You Can Go Broke Saving Money

No one tried to go broke by saving money, but that is just what often happens. Moms trying to save a few bucks on their weekly grocery bill start using coupons and find that they are spending more money each week than they did before. Single gals use Groupon or other social savings apps for their nights out on the town and scramble at the end of the month to pay their bills. Families search for deals and sales when they shop for clothes and spend twice what they anticipated. How does this happen? How can you go broke when … Continue reading →

A Cheap Meal Out (and a Winter Coat for 85 Cents)

Last Saturday, we decided to take a trip up to a tourist spot, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Many people vacation there because Lancaster has a large Amish community. Sure enough, there are plenty of fun things to do and buy. There are handmade items, such as quilts and furniture and plenty of yummy pies, cakes and bread to purchase. While we can’t resist picking up a pie, our usual stops in Lancaster have nothing to do with the Amish tourist trade. Instead, we focus on where the value is. Our first stop is an Amish-run natural food store. The store is tucked … Continue reading →

Getting Fit without the Gym

I’m looking forward to school being out for all sorts of reasons, such as having time for daily adventures with the kids. I am also looking forward to school being out so I can get back to my morning walking/running group. Each morning, the group meets at 6am and walks or runs until about 7:30. One my oldest hit middle school (sixth grade here), I had to drop out due to his earlier start time. Once school is out, he can sleep in and I can go work out. Fitness groups are free, and working out with someone else often … Continue reading →

Save Those Pennies! They Add Up

About a year and a half ago, my husband and I decided that we wanted to eliminate the car payment, and so we employed all sorts of methods of scrimping and saving to do this, including reducing our grocery bill, eating out less frequently, and finding fun and free things to do. One big step that got us closer to our goal of paying off the car loan was turning in all of our change. We had a few baby wipe tubs full of change, which we took, as a family, to the bank. We loaded the change into the … Continue reading →

Part 3 : Take It Back, Use It Up, or Pass It On

Home cluttered with items that are never used? (Clutter can cost you.) Why not become empowered and take back your space, all while earning a little bit of money or bringing some joy to the world. Who knew that excess stuff could make such a difference? With the rare exception of a practicing minimalist, we all have things in our homes that are not being used. We probably also have some brand new things still in the original packaging or with the original tags attached. In the previous two articles in this series, I talked about how we can earn … Continue reading →

Part 2 : Take It Back, Use It Up, or Pass It On

Don’t let the excess in your life prevent you from living. Gather it from around your home and make it work for you. I am talking about all of the things that you purchased or were gifted but are not actually using. Clothing with tags still on them, cabinets full of health and beauty products, etc. These unused items are a waste of money and space, but they don’t have to be. Yesterday, I talked about ways that you can recover some of the money spent on these items. Today, I’l cover how you can put them to good use. … Continue reading →

Large Family Savings

A friend of mine is expecting her fifth child. I am so happy for her. She is a great mom, her husband is a great dad, and their children are all smart, talented and kind. They are also expensive, and with a fifth child on the way, the parents are wondering if they need to take extra work in order to make ends meet. Maybe and maybe not. There are ways to save money when you have a large family. Large families don’t have to consist of two parents and a bunch of kids. These days, it could also include … Continue reading →

Think Positively and Save Money

Thinking positively can help you save money. When you focus on the blessings in your life rather than on the things you don’t feel that you can afford, you will naturally be happier and require less of the material things. Also, thinking positively may help you figure out creative solutions the next time you feel as though you need to acquire something expensive. We do our best thinking when we are in a positive emotional state. Here are some ways that you can think positively about being frugal and consequently save money. Have goals and imagine how your life will … Continue reading →

Be Content with What You Have and Save Time

Something funny happens when you start being content with what you have. You gain more time to do the things that you love. No longer are you having to hunt down and scheme for the material things in life, or work harder to afford them. Instead, you can sit back and enjoy the little things that make life worthwhile, all while saving time. Here is a good example. We used to spend most weekends or even weeknights running around doing shopping errands. You know, the typical trips to Target and Home Depot with maybe some groceries thrown in. While we … Continue reading →

The One Car Household

This week, we are experiencing what it is like to be a one car household. It actually isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. While I’m not sure if we could keep it up long-term, there are some distinct financial benefits to being a one-car family. With a one car household, here is the obvious savings of the purchase or lease of a second car plus all of the maintenance that goes with it. The AAA estimates that it will cost the average family approximately $9,122 to maintain one car. Youch. (You can find out how to reduce your … Continue reading →