List. For any trip, from 30 miles to 300, or even 3000, chances are someone is going to the same place and will be more than happy to split the gas with you. It's good for the environment, but perhaps more importantly for recent college grads, it's good for your wallet! Just be careful--I've used this service a ton with no negative incidents, but it's always good to be wary of strangers, and definitely look at someone's license prior to letting them take a turn driving.


Make Use of Your Kitchen
Spending money at a restaurant or on fast food is fine for special occasions, but buying food from local growers, grocery stores, and farmers markets is significantly cheaper than going out. In Los Angeles, Grand Central Market is a great place to find fresh meat and produce for a low price and it is easily accessible via public transportation.

Media Credit: Emma Ceddia Fresh Produce at Grand Central Market

Sites like All Recipes.com are also great. This free recipe database lets people from around the world upload recipes and each one is taste-tested before it's posted. They have a useful section called "Cooking on a Budget" where you can find amazing meals for two for under $10. Cook for a friend one night, and switch kitchens the next. For those with an iPhone, they even have a free application called Dinner Spinner that allows users to find cheap meal ideas while out on the go, which can be really helpful in the grocery store.

If you are one of those people with an incurable itch to try new restaurants, look for places with DISCOUNTS and SPECIALS--happy hour isn't just for booze anymore! And remember that most restaurants serve larger portions than one person can eat in a sitting-why not share with a friend and split the bill?


Be A Part Of The Scene--For Free
Is "Attend a TV taping" on your bucket list? Visit Seat Filler, a site that allows you to sign up for award shows and events whenever something is filming in your area. They are used by award shows like the A-List Awards, Spike TV Video Game Awards, Kid Choice Awards, and the BET Honors.

You can also try The Screening Exchange, a site that will contact you if any movies are having screenings in your area. You will be able to see the shows before they are even released in the theatre and the best part is that the movies are free!

If TV isn't your thing, you can still take advantage of the cultural hodge podge of Los Angeles in a variety of inexpensive or free ways. The Downtown Art Walk occurs the second Thursday of every month, with tons of free galleries opening their doors to the public. The Getty is always free after you pay for parking (the more people you cram into a car, the cheaper!) and The Huntington Library & Gardens are free the first Thursday of the month. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is also free on the second Tuesday of each month, so never tell yourself you have to miss out on the big city action just because you're broke!


Live With Friends
Having roommates is significantly cheaper than living on your own, even if you're crammed into a one-room studio. If you have a friend or two who you vibe well with, why not save money and live together? Besides being cheap, it's also fun to have someone around for moral support when the job search is getting you down. It's much cheaper to prepare meals with a few other people, and when you get sick of your clothes, you can borrow each other's instead of going shopping! Living with friends can not only lessen your financial burden and provide you with a stable environment to come home to, but it can also help ease the transition from college to your adult life.


Become a Sale Junkie
If you aren't a trust-fund baby, there is no reason to shop like one. With so many retail businesses going under, there are tons of sales to take advantage of. Stay away from the marked-up trendy items you'll be sick of in a month and buy things that will be durable and usable for more than one season.

Media Credit: Google Images There Are Bargains Out There--Find Them!

Thrift stores are also a great place to find highly discounted items in often surprisingly good quality. In these times, companies and households are finding it necessary to downsize their lives and are donating more and more to thrift stores and consignment shops. A lot of thrift stores get their newest clothes on the first of the month, so shop then! Some of them will even accept your old clothes and give you a credit towards new ones from their store--Buffalo Exchange is one example. Out of the Closet is another thrift store, where the proceeds go towards helping those with HIV/AIDS. Most of these stores set up shop in cities, which means they're usually accessible by public transportation.

Clothes aren't the only things that go on sale, either. Most of us are used to ignoring all those COUPONS attached to our grocery store receipts, but you'd be surprised at how easy it is to slice $5-10 off your weekly grocery bill.

For starters, grab a notebook. Make a list of the things you usually buy at the store. Now go to the stores you usually frequent and write down how much those things cost at each place. It's tedious, but it can save you tons if you realize that one of your pantry staples costs a lot less somewhere else!

To figure out who has the best deals, look for monthly sale flyers at the check-out line. Trader Joe's does a monthly Fearless Flyer highlighting their current deals, Whole Foods lists sales and offers coupons, and Fresh & Easy will actually mail you a packet full of sales and coupons! If you visit a store at the end of the day, ask if they are giving away or cutting prices on any items that are about to expire. Fresh & Easy does this, and many others might--you just have to ask!

One important note, however: do not hoard groceries (or anything, for that matter)! Spending 99 cents on things might make you buy more than you need, leaving you with a fridge full of moldy food (or a closet full of useless junk). Before you hit the store, check what you have and plan your meals to incorporate those items and make a grocery list accordingly.


Highlight Your Hobbies
Do you have a random talent or something that you are good at that sets you apart from the crowd? Now is a better time than any to tap into that skill set and turn it into a source of supplemental income.

If you are interested in web design and computers, you are in luck! Many people are not tech savvy and are looking for just the right person to help them along the way. Post an ad on Craig's List and let employers contact you.

Also keep an eye out for fliers in your neighborhood or local coffee shops for babysitting or house sitting services. I once made $30 a week during summer to just go into a house, set the alarm, collect the mail, and water the plants. There are people everywhere, especially big cities, who are afraid to leave their mansions alone while they take a week's vacation. Not only will you get paid for babysitting a house, but you can take a break from your thrifty life and make believe you're royalty for a week.


Turn It Off
Why have the lights on if you are not in the room? If you are paying for electricity, try to save some money by turning off

Media Credit: Getty Images Turn It Off!

(and unplugging) your electronics if you are not using them. There's no need to blast the A/C all day--just open the window and take in the breeze. Sure, temperatures get uncomfortable sometimes, but wouldn't you rather voluntarily turn the power off than have the city turn it off when you can't pay the bills? By simply turning off the lights when you leave a room, you can easily save hundreds a year on electricity.

If you absolutely must use your computer, or you're dying without your heat/air-conditioner, pack up that laptop and head to a local business with wireless. They have to run their power anyways, so you might as well share the benefits of mutual electricity! Think of it as the carpool lane for energy.




Take Advantage Of The Economy to Renegotiate Bills
Very few businesses can afford to lose a customer right now. Use this to your advantage and negotiate what you want to pay. You'd be surprised what deals you can get if you just go for it!

Try telling your gas company how much you want to spend a month in utilities and work out a plan with them to make that possible. Corporate entities might have to stick to their fixed pricing, but this negotiating technique can work like a charm at independently-owned shops.

Do you have a hairdresser you've been seeing for years? Tell them you'd love to keep going, but can't pay what you used to. Do you want to keep supporting that local market even though Safeway has lower prices? Tell the market owner what you pay at the bigger stores, tell them you're thinking of leaving, and nine times out of ten they'll give you the lower price. They'd rather make the sale than lose a long-term customer.


Vacation At A Friend's/With Friends
We all have a friend from a desirable visiting spot or whose family has a vacation house. If you are good friends with them, suggest a vacation at their place, then offer your place up in return.

If your friends live all over the place, take turns visiting each other's hometowns. Get a group together, split everything equally from gas to food, and have a great time while exploring the country and saving money on hotels.


If You Don't Need It…Don't Get It!
Someone once said that if you cannot see yourself with something in ten years then don't waste ten seconds on it. Never is that more true than now.

Often the culprit behind unnecessary purchases is temptation, so why not try this: don't go shopping! Try not to buy groceries for a week--it'll force you to clean out your cabinets and use up old stuff, plus you'll save money! Try to not go clothes shopping for a month or more--it will force you to wear old things you've spent money on in the past, but forgotten about. It will also force you to figure out new, exciting outfits!

Media Credit: Emma Ceddia Clear Out Your Clutter!

Still, some people have that incurable urge to accumulate things, no matter their monetary situation or needs. And sometimes you really might need something, like a smaller bed to fit in your newly downsized or shared living space. When those situations arise, check out Craig's List. The column titled "Free" will give you a list of items people in your area are giving away for free. From couches to lamps to clothes to kitchen supplies, you can find really random and really useful stuff.

The next step up would be garage sales--I've seen $1000 leather couches going for $20 bucks, and if you go later in the day you can often bargain them down. Saturday is the biggest garage sale day of the week, though Sundays often have spillover items out, and make sure to go early in the morning for the best stuff. And finally, if you and your friends have the goods, host your own garage sale to make some extra cash!


Closing Arguments for Frugality
Once you start trying out these suggestions, even more will come to you. Love the movies? Go to matinees and bring your own snacks. Sell your old CDs/DVDs/records to Amoeba. Start washing and reusing things like tin foil or Ziplock, and use kitchen towels that you can rewash instead of buying countless paper towel rolls.

I could keep going, but hopefully this will get you started on the right track to giving a little extra thought to your budget. We're in a recession, a time when we must be frugal. But it's important to remember that living on a budget does not have to be the end of the world! If you internalize the habits mentioned above, you'll be able to go out, live your life, and actually have fun in your 20s, instead of just counting pennies.


If you have any other money saving tips that you'd like to share with us and our other readers feel free to post them as a comment below!

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