Saving While Moving

Tis the season to move! More rentals take place in the summer than any other time of year. And right now, many college students are moving out of their school living arrangement.

Before you rent a moving vehicle to move locally, like across town, do some calculations. Many moving rental places charge a mileage fee on top of the vehicle fee. Some of us don't think much of this fee, but it can really add up. Many of us rent the smallest(aka cheapest) moving vehicle and plan on making 2-3 trips across town, thinking we have saved ourselves the extra $20-30 for the rental fee. But this day may cost you more than you planned.

When estimating your cost, calculate in the mileage fee they are charging, as well as the gas mileage of the vehicle. The mileage fees can be $1.00 per mile or more. Then there is the gas mileage. These vehicles can get as low as 6-8 MPG. So paying more for the daily rental fee of a larger vehicle and only going across town once may be cheaper than renting a smaller vehicle and making several trips.

Just food for thought :)

Beverages: The Black Hole

When I was first learning to be frugal, I did plenty of research and reading. I came across several statistics, but the one that jumped out at me the most was what the average American spends on beverages. Are you ready???
30% of our grocery bill goes to beverages!

I can hear you now...."Not me!"  But, it is sadly true.

If you consider all that goes into this category, it becomes more real:

• milk
• orange juice
• all other juices
• tea
• coffee
• soda
• wine
• beer

When we realized this expensive phenomenon, we made a rule in our home: when you are thirsty, have a glass of water. If you still want the other beverage you were going to reach for, then you can have it.

This rule applied at all meals as well: water first, others second.

Our bodies need the water more than we need the other items.
I get into discussions with moms all the time about milk and calcium intake, but that is another blog for another time. But here is a sneak peak: there is calcium in other less expensive sources.

To help you understand the cost, here is a breakdown to help you see the value of water:
1 gallon of milk costs $3.50
1 gallon of orange juice costs $3.21
1 gallon of soda pop costs $1.50
1 gallon of bottle water costs $1.00
1 gallon of tap water costs $0.01

This is an area we can make a quick dent in.