Budget Basics - Frugal Living

Get Paid to Shop Online

2007-11-24T16:05:00.001-08:00

There's no doubt that shopping online can save a lot of time, money, and hassle. But on top of that, there are also third party services such as MyPoints.com that help you earn even more, just by doing the shopping you already would be doing.

For example, if you log onto mypoints, decide to shop at overstock.com, and click the link - you get 12 points for every dollar you spend. You can then cash in your points to earn rewards such as gift certificates to popular stores and restaurants, such as the Olive Garden.

And, it's free to sign up. You can't go wrong. Click the link to get started:

Join MyPoints NOW!

How to Save Money on Holiday Shopping

2007-11-24T15:05:00.000-08:00

The holidays are here and it is time to give gifts! I know, it can be a lot of work - but it doesn't need to be time consuming. Here are some tips on inexpensive ways you could shop for Christmas gifts.

* Make gifts in your kitchen. There are tons of recipes online for things like "Brownies in a Jar" and homemade hot chocolate. Put them in a pretty package tied with a ribbon or a mason jar.

* Get paid for shopping. You can be a mystery shopper and make extra money while you shop. Check out
DollarFrog.com for more information.

* Other homemade gifts. Homemade scarves and blankets as well as things like ornaments also make nice gifts.

* Wait for sales. There are so many of them, there's no reason to pay full price for something.

* Shop at discount stores. There are a lot of dollar stores and surplus stores. You can also check online stores like Overstock.com.

* Get rewards for shopping online. You can sign up with a discount program to get rewards and free stuff, such as MyPoints.com.

Using Get Paid To Sites to Get Extra Discounts

2007-07-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered a site called CashCrate.com where you can earn money for completing offers and trying things out. You can not only end up with free stuff, but make some extra money in your free time. I earned $10 last month by spending a VERY minimal amount of time on it.

All you need to do is sign up and complete the offers that you want. Most of them are free. If you complete the free daily survey every day, for example, that is an extra $24 a month. (30 days x $.08 = $24). And the surveys do not take long to complete. The extra money is very nice.

What to do with that tax refund

2007-05-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

Do you have a tax refund on the way? What do you plan on doing with it? With our tax refund, we plan on investing it. The thinking is that this is money that we did not plan on having. Here are some things you can do with your tax refund that will help your finance in the long run:

Pay extra on your mortgage principal
Invest in a Roth IRA
Put it towards your car payment
Pay off some of your credit card debt
Tuck it away in a savings account or CD

Be Diligent With Your Cell Plan

2007-01-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

I just learned that we went over our minutes by 30 on our cell plan and it cost us $17 dollars! This situation could have easily been avoided if I had just checked our minutes to make sure.

Do you know the details of your cell plan? Do you know how much you are spending? If you've had your plan for a while you may want to look into it. It is best to get the plan that coincides with your usage patterns.

Vacation Tips on a Budget

2007-01-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

I know, you usually see vacation tips in the summer. Well, this is a good time to start planning a summer trip. Also, people travel in the winter too! This is prime time for skiing and winter sports. Here are some ideas:

Get free information from the destination's tourist board
Save money by staying at independent hotels and Bed and Breakfasts
Don't eat out three times a day. Shop at the supermarket for creative meal ideas while on the road.
Stop by the local tourist office when you arrive at the destination to pick up any brochures and learn of any promotional discounts for the area.
Look on the internet (sites like http://www.travelzoo.com/ are great at alerting you for deals)

Dollar Stretcher - A Great Site

2007-01-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

There are so many different tips and tricks for saving money. Dollar Stretcher (www.stretcher.com) is a publication and newsletter where each issue is devoted to sharing these tips. Past tips and issues are located on the site.

Find advice on how to save money on different aspects of life such as groceries, gifts, and more. Check it out!

Jiffy Lube Coupons

2007-01-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

I need an oil change and I plan to go to Jiffy Lube so I thought I'd search and see if there were any coupons online. Sure enough, I found one for $6 off an oil change. There are some other coupons listed at this link as well.

http://www.jiffylubeca.com/coupons.html

Discount Stores in Boston for Holiday Shopping

2006-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

I just found a link that has a bunch of listings for discount stores in Boston for holiday shopping. I am going to check some of these out:

http://boston.citysearch.com/yellowpages/directory/Boston_MA/110/429/page1.html

In addition, I am going to visit the popular close-out store Building 19 today. I will be near the Burlington location so hopefully I can find some interesting things for less.

Last Minute Homemade Christmas Gifts

2006-12-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

I am in a pinch. Christmas is coming and I need to finish some projects before sending them priority mail at the post office, hopefully by tomorrow. Here are some ideas:

-- crochet a scarf with a big hook (j-sized) so it will go quicker. It actually looks pretty cool

-- make homemade chocolates with chopped nuts

-- bake up a batch of holiday cookies and package them in a pretty box

I want the package to also be lightweight so the postage won't be too much. That is why the main part of the gift is an ultra-lightweight scarf.

Using Coupons

2006-11-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

I was never one to use coupons. But lately, that's changed. Granted, I am spending more time in the grocery store. But, I am spending less money and instead of going several times a week, I only go once- with little side trips to get milk and eggs and other perishables that I can't stock up on.

So, in the spirit of hunting for coupons, here are some coupons I've found lately for household products:

Green Giant Frozen Vegetbales

Febreeze Coupons

InboxDollars - A Great Place to Save Money

2006-11-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

I found a site called Inbox Dollars. Inbox dollars is great because they offer the consumer a score of ways to save money and make money. Here are some of those ways:

Get paid to read emails and take surveys
download coupons
play games for money and prizes
Earn cash for signing up for things and for shopping

It is a great site with a great reputation, too. I subscribed the other day and have so far made $6.20. You get $5 just for signing up. Let me know what you think of it in the comment section if you are a member or you have already signed up!

Save Money Grocery Shopping

2006-11-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for tips that will save me money in the supermarket. Here are the ones that I like the best.

Clip Coupons
Plan the weekly meals
Prepare some meals to freeze (avoids crisis shopping which can get expensive and also eliminates need for prepared foods)
No crisis shopping, plan meals instead
Check out which items are on clearance or marked down (ex. day old bread, etc)
Check out internet for coupons

Clipped Coupon for the First Time

2006-11-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

Well, it wasn't really the first time. I clipped coupons for almost the first time. I've decided that in order to save money and be frugal, I need to get the best deals at all costs. I figured that a good place to start is to clip coupons.

I've heard of people who save tons of money clipping coupons. I am not sure how they do it. I would like to learn their secrets!

I don't currently have a filing system for them. That is something I need to take care of because I find that I need to organize them to see what I have. I'll let you know which filing system I decide on.

Cleaning My Pantry, Freezer, and Fridge

2006-11-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

I just took a little inventory to see what I have. Wow, there is a lot of food to eat. Pot roast. Hot cereals. I would love to pair down.

In the spirit of using what I have, here are my meals for the week:

-- roasted chicken
-- chicken noodle soup
-- clam chowder
-- pot roast

And with all the leftovers, I should be all set for lunches and meals for the rest of the week.

Free Samples November 10, 2006

2006-11-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

Here are the free samples that I have found for today:

Seasoning Sample- Just fill in the information it asks for
Oxy Clean Sample- Fill out the form to get the sample

Eating Through My Pantry

2006-11-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

One thing that I plan to do to start saving more money on food is to eat through my pantry. There are a lot of foods in the freezer and refrigerator. I have a tendency to buy things, not cook them, and then stick them in the freezer. I have quite the collection. Eating everything will help us save money. And then, it will be easier to see what we truly need as we clear away all of our stuff. It will also help me organize my cabinets and help me understand what I truly need and what I buy and never eat. This is an important part of budget living.

New Blog, A Budgeting Journey

2006-11-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

Interest prices have risen and as a result, we need to save money. That means that I need to learn how to save money since I do the majority of the shopping. That means that I will be looking for deals and ways to save in the kitchen, clipping coupons, and in general trying to be as organized as possible.

This blog is all about that journey and I will be posting any links to coupons, contests, and freebies that I find.