The Best Healthy Food on a Budget

Most of us are familiar with the Ramen every night diet. It isn’t a plan to lose weight, rather a plan to actually afford food, and it has been made famous by college students or anyone just starting out with only a limited budget. But the Ramen Noodle diet isn’t exactly a healthy one. The “meal” contains high levels of sodium and carbs and pretty much zero nutrients. Yes, it will fill you up for less, but it isn’t something you can use to feed a family and keep them all healthy. Another source of cheap food that people often … Continue reading →

5 Things to Make From Scratch to Save Money

Homemade is usually best, especially when it comes to saving money. Here are five things you can make from scratch to save money. They include homemade cleaners, food prepared from scratch, baby items and more. Pizza Pizza dough is quick and easy when you make it in a bread machine. Even with loads of toppings, two large (restaurant large, not supermarket large) thin-crust pizzas will cost you around $4. For a little more money, you can buy prepared dough, but of course making your pizza completely from scratch means a lower cost as well as a lack of preservatives and … Continue reading →

Three New Coupon Rules You Need to Know Now

Coupons can certainly help us save big on our grocery bill, but my how times have changed. Gone are all of the overage and cash back deals or using multiple coupons for the same products (although you still see some of these practices being done on Extreme Couponing shows, since the stores will usually waive their normal current policies in order to participate). In the wake of the extreme couponing craze, as well as extreme couponing fraud, stores and manufacturers have changed their policies, implemented new restrictions, issued less valuable coupons and made getting some coupons more difficult. In response, … Continue reading →

Earn Cash Back Online with Reward Websites

When you shop you can earn cash back online, which is especially nice now that the holidays aren’t too far away. There are several different rewards programs out there that will give you free money for every purchase that you make. If you aren’t using any of these websites, then you are missing out on valuable savings. Why would these websites give you money to shop? It must be a scheme, right? Not true. There are at least four major rebate or cash-back websites out there that are legitimate, giving money back on all of the purchases that a member … Continue reading →

Love Your Pet but Not the Cost? How to Reduce the Cost of Raising Your Best Friend

Have you ever taken the time to calculate how much your furry or feathered friends are costing you each month? There is food, vet care, that regular application of flea and tick protection, grooming fees, litter or bedding, and of course toys, treats and equipment such as carriers, cages and the like. Depending on where you live and how eco-friendly or upscale you want to go with food and supplies, expect to pay up to $1,500 for a cat and $2,000 for a dog during the first year. Rabbits, hamsters, birds and fish are somewhat less expensive. Let us take … Continue reading →

Light Your Home for Less: 4 Ways to Save

The lighting of your home is so important. The proper lighting schema can make tasks easier to do, create a mood, highlight artwork and the wonderful features of your home, and keep your home warm and inviting on even the darkest days. New strides in technology has made it easier than ever to save money on lighting costs, but to really save, you’ll need to employ a little knowledge, too, or you may actually spend more money in your quest to save money. Here are four ways that you can light your home for less. 1. Off or On? Many … Continue reading →

The Right Way to Buy in Bulk

Buying your groceries in bulk can save you some serious money, not to mention extra trips to the store. If you aren’t careful, however, bulk purchases can actually wind up costing you more money that you will save. Know the right way to buy in bulk, so you get the best of both worlds: great pricing and convenience. 1. Watch out for the hidden perishables. You probably know enough not to buy 20 pounds of bananas, unless you own a bakery that produces banana bread, but are you still buying items that will go bad before you can use them? … Continue reading →

Seven Things You Should Never Buy at the Grocery Store

There are certain items in the grocery store that will tend to cost you to spend more money than you should. Cut these ten thing out of your grocery store shopping on a regular basis in order to get the most for your money. 1. Cut up fruit and vegetables. You’ll pay much more for fruit and vegetables that have been pre-cut. While these items can certainly be convenient, it usually isn’t worth the premium price plus the shorter shelf life. If you really want your produce already processed, see if there is a version in the frozen food aisle. … Continue reading →

Where Can I Find Coupons? Here are Ten Different Places to Grab Them

There are many different places to find coupons, from the obvious to the obscure. Go on a treasure hunt to gather up as many as you can. Coupons can save you money, whether you use just a few coupons on your favorite weekly items or practice the art of extreme couponing, a way of shopping that can get you up to 90 percent off of your groceries. Don’t forget that coupons can also be used on retail purchases, online purchases and entertainment venues too! Here is a breakdown of the many places where you can find money saving coupons. Grab … Continue reading →

The Easy Way to Cook from Scratch

Cooking from scratch is a great way to reduce your overall food bill. Eating out can cost three or four times as much as cooking at home, on average. Faced with the reality of the savings, why don’t we all cook more and eat out less? Well, one of the main reasons is that the idea of cooking every meal at home when our lives are so busy can seem daunting. Guess what, though? Eating at home can actually be less time consuming than going out in many cases. Plus, if you follow the following advice, you will see that … Continue reading →