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Living on a budget

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» 100 Money Saving Tips. Email Need a few ideas on how to save some extra cash? When I first wrote this list, it was November and we were ramping up to the holiday spending binge that we all love so much, but these tips can help you save money at any time in the year. Why wait until our consumer driven society gets all whipped up into a fervor?

We can save whenever! (I see nothing wrong with getting whipped up into a fervor, to be honest!). This year, with the economy so weak and with so many people concerned about their financial future, it makes sense to cut back on the things that aren’t important so we can spend it on the things that are. Here are a hundred tips on how to save some quick money: Eat, Drink, Being Merry (18 Tips) Cook your own meals: The number one tip, echoed almost anywhere you look, is to cook your own meals. Related to Your Ride (9 Tips) Streamline Your Service Plans (7 Tips) Your Home (17 Tips) Beat Away The Tax Man (3 Tips) Save on Shopping (14 Tips) Entertainment (8 Tips) 100 Things to Do During a Money Free Weekend.

Some time ago, I offered up the idea of the money-free weekend: For the last few months, my wife and I have been doing something every other weekend or so that we call a “money-free” weekend, in an effort to live more frugally. It’s actually quite fun – here’s how we do it.We’re not allowed to spend any money on anything, no matter what. In other words, we can’t make a run to the store to buy food, we can’t spend money on any sort of entertainment, and so on. Since we often do our grocery shopping on Saturdays, on a “money-free” weekend, we delay it to Monday or Tuesday.We can use our utilities, but no extra expenses on these utilities. No renting movies on cable, no text messages that aren’t already covered by our cell phone plan, and so on. I followed that up with 15 things to do during such a weekend, 15 more things to do, and 15 deeply fulfilling things to do during such a weekend.

So, here we go – a hundred fun ways to spend a money-free weekend. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 27 Ways To Make Money Now! - christianpf.com. What is an Offset Account? - Yahoo!7 Moneyhound. An offset account is one of the most powerful ways to save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a mortgage. A ‘100 per cent offset account’ can sound too good to be true. But these accounts enable you to have every cent of your money working to reduce your mortgage rather than sitting idly in your cheque or savings account. If you put as much of your spare change as you can into an offset account, and keep it there for as many days as possible each month, your home loan repayments can be reduced as your savings are bringing down the interest incurred and in effect 'offsetting' the cost of the loan. Related: How refinancing your home loan can save you thousands How does an offset account work?

Imagine if every dollar you had was linked through your everyday transaction account to offset your mortgage balance. Start with your wage An offset account can be beneficial even for those who find it hard to save. Calculate offset account mortgage savings Why use an offset account. Healthy Living on a Budget :: Stay at Home Mum. Healthy Living on a Budget isn’t as hard as you may think! Saving money and living frugally doesn’t mean you have to compromise on health. It’s important to keep yourself and your family trim and healthy without it costing a fortune.

If you’re not careful, fresh salads, fruit and vegies can end up costing a small fortune. It’s tempting to go for cheap, convenient options such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, frozen processed foods and meals predominated with white rice and pasta, but at what cost to your health? Rising obesity levels in Australia are causing a huge boom in pharmaceutical sales and doctors visits.

Here are some healthy tips to eat nutritiously and and boost your families health and well being. Eat Seasonally and Locally By eating fresh fruit and veggies that are in season you are eating the right food for your body and giving your body what it needs. Grow your own Veggies and Herbs Space permitting, and you will always know what you are feeding your family. Save Water Eat Less Meat. Real Simple. Wise Bread | Personal Finance and Frugal Living Forums. Luckymag. Frugal Ideas for Living on a Budget. People who want to pay off debt and save money can benefit from frugal living on a budget and it does not require an entire lifestyle change. By finding alternatives to current expensive habits, you can enjoy life while watching your debts decrease and your savings increase. Getting Started on Your Budget Get started on the path to a frugal lifestyle by coming up with a budget system that works for you and your family.

Even people who make six figure incomes can end up in financial ruin if they do not have a workable budget. Total your net monthly income after taxes.Subtract your fixed monthly costs from this amount.Allocate the remaining funds amongst your monthly variable expenses. The key is to develop a household budget and then stick to it. Make Frugal Substitutions After determining a personalized budget, use your imagination and some creativity to find ways to live within your means. Food Grocery bills and food costs are the first place many families look to save money. Clothing. 5 Tips for Living Comfortably on a Tight Budget" For some people, a spectacular meal at a five-star restaurant is worth missing a mortgage payment.

For others, the act of cooking and subsequent mastication is a boring but necessary chore. No matter how you feel about food, one thing is for sure -- you gotta eat. Americans spend a lot of money on food, to the tune of about $770 per month for a family of four [source: USDA]. But really, that cash could be spent more wisely. There are plenty of ways to think smarter about food expenses. Here's one critical pointer -- eating out often costs more than cooking at home. Buying ingredients for those recipes is itself an art form. Grocery coupons are making a huge comeback, and for good reason. Of course, you still have to go out on the town now and then. Food is just one facet of your budget. 10 Things You Should Buy USED and NOT NEW - Yahoo!7 Moneyhound. So much of what we buy devalues the minute you open the box or walk out the store. Buying used goods instead of paying a premium for something new can see your savings quickly multiply. Take advantage of these 10 great savings options and avoid paying top dollar.

Cars Cars lose value as soon as they leave the factory floor, so there are huge savings to be made even by purchasing last year’s model. Take the popular Mazda3 Neo. Online, the price ranges between $15,800 for a 2012 model and up to $23,990 for the same factory floor model, a saving of over $8000. Compare: Low rate car loans Furniture Save thousands buying second-hand furniture without your house looking tired. Related: How to sell stuff on eBay successfully Children’s clothes and goods Resisting the urge to dress your child in the latest fashions could save you thousands.

Home décor Related: 10 Ways to lower your rent Formal suits and frocks Buying used formalwear could ensure you get a better product at a cheaper price. Tools. 10 Things You Should Never Scrimp On - Yahoo!7 Moneyhound. Buying cheap doesn't always pay off. Frugalistas are the new fashionistas, with budgeting the new bling. Whether you’re embracing minimalism to reduce wastage or tightening your purse strings as the economy weakens and the dollar falls, many people are swapping brands for bargains. The key to making it work is knowing where to save and where to splash out.

Good quality products can be more expensive, but they often last longer, saving you money in the long run. Others may save your health, or even your life. Here are 10 products you should never scrimp on. 1. What’s a good night’s sleep worth? 2. A good-quality chef’s knife will last years – some handmade Japanese ones last for generations. 3. Shoes are bad for our feet regardless – studies show that we still haven’t evolved to wear them.

Related: 10 Ways to reduce monthly bills 4. Never buy old, used white goods – they’re far less energy efficient and you could run up a big bill if they break down out of warranty or even flood your home. 5. School Lunches for Less Than $2 a Day - Yahoo!7 Moneyhound. It’s Sunday night. Dread fills you. The school week is upon you. You know what that means. School lunches - coupled with the eternal question of what can you pack that won’t add up to a small fortune? But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a bit of planning, you can organise and even save money on school lunches. For less than $2.00 a day you can fill your child’s lunchbox full of nutritious and interesting food. Sandwiches Budget friendly, tried and true sandwiches. Carrot and celery sticks Nutritious, cheap and easy to eat these veggie sticks are a must have.

Related: Earn $500 in 20 minutes Yoghurt Store bought yoghurt in a large 1kg tub is the most economical way to buy yoghurt. Dry Cereal Might sound weird but this is another cheap option for lunchboxes. Left Overs Got a spare sausage or rissole leftover from last night’s dinner? Related: The 10 best money-saving apps Homemade Muffins/Slices/Fudge Pikelets Drink Bottles. Moneyless. Is it possible to live comfortably in today’s American culture without money or a job? The thought of living without money conjures up images of homeless people in rags pushing their junk-filled shopping carts around the dirty centers of cities, sleeping under bridges and begging for food.

Yes, some people do live this way, but it’s hardly desirable. There are other ways – comfortable ways. John (not his real name) has lived a nearly moneyless life for the past seven years, yet he enjoys a freedom that others, slaving at their jobs, only dream of. He is not suffering either. He lives in a house in a beautiful mountain area. Liz (not her real name either) owns a house that she rents out.

These are just two examples of people living in America on little or no monetary income yet they are far from suffering. Air and Water The first needs are for clean air to breathe and for clean water to drink. Food The next need is for food. 1. 2. 3. 4. The library is an incredible free resource.