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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Frugal Living: Teacher Emergency Kit - MoneySavingQueen - April 2011

Frugal Living: Teacher Emergency Kit - MoneySavingQueen - April 2011

Squeezing More Money Out of Your Grocery Budget, a Month at a Time

The following is a guest post by Tricia. Tricia writes at Once A Month Mom, a blog that helps you fill your freezer by creating monthly menus using seasonal recipes.
As gas prices start to rise again so to the conversations about rising food costs. After all, they are inter-related. In most cases you can’t receive that food without the use of fuel for production and delivery. In an economy where family incomes are already spread thin and you are doing all you can to save money by clipping coupons, following great deals sites like this one and watching every dollar; what more can possibly be done to ease your budget?
One of the things that has worked for us over the years (with or without kids) is freezer cooking, or in my case, once a month cooking. Yes, I am talking about cooking a month’s worth of meals in one day. Now, half of you just clicked on to the latest deal that was just posted and I lost you. The thought of cooking all that food in one day is enough to send you running for the hills. But if you are the same person who was wondering how else you could stretch your dollar, you might want to stick around for just a few minutes longer.
Sure cooking your meals for the month all in one day is time consuming but the benefits to your family and your wallet can be really substantial. Here are just a few of the ways that you can save money by freezer cooking:
  1. You are buying your food in bulk (for most of the month) which means that you are more likely to score discounted prices for those items.
  2. With food in your freezer there is less need (or excuse) to go out to eat unnecessarily.
  3. With food in your freezer there is less need to run to the grocery store at the last minute for needed or missing ingredients, thus saving on the impulse buying and purchasing of items when they are not on sale.
  4. You aren’t purchasing perishable items that might go to waste if you are too busy, too tired, or have a change of plans at the last minute and don’t make that meal.
And a kicker to all this is, over at Once A Month Mom (my blog) we create FREE monthly freezer cooking menus for you each month that are based on the sales cycles and in-season produce for that month. The added savings here means:
  1. You are buying the majority of your items when there will be coupon match-ups or stock-the-pantry opportunities.
  2. In season produce means that you can have fruits and vegetables in your diet without compromising your budget.
Once A Month Mom helps you fill your freezer by creating monthly menus using seasonal recipes. Complete with grocery lists, step-by-step instructions, labels and much, much more. There are also several different types of menus to meet the varied demands of families. There is a Traditional menu (for the average American family), Diet (for the health conscious), Baby Food (for the starter), Whole Foods – coming May 1st (for those that stay away from processed foods but aren’t intimidated by extra time in the kitchen), Gluten Free/Dairy Free - coming May 1st (for those trying to meet the needs of a challenging specialty diet), and Vegetarian – coming June 1st (for those that avoid animal products).
Like I said, there is a little something for everyone’s family and everyone’s budget. I would love for you to consider joining us in your journey to save more on your grocery budget. Perhaps we can save together?
Tricia is founder and author of Once A Month Mom. When she isn’t using her Type A personality to create once a month cooking menus, she can be found chasing after her two toddlers who also have discovered a love for cooking at an early age.

As posted on Common Sense With Money

Frugal Living : Natural Remedies for Bad Breath - Try this Homemade Mouthwash

Frugal Living : Natural Remedies for Bad Breath - Try this Homemade Mouthwash

Monday, May 2, 2011

Ways to Save Money - Travel, By David Ning

Travel

  1. Go off-season. You can save 10 to 60%. In general, the best travel deals will be found from November 1st to December 15th.
  2. Shop around. Airlines offer the most complicated fare structures ever devised. But the advantage is that there are often bargains to be found if you’re willing to look. The Internet can be a big help. Most major airlines now offer last minute seat auctions, so check the web sites of the ones that serve your city. Name-your-own price websites like www.priceline.com can also save you money, as can auction websites like www.ebay.com or www.skyauction.com. If you travel a lot, a membership site like www.bestfares.com can quickly pay for itself with hundreds of bargains on air, rental car and hotel discounts.
  3. Hotel high jinx. I never pay the asking price of hotels (well, unless everything in town is sold out.) Hotel rooms are like highly perishable food: if they’re not used that day, they’re wasted. You can almost always get a better deal just by asking, but do it with a nice smile face-to-face when you check in, or with friendly calls direct to the hotels you’re considering. It won’t work if you just call national 800 numbers, because they can’t negotiate. So call area hotels and pit them against one another. (“Gee, I’d rather stay at your place, but the Holiday Inn is $20 cheaper! Can’t you match their rate? Pretty please?”) If nothing else, you can often get a free room upgrade just by flashing a winning smile.
  4. Get hostel. A hostel is a budget traveler’s dream, especially if you’re the social type. A hostel is a cross between a dormitory and a hotel, and you can find them in most major cities in the world. Quality of accommodations vary widely, but you can often find a place to lay your head for as little as $5. Drawbacks? Sometimes you could end up in communal sleeping and bath arrangements, with boys segregated from girls. Others are more private; you have to call to find out the particulars. You can find current hostel guides at the local library, or check Internet sites like www.hostel.com.
  5. Bed and Breakfasts. These can sometimes save you money, but almost always offer more charm and personality than hotels. The more expensive the city you’re visiting, the more money you’re likely to save by staying at one. You can find B&B guides online at Internet sites like www.traveldata.com and at the library.
  6. Use consolidators. Hotel and airline consolidators can save you serious money, since they buy in bulk. You can often find them in the travel section of the Sunday paper, or by doing an Internet search. Drawback? They may not offer as much flexibility in flight times or hotel locations.
  7. Fly free! You can actually fly very inexpensively or even free if you’re willing to be a courier. A courier is someone who uses their luggage allowance to transport a package for a courier company. While it may sound a bit shady, it’s totally above-board, providing you’re working with a reputable company. You can find one by traveling to the Internet and going to www.courier.org or www.aircourier.org. You can routinely find deals like London for $100 round-trip or Mexico City for $50. But be aware, there are major catches. For example, it’s very rare for two people to be able to courier together on the same flight. In addition, you’ll often have a very limited time in the country you’re visiting. And the best deals are last minute ones. So courier flying is best for people who like to travel alone and are willing to fly anywhere at the drop of a hat.
  8. Use travel agents. These guys can often get good deals, especially if you’re in the market for a vacation package or cruise. When you plan a vacation, see what you can do on your own, but before you book, see if a local agent can beat the deal you found yourself.

Frugal Living : Forget Store-Bought Disinfectant Cleaners & Save your Money & Health

Frugal Living : Forget Store-Bought Disinfectant Cleaners & Save your Money & Health