I came across this great article. So very true!
The Best-Kept Secret to Frugal Living
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The dirty B word....
It's not what you're probably thinking... it's BUDGET
I am as reluctant as anyone to make and stick to a budget, but I'm going to try... again. The first thing I have done is keep track of all my spending for the last 90 days.
I found a free site that will link all of my banks, accounts and credit cards and it's working pretty well. I have been using mint.com. There are others out there like it. Check with your bank, some offer similar sites for free. The hardest part was going back through the last 90 days and categorizing all of my transactions. It took a little while to familiarize myself with my accounts and transactions, but I have it all organized now and it's working great! Remember to go back in regularly to label new transactions.
There are other budget tools out there. You can search them online. Be careful that a site is secure before you enter your personal information.
For years I have also used an excel spreadsheet to log all of my monthly payments. This comes in handy in knowing what is due each month, helps you to see where your money goes and even serves as a notice if a bill is lost in the mail. Simply list all of your payments along the left of the page and the months Jan - Dec across the top. Be sure to leave some blank spaces to add payments you might have forgotten or new ones that come along. Be sure to include your mortgage/rent, utilities, credit cards, loans, anything that you pay regularly. Simply pull it out each time you pay bills. I keep mine in a small pencil box where I put all of my bills when they come in the mail.
Now comes the hard part... sticking to it!
I am as reluctant as anyone to make and stick to a budget, but I'm going to try... again. The first thing I have done is keep track of all my spending for the last 90 days.
I found a free site that will link all of my banks, accounts and credit cards and it's working pretty well. I have been using mint.com. There are others out there like it. Check with your bank, some offer similar sites for free. The hardest part was going back through the last 90 days and categorizing all of my transactions. It took a little while to familiarize myself with my accounts and transactions, but I have it all organized now and it's working great! Remember to go back in regularly to label new transactions.
There are other budget tools out there. You can search them online. Be careful that a site is secure before you enter your personal information.
For years I have also used an excel spreadsheet to log all of my monthly payments. This comes in handy in knowing what is due each month, helps you to see where your money goes and even serves as a notice if a bill is lost in the mail. Simply list all of your payments along the left of the page and the months Jan - Dec across the top. Be sure to leave some blank spaces to add payments you might have forgotten or new ones that come along. Be sure to include your mortgage/rent, utilities, credit cards, loans, anything that you pay regularly. Simply pull it out each time you pay bills. I keep mine in a small pencil box where I put all of my bills when they come in the mail.
Now comes the hard part... sticking to it!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Join the Club!
In today's economy, I'm sure it's no surprise that everyone is cutting back. This has inspired businesses to get creative. They want you to visit their places and spend money and they're willing to give you amazing deals to get you to do so. One way they do this is to offer rewards clubs. You can get deals on everything from gas to groceries and everything in between just by signing up with your favorite places to visit and shop. Most have online registration, so look up the gas stations, grocery stores, department stores, coffee shops, restaurants and anywhere else you frequent. If you can't find them online, ask next time you're there. My husband and I have gotten several $100 gas cards for FREE over the years just for joining the club and swiping our card everytime we buy gas that we were going to buy anyway. We've gotten free appetizers, movies, popcorn, desserts, coffee... the list goes on. Beware of the places that want you to sign up for a credit card to get their deals. Be sure that you can pay off your balance monthly before you sign up. A free coffee isn't really free if you're paying interest on your gas! We'll talk more about credit cards another day. For now... get out there and join the club! Or clubs!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
One way I've learned to save money on things I buy anyway is collective coupon groups. These groups purchase deals in groups and pass them on to members. I recently bought $20 certificates for $10! These are available for restaurants, salons, car services, just about anything. Some of the ones I have found are linked below. Check them out.
Groupon -
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu18719694
Seize the Deal -
Living Social Deals -
https://livingsocial.com/redeem_invite/27160972-cindym?ref=lnk
Groupon -
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu18719694
Seize the Deal -
Living Social Deals -
https://livingsocial.com/redeem_invite/27160972-cindym?ref=lnk
Monday, February 28, 2011
Getting Started
Well, this is my blog. I don't know if anyone will follow and I don't know if I'll have enough thoughts, ideas, hints, tips and opinions to keep it up. (something tells me this won't be a problem) My name is Cindy. I'm a wife and mother. I work full time outside the home and my only son is a Freshman in college. I hope to post tips on saving money, recipes, home remedies, gardening and whatever else happens to come along. My husband and I work hard, try to live on a budget and are doing our best to get by. In short... we're Living on a Prayer!
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