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Budget Ideas-Grocery Coupons

September 24th, 2009

Grocery coupons are a great way to save money on groceries. However, it is the combination of grocery coupons and sales that will make the biggest difference at the checkout. By combining grocery coupons and store sales you can increase your saving up to 100-percent. Yes, you read that right. When combining the manufacturer coupon with the already discounted sales items, it is completely possible to get free groceries.

Collecting the grocery coupons is the first step to saving. You will also want to keep the coupons you may not think you will use. Start collecting your grocery coupons and keep them in two separate areas. The first should be the coupons you know you will use. The second is for the grocery coupon that may not get used. If you try keeping the coupons together the process can get overwhelming and seem to be more difficult than it really is.

Your next step is to collect the local sales flyers from your area to match up with your grocery coupons. Generally the easiest way to do this is to go through each ad and write down the product that is on sale and the price it is on sale for. You may also want to put a star or check mark next to the item so you know you have a coupon for it.

In order to make the most of your grocery coupons, you need to understand the coupon policies of each store. Do they have a limit on the number of like coupons you can use per transaction? Do they double or triple coupons? Can you combine their store coupon with a manufacturer coupon? One store may have an item cheaper, but if a different store will double or triple your coupon that could be a better savings.

Another step in utilizing your grocery coupon is to think outside the box. Not all your groceries have to be purchased at the grocery store. In fact, many items may be cheaper at a discount store such as Wal-Mart or Target. You may be able to find better deals at Walgreens or CVS, both of which carry a small selection if groceries. They often have great deals on cleaners or toiletries as well.

To save the most money with your grocery coupons, it does take a little more than the one stop shopping trip. However, a well planned shopping trip can ease your budget and keep your bank account happy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexis_Paige

Home Budget your Phone Bill

September 9th, 2009

While local telephone service can be affordable for most of us, it can quickly get expensive if you add all of the options offered by the telephone companies. Asking yourself a few simple questions and making very little sacrifice, you can make some significant savings and pinch pennies.

1. Common services that are added to your phone bill. Determine if you really need all of these features. Each one you eliminate will pinch pennies and save you on your monthly bill.

Avoid using the directory assistance. This service is added to your phone bill each time you use the service. Many times the charge is overlooked because it is not an obvious charge on your bill. Look the number up online at WhitePages.com or use your telephone book and do it the old fashion way.
Call waiting is another service that is not really necessary. In the typical household, how many many of your calls must be answered immediately? Plus, most people have a cell phone. If the call was that important, chances are that person has your cell phone number and could reach you on it in an emergency.
Call forwarding is yet other feature that the phone company often bundles. I had this feature on my phone and I can not remember ever using it. You may be paying for this feature and not even realize it if you bought a bundled plan. The same goes for 3-party conference calling and last number called service.
Voicemail – You can drop the voicemail monthly service and buy a phone that has an answering machine included. The price of the phone will pay for itself quickly and you can check your messages from anywhere with a traditional answering machine by simply calling your number and entering a code you set up.

2. Long Distance Telephone Service

Long distance providers is a very competitive market. Shopping around with the different providers for your area can lead to some really great savings.
Long distance service through your local provider is typically much more expensive than going through one of the competitors. While it may be tempting to take one of their “bundle plans”, avoid these because they typically have hidden costs associated with them.
Determine how much long distance calling you do. If you do a lot of long distance calling, you will most likely want to go with a fixed rate plan. Some carriers offer unlimited long distance calling for a set price that is a great deal if you do a lot of long distance calling. On the other hand, if you do not do a great deal of long distance calling, look into the pay per minute plans. While these are more expensive than a fixed rate plan, if you do very little long distance calling they will save you money on your monthly bill.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Bryant

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Posted in Budget Calculator, budgeting, cheap electronics, frugal, frugal tips, home budget, ideas, money saving tips, save money, save money tips

Tags: home budet monthly bills phone bill

How to Save Money at Home-Home Budget

August 31st, 2009

Supermarket Comparison
The first thing you have to do is to do your research. Visit your local super market and make a note of all the basics such as bread, milk, butter etc. These are you basic products and they give you an idea of how expensive your supermarket will fair compared to another one. I would also recommend making a note of the food and drink items you personally value. For example, I personally like to drink wine and I eat a lot of chicken. Having made a note of these products visit the other nearest supermarket and compare prices.

Go local
Shopping at the big stores can be expensive. These supermarkets tend to dominate the surrounding area and push out local competition. For example, Tesco allegedly has a policy of buying up all the old land in local town centres to prevent other competitors from squeezing its margins.

Fortunately some local shops still survive. The local butcher and grocers are a must if you intend to find bargains. Don’t expect to find lovely straight carrots or perfectly shaped bananas. Instead you will find cheap, honest food, sourced from the local area. Not only is this produce fresh but it also puts money back into the community.

Take it online
Everyone loves a bargain but unfortunately you are never guaranteed one in the shops. There are certain times of the year, such as at Christmas, when you can expect many products to be discounted. However, if you need a bargain here and now why not try online. This becomes even more relevant when you consider the cost of petrol these days.

One of the most obvious stops is the money comparison sites. These sites compare products and services across the range. Be warned as not all of these sites offer any real discount. For example, there are many cases where you can get cheaper insurance by going direct to the seller.
The savvy surfers can also save themselves money by checking online vouchers or discounts for their normal high street shops. Often a store will highlight any in-store promotions online. This is useful to know as the spotty teenager serving you in the store is highly unlikely to be aware of any particular promotions.

Price Wars
Always keep an eye on the news for a bargain. It seems like every winter all the gas and electric companies are fighting for our money. You may not have realised when you think back at all the prices increases. Nevertheless, over time these companies start to reduce their prices in competition between each other. Go to an energy comparison site and see which energy company can beat your existing bill.

Back In The Home
There are literally thousands of small tips and tricks that our grand mothers’ could teach us in order to save money. I don’t really want to go through a lot of these but simply want to draw focus to the obvious. Don’t waste food! It might seem so simple but things like not throwing items out of your fridge once they have reached the “Best before date” will save you an absolute fortune. You should however bin everything that has passed the “Use by date” as this is an official government warning. Nevertheless, items such as pasta are edible far beyond the use by date so just use common sense.

Go Back To Basics
Something else that can save money is to grow your own vegetables. This might not be for everyone as not all of us have gardens. Nevertheless, you can grow your own veg in pots. So no excuses! At the time of writing it was August, so this is not the planting season. This is however a good time to plan your garden for next year. You can plant some seeds as early as February. In the mean time you can prepare the ground. Don’t forget you can also grow herbs in doors throughout the year.

Paul Tom works for Getmetopayday.co.uk which promotes Payday Loans. These are short-term loans that give you a cash advance when you are short of cash.

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Create a Home Budget

August 28th, 2009

Creating an effective budget is vital for saving money, getting out of debt and creating a sound financial future. Here are a few helpful pointers to get you started.

First you need to set adequate time aside to devote to creating a budget. The process takes some time, but it is worth it so hang in there. Then you need to gather all of your important financials: paycheck stubs, last year’s tax return, bills and your credit report. These items give you a full view of your complete financial picture. Last year’s tax return allows you to compare what you were making last year to this year and anticipate how much money you will owe or get back this year so you can include that in your budget plan.

Your credit report will alert you to where you stand with debt and credit so you can better calculate how much you owe on all of your accounts and how long it will take you to pay them off. Your credit report can also give you insight as to what types of new loans you may qualify for so if you are preparing for an upcoming car or home purchase you can go into it with more information.

Keep record of what your expenses are for one month detailing everything. This gives you a realistic picture of how you spend. If you go the movies and out to dinner once a week with your significant other only allotting yourself $100 for a monthly entertainment budget might not be realistic. You need to be honest with yourself when budgeting. Either you need to stick to the guidelines you set for yourself of budget for your monthly ‘splurges’.

Try out your new budget. If it doesn’t work out well don’t just scrap it. Make adjustments where necessary and keep saving.

See your credit score for free, and find out what kind of loan you qualify to receive. See where you stand on the credit score scale and how you compare to the national average.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gina_Delgado

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Home Budgeting Grocery Store Tips

August 17th, 2009

Tips for saving money on groceries often focus on what to do. This article focuses on what not to do if you want to save money on groceries! So before you put on your ugg boots (my favorite footwear btw!) and head to the grocery store, consider these tips.

1. Never go to the grocery store hungry.

Going to the grocery store hungry can get you into all kinds of trouble. If you go to the grocery store hungry, you’ll likely buy more junk food and other unhealthy and expensive items that you really don’t need. This can make a huge difference not only in your waistline, but in your bank account as well.

2. Never shop without planning first.

When you shop without planning, you end up buying a bunch of stuff, and yet when you get home, you likely don’t have what you really need to make meals for the week. This results in either going to the grocery store multiple times to pick up missed items for recipes or going out to eat. Both things can run into a lot of money and also waste a lot of time.

3. Never buy things that are not on your list unless you realize you really need them.

Your shopping list should be your guide and you should stick to it religiously if you want to stay on a budget. The only exceptions are if you see something you truly need but failed to put on your list. For instance, you might notice eggs and be reminded that you are down to only one or two eggs. In that case, purchasing something not on your list is acceptable, but in all other cases, it is not.

4. Never allow your emotions to dictate what you’ll buy.

Don’t buy food because you’re feeling sad, angry or hurt. Also don’t buy food with the goal of impressing others or causing others discomfort in any way. Check your motives, and if you are buying items with a wrong attitude, then put them back on the shelf.

Your body, wallet, and spirit will be healthier if you shop in an emotionally healthy manner.

5. Never purchase impulse items at the check stand. (Note, preplanning to buy something often found at the checkout stand is fine!)

The biggest problem with the checkout stand is that you are often there for five minutes or longer. During that time, there are several things to tempt you – magazines, candy, little cookbooks, even handy little non-grocery items like lighters! Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT buy those items unless they were on your list and you specifically planned to buy them prior to going to the store.

6. Never assume that items on the end cap are a good price.

Grocery store end caps often have legitimate sale items, but not always. Sometimes there are things on the end caps that are either not on sale, or not on sale by much. Other times there are sale items paired up with non-sale items. For instance, there may be pasta sauce on sale, and pasta at a regular price, side by side on the end cap. Therefore, check the price of items on the end cap and compare them with the regular price before deciding whether or not to purchase the items

BONUS TIP: Obtain a free report comparing The Grocery Game and Coupon Mom to help you figure out how to best save money on groceries when you visit Thousand Dollar Mom. This report will help you make an informed decision about whether the Grocery Game or Coupon Mom is best for you.

I wish you the best on your quest to save money on groceries!

Brought to you by Rebecca Livermore, the Thousand Dollar Mom, http://www.ThousandDollarMom.com.

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Tags: grocery money saving tips save

Save Money at Home-Home Budgeting

August 15th, 2009

Pull the fridge forward an inch or two.
In many kitchens, refrigerators are pushed back as close to the wall as possible in order to eke out a few more inches of floor space. Those few inches are really expensive.

If your refrigerator is pushed back as far as possible, pulling it forward one inch can reduce the energy usage of the refrigerator by as much as 40%, and you’ll barely notice the difference in your floor usage. Subsequent inches help, but aren’t quite that effective.

Stick a thermometer in your fridge.
Ideally, the temperature in your refrigerator holds pretty steady around 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (3-5 C). We keep ours at almost exactly 38, and it’s almost perfect for us.

If you keep it below 37 degrees, you’re pushing up against the freezing point of water, which can affect food quality and burns a lot of extra energy. If you keep it above 40 degrees, it can affect food quality in a different way, leading towards spoilage. The range between the two is optimal – and it’s also optimal for refrigerator efficiency, since devices are designed to run in this range.

How can you be sure you’re hitting that sweet spot? Get out a thermometer, put it in a glass of water, then put that cup in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Check the temperature afterward – that’s the true temperature of your fridge. Adjust upward and downward as needed – you might be surprised how much your temperature is off.

A freezer has a different optimum temperature – 0 to 5 F (-18 to -15 C). You can get this temperature by putting your thermometer between two frozen items for 24 hours.

Chuck your refrigerated leftovers.
Ah, the refrigerated leftover. Inevitably, some of those items wind up getting pushed to the back and forgotten, left there to slowly decompose, become a potential breeding place for yeasts and molds, and potentially contaminate other foods.

So chuck ‘em. One easy way to do this is to have a handful of washable markers near your fridge. Doodle on any new item with a color for each day – say, purple for Monday, red for Tuesday, etc. Then, when you’re glancing in the fridge on Sunday, you know you can chuck anything with a red or purple mark on it without thinking at all.

Just mark on the Saran wrap, aluminum foil – even on the rim of a plate. Once you get into the routine, it works really well, makes leftover cleanup really easy, and keeps nasty things from growing in your fridge.

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Make Your Own Laundry Detergent-Home Budget Ideas

August 14th, 2009

I have been wanting to make my own laundry detergent for some time now,but didn’t know where to start. I found this great recipe. I will have to try it and when I do I will post about how it went. If you have a recipe, would you share it with us and your experience with making it ? And how using it stacks up to name brand kinds.

Here’s what you need:
- 1 bar of soap (whatever kind you like;
- 1 box of washing soda (look for it in the laundry detergent aisle at your local department store – it comes in an Arm & Hammer box and will contain enough for six batches of this stuff)
- 1 box of borax (this is not necessary, but I’ve found it really kicks the cleaning up a notch – one box of borax will contain more than enough for tons of batches of this homemade detergent – if you decide to use this, be careful)
- A five gallon bucket with a lid
- Three gallons of tap water
- A big spoon to stir the mixture with
- A measuring cup
- A knife

Step One: Put about four cups of water into a pan on your stove and turn the heat up on high until it’s almost boiling. While you’re waiting, whip out a knife and start shaving strips off of the bar of soap into the water, whittling it down. Keep the heat below a boil and keep shaving the soap. Eventually, you’ll shave up the whole bar, then stir the hot water until the soap is dissolved and you have some highly soapy water.

Step Two: Put three gallons of hot water (11 liters or so) into the five gallon bucket – the easiest way is to fill up three gallon milk jugs worth of it. Then mix in the hot soapy water from step one, stir it for a while, then add a cup of the washing soda. Keep stirring it for another minute or two, then add a half cup of borax if you are using borax. Stir for another couple of minutes, then let the stuff sit overnight to cool.

And you’re done. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll have a bucket of gelatinous slime that’s a paler shade of the soap that you used. One measuring cup full of this slime will be roughly what you need to do a load of laundry – and the ingredients are basically the same as laundry detergent. Thus, out of three gallons, you’ll get about 48 loads of laundry. If you do this six times, you’ll have used six bars of soap ($0.99 each), one box of washing soda ($2.49 at our store), and about half a box of borax ($2.49 at our store, so $1.25) and make 288 loads of laundry. This comes up to a cost of right around three cents a gallon, or a savings of $70.

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Budget Ideas for the Upcoming Holidays

August 9th, 2009

Ahh yes, the eternal conundrum. We all want to travel, but travel costs money, now doesn’t it? Whether travel must necessarily be a huge drain on the ol’ bank account is a theme for another article, but I’m certainly ready with a few ideas for how to save up a few extra quid (or bucks, if you will).

1) Those things at the bottom of your legs? They’re called feet.

Rediscover them. Ditching the car can save you an absolute fortune. Clearly, most people are not in a position to go without wheels totally, but it’s worth asking yourself whether you really need it for that nip to the corner ship or taking your kids to school. Walking’s in my blood. I used to walk home 5km home from school each day and then in Vienna 7km to work and back. I loved it. It’s certainly a lot less frustrating than sitting in a traffic jam or cursing when the traffic lights turn red. If you’re in the position to try a less auto-filled life, give it a go.

2) Brown bag it.

Do you remember your school lunchbox fondly? I do! So revive it. Pack yourself a little picnic for lunch each day and you could save several pounds each meal. If you’re more of a hot meals for lunch kind of person, this requires more organisation, but it’s relatively easy to whip up a huge batch of chilli and take it to work a few days in a row or freeze it for later use. Sandwiches made at home tend not only to be healthier if you skimp on the mayo, but much cheaper than the store-bought variety. Additionally, with all these new cooking skills, you can impress your date or partner without forking out for restaurant food!

3) Make staying home the new black.

For all you social butterflies meeting your friends at fancy bars and restaurants several times a week: reconsider. It’s great fun, but incredibly expensive. Why not throw a dinner party and get your friends to reciprocate? Have a cheese and wine evening or stay in with some friends, pop some popcorn and watch a movie. Obviously don’t become a recluse – but start thinking about cheaper alternatives to activites you enjoy.

4) Save automatically

If possible, arrange with your employer that a cut of your paycheck is deposited automatically into your savings account. If this isn’t possible, try to be disciplined and do the same yourself with online banking. Even if you don’t manage it every month, it’s better than nothing. At home, try keeping a piggy bank around. At the end of each week, empty all your spare change into it. Nice and easy – you won’t even miss it!

5) Get a second job

Think you can spare an evening or two a week – maybe a day at weekends? Then this option may be for you. Jobs for students in particular are easy to come by: bar work, restaurant work, call centres, fast food gigs, even tutoring, so there’s no excuse. If you’re already in fulltime work, things are more tricky, but depending on the time you’re willing to invest, it is possible. Many restaurants and bars will take on staff for just a few shifts a week, particularly for awkward shifts other employees like to avoid. If your hours are more flexible, try joining an agency to pick up odd shifts here and there.

6) Do odd jobs

Babysitting, dog walking, lawn mowing? The world is your oyster. Ask around your circle of friends, post flyers in your neighbourhood, talk to your local parish, whatever you like. If you have additional talents, why not offer those out as well? Trained as an electrician? Quick and easy fixes. Studied history? Tutor some struggling students. Know a second language? Try teaching someone else. Make sure your prices are fair and people will pick up on it.

7) Keep your eye on the goal

It always helps to keep a close eye on your finances, particularly when you’re saving for a particular goal. If you don’t watch out, you can easily fall behind or fall totally off the wagon – this is not good! Make sure to check your bank statements regularly (internet banking is a godsend), keep your receipts together and try keeping a spreadsheet of your expenses so you can identify where your money’s going. You might discover some seriously big drains this was that you’d never noticed before.

Kathryn Castle writes on a range of subjects for HolidayCheck, including how to look your best on holiday or while traveling!

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Soda Cost Calculator

April 21st, 2009

Want a great way to save money? Order water when you go out to eat. Soda is terrible for you anyways. I recently decided to do the same myself. By the time I’m ready to retire I will save nearly 9 grand (more with inflation) ! Just from drinking water instead of soda. Plus I’ll probably add a year or so to my life.

I also needed an excuse to experiment with Flash and make a new widget. It’s a pretty ugly widget- but the calculations work. Enjoy and embed it on your blog.

Share this Soda Calculator

Put this widget on your blog or website. Simply copy the HTML below and paste it into your website

</p> <p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="450" height="433" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="http://www.homebudgetideas.com/Soda_Cost_Calculator.swf " /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="433" src="http://www.homebudgetideas.com/Soda_Cost_Calculator.swf"></embed></object><br /> More <a href="http://www.homebudgetideas.com">home budget</a> ideas<br />

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Top 10 Ways to Save Money in our Challenged Economy

March 26th, 2009

Do you want to save hundreds of dollars per month?

Here’s a list of the Top 10 ways you can save money and create a cushion of cash. Even if you’re making a great income right now, as the economic troubles continue – it’s wise to start incorporating some of these habits into your life.

Monitor Your Spending & Track Your Finances. Many people already do this. But, there are many more who make their trips to the ATM machine, withdraw cash, then look in their wallets later to see that the money is already gone. Thinking back, they cannot remember what the money was spent on. You need to keep track of your spending, get a hold of it – and balance those checkbooks or update your finances. Besides saving you money, it will get you totally prepared for tax season. Personally, I use BLIST – it is a free online service that allows you to create lists. You can use it manage your income and expenses – or grocery lists and anything else you want to create a list for.
Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies. It may sound odd – but why not? The Simple Dollar website offers you an array of “recipes” for creating: Windex, Pledge, Glade and even laundry detergent. I think it’s a great idea – and could even be a fun project to do with your kids. The cleaning supplies recipes are available here.
Compare Prices – Use Coupons. This may seem self-explanatory, but not everyone does this. When I last relocated, I needed to buy a new printer and office supplies. I went to the Office Depot store nearby and purchased them. I received an Office Depot member’s card, which created an additional savings of 10%. But, I was unaware of the online coupons for the store. I spent a few hundred dollars. When I returned home, I saw online that there was a coupon – for anyone spending over $300, you can get $75 off with a special coupon code. Don’t make the same mistakes I made – that’s a lot of money to save. Here is an excellent tech coupon site – which is really up-to-speed with the current promotions, coupon codes and stores.
Find the Best Stores for Regular Purchases. This is another excellent tip from the Simple Dollar website. First, figure out the items that you tend to buy on a regular basis: eggs, milk, bread and so on. Write a list of the stores that you are willing to shop at to purchase the items. Go to the stores – make the purchases and write down the prices or save the receipt. After shopping at all of the stores, compare the options and then choose the store that gave you the most for the money. Start shopping there and start saving on groceries. For more details and ideas, visit the Simple Dollar website here.
Stay out of Contracts if Possible. For example, you want to join a gym and become healthier. Unfortunately, more often than not, people join gyms (myself included) and visit a couple of times – never to return again. Gyms require that you are willing to totally change your lifestyle. It may sound appealing, but do not join into a membership with the gym. Tell them upfront that you would like a one-month trial and pay for that only. Even if they first state there are only contracts – they will most likely accommodate you anyway. One gym that I know of – 24 Hr. Fitness has a contract-free system, although they require that you pay for the first and last month upfront. Even that is a lot of money if you are trying to cut costs. Also, you can cut costs and debt by using a phone service that is contract-free – one example (which I use) is Cricket. The service only charges you per month, for unlimited usage long-distance included, and when you stop paying – your phone no longer has service. Start paying again – and the phone is back on.
If You Buy a lot of Books – Start Using the Library. This is my favorite tip because after living overseas for several years, the thing that I now appreciate the most about the USA are the libraries. Personally, I love to buy books.I can go to the bookstore and easily walk away with a small bag of books that cost me $100+ dollars. Well, that quickly adds up. Go to your local library – checkout books for you and your children. I go to the library twice a week and get about 20 books per time for my son – he also gets movies (same movies that they have at Blockbuster), books on CD, Leappad learning system, and computer games. So, before spending any money on computer games for your kid – take a look at the library. I was shocked to see that you could get fully-licensed for use Nickelodeon games and download them for free. I thought it was illegal, but many companies seem to have copyright agreements with the libraries for use as long as the item is not re-sold.
Stop Renting Movies. People love to watch movies. Blockbuster movies can cost you $3.99 per new release, 99 cents for the oldies and that can add up. Like I said in the last tip – you can rent many of the same movies from the library. But, there is an even better option for the real movie lovers (like myself). Join Netflix. My account with Netflix allows me to have 3 new release DVDs sent to my home for viewing at any one time. So I check the mail, get my 3 movies (delivery time is extraordinarily fast), watch them and return them whenever I want. Returning them involves placing them in the envelope they were sent in, and throwing them in the mailbox (postage is already paid for). They receive the movies and the same day send out the next 3 DVDs that are in my queue. You can do that on and on forever, a constant cycle of sending and receiving new movies to your home. The other thing (that I LOVE) is that you can also watch a ton of movies Instantly on your computer (or TV). Personally, I paid for a Netflix-compatible device called a ROKU player, for $99 and it is hooked up to my TV. I add movies to my Instant Queue,then turn on the TV and watch whichever movies I want to, whenever. Because of this, I turned off my local cable TV service, as all the TV shows, series and movies are already on my TV. My friend saw this at my home and thought I was doing something illegal – but it is not! I believe the average price per month is $8.99 for one-movie at a time, plus unlimited Instant Access Movies to your TV or computer. You can cancel at any time.
Cut out Unhealthy Habits. Unhealthy habits are not only bad for you physically, but they are also bad for your finances. I was addicted to soda – and for health reasons – stopped drinking soda altogether. This saved me $30-40 dollars a month. Smoking, drinking excessively are bad for the health and wallet. Quit – drink more water.
End the fast-food & coffee stops. If you drink coffee everyday and have a habit of going to Starbucks for your morning cup, either cut down on that expensive habit or invest in a nice espresso or coffee maker. I used to go to the coffee shop daily – and I prefer my own coffee to the drinks made at the coffee shop. I bought a $60 espresso maker and love it. If you stop everyday for a coffee – that’s over $100 per month you could save if you stopped. Next, fast-food stops are easy to get into the habit of making. People have busy schedules and are sometimes so exhausted the easiest option seems to be – to stop for fast food. We all do it. But, it’s unhealthy and a waste. To prevent it from happening as often, you may want to create a bunch of meals – freeze and store them for a later date.
Discounted Shopping. Some people are embarrassed with shopping for a second-hand item. If you are really trying to cut costs – get rid of the pride and become thrifty. Sites like eBay and Craigslist can be great venues to saving money while shopping. People are selling a lot of their virtually-new items at this time, in an effort to save money. If you want to make a purchase, using one of these sites is a great option.