When I think of frugal I think of saving money. I think of only buying things that are necessary and I think about spending as little as possible on the things I do need.

One of the best things you can do to save money is to use coupons and use the ads to find the best price for the items you need. Even though that’s the best way to get things for cheap or even free, you must be careful. It’s important to pay attention to prices and what you buy because it’s possible generic items will work the same, but you’ll spend less money on them.

I don’t know about you, but there are certain things I won’t buy generic, but there are other things I don’t have a problem with at all. An example of this would be sliced cheese. I refuse to buy generic cheese. It tastes different to me. Now I don’t have a problem buying generic sandwich bags.

When you’re trying to live frugal and save money it’s important to pay attention to what you’re buying and how much you’re spending on it. There is no point in overspending when generic items work just the same.

Corrie Petersen runs a successful Virtual Assistant business and she’s the owner of WAHM-Articles.com. She is married and has two teenagers. She loves saving money when she can through couponing and price matching. If you’re looking for a way to save money at the grocery store, click here to purchase a copy of her couponing ebook.

How many times have you had more bills than money at the end of the month? For some that happens every month while others it only happens occasionally. Whether you’ve had this happen or not, it’s not a bad idea to look at your finances to see what you can do to stop or prevent it from happening. Here are some tips to help you save money.

One of the best ways to prevent overspending is to use the envelope system. While it takes dedication to make this system work, you’ll find when you make it work each month, the end result will help you with your money.

When you decide you’re going to do the envelope system the most important thing to remember is you pay cash for everything. This will help you to spend only what you have. It’s easy to spend money when you use a debit or credit card, but harder when you only have a certain amount of cash in your purse.

To get started you need to get enough envelopes to cover every single bill you have. You’ll want to write the vendor name on the outside of the envelope along with the due date and the monthly payment. You’ll want to keep them in a place where they fit well and you’ll have easy access to them. Keep them in order by the day you pay them so you don’t forget to pay something.

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Don’t let the economy bum you out when it comes to having fun. Saving money should always be in fashion anyways. Get creative and think outside the box to spice up life. If you haven’t had to get creative before, now is a good time to start. Look for “free community” opportunities for fun times!

Earlier this year we made a purchase from a furniture store in the Akron area and became a “past customer”. This furniture store sent out flyers recently to their “past customers” inviting us to a free Fall Festival at their store. Details of the night included finger-food dinner from “their” cafe- (yes, this furniture store has a cafe), a free gift (choice of a pumpkin or a floor rug), a little bit of Halloween fun for the kiddos (trick or treating for candy) and if you were making a non-refundable purchase that night you could play musical chairs and get a chance to win up to $5000 off your purchase that night!

Other frugal ways to have fun:

~ While the weather is still nice, give the kids some paper lunch sacks and go for a walk. Have the kids pick up whatever looks interesting (and safe) and put it in the bags. Or, give them a list of things to hunt…a scavenger hunt! Acorns, gold leaves, pine cones, strange rocks…etc..

~ Teach them how to rake leaves. If they are young enough, they might actually “believe” it is fun!

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Saving money is something many families try to do so they can provide the most for their families. Whether they do it so their children can have the clothes they want to wear or if they do it so they can live the lifestyle they want, saving money is one way to make it happen.

There are many ways to save money each month. You can use coupons at the grocery store, car pool to work, ride a bicycle in the summer, and buy used when possible, but did you know there is a way to save money at home in the winter?

One way to save money at home in the winter is to put plastic over your windows. You can use the plastic you put down when you paint or you can use the type that’s specific for windows. If you use the paint plastic you’ll need tape so you can seal off the window. If you use the window plastic you’ll need a blow dryer to put it on with.

Another way to save money with your home is to put a bath towel on the floor at the base of your door. Most doors leak air at the bottom and this can cause the cold air to come in and make your house cold. When that happens you’re forced to turn your heat up which means your bill will be higher.

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Whether you’re short on funds due to a job loss or you’re a work at home mom that wants to continue that way, frugal living is a way of life that works for a lot of people. It takes time to put everything together, but it works and can save you money that will help pay your bills.

There are so many things you can do to be frugal with both your business and your personal needs. Here are a few suggestions for you to consider when you making your plans to start frugal living or if you’re already living frugal and need more help.

* Business

Living frugally with your business can be a challenge if you don’t know what to do or what to look for. There are a few supply stores that offer rewards programs and those make it better for your shopping needs. Staples is one of those stores and their program will give you money to use on your next purchase when you return used ink cartridges to them and when you purchase certain items in their store. They also send coupons to those that are a part of their program and that will save you money as well.

Another option is to go online and search for online coupons you can use when you purchase things for your business online. This can be used for items needed to run your business or for travel arrangements you need to make. All you have to do is a Google search for online coupons for the store you want to use.

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The end of the summer is approaching and that means all the left over summer clothes will go on clearance. When that happens, it’s the perfect time to make purchases for next summer. Children grow so fast and there is no point in spending a large amount of money on clothes that they’ll only wear for a few short months and then outgrow.

You’ll need to be careful about the sizes you buy because it would be a waste of money to buy ones that won’t fit. That’s hard to do because you just never know how much they’ll grow from year to year, but a good rule of thumb is one to two sizes larger than what they are currently wearing; course if your children grow faster than that, you’ll need to purchase larger sizes than that.

The other thing you need to remember is there is no point in spending this money if you’re going to forget where you store them or if you forget you have them. It’s best to store them in a place where you’ll remember and then add a reminder to your calendar or cell phone. You’ll want to put this reminder in around April or May so you have time to get them out and give them to your child to wear when the warmer weather hits.

Living frugally is important for many reasons. It doesn’t matter if you must save money so you can continue to be a work at home mom or if you’re saving money so you can take a vacation, living frugally is the way to go. When you buy clothes on clearance you’ll save money and have what you need when you need it.

Corrie Petersen runs a successful Virtual Assistant business. She has learned to set frugal goals to help save her family money. If you’re looking for ways to save money, click here to purchase her “Taking it to the Extreme: A Guide to Couponing ebook. In this guide you’ll learn how to save money at the grocery store.

When you’re trying to live a frugal lifestyle, it’s important to keep certain things in mind. Spending as little money as possible is what your plan is all about, but there are certain things you must spend a little more on or it won’t work.

Meals are one of those things. Now if you think you should spend as little money on food as you can, then you’re on the right track, but one thing that may help is to spend a little more on a meal and having left-over’s.

When you create a meal that will give you lunch or dinner the next day, then you’ve saved even more money because you don’t have to spend the full amount on another meal. Meals like spaghetti, lasagna, and chicken alfredo are examples of meals that have the possibility of left-over’s. When you plan ahead and you make enough so you have them, you’ll save money even though you’re spending a little more up front.

You don’t necessarily have to eat them the next day, but it’s still a savings in the long run. If you purchase those plastic containers with lids, you can place them in those and in the freezer and pull them out when you’re ready to have them again. Make sure you use tape and write on it what it is and the date so you know for sure.

If you have a problem eating the same thing over and over you probably get rid of the left-over’s and that’s a waste, but using these plastic containers will eliminate that waste and will help you save money down the road. Doing it this way will take a little time as far as seeing the savings goes, but once you start eating the left-over’s you’ll see it.

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Financial debt can certainly consume you in more ways that one. It can rob you of sleep, it can cause major anxiety, it can interfere in your marriage, and it can cause you a severe bout of depression. While some of these go hand in hand, there are a growing number of financial debt affects that can result in an unhealthy lifestyle.

With the worldwide failing economy, there has to be certain things we can do to alleviate some of that burden. Well, there are quite a few practical money saving tips that can economically benefit you and your family. Let’s take a look at some of those things.

1) Drink Water: The beverage you drink on a daily basis should be water. Not only will this save you money, but consuming at least 8 full glasses of water each day is extremely healthy for you.

2) Eat Out Less: Stay at home and cook more often verses going out to eat. You can still have that scheduled Friday or Saturday night evening out, but otherwise stick to cooking at home more throughout the week and you will be surprised at how much you save in a year’s time.

3) Ditch That Daily Morning Latte: You know that daily morning latte that you think you have to have on the way back home from taking the kids to school? Ditch that, you don’t need it. Make your own at home and you’ll save a bundle in just a month’s time.

4) Dryer Vent Seal: Make for sure your clothes dryer has a dryer vent seal. This is an air leakage control device. We have one on ours and it’s definitely a money saver.

5) Grocery Shopping Online: Try doing your grocery shopping online. Sometimes you are able to save a considerable amount of your hard-earned dollars by doing this. An added plus, you will save on gas and time as well.

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When you think of frugal living you may think of saving money at the grocery store, but that’s not the only thing you need to think about. Spring is in the air and that means we’re going to be using more water. We’ll be watering the grass, on hot days the kids may want to run through the sprinkler, or they’ll need to fill up the pool.

Depending on the amount of water you need to save, another suggestion is to use a sprinkler that fits your yard more. There is no point in watering the sidewalk or driveway. It’s best to use a sprinkler that will fit your yard. Another idea is to water the edges by hand so you have control over the amount of water used and where it goes.

Another way to save money on water is to pay attention to the time of day you water. You’re going to need more water if you do it during the heat of the day. Your yard will do better if you water later at night or early in the morning. You’ll find the grass will be greener and will need less water when you do it this water.

It’s also a good idea to set a timer when you water. If you get busy or lose track of time you may forget about it and go back to move it after you have standing water in your yard because you watered it for 45 minutes or an hour. Depending on how dry your yard is you shouldn’t need to water more than 15 to 20 minutes for each spot.

One last way to save money is to redesign your yard. If you eliminate grass and other things that require water you won’t have to use the water as much. Now that doesn’t mean you need to completely eliminate it, but if you cut down on the amount of grass or flowers you’ll use less.

I’m not an expert at watering yards and keeping grass green, but I do know how I’ve saved money in the past. Having a nice yard with green grass makes you feel good, but it can come with a hefty bill. If you use these suggestions, it’s possible to have a nice yard and still have money in your pocket. Good luck!

If you’ve ever used your credit cards to pay your monthly bills, you know how stressful that can be. It’s worse when you become dependent on them each month to survive. What you may not be thinking about is the more you use the card, the higher the monthly payment will be, but what’s worse is when you get to a certain point, the credit card company will either lower your limit or they’ll tell you, the card can’t be used.

Another thing that may cause a problem is if you max your card out and the interest puts you over the limit. You’ll receive over the limit fees and your payment will increase to accommodate those fees. If this happens, the stress is going to go through the roof and you may find you feel like you’re losing it all. If you’re a work at home mom and you depend on the income you make from your business to keep you at home, this can be devastating.

While coming out of this may be really difficult and you may feel it’s nearly impossible, just remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With a little hard work, dedication, and the control to not make purchases, you can turn this around and have the money you need. You may need to be creative in finding ways to make this happen through your business, but it is possible when you look at the big picture and you consider everything.

Last year one of my authors wrote an article about paying cash for your purchases. She talks about the Minimum Payment Warning and how long it will take you to pay off a credit card when you only pay the minimum due each month. Click here to see what she discovered and how she was going to handle things so she could purchase a new dishwasher.

This author knows how hard it will be, but when that monthly minimum payment number goes down and she begins to see the balance go down as well, she’ll be jumping up and down for joy because she won’t be paying large amounts of interest and her family will be able to do things they want to do. She won’t have to worry if her vehicle breaks down and she won’t have to worry if she’s going to have enough money for groceries.