Here is today’s segment from WSBT-TV. We talked about decisions we made to save money, that also had a positive impact on our environment.
Related Readings:
Cloth Diapering 101
Making Your Own Cleaners
Reducing Plastic Bag Consumption
Happy Homemaking the Homemade Way
Sound Off: What are some money-saving things you have done that also have benefited our planet?
Welcome to the seventh day in our Month of Savings series.
Today we will be talking a little bit about how you can brown bag your lunch and save your family loads of money.
I stay home with my kids, but I still go to playgroups where the opportunity arises for a lunch to be bought.
The temptation towards going out for my husband though is prevalent every single day, since most of his coworkers forgo the savings and enjoy lunch out daily.
My husband takes his lunch daily to work and I try to take great pride in what we eat for dinner so that pride can be reflected in his leftovers the next day.
For him, sandwiches aren’t as filling as the leftovers.
For us, the leftovers are cheaper than the sandwich meat and snacky type of foods that I would pack for him.
We put our containers right underneath the area where I serve our dinner.
Immediately after I have dished up everyone’s plate, I fill any leftovers into these containers for my husband.
We have designated a special section in our fridge for the leftovers so they are easy for him to find in the morning to take them into work.
Sound Off: Do you have any brown bagging tips to share? How do you save your family money in this category?
Check out these other great posts from MomAdvice.com:
Well, I am just overwhelmed! I appreciate all of the feedback and it meant so much to me that people left comments. I was having one of those kind of days. You know, one of THOSE days, where nothing seemed to be going right.
Thanks again- without you, these opportunities would not be possible!
I was excited about sharing thirty ways that we save our family money. I am not advertising for companies, but I may, at times, be highlighting companies that we have used to save our family money. These can be ideas you implement in your house, or not…
I have been getting some nasty emails from people so I can discontinue the series. I have already written the posts for the week and really wanted to share some new things we are trying to do for our family, but if you guys are hating it then I can stop.
Future posts would include free family days, how to rent/find cheap movies, coffee tips, cheaper prescriptions, brown bagging the lunch, lowering your house payment, and many more things that we are doing in our house.
I just hate to work this hard on something like this and get mean emails and comments.
Life. On a Budget has an excellent post about figuring out how much your time is worth. She explains the argument that most people use for figuring out how much their time costs might not be the right philosophy.
Enjoy the great read!
Rebates can be a great way to save money for your family and no one does it better than the office supplies stores and drugstores. Unfortunately, four out of ten people never even apply for their entitled rebate. Maybe this is why these companies offer them?
Rebate Tips
I used to take advantage of rebates more regularly, but have fallen off the bandwagon this summer. I checked my paper on Sunday though and the rebates were too good to pass up. I clipped my coupons, grabbed the rebates flier in the store and came armed with that week’s advertisement.
I hit the store, when we got home from church, and was able to get the following:
10 boxes of Post cereal
3 boxes Kotex pads
3 Aquafresh toothpastes
1 Colgate Total
2 Colgate Advanced (with bonus free toothbrushes)
1 box Revlon Hair Color
1 Schick Silk Effects Razor
Grand Total Before Savings: $60.28
Coupon Savings: $8.75
Rebate Savings: $35.97
Total Savings: $44.72
Final Total: $15.56
Walgreens also offers a similar rebates program and they run some pretty stellar deals themselves. You can check their EasySaver catalog online or pick a copy up when you get to the store. From what I understand, these rebates do have to be mailed in and take up to three weeks to clear.
CVS offers instant rebates that print out on your receipt. Bring in your Extra Care Bucks and they will scan them to put these savings towards your purchases. You also do receive 2% back on all of your purchases in the store or online.
Potential Monthly Savings: $40 or more
Welcome to Day 5 in our Month of Savings. I hope that you guys are enjoying it so far and are able to take something away from it. I am surprised how long these entries are taking me, but I really want to cram as much information into them as I can.
Today I want to talk about how much ebay has saved our family. ebay can truly be a frugal family’s best friend and I am interested in hearing what unusual deals you look for on Ebay. I am sure that everyone is searching for something different so I will just share some of the best deals that our family has found…
Coupons- ebay really saved our family a lot of money when we were in the baby food and formula stages because I was able to buy multiple coupons off of the website and use them when I would do our shopping trips. The cost on these is minimal compared to the savings you will find from using them. Keep these coupons in mind when doing your shopping for baby food, formula, diapers, and any other household item that you use frequently. I was able to get our baby food for less than a quarter a jar utilizing coupons that I found on the site.
Magazine Subscriptions- Magazine subscriptions are extremely cheap on ebay and can be bought for less than a quarter of the price of the traditional subscription prices. They are sold by magazine wholesale companies and the savings are huge. These are on of my favorite gifts to get people and it has really saved our family quite a bit of money to buy them through this resource.
Phone Batteries & Accessories- Phone batteries are expensive in the retail stores, but can be bought for less than half the price on ebay. We use this resource frequently when we need an item like this.
iPod Accessories- iPod accessories are extremely inexpensive on ebay and I would highly recommend using ebay for finding these types of items. In a retail store, an iPod adapter for your car costs around sixty to eighty dollars. We purchased ours on ebay for only $14.99. The accessories are not necessarily from the Apple company, but they work just as well and cost a fraction of the price.
Tickets- You can get tickets to theme parks, concerts, and sporting events for a lot less money than buying them online or at the door. Always make sure to go with retailers who have excellent feedback!
Car Parts & Accessories- If you are getting your car repaired, ask what part is needed and the price on it. Sometimes you can find the same exact part on ebay for a lot less money. This is also a great resource for someone who does their own repairs or is trying to make money by selling cars.
Not only can you save a lot of money by buying on ebay, you can also make some money for your family by selling on Ebay. Look around your home at all of the items that are just taking up space, but you are not actually using. Look up the items on ebay and see how much money you could potentially make from the sale and imagine what you could do with this new money in your pocket. You could use this money for a trip or buy a special item that you have been longing for. Check out books from the library on how to present your item and start listing!
Potential Monthly Savings- $40 or more
Sound Off: What do you look for on ebay? What is the best deal that you have gotten on the site?
Just the Plate, Please
We broke the glass plate from the bottom of our microwave. My husband called the manufacturer and learned that it would cost us $40 plus shipping to replace it. We didn’t have the extra money to put out at the time, so we just let it go. A short time later, my husband was browsing in a thrift store and found a used microwave identical to ours for $12. Needless to say, he bought it and we disposed of the microwave and kept the plate!
TdB
Having limited space for storing craft supplies, I started to look at how to organize my sewing and other craft things. Nothing appealed to me, so I was looking at my husband’s latest tool catalog. I found a toolbox base with a power strip (Sears called them project centers. Don’t buy the cheapest. Instead, buy the middle priced one for better quality.) and five drawers. It works great! Also, I can roll it into my kitchen and use it as a kitchen cart. I carved the Thanksgiving turkey on a platter on the cart and then I rolled it to the dining room. This gave me more room on the table for other yummies.
Larie C.
Ever come across a great deal on snacks, such as potato chips, pretzels, crackers, cereal bars, etc., but their expiration date is looming or has already passed? Buy them anyway and freeze them in their original packaging. With the brands we’ve bought, we’ve seen no difference in quality, taste or texture. Of course, allow ample time for thawing.
Cindy in Muncy, PA
Looking for a cheap, low-maintenance pet? Consider “feeder goldfish,” which can cost less than 10 cents. Their food is around a $1 and lasts many months. One can use any type of glass bowl or antique canning jar to keep them in. They do live for years and are fun to keep near the kitchen sink. Some can have a personality and are very happy to see you in the morning. I was told they are cold water fish and do not like heated water, which is a big plus as there is no expensive heater or tank to keep up. I usually keep two fish together for company.
Ann from CT
Recently, out of frustration with road construction and high gas prices, I decided to ditch my car commute and bike to work. I discovered that the 12.5-mile drive that took me 30 minutes by car on a good day (60 minutes or more in construction or bad weather) took about 60 minutes by bike.
Since I spend the same amount of time in the gym in the morning anyway, I followed the same routine (wake up time and packing a bag with business clothes for the day). It was a surprisingly small adjustment to my routine and I wondered why I hadn’t done this sooner. I’m lucky that my workplace has a tiny locker room and shower.
I have found that I am saving not only gas costs ($25/month) but also my gym membership costs ($60/month), so I’m saving at least $85/month and getting daily exercise. Since I live in Minneapolis, I won’t be able to bike year round. Still, it has an impact on my budget and reduces my impact on pollution!
Danae R.
I just got back from vacation and learned this tip from a fellow traveler. Bring your own water bottle. Refill the water bottle at a water fountain near the restrooms and save $3 or more.
Janet H.
When you upgrade your cell phone, hold onto your old phone and don’t pay for phone insurance. If your new phone dies and you can’t get a free new phone from your service provider, simply have them reactivate your old phone. Some providers will do it for free. Alternatively, if your provider runs on a GSM network, you may be able to swap the SIM cards and avoid having to contact your provider.
Cathy in Los Angeles
Organize a neighborhood “swapshop.” Have each person donate
ten items that they would normally give to charity or no longer use and then each person can swap their goods for new ones. I have been able to save on clothes and toys for the last two years. We love it!
Letanie G.
To keep broom, mop handles, etc. from sliding down while leaning against a wall, cut the fingers from rubber gloves and put on top of handles. There will be no more slipping and sliding.
Betty S.
I have a money saving tip for those looking to spruce up their homes for a lower price. Many people are remodeling and some of the homes being remodeled aren’t really out of date. Call a few local contractors and tell them what you are interested in finding, such as a bathroom vanity and sink, kitchen cabinets, etc. Find out if you can purchase what you need from a remodel they are doing. If you can wait for what you want and follow- up with the contractors frequently, you should be able to find what you want at a low price (or even free!) and reduce landfill waste at the same time!
Susie R. in Springfield, IL
Welcome to day three in our Month of Savings series. Today we are going to talk about the potential savings of paying your bills online or via routes other than the traditional snail mail.
I have been paying my bills online for a few years now and I love the service that I am using. Today most banks will offer bill-paying services for free, but my bank still charges to pay my bills for me. I have had to enlist the help of a third party to help me keep track of my bills and to make my payments on my behalf.
I use MyCheckFree.com, and I have been with the company for almost four years now. I have never had a late payment and I have never had any unauthorized activity on my account. If I am unable to pay them through MyCheckFree.com, I do try to set up online payment through the companies website directly.
What benefits are there to paying your bills online? Well, for one you can be saving money on stamps and envelopes. With the cost of stamps continuing to rise, it is great to be able to save money on this and just pay your bills online or by calling into the companies to have the money taken out of your account.
Another great reason to sign up for online bill paying is because many lenders offer a discount if you sign up for the automatic payments to your account. I have seen these discounts offered through mortgage providers and through student loan companies. Of course, with the automatic payments, you will need to make sure that you have money in your account to make the payment. If your account is not stable or the timing is of the essence, it might be more in your favor to avoid setting this up and the fees that could come up with not having enough money in your account.
Here are some free bill paying options that you can take advantage of:
Capital One Customers– Simplify your life with Online Bill Payment Service from Capital One. Pay as many bills as you want, on time—guaranteed—without the hassle of stamps or writing checks.
MyCheckFree.com– This is the free bill-paying service that our family uses. You can receive and pay your bills in one easy and safe location. Payment processing begins as soon as you, “Click to pay,” and every payment is 100% guaranteed to get there when it is supposed to. You can set payments up to be taken out automatically or you can just set them up as you receive the bills. The bills come directly to your email and you can print out the bills for your financial records or keep them stored on their site.
If you don’t feel comfortable allowing a third party to handle your bills, you can go to each of the websites for your bills and sign up directly with them.
If online payment is just not for you, many companies offer a call in service where you can dial in and make your payment via phone with a representative or through an automated service. Most payments will be processed immediately upon calling in, but be sure to find this out when making your payment so it is not late.
The important thing is that you eliminate the stamps, eliminate the paperwork coming into your house and eliminate the late fees that occur from missing a payment.
AOL Bill Manager Plus– Bill Manager Plus with Spending Alerts is a FREE service for bill management and bill payment. Bill Manager Plus also helps you easily maintain a budget and protect yourself from identity theft and fraud.
Bill Manager Plus With Spending Alerts lets you:
· Get e-bills from over 4,400 supported billers & banks.
· Securely receive and pay bills using a single password — right from your e-mail inbox.
· Automatically add bill due dates to your calendar.
· Track monthly expenditures with easy to read charts.
· Avoid late fees with bill reminders.
· No other bill pay service allows you to manage and pay your bills directly from your e-mail inbox.
· Other bill pay services don’t offer you Spending Alerts — designed to protect you from fraud.
· Credit card and banking alerts enable you to monitor suspicious activity and large transactions
· Cell phone minute alerts allow you to avoid monthly-minute overage fees from your cellular provider. You’ll always know when you’re dipping into that pricey talk time!
NetBank– NetBank’s online bill pay and consolidated bill statement removes all the hassles of paying and reviewing your bills. Get your bills in one place.
-Pay bills anytime, anywhere
-Get an email notice when you have a new bill
-Simply point and click to pay new bills
-Helps you avoid checks, stamps, and trips to the post office
-Get access to online bill pay with any NetBank Checking account
-Schedule repeating payments so you won’t forget to pay a bill
-Free if used at least once every 3 months or if the average monthly balance in your bill payment checking account is $3,000 or greater
-Keep an online record of payments for 6 months
-Organize all your bills in one place
-Get account balances, minimum payments, and payment records
-Integrated with online bill pay so you can view and pay your bills instantly
PNC Bank Online– No more checks, envelopes, stamps or trips to the post office. Online Bill Pay eliminates all that paperwork and saves you time – on average two hours a month – and you can click and pay with confidence. Your information is protected by advanced PNC security technology.
Wells Fargo– Offers free bill paying services to their customers, but only if you have certain types of accounts and maintain a cert
ain balance in your checking account. See this page for details on what accounts qualify.
Potential Savings- $10 each month (and more if you are usually late on bills!)
Related Readings:
CheckFree Works for Me!
Friday Freebie: CheckFree
Sound Off: Do you use a third party for paying your bills or does your bank offer free bill paying services?
The Moms First Segment, on our local CBS station, is now available for online viewing. I got a chance to chat about how to deal with the rising costs of milk. These suggestions come from our new article, “Milking the Milk Budget.”