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Archive for the ‘Family Budgeting’ Category

Be Frugal with your Transportation Costs

As prices go higher every year, especially the cost of gas. Transportation is one big factor that makes the household budget difficult to cover all your expenses. Here are some guidelines to help you save money from transportation:

1. To save money, you must always check on your vehicle regularly. A well-maintained vehicle can get you out of trouble on repair expenses. You can actually spend only $50 on maintaining your vehicle and save up to $800 on repair costs in a year. You can even save more if you do the maintenance yourself and not bring your car into an auto shop.

2. If you want to save more money, it is recommended not to buy a new car. The value of a car depreciates automatically when you drive it out off the showroom of the car dealer shop. You may buy a car that is used at least one year. It will save you thousands of dollars to the actual worth of the car when it was new. The owner will then pay all the depreciated value of the car. 

3. Save money on buying used cars by comparing the prices of the car dealer and the actual price on the list of the used car dealer ads. To ensure the car that you buy is well conditioned, you may ask for the help of a mechanic to check if the car is good enough for its price. It is better to buy a used car from a person you know and trust. This will help you make sure that you have a good deal in acquiring a car.

4. Try to compare gasoline rates. You may refuel your car with the gasoline station that offers the lowest price on gasoline. You can even save more by pumping gas yourself and use the lowest octane in your car’s manual. It is also recommended that you pay cash than credit cards that charge extra rates. Do not forget to check the gas cap if it is tightened to ensure no gas is spilled out.

5. Always keep your engine tuned-up and have your tires inflated to their desired pressure to save you more money. A well-maintained engine consumes less gas. Keep your car’s trunk clean to save more fuel. Heavy loads in your vehicle can consume more fuel because of the excess weight it carries.

6. Try to limit the use of your car on your daily route. You may take the bus or the subway to save gasoline. You can also save time by ignoring the traffic that you encounter everyday on the streets.

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June 29th, 2009

Patience: The Virtue That Saves

Today’s post is sort of relevant as i have been away for a couple of weeks but you guys & gals have still been paying me a visit now and then and i would just like to thank you for your “patience” Well better git on with it Frugality waits for no man.

 

Now for today’s sermon!

Try to track  your expenses.  Have the patience to keep your receipts and record all your expenses, no matter how small or frequently they occur.  By doing so, you are made aware of where every single penny goes.  Furthermore, you will know when you have spent too much on clothing, when in fact you still need to settle your credit card balance, or pay the mortgage.  You will have a better hold of your financial health, by patiently tracking your finances.

Hold-off and sleep on it!  If you are about to purchase a $100 item, hold off the purchase until you’ve given it much thought, say sleeping on it for 1-2 nights.  If after such time, you decide that you absolutely need and can afford the purchase, then go ahead.  Nevertheless, you’ll be surprised at how much you can save by just sleeping and thinking things over. 

Devote money in long-term investment.  Understand that when you take up long-term investment, you do not need the money for now, and it is not considered as part of your daily finances.  However, such money when set-aside will reap great rewards in the future. 

Exude moral excellence by patiently saving for years to come, starting today!

Patience is a virtue.  It takes some character to exhibit such levels of moral excellence, but did you know that by doing so, you could save money at the same time?  Read on to find out how you can economize by emanating the virtue of patience. 

Have the patience to walk instead of drive.  It saves you gas, parking and the stresses of driving.  Walking improves your health and well being while saving gas money.

Be patient: compare before you buy.  From personal clothing to health club memberships, from plumbing services to insurance plans, from car accessories to a new home; compare the offers of 3 to 5 suppliers or service providers before finally settling with one.  Let them know that you are taking the time to search the market and they may just be able to offer you the best savings.  Truly, the patient consumer is a winner!

Use coupons as much as possible.  Be patient in cutting them out and going through them before making any purchase.  Pack them together with your grocery bag or in the car so you can use the discount voucher at every opportunity.  One can save $20 – $50, just by using the coupons. 

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June 12th, 2009

Ten Frugal Tips That Save Money

Saving money is not as hard as it seems.It just takes a little bit of self discipline. Here are ten frugal tips that you can implement to begin saving money, without changing your lifestyle. 

1.Replacing bulbs 

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs.  CFL bulbs consume 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs, but give the same illumination.  Make sure to buy only lamps and bulbs that have the Energy Star rating to ensure quality compliance. 

2. Make a list 

When going to get the groceries and stick to it! Anything that is not on the list is not a “need”, but merely a “want” so avoid busting your pockets for unnecessary items. Buy non-perishable consumables in bulk to benefit from bulk discounts. 

3. Use coupons when available.    

Take the time and have the patience to clip and organize grocery coupons.  When added together, savings from using all coupons in one grocery trip can be as much as $20-$30.    Purchase dining and shopping coupons online and print them at home.  Doing so can save you at least 50% on the face value of the coupons. 

4. Buy online, whenever possible. 

Online stores pass their savings from rental costs and warehousing to the online consumer, thus they can afford as much as 70% off their rack price.  When buying items online,     Google it first together with the word, “discount code”.  This can give you further reductions on the item you want to purchase.  Try also online bidding:  they offer at least 75% off the original purchase price, for practically new (slightly used!) items. 

5. Take lunch to work. 

 Buy potato chips and soda from the grocery and make a homemade sandwich and pack them in a brown bag. 

6.Homemade dinners 

Eat homemade dinners as often as possible.  Plan menus that are practical and easy-to-cook to encourage eating at home.  Save money by dining out only on special occasions. 

7. Use everyday pantry items

As skin and body care.  Cucumbers, honey, milk, lemon, salt and baking soda are some items in your home that can also be used to take care of your skin. 

8. De-stressing

Avoid shopping to de-stress.  Find an other activity, try walking around the park or watching a movie instead. 

9. Your own sodas and snacks

Bring your own sodas and snacks when watching a movie. The cost of sodas and snacks are at least 25% higher in movie houses.  Plus, homemade popcorn tastes much better: you can put on all the salt and butter you want!

10. Credit card balances

Pay off your credit card balances each month and avoid finance charges.  Better yet, use cash as much as possible, unless using plastic will give you a better deal (0% interest on appliance purchases, or cash rebates).

F.G

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May 28th, 2009

money-generating business machine


Creating a Savings structure is your best defense against bankruptcy. It protects and insulates you from possible financial loss and gives you the ability to expand your finances and create a money-generating business machine that will help you to generate extra income

Basics ideas of frugality

Are  trying to get control of your spending in order to promote your ability to save – spending less than what you earn and keep something back for future use and for unforeseen circumstances is always preferable to panic.

The potential of flexing your base income can be augmented in ways that are not confined within the walls of basic employment. You can start up your own business, Part time online, any business it doesnt matter what it is! If you have spare tine to sit in front of the TV, lay about the house and generally do nothing you have time to generate money, which gives you a greater chance of saving and allows you the ability to implement the basic ideas i have laid out below.

Here are just a few ways on how you can effectively maximize your financial resources and helps you manage your money by developing correct habits and a frugal outlook suitable for what should be your ultimate goal. Financial stability

1 Wants and Needs

You buy items because you need them. A need is something you cannot take away from a person for these things are vital to his or her very existence and without them, they are categorically considered as poor or deprived.

Food, shelter, clothing and transportation are the primary examples. In a modern world, car and phone gadgets are a necessary part of a busy working individual. However, unless you are receiving more than $10,000 per month, you basically won’t need to have a $40,000 to $50,000 luxury vehicle.You may want a $50,000 vehicle, but you don’t need it.

The same is true for your telephone media. How many people do you know-that have to have the latest model or buying the all the latest releases this is just not practical and earns you more points on plunging into a staggering financial downfall.

2 Less Is best

Extravagance is the rule of the kings. While we sometimes need to afford a few little luxuries in terms of the food we eat, the body pampering devices and accessories, such as clothes and body-relaxing services, we also need to consider that these types of activities should only be reserved for special occasions and for cases when you have some excess left in your household budget.

3 Spend Less; Save More

Spending more than what you earn or produce is a bad habit that most people get used to doing everyday.
Allocate a special percentage of your earnings to go into your savings accounts while spending the rest for your day-to-day expenses.
Unexpected change is a fact of life.Such as a visitation from the relatives (wow!!) who come to stay a while or maybe a house party due to a certain celebration will require the need to build in some leeway to your budget to allow for these unforeseen situations. But once you have develop a frugal way of living these things become second nature.

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May 9th, 2009

Tips on How to be more frugal

In today’s world, prices are increasing year on year. Adopting a frugal life style and Saving money can sometimes be a difficult job for many people. To help you to get a more frugal twist on your money, here are some pointers that may help:

1. Identifying your needs

Try and determine the things that are of importance to you.  Identify the items that are necessary and the items that you would like to have.  Always remember that you should only buy things that are important and needed in your lifestyle. Shop around you can always obtain the same product for less money if you do a bit of research. .

2. Basic needs

Make sure that you spend your money only on basic needs like food, transportation, shelter, and clothing. These basic needs are worth spending for because these are important for your health and security. these are the things that you cannot live without and should be allotted in your budget.

3. Making a list

Make a list of the things that you want to buy and be sure that the items that you are buying are good enough to sustain your basic needs. You have to be satisfied with the things that you have now, as long as they are still useful and can accommodate those needs.

4. Assessing your purchases

You may avoid unwanted purchases by researching the item first before buying it. This is to make sure that the item is worthy enough to acquire. There are instances that you tend to buy things without even knowing its effectiveness and quality. You have to keep in mind that you always need to spend your money wisely on items that have quality and are according to your budget.

5. Timing your purchase

You may try to budget your money in advance. You can make a plan first before spending your money. There are instances that you spend your money without even thinking that it is not the right time to have it. It also advisable to buy larger items at the end of the season, prices at this time of the year are low and cheap.

6. Compare the outlet options

You may compare items on their prices. Do not limit your options to just one store only. You may find the best item that can be useful and affordable to you by window-shopping first rather than buying on impulse. Many stores out there carry the same items and can offer lower prices especially in the current economic situation. Also check the Internet many online stores carry the same products as your downtown stores but at a greatly reduced price and many even offer free delivery.

7. Conserving energy

You can save more money in your household by comparing and switching energy supply companies, which in turn also gives you that real good feeling that you are doing your bit towards saving the environment. On a frugality front always Be sure to turn off appliances that are not in use. You can then compare your monthly electric bills regularly to check if you are maintaining your desired cost levels.

8. Frugal transportation

You can save on your transportation costs by traveling wisely. If for work or shopping, try and get in on a car share. You know it makes loads of sense. You save on ware and tear on the car and also save on gas which is good for the environment, good for the car and helps with your social networking skills. everyone wins!  If you are looking at taking at a longer trip,  It is recommended that you make out an itinerary to help you plan out the trip in advance. Being organized will help you save money and time.

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May 1st, 2009

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