We are quickly approaching the time of year when many people start getting into trouble over using their credit cards.  We go out and buy new furnishings for our homes because we are expecting guests for the holidays.  Or we party a bit too much and over-spend in restaurants, or sometimes we are just too generous, and over spend on holiday gifts, or maybe we do all of the above!

Don't be one of those persons holding their head in their hands when the credit card bills start arriving in January.  You can take preventative measures now to avoid overspending during the holiday season.  Remember, you can have a good time without overspending, and you'll be much happier come January 2009!

Here are a few tips.  First, plan ahead.  Make a reasonable budget that you can afford.  Make shopping lists, and stick to them.  Also, think about your reasons for overspending.  Do you think your family or friends will love you less if you don't buy expensive gifts?  That's probably not the case.  If you need to cutback from the type of spending you have done in past years, talk to your family and plan how to handle gift giving.  Maybe a gift exchange is in order.  Gift exchanges can be a lot of fun.  Another idea is to have the adults buy only for the children this year.  However you decide to handle gift giving this year, you'll feel much better about it in the end.  You may find out that everyone else is having the same idea to cut spending anyway.

If you are worried you will have trouble over using your credit cards, just don't carry them with you.  It's as simple and as easy as that.  Make a budget, use lists, and then stick to your plan.  

Have a happy, safe and frugal holiday this year!

The Thanksgiving holiday is all about gathering together with friends and family for a traditional turkey meal.  Since this holiday is steeped in tradition, most of us prepare the same menu year after year – but that's ok.  That's what it's all about, and what we look forward to.  

So, you don't have to feel like you have to come up with new and expensive recipes and decorations – keep it simple and focus on treasuring the time you have together.  Wouldn't you rather have a piece of pumpkin pie made from your grandmother's special recipe, than an expensive store-bought fancy dessert? 

And, don't feel like you have to do it all yourself – let your guests contribute to the meal as well.  They will enjoy preparing something special, or contributing towards drinks or decorations.  Let everyone participate, and have fun!

Here's the latest way to find bargains online.  Go to DealAlerter.com.  There you can choose the items you are interested in purchasing, set your price, and they will check that item daily.  If the price drops to the price you set, they will email you an alert.

The service is free, so you have nothing to lose.  They track all sorts of products from jewelry and watches, to appliances, computers, cameras, children's toys, gourmet food, and many more categories.  So if you're looking to save, try DealAlerter.com!

If you haven't heard of Magic Jack yet, just wait you will soon! This amazing company emerged and is taking off in reviews and recommendations. It is an absolute frugal MUST!

For an investment of just $39.95 to buy the Magic Jack, you get your whole year's worth of phone service with free long distance and all the added features included; from caller id, voicemail, call waiting, etc for just $19.95 a year! The first year is free and all you have to pay initially is $39.95 to buy the Magic Jack and you are ready to go. There's no taxes or phone fees to pay as are with normal telephone companies. You do need a computer with a USB port to plug the jack in and then you plug your phone into the jack. You also need a broadband Internet connection, but these days broadband is the norm in most homes

Take for instance Comcast. Even on their low digital voice plan, you pay $33 a month PLUS federal and state taxes, and other communication surcharges for your monthly phone service! That adds up to a minimum of $396.00 a year plus all the taxes and surcharges on top of that! You are actually paying closer to $500 a year for a landline home phone! With Magic Jack, you get all the features, free local and long distance all the time, and you pay one flat fee of $19.95 a year! That saves you a whopping $376+ a year!!!!!!!

And, once you activate your Magic Jack, you can literally use it to place and receive calls from any location in the world. This makes it a wonderful gift for family members in the military, for example. Just purchase the Magic Jack and activate it to get a local phone number in your area. Then send it to your recipient, and they can call you from their computer as if it is a local call, and you can call them too! It's also great for business travelers, too.

So what are you waiting for? Join us in enjoying fabtastically free local, long distance, with all the features and pocketing some serious cash every year! Goodbye taxes and phone surcharges!

If you are ready to start living frugally, here are some good ways to get started:

1. Eat out less. No matter what you think, preparing your own food at home is always less costly than eating at restaurants. If you are pressed for time, do a lot of the preparation work on the weekends. You can even prepare casseroles and other meals in advance, and freeze them for later.
2. Clip coupons. Clip grocery coupons for those items that you typically purchase to save. Of course the big discount and warehouse stores don't accept coupons, but they are handy for those products that you do purchase on a regular basis at the grocery. At this time of year, look for coupons on products you will use for holiday meals, paper products, and cleaning supplies. If you want to save big, find out if any stores in your area double coupons.
3. Use the library. Go to the library to check out those best sellers you've been dying to read. You can even save costs on magazine subscriptions by checking out your favorite magazines at the library, too.
4. Plan your errands. Plan your errands in advance so that you can take care of several things all in one trip. This will not only save on gas, but it's a real time saver too.
5. Watch for free stuff – especially online. It's amazing the stuff you can find for free online. From classic book downloads at the GutenbergProject.org to free business cards, free language lessons, free jewelry, and more. In addition, look for buy one get one free offers at the grocery and save.
6. Utilities - turn off the lights when you are not using them. Same goes for other appliances and your computer, too. Check the thermostat. Get a digital thermostat to automatically turn the heat down during the times you are not at home, or are sleeping, and turn it up a tad when you are in the house. Works the same way for the A/C in the summer.
7. Audit your insurance policies – check over your insurance policies to make sure you are not paying for coverage that you don't need. For example, does your auto insurance provide an auto club like membership while you also belong to AAA Motor Club? Do you really need rental reimbursement coverage on your auto policy if you own more than one car? These and other issues should be checked over thoroughly. Call your agent to understand your policies better.
8. Learn to do-it-yourself – there are many services for which we pay top dollar that we could easily learn to do ourselves – i.e. manicures, oil changes, room painting, and other small repairs.
9. Avoid late fees – pay bills online. When you pay your bills online you not only save the cost of the stamp and the check, but also any late fees that you might incur if the payment arrives late.
10. Shop with a list - whether you are doing your grocery shopping or shopping for holiday gifts, plan ahead and make a list – then stick to the list to avoid impulse purchases.

You only have to waste less than $28 per day to throw away $10,000 a year. With the frugal tips listed above, as well as others you'll find in our posts, you'll learn to save at least that much!

When you think of Thanksgiving do you think of the Norman Rockwell painting of the mother serving a perfectly browned turkey to her adoring family? Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays that brings family and friends together for an often all-day feast, football and fun and games. A frugal Thanksgiving can be fun and memorable, too. Just keep the focus of day on giving thanks for your family and friends without breaking the bank.

Make it a potluck Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the most perfect occasions for a potluck-style dinner.  We usually make the turkey, while my mother brings her “famous” stuffing (which is technically called dressing since it is cooked outside the bird).  My sister is in charge of the pies, her specialty, bringing apple and pumpkin pies for sure.   Aunts  bring mashed potatoes, rolls and vegetables.  A potluck dinner not only divides the work, but also spreads the costs among the families attending.

Forget about the supermarket’s free turkey offer

Many grocery stores will give you a  free turkey if you spend over a certain amount over several weeks. CAUTION:  this not a good deal if you’re spending more than your usual budget on groceries in order to meet the free-turkey threshold.  If you must go for the free bird, like my husband who can’t resist a freebie, just make it work for you.  Stock up on staples, frozen goods, and baking ingredients which are usually good buys at this time of year and have a longer shelf life.

When you are buying your turkey, plan on 1 – 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person.  If you are not expecting a crowd, use turkey parts such as legs, thighs or just a breast.  This will save you have having too much leftover turkey that you may not be able to use.

Make your own decorations

Let the kids decorate with nature – have them collect pinecones and other seasonable natural products like gourds and pumpkins, colorful leaves and the like to create lovely table centerpieces.

Avoid Disposables

Avoid using disposable dishes, cutlery, and napkins.  Even if you have to run the dish washer more than once, you’ll still spend less than you would on disposables, and it is much better for the environment.

Frugal Wine

Consider using boxed wines, which are a surprisingly good, and low-cost option.  If you don’t like the look of the box, I suggest serving a Beaujolais Nouveau.  It becomes available the third Thursday of November each year, is not overly expensive, and is fabulous with a heavy turkey dinner.  Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau runs around $6-$8 per bottle.    Our other favorite is a Sauvignon Blanc Marborough.  This wine is from New Zealand, and the Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough runs around $10, you may even find it for less.

Focus on the spirit of the day

Spend time with family.  Talk, play games; watch football; look at old family photos.  Give thanks for the good fortune you have to spend this time with your loved ones.

The Internet is an amazing resource to find anything. Information is normally free, so why not take advantage. For example, Forbes.com and Kiplinger.com offer free online financial magazines. What else can you get for free? Well here’s a list:

1. Free Wi-Fi hot spots – the directory at wififreespot.com will give you a lising of the restaurants and coffee shops in your neighborhood that offer free wireless Internet access. It’s great for travel too. Need to know which hotels, restaurants and coffee shops at your destination offer free WiFi? Just check online!
2. Free Business Cards – VistaPrint.com is an online printing company with an amazing offer – 250 free business cards! The quality is good, too. Just go to the Web site, and create your business card. You will have to pay a slight fee for shipping.
3. Free Jewelry – The Silver jewelry Club, silverjewelryclub.com, offers high-quality silver jewelry including rings, pendants, bracelets, and earrings. Much of the jewelry also includes gemstones. It is totally free, you just pay a small shipping charge of $6.99. Want Jewelry For Free? Click HERE.
4. Learn Spanish Today – Learn Spanish on-line for free, using interactive audio/visual lessons. This is a wonderful resources to start anyone learning Spanish. The lessons are easy to access, fun, and help you learn Spanish fast.
5. Free Credit Report – Everyone is entitled to a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once each year. Go to annualcreditreport.com and follow the instructions for the free reports. Be aware there are dozens of online services that pose as sources for free credit reports, but they really charge for them. AnnualCreditReport.com is sponsored by Equifax, TransUnion and Experian to give you your mandated free reports.

So check out these offers, and save big today!

You can save money using the many resources on the Internet. Saving online is getting easier every day. Here are ten simple and easy ways to save money online:

1. Join the FreeCycle network. Find the group that is closest to your location, join online and start saving. You can get all kinds of surprising free stuff from your neighbors and you can donate your unwanted goods there too. Don’t forget, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure….
2. Check out the “free” stuff listed on CraigsList.org. Here’s how, just go to Craigslist and look for the “free” heading in the “for sale” listings.
3. Find out what special discounts you are entitled to due to your various affiliations such as AAA Motor Club membership, Costco or Sam’s Club memberships, senior discounts, discounts for kids, employee discounts through your employer, and other organizations.
4. Use Hula.com to view your favorite TV shows online.  Netflix also offers movie viewing online.  Ditch the cable.
5. Go to iTunes.com and Amazon.com to find free MP3 music downloads and save loads!  These music downloads are legal and free.  Freebies at iTunes are updated every Tuesday, so mark your schedule.

Look, you’re online anyway, so start using some of these ideas to save more money!

I’ve found the best way to ensure my family gets their daily nutritional servings and I get more value for my grocery budget is when I make my own meals with fresh, seasonal ingredients instead of opting for store-bought, pre-prepared or pre-cut veggies and meal additions. (more…)

It rained on Halloween, so we didn’t have many trick or treaters. With so much leftover Halloween candy, I wanted to find something to do with it so it wouldn’t go to waste. Since I work alone, I don’t have co-workers to share with, and my neighbors had too much candy of their own – so hand-outs to the neighborhood was not an option either.

Hearing of my plight, my sister shared this recipe for “Leftover Halloween Candy Cake”. It is amazingly easy to make, and delicious. This is a great frugal tip so that you don’t let any of that candy go to waste. Here’s the recipe, hope you enjoy it as much as my family and friends did: (more…)