If you want to save money, here are some great places to start.  You'll be surprised when you add up the savings:

Restaurant.com – Buy certificates for restaurants all around the US at a deep discount.  A $25 certificate is $10; and if you get on their mailing list they will email you offers for discounts as much as 80% off of the usual price.  We recently bought a $25 certificate for our favorite restaurant in our neighborhood for just $2.  Print them and use them same day – no wait.  Highly recommended.

MagicJack – imagine cutting your total phone bill to $19.95 per year!  Just plug the MagicJack into your computer, connect your phone, and make all the calls you want to any phone in the US or Canada for only $19.95 per year.  Our top pick 

Skype – the whole world can talk for free Make free calls over the Internet to other users online free.  Small charge for calling landlines and mobile phones around the world.

Costco -A membership will normally pay for itself only after a few uses.  Costco, Sam's Club and other warehouse stores can save you money on nearly everything you consume, from clothing to groceries, books, computers, office supplies, electronics, appliances, prescriptions and more.

PaperbackSwap.com – Swap books online free, and save.  With the cost of paperback books as much as $12.95 each, you can save by swaping those books you have already read.  

Craigslist.org - You can find just about anything you need for your home or office at Craigslist.  Sometimes these items have never even been used.  You just have to be willing to go and pick it up.

The RE-Store – Find furniture, fixtures, building supplies and more at the Re-Store, a Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store.  We have seen everything from fine antiques to hundreds of boxes of unused ceramic tiles to a lightly used piano.  Great place to find really low-cost filing cabinets, desks, and other office items too.

TotallyFreeStuff.com -Just like the name says, you will find totally free stuff, as well as discount coupons.  

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!

With a growing business, my husband is always looking for ways to save. These days most businesses, small, medium, and large, need to be more frugal and find cost savings anywhere they can. With smart planning, businesses can apply a few frugal ideas – and possibly save a few jobs out there!

One of the best ways we have found to save on office supplies is to buy at the big warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. You can save big money on many items, and you’d be surprised at some of the items you can buy there. For busy business owners, Costco offers a fabtastic fax service. You just fax over your order, and pick it up at the pre-determined time. It is a real time saver. You will even pass up the often very long check out lines and proceed to a special check out line for business fax customers. (more…)

You know a lot of children really don’t like the lunches served at school, and end up either not eating lunch or buying ala carte items that are not only unhealthy but rather expensive. Getting proper nutrition is important for kids at all stages, so having some chips and ice cream for lunch is just not good for your kids.

A good alternative to get your children to eat a nutritious lunch, and to save money at the same time, is to pack their lunches. While it may take you a little more time, it can be well worth it. We suggest packing lunches the night before, rather than waiting for the morning rush.

Here are some tips and suggestions for school lunches that will have your kids anticipating lunch: (more…)

Gas prices continue to rise while the money in your wallet keeps disappearing faster and faster. There are some ways you can reduce your overall fuel consumption and spend less money on gas. However, you must plan a course of action and implement it for your cost savings! One gas saving technique that has been around for a while but has attracted more attention recently is hypermiling. Please use caution if you experiment with this technique, because some hypermiling techniques are illegal and extremely dangerous.

So how can you save money on gas? Here are some tips that everyone can use:

Drive Less

• Walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool.
• Check with your employer to see if telecommuting from home a few days each week is an option, or try to move closer to your workplace.
• Plan ahead and combine trips. Run as many of your errands as possible at one time, rather than running out whenever you think of something you need to do.
• Park in the first spot you find and walk a little. It’s not only better for your health, but you’ll save gas too.

Find the Best Gas Prices

• Watch for which stations have the best prices. Don’t feel you have to be loyal to one spot. For the best savings join one of the wholesale clubs like Sam’s or Costco. They normally have the very lowest gas prices in town. (Buy your gas when you do your shopping all in one trip.)
• Buy the lowest required octane fuel for your car. If you don’t drive a high performance car, chances are your car doesn’t require premium or super-premium fuel

Apply for a Credit Card

• Apply for a credit card that offers cash back, miles or other rewards for gas purchases.

Buy Gas on Wednesday

• Gas prices are statistically the lowest on Wednesdays, believe it or not. But this is only statistically true over a large number of days. It won’t be true every week.

Buy Gas Before Holidays

• Buy gas three days before a holiday – typically gas prices increase at holidays.

Maintain your Car

• Get your car routine tune-ups and manufacturer suggested maintenance.
• Change the oil on time, and use synthetic oil instead of regular oil. It offers better gas mileage and helps your engine run better.
• Change the air filter regularly, and upgrade to a more efficient brand of air filter. Check the air filter at every oil change and change it when needed. Clogged and dirty air filters cause engines to work overtime, requiring more fuel.
• Upgrade your tires to those that offer better fuel efficiency.
• Check the air pressure in your tires every week. Buy an accurate tire gauge. Keep all tires inflated to the pressure that is recommended for your car.
• Remove any unnecessary heavy items from your car. The added weight will cause the car to use more fuel.

Buy a New Car

• If you are in the market for a new car, look for a more fuel efficient smaller car or a hybrid.

Drive Smarter

• Avoid idling. While idling, your car gets 0 miles per gallon while starting the car uses the same amount as idling for 6 seconds. Park your car and go into the restaurant rather than idling in the drive-through. Idling with the air conditioning on also uses extra fuel. Also, avoid going so fast that you have to brake for someone. Whenever you brake, you waste the gas it took to get going that fast.
• Drive at a consistent speed and anticipate stop signs and traffic lights.
• Slow down.  Speeds above 60-65 mph will cause your car to use more fuel.
• Use air conditioning only on the highway.

Even with this list, you can probably think of even more ways to save.  Send us your great ideas!