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How to Trim Fat From the Family Budget
Small changes have reduced electrical charges in my home. On a year-over-year basis, we have used 20 percent less electricity due to two minor adjustments. We have switched most of the light bulbs to compact florescent bulbs (CFLs), an energy-saving option. Additionally, during the day and vacations, we turn off the water heater, a move that generates cool savings.
(photo by Yael Rosenberg)
Currency Exchange & Other Tricks to Save More Money
Currency exchange is a thrifty tool in my home. To save money, my 11-year-old daughter has swapped five single dollars for a five-dollar-bill and has traded up for even larger denominations. She uses the larger bills to preserve capital.
“When I see smaller bills, I think I have more money to spend,” my daughter said, adding that it’s tempting to buy treats with single dollars. “I’m not going to buy a chocolate bar with a $20 bill.”
It’s a numbers game that we all play with our budgets and wallets. In fact, banks, financial planners and marketing gurus have launched a variety of programs built on different savings techniques. Here are a few of my favorite money-saving tricks.
Rosh HaShannah: New Year Greetings From an Ironing Board
We can iron out past wrinkles in money, relationships and clothing. That's what I learned as I ironed clothing for Rosh HaShannah, the New Year on the Hebrew calendar.
Even if you don't celebrate the holiday, September is still a time of beginnings and renewal, including a new school year, a post-Labor Day cycle on Wall Street and changes in leaf colors.
Long before I converted to Judaism, I always felt a shift in September. Here's what I learned while ironing garments this September.
1. Restoration: Wrinkles can be removed from shirts, relationships and money. The process requires time, tools and enough heat.
Kiplinger.com: 7 Lessons From the Financial Meltdown
In this guest post, Kiplinger.com offers 7 Lessons from the Meltdown, including:
"1) Where's the money? You'd better know—literally. The reported $50-billion swindle orchestrated by Bernard Madoff and other fleece jobs should put to rest the notion that you can get rich from unpublicized investment opportunities unavailable to mere mortals. If you give any adviser discretion to buy and sell investments without your prior go-ahead, you must demand to know where your money sleeps.
Cheap Cleanup: Washing the Stove & Tiles With Vinegar
You don't have to spend a lot for eco-friendly household and personal care products. I use vinegar and water to sanitize my home without the expense or waste of harsher chemicals. Beyond toss salads, I use white vinegar for the following cleaning duties:
Finding My Money Leaks: The August Report
Yup. I could have saved more and spent less in August. As promised, I paid careful attention to my spending, saving and consuming habits in August. We all have money leaks. Here are my downfalls & solutions:
Poll: Saving $50 Beats Diets, Love & Time
If you had a choice between saving an extra $50 a week or gaining an extra hour daily, what would you do? I vote for the extra hour, (seven hours a week). But more money beat out diet, time and sex, according to this recent survey from allyou.com/Shortcuts.com. Here is a snippet from the full survey results:
- Over half (57%) of those surveyed would rather save $50 an extra week
- vs. 31 % who would rather lose one clothing size
- or 6% who would opt for more sex
- or 6 % who would rather have an extra 60 minutes each day.
The Real Bonus
Cut Your Beverage Tab at Bars, Restaurants & Resorts
It's possible to spend less for drinks at bars, restaurants and resorts. Here's my list of do-it-mostly-yourself drink recipes.
- Spiked & flavored coffees: At bars, restaurants and resorts you can save a lot by ordering plain American coffee and a shot of Baileys Irish cream liqueur or other liqueurs. One shot of liqueur is good for spiking several rounds of coffee, especially if the establishment offers bottomless cups of coffee. Final ingredient: Tip the waiter or bartender generously.
How to Find Cheap Food at Airports
Stormy weather delayed my flight plans and prompted me to spend over 10 hours traveling through three airports. My growling stomach felt like extra baggage as I tried to find a frugal meal plan. I fed my appetite without starving my wallet with the following steps:
•Find a drugstore. Many airports have vast shopping malls, which include national or regional drugstore chains, where prices are competitive. At a chain drug store in Pittsburgh International Airport, snacks and beverages were cheaper than comparable items at other shops in the airport mall. For instance, a package of two large peanut butter cookies was 79 cents, compared to prices of $1.50 to $3 per cookie at other vendors in the food court area. Yogurt, iced cappuccino, crackers, nuts and other food items were also good bargains at the drugstore.
Fixing the Ferret: Lessons From a Faulty Toy
My daughter fixed her ferret with a foot of fishing string. As such, our story about a defective toy has a happy ending. Our quick repair taught us valuable lessons. Here's what we have learned:
- Hit the return button. Why didn't we return the broken toy, asked one reader after reading the original story: Cheated By a Ferret: One Child's Lesson. We have several reasons: 1) We lost the receipt; 2) we trashed the original packaging, and 3) most importantly, we were too annoyed to think of the obvious. Anger can be counter-productive. Anger can be expensive. The faulty ferret should have been returned for cash or store credit.
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