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Archive for the ‘My Finances’ Category

Home schooling can be a gratifying experience for the whole family. However, it can also be tough on your wallet. Frugal home schooling is becoming a popular term among the majority of families living on limited income or for those wanting to cut back on expenses. Below are several ways you can save money and still offer your child a wonderful education.

The Internet is a valuable source that most families can’t live without. From researching essay papers to curriculum, anything you need to search for is available online for free and right in the convenience of your own home. Online auctions are a great way to purchase used curriculum programs and books. A trip to your local library will probably fit most of your needs. Not only do you get to borrow books for free but also it makes a fun family outing. Before heading off, make a list of the books and topics you need to borrow so you don’t forget what’s needed.

If you find yourself short of cash, you might be interested in taking out one of the payday cash loans available ont he market today.  Of course you need to be careful who you go to as there are many companies out there that don’t have a caring attitude to their lenders, and it’s easy to get stuck in a revolving credit situation that just makes things worse in the long run.

If you do need a payday loan, check out the Easy Online Payday Loan Company for payday loans you can apply for over the web, online.  You don’t even need to fax in a form to get the ball rolling on your loan, and payment of monies are lightening quick!

Payday loans can be a good option if you are caught short be a medical bill, a payday loan may be just the solution for you.  The site itself is easy to navigate, you can find all of the information you need to be fully informed about the loan and it’s requirements.  Check them out today, you will find this is a company with a difference! 

One of the most thoughtful gifts a person can give is a gift that is useful and is made with the recipient in mind.  Gifts in a Jar come in an endless variety.  You start with a wide-mouthed quart jar and layer the ingredients for a recipe.  The ingredients can be cakes, cookies, soups, pasta, or one of any number of things.  I have included two recipes to get you started.

Dream Cookies
1/2 cup orange-flavored drink mix (Tang)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups vanilla baking chips
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Everybody has to cook.  Some love it and others just cook out of necessity.  It is very likely someone on your gift list belongs to the first category.   Below are two ideas for perfect gift baskets for the cooks on your list.  Don’t allow yourself to be limited by just these suggestions, use your creativity and throw in whatever seems suitable.

Cook’s Basket: Fill a large stock pot or basket with a variety of cooking utensils or supplies, special seasonings, cooking spices (Italian seasoning, cumin, onion powder, garlic, oregano, thyme, etc. Toss in a cookbook if your budget allows and/or toss in some homemade recipes for taco seasoning, chicken bake coating, stuffing, whatever you can find to replace higher priced store bought mixes. A good idea might be to actually make the mixes and give them already mixed in a tightly sealed container or jar along with the recipe.

Many families start living a frugal lifestyle because one partner wants to stay at home with the kids.  If you are going from a two-income household to one, you may be afraid of what all has to be done to live frugally.  Below are several steps you can take to make the transition easier.

1. Start with cutting down your debt. Credit cards have to go. They are way too tempting to have around when you are trying to cut back on spending. Cutting your debt is the easiest way to find extra money in your budget. It will take a while, but is worth it.

2. Look at what is necessary. For example, do you really need to pay a water service for a water softener when they are relatively cheap through a home improvement store? For less than one year’s rental on a softener unit, you can purchase one and cut the rental from your monthly bills.

Dressing well does not have to cost a fortune. If you take a little time to plan your needs and treat your wardrobe like the investment that it is, you can make a little go a long way. You can also look like you spend a lot of money on your clothes when all you are really doing is combining a few well-chosen, high-quality pieces. Below are several ways you can be frugal and still look like a million bucks.

*Take an inventory of your closet and make a list of things you need. Buying from a list will keep you focused and curb impulse buying.

*Buy the best quality of clothes that you can afford. They’ll last longer, wear better, and ultimately, save you more money than buying inferior-quality pieces.

*Buy classic styles. These will stand the test of time and not date you as easily as buying into trends.

With the way things look in the cable, internet, and phone industry, we can’t just sit back and watch these companies outwit each other.  This is definitely the time for us customers to take this advantage and get the best deals from companies offering the type of services.  If you try to browse through the internet you will be amazed of how many great deals you can get from tons of different sites that offer the same services.  The smartest and cheapest way to choose a bargain is those that offer bundled services instead of getting a single service like phone subscriptions only. 

If you are on a strict budget, you can still find a deal that enables you to get internet, phone and Cable in one bundle with Comcast Cable Deals.  Choose from different Comcast Cable Offers and save much on your monthly payments unlike getting separate subscriptions for each service.  Comcast Cable TV, phone service and Internet is your best bet to get a bang for buck deal. 

For the TV fanatics, Comcast Cable TV has all their channels in digital format so you won’t have to worry about the picture quality.  Apart from that, its telephone service is also digitized to deliver clearer sound from both ends of the line.

A frugal shopper has skills that help him or her gain benefit of the money-saving opportunities in life. Below I have listed several traits found in frugal shoppers.  By incorporating these into your life, you too can become a frugal shopper.

1. A frugal shopper studies other people. There are probably people near you living a good life on half of what you make. Learn how others do things, so you’ll know your options.

2. Frugality requires knowledge of values. It’s hard to get a huge deal on a car if you don’t recognize what a big deal is. Start enlightening yourself on prices, especially before you’re ready to buy anything that costs a lot.

One of the best places to save money is on cleaning products.  Here are a few recipes that are extremely economical, yet work fantastically!
 
Note: Make sure to label all your homemade cleaning products, and keep them away from pets and children.
 
WINDOW CLEANER
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

Frugal living is something that you undertake for the long haul.  It isn’t something you can pick and choose to do one day and not the next-that is, not if you expect to see progress toward your goal. You do have a goal, don’t you? If not, read the final tip here first.  Below are several things you need to keep in mind if you are considering a frugal lifestyle.
1. Not every frugal idea is workable for everyone.

There is a balance between frugality and time that is unique for each person. Some people have time to grind their own wheat into flour and make their own pasta from scratch. Some people only have the time to do simple things.  You don’t have to use every idea you hear about.