Money Saver: Trent's list

I just found some more great tips for saving money in this list. For the most part, it really is quite good. I already do some of the stuff, like making meals at home, making a list before going to the store, repairing or reusing old clothing, etc.

There are, however, a few items on that list with which I have a bone to pick. Here are the top 3:

29. Don't spend money just to de-stress.
What is this Trent talking about here? I found the explanation a little vague, as he never explained what the money was spent on. Booze? Gambling? Yoga? Hookers? It could be anything! Maybe Trent was being purposefully vague so we could fill in our own blanks. If that's the case, I'd fill it in with Cadbury Creme Eggs because every time I eat one, I forget my joblessness and get lost in the Sea of Oooey-Gooiness. And you're telling me to give these up, Trent? How dare you?

51. Don't fear leftovers, jazz them up.
In this tip, he suggests actually *gasp* eating your leftovers. Why people seem to think this is a 'suck it up and just do it' kind of task, I'm not sure. I would like to point out that this is really easy to do if you make good food in the first place. Revolutionary, I know, but somebody had to say it. Also Trent, I worry about your suggestion to "chain," or use leftovers for the basis of an all new dish. When Jess was growing up, her mother used to do this. She called these creations casseroles, a word that to this day causes Jess to run from the room screaming, crying, and pulling out her hair. Such casseroles often included white rice from Chinese food over the weekend, pasta from dinner last night, salsa, a layer of tuna fish from lunch three days ago, and leftover veggies that were just about hangin' on, all baked in a casserole dish and topped with a layer of grated Parmesan cheese. Her heart was in the right place, but soon her family members' stomachs were not. So Trent, I'm surprised and dismayed that you would suggest this kind of indigestion.

65. Cut your own hair.
Are you kidding with me right now, Trent? I mean, maybe you're a hairdresser, who knows? Maybe you can pull it off, like this guy (if you watch no other part of this video, please fast forward to minute 5:40 or so...).

Or maybe you can't and you end up looking like this doityourselfer. Trent says practice makes perfect, but what about the first time when you end up with this do? No, I will not be adding "cut my own hair" to my list of Pamscaping activities, thank you.





Other than these three biggies, though, Trent's list was pretty good. I think most of the items can be summed up into:

• Don't buy stupid crap you don't need/Stop living like a rock star and live within your means
• Buy the generic brand of crap you need in bulk and freeze most of it
• Buy smart, like an old person (read: be cheap-- use coupons, camp out for sales, etc.)
  
• Be healthy, because there are a lot of indirect ways that can save you money