I had 2 "A-Ha" moments today. Looking back at them now, I feel pretty stupid for not thinking about them sooner...
#1) I spend about $200/month to commute. (Actually $300, but my company gives us $100/month toward public transportation). I haven't really stopped to think about this in a long time. The $100 from the company goes onto a credit card, along with $130 that I take out pretax from my paycheck. The rest comes out of pocket. I usually just buy my ticket and go about my business without a second thought. Well today when I went to get my February monthly, the clerk actually read out the total. "That'll be $234". (The subway adds another $70 on to the total). There's not much I can do to lower it. It's definitely cheaper than driving, and I'll switch to weekly tickets if I'm going to be out of the office alot.
#2) Why have I not been buying discounted gift cards for things that I buy all the time anyway? I had a gift card to sell, so I've been checking out a few of the sites. A great example is PetSmart. I easily drop $50/month there between me and my dad. They sell the cards at 7% off. That's $42/year! AND I'M SPENDING THE MONEY THERE ANYWAY!! So I bought an $86.17 card for $80.14 (and I used your link R@50)! I can also get Home Depot/Lowes and others that I know I'll use. I'm kicking myself for letting that opportunity slip through my fingers all this time.
I made it to the post office today before the storm hit. I mailed 2 cds. I need to go back tomorrow with a book and the gift card. I made dinner in the crock pot before work, so no work there. I'm just spending some time getting caught up and hoping my power stays on. Good luck everyone!
Two Financial "A-Ha"s
February 1st, 2011 at 10:21 pm
February 1st, 2011 at 11:58 pm 1296604739
February 2nd, 2011 at 12:59 am 1296608370
February 2nd, 2011 at 09:59 pm 1296683941