So I got this magazine late in the mail, but better late than never!
The kind folks over at Real Simple sent me a free copy of March 2009’s issue because the headlines say:
Live well on less: 71 ways to spend smarter (and save a lot)
Intriguing! Can you see why they sent me a copy? 
About the magazine
Real Simple has always been one of my favourites to read either my own copy, borrowing from friends or sitting in the library reading last month’s or even last year’s issues.
It is clearly geared towards the younger mothers, or the 30s – 60s age-group, so it is nothing like your teenage or InStyle magazines where all they talk about is fashion and shopping.
This particular issue, as per the Editor’s note, really focuses on the choices being made in life by all of us right now — do I buy something I see and KNOW is on sale? Or do I wait? Can I even afford a Starbucks latte any longer?
Real Simple aims to let you know how to cut back without turning into a monk, which is totally in line with my own philosophy.
By the way, did you have to debone it?
In case you aren’t familiar with this lingo, “to debone a magazine” is not what you think (sickos!), it’s really just to pull out those hard, cardstock-like advertisements that are either stuck in between pages or attached to the spine that hinder your ability to flip through them leisurely with one thumb without getting caught at those stupid cardstock advertisements.
And yes, I had to debone it. Only 3 “bones”, which wasn’t so bad considering the InStyle version almost takes me 3 minutes to flip through all the pages and rip out that hard cardstock before I can even begin reading.
I must say, even though I complain a lot about ads (haha, sorry Ginger), I actually enjoy looking at the styling of the models in the shoots.
It must be the influence of my guilty addiction to America’s Next Top Model (which by the way, I am going to tweet about once in a while, after I actually watch the episode since I am sans TV).
I’m going to approach this magazine as if you are reading along with me, making short comments without giving away the whole hog, and I do like that the magazine covers everything from fashion to finance to cooking – the same way as my blog.
$: The average person spends $2668 a year eating out, or around $51.30 a week
How do you save money on everyday essentials?
Some of the tips are good, some were bad. Let’s start with the bad and end with the good on a positive note.
THE BAD: One reader says that you just need to ask if you really need an item. She cites GPS in-car systems, and says that you can just grab a map instead.
As a directionally-challeneged geek, I totally disagree. Without my GPS, I used to take half an hour to map out where I was going in relation to the subway station.
Exhausting. At least half an hour for each destination. (I am in constant fear of being late).
The Garmin Nuvi255W GPS has saved me all of that hassle, and it re-calculates if I end up taking the wrong road.
I never have to pull over, waste gas, risk the incessant angry honking or worse, a loitering ticket, and find where I am on the bloody map.
And on top of that, you need to constantly buy maps for each city you go to, or multiple maps for the same city depending on whether you want to see the highways or not.
If you are always in your own neighbourhood, then by all means, you don’t need the GPS system, but if you have asked yourself “Where does little Joey live, honey?” then you need a GPS to stop wasting time and gas.
In short, totally worth the $300 tax included I paid as I can now go ANYWHERE in North America, like Magellan.
In general, the bad tips did not apply to me or my minimalist lifestyle. They were the ones saying that you could save money on makeup by adding water to it (that’s a bad move).
Or buying toiletries or plastic sandwich bags (maybe even food) from dollar stores that may not have such strict regulations on what they put in those look-a-like knockoff products or cans of imported food. *shudder*
In fact, why even use plastic sandwich bags? Just use a container instead of a bag and you can even put soup in those things without wasting plastic bags all the time (these people are not going the extra mile by re-using or washing out their plastic bags, I can guarantee it).
THE GOOD: It’s easy, one reader says – just use a little less.
I totally agree.
Less shampoo, less soap, less water, you don’t need as much as you think. And the other good tip was to put water in shampoos or detergents (not makeup!) to make them last a little longer as the product is quite concentrated to begin with.
One of my favourite tricks was to mix half the liquid soap with water, and to shake it up. It ended up lasting a lot longer because just a LITTLE bit of soap and lots of water would do it but people do a full pump instead of a little pump and end up taking more than they wanted.
And the winner of that month says that meal planning saves on gas, time and has you organized for the week. Brava! It’s one of the best tips ever for busy people because you can buy a clove of garlic and use it all up for the week in many of your dishes.
I also like the tip of mixing moisturizer with some foundation to make tinted moisturizer.
$: The average person spends $749 a year on clothing
(What? that is so not what women spend)
Live your life on less – 71 tips
This is the main reason why they sent me the mag, and in general the tips are quite good. They’re all about not giving up luxuries like flowers on the table — just buy a plant that blooms year round.
I love that it tells you to splurge, but only on a few quality items and to cut back on the excess junk you tend to buy when you feel frustrated or repressed.
My other favourite tips:
- Buy one statement making piece of jewelery. (Do I hear Etsy calling?)
- Wear your spring stuff layered over your winter things.
- Showing you visual examples of how big dollops of shampoo and toothpaste should be
- Visit TheHungerSite.com to click on ONE button and donate 23 pounds of good to the poor. My personal tip would be to try out FreeRice.com.
- And the whole host of online shopping websites you can visit to find specific items
$: The average person spends $588 a year on personal-care products
(If that includes makeup, that actually sounds cheap to me but men are of course included in these surveys)
The rest of the magazine
I could go on and on, but I’d bore you and not make you want to even buy the magazine since you could read it all here!
Hah!
The rest of the tips are about how to save money on everything else in your life and I don’t want to bore you so here’s an overview:
The blue highlights were my favourites:
- A great article on interracial dating
- How to save money on hair and skin care
- How to discover counterfeit money
- What sorts of health equipment to splurge on
- Delicious looking recipes
- A day in the (frugal) life (how to save on all the little luxuries)
- What to do with pesky “pets” in the house such as black mold
- How to save money on your car
- Interior decorating and how to do it right without screwing up proportions
- My Year in Haiku (Hilarious haiku poems)
- Good Financial Therapist Advice about the emotional side of spending and money
- Road tests (organic peanut butters, lip balms, re-usable bags)
- 10 ways to let go of your stuff (great for budding minimalists)
- Style on a budget and Spring Trends (examples of fab substitutes for suits, but the jumpsuit trend is a HORRIFIC FASHION IDEA)
Verdict
Overall, a good magazine to buy to learn some quick recession-friendly, frugal tips on how to make things last without compromising quality, and with that I leave you with one of my favourite haikus from this issue’s Real Simple magazine for March 2009.
The spring comes again;
it’s time to file taxes –
lots of money gone.
You’re telling me.
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