saving money

5 Rules for Saving Money at the Grocery Store

There are lots of ways to save money, and any method you can add to your money-saving toolbox will help you better achieve your financial goals. Whether it’s putting more money towards retirement, a college fund, a down payment on a home or automobile or that vacation you’ve been dreaming about, reaching your financial goals requires that you make wise financial choices. In other words, reaching financial goals requires you to be frugal.

As humans, we need to eat and grocery shopping typically occupies a big chunk of our budget. This is even truer for larger families or families with special dietary needs. However, you can significantly reduce your grocery bill by employing five basic rules to your grocery shopping tasks:

1. Always shop with a list

2. Plan your meals

3. Buy store brands or generics when available

4. Use the store’s loyalty card

5. Use coupons for additional savings

Always shop with a list

Shopping with a list is vital. While we allocate a certain amount for groceries each week in our monthly budgets (you do budget, don’t you?), we should further regulate food spending by always using a list during our grocery store excursions. A grocery shopping list is a natural extension of the monthly budget. This list is your grocery spending plan just as your budget is your overall household spending plan. It helps you see where you can cut costs, helps you stay on track with your financial goals and helps to curb costly impulse buying.

Plan your meals

A good grocery list will follow a weekly menu plan. Buy items that you can reuse in different dishes and work with your family so everyone agrees on the meals of the week. Schedule dinner so that everyone eats together and make it a habit to save leftovers that will make delicious weekend lunches. Developing your grocery list around a meal plan will also help you avoid dining out, which can be unhealthy as well as expensive.

Buy store brands or generics and use the store’s loyalty card

Buying grocery store brand products will save you money — lots of money. Industry sales research cited by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) shows that American shoppers save about $15.8 billion annually by choosing store brands over name brands. To test this theory, your trusty writer ventured into a local grocery store with pen and legal pad, walked the various isles and documented actual price differences for 20 common grocery items: aspirin, acetametaphin, ibuprofen, green beans, sweet corn, ketchup, mayonnaise, mixed fruit, sugar, condensed milk, cornflakes, raisin bran, facial tissue, whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate milk, graham crackers, cream cheese, eggs and peanut butter.

Including savings from using the store’s loyalty card (another must-have money-saving tool), I calculated a savings of between 13 and 68 percent with an average 42 percent savings. If I purchased all items from name brand manufacturers, I would have paid $74.41. Foregoing the lure of buying brand name items, the total came to $43.45 – a $30.96 savings for 20 items (an average of over $1.50 per item) just for buying store brands and using my store loyalty card.

The difference in prices is what the PLMA calls the “marketing tax” which you pay so name brand manufacturers can promote their products through advertising and other means. However, many store brand items are produced by the same manufacturers that make competing name brand items. You can save a lot of money by choosing to not pay this “marketing tax” and keep that money where it belongs – in your pocket!

Use coupons for additional savings

In addition to store brand and loyalty card savings, you should make the most of your grocery shopping dollars by cutting, organizing and using coupons (check your Sunday newspaper). Coupons are a marketing gimmick, so don’t buy items you do not need just so you can save a little on the purchase. In reality, that’s a waste of money. Use coupons to save money on items you need and use. Try a different brand if a coupon from that competitor can save you money – even if it’s only a few cents because every penny adds up at the checkout counter. Cut and organize coupons on the same day you plan your next week’s meal menu so you can maximize your savings by planning dishes around coupons.

Don’t limit your coupon clipping to your Sunday newspaper. Try coupon websites, like CoolSavings.com. One website, CouponBar.com, even offers a toolbar you can add to your web browser. You can even find people selling sets of coupons on eBay.com.

While it may seem like a lot of planning, the savings add up. Depending on your current grocery shopping habits, you may be able to cut your weekly grocery bill in half – or even more! The key to this strategy, as with any budgeting strategy, is to develop your plan and then stick to it. Once these five frugal habits become a part of your routine, you’ll thank yourself for all the initial efforts you made to develop these valuable money-saving skills.

John Janney
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/5-rules-for-saving-money-at-the-grocery-store-114030.html

Start Saving That College Money

If a student can graduate from college nowadays without having any debt accrued, they are among the minority and incredibly fortunate. Most college graduates will find themselves with making payments for their education for many years. College costs are always on the rise no matter where you live. Of course, with the costs constantly increasing, it means that students need more college money than ever before. Sadly enough, gone are the days of being able to land a professional job without a college degree. The demand for having a college education pushes more people to further their educations without having college money in their pockets.

Ten years ago, I was a college student. My parents weren’t wealthy but they did give me some college money. I had some decent scholarships and financial aid as well. With all of the assistance with my college money, I still had debt when I graduated. It took me six years of making payments to make that disappear. Having gone to a state school, my years of debt weren’t as many as someone who had attended a private school. They obviously needed much more college money than I had.

There are lots of ways to save college money for your children or yourself these days. There are also tons of ways to find college money if you are in need. It isn’t always easy to get your hands on, but it is always worth looking into. My husband and I have already started to save college money for our toddler. We definitely don’t have much money to be contributing at this stage in our lives, but her future is vital. Each month, $50 goes into her savings account. It may not seem like a lot, but that amount does add up and will only be increased as our status in life increases. The point is, we’re doing something about it. I know many families who have children in school already and haven’t even thought about having some system in place for saving college money for them. I think that is incredibly sad.

To be honest, I do think that students should bear some financial responsibility for their education. However, they should not be expected to accrue a lot of debt. I certainly don’t want my daughter to graduate from college and not be able to enjoy life because she has too much debt. She will have some college money available to her. All families who can save even a small amount should do the same for their children.

If you don’t have a savings account set up for your child, start one. Any amount of college money you can put into it will help out someday. Talk to a financial advisor about the many programs in existence that will help you save some college money for your children. Any college money that you can place emphasis on saving will help to child have a more stable future.

John Reimann
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/start-saving-that-college-money-69894.html

How are you saving money during this economic crunch?

With high gas prices, and the bad economy. What have you been doing to save money? I need help findings ways to save, if not make more money. I am a full time college student with a part time job, and no time to get another job. Any ideas on saving money and/or making more?

Well it all depends on how much necessary and un-neccessary expenses you have. For me, I have started driving my car ONLY if necessary. I stopped buying daily coffee, muffin or lunch from outside, now I make my coffee at home. I dont go to the mall as often, becasue I know if I do, I will end up buying un-necessary things. One more thing is that I use my credit card, that way I keep a better track of my spendings and since it comes with reward points, they usually add up for gift certificates and this is like a little bit of money to spend.

How To Save Money By Eliminating 10 Things You Don’t Need

Watch this video for a demonstration of “How To Save Money By Eliminating 10 Things You Don’t Need”. To complete the task, you will need:

Self-discipline
Sacrifice
Open-mindedness

Get started with the first step: Stop buying unnecessary paper products. Use cloth napkins, mop up spills with dishcloths and rags, write shopping lists on the back of junk-mail envelopes, (and stick your coupons inside).

For the complete guide, go to http://www.howcast.com/videos/237568-How-To-Save-money-By-Eliminating-10-Things-You-Dont-Need

Also check out Howcast for other do it yourself videos from BARKBARK and more videos in the General Personal Finance category.

How can you contribute? Create your own DIY guide at http://www.howcast.com/videos/new or apply to the Howcast Emerging Filmmakers Program at http://www.howcast.com/filmmakers/apply

Duration : 0:2:23

Read more…

Technorati Tags: budget, Consume, Consumer, Cost, Finance, HotHowTos, money, Price, save

Money Saving Tips: Auto Transport

saving money on a move is a big deal for most people. We already know that moving is very expensive, so anything that can be saved is well received. There are many different things that a person can do to save money on a move, and for larger families this is a must. From box types to options, there are many small places that money often gets wasted while moving, but the one area that most people simply don?t think about is in the transport of their vehicles.

Transporting a car or other vehicle over a long distance is not cheap. In some cases, the driving of said vehicle across the country can end up costing much more than the move itself. For families with more than a single vehicle, this cost can end up being nearly two or three times that of the transport of the household goods. For this reason, a fairly new niche market has been created within the moving industry. Auto transport is what this is called, and it can possibly save you lots of money.

The Real Costs

So how does adding a service really save you money? Think about driving a vehicle. When you drive from one place to another, you have to figure in the costs that come with a road trip. These costs include fuel, food, accommodations, and maintenance on vehicles. Don?t forget to save aside money for emergencies such as a breakdown, as cars are often unpredictable over long distances.Driving from one place to another over a long distance takes time, so make sure to budget everything before you come to a final figure.

What you Save

Using auto transport can really save you some money when you think about it. They will load your car and take it to its destination while you are free to travel however you wish. Considering the costs of driving, a fee for the transport of your car plus a ticket on a train or plane really does not cost you very much. Considering that you will not have to stop for the night or purchase food over the course of a few days will also add up quickly. When compared side by side, auto transport is a whole lot cheaper than driving one or more vehicles when you move.

Consider also that you will be tired from the move anyways. It will be hard to drive a car over the course of a day or more if you just packed and loaded an entire household worth of goods. You can save lots of stress during your move by not having to drive a vehicle across a long distance. Compound stress can only have a bad outcome, no matter how it may manifest.

The Big Picture

As you can see, the costs truly add up when you are moving, monetarily as well as emotionally and mentally. Using auto transport to get your vehicles from your current home to their new place can save you time, money, stress, and effort. It is usually worth every cent that you spend on the car shipping service.

Jennifer Strong
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/money-saving-tips-auto-transport-685188.html

Small Business Tips for Saving Money in the New Year

Maintaining a successful business means keeping accurate and timely financial information, Why?Because a clear financial picture will allow you to monitor your business.

Make sure that you also keep all your records like canceled checks and other business documents in a safe place. Put your receipts in the proper categories throughout the year so it would be easier to total them at year’s end for tax purposes. You are not required to keep records in a formal set of books so make sure you choose the best record keeping system, which is one that works best for you.

As you might not always get paid right away for a product or service that you have already delivered. Today it is harder than ever before to secure alternative financing through banks or venture capitalists. So the bottom like is that accounts receivable factoring could help.

Factoring is an extremely fast way to turn your receivables into cashrather than waiting up to 90 days for an invoice to be paid. Following are some other money saving tips:

1. Take a look at all work expenses. Rather than eating in restaurants every single day for lunch, and getting that latte at 11 am and 4pm, bring your lunch to work from home often to save money, plus it is probably healthier. If possible, commute to work with other employees to save money on gas.
2. Do not purchase lottery tickets. Recreational money taking activities, including gambling, must be stopped.
3. Cut back on any incidentals. Read through one of your credit-card statements and review those monthly fees. Cut back on dry cleaning and cancel any club memberships you don’t use. Magazines often just stack up so cancel unused subscriptions.
4. Begin to save money. Review your saving habits, and if you have not saved much then set aside a reasonable amount you could look at like it is just another monthly bill. Start saving and keep at least $10k in your savings account for emergencies.
5. Draw up a savings Plan. Think about reaching a specific savings goal so that after that your savings money could become automatic contributions to a mutual fund or other stock-oriented fund.
6. Iliminate credit-card debt. Pay the balance of any credit cards on time and in full each month. Or transfer your credit-card balances to one single card with a lower interest rate as soon as possible.
7. Don’t get late fees. If your credit-card bill is regularly due before you’ve received your paycheck you may be getting hit with extra finance charges? Call the credit-card company and ask to change the due date.
8. Set up or contribute to retirement fund. Contribute as much as you can to a tax-deferred retirement plan. You’ll get a tax break, and some employers match part of your contribution.
9. Review your estate plan. Now is the time to do it, but if you already have these documents, just update them.
10. Think about invoice factoring for much needed cash. After the holidays and New Year begins, some people find themselves broke. Single invoice factoring could enable you to receive funds in less than 24 hours.

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Kristin Gabriel
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/small-business-tips-for-saving-money-in-the-new-year-704111.html

How much money am I saving a month by turning down my heat 2 degrees fahreheit at night time?

Is it really worth the savings? My dad turns is down to 66 at night but i find it freezing cold. I sleep in the basement and im sure its alot colder down here. I tell my dad to leave the heat at 68 all the time but he says he saves money by turning it down at night time. Is he really saving all that much? I’m willing to pay the difference to keep it the same temp. all the time, i just need to know how much he is saving. Thank you everybody!

I don’t think it is that much of a savings. My husband is the same way as your dad. He THINKS that turning the temperature down 1 or 2 degrees would make a HUGE difference. But, it’s your dad’s house, so it wouldn’t be fair or wise to turn the heat up behind his back. You need to be upfront & honest w/him. Ask him how much does he think he’s saving & offer to pay that amount to him if he would leave the heat on 68.

How To Save Money With Coupons

Watch this video for a demonstration of “How To Save Money With Coupons”. To complete the task, you will need:

Sunday newspapers
Coupon websites
An accordion folder

Get started with the first step: Don’t limit yourself to one edition of the Sunday paper. Serious savers carefully go through the coupon inserts in several editions, because different papers carry different coupons. The money you save will more than offset the cost of the papers.

For the complete guide, go to http://www.howcast.com/videos/34055-How-To-Save-money-With-Coupons

Also check out Howcast for other do it yourself videos from jonz and more videos in the Grocery Shopping category.

How can you contribute? Create your own DIY guide at http://www.howcast.com/videos/new or apply to the Howcast Emerging Filmmakers Program at http://www.howcast.com/filmmakers/apply

Duration : 0:2:16

Read more…

Technorati Tags: discounts, economics, finding, groceries, grocery, home, house, how-to, howcast, saving, shopping

Five Money Saving Tips When Selling Your Home

Your home is undoubtedly the most valuable asset for the vast majority of us and selling it will cost thousands. Using the money saving tips in this article should reduce the cost of moving home.

Estate Agent fees vary, so shopping around and don’t forget to haggle and pay one off against the other. You should aim for 1% commission, also push then to limit the tie-in period to no more than 6 weeks, this gives then enough time to sell the house, but if they can’t you can move to another agent without going “multi-agent” which will increase the fee to about 3%+, a big no-no! Ensure you get a fair valuation, never tell an estate agent what other agencies have valued your house at. They will use this to manipulate its offer, often resulting in wide distortions.

It is false economy to go for the cheapest solicitors, so get recommendations from all the estate agents you speak to and remember to ask for the name of specific people, rather than just the legal firms. Give them a call and ask what their charges are, also note whether they are they friendly, helpful, and most important efficient? Fees are negotiable so haggle! Play off each one against the other to get yourself the best service at the best price.

Selling you house privately can save thousands. One in twenty vendors are now taking the DIY route which could save you thousands. That is a massive money saving tip, but there are a couple of downsides, basically “time and effort”. You could consider newspaper advertising, flyers and signs. Newspapers usually charge per line or per word so try to keep your advert as brief as possible without making it uninteresting. The simplest way would to sell your house yourself is to use one of the many online house selling service.

Obviously it is best to sell your house when the market is strong and demand is high, so keep an eye on the local property market. Generally, the market tends to be stronger in early and late summer than the rest of the year, so aim to sell your house then. Also avoid completing with your neighbours so if there are already a few “For Sale” signs on your street, it might be better to wait a bit.

Research has shown that a poor presented house can take longer to sell and may reduce the price by thousands. So get your paint brushes out, give your home a lick of paint and finish all of those DIY jobs which are outstanding. Also talk to the estate agent about adding value to your property it maybe worth spending a bit of cash to make some more. However, be careful not to over spend, you might not get your money back, so talk all planned improvements through with your estate agent.

If you are determined to save money when selling your home, do some more research, as they say knowledge is power. Websites such as Moneysavingexpert.com specialise in offering money saving tips, a brief browse around such sites will allow you to get all the information you need to save you a ton of money.

Sean Lewis
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/five-money-saving-tips-when-selling-your-home-60285.html

What are some money saving tips that you use?

I would like to know what things that you do in order to save money? Things like saving money on buying certain things such as household things like soap, tissue, or anything that you do that saves you or your family money.

1. I say clip coupons all the time and buy sale items.

I once helped my family turn a $200 grocery bill into a $80 bill for scan and clipping coupons. trust me it is worth it.

2. Put all coins in a jar then cash them in.

3. Buy out off season clothes for cheap at places like plato’s closet

4. research sales online

5.research the lowest gas prices in your area (www.gasbuddy.com)

6. have a set amount you put away if you have a job like 15%

7. set financial goals

8. rent movies from the library
______________________________________
SHOPPING RULES

1. never carry credit cards

2. make a list

3. don’t carry all your money with you

4. look at different store prices