frugal Archives — Beating Broke

The Irrationality of Seeking the Lowest Gas Price

July 4, 2022 By MelissaB 1 Comment

This week, I drove through the Costco parking lot, and I noticed that the usual entrance to the Costco gas station was blocked off. Instead, gas station traffic was diverted to the area by the entrance of Costco so a longer line could form and not block other parking lot traffic. I followed the line for gas and discovered it was at least 10 cars long. What?! What is this irrationality of seeking the lowest gas price? I am a Costco member, and yes, gas there can be up to 25 to 30 cents a gallon cheaper, but I would never wait in such a long line for gas.

Why do Americans obsessively attempt, at any cost, to pay the lowest gas price? Do they not know that their efforts cost them precious time and yes, even money?

One Woman’s Pursuit of the Lowest Gas Prices

I have a relative I will call Judy, who is a low gas price chaser. She will drive 10 miles or more out of her way to save a few pennies per gallon on the price of gas. She has a 10-gallon tank. If she pays $5.04 at her local gas station, filling her empty tank will cost $50.40.

If she cruises to a town 10 miles away, she might pay $4.98 per gallon, meaning a fill-up will cost $49.80. She saved .60 cents, but did she? She also wasted gas to get to the lower-priced station and took 20 to 30 minutes of her time to do so.

Why We Don’t Seek the Lowest Gas Price

I’m frugal in general. My husband and I only take our family out to eat about five times a year. We drive old vehicles. My Toyota Sienna is a 2004 and has 231,000 miles on it. My husband’s car is a 2013 and has 105,000 miles on it. We live in a modest neighborhood, and when we bought our house, we bought one that was on the lower end of what we could afford.

We like to save money, so you might be surprised to learn that I don’t play the lowest-gas-price game. It’s not worth it to me.

My minivan has a 20-gallon tank, and our nearest gas station sells gas for $4.86 a gallon. To fill up my minivan costs a whopping $97.20. Ouch! Gas at our nearest Costco is $4.55 a gallon. Filling up there would cost $91, so I would save $6.20. However, I do not want to wait in line for 30 to 45 minutes to save six bucks.

Instead, I choose to limit my driving while prices are so high. We stay home a lot more, and when we drive, we combine errands, so we don’t use as much gas. Right now, I’m filling up every two weeks.

Final Thoughts

Americans are obsessed with seeking the lowest gas price, only to save at most a few bucks, or, at worst, a few cents. To do so, they have to spend money and precious time. Rather than chasing the lowest gas price, a more lucrative option may be to find other frugal ways to save money that more significantly impacts their bottom line.

Don’t Make the Cost of Gas Your Scapegoat

Is a Costco Membership Worth It When Living Alone?

MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

How to Afford a Pet When It Has Ongoing Medical Issues

February 7, 2022 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

When our family friend passed away, she left us her six-year-old cat, Miss Kitty. Miss Kitty was a skittish, fearful cat. She is still that way, but she has come to love us, and we, her. However, this cat has cost us a small fortune! We discovered she is prone to urinary crystals, so she has to have special diet cat food that costs approximately $500 a year. She also has dental issues. Just recently, we had to pay $1,600 to have five of her teeth pulled. Owning Miss Kitty has not been a cheap venture. Unfortunately, our experience is not unique. Many loving pet owners discover their pets have health issues that cost a lot of money. If that is your experience, you may wonder how to afford a pet when it has ongoing medical issues.

Ask What Services Are Absolutely Necessary

Often, veterinarians will suggest many services that your pet needs. Feel free to ask the vet which services the animal needs immediately and which you can delay without harming the animal’s health. This strategy can allow you to pay for treatments that are needed now. Then, you can save for the other treatments that aren’t as urgent. When you have money saved, you can get the next treatment.

Ask the Vet about a Payment Plan

Before the vet begins treating your animal, ask if she has a payment plan. Some vets do. Often, vets offer these payment plans with zero percent interest. Our vet did not have a payment plan, but he waived fees like her recheck appointment (saving us $56) and her antibiotics. If your vet knows that money is a concern, she may offer some discounts.

Utilize Care Credit

If your vet doesn’t offer a payment plan, consider using Care Credit. Care Credit is different than a credit card, but you still should use it conservatively. You can get short-term credit with zero percent interest as long as you make the minimum payment on time and have the balance paid off by the end of the promotional period. If you don’t, you’ll be charged interest from the time of the initial charge.

Get Care at a Veterinarian School

If you have a veterinarian school nearby, inquire about seeking treatment there. While you may worry about the quality of care, experienced vets supervise veterinarian students, so you should feel comfortable having your animal treated there.

In addition, because your animal gives the vets-in-training experience, you’ll likely be charged less than if you went to a vet who already has her degree.

Utilize Chewy.com

If your animal requires special food or medicine, consider using Chewy.com. We buy all of Miss Kitty’s food from Chewy, and they’re a fabulous company. Their prescription food prices are lower than what you’ll get at your vet’s office, and their medicine is cheaper, too.

Find a Way to Make Extra Money

If your animal has a one-time expense such as Miss Kitty needing her teeth extracted, you may be able to make additional money quickly. One woman who had to pay for an emergency visit for her dog donated her plasma for two months to pay off the bill.

Final Thoughts

For many of us, pets are part of our family. If you’re wondering how to afford a pet when it has ongoing medical issues, know that there are places you can go to get cheaper service to afford your pet’s care.

Prepare for These Expenses When Getting a Dog

Natural, Low-Cost Flea Treatments

MelissaB

www.momsplans.com/

Save Money with Buy Nothing Groups

December 20, 2021 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Have you joined a Buy Nothing group? You can find these groups on Facebook. Simply enter the name of your town or area and “Buy Nothing.” You likely find a group or two near you. Then, get ready to discover the joy of all the ways you can save money with buy nothing groups!

Save Money with Buy Nothing Groups

You save money in two ways:

Getting Rid of Your Stuff

You can easily get rid of stuff you no longer use with a buy nothing group. Take a picture and list your item in the group. You’ll likely have several takers. All you have to do is place said items outside your home, and the person will come to take them.

Using a buy nothing group to get rid of your stuff saves you gas because you don’t have to drop the items off at a donation center. You can also save on the cost of disposal if you want to get rid of a larger item.

Gaining New Stuff

The true beauty of these groups is when you are in need of items. Buy nothing groups never charge people for the items they’re getting rid of, so if you get an item from the group, you will pay nothing.

Some of the Best Items Our Family Has Received

When my son was in elementary school, he was obsessed with magic. Our local buy nothing group had a magic kit listed, and I got first dibs on it. My son was thrilled with his new-to-him magic kit, which was in excellent condition. About five years later, my daughters needed bicycles. Although it took me a few months, I was able to get both girls bicycles for free from our Buy Nothing group.

How to Make the Most of These Groups

How to Save Money with Buy Nothing Groups — Photo by Anna Kumpan on Unsplash

To make the most of these groups, you need to be flexible. You may want something, but you need to be patient. Sometimes you have to wait weeks or months for someone to list something you need. Also, be flexible with what you need. If you let go of rigidity, you may find what you need. For instance, let’s say you want blue plates. If someone offers up white plates, be flexible enough to take those instead, knowing that your need was met, even if it wasn’t in the exact way you had planned.

Another Bonus

Besides saving money with buy nothing groups, you also reap another benefit. You help keep unused items—either yours or someone else’s—out of landfills! You cut down on consumerism and live the motto of reduce, reuse, and recycle.

One Caveat

If you search for buy nothing groups in your area and don’t find anything, try searching under “freecycle” or “Neighbors helping neighbors.” Another option is to search “Free.” I found several groups in our area under these different terms. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find one.

Final Thoughts

If you haven’t heard of buy nothing groups or you haven’t utilized one before, what are you waiting for? Now is the perfect time to join. You’ll likely be pleased with the items that you need that you can get for free and that you can save money when giving your own items away.

6 Items You Should Never Pay Full Price For

How to Deal With a Person Who Keeps on Asking for Money

MelissaB