I don't have anything I regularly purchase on a daily or weekly basis, but I do occasionally go out for fancy coffee or baked goods from local shops. The rest of the time I make coffee or tea at home and cook my own food. I do try to use coupons or take advantage of special when I get coffee or pastries out - like 2 for 1 deals or special of the day prices.
Ours were the top three: I am a tea drinker, my husband is a coffee drinker and we both used to eat at mediterranean deli with him used to eating lunch at work.
Now that I am working part time, I carry my tea bag with me where ever I go and my mug. I make him coffee and a bag lunch before he leaves for work along with feeding him a good breakfast, plus, I have learned to make falafel's from scratch and incorporated the basics of a mediterranean diet into our menu to eat at home. We also joined a local community garden and though I budget is tight, our grocery bill is small yet effective, not to mention that we are eating healthier. We have gone green and are saving green and adding to our health at the same time!
While meat is essential, I try to eat organic meat, which because it is so expensive means I eat less of it. The best way to eat less meat is to cut it into thin strips like the Chinese do and mix it with vegetables. With all the crazy things they do to American Meat it is downright dangerous to eat anything but organic meat. Anything more than a fistful is too much according to Dr. Oz.
The main thing is eat a variety of food, don’t get into a rut and eat the same thing week in week out. Make a point of visiting at least one ethnic store every month and find out what is healthy in their cooking. Exposing children to a variety of foods at a young age helps them understand, experience and appreciate the health benefits and taste sensation of these exotic foods that will remain with them for a lifetime.
Homemade seitan (vital wheat gluten) is easy, tasty, cheap, and a good source of protein. The packaged seitan at grocery stores tends to be pricey, but you can make a HUGE batch at home for under $4 and fewer than 20 minutes active work (it simmers on the stove for an hour). It also freezes well.
I realized several years ago my weakness for mocha lattes was going to put me in the poorhouse. Now, everyday I drink a "poor man's latte"--a cup of coffee (regular or decaf) mixed with a packet of instant hot chocolate. My co-workers tease me, but they also say they admire my creativity and frugality. I figure I save around $80/month.
They really should add all of these safety tips into the article. There are a lot of people who will read the article and go out to make these toys not realizing the hazards that some of them pose. Some people are just unaware of the dangers or don't realize that they have to be cautious about certain things. For some people the lead in the garden hoses and the button eyes would NEVER cross their minds. I didn't even know there was lead in the hoses until I read the comments... That being said, Most of these are AWESOME ideas for small dogs and a few are good for bigger breeds/more aggressive chewers.
My wife and I met with a buyers agent only to learn they can't legally tell you if the home is in a good area, if it was a meth house, and they can't give legal advice. To me it seems all they are allowed to do is find houses and negotiate the price.
Using Zillow, Trulia, etc, we found a few homes we were interested in and made offers without using a buyers agent. We didn't get attached to any of the homes so we just made very low offers on them. If they didn't accept we just moved on to the next house. Eventually we ran across home owners who were motivated to sell and they accepted 20k less then the asking price. Using the comparables in the area and the county assessors website it's fairly easy to determine market value for a home and to figure out if it's a good deal. Lot's of homes these days are built by the same builder in the same area, with the exact same layout, giving you information on what the market is doing.
After making our offer the listing agent called us to confirm there was no other agent involved who would get part of the commission. I can't say for certain they look less money to get the deal done. We then paid a real estate attorney $250 dollars to fill out the contract for us and verify we got everything we asked for.
Not using a buyers agent probably isn't right for everyone but it worked out well for us.
Wild caught salmon and my favorite brand of merlot are two of my latte factors. I can't give up either one to eat the cheapest fish and drink the cheapest wine.
However, one of the main reasons I quit smoking 20 years ago was to save the money from smoking six packs a week (of course I didn't smoke the cheapest brands of cigarettes either), and hopefully saving a lot of money in health care by having healthy lungs!
We have never had a cable. We used Netflix before. But we didn't find it worth $8 a month. So, we cancelled the membership and now getting DVDs from the library.
that saves $96 per month.
We moved from 2b/2b apartment to 1b/1b apartment to save money. that saves us $210 per month. Annual savings: $2520
I remember my mom griping at my brother repeatedly over how much hershey syrup he used when he made his chocolate milk. We also deer hunted and raised a few cows as our method of buying meat in bulk. Not sure if the overall cost actually evened out, but compared to the cost of buying from ethical farms you KNOW you can trust, it was probably close enough. We also bought raw milk from a local farm at $1.25/gallon (even at the time it was cheaper than store-bought), and separated the cream to make our own butter, whipped cream, cheese, and ice cream.
And can you really omit gardening from this list? In addition to growing and canning a ton of vegetables, we would buy bushels of fresh corn from the farm that surrounded our land, and I would help my mom blanch, shock, cut and freeze it for the year.
I had Starbucks as my 'latte factor' when I worked 1/2 block from one a few years back at my 'real' job. After that proximity died, I started making myself coffee every day - but the good stuff ~ $16/lb, going through about 2 lbs/month. It was still cheaper than starbucks, but I've managed to cut way back on the expense by ... drinking the office coffee at work 5 days/week and only brewing the good stuff at home on weekends.
I also gave up smoking almost two years ago, and I cringe every time I see someone smoking because I know what it can do to your finances, especially when it's my coworkers at my side gig as a cocktail waitress since I know how broke some of those kids are.
Right now, it would mostly be convenience food, which I'm getting better at little by little.
I gave up lattes at the beginning of the year and I actually don't miss them at all! Savings add up quickly when you don't spend money on frivolous things.
Shopping at Whole Foods. I like to have an organic diet, despite my low income. I'm now splitting groceries between Whole Foods and the regular grocery store, and it saves me a bit.
We have a bad habit of eating out on the weekends. We're really busy and on-the-go during the weekends, and I just don't feel like messing around in the kitchen. I'd estimate that we spend at least $50 extra a week on fast food or sit-down restaurants. I'm working on this by having some easy meals in the fridge or freezer, even if it's just leftovers.
Very informative post. Mosquitoes are everywhere and they are not only irritating, they are also deadly as some of them may cause Malaria or Dengue fever. It is best for us to have always a clean surroundings and apply some mosquito repellant for additional safety. Thanks for sharing, I would love to try lemon eucalyptus mosquito repellent
Great and informative article about online coupons. But I see it misses few other great sites which I am confident are worth to be on the list, Its HelloCoin.com and CouponCabin, since sometimes it's best to check for coupons on several coupon codes platform because sometimes one site can have a better discount than the other!
Good article, I am big believer that coupon codes is the best money savers from this article since it is so fast to get and apply them. Retailmenot is cool but HelloCoin.com is great too, these two are my favorites when I look for online discounts.
Going out for lunch while at the office. It is very tempting to join everyone at the popular sandwich restaurant and get out of the office, but I have started making my own healthy lunch each day instead: mixed beans, hard boiled egg and a banana.
This gives me the protein, energy, fibre and iron that I need to stay sane and focuses in the afternoon WHILE saving me about 7$ a day at the office.
It was indeed a latte, as in, a decaf iced white mocha from Starbucks. I would get them only occasionally as it killed me to pay $5 for a non-alcohol drink. Last year I bought a bottle of white chocolate syrup and make my own at home. Still only do it occasionally as I know how much sugar is in these.
My factor would have to be Chinese Take Out and Vanilla Coke. It's mostly what I buy on my free days. But I make sure to do this with my allotted "Fun Money" instead of my "Needs Money"
My "latte" is the most important "factor" in my workday! Sometimes I feel guilty about the daily expense of a large indulgence (only a few cents more expensive that the medium, so surely that's a bit frugal??!!) but my work life is hectic, stressful and long on hours so a latte is my calming drug of choice!
The shopping that really stresses me out are the hotel and airline sites. Hotel sites that tell you only 2 rooms left and how many people are looking at that site this very minute. Lots of costly mistakes.
My latte factor would be going to movies. It would usually cost around $50 for my husband and I going out with tickets and concessions. Now we opt for redbox or netflix and pop a bag of popcorn for a more frugal date night right at $3.
I don't have anything I regularly purchase on a daily or weekly basis, but I do occasionally go out for fancy coffee or baked goods from local shops. The rest of the time I make coffee or tea at home and cook my own food. I do try to use coupons or take advantage of special when I get coffee or pastries out - like 2 for 1 deals or special of the day prices.
Ours were the top three: I am a tea drinker, my husband is a coffee drinker and we both used to eat at mediterranean deli with him used to eating lunch at work.
Now that I am working part time, I carry my tea bag with me where ever I go and my mug. I make him coffee and a bag lunch before he leaves for work along with feeding him a good breakfast, plus, I have learned to make falafel's from scratch and incorporated the basics of a mediterranean diet into our menu to eat at home. We also joined a local community garden and though I budget is tight, our grocery bill is small yet effective, not to mention that we are eating healthier. We have gone green and are saving green and adding to our health at the same time!
While meat is essential, I try to eat organic meat, which because it is so expensive means I eat less of it. The best way to eat less meat is to cut it into thin strips like the Chinese do and mix it with vegetables. With all the crazy things they do to American Meat it is downright dangerous to eat anything but organic meat. Anything more than a fistful is too much according to Dr. Oz.
The main thing is eat a variety of food, don’t get into a rut and eat the same thing week in week out. Make a point of visiting at least one ethnic store every month and find out what is healthy in their cooking. Exposing children to a variety of foods at a young age helps them understand, experience and appreciate the health benefits and taste sensation of these exotic foods that will remain with them for a lifetime.
Homemade seitan (vital wheat gluten) is easy, tasty, cheap, and a good source of protein. The packaged seitan at grocery stores tends to be pricey, but you can make a HUGE batch at home for under $4 and fewer than 20 minutes active work (it simmers on the stove for an hour). It also freezes well.
I realized several years ago my weakness for mocha lattes was going to put me in the poorhouse. Now, everyday I drink a "poor man's latte"--a cup of coffee (regular or decaf) mixed with a packet of instant hot chocolate. My co-workers tease me, but they also say they admire my creativity and frugality. I figure I save around $80/month.
They really should add all of these safety tips into the article. There are a lot of people who will read the article and go out to make these toys not realizing the hazards that some of them pose. Some people are just unaware of the dangers or don't realize that they have to be cautious about certain things. For some people the lead in the garden hoses and the button eyes would NEVER cross their minds. I didn't even know there was lead in the hoses until I read the comments... That being said, Most of these are AWESOME ideas for small dogs and a few are good for bigger breeds/more aggressive chewers.
They also make great rugs, with or without a loom.
My wife and I met with a buyers agent only to learn they can't legally tell you if the home is in a good area, if it was a meth house, and they can't give legal advice. To me it seems all they are allowed to do is find houses and negotiate the price.
Using Zillow, Trulia, etc, we found a few homes we were interested in and made offers without using a buyers agent. We didn't get attached to any of the homes so we just made very low offers on them. If they didn't accept we just moved on to the next house. Eventually we ran across home owners who were motivated to sell and they accepted 20k less then the asking price. Using the comparables in the area and the county assessors website it's fairly easy to determine market value for a home and to figure out if it's a good deal. Lot's of homes these days are built by the same builder in the same area, with the exact same layout, giving you information on what the market is doing.
After making our offer the listing agent called us to confirm there was no other agent involved who would get part of the commission. I can't say for certain they look less money to get the deal done. We then paid a real estate attorney $250 dollars to fill out the contract for us and verify we got everything we asked for.
Not using a buyers agent probably isn't right for everyone but it worked out well for us.
Wild caught salmon and my favorite brand of merlot are two of my latte factors. I can't give up either one to eat the cheapest fish and drink the cheapest wine.
However, one of the main reasons I quit smoking 20 years ago was to save the money from smoking six packs a week (of course I didn't smoke the cheapest brands of cigarettes either), and hopefully saving a lot of money in health care by having healthy lungs!
My latte factor is cutting on TV:
We have never had a cable. We used Netflix before. But we didn't find it worth $8 a month. So, we cancelled the membership and now getting DVDs from the library.
that saves $96 per month.
We moved from 2b/2b apartment to 1b/1b apartment to save money. that saves us $210 per month. Annual savings: $2520
I remember my mom griping at my brother repeatedly over how much hershey syrup he used when he made his chocolate milk. We also deer hunted and raised a few cows as our method of buying meat in bulk. Not sure if the overall cost actually evened out, but compared to the cost of buying from ethical farms you KNOW you can trust, it was probably close enough. We also bought raw milk from a local farm at $1.25/gallon (even at the time it was cheaper than store-bought), and separated the cream to make our own butter, whipped cream, cheese, and ice cream.
And can you really omit gardening from this list? In addition to growing and canning a ton of vegetables, we would buy bushels of fresh corn from the farm that surrounded our land, and I would help my mom blanch, shock, cut and freeze it for the year.
Or am I the only one who grew up country?
I had Starbucks as my 'latte factor' when I worked 1/2 block from one a few years back at my 'real' job. After that proximity died, I started making myself coffee every day - but the good stuff ~ $16/lb, going through about 2 lbs/month. It was still cheaper than starbucks, but I've managed to cut way back on the expense by ... drinking the office coffee at work 5 days/week and only brewing the good stuff at home on weekends.
I also gave up smoking almost two years ago, and I cringe every time I see someone smoking because I know what it can do to your finances, especially when it's my coworkers at my side gig as a cocktail waitress since I know how broke some of those kids are.
Right now, it would mostly be convenience food, which I'm getting better at little by little.
I gave up lattes at the beginning of the year and I actually don't miss them at all! Savings add up quickly when you don't spend money on frivolous things.
Shopping at Whole Foods. I like to have an organic diet, despite my low income. I'm now splitting groceries between Whole Foods and the regular grocery store, and it saves me a bit.
We have a bad habit of eating out on the weekends. We're really busy and on-the-go during the weekends, and I just don't feel like messing around in the kitchen. I'd estimate that we spend at least $50 extra a week on fast food or sit-down restaurants. I'm working on this by having some easy meals in the fridge or freezer, even if it's just leftovers.
Very informative post. Mosquitoes are everywhere and they are not only irritating, they are also deadly as some of them may cause Malaria or Dengue fever. It is best for us to have always a clean surroundings and apply some mosquito repellant for additional safety. Thanks for sharing, I would love to try lemon eucalyptus mosquito repellent
Great and informative article about online coupons. But I see it misses few other great sites which I am confident are worth to be on the list, Its HelloCoin.com and CouponCabin, since sometimes it's best to check for coupons on several coupon codes platform because sometimes one site can have a better discount than the other!
Good article, I am big believer that coupon codes is the best money savers from this article since it is so fast to get and apply them. Retailmenot is cool but HelloCoin.com is great too, these two are my favorites when I look for online discounts.
Going out for lunch while at the office. It is very tempting to join everyone at the popular sandwich restaurant and get out of the office, but I have started making my own healthy lunch each day instead: mixed beans, hard boiled egg and a banana.
This gives me the protein, energy, fibre and iron that I need to stay sane and focuses in the afternoon WHILE saving me about 7$ a day at the office.
It was indeed a latte, as in, a decaf iced white mocha from Starbucks. I would get them only occasionally as it killed me to pay $5 for a non-alcohol drink. Last year I bought a bottle of white chocolate syrup and make my own at home. Still only do it occasionally as I know how much sugar is in these.
mine latte factor is probably mascara.
My factor would have to be Chinese Take Out and Vanilla Coke. It's mostly what I buy on my free days. But I make sure to do this with my allotted "Fun Money" instead of my "Needs Money"
My "latte" is the most important "factor" in my workday! Sometimes I feel guilty about the daily expense of a large indulgence (only a few cents more expensive that the medium, so surely that's a bit frugal??!!) but my work life is hectic, stressful and long on hours so a latte is my calming drug of choice!
The shopping that really stresses me out are the hotel and airline sites. Hotel sites that tell you only 2 rooms left and how many people are looking at that site this very minute. Lots of costly mistakes.
My latte factor would be going to movies. It would usually cost around $50 for my husband and I going out with tickets and concessions. Now we opt for redbox or netflix and pop a bag of popcorn for a more frugal date night right at $3.