What you may not know is that grocery purchasing is the number one cause of arguments within families and for sound reason. The amount we spend on groceries is the greatest weekly expense outside a mortgage or paying of rent. Given the rebuilding stage of the economy to become the global powerhouse once again, everyday American’s are now re-learning the concept of saving in the traditional sense. A re-learning that if expenditure exceeds income means that debt increases, possible bankruptcy and re-possession of the family home. As a result it would be prudent for people to take notice of articles on how to save money especially when it comes to saving on groceries. I have compiled a short list of guidelines that may help guide you in saving significant amounts of money and hopefully providing some financial relief if you are currently suffering stressful times. Try one, a few or all in conjunction with each other and see how much you can save.
Seek out stores that will double or triple your coupons. I have become an believer of couponing and for great reason. This is where the power of couponing really gives great value. Combine a coupon with a sale when the store doubles or triples your coupon can bring you prices down to well under a dollar. You may have pre-conceptions that stores that double, and sometimes triple coupons, are stores to be avoided because their overall prices might be marked up. So it’s advisable to find stores that are close and who compete with each other in order to get the best savings.
Don’t buy non-groceries at the grocery store. Most personal care items are less expensive at discount stores or chain pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and RiteAid. Hardware, lightbulbs, extensions cords, office supplies, greeting cards and non essential items are usually all sold at the retail price because that is not what they focus on and therefore do not purchase in massive bulk to pass on those savings. However you will find exceptions to this rule. With double or triple coupons many cleaning supplies and personal care items can be purchased at fantastic prices at the grocery store.
Eat less meat. Consider eating less fresh meat with you family. Meat is expensive and not necessary to be eaten regularly. Set aside a day that you will not eat meat. I guarantee that your family will not notice. Make something simple and easy like a soup. This will save you a lot of time and money.
Take advantage of free samples offered by companies trying to win your business. With the tight rein on advertising budgets, companies are forced to look to other ways to promote their products. Offering freebies has become the norm amongst many companies with big names like Walmart offering free stuff for consumers to trial.
Using the above advice, you will be guaranteed to save hundreds if not thousands per year. Have a go at a couple of tips and see how you go.
Of course we all know that save lots of money with coupons where do you find them? There are the obvious places that coupons hang out, but you may not be aware of some other places you can get coupons. Keep reading to find out more. The most common place to find money saving coupons is the newspaper. On Sunday especially, the newspaper is full of store coupons and circulars for products you use all the time and new items that you can try for next to nothing. This is the first place that everyone looks.
A lot of Manufacturers also offer printable coupons online. These coupons have barcodes and can be printed off of your home or office printer and used in the store they pertain to. Most people don’t think about these coupons but they save you lots of money. Have you ever received emails with links to recipes for sites like Betty Crocker, Bisquick or Cooking Light? If you like to cook or rather like to eat, check out these links. You can unsubscribe to these emails whenever you like, but give them a look first. You will not only find interesting recipes but also offers for coupons. All you have to do is agree to receive new offers and your electronic mailbox will be full of coupons for cake mix, pancake mix, free trial size lotions, hairsprays and other toiletries.
Online coupons are available on different websites. Try sites like www.allprintablecoupons.com or www.coolsavings.com. You can search by category or brand name to find coupons that fit your needs. Click on the coupons that you want and then print them out. It is very easy. If you belong to survey sites, you know that you can make extra money by offering your opinion. A lot of survey sites also offer points for taking advantage of their offers through links on their sites. For example, on MyPoints.com, one of these discount links leads to printable grocery coupons. Every coupon that you redeem at the store earns you credit towards gift card rewards when you reach a certain level of points.
You may not want to forget all those magazines you buy. While you are reading the articles and looking at the pictures, take a glance over at the advertising pages. A lot of advertisers will include a coupon along with their ads to entice customers to buy their product. Different types of coupons offered can include, Buy One, Get One Free or up to $1.00 or more off of a starter pack for air freshener or a new mechanical mop. If you ignore them, you’ll be throwing money away.
Also you can look for displays at the front of your grocery store. There are some grocery stores that actually have coupon bins where customers can drop off coupons that they don’t need in case someone else can use them. There could be a coupon worth using in there if you take the time to look. On or offline coupons are a valuable personal finance budgeting asset to the shopper trying to save cash on all of their goods and services. Get in the habit of looking for a coupon deal everywhere so you don’t miss out on great savings.
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When it comes to saving money, there are a lof of methods that are considered. There is of course personal finance software. There are also courses on how to improve your credit score. But one of the “lost” methods of saving money which is still a very good way to save money is of course coupons. Using coupons may take time but it is still very effective. Especially with the influx of online coupons.
Coupons online are the wave of the future. Technology has afforded us the luxury to shop in cyberspace and that has extended also to saving money there. Before you shop again you may want to learn a few facts about online coupons.
Coupons online are not like printable coupons that you find in newspapers and magazines. Online stores can’t scan your coupon like they do in the store. Instead, you will see a picture of a coupon that has a bolded code made of numbers and letters at the bottom. This special code is the way that you use online coupons.
Now, some sites will call this code a coupon code and others will call it a promotional code. The two names are interchangeable. A coupon/promotional code is used at checkout just like in the actual store.
So, where can you find these money saving coupon codes for online coupons? Stores won’t tell you this but there are sites that list coupon codes for a number of popular stores. One such site is www.currentcodes.com. This site keeps up with the latest codes so you don’t have to spend tons of time visiting website after website to find the code you’re looking for.
Now whenever get an offer through an email from a site to shop there, make sure that you go to your coupon code site and see if that store offers any coupon codes you can shop with. It is like a holy grail for online shoppers. There are a bunch of online coupon offers like “free shipping on all orders”, “Save fifty dollars on all orders over one hundred”, and “fifteen percent off your entire order.”
Online coupon codes do expire so be mindful of time limits. Make sure that you read the fine print after each coupon code so you know the exact requirements for the coupon code to be valid. You don’t want to get all the way to check out and find out that you can’t use your code.
Another form of online coupons are presented to you in the form of links. If you’ve ever bought anything online, you will get an email from everyone wanting you to spend money with them. In the email ads, you’ll see things like “Click here to save ten percent on your next order.” When you click on that link, you are taken to the offer website to the page where you can use your savings. At the time of checkout, your savings will be automatically deducted because you clicked on the special link. But, check to be sure you aren’t being ripped off.
While dealing with online coupons, there are no long lines to stand in and you don’t use up your precious gas driving to the store. A lot of online stores offer deals on items that aren’t for sale in their physical stores. These coupon codes take some time to find, but they will add up to big savings for the smart shopper.
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Nowadays many companies invest a lot of resources into publicity to promote their new line of products. With some big name brands giving away free samples, products such as magazine subscriptions, beauty and hair products, free meal vouchers and much much more are accessible for you to try!
However, whilst it is technically free, the whole idea is for you to become a repeat consumer and to spend money with them. Their future revenue projections take into account what they are spending on giving away free samples. So in return businesses giving away free samples will at the very least require you to submit an email address so they can contact you. That’s why the number 1 rule when looking for free stuff, is to set up a free email account that is dedicated to free samples only. This will assist you to stay away from unwanted advertising or spam. Additionally they may require you to take advantage of another offer to receive the free sample.
Normally this would only happen should the sample be of some value. For example, many people would like to enjoy receiving a “free” Playstation 3. However this would come with many conditions including signing up the advertiser’s programs. Joining the program may entitle you to possibly more freebies, however there may be some cost associated with these programs as they need to recoup their cost for giving away the PS3. So it is best to check out the terms and conditions to determine whether or not you are willing to pay the cost.
The basic the rule of thumb is, the more outlandish the “freebie” is, the more it will cost you, whether it be in time or resources. That’s why I just like receiving free samples from places like Walmart or FreeStuff4Free.com. They have no catch, nothing to pay and all the freebies are genuine.
There are sites dedicated to scouring the Net for the latest and best free sample giveaways. In effect they are providing a service not only to the Internet surfer, but also to the company who is providing the free samples. This provides greater publicity than they could have received using their own channels and so freebie sites actually help everyone!
However you need to be wary as there are some unscrupulous webmasters out there who will use people’s urge for free stuff as a method to con them into scams. Always be on the lookout.
Obviously you still need to do your research and see if this is something you want to get into but there is certainly a market that you can exploit to your advantage.
More about FreeStuff4Free
FreeStuff4Free.com is a website that specialises in finding free stuff, free samples and freebies. This site is visually compelling and easier to navigate than text based free sites. The site is updated daily and dead links removed regularly. There are no scams and all freebies are 100% legitimate.
The cold months of the year are normally when keeping the house comfortable can cut into your spending plan BIG time. So I will try to come in and save the day, and go over some things that can be done to aid in lowering heating cost. Hopefully I’m not too late. Some of these things are common sense, but not often thought about, and some are a little tricky so to speak. First up…
Bundle Up
For the most part you save 3% on your heating bill for every degree you turn your thermostat back, but that is easier said than done, and no one wants to sit in the house shivering. Hot months can change to cold without us realizing it. It’s time to switch to long pants and long sleeve shirts. Your head and your feet are two primary thermal indicators for your body, so one thing you can do to really stay warm, is to wear a knit cap and some thicker socks. With your feet and head warm you will be able to turn that thermostat down considerably.
Hold Your Breath!
Your Windows
Leaky windows can be a major culprit in high heating costs, so if this is a problem, you will want to take care of it right away. One way to find out if you have a problem is to light a candle and hold it near the edge of your window. If it flickers then you know you have a draft problem.
Also, you can use caulking to cover cracks in windows. You can also use plastic sheeting kits. You can use the plastic on the inside or outside of your windows to reduce costs.
Your Doors
One of the things you can use to seal your unused doors is clear tape. It keeps a lot of air from blowing in, and it is easy to apply and remove.
Another thing you can do is use weather-stripping on your doors and windows that lead to a garage or a basement. You can weather-strip most doors for $15 or $20 but you will save much more than that over the winter.
You can also use something like a draft guard to keep cold air out.
The Ventilation Fans
Whenever you use a bathroom or a kitchen fan, you are sucking the heat out of your house. While breathing is a beautiful thing, I do apologize that I’m going to have to advise you to choke your house. Ventilation fans can greatly increase your heating costs.
You can get an anti-fog mirror in your bathroom if you don’t like your bathroom mirror steamed up after a shower. You can also turn on a hair dryer and dry your mirror streak free when it fogs up, and that will avoid heat loss.
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In an age of growing identity theft and personal fraud, protecting your personal information is of great importance. If you’ve used the Internet to score yourself free stuff it won’t take you long to realise that along with the many benefits of online freebies there are also some potential dangers to be aware of, especially when it comes to sharing your personal information and contact details. This article provides some great assistance that will make your search for freebies more secure and successful.
1. Use a dedicated email address
It’s good habit to set up at least one email address dedicated just to signing up for free offers. If you don’t, you run the possibility of spam and unsavoury emails flooding your personal inbox. Your work email address should unquestionably not be used! Some free offers only allow one sample per email address but not household address. Therefore, if you’re a serious freebies hunter, consider using various email addresses to take advantage of this fact. By using more than one email address you can accept the same offer two or three times.
If you are looking to set up a dedicated email address for freebies, I highly recommended a service such as Gmail. It’s free and it offers great security and spam blocking. Another advantage of using Gmail is the ability to create instant disposable email addresses that are linked to the same account. Just add +whatever to the username part of your email address. So if your email address was johndoe@gmail, in the freebies sign up form you would simply enter your email address as johndoe+freebies@gmail.com. You’d still get all emails sent to this address as usual, but if things ever get out of hand, you can simply create a filter to direct all mail sent to this address straight to your junk folder or trash.
2. Use a virtual voicemail service
You may also find it helpful to have a virtual voicemail. Some free offers require a working phone number. Free accounts are readily accessible at sites like evoice.com and are relatively easy to set up. All of the messages left in your voicemail will be sent to you as an email or alternatively you can call and listen to the messages if you wish. By setting up a virtual voicemail you will avoid any telemarketers and sales people that might otherwise pester you.
3. Use a PO Box
This is for the serious free stuff hunter or those wanting that extra level of protection. Using a Post Office Box service is an effective way to supply another layer of anonymity when supplying your details to freebie providers. Mail also typically arrives faster at a PO Box than at a residential or business address. If you use it for your other personal mail it can also provide a permanent address for you, which is especially useful if you move around a lot. Please note that there is a cost for this service, but depending on what your requirements are it can be quite affordable with prices starting from $10 for six months. Enquire at your local post office for more information.
With these great tips you can now hunt for free stuff, freebies and other giveaways with more confidence. Go forth and sign away!
More about FreeStuff4Free
FreeStuff4Free.com is a website that specialises in finding freebies, free samples and freebies. This site is visually compelling and easier to navigate than text based free sites. The site is updated daily and dead links removed regularly. There are no scams and all freebies are 100% legitimate.
“You’ve only got one life to live right? Money isn’t everything. Tomorrow is not promised. Love and Happiness are much more important than money. You can’t put all that money in the grave with you. Stop hording money and start living your life for today!”
You know, I couldn’t agree more with this message. But simultaneously… I don’t really agree with this message. Why? Well, my question is this. Just who exactly is this message geared towards?! The Masses? How many people do you know are in a position to horde money?
Now if you see Bill Gates in Wal-Mart telling the cashier that he wouldn’t dare spend an extra $7.99 on an extended warranty for his $39.99 DVD player, it “may” be appropriate to say, “Hey Bill, you can’t take it all with you.”
If you are $200,000 in debt and you have $5,000 saved up for retirement that is five years away and you decide to go to Italy because, “Hey… you can’t take it all with you, right?” Then you may be on a path to financial destruction!
People like to stress the fact that happiness is more important than money, even going as far as to use scriptures like the parable of the rich man to prove their point. You can’t say on one hand that money is not the most important thing, and at the same time say that you have to spend it now to achieve happiness. If living your life to the fullest is the antithesis of being frugal, then you are as big a slave to money as all of these so called rich people who are hording it (where are these people?).
The Problems
You see… we have been taught to look outside ourselves for happiness, and that is one of the problems. If you can’t be happy in a small house and you need to be in a big fancy house to achieve happiness, then what is wrong with you? If you can’t be happy in a Sentra and you have to have a Mercedes that can go from zero to a traffic ticket in five seconds to achieve happiness, then what is wrong with you? If your family has to travel to Europe, Asia, Egypt, Paris and France because they can’t have a good time at home, then what is wrong with your family?
Yeah, ok… I already know that this will be misinterpreted. I’m not knocking any of these things and saying that they are irrelevant. But if they come at the expense of you being able to live comfortably in your golden years, then how can it possibly make sense? The truth is that a big house, a nice car and a lot of other so called “finer things” in life constitute way more vanity than saving money for ANY reason.
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Cost vs price is a mystery to most people and those who need to understand it most understand it the least. Understanding what the difference is can save the buyer hundreds of dollars and stretch budgets that are already stretched thin.
When it comes to cost vs prices not many folks know there is a difference or perceive there may be a difference. I was on of those at one time. These terms seem to be interchangeable at will, but are they really interchangeable.
We shall see as we go along and you will see if you do not agree with me.
My wife has a saying of, “It only costs a little more to go first class.” The adage was almost always correct, when it came to me anyway. You see, I am a cheap skate. I will try to dodge the bullet every time when buying something. I am always looking for the “better deal”.
The “better deal” is not always the better deal. If we take buying a bicycle as an example we might be able to draw line between cost vs price.
All things being equal we must start off Even Steven. So both bicycles must be new to begin with. I know nothing of the price of bicycles so I will be working purely in the world of make believe for illustration purposes.
Bicycle A is priced at $159.00 on the sticker tag hanging on the handlebar. Bicycle A comes standard with two tires. It has air conditioning (if you peddle fast enough) and an air horn and a seat. It also has two peddles and a reflector fastened to the rear fender. And, it also comes assembled.
Bicycle B is priced at $215.00 on the sticker tag hanging on the handlebar. Bicycle B comes standard with two tires, no air horn and a seat. It also has air conditioning (if you peddle fast enough), two peddles and a reflector attached to the rear fender.
Both bicycles look very much alike and when asked what the difference is you are told $56.00 and change as far as the salesman knows.
So, for the sake of $56.00 and change you opt to get the $159.00 bicycle A.
Little Johnny or Suzy (sorry if your name happens to be Johnny or Suzy) really likes this bicycle and it looks like a good bicycle. So you carry it home in the trunk of your not so new Kia for the pack away price of $170.98 and you are patting yourself on the back and laughing all the way home over the great deal you made on this sweet machine.
If you enjoyed this first part of Cost vs Price then simply go this think to continue reading about Cost vs Price part 2. It will be the conclusion but you will Dear Reader will be writing the end of the story in your own life travels.
Thanks for reading.
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A new study is showing that many states are heading toward an economic mess. Everyone knows that California is facing a back breaking deficit. The state government decided to try and ease the predicament by increased borrowing but that hasn’t worked and they are facing astronomical deficits.
This debt will most likely indicate higher taxes, more layoffs of government employees, jam-packed classrooms, and a smaller amount of services in the nations most populated states. States facing the greatest budget deficits for the next year and many years to come consist of Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and certainly California.
The Pew Center of the United States released a new study that showed double digit gaps in the budget along with mounting unemployment and thousands of home foreclosures. This study required lawmakers to take a practical look at the financial catastrophe and what measures should be taken in order to try and get the system back on track.
Although there were only 10 states that made this list they account for almost one-third of the American population. This is a huge deal and it affects every American whether you live in one of these states or not. Economies and states are so integrated and interconnected that it affects everyone.
Susan Urah stated “Decisions these states make as they try to navigate the recession will play a role in how quickly the entire nation recovers.” California is the most vulnerable state on the top 10 but fellow states face the same difficulties California does. California at this time has nearly $60 billion in budget adjustments that must be changed. This presumably means cuts to education, social service programs, temporary tax hikes, as well as stimulus spending.
Governor Schwarzenegger estimates that the deficit for this year will run between $12.4 and $14.4 billion. But by the end of this year the governor will have have a spending plan in place. But, will this turn the economy around? Because of the global financial crisis in the last two years California has witnessed general spending decrease by $20 billion. Many Californians are questioning how they will face growing taxes and how their lives will change with all of the service cuts.
The government is telling residents that they have come a long way but extreme actions are still required. Previous cuts were frivolous and affected less people, but now government has to cut necessary funding which will affect large numbers of people. These will be the most painful cuts for Californians.
Hopefully California and the other nine states will be able to make budget cuts that will affect fewer people and that will finally turn their budgets around. These states still aren’t out of the woods but with some planning and scrimping they will most likely be able to turn around and get on the road to improvement. Which in turn, will improve the economies and budgets in not only these states but the rest of the nation.
About the Author Info
Diane Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah and enjoys writing about current events, politics, college degrees, online education, and the office.
Diane Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. She likes to write about the news, politics, college degrees, online education, and continuing online education.
You went to a local store top buy your grocery needs. You saw your regular brand of toilet paper or any other products you regularly buy go on a special discount. Smiling, you picked up one, with a thought that you are saving up money. Yes, you saved a few bucks but next week you won’t be because most probably, it may not be again be on sale.
Remember that if the item that is a necessity offers Bargain Deals, you should buy as many as you can for stockpiling. Never forget the money saving benefits of Bargain Shopping. “Stacking up” is when you buy several of the same item with less price for future use. What items does your household use the most? We go through toilet paper, shampoo, and soap faster than anything else. Your family may go through other items such as paper towels, frozen pizzas, or dryer sheets. Make a list of your most used items so you will know what to watch for on sale.
Do not limit yourself to only a few of your necessity items, if the sale is a great sale, you can stockpile even rarely used items. If after combining coupons and the sale price items are free or almost free, why not buy? I buy food we’ve never tried before when I can find it for free or around .50. If I buy five of a new soup at .18 each and I don’t like the flavor, I end up giving them away to family, trading them with friends for stuff I do like, or donating them at my son’s can food drive. Don’t be afraid to stockpile items that are almost free. Some of the most popular stockpile items are air fresheners and plug ins, just because it seems every other week with coupons and sales you can get them free.
Many people worry that they don’t have room to store stockpile items. Even people in tiny one room apartments find space. Buy an under bed container and store items there. Linen closets, under bathroom sinks, and garages are great stockpile places. Just make sure you remember where you put what and don’t forget to use the items before the expiration date. What do you do when your stockpile starts taking over the house? Throw together a gift basket of stock pile items for that new bride, college student, or struggling family down the block. If you got most of your items free or for pennies on the dollar you can afford to give some away. Selling flat rate boxes of like items will also make you some quick cash on eBay.
The next time you find your deodorant on sale super cheap, grab a few extra to stockpile. If you keep everything you use in bulk you will never have to worry about running out unexpectedly, and you’ll never have to pay full price again. If you need help finding your items to stockpile there are many sites out there that post stores sales, and WWHOW is a great resource. Leave a comment with your stockpiling tips or let us know what you plan to stockpile!
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