Frugal

Frugal Under the Sun: Practical Family Summer Tips

18/04/2012
By
frugal_under_sun

Summertime is often associated with family outings and outdoor fun. And it should be, as the weather is very inviting and the time spent with the family is always a rewarding time. But more often that not summer activities may be costly as this is the peak time in the travel industry when resort and hotel fees will be at their highest due to the high demand. So is there a way to solve this dilemma? Can you enjoy summertime with the kids without breaking the family budget? What are the cheaper alternatives to expensive vacations and holiday activities? 1. Staying at Home If you really want to be frugal then the best place to spend your vacation might be at home. You will be surprised with the challenges staying at home will bring, as you’ll be compelled to look around your neighborhood and local community for creative (and...

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Finding an online coupon that works!

12/04/2012
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online coupon

If you love saving money, then I’m sure you’ve been down this road before. Just picture it, you are at your favorite online merchant, shopping for a new piece of clothing for that hot spring wardrobe. You add a new blouse to your cart, and there it is, “enter your coupon code here”. You say to yourself “a discount opportunity!”. But you don’t have a coupon code. So what do you do? You go to Google and you enter the “merchant’s name’ + “coupon” and Google give you a whole bunch of sites claiming to have a coupon code from that merchant, for your new blouse. You click on the first search result, and you see plenty of merchant offers, but alas, no coupons! Then you go back to the next site down in the search results, and YES, there is a coupon code for 15% off. Great! You’ve...

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Is the Low Cost of Fast Food Worth the Price?

09/04/2012
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Fast Food Worth the Price

The eternal debate over whether it’s cheaper to stay at home and prepare your own food versus going out to a restaurant does not appear to have lost any ground. In fact, the rise of online social networking usage among Americans has only managed to propagate the flames of discussion. Food and money are two of the most talked-about topics in the social media realm. People love to share their thoughts about the intersection of culinary and monetary topics. General wisdom has always championed the art of saving money by staying home. The rationale behind this belief mostly applies to Western nations where free market philosophies and capitalism have taken root. It makes sense to think this way since it can be assumed that, as a business enterprise, a restaurant solely exists to make money by luring hungry people out of their homes. A family of four can stay...

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The Case for Frugal Collecting

21/03/2012
By
Frugal Collection

My husband and I live on a tight budget. We rarely go out to eat, we price compare everything from cantaloupes to health insurance, and new ways to save money are constantly on my mind. But in spite of our frugal lifestyle, we both have a weakness for collecting. Show us a decent deal on an item for one of our collections, and we just can’t walk away. Books are definitely my biggest weakness. There are a couple of book series that I’m looking to complete, and when I find the next book at a used book store I usually can’t resist. Some people would say that that’s a very bad thing. They would declare that having a collection leads people into spending more than they have without letting themselves consider the consequences. But I actually don’t think my collecting is a bad thing. In fact, I would argue...

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Spring Cleaning Your House Frugally and with Ease

21/03/2012
By
making cleaners frugally

Spring has arrived, at least in my part of the world it has. And with that comes spring cleaning. I typically rebuff all methods of cleaning, it’s one of my least favorite activities to do. However, the other day I was looking around and noticed that my window sills were pretty dirty. I also have children with allergies. I think it’s safe to say that this place needs a good spring cleaning. I’m not a fan of expensive cleaners that are usually full of heavy fragrances. Therefore I went on a search for some frugal cleaners and since I’m fairly lazy, some short cuts too! All Purpose Cleaners One of the best cleaners that I have used around my house is a mixture of hot water, vinegar and bit of dish detergent. I put it into a spray bottle and use it to clean everything from the counters to...

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4 Things Our Grannies Taught Us

05/03/2012
By
200519876-001

For the forty somethings out there, you’ll probably remember (especially if you live in the UK) quite a few things which your granny or granddad taught you which you don’t have the time or inclination to do nowadays… Stay with us while we have a stroll through some of these things and discuss if what Granny taught us is worth reviving! 1). Brilliant Money Saving Granny Tips – Wine and Preserves Nowadays, most of us get our wine and jam from the Supermarket, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll have grown up with every summer being an orgy of fruit picking, brewing and pickling, which had a two-fold benefit over the modern consumerist approach: Doing these things yourself saves heaps of money, it creates food which is much, much better for your insides and of course there is the real pleasure of creating something which tastes far better...

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8 Great Apps for Managing Personal Finances

24/02/2012
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personal finances

Spending money is easy. Keeping track of the money in our accounts is the hard part. In today’s digital world, much banking is done online. Many people take advantage of banking technology by having their paychecks automatically deposited into their accounts each month. Others sign up for automatic bill pay for all of their monthly bills. These modern conveniences make it easy to keep up with our finances. However, if we don’t always see the cold, hard cash leave our wallets, it can be too easy to overspend or not be aware of all our purchases. With tax season approaching, many people are flailing to gather receipts and account for yearly spending. Get your finances in order with the help of one of these apps for your smartphone. Mint This free app for Android, iPhone and iPad devices lets you keep track of your entire financial life in one...

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Do You Need to Make a Financial Change?

15/02/2012
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Financial Changes

Do you feel like you need to make changes? Is your budget just not working out? You might not feel comfortable with your income and expenses, or be unsure how to approach money. If you need a change, here are some questions that can help you get on track and find your way. Where Am I? Evaluating where you currently stand is essential before any other financial steps that you are considering. Even on a small scale, this is true; how would you compare car insurance rates without first evaluating what type of car insurance you need? Take the following points to get you started: What is your debt situation? Take a look at your debt-to-income ratio, how your debt is spread out (i.e. in credit cards or personal loans, at a variety of interest rates?), and so forth. Consider your savings goals. Do you have certain financial goals...

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New Software to Run your Finances

11/02/2012
By
Finances

Economy seems to have been the buzz word for the last couple of years. Everyone is paying more attention to the economy, their jobs, and especially their finances. With technology on the rise, and their prices getting more affordable, many are turning towards tech to help keep their finances in order and save as much money as possible. The economy’s future is unknown, but your finances and budget don’t have to be. If you are also turning to your computer or smartphone to help manage your finances, then you should consider the software and apps you will need in order to stay organized. Here is some of the most popular software to keep you on top of your finances. You Need a Budget: YNAB is personal finance software that implores 4 rules of budgeting. Each rule is implemented in the software as well as teaches you how to look...

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7 iPhone Apps for the Frugal Mom

08/02/2012
By
iphone Apps

As if moms today aren’t busy enough raising kids, working full time jobs, taking care of the household, and committing to countless other obligations, we are often responsible for managing family finances. If you’re anything like me, you make it a personal mission to provide everything your loving family needs while spending the absolute minimum. You probably cut corners by not treating yourself to clothing and accessories, buying secondhand items, and never even touching an item that isn’t boasting a sale tag. There are so many ways to save money today, but it often requires a lot of time and motivation–luxuries we aren’t often afforded. Thankfully, there are several new apps for the iPhone that will make saving money fun, easy, and quite possibly addictive. Bill Tracker This app lets you input all of your monthly bills to help keep track of outgoing funds. It will remind you of...

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