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Posts Tagged ‘Money tips’

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Other places to shop…

Monday, January 18th, 2010

You know, it always amazes me how many people shop “in a box”, and won’t step out of it for anything.  There are, much to the surprise or dismay of some, lots of places to shop other than the mall, outlet malls, strip malls and “boutiques”.    Consignment stores and the retail stores of charitable organizations like the Salvation Army and the Goodwill are great places to find a deal.

Consignment stores are retail locations where people take their gently used clothing and accessories are sell them at a fraction of what they paid.  The consignment store then turns around and sells the items at a discount.  This means a great savings on things for you.  A small disclosure…you DO have to scour the racks for the gems, and you DO have to scour the items for defects and you should ALWAYS wash the item before using/wearing it.  Also, I personally wouldn’t buy undergarments, swimsuits or shoes secondhand, unless your options are completely limited.  The discounts at some consignment stores can be up to 75% off the retail price, and there are consignment stores that are targeted to a specific audience, such as young teen/college age and professional women and maternity.  Check your local community for the options available to you.

As far as charitable retail sites like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, the same rules apply.  You have to look through things carefully before choosing to buy from them, and some things might “need a little work” before they can be useful to you, but these are not bad places to find a deal.  Not everything there is “crap”.  A lot of the time, things are merely discarded items that people no longer want…that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth anything.  As a matter of fact, Goodwill has an auction website, similar to Ebay, called shopgoodwill.com.  You can find antiques, collectibles and luxury goods that have been donated to Goodwill to bid on at this site! 

No matter what your thoughts on these places are, you shouldn’t judge them unless you’ve been there at least once.  If, after going to a consignment store, you don’t like what you see, simply don’t go back.  If however, you find it a worthwhile place to shop, then you are likely to save quite a bit of money over the years!

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Handmade gifts! There’s still time to make something for your loved ones!

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

I know that in some parts of the country, a handmade gift is the last thing anybody wants to receive, but for most of us, it’s still a very thoughtful and kind way to show you care during the holidays!  No, it’s not a $200 bottle of wine or $500 shoes etc., but it fits in the budget of most people (are you struggling right now?  This could be a good choice for you!) and expresses a kindness and appreciation that a store-bought gift doesn’t always show…especially if the gift was bought without the individuals personal tastes kept in mind.  You know, on a personal note, I’d like to say that buying a gift for someone without any thought put into it…basically just to buy them a gift, is not cool…it wastes your money and probably won’t be useful to the recipient. 

Anyway!  There a lots of great choices for handmade gifts.  You could bake sweets or bread, knit/crochet something , make a decoration or make handmade soap etc. for someone.  The possibilities are endless.  It only takes simple know how and a few items to make most of them.  They are especially economical in bulk!  For different ideas on handmade gifts, go here, here and here.  There are plenty of other places to find gift ideas on the web, but these will get you started!  Good luck and remember, don’t think you can’t do something because you haven’t in the past!  Jump in a tackle that project!

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Extra money for the holidays…

Monday, December 7th, 2009

The holiday season is well under way, and now is the time to make some extra cash for those last minute Christmas gifts!  The usual way of making extra money is to get a seasonal job at a retail store, but more often than not these jobs come with the problem of being guaranteed to work on Christmas eve, probably the late shift, and every other weekend until Christmas Day!  This is a deal breaker for a lot of people.  Now, if you want to get one of these jobs for the season, feel free to do so.  I am always glad to see someone choosing work over credit!  If however, you’d like to make some extra money this season, without pigeon-holing yourself into a crazy work schedule, I might have a couple of good ideas for you!

One way to make some extra cash this year is to offer to fill out or write Christmas/holiday cards for elderly (or busy) people in your life, your friends or family etc. You will be doing them a favor and making some cash in the process.  You should be aware, however, that this means you have to do a competent job, putting just as much effort in the cards as they normally would.  Also, how much should you charge?  Well, I would say if it’s an elderly relative, cut them a discount, but other than that, I would charge per card, whatever you think is fair in your local market.  I say this, because, you could probably get a better price in a place like New York City and Los Angeles, as opposed to rural towns in the Midwest.  Not sure what’s fair in your local market?  If someone does take you up on your offer, ask what they think is fair!  Not getting any interested people by word of mouth?  Advertise in your local paper and on Craigslist!

Another way to make some extra cash is by offering to go to the post office and mail packages for people.  Charge a flat fee, and if you get enough interest (see above for ideas on this) then you can combine trips and up your hourly pay!  I would charge a couple of dollars per package, and of course, they pay the cost of shipping. 

The problem (obviously) with both of these tips is that you won’t make as much money as with a regular seasonal job, but that is the price you pay for wanting a flexible schedule during the holidays.  It’s your choice of course, but these tips could bring in enough extra money for a fun and festive holiday at your house!   Good luck!

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Save money over time…you hate that printer anyway, don’t you?

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Like many of you, I am not a fan of the printer industry.  They charge us for their printers, and then, like pouring salt in the wound, they charge us ridiculous amounts of money for the ink to make them work!  Personally, I have switched to a laser printer, which was reasonably priced, even if the toner cartridge is pricey.  The difference?  Laser printers can print a few THOUSAND pages, where an ink jet printer can only print 300-800 pages, and some really cheap printers will only cover 50-100 sheets of paper.  So, how do you keep from getting ripped off with ink jet printer cartridges?  Buy ink, not cartridges!  It can save you roughly $11 a month, but the real satisfaction comes in not paying those ridiculous prices for the cartridges!

So, where do you get ink?  Well, some local drug stores and shopping malls offer a place to buy ink, and if you can’t find a place locally, check out Staples.com.  They have a section on their website, Ink and Toner finder that might just be a great way for you to find the ink you need. 

Let’s face it.  You don’t buy a new car when you run out of gas, so why would you buy a new cartridge (or printer) when you run out of ink?  Enjoy your savings, and the satisfaction of not being taken by the current system!

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3 tips to save on childcare, medicine and pet care!

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Today’s tips revolve around 3 areas of life that most of us would be happy to find a way to cut costs, no matter what our age or socioeconomic status is: childcare, medicine and pet care!

A great way to save money on childcare is to make friends with another family who has a child and go in on a babysitter together!  Think about it!  If you both only have 1 child, then the sitter would charge you each, say, for example $10 an hour.  But you would only be charged $14 or $15 an hour if you had 2 children, so combine your kids, and save some cash!  Then, each family is only responsible for $7.50 an hour!

For medicine, you need to talk to your doctor and see if they will write the prescription for double the dosage.  If they will, you can cut your pills in half to get your necessary dosage, and only need to buy your prescription every other month!  It might not save a ton of money, but as much as healthcare is in the news these days, I think everyone wants to save money, even a little, on their healthcare costs!

As far as pet care goes, when you go away and board your pet, you are paying a premium.  Instead, try finding other pet owners who are willing to watch your pet in exchange for you watching their pet!  You save on the boarding bill, and they will probably get more loving care that way too!  If you have a pet that doesn’t do well when you’re gone, and a boarding place is your only option, do worry, there are other ways to save!  find local pet grooming schools, and take your pet to be groomed there!  The discount is usually in the neighborhood of 40%, compared with operating grooming establishments.  Lastly, and honestly, I can’t believe such a thing exists, much less that I am having to talk about it, but drop your pet insurance.  I mean really, the amount you pay for such insurance than you would save in vet bills!   Understand, I have 2 cats that I love and want to live forever, but when their time comes, I will not be bankrupting myself just to make them live on a few extra weeks, probably in pain.   So save your money on the pet insurance…it probably won’t work out to your monetary benefit in the long run anyway.

There you have it!  3 tips that will hopefully save you some money THIS month! 

Additionally, we would love to start taking questions from our readers.  If you have a money question, or a relationship question (about how we make it work)  that you would like answered, feel free to leave a comment, and we will review and post the relevant questions!  Thanks for reading!

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Ways to shop online and save some cash!

Monday, September 28th, 2009

While having dinner with some friends a couple of weeks ago, we were discussing money saving tricks (some of our friends are just as frugal, if not more so, than we are), and one of them shared a trick I hadn’t heard of, so today, I am sharing it with you! There are “money back websites”, where if you do a lot of online shopping, you can get rebates for purchasing products through their websites! Some examples of this are:

Ebates.com: This website is a good tool for those of you who do a lot of online shopping. The trick to Ebates.com is that you have to “shop through” their website, as in, you go to their website first, find the store where you want to make a purchase, click on the link, and shop. The site is useful because you can search for a store or a product, which means if you need a product, but don’t know where to get it, you can search for the item and shop that way. Cash back percentages vary from store to store and the site sends out the rebates to their users quarterly. Some good news is that if you shop at certain online stores, you can get the item shipped to the “bricks and mortar” location and get free shipping! Bigger purchases mean bigger rebates, so consider this site when you need to purchase big ticket items!

Mypoints.com: At Mypoints.com, you can make purchases or take surveys to earn points. They offer several ways to earn extra points. For example, in addition to making purchases and taking surveys to earn points, you can click through emails and subscribe to their elist. After accruing a certain number of points, you can exchange them for gift cards to stores and other locations, or donations to participating charities.

39dollarglasses.com: If you have the prescription for your glasses and want your glasses on the cheap, this is the place for you. Go somewhere you can try on glasses and figure out what kind of frames you like, then get on their website and find similar frames (or the exact same frames, if you can), and buy them, on the cheap. They aren’t the nicest frames (you wouldn’t expect that for the price though, would you?), but they are good for people who wear contacts and just need something occasionally. Bonus? This website is also on Ebates.com, so you can get cash back on them!

I would like to thank my friend Jodi for pointing these websites out, and tell our readers that I hope you find them useful! Happy shopping!

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Why your friends money matters…

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Everybody makes a different salary. It doesn’t matter if you work at the same place doing the same job or live in the same neighborhood, chances are, you don’t make the same money as your friends do. In theory, this doesn’t mean much, but in reality, it is far more dangerous than you might think!

When you go out with your friends, the money adds up. For a friend that makes half of what you do, it adds up DOUBLE! You have to keep in mind when you pick a place to get together, that not everyone makes what you do. There will always be friends who make more and friends who make less, so you should choose places that have a price point that ALL of you can comfortably afford! And if you make less than some of your friends, meet up with them after dinner, just for the movie or drinks, so you can save money!

It’s not that you want to “profile” your friends, or that you “feel sorry” for them, you just want to make sure that while you’re having a good time, your friends aren’t cringing at the cost of the evening. So keep this warning in mind: The next time you choose the place, you could be adding to your friends financial problems!

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money Saving Tip! Switch brands!

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Today’s tip might seem a little odd to some of our readers, but I wanted to post it anyway. I have used this tip several times, and it has never failed me in the past. Today’s tip is about buying alcohol. Let’s face it, alcohol is expensive, and most of us don’t know enough about it to be able to switch to a different brand or type without the end result being an awful drink that you don’t want. This means wasted money. So today, I am sharing a way to buy alcohol on the cheap without fear of buying something that tastes awful…it’s all in how you do it.

First things first…if you are looking to switch brands, you shouldn’t try to do this at a gas station or other liquor store that has a TINY selection. You need to go to a location that has enough selection of each type of alcohol to make the prices competitive.

Next, do not go to a liquor store that does not have a knowledgeable staff…as an example, I walked into a liquor store once and asked if they had Dekuyper Peach Schnapps and they said they weren’t sure if they carried that brand…well, Dekuyper is a “major brand” of alcohol, and any employee should know the name. The fact that this employee didn’t told me that their knowledge of their product was limited, and I shouldn’t ask them for any more help.

Going to a store that has a knowledgeable staff is the key when I switch brands. When I want to switch alcohol brands, or try a different type of wine, I go to our local Liquor Barn. They are only located in our state, so you should find a liquor/party store in your area. So, I walk into the store, find the nearest employee, and ask them which employee on staff that day is most informed about the particular type of alcohol I am interested in. The employee never hesitates to offer a name or two, and tells me where I might find them. Once I find the employee in question, I ask for help, and explain what I normally use, what I like and don’t like about it, what types of drinks in general I like and what price range I want to be in. This has never failed me. I am always pleased with the results, no matter if it was wine (they have helped several times with wine) or with hard liquor (I switched brands on vodka, which costs less and is smoother than the other brand).

This tip can be applied to more than just alcohol, but make sure when you go to a store and ask for help that the employees are not commission based or high pressure sales driven. You can’t always trust that these employees are genuine when they direct you toward a particular product. I have used this tactic when choosing gym shoes at our local athletics store (non-commission) and purchasing flowers/shrubs/trees at our local nursery. You just have to find an expert/knowlegeable person and get their help, the same way you go to a lawyer for legal advice and a doctor for medical help. Try this tip! Don’t feel like you are bothering an employee if you ask for help, that’s what they’re there for!

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money MAKING Tip! Become a tutor!

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Today’s tip, as I am sure you noticed from the title, is not a money “saving” tip, but rather a money “making” tip! I thought that it was about time I included some ideas for people to make extra money since the summer is coming up, and, most of us like to get out and do more in the summer. There are cookouts, concerts, watersports etc. that we want to participate in and might need more cash to be able to pay for them. So, today’s tip is to become a tutor!

The first thing you should know is that to be a tutor, you need to be proficient in a particular area of study. This doesn’t only mean math or science, because high schools and colleges offer many more subjects then just math and science. On top of english and social studies classes, students take computer/tech classes that they would need help with, as well as engineering classes, excercise science, language etc. If you are someone who has a proficient knowledge in these areas, you can tutor too!

There are many different ways to become a tutor, and the income that you can make from this extra job isn’t bad. The easiest way to “get your foot in the door” is to approach high school teachers from a local high school or college professors from a local college and ask if they would pass on your information to any students looking to be tutored. Also, put your name on the bulletin boards located in the high school and the buildings on the college campus dedicated to the field you are proficient in. If there isn’t a didecated building, then post your information where the offices for the professors in that field are located. There is usually a bulletin board there as well! Either way, all that is required of you is a little leg work, and maybe printing up some business cards (listing your qualifications would be advised). To do this, you should know that the legal way to go about it is by obtaining a business license and then paying taxes every year (sometimes quarterly, I think, but you should check with an accountant for advice). Tutors who are on their own can charge anywhere form $25-$50 an hour, depending on where you live.

Another approach to becoming a tutor is to register with an online website. There are many different tutoring websites out there, and not all of them are reputable. I have found a couple that seem to be “above board”, and they are Tutor.com, and Tutoring Club. So, you apply for a job/register for a franchise on these websites, but they are a great tool because you don’t have to work as hard to find the tutoring clients since these websites have already built up a client base!

So, this is the first of the new addition of money “making” tips! Tutoring is a wonderful way to make extra money, since it is a job that usually is in demand between 4 – 11 P.M., which means for most of us, it won’t conflict with our primary job! It also gives you the opportunity to connect/network with people in your community and help children reach their potential in a given field…and for an extra job, what could be better than that?

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Are we talking about YOU?? Maybe…

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

When I am writing a new blog entry, I am always thinking of how it will impact the people who read it, and what action it will cause them to take in their own lives. I try to share tips to help people better manage their money, tips to save more money and tips to MAKE more money. I want to share lessons that we have learned in our lives that could help people get ahead in their lives or simply live better lives. The one thing that I DON’T do is assume that every tip will help every reader. That said, you, the reader, should not assume that all tips are meant for you! Our purpose is to offer a LOT of helpful monetary and lifestyle information for you to use in a manner that suits your particular needs and situation.

A few weeks ago, I posted an entry about swap meets. Now, not everyone is going to want to have a swap meet. Maybe you’re a jewelry lover who saves up extra money by brown-bagging your lunch so that you don’t HAVE to skip buying jewelry from your favorite retailer! Maybe you don’t shop at membership club stores because you clip coupons so well that when you go to your local supermarket, they end up owing you money! Maybe you work a few extra hours every week so that you CAN take your family out for dinner, and not worry that it will break the bank.

So, if you see a tip posted that you think doesn’t apply to you, I want you to do 2 things. First, ask yourself if you are SURE that it cannot be applied to you. Remember the jewelry lover who doesn’t want to do swap meets? Well, maybe she should rethink her decision. Maybe the swap meet can help her switch up old jewelry she has stopped wearing for new. And maybe, it’s more then just a business transaction..maybe it’s also about getting together with friends and having a good time. Now, if you are absolutely certain that this tip cannot be applied to you, then you need to understand that their are people who CAN use this tip, and if you know anyone that you think might be interested, send them to our website. Let’s face it, we are all always learning new tricks to live better!

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