In today’s economy saving is a way of life. One never knows when there will be a company layoff or worse. Thus for many, saving has become a way of life.

Here are some ways to save on expenses without a lot of depravity.

1. Go to the library instead of purchasing full price books. Many libraries also conduct book sales that offer books at a steep discount.

2. Save your coupons and use store discount cards. One might also consider shopping for some groceries at dollar stores and discount stores. Many products that can be purchased at dollar and discount stores don’t expire such as beans, rice and other grains. Just make sure the packaging is intact.

3. Stay in for meals rather than go out. I know, its not as fun, but its worth it. The savings are phenomenal.

4. Make one day per week your errand day and group them together so that you don’t run all over and criss cross from where you’ve been. Start at the furthest destination and then work your way back home.

5. Use automatic or online bill paying. It will save you money as long as you remember to keep it in your budget. The interest savings for late payments and other fees will again be phenomenal.

6. Buy one or two multi purpose cleaners or just plain white vinegar. Your home doesn’t need those nasty chemicals nor do you. Vinegar will work very well for most of your cleaning requirements.

7. Go online and find freebies. At the price of most things these days anything free is definitely a savings. Consider diaper samples, food samples, seasoning samples etc. Simply do a search engine search for freebies and order as many as you can each and every week. They do add up. Remember, a penny saved is a penny earned.

8. Turn off the lights. If you’re not in the room why are the lights on? The same goes for the heat, air conditioner and any other items that require electricity.

9. Wash clothes in cold water and hang them to dry. If you rarely use hot water or the dryer your clothes will last longer and your budget will fare better.

10. Learn to do your own routine car maitenance and household maitenance. Some things are very simple. You can find the instructions for most routine maitenance online or go to your local library.

There you have it, 10 more ways to save on everyday expenses. Its not hard, its not difficult. Make it a habit and start saving today.

Image via Wikipedia

We’re getting ready to head to Yellowstone for a few days. We decided to splurge and rent motels this trip but take plenty of food to eat. Renting rooms with microwaves and refrigerators will greatly reduce our costs and help us to stay on budget. I’m packing easy to prepare foods for the microwave, peanut butter, jelly, bread, snack foods and such. We love camping and picnicking so this should be a pretty easy way to save money on our food. Our 9 year old daughter is so excited she can hardly stand it. She’s been packed for over a week.

You can still have a great vacation and save money so think about packing picnic foods for easy travel food and enjoy yourselves.

I’m hoping it will be warmer in Yellowstone than the picture I have posted here.

Image by T Hoffarth via Flickr

Working at home sounds so easy and sometimes even glamorous, truth is working at home is one of the hardest work situations there is. It’s also one of the most rewarding.

Many families choose to have the mom work from home to save on child care. This works out great if the children’s schedules can be worked around such as school age children. It also works well if the child is fairly young and still takes a few naps a day. It gets a little bit more challenging when children are in the toddler stage or have just given up their daily nap.

Economically speaking working from home saves on fuel consumption, insurance payments and wear and tear on ones automobile. Many families find that they can even scale back to one vehicle when a mom is willing to work from home.

Occasionally a health issue will require a parent to be available at all times. A child may be born with a rare disease or illness and require more care than is feasibly affordable at a regular day care center. In cases like this working from home allows the mother to be available should the child need her immediate care.

If the child is missing a lot of school due to the health issues this is also a great solution. Mom doesn’t require sick leave to tend to the child and she is still earning an income. Children want mom there when they are sick, they often heal faster under moms exquisite care as opposed to a day care center (who won’t take them if they are ill in most cases) or a hospital situation.

Traditionally mothers stayed home with the children while fathers went to work in the morning and returned home in the evening to a nice dinner and smiling wife and children. In today’s economy this is not as prevalent though still feasible if the mother is a work at home mom.

For those with a chronic illness such as chronic fatigue or reflex sympathetic dystrophy working from home can offer a solution to not using up sick time and being able to work on one’s own time schedule. If one is providing a service often one can set one’s own hours and accomplish what one is able during any given work day.

Working from home is not for every mom, for some of us though, it’s a perfect solution to a particular situation. Whatever your situation, it’s something to consider carefully and with much thought before you take the giant leap and work from home.

I study decorating magazines with intense interest. Not so that I can go out and purchase their various expensive gadgets, rather so that I can mimic the items by repurposing items I already have on hand.

As a child I became fascinated with repurposing. I read intently an article about a woman who repurposed of all things, dryer lint. She was so poor that the only way she could make gifts for her 3 children was to use dryer lint (she saved it all year long) and stuff toys she had made her children from out grown clothing. The picture showed a variety of adorable stuffed toys that she had made for her children over the years.

After a sad divorce the woman pieced her life back together and continued making her stuffed toys for sale. Imagine if she’d had the internet in the beginning. At the time of the publication (many  many years ago) she had amassed a small fortune and was using it to support herself and her 3 children.

Repurposing can be a good thing. Since I’ve read that article I try to look at things in a different light. Before I throw out that broken toy I look it over, is there anyway I can make it into something new and usable? If not out it goes.

If its a fabric item and I am able, I will take it apart and cut it into strips to crochet into a blanket or rug or some other gift. I’ve created some fantastic gifts this way and spent little more than my time on crafting them. They look professionally done and no one has ever complained. I’ve made many unique gifts for friends and family from items simply repurposed in this fashion.

So next time you’re desperate for a gift take a moment and look around you. What do you have that you can repurpose? If you don’t do crafts or sew or knit or crochet there are still many ways to repurpose something. Don’t limit yourself just because you don’t have the skills. Learn from someone who does or visit your local library and teach yourself.

So here we are, January 1, 2011, also known as :1/1/11. Welcome to the new beginning. Lets take a moment to ponder where we plan to be a year from now.

Financially secure? Out of debt? Surviving?

What are your plans for the new year?

As for me and my house we plan to use less and declutter. Pay off debt and enjoy a new freedom from the stress of debt being off of our shoulders. Nothing major, just pay down the bills and find new ways to save.

Simple goals. No serious resolutions here. Resolutions are rarely kept so considering that I’ve set simple realistic goals to reach on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Yes, a new beginning. Welcomed by a sunny day and sub zero temperatures I took advantage and cleaned just one room thoroughly today. It was a good feeling to have accomplished just one simple task. After, I relaxed and read my book. A year form now I hope that setting this simple pace will have reduced stress and regained a semblance of relaxation that has seemed to vanish at times.

Where will you be in a year from now? What are your goals?

You see it on the news and hear it at the local hang outs everyday. Someone else is unemployed. Surviving on your unemployment check seems nigh onto impossible but some manage to do it.

You hope and pray it won’t happen to you or your family but you’re wary. You watch, you wait, and if you’re ahead of the game, you pre plan.

You stock up on your families favorite but inexpensive foods (in my family the kids would say top ramen noodles and mac n’ cheese), and you pay down your debt in order to be as prepared as possible. You learn to cook using exactly what you may have on hand. You garden, you barter, you trade with neighbors who have excess of something you can use. You’re now a much more frugal person.

If you can, you reduce all of your other living expenses as well. If you can pay down your mortgage you do so, if you can pay ahead in your rent you do so. You get the idea.

Staying ahead of the game and learning to use cash in lieu of credit as well as pay off your debts as quickly as possible will go far in helping you to prepare for a financial disaster should one strike.

Its also wise to have an emergency fund should you need it. Three to six months living expenses set aside in an easily accessible fund is a great start to an emergency fund. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your emergency fund be so just make sure to add to it with every pay check you get.

One can never be too prepared but one can always be underprepared.

Yes, we know this can be a frightening subject. In order to remain frugal though, we must cover it. So take a deep breath and read on. We promise, you’ll be glad you did.

It’s important to get your free credit report on an annual basis. If you don’t ever get your report how are you going to know if something has been reported inaccurately, or worse if someone has stolen your identity?

Do you know how to deal with a debt collector that insists you owe a debt when you’re not sure you owe it at all?

Follow our links for more detailed information on these subjects that will help you to follow your credit more closely and what to do if your identity is stolen or if you get calls from debt collectors regarding debts you don’t owe.

Insurance is a requirement in life. If you want to drive your car (legally) you must be insured. Many jobs require that you have auto insurance and will even check on it periodically in order to make sure you’re maintaining the required amounts and limits.

Its a good idea to check and compare car insurance quotes every 6 months to a year. You may find that you qualify for a new discount or that since you’ve not had any accident’s in a specified amount of time your insurance is reduced. Most companies aren’t going to suddenly reduce your insurance so you want to make sure to check your insurance on a regular basis and update it as needed.

Saving money is all about knowing when and where to spend and when to change companies to get a better rate.

In this day and age every penny counts. It seems that the cost of living continues to climb while wages and unemployment continue to spiral out of control. While there are only so many ways to cut corners, there are many ways that we often don’t think of or realize we can take advantage of.

Have you called your local country extension office to see if they have an energy savings program? You should, often they will come and do an evaluation of your home and in some cases (depending on where you live) they will provide you with window insulation tape, water heater covers and more.

Take advantage of appliances with the energy star. Consider opening the dishwasher after the cycle has run to air dry your dishes, turn that faucet off while you’re brushing your teeth and remember that quick showers take much less water than a hot bath.

By making a few small changes each day in your life you can wind up saving hundreds over the course of a year in your utility bills.

So how do you save on your utility bills?

Behind every successful millionaire is a frugal mentality. Its not that they don’t spend, its that when they do spend they are as frugal as possible. You won’t find them driving the most expensive cars, owning the most expensive homes, you’ll find them as down to earth and being frugal.

Millionaires have learned to live below their means. If they are given a choice between two identical houses and one is a million while the other is only $500,000 you can bet they will choose the lesser expense of the two.

Why? Because, millionaires are frugal. Its simple and easy if you practice living below your means.

I read this article with relish and realized, its not what I own, who I know, but how I save and spend my money. I can be absolutely broke, and still look wealthy. Its simple and easy when you follow the secrets of self made millionaires.