Saving Money Isn't Difficult!
Most everyone either wants or needs to save money. Living is expensive. Living well is VERY expensive. In my opinion, every little bit helps. This lens is to share savings I've found with you and interesting articles and advice I've found.
Grocery Savings
How to save money on grocery items.
We all spend money at the grocery store...why not spend less? Free Local Grocery Store CouponsWhen using coupons, try to combine them with sales. Check out your weekly supermarket circular that comes in the mail, or go to your grocery store's website to see what's on special. Stock up when things are on sale and you can use a coupon on top of that. Many stores also double coupons, so if you have a .40 coupon, you'll get .80 off.
Use your store loyalty card. Not only will it give you automatic savings, but some stores will start to send you coupons in the mail that are for things you regularly purchase. My favorite grocery store also sends coupons for a few dollars of a purchase from the meat or produce department sometimes.
Give The Grocery Game a shot, too! They have a 4 week trial for $1 that's worth it to see what kind of great deals you can find at your store. It's a terrific service and I highly recommend it. If you need more coupons to do some serious stockpiling, check out The Coupon Master.
For fresh foods in season, check out your local farmers markets. You can find some of the best, locally grown produce at farmers markets at great prices.
Though some may not think it frugal, for some families, grocery delivery services can be a life-saver. If you're going to splurge for delivery, why not save too?
A fantastic way to save on food is through Angel Food Ministries. They have sites at churches all across the country. Anyone can take advantage of the program - there are no income guidelines or qualifying. Angel Food is there for EVERYONE. Check out their website and find a location near you. For just $30 you can get a great amount of food, and they have special boxes you can purchase in addition.
Frugal Living and Debt Management Resources
Great Deals Online
Savings on Bath, Body, Health, Household etc.
1-800-Contacts has GREAT deals!
Overstock.com sells discount, brand-name merchandise up to 80% off the suggested retail price and ships every product, big or small, for only $2.95! With over 750,000 products in stock, you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for; choose from bed-and-bath, home decor, furniture, handmade goods, kitchenware, watches, jewelry, computers and electronics, sporting goods, apparel and designer accessories and more! But, the unbeatable prices don't stop there; Overstock.com also has great deals on books, magazines, CD's, DVD's, videocassettes and video games! With a best price guarantee on all their products, your home for great deals on the internet is Overstock.com.
Make the O a part of your life today!
Look great and save with Beauty.com!
Current always has great prices on cards, gift wrap, paper goods and more. Check out this hot sale!
Save on your phone bill!
Overstock.com sells discount, brand-name merchandise up to 80% off the suggested retail price and ships every product, big or small, for only $2.95! With over 750,000 products in stock, you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for; choose from bed-and-bath, home decor, furniture, handmade goods, kitchenware, watches, jewelry, computers and electronics, sporting goods, apparel and designer accessories and more! But, the unbeatable prices don't stop there; Overstock.com also has great deals on books, magazines, CD's, DVD's, videocassettes and video games! With a best price guarantee on all their products, your home for great deals on the internet is Overstock.com.
Make the O a part of your life today!
Look great and save with Beauty.com!
Current always has great prices on cards, gift wrap, paper goods and more. Check out this hot sale!
Save on your phone bill!
My Favorite Frugal Living Links
Great sites to learn about saving money
Save money, and learn what to do with what you save at these great web sites.
- The Dollar Stretcher
- Money Saving Articles to Stretch Your Budget, Living Better for Less, Simple Living, Frugal Living.
- Living On A Dime - Free Recipes, Money Saving Tips, Debt Free Living
- Learn how to save over $7000 in one year when you sign up for our free newsletter!
- Aisle-By-Aisle Grocery List Software
- Makes shopping fun!
- 50 Tips for Frugal Living
- Zen Habits -
The Cheapskate Guide: 50 Tips for Frugal Living - Wise Bread | Personal Finance and Frugal Living Forums
- Welcome to Wise Bread
Personal finance and frugal living forums - Frugal Blog - Families.com
- Learn how to pinch your pennies without giving up the good things in life here at the Families.com Frugal Living Blog.
- Frugal Living Leads to Debt Free Living
- Frugal living tips. Encouragement and tips for families seeking a debt free lifestyle. A frugal life eliminates debt and teaches families to live within their means.
- Frugalizing Your Family
- Parenting, Pregnancy, Conception, Baby Names, Online Parenting Articles & More at Parenthood.com. Find tips and articles to help you along the road of parenthood.
- Pinching Your Pennies Home
- Pinching your pennies.
- Miserly Moms
- Miserly Moms goal is to help moms everywhere get the tools that their family needs to stretch their dollars
- Stay at Home Moms - Money saving ideas for frugal stay at home moms
- Money saving ideas for frugal stay at home moms
- Ideas for Frugal Living
- Nice blog on the frugal life. I like her. She's got attitude! :-)
- Get a FREE Senseo Coffee Machine!
- I own one of these. It's a $70 value, you just pay $15 in shipping if you qualify. I love my Senseo machine and the coffee. Give it a try!! Think of how much you'll save by not stopping at Starbucks!
What Works for YOU?
What are your best money saving strategies?
What are your best tips? Are they on the list? If not - add them!
Thrift Store Shopping
Second hand stores from Goodwill to the mom & more...2 points
Grocery Coupons
Newspaper, online, in the mail, coupons are the wa more...1 point
eBay or online auctions
Not only a great way to save, but a great way to m more...1 point
Dave Ramsey in the Amazon Spotlight
How is your financial fitness?
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 09/06/2008)
Get on the path to debt-free living with Dave Ramsey. Check out all his great books on finances. Good stuff!
10 Tips for Saving Money
1. Clip Coupons Carefully - Coupons are terrific, but only if they truly save you money. Don't buy a product you don't need just because you have a coupon. Sometimes a different brand is less even with the coupon savings. However, sometimes when you add coupons on top of store sales, you can get fantastic deals.
2. Try Store Brands - Be willing to try anything once. Many times, the less expensive store brands are no different than the more expensive name brands.
3. Shop at Thrift Stores - Let someone else pay full price. You might be surprised at what you find in the aisles at your local Goodwill, Savers or other thrift store. Everything from clothing to appliances and household items are available for far less than purchasing new at department stores. I've found designer clothing for less than $10, great brand kitchenware for ridiculously low prices. Think about it - once you bring something home from Nordstroms, it's no longer new anyway. Grab it at the thrift store, wash it, and you're good to go!
4. Watch the Thermostat - In the winter, keep it a few degrees lower than normal. Put on a sweater. In the summer, only use the air conditioning when you really need it. Keep it a few degrees warmer than normal. Install a programmable thermostat that will regulate temperatures for when you aren't at home and return it to a comfortable temperature when you are at home.
5. Plant a Garden - Find out what grows well in your climate that you would enjoy eating and grow it! There are numerous resources online for even the most novice of gardeners.
6. Wash Clothes with Cold Water - A lot of energy is used to heat water for washing. Use cold. It works!
7. Condense Errands - Try to get all of your driving done at one time and organize your trips to drive the fewest miles. Get all your shopping done at once so you don't have to run to the store every couple of days. A gallon of gas saved here and there adds up to a LOT these days!
8. Comparison Shop Online - The internet has a wealth of information on shopping. Find where to get the best price on the things you need and want.
9. Use the Library - Don't fill your shelves with books you'll read once or a movie you might watch a couple times. Get it at the library first. They have books, magazines, movies and more. FREE. If you decide then that you can't live without owning it after trying it, purchase it.
10. Learn to Like Leftovers - Really. I can't tell you how many times I hear. "I just don't like it" or "my husband won't eat leftovers." All I can say to this is - get over it. It's criminal how much food is wasted daily in this country. Leftovers rock.
2. Try Store Brands - Be willing to try anything once. Many times, the less expensive store brands are no different than the more expensive name brands.
3. Shop at Thrift Stores - Let someone else pay full price. You might be surprised at what you find in the aisles at your local Goodwill, Savers or other thrift store. Everything from clothing to appliances and household items are available for far less than purchasing new at department stores. I've found designer clothing for less than $10, great brand kitchenware for ridiculously low prices. Think about it - once you bring something home from Nordstroms, it's no longer new anyway. Grab it at the thrift store, wash it, and you're good to go!
4. Watch the Thermostat - In the winter, keep it a few degrees lower than normal. Put on a sweater. In the summer, only use the air conditioning when you really need it. Keep it a few degrees warmer than normal. Install a programmable thermostat that will regulate temperatures for when you aren't at home and return it to a comfortable temperature when you are at home.
5. Plant a Garden - Find out what grows well in your climate that you would enjoy eating and grow it! There are numerous resources online for even the most novice of gardeners.
6. Wash Clothes with Cold Water - A lot of energy is used to heat water for washing. Use cold. It works!
7. Condense Errands - Try to get all of your driving done at one time and organize your trips to drive the fewest miles. Get all your shopping done at once so you don't have to run to the store every couple of days. A gallon of gas saved here and there adds up to a LOT these days!
8. Comparison Shop Online - The internet has a wealth of information on shopping. Find where to get the best price on the things you need and want.
9. Use the Library - Don't fill your shelves with books you'll read once or a movie you might watch a couple times. Get it at the library first. They have books, magazines, movies and more. FREE. If you decide then that you can't live without owning it after trying it, purchase it.
10. Learn to Like Leftovers - Really. I can't tell you how many times I hear. "I just don't like it" or "my husband won't eat leftovers." All I can say to this is - get over it. It's criminal how much food is wasted daily in this country. Leftovers rock.
Articles on Saving Money
- 10 things you shouldn't buy new - MSN Money
- MSN Money
- Empty your closets, fill your pockets - MSN Money
- More from MSN
- Is frugal the new black? - Retail - MSNBC.com
- As the reality of a slumping economy sinks in, many consumers are beginning to embrace the simple life, experts say.
The Money Magnet Quiz
Are you a money magnet?
Get Paid To Take Surveys!
Who doesn't like a little fun money?
How would you like to earn some extra cash by answering brief surveys online, or participating in focus groups. Marketers pay to find out the opinions of consumers like you. So how do you find them?
First of all, do not pay for a list of survey companies. The information is out these for the taking - for free.
Links to legitimate survey companies - check back, more will be added soon! I will only list companies from which I have received actual payment.
Survey Savvy
Opinion Outpost
Global Test Market
TestSpin
My Survey
Lightspeed
The Eclectic WAHM Blog
Work From Home Options
Working from home can be a great way to save money on gas, clothing, lunches out and more. There are many ways to earn an income from home. Read about some of them here!
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byFreegan Links
- Freegan.info
- Freegan.infoStrategies for Sustainable Living Beyond Capitalism
Freegan.info
Po Box 344
New York, NY 10108
Media Inquiries & General Info: ask@freegan.info
Media Inquiries: (646) 402-5238
Events Info: (347) 724-6954 - Freeganism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Freeganism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Freegan Girl
- Newsweek magazine online plus daily news, features and commentary from our global network of correspondents
- Freeganism: The Art of Dumpster Diving : TreeHugger
- Okay, this is not quite hip and mainstream, but please watch this video with an open mind. It might not make you want to dumpster dive, but it certainly will teach you something about the unbelievable amount of perfectly
Great Stuff on eBay
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Money Talk from Motley Fool
- Was This Stock a Mistake?
- It might just be an amazing opportunity.
- The World's Best Dividend Stocks
- Don't limit yourself to U.S. blue chips.
- The Fool's Look Ahead
- Desks, departures, and doughnuts will rock your world next week.
Thrift Store Shopping
Everything old is new again!
One of my favorite frugal activities is shopping at thrift stores and other types of re-sale shops. If you're looking for upscale items, or just something that works, you can probably find it used. You'd be amazed at what you can pick up at your local Goodwill Store, ARC or Savers shops.Savers has different color tags on sale each day, sometimes half off and some items marked at .99! Special sale days make everything half off. Half off already low prices equals great savings for you and your family, and knowing that your purchase helps fund non-profit organizations makes you feel even better about shopping there!
When resale shopping, understand that it sometimes takes sifting through the junk to find your treasure. It can be well worth it. Fill your wardrobe with the brand names you're craving, but let someone else pay full price first.
MadMoney with Jim Kramer
Netflix Movies - A great way to save on entertainment!
Netflix is fantastic! No late fees, just send the movies back when you're done and your next one comes. Plans to suit most any budget.
- 001- Crash
A 36-hour period in the diverse metropolis of post-Sept. 11 Los Angeles is the theme of this unflinc...- 002- The Departed
To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the under...- 003- The Pursuit of Happyness
Will Smith (in an Oscar-nominated role) and his real-life son Jaden star in this tearjerker about a...- 004- Little Miss Sunshine
Convinced little Olive (Abigail Breslin) is beauty queen material, parents Richard (Greg Kinnear) an...- 005- Walk the Line
Among the pantheon of great country singers, Johnny Cash (played here by Joaquin Phoenix) may just b...- Try Netflix free for 14 days
Blog Posts from Google
Find other thrifty, frugal folks who blog about it!
Want to find others who share their tips, tricks, frustrations and finds? Check these out!
- I love your blog
- My turn to give awards to seven of my favorite PF blogs:. 1. Saving4Later. 2. Fabulous Broke in the...
- A raise???
- This morning I asked my boss if I could get a raise since I've been working here for more than a yea...
- Bye-bye cheap flights! Zoom Airlines closed...
- I got an email from Zoom Airlines yesterday saying that they had suspended operations :( With the pr...
- Soy-milk maker again
- I got a soy-milk maker on ebay for almost half price. I got is at $84.00 instead of $150 :) I'll pro...
Amazon Voting (Plexo)
What do you think about these frugal books?
Pinch A Penny Till It Screams: Everything You Wanted To Know About Frugal Survival Skills But Didn't Know Where To Look by Madeline Clive
A book for anyone struggling to find ways to stret more...0 points
Frugal Travel
Find the best deals online
New Orbitz!
Check for cheap fares online!
Package Deals to Orlando
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$309 from Fort Lauderdale: flight + 2 nights hotel
- $373 from Baltimore: flight + 2 nights hotel
- $377 from Miami: flight + 2 nights hotel
- $379 from Detroit: flight + 2 nights hotel
- $411 from Philadelphia: flight + 2 nights hotel
- $373 from Baltimore: flight + 2 nights hotel
Other Fabulous Frugal Lenses
Squidoo Lensmasters sharing helpful information!
There are lots of great lenses out there about saving money. Here are just a few of them.-
Angel Food Ministries - Helping People Save Money On Food Monthly!
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Note: Thanks to the hundreds of visitors who've arrived here in the last 7 days. If you have a question please leave a comment. I'll update this page when I find your answer! Thanks for your patience. Angel Food Ministries is a great way for families...
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Frugal Cooking Ideas and Recipes
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Everybody has to eat, and unfortunately, eating can be very expensive However, there are ways to make eating less expensive, so you have money left over for other things - like rent or your mortgage payment, or for fun. Whether you're a coupon queen, a...
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Frugal Gardening and More
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I get almost everything in my garden for free. I've learned a lot of tricks for doing this, which I'd like to share with you here. I have put together a course called Frugal Gardening 101, which is free and easy to understand. This course includes al...
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Frugal Mom living the good life
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Cooking, retirement, budgeting, oh my! Find out how this Frugal Momma of 3 boys does it (or should I say tries to do it) all while trying to live within our means and increase our net worth Frugal Christmas Guide will help keep your holiday budget in...
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A Frugal Nana's Attic
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Where this Frugal Nana loves to find and partake of a good deal! I will be adding more information from time to time, so please check back often. In fact, add me to your favorites list so that you won't forget the best place to learn about saving mone...
What do you think? I want to hear from you!
Give feedback and share savings you've found!
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WritingforYourWealth
Suze Orman, too, is another one to watch. Posted July 27, 2008 |
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kab
Check your bills to see if there is a discount for automatic payments or e-statements. If not paying automatically, send an internet banking payment and avoid the $.42 stamp. Also, simply ask your bank "am I in the best account that I can be, given what I have with this bank?" You will be surprised how often they start a new program and offer it to new customers, but not old ones. Posted July 20, 2008 |
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spirituality
Great lens, great resource. Posted July 18, 2008 |
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story3girl
Great collection of resources. I too love frugal living. Thanks for this! Posted June 23, 2008 |
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CherylK
What a good resource! Planting a garden or even just a few pots with a tomato plant, a pepper plant, some herbs, etc. is also a good way to save. Plus the veggies are just SO MUCH BETTER. Posted April 20, 2008 |
