Every year there are reports on the news about how deeply in debt people become every Christmas. It is possible to have a nice Christmas without maxing out the credit cards. Here are a few simple tips that could save you a bundle.
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6 Tips for Sticking to Your Budget This Christmas
December 7th, 2009Fun and Frugal Family Outings
July 31st, 2009The time we spend with our families is priceless. But most popular family activities are quite expensive. Even a simple night at the movies can put a serious dent in the budget by the time you buy tickets, popcorn and drinks for everyone.
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Cut Down On Water Consumption
July 27th, 2009Water has become a valuable commodity and it is becoming more and more valuable every day. To protect our environment and to save money, take a look at these easy water conservation tips.
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Drive Smart Using This Gas Saving Alternatives
July 26th, 2009As the price of gas begins to rise again and the threat of limited supply hangs over our heads people are looking for smart gas saving alternatives. Here are a few handy tips to get started. Read the rest of this entry »
10 Home energy saving tips
July 26th, 2009Saving energy at home means saving money as well as conserving resources, something everybody values. It also means preserving these resources so we can ensure a more wholesome planet for all. Find below some elemental home energy saving tips you will be able to apply from today.
Cheap carpet tiles
June 9th, 2009There are times when just a few inexpensive adjustments can make all the difference in a room. My daughter and her husband were tired of throwing their money away on rent, but they could not afford a very big home. Our son-in-law is quite handy with fixing things and so is my husband. We told them that if they wanted to invest in a fixer upper we would help them get it into shape. As long as the house had a solid foundation and support walls we could restore the rest as a family project. I love to paint and stain so I told them I would help also.
They began looking in different areas for a lower price house. They found a house that was on a large lot at the end of a dead end road. The lot butted up against a small city park. The house had sat empty for three years after the elderly woman that lived in it was moved to a nursing home. She had recently passed away and so it was now for sale. She had a niece and nephew that were settling her estate and they were in a hurry to sell the house to get things settled. There was a lot of furniture and other things in the house. They wanted to sell everything as it was. Because it the elderly woman was not able to do a great deal of cleaning and with it sitting empty so long it needed a great deal of cleaning. The price was a steal so the kids bought it and we went to help them get it into shape. We agreed that the first thing we needed to do was move everything out so we could see what we were working with. In the corner of the living room were several boxes of discount carpet tiles that she must have purchased and never got around to installing. The carpet in the living room was old and worn. We thought we could pull it up and lay down the discount carpet tiles. They were a neutral color and they were clean and new. We began pulling up the old carpet and the pad. There was a wood floor underneath; however it was not in very good shape in the center of the room; however the edges were perfect. We decided to leave the wood exposed around the parameter of the room and lay the discount carpet tiles in the rest of the room. By doing this we had enough to do the dining room also. The discount carpet tiles were made of Berber and fit together very well. Once we were done you could not tell that they were individual squares.
We put fresh coats of paint on all the walls and sanded and painted the kitchen cabinets. We reupholstered several of the furniture pieces that had come with the house. There were several neat items that they kept and the rest we put on a garage sale. The house is shaping up nicely and the kids know that they will make a huge profit on it when it comes time for them to move on.
Cheap car insurance
June 6th, 2009Have you ever noticed how people will pick and choose what they are going to spend top dollar for and what they are going to scrimp on? We are all different in what we are going to pay for and what we are not. I tend to be this way with grocery items. I do not care what brand name the item is as long as it is a good value. I have never been so impressed with one brand or another that I need to buy one over the other.
There are other things that I have tried to save on, but have found that the cheapest is not always the best. We were looking for better rates on our car insurance. We felt that the amount we were paying was too high. We found cheap car insurance through an internet quote. The savings were substantial. We were careful to enter all the information requested on the forms for the quote so that we would maintain the same coverage. Even though the company for the cheap car insurance did not want to send it out prior to us signing up, we did get a full copy of the general policy. There were some things that we were giving up going with the cheap car insurance, but it seemed worth it. The main thing we were letting go of was a free rental car in case our car was in for repairs. We reasoned that we have an extra vehicle that we use for recreational purposes, so we could use that one if one of the vehicles we use daily is in the shop.
We were all set to sign up for the cheap car insurance when we were contacted by the company and were told that they rate would be higher than we were originally quoted. The initial quote was for the three vehicles that we wanted to insure, however our driving history was not taken into account. I had received a speeding ticket thirty-two months prior to the quote and my husband had received on eight months prior to the quote. The speeding tickets remain on your record for three years and affected the premium by over six hundred dollars a year. Two things really surprised me. One was the fact that the two tickets had that large of an affect and two that the company would send out papers to sign us up and give us a quote prior to having our driving history in front of them. This experience taught us to ask many more questions when being given a quote. The main question to ask is if the cheap car insurance quote is specifically for your driving record and your automobiles or if is a general listing based on the automobile only.
Buy now, pay later
June 4th, 2009When you listen to the news and hear the stock market reports as well as the economist reports it sounds like no one is buying anything. Yet you also hear stories about the huge credit card debts many people have. More and more people are finding that it is very easy to get credit, however it is much more difficult to pay off the bills if you let them accumulate and have to pay interest on top of the charges. We will use our credit cars to earn points as well as for convenience, however we always pay the balance at the end of each billing period.
A year ago we decided to buy a computer system for the house. The store we went to was offering a special buy now pay later campaign on a complete package that included a printer upgrade as well as a flat screen monitor upgrade. We decided that we would purchase the system, even though it was more money than we had originally intended to pay. With the buy now pay later promotion he you had twelve months to pay off the bill, without any interest accumulating. We decided we could afford the upgrades as long as we had the extended period to pay for it.
We made small monthly payments on the computer and at the end of the twelve months paid the rest off. We did not have to pay any interest. Two weeks ago our lawn mower broke down. The repairs would have cost us more than the lawnmower was worth. We looked at a few cheaper models of mowers. We mow over an acre of lawn so we need to have a machine that is dependable. We also looked at a brand name top of the line mower. It cost double of the cheaper brand, however the clerk assured us it would be the last mower we would ever need to buy. We had not planned on the mower breaking down so we had not saved for the expense. We had decided that we would take the money out of our savings account. The mower dealer told us that there was a special buy now pay later promotion on the lawn mower. The promotion included no money down, no payments and no interest for twelve months. We decided we might as well leave the money in our savings account earning interest and pay for the mower next year. As long as you pay the items off within the specified period of time the buy now pay later promotions are a great way to upgrade on what you want to purchase.
Money Saving Grocery Shopping Tips
May 1st, 2009Everything is getting more expensive today. From gas to groceries, our hard-earned dollars are challenged to stretch further. Now, we may be able to ride a bicycle around town if we can’t put gas in our cars. But, we have to eat. There’s no getting around that. So, we have to find ways to spend less on groceries while still getting the things that we need to feed ourselves and our families. Here are six money saving tips to try the next time you go grocery shopping.
- Clip coupons. They put those in the newspaper for a reason. If there are new items you want to try, use a coupon to get it at a discount. If you like it, you have saved some money. On the other hand, if you don’t take a liking to it, you didn’t pay full price. For me, coupons save an average of ten or more dollars per visit. That’s money in my pocket that I can put towards gas for the car.
- Buy more staples than prepared foods. It is easier to buy a box of macaroni and cheese, but is it more economical? A large box of macaroni and a block of cheese will make more servings for your family than one box of prepared macaroni and cheese. The next time you go shopping and pick up a box or bag of an already prepared item, ask yourself if you can make that at home for less. If you can, then put that item back in favor of less expensive staples.
- Buy in bulk. Consider the food items that you use most often. Cereals, meats, vegetables, condiments, juices, and paper products can be bought in bulk usually at a lower price at food warehouses like Costco, BJ’s, and Wal-Mart. If you have a coupon, you’ll save even more money.
- Don’t shop when you are hungry. This is a definite no-no. Shopping on an empty stomach means that you will pick up more things than you need. You are more likely to pick up that bag of chocolate chip cookies or that box of donuts when the growling gets underway.
- Take a grocery list with you. This is another protection against picking up things that are too costly. Check your cabinets and the fridge to see what you need and write them down. Remember, the goal is to stick to the list as much as possible.
- Shop at the same stores. This is more of a frustration reliever. In a new store, you spend most of your time looking for things and walking up and down every aisle, which oftentimes leads to forgetting an item or two. Going to the same store each time makes you more familiar with the prices so you can estimate your bill as you write your grocery list.
Rising prices don’t have to mean a lean dinner table. There are ways to make your food dollar go further and if you take the time to implement the ideas listed above as well as others of your own, you’ll see savings each and every time you shop.
The Library is Your Friend
March 27th, 2008Is there any better friend to the frugal person that the library? So many resources and programs are offered for all ages. The services are almost always free; well not exactly free, but funded by your tax dollars, regardless of whether you use the library or not.
Of course at the library you will find books of all kinds. You will also find movies, music, internet access, and much more. The library also offers classes for all ages. There are story times for young children, summer reading programs for school age children, and a vast array of programs for adults with interests in everything from reading fiction to doing family tree research. There truly is something for everyone at the local library.
Here are some tips to help you get the most from your local library.
1. Reserve your items before you go.
This is especially helpful if you have children. They can make it hard to browse. Reserve your items online, and they will be ready and waiting when you get there. In many cases this also allows you access to resources from other branches of the library. The library will transport your items to your local branch for pick up.
2. Check the library calendar.
There are many ongoing and one time programs offered. Free activities for the kids and for you? Can’t beat that!
3. Write the due date on your calendar.
Don’t cancel out the freeness of using the library by racking up a lot of late fees. Write the date items are due on your calendar.
4. Try it before you buy it.
If you are thinking of buying reference book, or maybe even a fictional title why not give it a trial run by borrowing it first from the library? Make sure it is worth your hard earned money.
The library is your friend. It is a wonderful resource for free entertainment and education. Go visit your friend frequently!