Name Brands

I see all these people buying store brands and off brands of things under the belief that it is "the same thing, only cheaper". I am a poor person and I HAVE to get more bang out of every single dollar I spend just to survive, so I can tell you that it is not always true unless you are in the "it's better than nothing" state of mind. So, I am going to go down a list of name brand products that actually are worth the extra money that you pay for it. I'm also going to reveal a few secrets from a poor person.

Tide and/or Gain: I have been in many arguments with wealthy women, poor women, and middle class women over name brand washing detergents vs. store/bargain brands. Yes, at face value, it appears that Tide is over priced. However, it is very powerful. When I use Tide, I actually put HALF or less of the recommended amount per load and all my clothes (and I have kids, mind you; dirt is their favorite toy) come clean the first time. Some are allergic to Tide because it IS so potent, but then there is Gain. It is not as strong but your clothes will still get clean from it the first time. In the event that I only had like, say...thirty bucks and there were things that I absolutely HAD to have, I would just buy a smaller size of Tide. A SMALL bottle of Tide actually lasted me SIX MONTHS. That is with doing laundry on a DAILY basis. I have used the bargain/store/"knock-off" brands and here's what happened to me: I would use the recommended amount per load, my clothes would NOT come clean the first time, so they had to be washed again. That means I used MORE of the detergent AND I had to run my washing machine AGAIN, which used my power and I also had to pay for that. It wound up costing me DOUBLE in two different ways. The same thing is true about bleach. Clorox is actually not that expensive and I have actually seen it cheaper than off brands for the same size. I usually only pay $1.50 to $2 for Clorox. Another little secret of mine is that you CAN bleach black clothes IF you do it right. If you have a special place that you're supposed to pour bleach in, fill it up ONCE (pour it fast) and always start the washer BEFORE you put your clothes in. By the time you put your clothes in, the bleach is extremely diluted and won't damage your clothes unless your clothes are of poor quality. This keeps the germs at a low level. Now, I am not completely knocking bargain brands. If you're single, you don't have kids, and your clothes don't really get "dirty", then by all means, bargain brands are for you. 

Dawn Dish Detergent: I'm not talking about those fancy new versions of Dawn. I'm talking about basic Dawn in the plain, boring bottle. It is always $.98 at Wal-Mart (Wal-Mart has become wise to this and therefore, many stopped carrying it in that size because they know people are smart.) I wash my dishes several times per day and I can always use less of it and my dishes are easy to clean because of it.  Dawn usually lasts about two months in my house.

Windex: It gets the windows clean the first time and doesn't leave a film. You use less and therefore it keeps longer.

Steam Mops: I like Shark the best. You don't have to buy ANY cleaners and it doesn't make your house smell like cleaner. Sometimes it is hard to breathe with those cleaners. This would be something to use your tax refund on.

I am going to take a break from talking about products and simply share some insight from what I have learned from experience.

It is very hard for we impoverished individuals to get what we need to get done in the most efficient manners. We can't afford gas efficient cars, we find difficulty in taking care of the slightest things. Many of the snotty wealthy still look down upon us and believe that we can't handle money just because we are not one of them. Have you ever noticed that Social Services never knocks at their door? It is because the wealthy can afford lawyers that can sue the pants off of Social Services, whereas they knock on our door, provide a lawyer for us if we can't afford one, and then that lawyer does what Social Services tells them to do. Plus, they view us as "filthy", yet they are the ones that can afford a $2000 Kirby (vacuum) while we have to dig through a yard sale and budget to afford a $10 overused Hoover. I hate them for thinking looking down on us but I do have some pointers that will help us out.

Many of us who work and pay taxes during the year get tax refunds. What we do with that small windfall can shape the rest of our year. I once spoke to a rich woman. I mean she was ACTUALLY rich and she wasn't one of those that claim they are not rich when they are. She is rich, she knows she is rich, and she brags about being rich. I asked her if she was born into wealth. She said she wasn't. I asked her how and she told me that instead of using her tax refunds at the end of the year for down payments on cars and things, she would set aside $500 for bills and she would invest the rest in CD accounts. She said she did that for five years and then finally started reaping the benefits. Good for her but for those of us who can't afford that type of risk, I have some advice. Much of this was learned the hard way or it was stuff that I wanted to do but my controlling, short-sighted husband would not permit me to do.

Anyway, these are a few suggestions, that are contingent upon the need. If you get a huge, $5,000 refund, then maybe you can do all of this at once. If not, do what you believe is best for improving your situation. Always make a list of what you need/want to do with your refund/windfall, include the estimated cost, and STICK TO IT. Make several drafts of it. This will help more than you realize.

Advice On How To Make Your Tax Refund (or any small windfall) Work For You:

#1: Car Care: If you're poor, your vehicle is very important. So, pay your insurance six months in advance. You get a "paid-in-full" discount for doing it, and finance charges equal up to $200. That may hurt when comes out of your refund all at once but it is definitely worth the brief ouchie. My estranged husband refused and we lived to regret it because we struggled every single month to do it. Paying in advance could have saved us a lot of stress and money. Also, we always had problems with tires blowing out and parts wearing out and our car would break down quite often. It was a good car, even though it wasn't much to look at. Replace all four tires with brand new tires, buy a spare tire/rim, and also fix all minor problems with the car to prevent the problems from growing. Also, fill up your gas tank and change your oil. If you're still making payments, pay a few months in advance if you can't pay it off. This won't let you skip payments but it will shave some of the interest off of it.

#2. Bills: Pay your rent or mortgage, in advance. If your home does not meet your needs, try to find a new one or improve the home so it does meet your needs. Pay the deposit, pay the rent a few months in advance*, if the same electric company serves that area, it shouldn't cost much to transfer the electricity from one address to another. *Paying rent in advance works well, especially if you need to buy time, but be sure to bust your rear and save up for the next time the rent comes due. If you're not employed (which would be why paying in advance buys you time) hit the pavement every single day, even weekends, searching for a job. It's best to pay the high bills up so you have more money to pay the smaller bills. The more you get done with your refund, the further ahead you can get or the more time you can buy. No matter where you are, whether you want to move or stay, pay your electric bill in advance. I know that sounds strange because you don't know what it's going to be but use the last bill or the highest bill as a reference and put that amount onto your account. I actually DID do this and it helped, although my estranged husband had no interest in working, so we fell behind two months later. Pay off your small debts. Even if you owe it to a friend or family member, if you pay them back, they will be more willing to help you if you get out of a jam. My husband did not believe in paying people back or helping those who helped us. He once screwed over a CHURCH who LOANED us the money to put the lights in our name and this was a church that had given us money countless times to pay that dastardly insurance bill. (You remember me saying that this was a pain in the rear, right?) His sense of entitlement cost us dearly in the long run. He wondered why people didn't really want to help us anymore. If there's someone who buys you cigarettes, milk, or bread, etc. when you don't have the money, remember them when you get a windfall. Get them a gift to show that you appreciate their kindness.

#3. Food and Other Necessities: Buy groceries (even if you are on Food Stamps) and stock up on things like toilet paper and cleaning products that you know you will need. (Tide, Dawn, Windex, and the Shark! Ha ha!) Buy necessary small appliances that can save you money in the long run. If you need a new refrigerator, get one or pay to repair the existing one. Buy shoes that you NEED. Depending on the size of your family and the sales available to you, get a new pair of tennis shoes for every day, a nice pair of dress shoes, and an excellent pair of work shoes (you will thank yourself later) for everyone in the house that it pertains to.

#4. Save: Try to put $50 to $100 in a jar or safe box (fireproof) for emergencies later in the year. It's just a good idea, although many of us are unable to.

#5. Children: Your kids need things but try to get each of them one nice toy. It's not for their birthday, it's not for Christmas. It's just because you love them. Maybe take your kids out to a skating rink or something that you normally can't afford. Just try to remember to put a smile on their face. On another note, however, if you pay everything up and you get ahead a little, maybe you can just afford it out of your paycheck.  

#6. Small Splurge: Being poor, it is hard for us to enjoy life because there are many luxuries that we just can't afford. So, even though this can set you up for a good year, save $50-$100 to have fun with. Buy a DVD player, go out and buy yourself a lobster dinner, or get an iPod. I know it sounds like some very weird advice because we are poor but being poor doesn't mean we are not allowed to have any fun. There are many wealthy people who don't live within their means so don't feel bad about splurging on a little something. Many of us that are poor are still much happier than the wealthy because we know how to cherish life. They do not.

#7. Charity: Give at least $10 to some sort of local charity. It's just a karma thing and it will simply make you feel better to help someone.

#8. Education: If it's available in your area, maybe you could put a few hundred dollars toward a short course that will help you gain employment or move up in it. I'm not talking about college (although that is a good idea if you don't have any children) but a short course that can help you get a higher salary.

#9. Legal Issues: This really goes back into bills. If you are on probation or something like that, pay it off or pay as much as you can to lift that weight off of your shoulders. 

One Don't:

Don't get something expensive that will add to your monthly bills without thoroughly doing your research on it. People buy iPhones without realizing that they might not be able to handle data charges. Many people use their tax refunds as a down payment on the car without taking the payments and hidden fees into account. Yes, a new car may reduce unexpected problems but it can also add unexpected stress.

An Interesting Personal Story:

Back in 2006, my husband and I got our refund late (July!) and we were separated at the time. We split the refund in half, getting $1,313 each. I bought things for our daughter and unborn son and I treated me, my daughter, and my father to a nice dinner at Red Lobster. I got lucky and found a place that did not require a deposit, and had cheap rent. Plus, it suited the needs of me and my daughter. I paid two months' rent in advance, spent money that was necessary for the minor repairs to the home, paid $200 in advance for the light bill and paid off an old traffic ticket.

My husband let his mother take control of his half of the money. She made him buy a crappy beater that he didn't even get to pick out, and he had to make payments on it that he couldn't afford. Instead of going to a certified mechanic, he went to a friend and wound up wasting money and the "repairs" didn't even hold. He paid the insurance for one month. A large portion of his half of the money disappeared. He wound up coming to me and asking for money because he blew all of his on nothing. The car broke down soon after he got it.

In 2010, we were together and we got a refund even bigger than the first one. He refused to hear any of my logic. Instead of paying the insurance in advance, he bought a $600 game system. I had to twist his arm to buy things that our children needed. He refused to buy me any new clothes or shoes (I was in rags and my shoes were falling apart). My father helped us no matter what our need was and my husband avoided him at all cost because he didn't want to return any kindness that my father bestowed upon us. I slid my Dad a $100 bill and my husband screamed at me for hours for it. He wouldn't even treat my Dad to dinner. We paid our electric bill in advance, paid off our car, caught up our rent--even though we needed to put money down on a new place, but again, my husband refused. We gassed up our car and I made sure that our children got the clothes that they needed. I also paid to get pictures developed. He refused to buy groceries for us because he hated spending cash on food. We bought a few DVD's. The rest of our year was miserable.

Be careful with your refund. 

Katie's Cancer Cause

I really admire this young and amazing girl. For every view, she gets a dime donated to her cause. She started her own charity to bring Christmas gifts to children with cancer. She's a guardian angel for those brave little kids. I would appreciate it if each of you would click on this link ten times. It will be less than five minutes to view it ten times and even if you only pay attention to it one time, just keep clicking play over and over again. I have shared it on Facebook and with a few friends in different parts of the country. I would love to see this video go viral. This is one incredible little girl with a heart even bigger than she is and she is trying to spread Christmas cheer to children who have cancer. She started this charity all by herself and it only takes a few clicks and a few minutes of your time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ocvake4D6M&feature=colike