Victory, Panic, Reprieve

Like Funny About Money, I had a customer service win recently: the email I sent to Asics about Frugal Son's fallen-apart shoes was successful! I sent in the old shoes and they will send a new pair! Savings: about $60.00.

I didn't post about this because of a financial panic, also involving Frugal Son. As you may know, he spent 2009-2010 in Nantes, studying French. Upon return, he had to get credits from the home insitution. Hello, Bureaucracy! Hello, Procrastination! In the meantime, his scholarship was affected by the delay in not getting credits.

"Oh, by the way, I just got a bill for $9200.00, retroactive. I'm sure it will work out."

Yeah, maybe. So Mr. FS and I called various places at the university and the state offices. So far, we have gotten a partial reprieve. As of Friday, the bill is down to $5200.00.

The problem with bureaucracies is that you don't know if you've done something wrong (or not done something) until it's too late. I've heard horror stories about students losing scholarships (in one case of about $16000) because of neglecting to fill out a piece of paper. I almost made a mistake myself.

Now that the total reprieve is in sight, I can be happy about the replacement of the defective shoes.

It seems that the little financial victories are often accompanied by panic-inducing dangers also of the financial sort.

But it's worth taking a chance with Asics I guess. Just be mindful of the scary bureaucracies that hold so much power over us.

Any good customer service lately?

Frugal Zeitgeist: Decluttering and Closets

As usual, I'm right in the zeitgeist, along with everyone else. I spent a hard day reorganizing a closet (Mr. FS's, still not done). Like everyone else, we have too much stuff. We live in an old house with very paltry storage space. Even so, we have too much stuff. Thank HEavens for tiny closets, I say. Big closets would just attract more stuff.

Anyway, I seem to be in synch with everyone else. According to the Wall Street Journal, Baby Boomers are trying to unload their household goods and there aren't too many takers. The couple profiled has more and fancier stuff than I do. It's good to know that we can upgrade if we so desire, but I confess I love my scruffy stuff.

One motivator to declutter all by yourself comes from contemplating what it would cost to hire someone to help you. Similarly, fantasies of closet renovation are dashed when you consider the likely price tag. Once again, the Wall Street Journal has just the article you need.

I save the cost of a professional organizer by consulting my hero, Don Aslett.

What's your best motivator?

Free Cultural Events

I am always amazed by how many free cultural events we have in my little town of 8500. Next week is amazing! I am sharing in hopes that you seek and find similar events wherever you live.

Tuesday: Julius Caesar. Free dress rehearsal. At my school.
Wednesday: Bonerama plays at the Trailhead downtown.
Thursday: Nothing, thank heavens.
Friday: Sunset at the Landing Concert.
Saturday: Louisiana Philharmonic concert followed by Spring for Art, a downtown art walk, with music, food, and art.
Sunday: concert at local church, featuring Michael Gurt, an amazing pianist. The concert is followed by a food and wine reception.

Except for the Tuesday event, all events are within a short walk of my house, another bonus.

Any exciting cultural events in your town?

A Roth IRA for my Daughter

Ahhhh. A poignant moment. Miss Em earned about $1100.00 last year, so I urged her to start a Roth IRA. Of course, I had to help her through the complexities, which were exacerbated by computer glitches and other stuff. So a 15 minute on-line process ended up taking a lot of time.

Miss Em doesn't quite understand WHY I am so insistent on her Roth. I said, "In 40 years, when Mr. FS and I are gone, you will see this account and be happy you did it."

In case you are wondering, she got Vanguard STAR, a balanced fund, which is the only one with a $1000.00 minimum. We are putting it under our family account umbrella, so she is exempt from the low balance fee.

My college-age children earn very little money. They chose fully-paid-for scholarships, so we are happy to provide spending money and support summer programs. Both also volunteer in the summer. Their scholarships allow them the luxury of participating in service activities.

But when they earn some money, it goes into the IRA. Now our family has funded its Roths for 2010 and Mr. FS and I have funded for 2011. You have till April 18 to fund your 2010 Roth. JUST DO IT.

If you are lower-income, you may be eligible for a Saver's Tax Credit.

Do you love the Roth IRA as I do?

Frugal All-Clad Alternative?

Since I re-discovered my All-Clad pan (and set it next to its friend, the All-Clad saute pan), I have had All-Clad on the brain. But of course, "being as I am" (said by my precursor Eve in Paradise Lost when she tries to excuse her weaknesses), I had to check around for alternatives.

It doesn't take long to discover that (oh no!!!) Walmart makes a knockoff that is endorsed by none other than the overly-serious folks at Cook's Illustrated. Since I don't have a subscription to the magazine, I can't link to their discussion, but you can check out the discussion on Chowhound, wonderful and addictive site.

It seems that the Walmart model is undergoing some changes. Whatever. The old model (of which there are few left on site) is available in a set or two and in the very pan I crave: a 4-quart saucepan.

Here is the Amazon model.



The Walmart version is about 1/3 the price! A newer version, branded Better Homes and Garden, is also available.

So, dear readers, what would you do?

Are All-Clad Pans Worth the Price?

Well, I can't answer that one. They are expensive. Many years ago--before it was easy to find things on the internet--I read glowing reviews of All-Clad pans and decided I wanted to get a 12-inch saute pan. Being a frugal girl, I could not pay the $200plus price. So I started to search. Eventually--many many hours later--I happened upon a book in the library that had a reference to "Cookware and More," a store that sold All-Clad seconds.

I called up (this was before email) and eventually bought the pan of my dreams for about $100.00.

Now, you can find anything on the internet. At minimum wage, my search for the All-Clad probably made the pan cost well over the retail price I was so intent on beating!

What if you want an All-Clad now? The gorgeous All-Clad 6 quart saute pan.

However, if you are willing to give up the straight sides of the saute pan and get a frying pan instead, you can save a bunch.


That last one probably has somewhat less capacity than the saute pan. But the saute pan is so huge that I seldom use it, especially now that my household is down to two.

What about Cookware and More, now--like everything else--on the internet. My big saute pan is under $200; it's irregular.

Williams-Sonoma has a pretty good deal on an All-Clad 4-quart pan; it's the brushed aluminum, not the stainless steel.


As with everything else, you have to compare and contrast. If you are obsessive about getting good prices (as I am) you can waste a lot of your precious time seeking out the good deals.

I love my All-Clad, even though its purchase occasioned a goodly amount of cognitive dissonance.

The best deal in the entire universe of cookware? Everyone knows it's the Lodge cast iron frying pan!

How much time do you spend seeking out a bargain before giving up? Do you ever feel you spent too much time?

My New All-Clad Frying Pan

I have been pining for an All-Clad frying pan to supplement the huge saute pan I spent OVER $100 on about ten years ago (it's a lot more now--see below).

Guess what? I am the owner of one. As I was decluttering, I decided to pack away some of the pots I don't use too much. I'm keeping them because they might be desired by Miss Em or Frugal Son in the not-so-distant future. As I was packing things away, I uncovered--you guessed it--a 12-inch All-Clad with a $10.00 sticker. I must have bought it at a thrift and forgotten about it.

Unbelieveable. It says something about how all these bargains don't make a dent on my consciousness. I certainly neglected to honor the wonderful pan that came my way....when?

All-Clads are great. Now I just have to decide what I will get with the money I saved.

These are my beauties.


I don't have a lid, but this one does and is a pretty good deal for a lifetime pan.

Have you ever "lost" something wonderful because of clutter--mental and or physical?