Nicole is a newlywed, a writer, and frugal to the core. She started blogging at RainyDaySaver.net nearly two years ago. She blogs and tweets (@RainyDaySaver) about her adventures in saving money, paying off debt and being a new homeowner. After getting married in April of 2009, she and her new hubby bought their first home in June which just happens to be right across the street from her in-laws. While some people may call that crazy, there is no doubt that Nicole’s money-saving philosophies make a lot of sense.
OODC: How did you get started blogging and tweeting?
@RainyDaySaver: I’d never blogged before starting Rainy-Day Saver in May 2008. The idea just came to me one day, and I first saw it as a journaling activity and a way to keep myself accountable. Then, it sort of snowballed into a platform for providing some personal finance tidbits and information. Now, it’s a combination of everything, and I’m thankful to my readers, who inspire me to keep writing. Tweeting was a natural outgrowth of the blog, although I was resistant to joining Twitter at first. Now, tweeting is a way to share news and information, and also start dialogues about personal finance, investing and debt.
OODC:Have you always been frugal?
@RainyDaySaver:Is the sky blue? Here’s a perfect example: Once when I was 15, my parents gave me a credit card and sent me out into the world to buy myself new clothes. I came home with a $15 pair of sandals, and couldn’t have been prouder of my restraint.
OODC:I love your new series “Fix-It Friday.” A home can be a money pit! How do you save money around the house?
@RainyDaySaver:Thanks, I’m hoping to make “Fix-It Friday” a regular series! A home definitely can be a money-suck if you’re not careful. This is especially true when you first move in, as you’re tempted to redo everything from the carpets to the paint to make it truly your own. I recommend taking things slowly. We painted the walls first before moving in, but everything else has been a slow process and dependent on our cash flow. We’re not going to go into debt just because we want new kitchen countertops! If it’s something you can live with, take things one step at a time. When we have the funds, we’ll get those new counters done.
We’ve been able to save a lot of money around the house by doing things ourselves and not being ashamed to ask for help from experienced friends and family when we need it. They know we’ll return the favor anytime! For instance, we painted the rooms ourselves, and I put down new tile in our all-season porch room myself. When it came to updating lighting fixtures and outlets, we called in the expertise of a family friend. Other things we do to save money around the house is keep our thermostat at a lower temperature than most folks do (around 64F), hang energy-saving curtain panels, and do our own simple repairs (such as a recent broken toilet handle).
OODC:What do you hope people get out of your tweets and blog posts?
@RainyDaySaver:I have a love of writing, and I’ve always been someone who wants to help others. Putting the two together was a no-brainer. If readers take away some insight into their finances or learn about DIY projects like replacing a broken toilet seat, that’s satisfying to me. Twitter has also introduced me to more great personal finance bloggers and wonderful people. It’s an online community, and I love that we all support and help one another when we can.
OODC:Who are some of your favorite money tweeters?
@RainyDaySaver:There are so many great folks out there in Twitterland. MoneyMateKate, for one — her stories of helping her “broke folks” (a poor family of 10, people in shelters and those who help the underprivileged) are such an inspiration, and we help her with her mission as best we can. She’s a kick-butt couponer, too. There are EnemyofDebt and DeliverAwayDebt, who are working hard to pay off their debts. My favorite ladies include RevancheGS, MoneyFunk, BrokeintheCity, and 27andFrugal. On the guys’ side, BudgetsAreSexy and PunchDebt keep me laughing about money, and FinancialSamura and JoeTaxpayerBlog always make you think.
Thanks again to Nicole of RainyDaySaver for being a part of this week’s Twitter Tuesday Profile. If you’d like to be considered for an upcoming profile, just tweet me!