Good, Clean, Money-Saving Fun

I had dinner the other night at Joya, a Thai restaurant in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. I've written before about its sister restaurant in Park Slope, called Song. Both places seem to have found a recipe for success in offering a hip atmosphere and really low prices-- they always seem to be jam-packed with a diverse crowd, people of every age, race, class, and orientation all chowing down on generously sized $7-8 entrees.

After enjoying some veggie dumplings, chicken masaman curry and a shrimp/portobello mushroom special, with a couple of drinks, all coming to about $50 for two people, I decided to stop in the bathroom on the way out. While I was, ahem, seated, I looked down and noticed a shiny quarter on the floor! As longtime readers will know, I love finding money and will stop and pick up a coin of almost any amount. A quarter is especially exciting, as it can be used for laundry.

But this quarter was on the floor in a bathroom. The bathrooms at Joya seem quite clean as New York restaurant bathrooms go, but the quarter was on the bathroom floor in a slightly puddly looking area, which was kind of sort of really near the toilet. This gave me pause. I stood there for a minute and thought, "should I just give up on this quarter? Is that too gross?" It also occurred to me that this might be one of those jokes where the quarter is super-glued to the floor and if I try to get it I'll end up on Candid Camera or YouTube as the crazy girl who's willing to scrape a quarter off a dirty bathroom floor.

But the intrepid penny pinching Madame X came through and I told myself, "@#(*&$ it, I want that quarter!" I turned on the water in the sink. I put some soap on my hands. I bent down to grab the quarter. This attempt at germ-busting then resulted in some comical slippery fumbling with the quarter (which perhaps you've already seen on YouTube, but god I hope not...). But I eventually got the quarter to the sink where I washed it and my hands thoroughly with more soap. I then dried off my prize and took it home in my coat pocket.

Yes, it's possible that this quarter might still have been crawling with nasty bacteria but I didn't hang onto it for long-- the next morning I ended up giving it to a friend to use in a parking meter.

And yes, this is how far I'll go for 25 cents. I think it's a good exercise, actually, in adjusting one's financial attitude. Picking up a coin reminds me that the little things matter, and that I don't take financial issues lightly. It reminds me that money is money, and no honest way of acquiring it should be considered beneath one's dignity. But really, if you see me on YouTube, please don't forward it to all your friends.

Selling My Stuff

I've made about $100 on Ebay recently-- maybe a bit less when you take out the fees, but not bad. I've been trying to clean out some of my old gadgets-- I'm kind of attached to them, but I hate feeling weighed down by too much stuff, and I can always use more closet space. I love achieving two goals-- more cash and less clutter.
Unfortunately, it's a bit of a nuisance to deal with selling things. It takes time to photograph and list them on Ebay. It takes time to pack them up and ship them. It takes time to answer emails with questions, but I usually describe things in such exhaustive detail that I don't leave too many questions unanswered in the listing itself! I sold one higher-value gadget, and I'll probably try to sell my old computer, but beyond that, I may just bring some stuff to the Salvation Army or one of those recycling drop-offs for old electronics.

Aside from the little stuff I can sell on Ebay, I'm tempted to try to get rid of some larger items. I recently bought a new dining table and chairs (only $300 at Target.com!). I'd been wanting something a bit larger, and I needed extra chairs for guests. But now I have to figure out what to do with my old table and chair. I may just keep them to use as a desk, but that will create a whole set of spatial arrangement issues I'm not sure I can deal with! So I'm wondering if I should just sell the table on Craigslist instead.
I'm also having doubts about my bed. I got it last year from Room & Board, and it's very cool-looking, but my bedroom is tiny and I'm wondering if I should have gotten something smaller that didn't have a footboard. If I tried to sell the bed, I doubt I'd get anywhere near what I paid for it, even though it's in like-new condition. Do I want to spend hundreds of dollars basically just for the privilege of changing my mind about a bed? (Or should I just make my mind up about the bed and lie in it?!)
The problem with selling furniture is that you have to be at home for people to come and look at it, and they have to be able to deal with transporting it. And with the bed, I'd also need to find a new one to replace it. I don't think I really want to deal with it right now.

Do you sell stuff you don't want or donate it? Or just decide to live with it? How do you decide? How valuable does something have to be before it's worthwhile for you to sell it?

Make Extra Money By Subletting Your Apartment?

This weekend's City section had an article about people who sublet out their apartments when they're going to be away. Would you feel comfortable doing this to make extra money? I'm not sure I would.
I actually had some experience with this kind of arrangement last summer, as I sublet a couple different apartments while waiting to close on my condo. But I was the person who needed the place to stay, not the person who had to worry about someone else using, breaking, or stealing all their stuff! If I knew I'd be getting a tenant like me, I wouldn't mind renting out my apartment now and then, but I am not sure most people would meet the standards I held myself to! The people I rented from were away on extended vacations, and when they returned to their homes, they found everything exactly as they left it only cleaner, and I think they were all very pleased with the deal.
A few things I would try to do if I wanted to sublet my apartment:
-- Communicate clearly about your living space, especially if you're dealing with out-of-towners. Accurately describe the neighborhood, the size of the apartment, the amenities of the building (or lack thereof).
-- Lock away valuables in a closet or storage space, or leave them with a friend.
-- Also lock away valuable personal information such as financial documents
-- Leave a list of phone numbers for any maintenance issues: landlord, superintendant, plumber, etc.
-- Make sure a local friend has keys to your apartment and can check in if problems arise, especially if you'll be hard to reach.
-- Collect payment up front, and get a security deposit.
-- Make sure you have cleaning supplies and show the subletter where they are. Even if you don't expect them to thoroughly clean the apartment before they leave, you want them to be able to deal with any spills or accidents.
-- Communicate clearly about your expectations: what can your subletter use? Food? Bedding and towels? Cooking equipment? Laundry facilities? Are certain parts of the apartment off-limits? Do you expect them to water your plants?
-- Be realistic. If you're very picky about your home and its furnishings, maybe subletting it out isn't the right thing for you. Instead you might consider making your own vacations more affordable by doing home swaps-- that way you at least know the person in your apartment has an equal stake in the deal!

My Nutty New Business: The Bagel-Buttering Blogger

Some interesting comments on the peanut butter post: Caitlin points out that they must be charging 10 cents for butter. And Adam observes that the customers at that deli are obviously willing to fork over big bucks for peanut butter. So what if I tried to get in on this action? What if I stood outside that deli with a jar of Jif and a stick of butter-- or, better yet, since this is NYC and we like to be offered a plethora of gourmet options, a selection of natural, low-sugar, no-salt, etc. etc. peanut butters, and salted, un-salted, Danish, local organic, etc. etc. butters, as well as margarine, Land O'Lakes Country Morning Blend, Benecol, I Can't Believe it's Not Bullshit, etc. etc.-type butter alternatives.
I'd have a signboard proclaiming myself the "Butter Nutter" and I would only charge 5 cents for a smear of regular butter, and only $1.50 for a smear of regular peanut butter, which would undercut my nearby competition while still allowing me a healthy profit margin even if I bought my supplies at retail. And I'd up-price the gourmet options. I'd stand out there for an hour or two in the morning, telling people to purchase their bagels wherever but to get it greased up where the greasing is good. If NYC can sustain restaurants that serve nothing but rice pudding or dumplings, surely I can make a few bucks as the Butter Nutter.
And isn't there some song with the words "hey peanut butter?" (Or did I dream that?) If so, I think I would set the whole thing up on one of those adult-size tricycles that people outfit with stereos and a lot of chrome and flags and streamers, and I'd blast that song, and I'd wear an outfit borrowed from George Clinton and pretty soon I'd be drawing business from all around the city, not just that one deli, so I'd franchise it out to anyone else who wanted to be a Butter Nutter, and set up special deals with spread-suppliers to do Butter-Nutter-branded products. I'd have placement in every supermarket, and every morning, a whole fleet of streamered, funk-blasting, adult-size tricycles would indomitably roll forth across the five boroughs... the country... the world!
I think I'm onto something here....