10 Money-Saving Tips
1. If you have your haircut every 3 weeks, try
going 4 or 5 weeks in between haircuts. If you
pay $10 for a haircut, you could save $70 a year
by having a cut every 5 weeks instead of 3. 2. Buy only generic basic types of cold cereal,
if your family must have it. With fall and cooler
weather coming, it's a good idea to introduce hot
cereal. It's usually the best buy and by using
the microwave oven to prepare, it is almost as
quick to fix as cold cereal. 3. If you have a cell phone, don't buy the
accessories at the "cell phone store". Check out
prices at local discount stores first. 4. Quit smoking. Need we say more? 5. In some states, children's immunizations are
offered free at local health clinics. Call the
local health department to inquire. 6. Wash, wax and detail your own vehicle instead
of paying someone else to do it. 7. Put a little money aside every month in order
to pay your car and homeowners insurance annually.
Most insurers charge a fee (sometimes hefty!) for
paying monthly. You'll also avoid those mid-year
increases. 8. When making instant pudding from a box, add
an extra cup of milk. The pudding "sets up" the
same and tastes the same, but you have one more
cup. You might want to experiment with adding a
little more. And of course, another money-saver
is to use reconstituted dry milk. 9. Meat prices are soaring, so plan to have a
meat-less meal at least twice a week. Substitute
an egg or pasta dish. Or maybe canned tuna or
salmon. 10. If you love magazines, try sharing with a
friend. Each of you subscribe to a different
magazine, when you're finished reading, swap. "Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a
great ship." --Benjamin Franklin Helping you live the good life...on a budget!
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another"
bi-weekly e-newsletter and founder of the website of the same name.
Visit http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to the e-newsletter and receive the free e-course "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Government Grants - Beware of Scams
As the saying goes: "Buyer Beware". If you see ads claiming you
qualify to receive a "free grant" for education, to start a home
business or to payoff unpaid bills, be wary. Scam artists will claim your grant application is guaranteed to be accepted and approved, and you never have to repay the money. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that these grant offers are often a scam. The grant isn't free, nor is it guaranteed, nor is a refund.
According to the FTC, some scam artists market "free grants" in
classified ads and even provide a toll free phone number. Here's an example of what happens when you call:
A company representative asks non-threatening, simple questions to supposedly determine if you qualify to receive a grant. The representative then acts as if he/she is checking your eligibility, and then congratulates you as being eligible. But for you to get the grant information from them, they will charge
you a processing fee. Although they will promise you that the grant is guaranteed or you can get your money back, the truth is far different.
They will tell you that the processing fee is for finding a grant source and sending you the appropriate application package in the mail. But you won't receive an application or a source. Instead they send you a list of agencies and foundations which you must write and request an application. In order to get
your refund, you must apply to; and be rejected by, all these agencies within 90 days.
Most grantors don't award grants to individuals for personal needs. Generally grants are to serve mankind and communities as a whole, such as job expansion, training under-employed youth, preserving history, funding charities, art museums, or for researching medical issues. So, even if you're in a financial
hardship, or you may be an unwed mother, a single parent, a minority, etc, you're not likely to approved. And you may as well forget about getting a refund from the grant "broker" because the conditions for a refund are nearly impossible, requiring you to apply at every grantor on the list they
provided to you and be denied by each resource within 90 days. If even one resource doesn't reject you within the first 90 days, you won't get your refund, nor will you get it back if the rejections are past the 90 day requirement.
If you're thinking about applying for a grant, remember that the applications are available to you for free and that anyone who guarantees you a grant is likely to be interested in their own financial gain, not yours. If you think you may have been a victim of a grant scam, file a complaint with the FTC by
visiting www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
Don't fall for grant scams. Use the free resources available to you at public libraries, on the internet, and at www.creditfederal.com/government-grant.html
The Origins of Check Writing
People haven't always written checks to buy goods and services. But you know that right? So how did people transfer money from one place to another in times of old?
Budgeting Your Way to Financial Freedom
Financial freedom cannot be achieved without budgeting. Budgeting involves tracking your sources of income and more importantly tracking your expenses. It is novel tool for controlling your expenses and making you aware of how you spend your money. At the outset, budgeting may seem to be onerous and boring, particularly for those of us who hate numbers. But once you realize the benefits emanating from it, you will find it an interesting exercise. Even businesses, whether small or large, use budgeting as a tool to achieve their financial goals. It is, in fact, an integral part of managing an organization.
The Wonderful World Of Address Labels
Ever wonder where address labels come from? Avery is perhaps one of the most well-known manufacturers of address labels. Rightly so in some respects. Avery contributed much to the world of professional labels. Stan Avery, founder of the company started the company in 1935. During that time the company, named Kum-Kleen Products, produced self-adhesive labels for many purposes.
5 Steps to Healthy Spending Habits
Next to our physical health most of us are primarily concerned with our financial health, and with good reason. Although our intentions are usually great our follow-through and discipline generally isn't. Mere mention of the word budget or cutback sends us into fits.
What Happens if You Die Without Making a Will
If you die without making a Will in the UK, the state will decide who gets what and how much, so those who you would want to benefit may get far less than you hoped.
Chex Systems ? Why Every American Needs To Guard His Checking Account With His Life
Most Americans have been brought up to be concerned about a good personal credit rating, because of the role a positive rating can play in your long term plans; purchasing a home, buying a car, getting a business loan, etc. They have also been made to understand that the premier organizations that pretty much hold the key to their financial futures are Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.
Save Money on Groceries: Part I
One universal of humanity, no matter who you are or where you come from, you have to eat. Unless you grow your own food, you will have to go to the grocery store to get it. That means money. Here are two very simple but highly effective methods for saving money on the food you buy.
Save Money on your Clothing Budget. Tame the Closet Monster!
Reducing the clothing budget was a serious challenge for me. Two pre-teen girls and a teenage girl certainly didn't make life any easier. My son wasn't much of a challenge. Thank goodness, he's not "fashion conscious".
Reduce College Debt with Scholarships
Six Scholarship judges were sitting around an oval
table. Forms were piled into 50 boxes. Each one
had the name of a state. I looked at the boxes and
wondered why some of them were overflowing and
others had just a few. This was the first round of
judging. By the time the contest was over almost
16,000 applications would be examined. Some of the
comments were really critical, "Why did this
person bother to send in an application? It's so
sloppy." "This person put the wrong address on
the envelope, even though the correct one is at
the top of the application." One had a cassette
tape inside. We played it and it was a country
song. The applicant was a good musician.
Strategies for Success
Holy Shenanigans! More STUFF?
Learning the Basics of Handling Money
With prices increasing all the time, saving money can be harder and harder to do. Here are some solutions for saving a little so that you can still meet your needs and still find ways to trim off a little for the future.
The Changing Shape of Family Finances
Super-mums
Safely Save for Your Childs University Studies Using An Education IRA!
This investment retirement account (IRA) is useful to you as an investor to understand because it may be a good way for you to save for your kid's education AND save on taxes. These plans are now called Coverdell Education Savings Accounts in honor of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell. Individuals can make annual contributions of up to $2,000 per child into an account that's exclusively for helping to pay higher education costs. The money contributed to a Coverdell account doesn't count against the $3,000 ($3,500 if 50 and older) annual total individuals may contribute to their combined personal individual IRAs.
Check Fraud and Verification
Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself of the best ways to protect yourself from check fraud. Since man has written checks check fraud has existed. Like any fraud, check fraud emerged as crafty con artists discovered they could photocopy checks or alter checks to steal money from innocent victims. Thanks to technological advances and craftier con artists, check fraud is as common as a cup of coffee.
Adverse Debt Levels Blight UK Consumers Personal Finances
Debt levels are at an all time high in the UK. The younger generation tend to be feeling the pinch the most, but parents are increasingly being required to bail them out, often at great expense to their own limited mortgage or retirement savings.
Five Secrets for Long-term Financial Success
Future financial success is not a guarantee that any one of us can rely upon, no matter how wealthy we are now or intend to become.
What Are We Teaching our 2005 Graduates about Money?
Now that we are in the month of June I can't help but wonder if we have prepared our new graduates for the responsibility of managing and budgeting their money.
Debt Management ? Watch Out for Bank Fees!
During the last twenty years, banks have offered a number of improvements in the area of being customer-friendly. The old 9 AM ? 2 PM "banker's hours" are gone, replaced by a schedule that makes it easy for most people to visit when the bank is open. Automatic teller machines are ubiquitous, making it easier to obtain cash even when the banks are closed. And the debit card has made it easier than ever to pay for an item ? you don't even have to write a check anymore. Such conveniences come with a price, however, and banks are charging additional fees for all sorts of services. Some of them can be quite steep, and consumers should watch how they manage the money they have in the bank.
10 Tips To Save Money When Dining Out
Here are some tips that can help you save money when dining out. Keep in mind that these tips are intended to help you save money when dining out at a restaurant type setting. In other words, these tips will not be related to fast food establishments for their food is already priced reasonably.
|
