“Saving Money” Archive

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Lazy Cooking Wastes Money?

My sisters make everything from scratch. They don’t buy pizzas. They don’t buy frozen dinners. They don’t buy packaged cookies. I’m not even sure if they’ve ever purchased a loaf of bread.

I figured this craziness was genetic. A rare strain inherited from my mother who used to grind her own wheat for fresh bread in the morning. I, on the other hand, take after my dad who could pull out a fork, open a can of cold Chef Boyardee, and call it dinner.

I mean really, NORMAL people don’t bake everything right?

I went to a friend’s house over the weekend. She had invited my husband and me over for hamburgers and fries. I watched in amazement as she carefully molded ground beef into patties, peeled and sliced potatoes, and pulled fresh buns from the oven. We drank homemade Kombucha and devoured fresh cookies after dinner.

She started talking about saving money and how they lived on less because she cooks everything from scratch. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that while, yes, I make dinner at home each night, the closest I’ve come to making cookies from scratch in months is slicing them off a premade roll I bought with a coupon.

Am I the crazy one here? Are all of you out there baking away while I’m buying hamburger buns and crackers instead of making them?

Posted by Beks on October 25, 2011 at 5:00 AM in food, Living Frugal, Saving Money | 27 Comments »
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Saving Money with Health Insurance

Every so often, my husband’s health insurance company, Anthem Blue Cross, mails us a magazine called Healthy Solutions. Admittedly, I only browse this magazine in the short trip from the mailbox to the recycling bin, but an article caught my eye. The article was titled, ‘Wondering how to stay healthy in an economy that’s not?’

The article shared ways Anthem is working to save you money by helping you stay healthy. Sure, healthier members save Anthem money, but there’s nothing wrong with a little win-win right?!?

I browsed the website was surprised at the free offerings from his insurance provider including free workout plans by Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser, health tips, ways to save on prescriptions, free health assessments, members only discounts on vitamins/eyeglasses/hearing aids/gym memberships/etc., doctor ratings, and lifestyle improvement programs.

I checked into my health insurance provider and they offered tons of freebees as well. Save a little cash and check with your health insurance company. You may very well be paying for something you could get for less!

Posted by Beks on September 27, 2011 at 9:52 AM in Free Stuff, health, Saving Money, Ways I Save Money | 4 Comments »
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Vacation!

And we’re off!

We’ll be spending the week beach camping with family and friends. Beach camping is my favorite type of vacation because it doesn’t usually cost us anything. We cook BBQ meals using our regular grocery budget and we all split the cost of the camping space between the group.

Have a good weekend! I know I will!

If you want to camp at some GREAT spots, check Reserveamerica.com. My top three: Doheny State Beach, San Clemente State Beach, and Carlsbad State Beach.

Posted by Beks on August 26, 2011 at 5:00 AM in Saving Money | 4 Comments »
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Save Money While Shopping…

I was listening to a local finance radio show and couldn’t help but giggle at their advice on how to save money while shopping based on a nationwide study. Apparently, shoppers spend less when they have to, um, how do I say this…

when they have to pee.

Shoppers feel rushed and spend less time wandering stores, thus, add less to their shopping carts.

Somehow, I just can’t see myself hurriedly downing a couple quarts of water so Target would have a less painful hit on my pocketbook BUT, I know it would work. How? This weekend, I ran a couple errands while my husband watched our sleeping baby at home. I’m nursing the little guy so my window of time away is TINY. I found myself power walking (and admittedly, occasionally RUNNING) through the grocery store, the shoe store, and the library. There wasn’t one item purchased that wasn’t on my list because I simply didn’t have the luxury of time to wander. My husband laughed at my new ability to shop quickly and cheaply.

So, if you aren’t trapped by a nursing infant…

try drinking lots of water.

Posted by Beks on August 8, 2011 at 5:24 PM in Living Frugal, Saving Money, Ways I Save Money | 5 Comments »
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Waste…

I decided to dedicate my Saturday morning to rearranging all the food products in our pantry and throw away any outdated goods. I figured this might be my only shot to get organized for a while and assumed this task would take about an hour.

THREE hours later, I slipped my final can into an organized row.

And for the part I am ashamed to admit…

I had to toss 6 trash bags of food. I easily wasted several hundred dollars of grocery budget by letting my food expire. As someone who worked in a grocery store, I guess I missed the lesson on first in, first out.

It’s not that I don’t know how it happened. I come home from work, exercise, tidy the house, and tiredly open the pantry doors to grab whatever food is in front. I simply lack the energy to move things around – especially in the last 9 months.

Off to Walmart I went to purchase $15 worth of plastic bins. Using plastic bins as drawers in my linen closet has helped to keep my shampoos, lotions, and body washes organized so I figured I’d give it a shot in the kitchen. Pulling out 10 individual cans to find one in the back? Not going to happen. Pulling out one clear plastic bin? Pretty darn easy.

Ugh. Why didn’t I think to do this years ago! I wouldn’t have to live with the guilt of all that wasted food!!

Posted by Beks on June 30, 2011 at 7:52 PM in Saving Money, Spending Money | 17 Comments »
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Cell Phone Shopping Continued…

Several of you posted comments about checking for discounts on cell phone service based on where you work.

I can’t believe I forgot to mention that!!

Shopping around is important but don’t forget to mention your employer since many cell phone service providers give fairly good discounts to large organizations (and some small ones too!).

The agency I work for negotiated a 20% discount with the provider we chose.

Posted by Beks on June 28, 2011 at 5:00 AM in Saving Money | 2 Comments »
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Consumption…

The roommates have been out about a month now and we are starting to receive our very first utility bills for just the two of us. We all used the same common areas and shared the TV so I didn’t anticipate much of a dip when they left. Sure the water bill would drop a little but that’s it…

Or so I thought.

The water bill did drop a little, only about $20. Since our water bills are sent every two months, this wasn’t a full cycle for two of us, but it’s a pretty good indicator of what we’ll be paying next time.

The cable bill dropped more than $30. They took their cable box and DVR with them and I didn’t realize the monthly expense of the extra cable box. That’s what I get for writing checks and not reading bills!

The most shocking bill of all? Electric. Since we’ve had roommates from the day we moved into our home, we never knew what the total would be without them. The statement would always hover between $135 and $160 per month. This month? $78.

We don’t have roommates to cover half the bills BUT…

Overall, we aren’t that far from what we’ve been paying.

Who knew we were so ‘green’!!??!!

Posted by Beks on June 20, 2011 at 9:58 PM in Saving Money, Spending Money | 4 Comments »
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My Debt

Original Debt: $38,495.86
Added Debt: $1,781.50
Total Debt: $40,277.36
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