Comments on: Finding New Challenges (and Saving)

By: Ali Manning

Ali Manning — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 02:58:59 +0000

I love these ideas! One of my hobbies is rubber stamping and making cards, but it can get expensive buying the latest and greatest tools etc. So, I teach classes locally and use the proceeds to fund my hobby. It feels good not to take money from the family budget for my hobby and it’s a good social outlet too.

By: JT

JT — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:59:39 +0000

I’ve had a similar experience with golf. Before I knew any better, I’d schedule tee times on weekend mornings, buy brand new clubs, etc, without realizing how cheap of a hobby it can be if you do a little research.

I’m now using tee time specials (ezlinks.com, teetimewatch.com, golfnow.com) and can play for about 1/3 the price that I used to (regularly finding $20-$30 at excellent courses). I’m buying 2007-2008 club models instead of the brand new stuff.

I’m spending less money buying huge buckets of range balls, and instead spending 60% of my practice time on the chipping/putting green, which is free (and more important to be practicing in the first place!)

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:58:56 +0000

seeing as you’re a fantasy and MTG fan — I assume you’re a fan of Brandon Sanderson? Any chance you two have had a MTG match?

By: lynne powell

lynne powell — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:03:07 +0000

B.Watts Your painting sounds great. Keep it up. I bet the bride & groom will be thrilled with your gift. How lovely to receive something so exquisitely personal and from the heart.

By: lynne powell

lynne powell — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:01:18 +0000

I’m also an avid reader, and use the country library regularly. I read the reviews in the newspaper and often reserve those books, as well as the books on both the fiction & non-fiction lists for the New York Best Sellers List (top 10) hardback & paperback. I don’t mind waiting for books, and will check out books by the authors of the above mentioned books, or sometimes browse the shelves, etc. If books are not in stock in my city’s branches, or county branches, they have an agreement with neighboring counties where my book may come from. I’ve gotten books from all over N.CA this way. Best of all, it is free :)

By: B. Watts

B. Watts — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:06:43 +0000

How right you are on the cost of hobbies. We’ve had the costly ones (sailboating, for instance) and cheap ones (garage sales)plus many more in between. But right now my painting hobby is combining garage sales, flea marketing and the actual painting. I use all manner of things I find to paint on, such as trays, magazine rack, end table, mailbox, plate, ornaments, bird houses, etc. and I make the majority of our gifts we give to family and friends. I have sold some of my work, as well. I do take a class a week, but I barter my cooking expertise in payment for the class. All in all, this has been the best hobby yet for me. I even won a Best in Show at the State Fair last year with my work. I love it and I feel I am being creative as well as saving us dollars with our gift giving. The family, especially, seem to love it and so do I. Right now I’m finishing up a Bride’s Box for a wedding gift with the invitation decoupaged on the inside of the lid and painted flowers and ribbons all over the outside of the box along with the wedding date. Being snior citizens, spending a bundle on gifts and hobbies just isn’t in the cards any more and I feel I’m combining something enjoyable for me, being frugal, but still giving memorable gifts.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:34:00 +0000

Trent, I would love to hear about your research process and final decision for the grow light. I have been toying with the idea of getting one, but I wasn’t sure where to begin. Thanks!

By: nancy

nancy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:50:18 +0000

I have grown plants from seeds many times. Sometimes like last year they did very well. Other years they died from a fungus. They need to be warm and well lit. They often get very leggy if not getting enough light. This makes them hard to handle and harden off. I have found that a table top in a south facing window is better than a light in the basement.(Be careful they don’t get too cold at night from the cold seeping off the window.) The plants were less leggy. I have only grown tomatoes and peppers from seed. It will be a great learning experience for you and your family. Good luck!!

By: GayleRN

GayleRN — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:46:44 +0000

I have recently decided to bust my fabric stash which is a quilter’s addiction. You collect fabric because you like it and might want to use it someday. I have challenged myself to use what I have on hand to produce some quilts suitable for giving away to Project Linus or something similar. My self imposed parameter is to use what I have on hand first which has been a creative challenge. It is fun because they are small quickly finished projects. The best part is less stuff in my house.

By: littlepitcher

littlepitcher — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:26:13 +0000

Make friends with your local seedsman. This way, you may be able to get your hybrids (Better Boy maters, Daytona squash, etc.) at a great discount at the end of the season. Then spend the difference on exotic veggie seeds which would cost you a mortgage at your local grocery.
Or, check such venues as Family Dollar/Dollar General/Big Lots, who often have markdown seeds for as low as a dime a pack.
I crave current eBooks but settle for Goodwill fiction at a quarter per book.

By: Business India

Business India — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:08:24 +0000

there is no doubt that games make a man tough and hard working. and these games are very essential for the students, no body can deny the importance of games for them, because the students of today are the citizens of tomorrow……….

By: shweta

shweta — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:02:02 +0000

yes, we must love the books and never spoil them. the books are our constant companions. therefore, it is very essential that we should make the best use of these and always try to increase our knowledge by reading them……

By: Mac

Mac — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:59:54 +0000

For me the attraction to heirloom seeds is the sheer variety available that isn’t commonly found in stores. Purple, orange, yellow, green and black tomatoes. Chocolate peppers. Moon and stars melons. Eggplants that are white and purple striped. Varieties that are nearly extinct. A couple dozen seeds of these treasures often cost less than a single plant of the everyday variety. And you can sell either the seedlings you won’t use or the fruits and make all your money back and then some.

By: Availle

Availle — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:58:07 +0000

As avid reader I agree – books can cost a huge amount of money… Unfortunately my library is not that well stocked, and I usually don’t have patience to wait for inter library loan.

There are tons of classic books online for free on gutenberg.org. They come in a number of different formats, I’m sure one of them fits an ereader (I don’t have one, so I read on my PC).

If you’re looking for audiobooks – again the classics and free – check out librivox.org. Volunteers read books and they can be downloaded as mp3. The quality varies, but some readers are excellent. There are many old mysteries and scifi stories that are very good.

By: rosa rugosa

rosa rugosa — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:52:09 +0000

Trent,
That’s a great book list; I’m going to save it as a favorite. I’ve read several of them and they were certainly worthwhile, so I’m motivated to seek out some of the others.
My manager loves to read and buys loads of books, and I’m first on her lend list. This is a decent perq because we have similar tastes and enjoy discussing the books afterwards. She enjoys sharing, and of course it’s a total win for me!

By: Christina Crowe ( @CashCampfire )

Christina Crowe ( @CashCampfire ) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:46:13 +0000

I go to the library every other week. If I don’t have time to finish a book (because I’m working or doing other endeavors), I’ll renew it. If I especially love the book, I then buy it on Amazon. Getting your books from the library is definitely money saving and, if I were to buy every book I’ve ever read, I would be in dire financial stress.

Good luck with your piano playing!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:15:17 +0000

Not a big fan of collectible card games. Luckily DH did his last collectible game (mageknight? something with “clicks”) years ago and stopped.

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:49:10 +0000

For some great card games that have a magic-esque feel with the boosters packs to buy check out Ascension, Dominion, and Thunderstone. As an old Magic tournament player I love these games. And best of all the family gets into them as well since its more balanced for everyone playing.

By: Courtney

Courtney — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:38:03 +0000

We have 50 tomato plants and around a quarter of them are heirlooms. While the heirlooms are tasty, they tend to produce a very small crop – so if you are hoping to have enough tomatoes to make sauce or salsa, I would recommend planting some hybrids along with the heirlooms.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:33:49 +0000

Not to mention the sadness when the seedlings fail. :(

This was our first year with seeds and it was a mixed batch. The only thing that grew really well was the basil. I don’t even really like basil.