The Cheapest Man is Back
May 20, 2008
It’s been a rough couple months with this website but I’m happy to say that I’m back to writing.
Over the past few months my wife and I have been on a bit of a spending spree:
- plane tickets = $800
- new couches = $900
- another plane ticket = $300
- deck = $3,000
- misc = $1,000
The misc includes things like a Flip video camera, Wii games, and more leisure stuff.
I haven’t been living the ‘Cheapest Man’ lifestyle, but starting NOW I’m back on it. So, be prepared for some all new valuable resources to help you live the ‘Cheapest Man’ Lifestyle.
March Challenge - Fiscal Fast
March 4, 2008
The wife and I are committed to a fiscal fast for the month of March. What is a fiscal fast? Let me explain below.We will not spend money.
- We will still pay our monthly bills.
- We will do our best not to buy ay groceries besides the necessities (milk, eggs, and bread)
- We did not stockpile a bunch of food to make it through the month.
- Not buying any alcohol. Now if friends want to share that is a totally different story.
Today is day 4 of the fast and so far so good. I think we’re heading to the mall tonight to get some exercise. There will be plenty of temptations around us, but I think we’ll be ok with NOT spending any money. Stay tuned…
Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Cheap Resource
February 13, 2008
One of the many books I own is Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I’m sure many of you have read this book, but for those of you that haven’t I’ll give you a real quick summary.
Robert talks about the 4 types of people:
- Employees - You work for someone else
- Self-employed- You are your own boss. You don’t work, you don’t get paid.
- Business Owners - You own a system of making money
- Investors - You invest your money and let it do the work
The book is a great resource but an even greater resource is his website RichDad.com. I spend a lot of time on that site especially in the forums on the site. There are many great people on the forums that are more than willing to help you out…for FREE. Now keep in mind you usually get what you pay for, but weed through the results and I’m sure you’ll find a nugget of wisdom on there somewhere.
Ever lick a turd….you just may have…
February 8, 2008
Most people know I’m cheap…thus the cheapestman.com domain name. Make sense, huh? Well when I go out to eat (which isn’t that often) I usually order water to drink with my meal. I can’t see paying $2.75 for a fountain drink of Coke. I understand unlimited refills but still knowing that most estamblishments pay 3 cents for a drink they charge you $2.75 for is ridiculuos.
So…back to my water. I usually order a lemon in my water to give it some flavor. And occasionally I’ll put in a packet of sugar for some cheapest lemonade. Well that was before a friend forwarded me this little video.
Take a look:
Grossed out yet? Ready to pay the $2.75 for a fountain drink? I’m not.
Cheap Way to create a Podcast/Radio Show
February 7, 2008
I’ve searched high and low to find an easy and cheap way to Podcast/Radio Show. Here’s what I came up with.
TOOLS
PC Microphone - A generic PC microphone will do. I use this one Logitech USB Desktop Microphone
SOFTWARE
Audacity - Open Source sound recording and editing software. I learned how to use the basic features on this in 30 minutes.
OTHER
Intro music - Revostock - This site has a great selection of stock music you can use for your Podcast.
Hositng at BYO Audio - Some people think that iTunes stores and shares your Podcast. That is not the case. You need to host it with someone (or if you have the capabilities to do it yourself). This company charges $20/month up to 5GB of transfer. Additional $1.95 per 1GB. You can sign up for this service here.
PUBLISHING
I use iTunes to distribute my Podcast. You can also embed them on your website. Most of the time I do both.
That’s it. All the tools you need to create a Podcast/Radio Show the Cheapest Man Way!
Wii selling makes man $4,500 in only 6 weeks
February 5, 2008
An unnamed man made roughly $4,500 in roughly 6 weeks selling this Christmas’ most sought after toy, the Nintendo Wii. A little background on this unnamed man. He’s 40, has a masters degree, two kids, and drives a minivan. Sound like a typical Dad. So how does an ordinary Dad make so much money in such a little time off one particular toy. A few ways:
- He scammed eBay - it’s against eBay’s policy to jack up bids by having your “friends” bid on your products. It is illegal, but hey I guess you do what you have to do sometimes.
- He outsmarted/outworked everyone - simple calls to stores and asking when they’ll get the Wii’s in was a huge benefit for him. He studied the distribution schedule and worked around it. He knew when stores were getting the consoles in versus just showing up and hoping.
- He beat the holiday rush - this man made all his sales before Thanksgiving. The early bird once again gets the worm.
- He slowly entered this idea - he didn’t buy as many as he could and try and sell them. He bought one to see how it would go. If the idea failed he wasn’t gonna be out that much money. You see a lot of people jump all over an “idea” and end up losing their shirts. Slowly enter into your idea and as soon as you know it works, jump all over it.
The point of this story is not that the man made a nice little profit from selling Wiis. The point is we need to always be on the lookout for our own little money making strategies. Pay attention to what you see, what you hear, what you expect to happen. Anticipating a demand is not always easy but executed correctly you can make a nice little chunk of change.
Tata Nano - World’s Cheapest Car
February 4, 2008
India has done it. The Tata Nano is the world’s cheapest car. The car is being dubbed as ‘The People’s Car’ and will run roughly $100,000 rupees (~$2,500). The Nano is a little over 10 feet long and nearly 5 feet wide. It is powered by a 623cc two-cylinder engine at the back of the car. With 33 horsepower, the Nano is capable of 65 miles an hour. Its four small wheels are at the absolute corners of the car to improve handling. There is a small trunk. The Nano will go on sale in India later this year with an initial production run of 250,000 a year. Tata says it will offer the Nano in other emerging markets in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa within four years.
Personally I like the idea and the concept of this car. Will I buy one if they come to the US? Probably not. There are certain aspects I like (the gas mileage (54 miles per gallon) but the car does not justify it’s usefulness to me. And don’t even get me started on the safety of driving around this modified toaster.
I’ll watch the progress of this car and who know maybe someday the cheapest man WILL be driving around this bad boy.
Roy Haynes - Living Cheap the Wrong Way
February 1, 2008
Roy Haynes is cheap. Kudos to him for being cheap, but personally I think he goes about it in the wrong way.
Why..you ask? Here’s why?
- He garbarge picks - not only is this disgusting but it’s also illegal. Seriously, do you want this guy going through YOUR trash?
- He takes advantage of things - You will see he has ketchup packets that he puts into a ketchup bottle. Now I’m assuming this, but I can see him as the kind of guy who goes to McDonald’s and cleans house at the condiment station. No one wants to look that desperate.
- He recycles….the wrong items - This guy reuses paper towels…at least 5 times. I’m no doctor but that cannot be good for your health.
Don’t get me wrong, the guy knows how to pinch pennies. I just don’t think the average Joe can live this lifestyle. Through the CheapestMan.com we will show you some normal people ways to save a buck or two.
The Ultimate Cheapskate
January 31, 2008
Dubbed ‘The Ultimate Cheapskate’ by Today’s shows Matt Lauer, Jeff Yeager is one of the cheapest men you will find.
Excerpt from Washington Post:
“”We spend more money than we need to spend just to be happy,” Yeager said. “Eighty percent of the books in the market are about how to make more money. My book is about how to live a good life on little money.”
For example, he suggests holding an occasional fiscal fast in which a family refrains from spending a single dollar for a week. He also recommends shopping smarter, volunteering, paying off home mortgages as quickly as possible, trading a car for a bicycle, living within a budget at 30 years old and staying there, and hanging up the cellphone for good.”
I’ve read about a fiscal fast and wondered if I should do one. I think i will…details to come.
You can purchase Jeff’s book at Amazon.com Ultimate Cheapskates Road Map to True Riches, The: A Practical (and Fun) Guide to Enjoying Life More by Spending Less
CURRENTLY READING
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
A must read for anyone who is looking for some 'average Joe' money advice. Stay tuned for my diary of The Total Money Makeover.
