Search Results for: blog how far will you go to be frugal 2

Frugal Friends are Priceless

If you surround yourself with frugal friends, saving money will be easy. Yesterday, after the town parade and free hot dogs and games, my family headed over to an area attraction that was sponsoring free admission for the day. The promotion wasn’t widely advertised. It wasn’t mentioned on the website or put on any community calendars, so not too many people knew about it. Thanks to a faithful frugal friend, though, who alerted me to the event, my family of five was able to enjoy the afternoon, which included a free tour, a narrated tram ride, and time in “the … Continue reading →

Invest Your Time Wisely

“Time is money” is an old saying that is meant to convey the urgency of rushing ahead because any time wasted could be time spent earning money. Many times in our frugal lifestyles, we trade off time in order to save money, such as cooking from scratch instead of going through the fast food line, taking out the time to create a grocery list and clip coupons before shopping, etc. Most of the time these are good choices and have a secondary benefit. The time I spend hanging laundry means saves some money, but it also means that my kids … Continue reading →

Earn Money at a Farmer’s Market

Farmer’s markets are just getting started now, and you can take advantage of their popularity to earn some income! Here is how. First, locate several farmer’s markets near your home, do some research and ask some questions. Do they charge a fee to sell, or can anyone just set up a table with no overhead? Are there rules or regulations of which you should be aware? What types of things are sold at these farmer’s markets: produce only, crafts, anything goes? Find out all you can, so you can make a good decision about which farmer’s market is right for … Continue reading →

Ways to Stretch Your Vacation Dollar

With spring break travel peaking and the busy summer vacation season right around the corner, now is the time to learn how to stretch your travel dollar.  The following tips don’t require a ton of effort to execute.  What’s more, once you realize how easy it is to save on travel-related expenses, you may be inspired to find a few more frugal ways to keep from going into debt during your family getaway. Timing is key:  Do a little research before you hit the road on a family vacation.  Airfare and hotel rates can jump sky high when traveling during … Continue reading →

How to Make a Weekly Frugal Food Plan

Food is quickly becoming one of the biggest expenses in the average family’s budget. Attack your food budget with a weekly money-saving plan. Each day pick a task that will help you save money on your food bill. Developing a weekly frugal food plan can reduce the cost of feeding your family. Below, you can see an example of my own weekly frugal food plan. You can use it as a guideline and customize it to make it your own, so it makes sense for you and your family. Sunday Go grocery shopping with a list and coupons. Distribute bulk … Continue reading →

Trick Yourself into Saving

“Trick Yourself into Saving.” That was the title of a recent magazine article that appeared in one of those popular magazines that are geared toward women. The subhead promised to show readers how they could use mind games against themselves to make saving money painless and fun. Seriously? I’m all for tips about saving money, but I really think that trying to fool yourself into doing it isn’t the way to go. You want to establish good lifelong money habits, not quick tricky fixes that will save you money in spite of yourself. Badly played national magazine for women; badly … Continue reading →

Frugal Seasonal Family Getaways

If you can deal with dirty looks from your kid’s teacher, then consider heading off on a pre-Christmas getaway.  Families working with a tight budget, who want to sneak in a winter vacation before Santa Claus comes to town, must act now. Dozens of family-friendly vacation destinations are offering money-saving deals for clans who complete their travel before Christmas Eve, including: California:  Don’t wait to do Disney during your child’s winter break from school.  Rather, if you want to save big on hotel accommodations, travel during the first three weeks of December.  That’s when you will find deals like the … Continue reading →

Three Home Businesses that Can Get You Out of Debt

To speed up your debt recover, consider starting a home business. It can help you earn extra income that can be applied directly to paying off your debt. Best of all? Most home businesses can be done at home, on your terms, and take as much time as you want to spend. This makes home businesses ideal for retirees, stay at home moms, stay at home dads, and even students. In fact, any one can start a home business to get out of debt. When selecting a home business to pursue for the goal of getting out of debt, it … Continue reading →

Go On a Cyber Monday Scavenger Hunt

Remember doing scavenger hunts when you were a kid? Maybe you did this at a friend’s birthday party, or perhaps when you were in Girl Scouts. Coupons.com has a new type of scavenger hunt that is designed for frugal shoppers. This one requires you to go online (instead of going door to door). This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a Cyber Monday Scavenger Hunt! It started on November 16, 2012, and will continue through November 20, 2012. Prizes will be awarded daily. The only advantage of starting on the first day of the scavenger hunt is that … Continue reading →

Turkey Prices Are Looking Good This Year

In the middle of constant bad news about food prices, there is one bright spot–relatively cheap prices on whole turkey. How are we enjoying this bounty? Well, grocery stores are determined to keep these prices low for a couple of reasons. They are hoping to lure in customer who might also buy more expensive trimmings and other groceries to round out their meal. The lower turkey prices will bring people in to the store. Many grocery stores were able to lock in their prices on turkeys before the drought caused grain and corn prices to go through the roof. So, … Continue reading →