How To Save Money At Home

To Save 10¢ a day, is nothing to bother with. BUT.... TO SAVE $1.00 a day is a great start (remember, that's $365 a year) and if it doesn't cost you anything and is so EASY TO DO - why not do it!!. Whether you call it Make Money or Save Money or just Stretch the dollars you have, why wouldn't you want to do it!!

"10 Things That Are Grabbing Your Money!"

1. A fish aquarium can run you about $88 a year. Do you REALLY want it - and the work? Think about it.
2. Christmas lights: 10¢ an hour for 100 lights. HOW MANY LIGHTS ARE ON YOUR TREE? And how many more on your house or for decoration? All those lights times 10¢ an hour per 100... you do the math. Could be $60 just for the month of December alone for just your average amount of lights! If you do more decoration in your yard or on the house, it goes up with every bulb you light. Then there's the November and January times to add on! Not to be a Christmas scrooge, but just watch what you do! Light them every other night. Light them only when you are home. TURN THEM OFF when you go to bed. If you aren't in the room where the lights are, turn them out until you go back into the room. Just use some common sense at this time of year! Light them 6 nights instead of 7. Depends on how much you want to spend and what's in your budget. I'd rather spend the money on a gift for my kids to have the rest of the year!!

3. Set your thermostat to 65 degrees (in the winter). Saves $80-$100 a year! And we are only talking about the winter months - 3-6 months a year depending on where you live. Throw on an extra blanket or sweater. Light the fireplace if you have one! Add a thermal undershirt! Sip that hot tea or coffee you made yourself! How easy is that! And it doesn't take long to get "used" to the cooler temp. And since germs breed "better" in warm tempertures, if your house is a little on the cool side, the germs aren't going to want to stay around!

4. Water bed (heated, no cover) can run up to $1.00 a day or $365 a year! Get a cover or just turn it off some nights! Turn the temp of the water down. Don't use it in the warmer months, and only on those really cold nights in the winter. Again, Common Sense can SAVE YOU MONEY!!!

5. If you do alot of laundry each week, do back-to-back loads - meaning, do at least three loads at once - not 1 now, another after you get back from where ever, and another before bed. It is easy to figure out a schedule for laundry. It is such a "nothing effort" job. When you do loads back-to-back you are using hot water (gas or electric to heat that water) that is already hot. Seperating your loads means each time it starts, it has to heat up that water - thereby costing more money! Same with the dryer, It is already hot after the first load was dried, so it just starts drying at that hot temperture. Once it cools down, it takes the gas/electric to heat it back up. So get it all done at once and SAVE MONEY at the same time!

6. Make sure you wash ONLY FULL LOADS of laundry. And even use just COLD WATER on the loads instead of warm or hot! They still get clean just fine!

7.. Often there are "low rate" times for your utilities. Check your utility bill or call the company. In my case, after 7pm and before 7am the electric rate is a bit cheaper than during the day peek hours when the utilities are being used more. So I start my laundry at 7pm. Or I start it a 7am. Any that doesn't get done at that time, just sits until the 7:00 rolls around again. It isn't hard - and since you are saving money - think of what you want to do with that money while you are loading that washer at 7:01 pm!

8. Run ONLY FULL Loads in your dishwasher. About 80 percent of dishwasher's energy use, goes to heating the water and the dry cycle. Select "unheated" or "air drying" to cut that by about 12%

span >9. Turn out the lights!!!! You have heard this over and over - but it is also so easy to forget to do!

10. Make sure you NEED the wattage of the bulbs in your fixtures. Most don't need those 100 watts. Many can do with just a 25 or 40 watter!

So give a look around and see what you find that you can adjust (not change, just adjust! How easy is that!) to help you save your money! I have been working on my utility bills for the last several months and have seen the gas and electric drop $10-$20 a month. And all I did was "adjust" what I did. It is so easy to do and so worth it when that bill arrives! You will be so pleased with yourself and think - how easy was that!!!

Saving money at home is a fantastic ability and everyone can do it. But what about earning money at home? We've all heard about the "make a million while you sleep" scams, oh excuse me...programs. But come on, we were born at night, but it wasn't last night! It might happen for a few if they are in the right place at the right time with the right thing to sell, but for the rest of us, you know it isn't going to work.

So, what do we do for a little bit extra each month? Paid To Click! Now, granted, we are talking about pennies, but you can't get a dollar without 100 pennies, so collect them and watch them add up to those dollars. It does work, it is worth it and I am speaking from personal experience. Does it pay my rent? Heck no. Does it cover the car payment? Heck no. But it has covered my household utilities each month! And that is very much worth the little effort I now have the "game" down to!

Oh, I started with all the hoopla about GPT and PTC and earn money for doing nothing. But as usual, there is always a catch that they don't tell you about! To the findings of an about 6 month research ordeal short..it isn't what it is cracked up to be.

However...you can still make money with the program! And yes, there are those that do make more than you'd think. But they have also been doing it for years, got in on the ground floor of it all and referrals area HUGE part of their sucess. I found that many don't even work the site, but just push referrals as they make money off others... others that are fighting a bad site and loosing money! I think that part is wrong and I don't do that. I only mention the sites I have worked with and have had good response with and the money has been appropriate.

My goal when I started last February was to earn $500 for my Christmas budget. A FREE Christmas! Well, without to much effort, other than research and learning the ropes, I earned that by June and the rest of the earnings went to cover household utlitites each month!

I have started that again this year and am working on my Christmas fund. As soon as that is reached, I will start on the utilities again. Doesn't sound like much, but when I paid bills every month and noticed that the paycheck went just a little farther because I didn't have to take utilities out of it, I was very happy! And then, when I saw that I had NO BILLS related to Christmas - I was a HAPPY CAMPER!!! Or should I say HAPPY CLICKER!!

You just have to play the game with intelligence and common sense. You have to organize it as a "job" meaning set aside hours to work. Keep track of your bookkeeping and incomes. Most of the time there is no out of pocket expense - all I have joined are free so there is half the battle! Don't pay to join any site. Just join the free ones and ones others have recommended. Learn from their esperience. Keep your intentions at a reasonable and realistic level and you can make it work for you!

We all think, "Oh, I don't have that much". But if you were to actually SEE what you have, you'd be surprised! I'm telling you, clutter can get into the nooks and crannies of places you never knew you had!

Now I'm not only talking about the stuff like too many clothes, too many toys, too many shoes...that is pretty obvious that clutter has been visiting you. There is a cure for that, but I'm also taking about clutter in places you didn't know you had - which only means CLUTTER you didn't know you had! And this is not hard at all. At worst, it is time consuming, but what job isn't worth time spent on it?What Determines CLUTTER status?

Well, short and sweet - more than 2 of anything you don't use regularly. More than 2 of anything you don't really need. More than 2 of anything that you haven't "seen" in a long time! I always believe in a back up - "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it" but st the same time you have to remember what you have so you know if you even have it if you do need it! Are you still with me?

What Determines De-Clutter?

Items that you have more than 2 of! And throw in the thought process of "how long have I had that and have not used it?" and "do I really need to keep that - I have 2 already" or "do I really need to keep that? I've had it for years and never used it".

Trust me...de-cluttering is a GOOD THING! Martha Stewart would even agree! And once you are done - you'll be so pleased with what you've accomplished and how much nice and cleaner and more comfortable your house or apartment will look, you'll wonder whay you don't "de-clutter" more often!

How Do I Start the De-Clutter Project?

Well, first, don't look at it like it's a chore. Having to make yourself do a chore that you really don't have much interest in is a really hard thing to do - we all know this when it comes time to clean the toilets! So get your mind set to be thinking, "If I get rid of stuff I don't need or use, I'll have so much more space to get new things!". HOWEVER... this is just a trick for your mind! Don't actually plan on filling all the spaces again, just plan on enjoying the fresh, clean, non-cluttered space for awhile! Trick your mind! Your goal is to get rid of the clutter and not let it collect again!

Start small. If you're like me you can start on a huge project to de-clutter, but I am a old hand at it from having had to move so much in the past 30 years. But if you aren't, or think that you can't do this...start small. Take that bottom drawer in the bathroom, the one you don't get into but maybe once a week or so, and take it out to the table. With a trash can, a "give away" box and a "maybe/maybe not" box in front of you, take each item out of the drawer, and ask yourself "Do I really need this? Do I even use this? If I use it, how often and is it a necessity or just something that I do because?". BE HONEST.

Ask Questions!

So you find a wad of bandaids in this drawer... you don't need 20 questions but here's a good few to always use:
1. How old are they? Is the adhesive dried? Are they faded, are they crumbled and open? None of these things is good for a first aid item...dump them.
2. They've been in this bottom drawer for so long I forgot I had them...dump them.
3. I know I have a bunch in that other bathroom, let me look at that and combine the stash, dump the old ones, dump the opened ones, and then think...do I really need this many? Cut down to a reasonable amount and get a ziplock baggie and put them in and lay the stash aside.

Now just go through everything in this drawer with the same procedure and mind-set. The key is to be HONEST! Come on! If you haven't used something in the past year, how likely are you to use it in the next week? Month?

If you do this with every drawer in your house, you end with a huge bang of satisfation! In a way, this is a huge project - a whole house of how many people's clutter! But don't look at it that way! I have found that starting out small is the best place to start. Do one drawer a day... trust me... you'll get so enthused about how much headway and extra space you are creating and how clean your house is getting, you'll want to do more each day!

What About the Closest?

There has been so much said about closets, I don't think I need to repeat it. You know, if you haven't worn it in a year, donate it. If you didn't wear it last winter, you most likely won't wear it this winter - donate it. You've heard the drill. HOWEVER... this does work. I recently did this with my own closet. It started with just the things I know I don't wear or have not lost the weight to fit in- I pulled it all out and gave it to my sister, her daughter and my mom. Then a few months later when we set a move date, I did it again, and if I hadn't worn it in a year I donated it to my church for their rummage sale. I did it again in May and if I hadn't worn it in the last 6 months - to the church it went. And when we moved in August, I did it again and am now down to literally and honestly ONLY the things I wear daily. Do I miss any of the things I had? No. I never worn them. How can you miss something you never used? I am glad I could help others that needed clothes. Is my mind set to go on a shopping spree? No, I don't want all that clutter again. I do plan on watching the upcoming holiday sales and pick up A FEW things for dress or nice but that's it.

So just go through your closet - little at a time. Let a month pass and do it again. You'll be surprised at what you actually admit you don't need, want, can't wear or just don't wear! And look at all that space? Now, just cause it is a closet, doesn't mean it is solely for clothes. Right now I have 2 book shelves in my closet with craft supplies on them!

Kitchen Drawers and Utensils

The same procedure and mind-set applies for the kitchen. Start with one drawer at a time and move to the next. Do you use all those little kitchen gadets? Do you need all those mixing spoons? A good step in this case is to take what you ALWAYS USE - daily or weekly - and set that aside as "keepers". THEN go back through and start asking questions. I had an apple peeler - what a cool gadget! I had intened to use it to peel the apples to dehydrate for trail mix. I did it once and not again. I have packed and moved that thing with me 3 moves. So this time, I admitted, I wasn't using it, I wasn't going to use it and didn't want to waste space on it! So to the donate box it went. Now, that you have gone through and found "keepers", move all the donated stuff out to the garage and go through it once more as you put the things away. Ask again, "am I going to use this this week, next week, next month? Do I really think I will use it in the next 6 months?". And if you get a no answer - donate.

Kitchen Food Shelves

First and foremost, think of food safety. All food expires at some point in time. Maybe it isn't going to kill you if you use it expired, but at the same time, why take the chance? Again, pull all the items out. Clean the shelf, then take each item indivifually and

1. Check expiration date. Within reason, dump if it's expired.
2. How long have you had that food item and how long has it been sitting there open?
3. Does anyone in the family really eat this stuff? It's been sitting here so long and no one has - dump.
4. Do you already have 2 other packages of this same item..and they are opened to?

Another trick is to use clear plastic (or glass if you can get it) storage containers. Use square instead of round as they stack better and take up less space. Clear so you can see what's inside and plastic or glass for longevity and freshness. Then stack like items together. One shelf for baking things, one shelf for canned foods, one shelf for cooking items like season packets and such. The top shelf is for things you use the most, the bottom for things you use more seldom.

Toys, toys, toys!!

They seem to multiple between themselves! Well, no, they don't, it is just that since you don't play with them, you don't really know how many there are there and don't think much of it. I watch these shows about redesigning rooms and a common room is a living room/play room. Toys everywhere and the parents are complaining about it. Well, first QUIT BUYING SO MANY TOYS! No brainer there! Second, for every new toy you buy, one toy has to be donated! Simple and easy. However, keeping the toys you do want to keep and are playable, not broken, not out grown and not missing parts - what a lazy thing to do!

So.... again, start small. Take that one box of "stuff" over there and go through it. Your boxes this time would be trash, donate, keep. Trash toys that are broken, or have lots of missing pieces. Donate toys that are out grown, seldom played with or not even played with! Keepers are toys that are played with alot, favorite character things and complete toys and games. Start one box at a time and work your way around the room. Just doing this much will greatly improve the looks of the room. Then wait a month, and go th

Yes, there really is! In the coffee FILTERS!

Although they are great for making that wonderful
cup of coffee in the mornings, back up a minute and see ways you can use the COFFEE FILTER to save money!

Halloween is just around the corner....heck they already have candy and costumes in stores!!

So get on the ball and get your Halloween crafts going! Here's some great Halloween costumes to make yourself! Unique and easy - what a team!

How about a "No Candy" Halloween this year? I hate spending that money for candy - never even know it the child will eat or should eat it, so I choose to give things they can use or play with. So here are some Ideas for a No Candy Halloween Trick or Treat Night I have gotten more oh's and ah's with these things than I did with candy!

And what about Homemade, Inexpensive Halloween decorations? Here are some good ones!

So have fun with at your spooky and goblin family night!

My grand daughter loves dinosaurs. I mean LOVES DINOSAURS!! She wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up! So when I found this craft in a magazine, forget which one, I knew I had a winner! However, you can also use the same craft for your child's "favorite thing" or just for a "treasure" egg hunt. If you don't drink coffee to get the grounds, go to a Starbuck's and they give the grounds for FREE! . Apparently many SB's save the grounds and give them to anyone that asks as coffee grounds are often used as compost or a fertilizer for house plants. Well, we went and asked and they gave us a big bag full! Since you only need 1 cup for this recipe and I make 10 smaller "eggs" out of this recipe - you can ask for whatever amount you need.

Check it out here:
Dinosaur Eggs or Treasure Eggs

If you are working the PTC circuit, I have some good ones for you! I have been researching and working and getting good reports from others that have done the same and have several new PTC sites that look very promising. I have been clicking for the Month of July and so far....so good!

Visit my blog for all the details!

Coffee Break Whatever Get Paid To - New PTC Sites I Have Found

I had 2 children all last week, so again, I was not able to do much with my savings and freebies/samples job, but...still...planning ahead when I do have the time... and I have a nice bit of savings going on this last week!

I didn't do a dollar amount this time as some of the things are a few time useage, like samples of shampoo/conditioner - might get 2-3 uses out of a 2 oz bottle. But the deodarants can last a week! Toothpaste travel size, can last a week! Get four travel size for free and you have a clean mouth for the month for FREE! But check out what I did - Click here to see what I got for free or BOGO this last week

So keep checking the freebie sites, the free sample sites and the junk mail for coupons. Pay attention to buying while on sale and using a coupon even tho you might not need it this week (or month). You know you will eventually so why not get it free now and have it when you do need it!!

And remember too.. this is a snow ball kind of thing - start now and no, you won't see to much reward in the next week or two, but keep at it and by next month, you 'll have on a down hill slide and the savings are just rolling in! If you want to match a dollar amount to it all so that you can better adjust your budget - do it. If it helps you to understand why you are doing what you are doing - write it down!

For me right now, I can honestly say I have NOT bought any health/hygiene/bathroom stuff all year! I am talking toothpaste, brushes, deodarants, lotions, shampoos/conditioners, and that kind of health stuff. And I have had nothing but name brands!

Try it, you'll like it! and the money you save - boy howdy the plans you can make with it! Whether to stretch your nickles till the buffalo poops or to plan for a vacation or start your Christmas Fund,
"SAVE A LITTLE TO SAVE ALOT!"

Here is my cash out this month. I did day care for children this month so my time was a bit limited but even so...it surely helps out.

Clix Sense
This is one of my favorites and I work it twice daily and dilligently. To get the most of the site, go ahead and upgrade as soon as you join. I don't usually pay for an upgrade, but it was reasonably "cheap" here so I gave it a try and once my balance got to the upgrade amount, I used that to buy the upgrade - so no money out of my pocket - and I'd say within about 4-5 weeks, I had recouped my upgrade investment. You get so many more penny clickers and your balance will recoup your investment and after that ...it is all yours, yours, yours! I have cashed out several times on Clix Sense and recently for $23.90 and got my check 3 days later! And you set your cash out minimum ($10, $20 or $50) and when you reach it, they automatically cash you out and send you your earnings. You don't have to do a cash-out request. They do it for you!

My Lot - Do you love to chat? Have questions or comments you need answered? Have interests you like to talk about or learn about? My Lot is where you need to b! Literally .... you get paid to chat! You start discussions, you respond to others discussions. You ask for help and get so much it is amazing! I have had solutions to many problems/issues as the result of help from other My Lot members. You chat and talk and help - - and get paid for doing it! Also, you make friends ...yes, really! I have made several "cyber friends" and we even chat IM or email off My Lot! It is like a "human" encyclipedia. Just join, totally free and start talking! How can you beat that!

So I have $37 for June to add to my budget. How simple and easy is that! You can do it to! Doesn't take much time and you can work 24/7/365 - any time, day or night! That is the cool part of it!
Come on! Supplement your budget!

My motto is "save a little to save alot". Granted, I am sometimes talking about pennies, but many time I am talking about dollars! If it is free, that means dollars I DON'T have to spend. Dollars I don't spend are dollars saved!

Here are my savings for this last week:

Free - 3 packets of To Go samples. Kool-aid,Country Time and Crystal Light. These little packets of mix you pour into a bottle of water for flavored water.
Free - 15 tablets of Nature Maid citamin B complex
Free - 15 tablets of Nature Maid vitamin Multi for Her
Free - 15 tablets of Nature Maid vitamin D
Free: coupon - for a free pretzel at Auntie Anne's (soft pretzel place at the local shopping mall)
Free - sample of Purex Ultra concentrate laundry detergent
Free - Tank top at Wet Seal (coupon for a free tank top)
Free - sample of Pledge Multi Purpose Surface Duster Kit
Free - 2 oz sample of Carmen Estate Coffee
Free: single serve box of Cherrios Multi Grain cereal
Free: travel size Arm & Hammer toothpaste -
Free - toddler sipper cup from Juicy Juicy.

2 meals for $3.46 or $1.73 per meal -I used coupons that I got in my junk mail for Weinerschnitzel and got 2 chili dogs - BOGO and 2 Italian sausage sandwichs BOGO. I used 2 different coupons at the same time.

$5 - I did a survey for a toothbrush. They sent me the toothbrush, I used it for 2 weeks then answered an online questionaire, kept the toothypaste (retail for $3.99) and got paid $5 for doing it!

$7.98 - I got this rebate from Walgreen'son their Easy Saver program from May. I buy things, and they refund my money onto a gift card. May was a slow month!

Ralphs' grocery store: They were starting a new rewards program. 1 point per dollar spent. 500 points is redeemed for $5. Not a big deal but since I am spending anyway and using the card every time for the weekly specials... why not collect the points? $5 will buy me lunch one day!

I don't know the specific dollar amount I saved this week, but you can see for yourself the dollars I didn't have to spend. I'll let you know next weekend what I have saved this coming week. Just watch the coupons and free sample sites and pull them together and see what you can save.

You may not have a college education. You might not be related to someone famous. You probably aren't independently wealthy. That is why you are reading this article! So, how can "being yourself" make you any money? "Where you are" in life can save you money!! "Who you are" can qualify your for discounts and that means saving money!

How Do You Get The Discount?

That's easy! All you have to do is ASK! All you have to do is say "Do you offer discounts for....?" and show them your ID. All they can do is say no, HOWEVER, there is often a good chance that they will say YES and you can pocket that savings!

Where Do You Find These Discount Places?

Watch for the signs on the doors or near the registers for discounts that they offer. Go online and check it out! Ask your friends if they know of any discount places! Watch coupons and flyers that you get in the mail. While watching TV, lend a small ear to the commercials to see if they are offering a discount. Usually this will be mentioned at the end of the commercial, so you just need to lend a bit of attention.

Are you a Student?

Carry your Student ID with pride, but let it work for you since you are working so hard for it. Many establishments offer a discount to students. Just show your ID and pocket the savings! Movie theaters often offer a lower admission fee for students. Car insurance often offer a lower rate or discount for students. Bus fare - hey, you have to get to school, show your ID and see if you can put that change in your pocket!
Some banks will wave a fee for students. Resturants will even have a student menu or office supply stores often have a low cost program for students. Museums and similar educational attractions sometimes offer students a discount.

Are You A Senior Citizen?

Are you a senior citizen, 55 or over? Have your ID ready and you can get a free cup of coffee as some fast food places - that alone could be a buck a day or $365 a year! Over 55 often means a discount at pharmacies, or club stores. Discounts are offered at many resturants for over 55. Some places have Senior Menus just for over 55! Ask about a "senior discount" wherever you go! Again, all they can do is say no, but many times they will say yes and you can add to your savings.

How about senior day at local facilities? Near me is a local day- old bakery that I go to every Sunday. It has "Senior Day" on Wednesdays and seniors get 50% off their purchase. You save 50%! Save the other 50% or buy more bakery goods to last you longer! A local car wash has "Senior Day" on Tuesdays and you can get a car wash for half price. You SAVE HALF!!! Use that half for another bill, or add it to your savings account!

Watch out for advertisements directed toward seniors.

AARP is one I am watching for as soon as I turn 50. Yes, 50, not 55 or 60 or 65 - but 50! You ge the discounts sooner than you think! They advertise so many senior discounts, there's gotta be enough in there to cover the monthly fee while cashing in on many, many more discounts!

Are you in the military or law enforcement?

Two fantastic professions that deserve a whole lot more than they are given since they are defending this countries freedom (that means YOU). And many establishments will offer a discount to show their appreciation for what these brave men and women do. I commend them for doing that!

Are you a mother, father or have children in your care?

Ask about a free meal for the kids under 13. Many resturants have a certain night where kids eat free. I took my kids to the best mexican resturant in town every Wednesday night for about 3 years straight because kids under 13 ate free. It was our weekly family night out and we saved about $10 each week - that was $40 a month! Pretty large chunk of change! And we had so much fun while saving that large chunk!

Many resturants offer free meal for a child's birthday. Some offer free desserts for straigh A report Cards! A local kids game room, offers free tokens to kids for all their A's in school.

Are you an Excellent Driver?

Does your record prove it? Show it to your insurance company and a lower rate can be yours. Just stop and think of who you are and then keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for promotions, discount offers and speciality offers.

AND REMEMBER, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK!!!

Other Discounts for All

Many resturants have early bird specials - same menu as their dinner menu, but between 3pm and 5pm they offer the menu items for up to $3 less! Going at 3 or 4pm means no crowds and quicker service, but if you absolutely have to eat at "dinner time", go at 4:45pm and you will be there at "dinner time" and still get the Early Bird Special price!

Watch your sales reciepts. Some stores or services offer a "$2 off your next purchase" or other promotion to get you to come back. Watch for those free checking accounts at banks. Why pay up to $12 a month for the service when you can get it free? And again, look at the junk mail and flyers that you get. Check out coupons in the paper and promotions in ads on TV. On-line shopping often offers discounts. Ask friends, family members or co-workers if they have heard of any specials or discounts.

Many resturants have promotions that you get a "free appetizer" or "free entree" if you purchase one or "in addition to" kind of thing. Bring a friend and split the bill! Or do it yourself and bring half home to have for lunch tomorrow!

But watch out for things like "buy one get one free" or Buy one, Get one half off". Those can be good deals, but only if you REALLY need that other one. Obviously it can be a good deal, but it can also be a waste of money. You buy 2 pairs of shoes. You only really needed one pair, but for free... gotta get it. So now you have more shoes than you can wear! Okay, no biggie as the other pair didn't cost you anything or "only half price". But why not make it save you money? Buy a "work shoe" and a "casual shoe". Buy one for you and one for your spouse. Buy one for your child NOW and one for a gift later - just get the next size up!

Or my personal favorite senario: I was looking at one of these sales once and found a pair of shoes that I absoluely LOVED! It was when pointed-toe shoes were the style, and I hated pointed-toe shoes! How uncomfortable! But the rounded toe shoes were hard to find. Well, here they were! The most beautiful, perfect pair of lovely round-toe dress shoes! Exactly what I wanted! So I bought 2 pair! One pair I wore and the other pair I left in the box and put up in my closet. I knew that as soon as I wore out the first pair, I had another pair of my favorite shoe right there waiting for me! Paid for and everything!

How did I save money this week? Well, I just moved and threw away a lot of things that were old and worn out intending to purchase new once settled.

I need fry pans/skillets and a matress cover. So I went to my favorite stores Bed, Bath and Beyond. Low and behold, there were my skillets - a set of 3 and with a $10 mail in rebate! Of course I grabed that.

Then the matress cover - on sale - 20% off.

I went to the register and as I was going through several BB&B coupons to find the one that would expire first, the clerk tells me that I can use a Coupon on EACH item! I was only expecting to be able to use on per visit! She said, no, they'll take as many as you have items for!

Wow! I saved $10, plus a 20% and then got an additional 20% off each item with the coupons! So I got the matress cover for 40% off and the skillets for 20% off plus $10 which equaled 40%!

Nearly half price for the things I needed anyway! Shopping doesn't get any better than that!

Yesterday was my day! I logged onto a Get Paid To site I am a member of and low and behold, there was $75 in my account that wasn't there a few days ago! I knew I did some free offers, but not $75 worth! So I emailed the site owner as I was sure it was a typo - should have been 75 CENTS. She emailed me a link and there was my name at the VERY TOP (never been there before - nice view!) and I had won First Place in a contest that ended 3 days earlier and I had won $75! I knew about the contest, but as I never win anything, I just did the offers I qualified for and didn't keep track of the contest. WOW!! So for doing hardly anything, I made $75!

Get Paid To sites can be quite helpful in earning money at home. No, you won't get rich quick, and you won't be making millions over night while you sleep. But for a little bit of time each day - or even every other day or so, you can make a little that the good frugal person you are, can be stretched till George Washington grins!

Sounds silly, but really...I make about $3.00 a week! I am doing what I do anyway, and getting paid to do it! I check his pants pockets before I put them in the washing machine and at the end of the week, I've collected at least 3 bucks in change! Do you realize that is $49 a year for doing nothing but what I do anyway? It doesn't get any easier than that!

And just think...if I clean out my purse every week, there's a good chance I'll find that in the bottom of my purse every week, and there's another $49 a year!

Sounds like such a little, but add that to other ways you , and next thing you know - you have a really nice little nest egg to do with as you please!!!

Grab a cup of coffee on that one!

I love going to the Supermarket! Okay, maybe not love, but just knowing that I will be getting alot of groceries for less money, is close enough!

I use coupons. Coupons, coupons, coupons and also watch the sales at various stores. I only go to one grocrey store, but also watch stores like Target and Walgreens... and their coupons!

You have heard before from save-money-at-the-grocery guru's..."Make menus for the week, make a shopping list and stick to it". Well, I'm here to tell you that isn't always a good way to go. I would say it is the absolute WRONG way to go, but I do allow for different strokes for different folks. Maybe that works for some. For me, it was stupid. What if hamburger meat was not on my menu this week, but there it is at the store $.88 a pound! Or what if, although I already have 10 rolls of toilet paper, it is on sale for X amount and I have manufacture's coupon to boot?

Bottom line, you have to do what works for you. If you can afford to pass up that hamburger bargain because it isn't on your list this week and hope that next time it is on your list it will also be on sale...good for you. I choose to buy while on sale and create my menus once home!

I watch the Sunday newspaper for coupons. We get two papers, the local one and the LA Times. Both have scads of coupons. Only stipulation is that you can only use one coupon per item. If you have 2 identical coupons, you have to buy an item for each. No prob, Bob! Now you got the sale price, minus the coupon amount and you are covered for 2 meals that you would use that item! Where's the problem!

Watch the expiration dates on the coupons. Again, if it is on sale and you have an additional coupon, and it isn't on your list for this week - why not buy it anyway? You know you will use it in a week or two but the coupon will be expired by then. Do it now and you won't have to do it later PLUS you save money if you do it now!

Always check prices tho. Sometimes, even with a coupon a name brand is more expensive than a non-name brand or store brand. Try it and see. If it is good, you have your bargain, if it isn't, then you know not to buy that brand again. But quit frankly, I have tried so many brands vs. non-brand and so far the only item I have found that has a taste difference is canned corn - Green Giant Niblets are the best! However, frozen corn of any brand are just as good

So the guru's are living in another world that has enough money to go to all their categories. But you, living in the real world don't.

Everyone talks about savings on a large scale - alot at once. Well, I'm here to tell you you can save more if you work on smaller scales. These money saving guru's, (who have probably never don't without in their lives!) say "Pay yourself first. Then pay your bills." That's fine and we'd all like to do that nice treat, BUT.. what happens when you are at the end of the month and you are short on utilities or groceries - do you pay yourself or pay your utitlites or have groceries for the kids? They never tell you what to do in that case.

So I am telling you as a Money-Saving-to-Make-Ends-Meet-Been-There-Done-That Mom, if you can pay yourself first, great, do it, but when you can't, make your expenses PAY YOU!!! Make your money answer to YOU! And most of all, make yourself answer to you!

These guru's say "Pay yourself 10% first from your paycheck". Wow, who wouldn't want to do that!! But 10% is what my electric bill was so...who do I pay? Or they say "$25 a week to savings". Okay, gee, must be nice to be rich! But these kinds of steps are good intentions, but after that first month, most can't keep up. Cost of living goes up, but the salary never does. So people get frustrated and just stop and never go back. There go the savings! Thanks guru's!

Work on a smaller scale and not only will you save alot but you will also find ways to save MORE! If you save $1.00 a day, that's $365 a year! If you and your husband EACH save a $1.00 a day - that $730 a year, and what did you do for it? Nothing but change purses and clean out pockets before you put the pants in the laundry. How hard is that? If it'd stayed in there, it'd been spent on something useless!