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Four Specific Strategies I Love for Saving Money on Food Items
Choose bags of dried beans instead of cans and you’ll get way more for your money. Photo: cookbookman17
Food is a major part of our family’s budget. With three growing children at home, we go through a lot of food, and with our desire to make sure we all have reasonably healthy and reasonably balanced diets, the food costs can really add up.
Over the years, I’ve come up with a number of little strategies to shave a little bit off of our food spending without losing food quality. I’m not talking about the obvious things, like couponing or using the store flyer, but more subtle things like finding more creative ways to find common foods.
Health Care for Buster: All About Pet Insurance
Veterinary care has gotten more sophisticated — and more expensive. But pet insurance can ensure you don’t have to choose between your pet’s well being and a $5,000 surgery. (It doesn’t replace the ‘cone of shame,’ though.) Photo: Geoff Stearns
Our pets are many things — companions, protectors, and servants. They are warm and fuzzy. They bring smiles to our faces and joy to our hearts. Our pets are good for our emotional well-being as well as our physical health. Our pets are members of the family that are woven into many of our fondest childhood memories and the memories of families. Pets are all of those things.
They are also expensive.
Seven Cheap Romantic Getaways
With the thick of winter upon us and Valentine’s Day around the corner — smack in the middle of Presidents Day weekend, no less — you might be dreaming of an impromptu getaway with the one you love. But where will you go?
If youre on a budget, your options might seem limited. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find a ton of cheap and easy options that are both romantic and budget-friendly. Depending on where you live, you might want to give these ideas a whirl. Just remember that taxes and additional fees may apply, and that you should always read the fine print.
The Cheap Beach Retreat
Is there anything more romantic than the waves crashing at your feet? Or sitting on a beach balcony sipping champagne by moonlight? Sounds like it would be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. If you want to save, get creative.
Why Your Spouse Is Your Most Important Money Decision
You may not realize it at the time, but your spouse can make or break you financially. Photo: Jason Sussberg
Whether you like Sheryl Sandberg or not, there is one thing she got right. She encouraged women to be extremely choosy when it comes to selecting a spouse. Sandberg writes, “I truly believe that the single most important career decision that a woman makes is whether she will have a life partner and who that partner is.”
The Best Deals We Tell Our Friends About
All deals are not created equal. As a frugal community, we know there are the “daily deals” and then there are the real deals – deals that are so good, you just have to talk about. Since we view it as our duty to help save people money, we decided to get very selective with the deals we tell you about.
We basically have three simple rules:
- A deal is not a real deal unless it is at least 33% off
- A deal is not a real deal unless it is a quality product – I wouldn’t buy a piece of junk for free!
- A deal that lands on this page must be something we would buy ourselves
If a deal can’t meet these criteria, it ain’t getting on the page.
How to Find Your Money ‘Leaks’ (and How to Plug Them)
Photo: Maarten Van Damme
One of the most challenging parts of getting a grip on your finances is finding your money “leaks” and plugging them up. It was easily the most difficult part of our financial turnaround and it took a long time before we really got this under control.
Let’s start with the basics.
How to Find Your Money ‘Leaks’ (and How to Plug Them)
Photo: Maarten Van Damme
One of the most challenging parts of getting a grip on your finances is finding your money “leaks” and plugging them up. It was easily the most difficult part of our financial turnaround and it took a long time before we really got this under control.
Let’s start with the basics.
Thrifty Thursday: No Hot Water, No Problem
The threat of a cold shower can be a powerful motivator. Photo: Andrew Seaman
Last week, we introduced a new reader-inspired series called Thrifty Thursdays. We want to hear your most ingenious buck-stretching strategies, stories about your famously frugal family and friends, or embarrassing tales of taking thrifty too far.
Send your stories to thrifty@thesimpledollar.com, and we may mention you in an upcoming Thrifty Thursday post. Each week, we’ll select our favorite entry, and the winner will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift card.
Thrifty Thursday: No Hot Water, No Problem
The threat of a cold shower can be a powerful motivator. Photo: Andrew Seaman
Last week, we introduced a new reader-inspired series called Thrifty Thursdays. We want to hear your most ingenious buck-stretching strategies, stories about your famously frugal family and friends, or embarrassing tales of taking thrifty too far.
Send your stories to thrifty@thesimpledollar.com, and we may mention you in an upcoming Thrifty Thursday post. Each week, we’ll select our favorite entry, and the winner will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift card.
College Electives That Will Boost Your Job Prospects
You’re paying a lot of money for college. Why squander it on a blow-off class? Photo: Jirka Matousek
Got some room in your schedule for an elective or two? Avoid the temptation to fill that spot with an “easy A,” a course that’s rumored to be super-easy, or something you think won’t require much work.
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