Hoping to get your finances in order in 2011? Then let me suggest Mint.com: Set up a free online Mint.com account to track your income and outgo and help you stick with your budget.
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Showing posts with label Finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finance. Show all posts
Monday
Hoping to get your finances in order in 2011?
Hoping to get your finances in order in 2011? Then let me suggest Mint.com: Set up a free online Mint.com account to track your income and outgo and help you stick with your budget.
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Tuesday
Dave Ramsey $10 Sale
DaveRamsey.com is having a $10 sale on many of their products. Shipping is free if you spend over $65.
There are a different variety of things---so something for everyone!
There are a different variety of things---so something for everyone!
Total Money Makeover $10
Financial Peace Jr. For Kids $10
More Than Enough $10
The Money Answer Book $10
And more!
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Thursday
Free Money Tips from Daily Worth
I signed up a few days ago with the Daily Worth. It is basically a free newsletter about financial tips for women. I actually have liked what I have seen so far. While I do not agree with everything they have to say, for the most they do have some pretty good ideas. Click on the above picture to see if this might be something that you would like to subscribe too; if you subscribe and then decide later that you do not want to receive the free newsletter anymore, simply unsubscribe.
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Friday
1,000 Ways to Save Money - Part 15
If you missed part 14, then go here to check it out.
#76 Do not get sucked in by the 10/$10 sale
I used to think that I was getting a really great deal when I would buy 10 items for $10; boy was I wrong, and boy have I learned a lot! Those kinds of sales are not that great and here's why:
-there is usually not much in the box or package--it takes 2 Rice a Roni boxes to give our family of six a tablespoon size serving---cost $2.
These kinds of sales are only good when you have a coupon---preferably a 50 cent coupon and then if you store doubles you would get that item for FREE.
#77 Do not buy paper plates or plastic cups
Cut cost by washing dishes---Got kids, then put them to washing the dishes...it will not hurt them.
#78 Surround yourself with frugal friends
One way that I save money is that I surround myself with other people that like to save money. I call them my "Frugal Friends." You can spot them a mile away whether in person or on the web. I am so blessed to have many frugal influences in my life---you guys are great!
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This post is linked to :
Life as Mom
#76 Do not get sucked in by the 10/$10 sale
I used to think that I was getting a really great deal when I would buy 10 items for $10; boy was I wrong, and boy have I learned a lot! Those kinds of sales are not that great and here's why:
-there is usually not much in the box or package--it takes 2 Rice a Roni boxes to give our family of six a tablespoon size serving---cost $2.
These kinds of sales are only good when you have a coupon---preferably a 50 cent coupon and then if you store doubles you would get that item for FREE.
#77 Do not buy paper plates or plastic cups
Cut cost by washing dishes---Got kids, then put them to washing the dishes...it will not hurt them.
#78 Surround yourself with frugal friends
One way that I save money is that I surround myself with other people that like to save money. I call them my "Frugal Friends." You can spot them a mile away whether in person or on the web. I am so blessed to have many frugal influences in my life---you guys are great!
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This post is linked to :
Life as Mom
1,000 Ways to Save Money - Part 14
To see my previous post on this topic, go here.
WOW! IT has been a while since I have done a post on ways to save money! My apologies! I am trying something new with this topic---instead of posting this JUST on Fridays, I am going to post this whenever I discover a new way to save money...being my way or YOUR way...(that is a hint for you to email me, or leave a comment in the comment section below and let me know what you do to save money. I would love to hear from you!
#73 Do not buy jewelry cleaner.
If you wear jewelry and brush your teethe, then you are all set! I use tooth paste to clean all my jewelry. I personally think that it does better than the cleaner that you can buy. I just up my rings and bracelet last week and they are sparkling! I just put a small amount of tooth paste on my tooth brush and start 'brushing' away on my jewelry. Don't waste your money on cleaner--give it a try.
#74 Before you buy it, see if you can make it.
My girls love bookmarks and every time that they would get ten cents they would buy one (that is what they cost at our church's bookstore up North). So here is my thinking, ten cents is ten cents, so why not make our own bookmarks---and we have. Before you buy that scarf---try to make one. I have a friend(I call her my New Yorker friend) and she makes beautiful scarfs! She made me one (in my favorite color too) and I love it! Before you buy that skirt, try making one.
I remember as a little girl, I used to crochet coasters for our whole family. The ideas are endless, so try making it before you buy it---it will probably end up costing you less.
#75 Start a price book---it will save you money
Start with the 20 things you buy most often - milk, bread, juice, meat, pasta, etc. Then make a chart and list the prices of these items (NOT SALE PRICES). Find out the prices by visiting the stores that you shop at most, or just check the stores sales ad online. By doing this, I have discovered that Walmart and Aldi are SOMETIMES not he cheapest places to shop---shocking I know. I just use a notebook and pen, my husband is getting ready to make me a spread sheet (Yippee, jumping for joy!).
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WOW! IT has been a while since I have done a post on ways to save money! My apologies! I am trying something new with this topic---instead of posting this JUST on Fridays, I am going to post this whenever I discover a new way to save money...being my way or YOUR way...(that is a hint for you to email me, or leave a comment in the comment section below and let me know what you do to save money. I would love to hear from you!
#73 Do not buy jewelry cleaner.
If you wear jewelry and brush your teethe, then you are all set! I use tooth paste to clean all my jewelry. I personally think that it does better than the cleaner that you can buy. I just up my rings and bracelet last week and they are sparkling! I just put a small amount of tooth paste on my tooth brush and start 'brushing' away on my jewelry. Don't waste your money on cleaner--give it a try.
#74 Before you buy it, see if you can make it.
My girls love bookmarks and every time that they would get ten cents they would buy one (that is what they cost at our church's bookstore up North). So here is my thinking, ten cents is ten cents, so why not make our own bookmarks---and we have. Before you buy that scarf---try to make one. I have a friend(I call her my New Yorker friend) and she makes beautiful scarfs! She made me one (in my favorite color too) and I love it! Before you buy that skirt, try making one.
I remember as a little girl, I used to crochet coasters for our whole family. The ideas are endless, so try making it before you buy it---it will probably end up costing you less.
#75 Start a price book---it will save you money
Start with the 20 things you buy most often - milk, bread, juice, meat, pasta, etc. Then make a chart and list the prices of these items (NOT SALE PRICES). Find out the prices by visiting the stores that you shop at most, or just check the stores sales ad online. By doing this, I have discovered that Walmart and Aldi are SOMETIMES not he cheapest places to shop---shocking I know. I just use a notebook and pen, my husband is getting ready to make me a spread sheet (Yippee, jumping for joy!).
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1,000 Ways to Save Money - Part 13
If you missed part 12, then go here to check it out.
#69 Stay at home on Black Friday
This is what we are doing this year; even though I have to admit there are some pretty sweet deals out there---we are not spending a penny on this Black Friday.
#70 Walk to your shopping places
OK, if you do venture out on Black Friday (or at anytime) and your shopping includes shopping at stores that are close together, then once you park your vehicle --- leave it parked. You will save gas, you will save time by not trying to find ANOTHER parking place, and plus you will be able to walk off some of yesterday's food.
#71 Cut your own Christmas tree and DO NOT pay for it.
Go to your woods or a friends woods and cut your own tree---costs you nothing and plus you and your family will have so much fun looking for that perfect tree. I remember doing this as a little girl and it was always so much fun.
#72 Make your own Christmas ornaments
When I was growing up we always made a lot of our Christmas ornaments.
-We would string popcorn or cranberries around the tree.
-I would take chipped or scratched up Christmas balls and paint them, either a solid color, or paint a scenery on them....you can also put some glue and glitter on them. This would be such a fun activity for your children.
Want more money saving ideas then head on over to Life As Mom for more!
#69 Stay at home on Black Friday
This is what we are doing this year; even though I have to admit there are some pretty sweet deals out there---we are not spending a penny on this Black Friday.
#70 Walk to your shopping places
OK, if you do venture out on Black Friday (or at anytime) and your shopping includes shopping at stores that are close together, then once you park your vehicle --- leave it parked. You will save gas, you will save time by not trying to find ANOTHER parking place, and plus you will be able to walk off some of yesterday's food.
#71 Cut your own Christmas tree and DO NOT pay for it.
Go to your woods or a friends woods and cut your own tree---costs you nothing and plus you and your family will have so much fun looking for that perfect tree. I remember doing this as a little girl and it was always so much fun.
#72 Make your own Christmas ornaments
When I was growing up we always made a lot of our Christmas ornaments.
-We would string popcorn or cranberries around the tree.
-I would take chipped or scratched up Christmas balls and paint them, either a solid color, or paint a scenery on them....you can also put some glue and glitter on them. This would be such a fun activity for your children.
Want more money saving ideas then head on over to Life As Mom for more!
1,000 Ways to Save Money - Part 12
If you missed part 11, then go here to check it out.
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Just wondering if anyone is putting a little cash back each month, whether it's $5 or $1. It will add up...TRUST ME! My dad used to always say,"Rebecca, as long as you have 35 cents in your pocket, then you are rich." I know NOW what he means by that.
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Now on to more money saving tips.....
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#66 Cook in Bulk
This past week I joined in with many other bloggers and cooked in bulk, man was I tired at the end of the day. even though it was hard work, it is really paying off...literally.
One of the things that I made was lasagna---you know it is just as easy to make 2 or 3 lasagnas as it is ONE lasagna. Freeze the extras and pull out for later. I made several breads and desserts as well. I had all the ingredients on hand and these things freeze really well! So this will save me time and MONEY in the future, because the things that I cooked this past week I spent under $15 on and have several in the freezer as well.
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#67 Buy things a day or two after a holiday
We have all done it, rushed in and usually buy candy after it has been marked down after Halloween. Well Halloween is over and now is the perfect time to stock up on Halloween stuff. I do not mean costumes or candy...I mean other things that are labeled Halloween on the tag. For example, dish clothes, towels, table clothes, popcorn (we love popcorn here!) dishes, baskets, clothes, etc.. Most of these items will not be with the Halloween candy or costumes BUT they will be marked down. To spot these items just look at the price tag and if it says Halloween, then it should be marked down. I was in Walmart the other night and there were these cute little orange and brown hand towels marked down to 57 cents (regular price $2.97) OH AND THERE WERE NOW HALLOWEEN DESIGNS ON THEM, but the tag said Halloween on it. I also spotted some cute children's clothes that were fall colors but nothing Halloween was on them wither, so in other words think outside the box. With it being several days past Oct. 31st, you could probably get some really great deals.
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#68 Look for Kids eat FREE signs
If you enjoy going out to eat like our family does then look for 'Kids eat free signs'. A lot more restaurants are doing this now a days. You can go to http://mykidseatfree.com/index.asp and type in your city and state to see which restaurants are listed, but I have found out that a lot of restaurants don't even make it on this list.
For example---this is for my local readers---the McAlisters on Woodruff Road, kids eat FREE on Tuesdays and Thursday evening (10 and younger after 4:00 PM). The Perkins on Woodruff Road kids eat FREE everyday(not sure of the age limit)(just saw this on the sign passing by the other night).
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Well that is it for this week. I would love to hear ways that you save money, so please leave a comment. Have a great week!
This post is linked to:
Moneysavingmom
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Just wondering if anyone is putting a little cash back each month, whether it's $5 or $1. It will add up...TRUST ME! My dad used to always say,"Rebecca, as long as you have 35 cents in your pocket, then you are rich." I know NOW what he means by that.
.
Now on to more money saving tips.....
.
#66 Cook in Bulk
This past week I joined in with many other bloggers and cooked in bulk, man was I tired at the end of the day. even though it was hard work, it is really paying off...literally.
One of the things that I made was lasagna---you know it is just as easy to make 2 or 3 lasagnas as it is ONE lasagna. Freeze the extras and pull out for later. I made several breads and desserts as well. I had all the ingredients on hand and these things freeze really well! So this will save me time and MONEY in the future, because the things that I cooked this past week I spent under $15 on and have several in the freezer as well.
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#67 Buy things a day or two after a holiday
We have all done it, rushed in and usually buy candy after it has been marked down after Halloween. Well Halloween is over and now is the perfect time to stock up on Halloween stuff. I do not mean costumes or candy...I mean other things that are labeled Halloween on the tag. For example, dish clothes, towels, table clothes, popcorn (we love popcorn here!) dishes, baskets, clothes, etc.. Most of these items will not be with the Halloween candy or costumes BUT they will be marked down. To spot these items just look at the price tag and if it says Halloween, then it should be marked down. I was in Walmart the other night and there were these cute little orange and brown hand towels marked down to 57 cents (regular price $2.97) OH AND THERE WERE NOW HALLOWEEN DESIGNS ON THEM, but the tag said Halloween on it. I also spotted some cute children's clothes that were fall colors but nothing Halloween was on them wither, so in other words think outside the box. With it being several days past Oct. 31st, you could probably get some really great deals.
.
#68 Look for Kids eat FREE signs
If you enjoy going out to eat like our family does then look for 'Kids eat free signs'. A lot more restaurants are doing this now a days. You can go to http://mykidseatfree.com/index.asp and type in your city and state to see which restaurants are listed, but I have found out that a lot of restaurants don't even make it on this list.
For example---this is for my local readers---the McAlisters on Woodruff Road, kids eat FREE on Tuesdays and Thursday evening (10 and younger after 4:00 PM). The Perkins on Woodruff Road kids eat FREE everyday(not sure of the age limit)(just saw this on the sign passing by the other night).
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Well that is it for this week. I would love to hear ways that you save money, so please leave a comment. Have a great week!
This post is linked to:
Moneysavingmom
1,000 Ways to Save Money - Part 11
If you missed part 10, then go here to check it out.
#62 Cut your Brillo pads in half!
When my children got old enough to take over some of the kitchen responsibilities I soon realized that they were going through supplies like crazy so I explained to them that they did not need to use a WHOLE SOS/Brillo pad on one pot, so, therefore, just to help them with this I started cutting them in half. Which in return helps me not to have to buy them as often, which saves money.
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#63 Cut your Dryer sheets in half.
I LOVE Bounce and Snuggle dryer sheet scents, but those things can be expensive, so when I see a sale and have some coupons I always stack up on the them. I have also gotten into the habit of cutting them in half when I toss one in the dryer; by doing this they will last longer. Bounce sheets are also good for keeping mosquitoes away, so in the warmer months I put some by our door entrances. I also give each child a 1/2 of one whenever we go fishing to stick 1/2 way in/out of their pocket to help keep those pesky little mosquitoes away!
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#64 Start a book/magazine/movie swap
Do you love to read, or watch movies? Then start a swap with friends or even at work. This will save you money and time. You can also get these FREE at the Library, but sometimes I cannot get tot the Library, but I am always around friends. You can even start a COUPON SWAP!
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#65 Have a donation party.
If you have been following this blog for any length of time then you know that I LOVE coupons and that I LOVE to stock pile items whenever I can get them for free, or a really great deal on them. I love to get free samples in the mail as well. I sign up for just about everything. Do we use all of the items that I have stockpiled...ummm NO. We will use most of them, but I also give them away. So I thought of an idea, why not have a stockpile party (donation party)...what ever you want to call it. Get together with your friends, everyone brings items from their stock pile (no one is aloud to go buy anything for this party). Once every one gets to the party, let the fun begin, every one can start picking from the 'pile' of things that they might need or would like to have. If I was to have one of these parties today I would bring about 12 travel size shampoos to the party (I got them all for free), people that need shampoo for the week could take these and not have to go BUY shampoo, thus saving you money.
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Well there you have it, my money saving ideas for the week. Do you have ways that you save money? I know you do! I would love for you to share your ideas here, so please leave a comment and let us know how you save money for you and your family.
.
#62 Cut your Brillo pads in half!
When my children got old enough to take over some of the kitchen responsibilities I soon realized that they were going through supplies like crazy so I explained to them that they did not need to use a WHOLE SOS/Brillo pad on one pot, so, therefore, just to help them with this I started cutting them in half. Which in return helps me not to have to buy them as often, which saves money.
.
#63 Cut your Dryer sheets in half.
I LOVE Bounce and Snuggle dryer sheet scents, but those things can be expensive, so when I see a sale and have some coupons I always stack up on the them. I have also gotten into the habit of cutting them in half when I toss one in the dryer; by doing this they will last longer. Bounce sheets are also good for keeping mosquitoes away, so in the warmer months I put some by our door entrances. I also give each child a 1/2 of one whenever we go fishing to stick 1/2 way in/out of their pocket to help keep those pesky little mosquitoes away!
.
#64 Start a book/magazine/movie swap
Do you love to read, or watch movies? Then start a swap with friends or even at work. This will save you money and time. You can also get these FREE at the Library, but sometimes I cannot get tot the Library, but I am always around friends. You can even start a COUPON SWAP!
.
#65 Have a donation party.
If you have been following this blog for any length of time then you know that I LOVE coupons and that I LOVE to stock pile items whenever I can get them for free, or a really great deal on them. I love to get free samples in the mail as well. I sign up for just about everything. Do we use all of the items that I have stockpiled...ummm NO. We will use most of them, but I also give them away. So I thought of an idea, why not have a stockpile party (donation party)...what ever you want to call it. Get together with your friends, everyone brings items from their stock pile (no one is aloud to go buy anything for this party). Once every one gets to the party, let the fun begin, every one can start picking from the 'pile' of things that they might need or would like to have. If I was to have one of these parties today I would bring about 12 travel size shampoos to the party (I got them all for free), people that need shampoo for the week could take these and not have to go BUY shampoo, thus saving you money.
.
Well there you have it, my money saving ideas for the week. Do you have ways that you save money? I know you do! I would love for you to share your ideas here, so please leave a comment and let us know how you save money for you and your family.
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1,000 ways to Save Money - Part 10
Well it has been a a little while since I have done a post on this. As you know we have been packing and moving. Since we are moved and ALMOST settled in (we still have a few boxes left to unpack), I thought that I would start this series back up.
If you missed part 9, then go here to check it out.
These next few tips will be related to our move and how we saved money while moving.
#56 You do the moving
We did our own moving because hiring a moving company is so expensive.
#57 Research before you move
Ask friends and family or search online which truck, U-haul, Rider etc, is the cheapest way to go.
#58 Ask for things
When we were getting ready to pack we had about 5 U-haul boxes that someone had given us when ever they had moved. I also asked for boxes and even newspaper (I asked on Face Book). There were two families that had access to boxes and that nice thick wrapping/moving paper. A huge thank you to our friends for helping us with that!
#59 Have friends to help you load the truck
Don't pay someone to help you load your truck, ask your friends to help...we did, well actually they volunteered; better yet if you have children put them to work; it will not hurt them :)
#60 Eat Wisely while moving
Pack snacks, sandwiches, and drinks to take with you on your move. Don't pay the high prices at gas stations for snacks or drinks. However, if you are like us and tried to eat everything that was in our pantry and fridge then there is always the dollar menu. The night before we left a friend of ours had us over for dinner and gave a basket of goodies to the kids for our trip, bananas, apples, grapes, and some Little Debbie snacks. I was thankful especially for those grapes, because I followed behind the U-haul for 16 hours and I got very sleepy, so I would reach for the grapes to eat and to help me stay awake...I am convinced that they gave me a burst of energy...so THANKS CAROLYN!
#61 Travel at night time
If you are not too tired try to travel at night time especially if moving in the hot summer; it will be cooler (roll the windows down so that you do not have to use the air conditioner)Plus your engine will run cooler, and the cool pavement will have a positive impact on the life of your tires!
If you would like a peek into our trip you can go here to see some pictures.
If you have a moving tip that you would like to share please leave a comment below.
If you missed part 9, then go here to check it out.
These next few tips will be related to our move and how we saved money while moving.
#56 You do the moving
We did our own moving because hiring a moving company is so expensive.
#57 Research before you move
Ask friends and family or search online which truck, U-haul, Rider etc, is the cheapest way to go.
#58 Ask for things
When we were getting ready to pack we had about 5 U-haul boxes that someone had given us when ever they had moved. I also asked for boxes and even newspaper (I asked on Face Book). There were two families that had access to boxes and that nice thick wrapping/moving paper. A huge thank you to our friends for helping us with that!
#59 Have friends to help you load the truck
Don't pay someone to help you load your truck, ask your friends to help...we did, well actually they volunteered; better yet if you have children put them to work; it will not hurt them :)
#60 Eat Wisely while moving
Pack snacks, sandwiches, and drinks to take with you on your move. Don't pay the high prices at gas stations for snacks or drinks. However, if you are like us and tried to eat everything that was in our pantry and fridge then there is always the dollar menu. The night before we left a friend of ours had us over for dinner and gave a basket of goodies to the kids for our trip, bananas, apples, grapes, and some Little Debbie snacks. I was thankful especially for those grapes, because I followed behind the U-haul for 16 hours and I got very sleepy, so I would reach for the grapes to eat and to help me stay awake...I am convinced that they gave me a burst of energy...so THANKS CAROLYN!
#61 Travel at night time
If you are not too tired try to travel at night time especially if moving in the hot summer; it will be cooler (roll the windows down so that you do not have to use the air conditioner)Plus your engine will run cooler, and the cool pavement will have a positive impact on the life of your tires!
If you would like a peek into our trip you can go here to see some pictures.
If you have a moving tip that you would like to share please leave a comment below.
1,000 ways to Save Money - Part 9
If you missed part 8, then go here to check it out.
#50 Lower your annual fees on your credit cards
IF you carry a credit card then make sure that you have one with NO annual fees. If your card has an annual fee just simply call your credit card company and ask for a lower rate or ask to change to a card that has no annual fee. Be polite when you ask and most of the time the credit card companies will give in and give you what you want especially if you have been with that company for a long time. ALSO be willing to leave that credit card company if they happen to say no, only tell them that IF they have told you NO on lowering your monthly fees.
*Credit cards companies and banks want your business, they do not want to lose anyone!
#51 Free Checking
I would recommend a free checking account. Free checks, no fees to use your debit card, and no minimum balance in your account.
#52 Do your own Repairs
Before going out and buying something 'NEW', fix it. Just about anything can be fixed, from shoes to TV's. Super glue that soul back onto that shoe. Patch that hole in that pair of pants, put that hem back into that dress.
#53 Mow your own lawn
We have a big yard to mow, but we do it ourselves. We could pay someone else to do it, but why waste money when we are all capable of mowing it our selves.
#54 Do your own maintenance work
Sharpen your lawn mower blades yourself, clean out your own gutters, change your own oil instead of paying someone else to do it. We have a SUV and even with a $5 off coupon it would still cost us over $65 to have someone else do this for us (which would include the oil, filter and a couple of other things).
#55 Clean your own home
This goes without saying...sure I would love to have a maid (a cleaning lady). But I am not spending $75 to $100 a week, because two hours after she left something would be messed up again! haha! I am perfectly capable of cleaning my own home and besides if your children are old enough then they should be helping clean your home as well., especially their bedrooms. I can think of several things that I can do with that money...like buy groceries, cloth my children, etc.
OK, now it is your turn, what are some ways that you save money? I would love to hear about them, so please leave a comment.
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#50 Lower your annual fees on your credit cards
IF you carry a credit card then make sure that you have one with NO annual fees. If your card has an annual fee just simply call your credit card company and ask for a lower rate or ask to change to a card that has no annual fee. Be polite when you ask and most of the time the credit card companies will give in and give you what you want especially if you have been with that company for a long time. ALSO be willing to leave that credit card company if they happen to say no, only tell them that IF they have told you NO on lowering your monthly fees.
*Credit cards companies and banks want your business, they do not want to lose anyone!
#51 Free Checking
I would recommend a free checking account. Free checks, no fees to use your debit card, and no minimum balance in your account.
#52 Do your own Repairs
Before going out and buying something 'NEW', fix it. Just about anything can be fixed, from shoes to TV's. Super glue that soul back onto that shoe. Patch that hole in that pair of pants, put that hem back into that dress.
#53 Mow your own lawn
We have a big yard to mow, but we do it ourselves. We could pay someone else to do it, but why waste money when we are all capable of mowing it our selves.
#54 Do your own maintenance work
Sharpen your lawn mower blades yourself, clean out your own gutters, change your own oil instead of paying someone else to do it. We have a SUV and even with a $5 off coupon it would still cost us over $65 to have someone else do this for us (which would include the oil, filter and a couple of other things).
#55 Clean your own home
This goes without saying...sure I would love to have a maid (a cleaning lady). But I am not spending $75 to $100 a week, because two hours after she left something would be messed up again! haha! I am perfectly capable of cleaning my own home and besides if your children are old enough then they should be helping clean your home as well., especially their bedrooms. I can think of several things that I can do with that money...like buy groceries, cloth my children, etc.
OK, now it is your turn, what are some ways that you save money? I would love to hear about them, so please leave a comment.
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1,000 ways to Save Money - Part 8
If you missed part 7, then go here to check it out.
#49 Date Night at Home
I love spending time with my husband and I LOVE any chance that we get to spend together just by ourselves. We have four children and I love them with all of my heart, but time with my husband is very precious to me.
--A few months after we had our first child, it was my husband's birthday and I remember money was tight, even with us both working. I knew what I WANTED to buy him , but could not...it was too expensive; so instead I prepared his favorite meal, put a picnic blanket on the living room floor, lit a few candles, put our son to bed(at that time my husband worked second shift). We sat on the blanket, ate our food, and the rest is history! It turned out to be one of our most 'favorite' date nights since we have been married, and it all took place at home with very little investment.
I am only doing one money saving idea this week because my husband and I are enjoying some much needed R & R! I am so happy to get to spend a few days with him.
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#49 Date Night at Home
I love spending time with my husband and I LOVE any chance that we get to spend together just by ourselves. We have four children and I love them with all of my heart, but time with my husband is very precious to me.
--A few months after we had our first child, it was my husband's birthday and I remember money was tight, even with us both working. I knew what I WANTED to buy him , but could not...it was too expensive; so instead I prepared his favorite meal, put a picnic blanket on the living room floor, lit a few candles, put our son to bed(at that time my husband worked second shift). We sat on the blanket, ate our food, and the rest is history! It turned out to be one of our most 'favorite' date nights since we have been married, and it all took place at home with very little investment.
I am only doing one money saving idea this week because my husband and I are enjoying some much needed R & R! I am so happy to get to spend a few days with him.
.
1,000 ways to Save Money - Part 7
If you missed part 6, then go here to check it out.
#43 Use all your Printer ink
Instead of running out and buying another ink cartridge, when the light comes on, just take your cartridge out and give it a good shake and then keep on using it. My low ink light came on last month so I took it out and gave it a good shake (I have actually done this 3 times) and I am still printing. I realize that I will have to buy one soon, but it has been a month since my light first came on.
#44 Buy Ink Refills instead of Cartridges
I have found that buying ink refills(you know the ink that you use a syringe to refill your cartridge) is cheaper than buying cartridges most of the time UNLESS you find a great sale. I do it myself and pay $19.99 for the black refill--going on my second year. However, my Walgreens will do it for $9.99 for the black refill.
#45 Make good use of ALL your printer paper
I print ALOT of coupons and sometimes I come across a coupon, print it and it only prints one. I cut it out and still have more than half of the paper left. I will then reuse that paper to print another coupon or give it to one of my children to use for scratch paper. We have even used the scraps of the printing paper (after cutting coupons) for mosaics.
#46 Buy your contacts online
I wear contacts. I go get my eyes examined and then the eye doctor will write me a prescription. I then come home and order my contacts online from www.1800contacts.com. You can save a lot of money by ordering your contacts online instead of buying them from your eye doctor. But before ordering make sure that you check http://www.retailmenot.com/ to see if there is a coupon code that you might could use to make your purchase an even sweeter deal!
*You must have a recent, up to date prescription in order to order your contacts online.
**You can also take your prescription to Walmart and them fill it there. Walmart will be cheaper than your eye doctor as well.
*** If you are a member of mypoints or ebates then buy through them to earn points or cash back on your purchase from www.1800contacst.com .
#47 Buy your eye glasses online too
Let me say up front that I have NEVER bought my eye glasses online but I have close family members that do and they swear by it. You can go to Zenni Optical to check it out...you do have to do some measuring before placing your order. Also keep in mind that you will NOT be able to try the glasses on before you buy them. If you only wear your glasses a small amount of time, like when you don't have your contacts in, then this might be just for you. Zenni Optical has glasses starting as low as $8.00. If you try this let me know what you think.
#48 Sign up for FREEBIES
You might be thinking what good will one granola bar do me...it could be part of your husband's lunch one day. Or why sign up for samples of lotion...well everyone gets dry skin from time to time. Why sign up for free samples of cereal...it could be your child's breakfast one morning. Why sign up for free samples of shampoo .... we all need to wash our hair, and it can be hard to fit even $1 purchase of shampoo into our budgets these days for
some. Why sign up for B1G1 Free restaurant deals... it is nice to go out and eat every once in a while, or you might have UNEXPECTED guests to come for a visit and they want to go eat, if you had a b1g1 coupon for a certain restaurant then you could suggest the restaurant for the evening, go eat and enjoy the evening without breaking the bank.
*I know of a great place to find these kinds of deals as well....you are on it! I try to anyways!
Do you have ways that you save money, if so, I would LOVE to hear about it!
.
#43 Use all your Printer ink
Instead of running out and buying another ink cartridge, when the light comes on, just take your cartridge out and give it a good shake and then keep on using it. My low ink light came on last month so I took it out and gave it a good shake (I have actually done this 3 times) and I am still printing. I realize that I will have to buy one soon, but it has been a month since my light first came on.
#44 Buy Ink Refills instead of Cartridges
I have found that buying ink refills(you know the ink that you use a syringe to refill your cartridge) is cheaper than buying cartridges most of the time UNLESS you find a great sale. I do it myself and pay $19.99 for the black refill--going on my second year. However, my Walgreens will do it for $9.99 for the black refill.
#45 Make good use of ALL your printer paper
I print ALOT of coupons and sometimes I come across a coupon, print it and it only prints one. I cut it out and still have more than half of the paper left. I will then reuse that paper to print another coupon or give it to one of my children to use for scratch paper. We have even used the scraps of the printing paper (after cutting coupons) for mosaics.
#46 Buy your contacts online
I wear contacts. I go get my eyes examined and then the eye doctor will write me a prescription. I then come home and order my contacts online from www.1800contacts.com. You can save a lot of money by ordering your contacts online instead of buying them from your eye doctor. But before ordering make sure that you check http://www.retailmenot.com/ to see if there is a coupon code that you might could use to make your purchase an even sweeter deal!
*You must have a recent, up to date prescription in order to order your contacts online.
**You can also take your prescription to Walmart and them fill it there. Walmart will be cheaper than your eye doctor as well.
*** If you are a member of mypoints or ebates then buy through them to earn points or cash back on your purchase from www.1800contacst.com .
#47 Buy your eye glasses online too
Let me say up front that I have NEVER bought my eye glasses online but I have close family members that do and they swear by it. You can go to Zenni Optical to check it out...you do have to do some measuring before placing your order. Also keep in mind that you will NOT be able to try the glasses on before you buy them. If you only wear your glasses a small amount of time, like when you don't have your contacts in, then this might be just for you. Zenni Optical has glasses starting as low as $8.00. If you try this let me know what you think.
#48 Sign up for FREEBIES
You might be thinking what good will one granola bar do me...it could be part of your husband's lunch one day. Or why sign up for samples of lotion...well everyone gets dry skin from time to time. Why sign up for free samples of cereal...it could be your child's breakfast one morning. Why sign up for free samples of shampoo .... we all need to wash our hair, and it can be hard to fit even $1 purchase of shampoo into our budgets these days for
some. Why sign up for B1G1 Free restaurant deals... it is nice to go out and eat every once in a while, or you might have UNEXPECTED guests to come for a visit and they want to go eat, if you had a b1g1 coupon for a certain restaurant then you could suggest the restaurant for the evening, go eat and enjoy the evening without breaking the bank.
*I know of a great place to find these kinds of deals as well....you are on it! I try to anyways!
Do you have ways that you save money, if so, I would LOVE to hear about it!
.
1,000 ways to Save Money - Part 6
My Apologies for not being able to post last week's money saving ideas. I came down with double pneumonia and was in the hospital for a few days, but now that I am feeling better, I am trying to get back on track with my weekly posts.
You can go here if you missed part 5 of these post. http://tinyurl.com/kvnmut
#38 Make your own treats at home
Have an ice cream night (just finished with ours!) (YUM) My husband just made milkshakes (ice cream, bananas and strawberries) a whole lot cheaper then going out to buy them. Plus we still have ingredients left over to do it again!
#39 Quit using paper towels (gasp!)
I have tried this...it does save a lot of money, but other family members were not too happy about not having paper towels in the house. The reason I tried this was because my husband bought a multi roll pack for a little over $16 a couple of months ago. I was so shocked at the price, needless to say they were not on sale. After using ALL the paper towels up we went with out any for 3 weeks. I used rags and dish towels to clean up any messes, spills, etc.. We saved quite a bit of money, but have gone back to buying paper towels I BUY THEM NOW only on sale. With our little experiment, we HAVE cut back on the use of P-Towels.
You can go here if you missed part 5 of these post. http://tinyurl.com/kvnmut
#38 Make your own treats at home
Have an ice cream night (just finished with ours!) (YUM) My husband just made milkshakes (ice cream, bananas and strawberries) a whole lot cheaper then going out to buy them. Plus we still have ingredients left over to do it again!
#39 Quit using paper towels (gasp!)
I have tried this...it does save a lot of money, but other family members were not too happy about not having paper towels in the house. The reason I tried this was because my husband bought a multi roll pack for a little over $16 a couple of months ago. I was so shocked at the price, needless to say they were not on sale. After using ALL the paper towels up we went with out any for 3 weeks. I used rags and dish towels to clean up any messes, spills, etc.. We saved quite a bit of money, but have gone back to buying paper towels I BUY THEM NOW only on sale. With our little experiment, we HAVE cut back on the use of P-Towels.
#40 Use Soap and Water
Do not want to pay extra for those expensive cleaners or just simply can't. Then use soap and water. Soap and water have been around a lot longer and sometimes works just as good as those expensive cleaners. Some people even make their own cleaners and the main ingredient is soap and water.
#41 Do NOT pay to watch movies
From time to time we will have movie night with our homemade movies. We will pull out videos of when our children were babies and watch them until wee hours in the morning. If you have Internet service you can also watch movies or TV shows on www.HULU.com (I have mentioned this before). If you happened to have a Family Video close to you can rent children's videos for absolutely FREE. All children videos, ALL the time are FREE. You can rent any number for free except for on the weekend and then they prefer you to only rent two free videos then...I can live with that! You can also borrow movies from friends or check them out from your local library.
#42 Simply put some money aside each month
OK, one way that I save money is too simply put some aside every month, whether it is $5.00 or $10.00 or more a month. Every little bit that you can put aside and not touch is that much more saved! Before you know it you will have a nice little stash!
OK, now it is your turn, please leave a comment and let me know how you save money each month!
.
Thursday
1,000 ways to Save Money - Part 5
WOO-HOO!! I am early this week!
*If you missed part 4, you can go here http://tinyurl.com/nbpjsp
#33 Re-use your items
I re-use wax paper all the time. After baking cookies I lay them on wax paper. After they cool I place them in the cookie jar, fold the wax paper up, store it and re-use it the next time. I also re-use zip lock bags (unless I put onions in them, then I toss them) and foil.
#34 Use less of what it calls for
What I mean by this is, while in the kitchen if a recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar I only use 1 1/2 cups. When I make sweet tea, my husband says that 1 1/4 cup is just the right amount of sugar...I only use 1 cup. For my banana bread I only use 1/2 cup instead of 3/4 cup. Your teethe will thank you for cutting back on sugar and besides you CANNOT tell a difference in taste.
Some things that I have cut back on are: sugar, salt, garlic, and meat. If I find a great deal on Hamburger Helper, I will fix it using only half the amount of meat. It calls for one pound of hamburger meat, I have found out that a 1/2 pound works just as well.
#35 Do not buy cookbooks, books, or magazines
You can get a lot of these for free or really cheap; just watch my blog and whenever I come across one of these freebies I will always share it with my readers. Plus you can always check them out at the Library! The Library is full of EVERYTHING...books of course, magazines, cookbooks, DVD's, CD's, movies and more things that you can check out for FREE!
#36 Use what you already have
It is back to school time at our house, and I went out and bought a few REALLY cheap school supplies. I did not buy crayons, colored pencils, or folders because we have plenty left from last year. Matter of fact two of my children are using folders that are three years old (gasp)! It's OK they will survive and besides they think that is kind of cool that the folders have lasted this long.
#37 Grow your own garden
If you have the room, then grow your on garden. If you do not have enough space for a garden then visit your local Farmer's Market---but be careful of the prices that they ask you to pay. Before going to the Farmer's Market you should already know what the going rate is on fruit and veggies at your local grocery store. If the farmer's Market produce is higher, just kindly tell them and 9 times out of 10 they will meat the price. For them coming down on the price I would recommend going back every week and befriending them. It couldn't hurt! But be sincere about it and really become friends with them. You might could even take them some homemade bread in return for some veggies...never hurts to try and trade!
***OK, now it is your turn! I would love to hear from you on how you save money.
.
*If you missed part 4, you can go here http://tinyurl.com/nbpjsp
#33 Re-use your items
I re-use wax paper all the time. After baking cookies I lay them on wax paper. After they cool I place them in the cookie jar, fold the wax paper up, store it and re-use it the next time. I also re-use zip lock bags (unless I put onions in them, then I toss them) and foil.
#34 Use less of what it calls for
What I mean by this is, while in the kitchen if a recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar I only use 1 1/2 cups. When I make sweet tea, my husband says that 1 1/4 cup is just the right amount of sugar...I only use 1 cup. For my banana bread I only use 1/2 cup instead of 3/4 cup. Your teethe will thank you for cutting back on sugar and besides you CANNOT tell a difference in taste.
Some things that I have cut back on are: sugar, salt, garlic, and meat. If I find a great deal on Hamburger Helper, I will fix it using only half the amount of meat. It calls for one pound of hamburger meat, I have found out that a 1/2 pound works just as well.
#35 Do not buy cookbooks, books, or magazines
You can get a lot of these for free or really cheap; just watch my blog and whenever I come across one of these freebies I will always share it with my readers. Plus you can always check them out at the Library! The Library is full of EVERYTHING...books of course, magazines, cookbooks, DVD's, CD's, movies and more things that you can check out for FREE!
#36 Use what you already have
It is back to school time at our house, and I went out and bought a few REALLY cheap school supplies. I did not buy crayons, colored pencils, or folders because we have plenty left from last year. Matter of fact two of my children are using folders that are three years old (gasp)! It's OK they will survive and besides they think that is kind of cool that the folders have lasted this long.
#37 Grow your own garden
If you have the room, then grow your on garden. If you do not have enough space for a garden then visit your local Farmer's Market---but be careful of the prices that they ask you to pay. Before going to the Farmer's Market you should already know what the going rate is on fruit and veggies at your local grocery store. If the farmer's Market produce is higher, just kindly tell them and 9 times out of 10 they will meat the price. For them coming down on the price I would recommend going back every week and befriending them. It couldn't hurt! But be sincere about it and really become friends with them. You might could even take them some homemade bread in return for some veggies...never hurts to try and trade!
***OK, now it is your turn! I would love to hear from you on how you save money.
.
Friday
1,000 ways to Save Money - Part 4
*If you missed part 3, you can go here http://tinyurl.com/krnsxy
#27 Stick to your budget and do not budge - resist that sale.
#28 Check your pantry
Before going to the store, take inventory of your pantry so you will NOT buy what you already have on hand.
#29 Make a list and stick with it
Before going grocery shopping, scan you grocery sales ad , make a list as to what is on sale and stick with it. I have found that it is easier for me to 'stick' to my list if my husband and children stay home. I enjoy shopping with my family, but if I do not have any budging room then it is better for me to go shopping by myself.
#30 If you have some budging room in your budget, then stock up on sale items.
When I have extra money left over from previous shopping trips and I come across a very good sale or I can use coupons to get something really cheap, then I stock up. For example, once I bought 22 cans of Starkist Tuna (on sale for $0.33 a can). I have been known to walk out of a store with 12 packages of Kotex pads (all free after sale and using coupons). Today I bought 3 candles (I got all 3 of them for free by using coupons only, they were not on sale.) Now did I really need all 3 candles, well, probably not, but I will use them over time OR I could give them away!
#31 Buy bigger than smaller -- in some cases
For example, buy a big bag of chips instead of buying individual bags for each person. The larger bag of chips will last longer and go farther then the small individual bags. If you have children at home then you give them the amount of chips that you want them to have. I have to do this or mine would eat the whole bag in one sitting!
#32 Ask for lower prices on damaged goods
I have asked the Produce manager to lower the price of apples and bananas before. Anytime that I find bruised apples I go find the produce manager and ask him if he could lower the price of the apples because they are bruised. I will usually have handful of bruised apples and show him that they are indeed bruised and usually he will lower the price, quiet a bit too! There was a time in my life to where I would have been embarrassed to have even think of doing this, for the fear of hearing the word NO! But over time I have realized that NO is just a little two letter word and that's it....nothing more, nothing less. It never hurts to ask!
OK, now it is your turn. I would love to hear how you save money, so please leave a comment telling us how you save money.
.
#27 Stick to your budget and do not budge - resist that sale.
#28 Check your pantry
Before going to the store, take inventory of your pantry so you will NOT buy what you already have on hand.
#29 Make a list and stick with it
Before going grocery shopping, scan you grocery sales ad , make a list as to what is on sale and stick with it. I have found that it is easier for me to 'stick' to my list if my husband and children stay home. I enjoy shopping with my family, but if I do not have any budging room then it is better for me to go shopping by myself.
#30 If you have some budging room in your budget, then stock up on sale items.
When I have extra money left over from previous shopping trips and I come across a very good sale or I can use coupons to get something really cheap, then I stock up. For example, once I bought 22 cans of Starkist Tuna (on sale for $0.33 a can). I have been known to walk out of a store with 12 packages of Kotex pads (all free after sale and using coupons). Today I bought 3 candles (I got all 3 of them for free by using coupons only, they were not on sale.) Now did I really need all 3 candles, well, probably not, but I will use them over time OR I could give them away!
#31 Buy bigger than smaller -- in some cases
For example, buy a big bag of chips instead of buying individual bags for each person. The larger bag of chips will last longer and go farther then the small individual bags. If you have children at home then you give them the amount of chips that you want them to have. I have to do this or mine would eat the whole bag in one sitting!
#32 Ask for lower prices on damaged goods
I have asked the Produce manager to lower the price of apples and bananas before. Anytime that I find bruised apples I go find the produce manager and ask him if he could lower the price of the apples because they are bruised. I will usually have handful of bruised apples and show him that they are indeed bruised and usually he will lower the price, quiet a bit too! There was a time in my life to where I would have been embarrassed to have even think of doing this, for the fear of hearing the word NO! But over time I have realized that NO is just a little two letter word and that's it....nothing more, nothing less. It never hurts to ask!
OK, now it is your turn. I would love to hear how you save money, so please leave a comment telling us how you save money.
.
1,000 ways to Save Money - Part 3
*If you missed part 2, you can go here http://tinyurl.com/mwzdtr
#21 Drink water for your meals, instead of milk, juice, or soft drinks.
The prices of these items can add up quick, especially for our family of six. If you have children that are accustomed to drinking other things, besides water with their meals, then start out slowly and don't take all the 'fun' drinks away at once. Maybe water throughout the day and then bring out the fun stuff for dinner.
#22 Cook from scratch
Do the math, but usually cooking from scratch is a lot cheaper than buying the item. For example - Chocolate chip cookies were $3.39 for the Keebler brand, off brand was $2.68 (better deal) made them from scratch - less than $1.00 for six dozen cookies (I had all ingredients on hand except for the flour, went to Aldis and paid $1.47 for a 5# bag of flour), plenty left over for several more batches of cookies.
#23 Buy ingredients out of season
Now is the perfect time to buy flour, cinnamon, and other baking ingredients BEFORE the holidays get here. Sure there are sales on these ingredients during the holiday season, but keep your eyes peeled for sales on these items now, plus if you go ahead and buy them (on sale)now you will have them and not be looking all over the place for them during the holidays which in a lot of cases will result in higher prices on these items. I am all stocked up on flour, cinnamon, and extracts (rum, vanilla and almond)
#24 Make your on greeting and thank you cards
If you have children they will especially enjoy making birthday cards for their friends.
#25 Make your on gifts
Birthday, baby, and Christmas gift can be expensive, so make your on. At Christmas I always bake goodies for our children to give to their Sunday School teachers and for our neighbors. When someone has a baby maybe take a meal to them or even to clean their home before they come home from the hospital. Babysit for free once the new mommy feels like going out on a date with her husband.
If you can cross stitch, crochet, or knit things...those would be awesome, but yet inexpensive gifts as well!
#26 Turn your lights and electric 'toys off
If it is a bright sunny day out side open your curtains and let the sunlight in. Turn your computer off, when not in use (I used to have a bad habit of leaving my computer on all night, I would wake up, check on my children and then check FaceBook, email or blog; so as I began to look for ways to save money I decided to just to start turning it off at night time and our electric bill has been about $35 cheaper each month, now grant it our electric bill is not that much cheaper because of me turning the computer off at night time but it has helped. Here are some other things that we are doing to reduce our electric bill:
-not using any lights unless necessary
-replacing our light bulbs with energy saving light bulb, yes these are expensive unless you can find them on sale, so we only replace two a month.
-open the windows on cooler days-
-use the ceiling fans instead of the air conditioner
-make sure that the 'fan' on the thermostat is on auto and not ON...learned this the hard way!
-only use the oven when needed - I try to do all my baking in one day, I bake a lot on one day and we eat on it for several days and besides, if I need to I can freeze it.
-keeping the fridge closed or should I say keeping the kids from standing in front of it with it opened trying to figure what they want. We have told them decide what you want before you open it,get the item, and then shut it quickly. So far they are listening and it is working great!
These are just small things that we are doing to cut back on our utility bill and so far we have seen about a $35 in savings each month. That is a savings of $420 a year.
I would love to know how you save money, so please leave a comment below.
#21 Drink water for your meals, instead of milk, juice, or soft drinks.
The prices of these items can add up quick, especially for our family of six. If you have children that are accustomed to drinking other things, besides water with their meals, then start out slowly and don't take all the 'fun' drinks away at once. Maybe water throughout the day and then bring out the fun stuff for dinner.
#22 Cook from scratch
Do the math, but usually cooking from scratch is a lot cheaper than buying the item. For example - Chocolate chip cookies were $3.39 for the Keebler brand, off brand was $2.68 (better deal) made them from scratch - less than $1.00 for six dozen cookies (I had all ingredients on hand except for the flour, went to Aldis and paid $1.47 for a 5# bag of flour), plenty left over for several more batches of cookies.
#23 Buy ingredients out of season
Now is the perfect time to buy flour, cinnamon, and other baking ingredients BEFORE the holidays get here. Sure there are sales on these ingredients during the holiday season, but keep your eyes peeled for sales on these items now, plus if you go ahead and buy them (on sale)now you will have them and not be looking all over the place for them during the holidays which in a lot of cases will result in higher prices on these items. I am all stocked up on flour, cinnamon, and extracts (rum, vanilla and almond)
#24 Make your on greeting and thank you cards
If you have children they will especially enjoy making birthday cards for their friends.
#25 Make your on gifts
Birthday, baby, and Christmas gift can be expensive, so make your on. At Christmas I always bake goodies for our children to give to their Sunday School teachers and for our neighbors. When someone has a baby maybe take a meal to them or even to clean their home before they come home from the hospital. Babysit for free once the new mommy feels like going out on a date with her husband.
If you can cross stitch, crochet, or knit things...those would be awesome, but yet inexpensive gifts as well!
#26 Turn your lights and electric 'toys off
If it is a bright sunny day out side open your curtains and let the sunlight in. Turn your computer off, when not in use (I used to have a bad habit of leaving my computer on all night, I would wake up, check on my children and then check FaceBook, email or blog; so as I began to look for ways to save money I decided to just to start turning it off at night time and our electric bill has been about $35 cheaper each month, now grant it our electric bill is not that much cheaper because of me turning the computer off at night time but it has helped. Here are some other things that we are doing to reduce our electric bill:
-not using any lights unless necessary
-replacing our light bulbs with energy saving light bulb, yes these are expensive unless you can find them on sale, so we only replace two a month.
-open the windows on cooler days-
-use the ceiling fans instead of the air conditioner
-make sure that the 'fan' on the thermostat is on auto and not ON...learned this the hard way!
-only use the oven when needed - I try to do all my baking in one day, I bake a lot on one day and we eat on it for several days and besides, if I need to I can freeze it.
-keeping the fridge closed or should I say keeping the kids from standing in front of it with it opened trying to figure what they want. We have told them decide what you want before you open it,get the item, and then shut it quickly. So far they are listening and it is working great!
These are just small things that we are doing to cut back on our utility bill and so far we have seen about a $35 in savings each month. That is a savings of $420 a year.
I would love to know how you save money, so please leave a comment below.
Tuesday
What American Shoppers Won't Give Up
There's no question that consumer spending has slowed down a bit. But that doesn't mean you--or your neighbors--have stopped shopping. Indeed, discretionary spending is alive and well. Yet what we're spending that extra income on today is vastly different than what we were buying a year ago.
In Portland, Ore., educational toys top the list of must-haves. Baltimore residents can't get enough kitchenware. And in Los Angeles, the beautiful people are obsessed with--surprise!--vitamins and supplements.
To read more about this go here http://tinyurl.com/lwdqd4
So I am curious, is there something that you have given up over the last year because of the economy?
In Portland, Ore., educational toys top the list of must-haves. Baltimore residents can't get enough kitchenware. And in Los Angeles, the beautiful people are obsessed with--surprise!--vitamins and supplements.
To read more about this go here http://tinyurl.com/lwdqd4
So I am curious, is there something that you have given up over the last year because of the economy?
Friday
1000 WAYS to SAVE MONEY - part 2
WOW! A week has already passed. If you missed last week's post on saving money you can check it out here http://tinyurl.com/mbu877 .
#13 - Eat at home
#14 - Brown Bag it
If you work outside the home, take your on lunch instead of going out for lunch, or buying snacks out those tempting chip machines. If you were to spend $4 on lunch times five days, that it $20 a week and $80 a month. It can add up quickly. I am thankful that my husband works close to our home and gets to come home every day for lunch.
#15 - Walk or Ride a bicycle to work to save on Gas
I am hearing more and more everyday of people riding their bicycles to work. There are even riding groups, within the same company, that will ride their bikes everywhere for a week, document their miles, and at the end of the week a winner is determined...just for fun!
#16 - Shop on E-Bay
Whether your buying clothes, books, furniture etc. buy them off of Ebay. You can get some really great deals off of Ebay.
#17 - Shop at Goodwill
I occasionally shop at Goodwill for my children's clothing, you can find name brand clothes there for a very low cost.
#18 - Shop at the Mall
Did I surprise you on this one?
When buying my children's clothing I LOVE going to the mall, but I NEVER pay retail, not even at 50% off. I wait until the stores put their close on clearance after all the mark downs. When I hit a good sale I usually pay anywhere from $1 to $2 for my boys shirts, $3 or $4 for pants and not a penny more. For my girls, I usually pay $5 or less for their dresses. Not bad!
#19 - Shop at Garage sales - for clothing, shoes, whatever your need, or want!
#20 - Go to Estate Sales - if your in need of house hold furnishings.
I went to my first Estate Sale a few months back and I am totally hooked! We had been looking for a couple of bunk beds for our boys, and everywhere we had looked the beds were so expensive. We found some at this estate sale for $125 a piece, including frame, new box springs, new mattresses, and dust ruffle. I thought that it was a great deal...$250.00 for both. Well my husband said lets wait and I thought that he was crazy, because this was an awesome price compared to the other prices that we had seen. But we waited, looked around, found a few small things, getting ready to pay for them and I over heard that you could place bids on items and if they had not sold by the end of the day, and if you had the winning bid you won the item. I thought HOT DOG! We had to place a bid of at least half of the original price. So those bunk beds were $250, so my bid had to be at least $125. I placed a bid at $130 and we left. Got home and about 4:00 pm we got a call saying that we had won the bunk beds...couldn't believe it! So we paid $125 for 2- frames, 2- box springs, 2- mattresses, and 2- dust ruffles....That was a HUGE answer to prayer!
.
#13 - Eat at home
#14 - Brown Bag it
If you work outside the home, take your on lunch instead of going out for lunch, or buying snacks out those tempting chip machines. If you were to spend $4 on lunch times five days, that it $20 a week and $80 a month. It can add up quickly. I am thankful that my husband works close to our home and gets to come home every day for lunch.
#15 - Walk or Ride a bicycle to work to save on Gas
I am hearing more and more everyday of people riding their bicycles to work. There are even riding groups, within the same company, that will ride their bikes everywhere for a week, document their miles, and at the end of the week a winner is determined...just for fun!
#16 - Shop on E-Bay
Whether your buying clothes, books, furniture etc. buy them off of Ebay. You can get some really great deals off of Ebay.
#17 - Shop at Goodwill
I occasionally shop at Goodwill for my children's clothing, you can find name brand clothes there for a very low cost.
#18 - Shop at the Mall
Did I surprise you on this one?
When buying my children's clothing I LOVE going to the mall, but I NEVER pay retail, not even at 50% off. I wait until the stores put their close on clearance after all the mark downs. When I hit a good sale I usually pay anywhere from $1 to $2 for my boys shirts, $3 or $4 for pants and not a penny more. For my girls, I usually pay $5 or less for their dresses. Not bad!
#19 - Shop at Garage sales - for clothing, shoes, whatever your need, or want!
#20 - Go to Estate Sales - if your in need of house hold furnishings.
I went to my first Estate Sale a few months back and I am totally hooked! We had been looking for a couple of bunk beds for our boys, and everywhere we had looked the beds were so expensive. We found some at this estate sale for $125 a piece, including frame, new box springs, new mattresses, and dust ruffle. I thought that it was a great deal...$250.00 for both. Well my husband said lets wait and I thought that he was crazy, because this was an awesome price compared to the other prices that we had seen. But we waited, looked around, found a few small things, getting ready to pay for them and I over heard that you could place bids on items and if they had not sold by the end of the day, and if you had the winning bid you won the item. I thought HOT DOG! We had to place a bid of at least half of the original price. So those bunk beds were $250, so my bid had to be at least $125. I placed a bid at $130 and we left. Got home and about 4:00 pm we got a call saying that we had won the bunk beds...couldn't believe it! So we paid $125 for 2- frames, 2- box springs, 2- mattresses, and 2- dust ruffles....That was a HUGE answer to prayer!
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1000 WAYS to SAVE MONEY - part 1
I have been thinking about doing a post on this for sometime now and I have been very hesitant about doing so, because I wanted to make sure that I have all my facts straight. I have been jotting down ways that could actually save people money and even stressing about doing a post of this size. Then my wonderful husband told me to just start it and the rest will come. So here I am starting to blog about 1,000 ways to save money - really and truly save money. Can I really come up with 1,000 ways - um, don't know! But with YOUR help I am sure that we can ALL come up with 1,000 ways to save money. I will need YOUR HELP!
Of course this will not be all in one post, I will post every Friday ways that you can save money until we reach 1,000 ways! This should be an adventure and I cannot wait to see your comments on the ways that you save money for your family.
OK, here we go!
#1 - Use coupons!
If you have been following this blog for any length of time then you will know that I am a big fan of coupons. I watch the sale adds, I use my coupons only on sale items, which results in some very good deals, some time even free items!
#2 - Apply for free samples!
Manufactures are willing to give you free samples in hopes of you liking it so much that you will rush to the store and buy their products---don't do that unless it is on sale and you have an awesome coupon!
In the last 4 months I have not bought shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, or body wash, thanks to all the great free samples out their; resulting in lowing our out of pocket expense.
#3 - No land line
We use a cell phone for our home phone. We do have Magic Jack (I'll tell you about this in a minute).
#4 - Cell Phone - lower your minutes!
If you do not use your cell phone that often then have your provider lower you plan. We had nationwide and I think 1400 minutes, and we were paying $69.99 a month, well we were not coming close to those minutes so we checked to see an average of how many minutes that we were using and lowered our plan, now we only pay $39.99, nice savings and remember that we do not have a land line.
#5 - Use Magic Jack
While we do not have a land line service we do have Magic Jack and have had it about 7 months now. We only go this because my husband thought that it was neat and it has came in very handy for the certain area that we are in our lives right now. This is not a land line phone though! Magic Jack is pretty neat. You do need DSL and a Phone. Magic Jack is a jack you plug it into a phone and your USB port. GO to http://www.magicjack.com/ for more information. Ok for the cost:
We paid $39.99 for everything (no monthly cost). We will pay 19.99 to renew (no monthly cost).
If you want to break it down it would look like this....this year $3.33 a month; next year when we renew (for $19.99) $1.67 a month. But remember there are NO monthly bills - you pay for everything up front. Local and LONG DISTANCE all free!
#6 - No cable only Internet
Internet and cable bills run over $100 - a person could turn the cable off and your bill would drop probably over $50.00 a month! (I checked on turning ours off) Besides you can watch movies on the computer at http://www.hula.com/ and http://www.fancast.com/ . I am sure that there are other places that I don't even know about. Also go with a lower meg for your Internet service. Going from a 10 meg down to a 5 meg will save you anywhere from $10 to $12 a month!
#7 - No Internet ---gasp!
Cut your monthly bills by choosing not to have Internet service. You can still have an email address...just check it at the Library or a friends house.
#8 - No gym member ship
Exercise at home, ride your bicycle, or go hiking - to help you get or stay fit.
#9 - No cost Entertainment
Go fishing (dig your own worms), go on a picnic, go for a walk, go hiking, family game night, have a bon fire - tell stories by the fire and roast hot dogs, have a play date, have friends over and have them to bring a dish to pass.
#10 - Buy day old meat
#11 - Shop at Bread Stores
If you have a bread store close by then buy your bread from there, but not your muffins! I have found that I can get a better deal on muffins when they go on sale and I use a coupon from local stores!
#12 - Shop at discount stores for your staples
Shop at Aldis or Save a Lot stores for your staple items or canned veggies. I have found that these items are a lot cheaper at these kinds of stores! See my post on Aldis shopping here.
Of course this will not be all in one post, I will post every Friday ways that you can save money until we reach 1,000 ways! This should be an adventure and I cannot wait to see your comments on the ways that you save money for your family.
OK, here we go!
#1 - Use coupons!
If you have been following this blog for any length of time then you will know that I am a big fan of coupons. I watch the sale adds, I use my coupons only on sale items, which results in some very good deals, some time even free items!
#2 - Apply for free samples!
Manufactures are willing to give you free samples in hopes of you liking it so much that you will rush to the store and buy their products---don't do that unless it is on sale and you have an awesome coupon!
In the last 4 months I have not bought shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, or body wash, thanks to all the great free samples out their; resulting in lowing our out of pocket expense.
#3 - No land line
We use a cell phone for our home phone. We do have Magic Jack (I'll tell you about this in a minute).
#4 - Cell Phone - lower your minutes!
If you do not use your cell phone that often then have your provider lower you plan. We had nationwide and I think 1400 minutes, and we were paying $69.99 a month, well we were not coming close to those minutes so we checked to see an average of how many minutes that we were using and lowered our plan, now we only pay $39.99, nice savings and remember that we do not have a land line.
#5 - Use Magic Jack
While we do not have a land line service we do have Magic Jack and have had it about 7 months now. We only go this because my husband thought that it was neat and it has came in very handy for the certain area that we are in our lives right now. This is not a land line phone though! Magic Jack is pretty neat. You do need DSL and a Phone. Magic Jack is a jack you plug it into a phone and your USB port. GO to http://www.magicjack.com/ for more information. Ok for the cost:
We paid $39.99 for everything (no monthly cost). We will pay 19.99 to renew (no monthly cost).
If you want to break it down it would look like this....this year $3.33 a month; next year when we renew (for $19.99) $1.67 a month. But remember there are NO monthly bills - you pay for everything up front. Local and LONG DISTANCE all free!
#6 - No cable only Internet
Internet and cable bills run over $100 - a person could turn the cable off and your bill would drop probably over $50.00 a month! (I checked on turning ours off) Besides you can watch movies on the computer at http://www.hula.com/ and http://www.fancast.com/ . I am sure that there are other places that I don't even know about. Also go with a lower meg for your Internet service. Going from a 10 meg down to a 5 meg will save you anywhere from $10 to $12 a month!
#7 - No Internet ---gasp!
Cut your monthly bills by choosing not to have Internet service. You can still have an email address...just check it at the Library or a friends house.
#8 - No gym member ship
Exercise at home, ride your bicycle, or go hiking - to help you get or stay fit.
#9 - No cost Entertainment
Go fishing (dig your own worms), go on a picnic, go for a walk, go hiking, family game night, have a bon fire - tell stories by the fire and roast hot dogs, have a play date, have friends over and have them to bring a dish to pass.
#10 - Buy day old meat
#11 - Shop at Bread Stores
If you have a bread store close by then buy your bread from there, but not your muffins! I have found that I can get a better deal on muffins when they go on sale and I use a coupon from local stores!
#12 - Shop at discount stores for your staples
Shop at Aldis or Save a Lot stores for your staple items or canned veggies. I have found that these items are a lot cheaper at these kinds of stores! See my post on Aldis shopping here.
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