Hot? — For $1.50 Baltimore City Has a Deal For You

I am a proud Baltimore City resident, but there are still some things about city life that I am “hesitant” about, although my reasoning may not be valid. In the case of the city pools my reasoning, until now, was flawed. I have never seriously considered taking my kids to a city pool because without thinking I figured there would be some “issue” or unsafe condition that would make it, let’s say, not worth it. But if the experience my son had at Lake Clifton pool last week is indicative of all of the city pools, we tax payers are getting our money’s worth from the management team. The facilities are clean, the kids’ experience is organized, and the water is in great shape — crystal clear! My young son also got a kick out of the “water park,” which is really a set of bigger-than-life sprinklers that the kids can run under and through, and get totally cooled-off, even if they can’t swim. It’s a buck-fifty per visit — give it a try. Here’s a link to find out more: http://www.baltimorecity.gov/government/recnparks/aquatics.php

Solar Clothes Dryer

What goes around sometimes come back around. In this case the “come-back-arounder” is the old fashioned clothes line.

I have to admit, using a clothesline flies in the face of all that matters to us in the new millennium:

• We actually have to GO OUTSIDE to hang our clothes. Imagine that, leaving the confines of our gilded nests to do something as pedestrian as hanging clothes.
• Hanging clothes takes more time and effort than moving them out of one steel box into the adjacent steel box, usually inches away, and then pushing a button or turning a dial. The clothes line scenario forces us to put the load of clothes into a basket and lug them OUTSIDE. That Sounds like work!
• And how about those clothes pins — what’s up with that? Well, the clothes pins are what keep the clothes from falling off the clothesline, but they don’t jump into action all by themselves. You have to reach into your clothes pin container repeatedly to hang each item. Usually two per. Whew! What a hassle!
• And to add insult to injury, you have to wait until the sun and breeze do their thing, which is not always a sure thing since the sun sometimes is MIA (missing-in-action) and the breeze could be tinged with a touch of humidity.
• Finally there’s the end game: “un-hanging” the laundry, or maybe you would call it “bringing in the laundry.” Folding is still folding, regardless of how you dry them.

If you want to know some facts about the relative cost of hang drying outdoors versus the a gas or electric dryer, there is lots of information out there. Needless to say, even after including the cost of hardware and rope, you will save a few bucks — unless you are so pressed for time that the hanging & un-hanging time required makes it a losing proposition for you. This is a pretty good link: http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/appliances/dryers.html

Me? I choose not to always live by the “time is money” mantra. Taking a little bit of time to save on energy consumption and pocket a couple of dollars simply makes sense to me. I kind of miss the scent of those dryer sheets though (just kidding).

The picture is my back yard — hopefully I will remember to bring the laundry in before the thunder storm hits!

My Back Yard Solar Clothes Dryer

Short Roadtrips Getting Pricey – But Still Worth It!

I loaded up my family and made a trip down to Falls Church yesterday to visit my sister. She lives in a nice apartment complex with a feature that is very appealing to boys ages 6 and 12 — a pool. A nice sized pool with lounge chairs around the edge and a lifeguard to blame in case either of them drown. Nirvana.

These days the gas cost becomes a factor when a year ago it was barely a consideration. The math goes like this: the trip is 66 miles each way. I did not calculate it yesterday, but usually my Mitsubishi Outlander gets about 25 miles per gallon, so I probably used 2.64 gallons each way at $4.03 per gallon. The gas for the trip cost me about $21.28. Worth it? You bet it was! My sister was happy to see us, she made us dinner, even treated us to the pool guest passes. After swimming we all sat around and watched Will Smith in Independence Day (again), what an entertainingly schlocky movie. I’ll bet a lot of people will be doing these gas expense expense calculations like me and coming away with the same conclusion: “Gotta go, gotta go!” High gas prices are no barrier for what makes life worth living.

Easy Rebates at Rite Aid? Hmmm…

I am not much of a coupon user partly because it requires a pretty substantial amount of organization. You know – keeping track of small pieces of paper, expiration dates…having a shopping list. For me getting the “big stuff” organized, like being where I’m supposed to be on time is challenge enough. But this Rite Aid Rebate program might have some potential. I picked up the rebate circular near the door as I entered the store and found a decent deal on Duracell batteries. The deal is this: Spend $20 or more (both regular and rechargeable) and get $10 back as a rebate. I decided to try rechargeables for the first time. The four batteries plus the charger cost $21.99. The rebate (if it really happens) gives me $10 back. Net cost: $11.99 (I’m not sure how they handle tax yet). The cool part about this is how I apply for this magic rebate. I go on line, do a pretty simple sign up, and then put in a few numbers from the cash register receipt: date, store number, transaction number, and register number. I think that was all. The computer then begins a deep dive cross-check on my claim and I just have to wait for a check to arrive — they say I’ll get it in 2-3 weeks. This seems simple…simple is good, but I won’t rave about the program yet until I get my moolah.

The Ubiquitous Baltimore Row House

I don’t currently live in a row house. I did back when I was attending Howard (1^st and V in N.W. D.C.), but it seems to me row houses make a lot of sense. They make sense on so many levels: they efficiently utilize space, they provide a true “neighborhood” feel by making it pretty much unavoidable for people to see each other as they come and go, in many cases they seem to require minimal exterior maintenance, and the list goes on. This blog will revisit the row house discussion occasionally, and I really hope I can get a dialogue going with people out there who can contribute views, particularly from the financial perspective on why row house living makes good sense in the twenty first century. Maybe as we tear down the really, really old ones, we should consider building new ones. Of course, you may also have other views of row house living that differ from the favorable comments I’ve made here, but so be it. Let’s hear your side too. Chime-in. Let me know if there are budget boosting advantages or disadvantages to row house living.

Balance My Budget…In Baltimore

I guess I should ease into this. Maybe not. I am blogging on personal finance…and maybe in some other cases “non-personal finance,” but “financial” topics for the most part. Oh, and I also want to attempt to focus on my home city, Baltimore, Maryland, and the surrounding area. I have read several of the personal finance blogs out there, and there really is a mind-boggling amount of information coming from all kinds of angles. Some out there slamming national tax policy and others are zooming in on saving money by using coupons for purchasing grocery items. (Couponers get pretty hyped-up!) Obviously there’s lots of information out there to take in. Hopefully I will find a voice to bring a few financial topics into perspective and get some dialogue going. My goal is to have some fun and trip a few more brain cells into operation than when I started.