Tips 27, 28, 29, and 30

More tips from "365 Ways to Live Cheap".

27. Invest in a Deep Freezer. This will allow you to buy food in bulk and possibly save money. You can save approximately 15 percent on food bill without major increase in the electric bill.

28. Start an automatic appliance replacement fund. This is a really good idea since we just had to go through replacing the air conditioner, hot water heater, and heater. Thankfully we had just refinanced the house to lower our interest rate and had some extra money in our savings account. It cost us over $5,000 to replace all of them, but hopefully it will be worth it since we are now more energy efficient.

This takes us to a new chapter. The next few tips will be about saving money on automobiles.

29. Focus on reliability and fuel efficiency. Do your research before buying a new or used car. Check out Consumer Reports and CarSoup.com. Check to find the most reliable cars. Know your numbers before you talk to a sales rep. This will help you better negotiate the final price of the vehicle.

30. When you finally purchase that vehicle, make sure you read the owners manual. This can save you a lot of money and time. Make sure you buy the gas that the vehicle requires. Notice that most newer cars require on 87 gasoline. Anything more can cause damage to the engine. Also, most cars only require an oil change after 5,000 to 8,000 miles. Getting the oil changed earlier only wastes money and time.

Food, INC DVD

If one of your New Years resolutions is to eat better, you may want to buy this DVD. It was featured on the Oprah Show today. Amazon.com is selling it at a discount until midnight Friday. You can also download the digital version as well.

"Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation."

There is also a book version that you can buy for $9.99 on your Kindle.

Alicia Silverstone was also on the show talking about her diet and book "The Kind Diet" and some really good recipes. She makes a Mexican dip that looks and sounds really good and mouth watering oatmeal cookies.

The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet

Hurry to get your copy of Food Inc before you have to pay full price.

Tips 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26

Trying to get caught up on the tips from "365 Ways To Live Cheap".

22. Only Was Full Loads of Dishes and Clothes. I always only wash full loads. Since we do not have any children, I will combine the towels and my everyday clothes.

23. Use the short cycle. Use the short cycle especially when washing clothes that are not that dirty.

24. Make Your Own dishwashing Detergent: Mix one cup of borax, one cup of baking soda. Some harder water situations may require the use of powdered purchased dishwashing detergent.

Use 1/8 cup per load.

Use a couple of caps full of vinegar instead of using Jet Dry. ( I am definitely going to try this one.)

25. Don't Install Your Refrigerator Next to Your Dishwasher or Oven. Unfortunately, I don't have a choice on this one. The way my kitchen is setup, I have to put the refrigerator next to the dishwasher. The heat from the stove or the dishwasher causes the refrigerator to run more frequently.

26. Set your refrigerator to the warmest setting: adjust from there. Lowering the setting can save significant amount of money. Vacuuming the back of and behind the refrigerator can help it run more efficiently. I have to do this every 3 to 5 months because of the dogs. My husband can make a taupe with the dog hair vacuum up every week.

Tips 18, 19, 20, and 21

More tips from "365 Ways To Live Cheap".

18. Make your own powdered laundry detergent. I have been on the fence with this one. I know that other financial blogs talk about making their own detergent and the process. I just don't know that I want to take the time and make the mess. But according to the book, the cost is only two cents per load.

Grate a bar of unscented soap. Mix that with one cup of washing soda and a half cup of borax.

Use two tablespoons or 1/8 cup per load of laundry.

19. Air-dry your clothes. This I do a lot, especially my work clothes. We have places in the basement to hang clothes in the winter and when it is raining during the summer.

20. Don't use the stove when the microwave will do. I do use the microwave a lot because it is faster. It depends on the food. If the food is toasted, then I try to use the toaster oven instead of the stove. Lately I have been using the electric griddle more than anything else these days.

21. Turn on the Oven Light While Cooking. When you open the oven door you lose 25 percent of the heat. Instead, turn on the light and use a meat thermometer. This way you save by keeping the heat in the oven. ( It also means the you have to keep the glass clean.)

Tips 16 and 17

Day 16 and 17 of "365 Ways to Live Cheap".

16. Use Cold Water for Most Clothes Washing. Using cold water for most of your clothes washing does save on average $63 per year. I do use mostly cold water, but for really dirty clothes I still use the warm water option with the cold water rinse.


17. Clean out your dryer lint. Cleaning the lint trap after every use. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean out the lint trap slot and clean the dryers exhaust pipes. This will help your dryer run more efficient and keep it running longer. We do this at least in the spring and late fall. We use an indoor dryer vent humidifier in the winter time to help heat and humidify the air. It is very similar to the one I found on Amazon.

Tip Day 13, 14, and 15

Here are the next 3 tips from 365 Ways to Live Cheap.

13. Look for the EnergyStar Logo. These appliances use less energy and will help lower those electric and gas bills. Plus you can get a tax break on your taxes next year. For more on the tax break go to Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency. I know that is one reason my husband and I decided to replace the hot water heater, furnace, and air conditioner last month (we had to replace most of it anyway after the air conditioner died last fall).

14. Consider Last Year's Models. This is a great time to show for an appliance. you can get last year's model for half the price and there are some really great sales in January. Of course do your research first.

15. Shop Patiently. To find the best price for the appliance model that fits your needs you may need to shop at several different places. To save gas and time, do a lot of shopping online and advertisements in the news paper. Remember most places these days will give you the price from a competitors advertisement. My husband was able to get a new washer and dryer for my in-laws at a better price and a much better deal at Home Depot by using the advertisement from Lowes. In fact we will be putting the new washer and dryer in this weekend.

Stay tuned for more tips.

Credit Card Traps

It seems that the new credit cards laws are not all that. Here are some things that you may want to look at when you get the next credit card bill.

It looks like the credit card companies are going to be a little more creative to get your money. Some have decided to now charge annual fees. I know that any of my credit card companies that do this will be canceled.

Check the kind of rates you have on your credit cards. If you have a variable rate, the interest can now vary with the Prime Rates just like variable house loans. Ditch these credit cards fast.

If you are thinking about getting a new credit card do it fast. The laws say that current rates cannot be raised, but new interest rates are going to be sky high no matter what your FICA score is.

Over the limit fees may be capped, but other fees are not. Credit cards will now be charging more for transfer fees, ATM fees, and cash advance fees will be going up to make up for money lost be the new laws.

You may want to check on electronic billing. Some credit cards are going to charge $1.00 or more if you have your bill mailed to you instead of emailed to you. Some are even going to charge you for not using your credit card.

You think the credit card rewards were messed up before the new laws. Well now you will be lucky to get any rewards. There will be some major changes in this department as well. Us up what rewards you have ASAP.

For more detailed information go to: Red Tape Chronicles

We don't have a lot of credit cards and we keep them paid off every month, but I will be looking more closely at the bills for the next few months. We may be canceling cards even if it lowers our credit score. In the long run it will save us money.

Tips 11 and 12

The next few tips are tactics for buying appliances.

11. Do the research. I know that I go strait to Consumer Reports before I make any major appliance. I also do a Google Search for any message boards that may talk about that specific item. Then I make a decision.

12. Reliability is the most important feature. "Neat features are nice, but reliability is the one feature that will help keep money in your pocket over the long haul." I kind of agree with this a little. Reliability is great, but if you hate the appliance you are more likely to buy a new one that you do like. My thought is buy the most reliable appliance that fits your needs (not your wants).

More tips to follow.

More Tips to Save Money

Here are 3 more tips from "365 Ways To Live Cheap".

9. Talk about your money to your partner. This may be a little hard. I know that Margaret and I have tried to sit down and go over our finances with our husbands. Within 2 minutes there eyes glass over and within 4 minutes they are changing the subject. If this is the case, maybe find a money buddy who you trust and can share with to help you keep on track.

10. Automate your savings. This is easy these days. More and more financial companies and credit cards are offering a plan that if you add a specific amount to your savings account every month for 12 months, they will add that amount to your for free. TD Ameritrade offers this savings account. I have them automatically take $100.00 out of my checking account every month. This last December they added an extra $100.00 to my account. It has been proven that if you have money deposited directly into a savings account by your company, you don't miss it and it stays in the savings. Find a program that will work best for you and have it automatically taken out of your paycheck or checking account.

Suze Orman's To-Do-List for 2010

Looking through my email I received a message from Oprah about finance. Suze Orman's Financial Tips for 2010. Suze's tips sound very much like the first few tips from 365 Ways To Live Cheap.

1. Get a Grip on where you stand financially. You can't fix something unless you know the facts. Get out all your bills and set up a spreadsheet with a list of all your bills, when they are due, and how much is the payment. Then with a calendar you can figure out what you need to pay with each paycheck. Remember that you need to give enough time for that payment to get through the mail or be sent electronically and then posted to your account.

2. Find your Hidden Savings. Now here she has some specific web sites and companies that you can use to save money on insurance for your car and house. Save on home and car loans and much more.

3. Use some of the savings from step 2 to put in a high interest savings account or 401K. Pay extra on a credit card bill or loan.

This article is mostly to help women be more confident with their own finances, but both men and women could use these tips. Suze suggest to put your financial goals on your fridge or on your mirror to keep you motivated. Maybe put your goals on a piece of paper and wrap your credit cards in them so that you are reminded of your goals before you use that card.

Find some way to keep you motivated. When one trick starts losing its power find another.

365 Ways to live cheap!

Looking for a new book to start next week, I found this in my pile. So I thought that I would share some of the tips so far this year.

1. Make small steps. With every new year many people make a list of things they want to change. If you try to change to many things at once you get overwhelmed and you give up on all of your new years resolutions. So start with one or two small items. Then add more throughout the year.

2. Realize that you're not alone in the journey. If this blog doesn't prove that, then look at the 20,000 other blogs that people have started for the same reason.

3. Spend less than you earn!!!. This is a big one. The best way to start off the new year is to stop using credit cards and figure out where to cut spending. Two things you have to do to accomplish this tip is to put together a budget and write down every penny you spend in a month. With these two items in front of you, you will be able to figure out where you need to cut out some spending in order to pay the bills.

4. Calculate how much you really make. Calculate how many hours you work in a year, add the hours spent driving, time spent shopping for clothes and work supplies. Then calculate how much money you earn in a year including benefits. Using that total, subtract taxes, cost of gas, oil changes, wear and tear on the car, other maintenance, the cost of work clothes, child car, any other supplies. Then divide the amount you actually earn by the number of hours that you really work.

5. Record every penny you spend for a month. I mentioned this one in tip 3.

6. Master the ten-second rule. When you are in a store and you pick up an item hold it for ten seconds. During those ten seconds, ask yourself if you really need it and if it is really worth the money.

7. Master the Thirty-Day Rule. When you pick up an expensive item, use the thirty second rule to see if you can wait to purchase the item. If you put it back wait 30 days before you actually make a decision. Most of the time I forget that I even wanted to buy the item.

8. Keep track of your progress. How do you know if you are making any progress if you don't keep track. I use a number of different programs, but the easiest and less complicated is an Excel Spreadsheet. I have a sheet for each months budge, one sheet for the year, one sheet to keep track of everything I pay with cash, one sheet to keep track of the coupons I use. Yes, this takes some time to setup and keep updated, but I feel it is worth the time.

I think this is enough to get the year started off on the right track.

2009 Update

Well so much for putting some plans into action yesterday. Life just gets in the way sometimes. But I will try to get my stuff together and get some progress made tomorrow.

For those of you who don't believe using coupons really work, I saved $1787.85 last year. That is a lot of money. So I am setting a new goal to save $2,000 using coupons this year.

Last year we lowered our house payment to 1/3 of what it was by refinancing. We paid off all credit cards and pay them off every month.

We did add a car payment to our budget this year. On average we did lower our monthly bills, but not enough to really make a significant difference. My new job did increase our income drastically. As long as nothing drastic happens this year we should be able to put some significant money into the savings account this year. This is a good thing since we are planning to buy a new home before spring. It looks like we will stay at statuesque this year.

Oh, Alan and I are going to actually take a vacation this year to Florida as well. With everything going on, we will have to see if this actually happens.

Good luck with all your goals this year.

2009 Summation and 2010 Goals

Wow Tina and I must be on the same page today. I was just going over my 2009 goals and I found some time to write a post about them. I met 1 goal, kinda met 1, barely missed 2 and failed at that last. My first goal was to payoff my car. I did that in July and I have been putting the money I would have been paying for that payment towards other bills. I kinda met my goal to go on a real vacation. I went to Chicago in June, I went on a family float trip in August and I am on vacation from work now doing some much needed house cleaning. Unfortunately I missed my savings goal by just a hair and I only have a few more payments to make on our home equity loan. I was really on track to meet both of those goals, but then my husband hurt his back and we have been paying doctors co-pays and he has been on unpaid leave since Christmas Eve. That was one of those unexpected set backs that can't be avoided. The last goal was to work out 4 days a week. I work out on occasion and a few months this year I did actually work out 4 days a week. Then I got busy with work and other things and slacked off.

A few weeks ago I compiled a list of goals for 2010. I don't know if I am going to be able to meet these unless my husband starts getting an income again. However, I will be getting a bonus in March so that may help.

1. Payoff Lowes by March 16th. (I used my Lowe's card with 6 months no interest, no payments to purchase my windows. The 6 months is up in March)

2. Payoff truck loan by June 26th.

3. Meet my pre-determined savings goal.

4. Go on a vacation to Universal Studios in Florida.

5. Work out for at least 30 minutes, 4 days a week.

I will try to post about my progress, but life is so busy right now I barely have time for every day tasks. Happy New Year to everyone and I hope 2010 brings a lot of joy!

2010 Goals

Yes, I know that most people don't keep their New Years Resolutions. I just went over my goals for last year and I didn't do very well. I did accomplish 3 out of 10 goals. Some are still in progress like cleaning the Garage and losing 28 pounds.

This year I have more general goals.

1. Lose 20 pounds (yes, I kept 8 pounds off last year) and be more healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
2. Spend more time with my family - I plan to put that into action on Saturday
3. Get the DJ paperwork and Web sites up to date. I am way behind in all of that right now.
4. Meditate and Read more.
5. Buy a New House
6. Adopt a child
7. Save $10,000

Those are some really big goals this year, but I am very motivated. While on the elliptical machine this morning I came up with a plan to spend more time with the family. Monday I will be making phone calls to local adoption agencies to get that process going. We have been looking at houses already this morning. The new year is off with a bang.

Tomorrow I will give you an update on my savings last year. I was surprised at how much money I saved with coupons and sales last year. You gotta love those coops!