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photo credit: Prato9x

Organic food shopping can get expensive.  If you haven’t checked the prices of grass-fed organic beef, free-range chicken, or organic broccoli, you would be surprised when you realize that gone are the days when food shopping used to be a small fraction of your monthly budget.  However, it is important to realize that spending money on foods that don’t have any nutritional value is also the waste of money, and moreover, it also deteriorates your health! 

We cannot just let the cost of food dictate our decision-making.  Healthy eating doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think it is if you research your options.  Here are the top 5 ways you can eat healthy on a frugal budget:

1. Pre-packaged foods should be avoided as much as possible.  Most of these pre-packaged foods are loaded with preservatives and they lack the high-quality nutrition our body needs.  Additionally, they are pricey.  Instead of pre-packaged foods, consider slow-cooker recipes.  Not only do they save you time and money, but are also highly-nutritional.
2. Drastically reduce the consumption of packaged juice, soda, and alcohol.  These beverages are filled with empty calories.  They empty your wallet while filling your body with useless calories.  Instead, consider fresh juices and green tea.  Local farmers markets are the best choices for getting high-quality fresh fruits without spending a lot.  Replace your sodas with a cup of green tea.  You can get a bag of 100 green tea’s for the same cost as a 6-pack of soda bottles.  Green tea is filled with anti-oxidants and has negligible sugar content.
3. Food gardens are becoming very popular in US and Canada with an increase in health consciousness.   National Gardening Association conducted a comprehensive research on the topic of food gardening and its return value.  It was derived that an average food garden yields over $500 in return on average.  For more details and research statistics, please visit The Impact of Food & Community Gardening In America.
4. Whole grains like barley, quinoa (m personal favorite), millet, and oatmeal are very nutritional and cost-effective.  They fill you up because of their wholeness and have high fiber content.  You should not limit your choices to rice and pasta should when it comes to making a list for cost-effective grocery shopping.  
5. Organic deli meats are not as expensive as pre-packaged organic meats and have higher nutritional value too.    For additional savings in meat, consider grinding meat on your own instead of buying pre-packaged meats. 

Healthy grocery shopping is not as difficult and expensive as it is perceived by most of the shoppers.  Putting in a little bit of extra effort in your grocery shopping can result in significant savings, both for your wallet and your health!

About the Author: 
Amy C. is an enjoys exploring options for creating a healthy, conscious, and frugal lifestyle.  She is based in Phoenix and is an ASU full-time business student.  Additionally, she has an e-store in the niche of indoor fountains.  Amy invites you to browse a recently launched a line of solar fountains for garden and patio enthusiasts.  In her free time, Amy applies her business acumen in creating valuable marketing content for a Phoenix Internet Marketing firm, Niche Solutions, LLC. 

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1. Could you Eat on One Dollar a Day?
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February is a funny month because it’s so short. Mr. Boomer said he liked that his hourly wage that month was the highest of year (salaried employee).  That’s not what appeals to me.  It’s knowing that Spring is just around the corner  that I like.  Okay, Valentines Day is kind of fun too.

I have a new theme on my blog so it should look different (those that click through to the actual website will see it).  Stay tuned as I continue to refine the look this month.  You will also noticed that I’ve added a couple of ads.  I will do my best to balance monetization efforts with easy access to content.

Spending

My goal of not spending more than $50 on unplanned expenditures was met. The only large purchase to replace the wheel rim bent by the pothole but it met the criteria of existing item that was unrepairable.  It did require a little dip into the emergency fund but that’s why we have it.

 I also applied $900 to my debt snowball so it’s going down every month (bit by bit).

Blog News

My motivation to keep writing is again renewed with a second month in a row of increased stats.  Visits were up 42% and page views increased 3% over January.  I’m happy considering it was a short month!

In case you missed them the five most popular articles in February were:

6 Expenses for Man’s Best Friend
4 Steps to a Faster PC
Do Baby Boomers Know How to Job Hunt
4 Steps to Successful Gift Giving
Time to Make A Change

A big thank you to all bloggers that share bucksomeboomer with their readers. The top 10 referral sites in February were:

1. Graceful Retirement
2. Dollar Stretcher.com
3. The Frugal Girl
4. Len Penzo Dot Com
5. Enemy of Debt
6. Pragmatic Environmentalism
7. Ultimate Money Blog
8. Passive Income Now
9. Wise Bread
10. Think Your Way to Wealth

  How was your month?  I hope you have a moment to reflect on it and share.

photo credit: liliferret 

Content © Bucksomeboomer  2009-2010.  All Rights Reserved.

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2. Week in Review: Appreciation Edition
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Vacation planning for pet owners requires more than just figuring our the actual vacation.  Arrangements need to be made for the care of any pets.  Although our pets don’t go to fancy pet hotels we do want them to be well-tended. 

For many years we had cats which limited vacation preparation to finding someone to pop in once a day to refresh the food and water, clean the litter box and dispense some petting. 

Adopting Charger three years ago added to our arrangements.  He needs to go somewhere else because we are yard-less.  Here’s what we did to find the right place.

Get Referrals.  Ask your veterinarian, dog park acquaintances, neighbors, coworkers and friends.  Of course, we only asked people who lived in our general vicinity as our goal was to find someplace conveniently nearby.  We got several suggestions from all these sources and then weeded through them by comparing key factors.

Compare Prices. The fees charged by some establishments are shocking (at least to us).  The price ranged from a low of $21 up to $60 per day.  Find out what’s included in the daily rate.  Some include indoor/outdoor space and others do not.  Is there play time included?  If so, is it with other dogs or solo? 

Additional Services/Factors. Many kennels have a menu of additional services that can be purchased for your pet.  If it’s important to you for Fido to get a larger room with  two daily play sessions and gourmet food then you’ll want to make sure that’s offered at the selected establishment.  We didn’t have any special needs but wanted to bring one of Charger’s favorite toys.

Kennel Requirements.  Boarding businesses are often just as picky about who they let stay as owners can be in selecting where to have the dog stay.  Some require a screening to make sure it’s a compatible fit.  Check requirements for vaccinations and health certificates and be prepared.  You don’t want to miss your flight or cruise ship because of a missing rabies certificate.

Research Prospects.Before leaving our dog at a new place, we visited the kennel and talked to the proprietor.  The tour included viewing the kennel where we could see how other dogs were being housed and the facilities.  We left feeling good about Charger going there.  In addition to the on-site visit I researched reviews online and found glowing remarks from other customers.

Our final choice had been referred to me by a coworker and coincidentally had the lowest price.  All was well when we returned the first time to pick up Charger.  When we took him back the next vacation Charger was excited to see the staff and we knew it was the right choice.  How did you choose your pet’s kennel?

photo credit: Adriaan Bloem 
Content © Bucksomeboomer  2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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A little over a week ago Chile endured the fifth worst earthquake in the world since 1900. Yet, the reaction is very different than from the Haiti earthquake in January.  Why?

The loss of life (although not fully known) was much less than with the Haiti quake.  A couple of thousand compared to a couple of hundred thousand.  Hugh difference.  Second, the construction standards were much tougher in Chile.  Since most buildings didn’t totally collapse more people were able to survive. 

Strangely, this makes me feel better about when (not if) a big one hits California again.  Bridges, highways, and hospitals are among the infrastructure that are or have undergone earthquake retrofitting.  All new construction is built to withstand shakers.  Our experience should be like Chile’s.

Editor’s Picks

 These are my favorite personal finance articles of the week in no particular order.  I hope you enjoy.

1. Say What?@ Frugal Zeitgeist tackles the subject of inheritance and older parents in response to the recent Money Magazine article suggesting parents should stop spending it.

2. Mint.com Income Disparity by Gender & Race.  Check out this interesting graphic of the U.S. Income Gap brought to us by @ Fabulously Broke.

3. 20 Eco Tips to Green Your Bathroom. Mr. Boomer and I try to live green as much as we can in our condo. @ Modern Hippie Mag gives us 20 possibilities to be green in one room!

4. Cheap Meals: Dine for Less but Keep the Great Taste and Healthy Foods.You can save money and eat well wtih these tips from a guest post @ PT Money.

5. How to Document Your Possessions for Insurance. @ Finance for a Freelance Life provides information on how to be prepared for making an insurance claim if your home is damaged or destroyed. The tip to store the proof off-site is very important. If the house is burned down with the documentation inside that’s not going to help.

6. Lessons from the 2010 Winter Olympics. Behind the pageantry and scores @ Chasing Prosperity points out life lessons taught at the Olympics.

7. What Does it Take to Make You Switch Banks? Use these tips from @ Get Rich Slowly to decide if it’s time to change your banking institution.

8. How to Give Your Child an Allowance. These guidelines from @ Gather Little by Little are helpful in getting the most benefit from kid’s allowances.

9. Can I Afford to Give an Offering? @ Personal Finance Journey discusses the question of giving and timing.

10. 55 Marketable Hobbies that you Love & Can Get Paid For. Just because I’m a ways from the 20 somethings doesn’t mean I can’t learn something from this post @ 20 Something Finance including 55 hobbies which can earn cash.

Carnivals

 Carnival of Financial Planning Edition #131 @ The Skilled Investor
The 219th Festival of Frugality – The Ration Book Edition @ Miss Thrifty

photo credit: nickbilton
Content © Bucksomeboomer  2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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Mr. Boomer always gives me the mail that isn’t personally addressed to him (which means I get 90% of it).  When we got an envelope from the U.S. Census Bureau last week I thought it was THE census form every American household will receive this Spring.

Nope, my address was randomly selected to receive the American Community Survey (ACS).   They made it clear it was my address selected and not me personally which kind of hurt my feelings. 

But the government really wants to hear from me.  So much so that my response to both this and the 2010 Census is required by U.S. law and they made sure to put that in the letter. 

This survey is so important they sent three mailings so far.  The first was the letter announcing we were selected and that it was required, the second was the actual survey and the third was a card three days later reminding us to return it.

The envelope for the ACS included five pieces:

1. A cover letter again reminding me it is required by law (in bold print).
2. A glossy FAQ brochure.
3. A guide to completing the survey form (reminds me of the tax guide).
4. The actual survey which is up to 48 questions (depending on number of persons in the household) over 28 pages.
5. A large prepaid return envelope.

Why can’t they just use survey monkey?  The government estimate of the time for me to complete the survey is 38 minutes so you know it is not fun.  However, my answers will help them decide where to locate new schools, hospitals and community centers among other things.  I’ll do it for civic good then; not the threat of Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections 141 and 193.

With my selection I have a government form hat trick going (ACS, 2010 Census and 2009 Tax Return).  Maybe I should try my luck with the government sponsored gambling venture?  7-11, here I come.

photo credit: mosmi

Content © Bucksomeboomer  2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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My husband and I keep all of our accounts, loans, and credit cards separate except for our heating utility company. This is a second marriage for both of us. While I have established a very good credit history, my current husband has bad credit. Will I be responsible for paying off his debts if he passes first? I have never used his credit cards and my name is not on any accounts of his. Our cars are also only listed in his name or mine

Nancy

We should all be prepared for our own deaths and those near to us. It’s smart to ask these questions while corrective action can still be taken.

The first way that you can find yourself responsible for another person’s credit card debt is if you agree to be responsible for debts incurred on the card. You’ll need to sign an application for this to happen. Generally you’ll be the owner/co-owner of the account or have co-signed on the account. But, you’ll know if you’ve obligated yourself this way (unless you didn’t bother to read what you were signing). In Nancy’s case, it appears that she hasn’t done that.

The second way that you could be responsible for credit card debts is less obvious. Suppose that Nancy is not personally responsible for the card. Only her husband is. So if her husband should die, the credit card company must look to his assets for payment. What does he own? Anything that’s titled in his name is fair game for creditors. So if her husband is not on the title to Nancy’s car, the car should be safe from his creditors.

It gets tricky with joint accounts. In some joint accounts you only own your portion of the account (i.e. half of an account with two joint owners). But in most, it’s assumed that either party owns all of the account. In other words, either Nancy or her husband could write a check for the entire balance of a joint checking account. In this case the credit card company would say that her husband owned all of the checking account and claim the entire balance to pay off the credit card bill.

Nancy has been wise to avoid joint accounts. She’s gone a long way to avoiding debts that aren’t her debts. But she’ll need to clear one more hurdle.

There are state laws that must be considered. For instance, your state may have a law that says that it’s assumed that half the property acquired during a marriage belongs to each partner. Therefore, half of your property (including savings accounts, etc.) is available to pay your spouse’s debts. You must research your state laws to find all possible dangers. A lawyer may be necessary in some situations.

Whether Nancy needs to talk with one will depend on her circumstances. She can do the basic things herself (and for the most part she already has). Keep separate credit card accounts. Don’t co-sign or guarantee any loans. Keep your assets separate.

If there are significant assets, it might be wise to see a lawyer. If you come in with specific questions and facts, it shouldn’t be too expensive to find out if you have any exposure to debts that you didn’t create.

Generally, you don’t become responsible for someone’s debts because you’re related to them, but there are exceptions and they can be expensive! So now’s the time to find out!

 _______________

 This is a guest post from Gary Foreman who is the editor of The Dollar Stretcher.com website – a site dedicated to “Living Better…for Less”. Not only will you find a special section on Baby Boomer Financial Issues, but you’ll also find articles like Anniversary Party Ideas.

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A local couple made national headlines in 2008 with their blog account of spending no more than $1 per day on food each.  They were interested in cutting their food budget and challenged by the small amount millions of people in the world have to live on. 

I found them when the local news featured them due to the February release of  their book titled On a Dollar a Day: One Couple’s Unlikely Adventures in Eating in America.  Their story intrigued me for a couple of reasons.  

The cause I’m passionate about is poverty (it’s why I was a John Edwards fan once upon a time).  Hunger and the lack of access to nutricious food is a large part of  being poor.  Learning something about potentially cutting my own food budget was the second attraction.

The Diet

In order to meet the limit of $1 a day they had to make nearly everything from scratch.  I do make some things from uncooked ingredients but convenience is often worth paying more.    Meat is an expensive part of the typical western style diet.  As vegans, this couple didn’t miss that but  did sacrifice on eating fresh fruits and some vegetables as this would make them over budget.

Learnings

We can save money on food but have to balance it out with the cost of time.  If I use canned beans it’s a greater cost per ounce but I can save hours of preparation time.  

Having one meatless night a week is better for the environment (carbon footprint), our budget and probably our health.  Maybe I’ll start easing these into the menu rotation.  

Results

Christopher Greenslate and Kerri Leonard became better known than I think either of them could have imagined.  Their experiment has resulted in attention and donations.  Additionally, they did learn how to prepare more foods and save money. 

Do you think you could eat on one dollar a day?  What about eating one meatless dinner a week? 

Content © Bucksomeboomer  2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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Tomorrow kicks off the start of the Manage Your Money Challenge hosted by Brad Chaffee @ Enemy of Debt. In addition to participating yours truly is a sponsor! I’m so excited to be able to provide a prize to one lucky participant. Maybe it can be you.  It’s not too late to sign up.  Just read the details here.

Also take advantage of the articles I found noteworthy this week listed below.

Editor’s Picks

 1. 365 Days of Saving Money: My “Dollar Store” Kitchen. @ Modern Tightwad has been sharing a tip a day on saving money and this article highlights the many kitchen-related items available at the dollar store.  Instead of spending thousands outfit a kitchen for less than $100.

2. Guide To Sewing Buttons: How To Sew On A Button Correctly. This guest post @ The Digerati Life is a nice tutorial on what seems to be becoming a lost skill. (P.S. I do know how to sew a button but in case my sons read this I know they don’t!)

3. Writing a Financial Mission Statement. Use this article from @Cash Money Life as a guide to create your own financial mission statement.

4. 7 Steps In Overcoming Rejections In Job Search. A lot of people are job-hunting and rejection is part of the process sometimes. Use these tips from @ Well Heeled Blog to make the most of not being selected.

5. Top 100 Places to Retire – 2010 List Edition.@ Go To Retirement talks about the top 10 cities for retirement per Topretirements.com. Interestingly, San Diego is number 9 (and that’s where I want to leave).

6. Personal Finance Lessons from American Idol. Just like I learned real estate lessons from watching House Hunters @ Being Frugal found meaningful lessons in American Idol (and Mr. Boomer thinks I’m wasting my time).

7. Needs Versus Wants: The Great Spending Debate. Use these questions from @ Consumerism Commentary to figure out if your potential purchase is really needed.

8. Three Reasons You Should EFile. @ Consumerist gives us three compelling arguments for e-filing your taxes. I’m already sold; what about you?

Carnivals

Friday Finds @ Out of Debt Again

Baby Boomers Blog Carnival Twenty-Eighth Edition @ Baby Boomers U.S. (The Blog)

Festival of Frugality #218 – America Saves Week Edition @ Think Your Way to Wealth

Carnival of Money Stories 2: Bob Gibson 1968 Season Edition @ Personal Finance by the Book

Content © Bucksomeboomer  2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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Planning for retirement should be an ongoing process until the day you are officially retired.  The economy the past couple of years have changed how some of us view retirement incuding yours truly.  According to the Wall Street Journal phased retirements plans are becoming more common.

A phased retirement is an alternative to regular employment that abruptly ends with a full-time life of leisure.  It’s a slower transition to full retirement that can be handled a variety of ways.  The time period can be defined or open-ended depending on the company.

Options

1. More Paid Time Off.  One couple in the article are still full time their last few years of work but took a pay cut for 5 more weeks of vacation each year.  This option would meet the needs of people that retire to do more traveling. 

2. Part time/job sharing. Shifting to fewer hours is another option.  The company benefits by not losing all the knowledge in one fell swoop and has an opportunity to transition the job from one person to another. 

3. Per Diem/Contract. Work on an as-needed or project by project basis for your previous employer.  This benefits the company because you already know the people and processes. 

Benefits

In addition to the reward of easing out of a full time life, there are financial benefits to this type of retirement plan.

1. Social Security.  The longer you can hold off on collecting Social Security benefits the bigger the check up until age 70. 

2. Benefits.  Depending on which type of phased retirement the employee can continue to earn paid vacation and other benefits including medical insurance.

3. Continued savings.  Easing into retirement gives retirees more time to build up retirement accounts that may have been greatly reduced due to negative stock market performance during the recession.

Summary

Phased retirement sounds like a great option to me.  When I’m close to that stage it will be something I’ll discuss with my employer.  Does a phased retirement appeal to you? 

photo credit: The Rocketeer

Content © Bucksomeboomer  2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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