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Saving Money Tips
from The Dollar Stretcher Community
Gas Motivator
I found an easy way to save on gas. I just record my mileage on the first and last day on my wall calendar. subtract to find the miles traveled that month. I find I travel less to beat last month's record. I seem to automatically cut back because I am accountable.
- Jolynn H.
Class Rings
It's the time of year when sophomores, juniors and seniors are bringing home information on buying class rings. My daughter brought hers home last week and we called a local jewelry store that I had seen advertised in our local newspaper. We went there and they had the same style ring she was interested in with similar pride sides and paid less than what the original ring from school started at. Check your local jewelry stores for similar savings. Our savings total was over $75.
- Laurie in St. Charles, MO
"New" Countertops
Our countertops were old and stained, but we could not spend the money to have new ones put in. I brushed a primer on them, then spray painted them with American Accents Stone Creations paint. You can see what the colors will look like on the lid. I used about 2 1/2 cans, then protected them with several thin layers of polyurethane and everyone thinks we have installed new countertops! A quick fix without much expense.
- Carolyn
Instead of Cash
When setting a budget, some people don't like to carry their spending cash around with them. Although that's the easiest way to keep track of what you spend and what you have left. My suggestion is to get a reloadable Visa or MasterCard gift card. At the beginning of the month (or each payday), put your spending money on the card. Put on it the money that you have budgeted for fun, for take out, for morning coffees, etc. You pay for all these extras with the gift card, and when you spend it, it's gone until the next time you are scheduled to reload it. Remember to get a gift card that has no fees!
Using the gift card for all the non-essential purchases is a convenient way to realize what you spend money on and where you go overboard.
- DeAnna D.
Lower Cost, Healthier Ground Beef
When meat such as roast, round steak, or London Broil (a thicker cut of round steak) goes on sale, I buy several packages and ask the butcher to grind it into hamburger. This is a free service in most grocery stores. I get fairly lean hamburger at a great price. When I get home, I make several packages of hamburger patties and freeze them. I also brown several pounds and freeze it in conveniently sized packages to use for tacos, chili, etc. If I'm really ambitious, I make several meat loaves and freeze those, too. This is a great way to save money and time!
- Kari L.
Shop With a Purpose
Here is a tactic I found helpful when I used to use "shopping therapy" that others might find useful. I kept a running list of items that I would need to buy, but weren't "urgent", like:
- replacement light bulbs
- a fall jacket
- birthday present that was required for the next month
- rug for the spare bathroom
You get the idea... then when I really had a urge to shop, I would grab the list, and kill two birds with one stone. I got to shop, and got errands done at the same time, without going over my budget.
- Peggy S.
Winter Blanket Storage
Here's a tip you can use with Spring just around the corner. Use the space between your box spring and mattress to "store" those winter blankets, as well as extra sheets and pillow cases. You won't have to purchase those expensive storage boxes and you will have your needed items for each particular bed right at your fingertips.
- Lisa B. in Hopewell, VA
Unexpected Senior Discount
I have a tip for folks on a limited income. If you have to have car repairs and have to deal with a dealership, ask about a discount for senior citizens. My dad did and saved over $70.
- Delores
Frozen Windshields
Here's an idea for the cold winter months. Windshield washer de-icing fluid is a great help for those freezing winter months, but it is usually two to three times the price of regular fluid. Instead of filling the washer reservoir with the de-icing fluid, which can waste quite a bit of it, I fill a squirt bottle with the fluid and keep it inside the car. After a few quick squirts, turn the wipers on. The windshield will be clear! Using this method can make one gallon of de- icing fluid last quite a long time.
- Paul I.
Match the Recipe
I find that whether or not I use lean ground beef depends on how I plan to use it. For recipes, I look at the fat content of the other ingredients in the recipe. If using fattier ground beef makes the recipe dangerously high in fat and cholesterol, then I use the lean ground beef instead. If going with the fattier ground beef results in better taste or texture, then I will go with that.
Beef Stroganoff is a good example of a recipe where I would go with greater than 90% lean. The sour cream and the egg noodles have more than enough fat to add flavor to the dish, so no extra fat from the ground beef is needed. When I am making hamburgers, on the other hand, I find I like a little more fat. Ultra lean ground beef tends to be dry, crumbly and has little taste on its own, so it is not very good for burgers. 85% lean is a good balance between texture, taste, and fat content. So which grade of ground beef you choose should depend more on how you plan to cook it rather than the price. With all the different choices you have today, there is no reason to tie yourself down to a single grade.
- Joseph B.
Want to live better on the money you already make? Visit TheDollarStretcher.com to find hundreds of articles to help you stretch your day and your dollar! Copyright 2008 Dollar Stretcher, Inc.
from The Dollar Stretcher Community
Gas Motivator
I found an easy way to save on gas. I just record my mileage on the first and last day on my wall calendar. subtract to find the miles traveled that month. I find I travel less to beat last month's record. I seem to automatically cut back because I am accountable.
- Jolynn H.
Class Rings
It's the time of year when sophomores, juniors and seniors are bringing home information on buying class rings. My daughter brought hers home last week and we called a local jewelry store that I had seen advertised in our local newspaper. We went there and they had the same style ring she was interested in with similar pride sides and paid less than what the original ring from school started at. Check your local jewelry stores for similar savings. Our savings total was over $75.
- Laurie in St. Charles, MO
"New" Countertops
Our countertops were old and stained, but we could not spend the money to have new ones put in. I brushed a primer on them, then spray painted them with American Accents Stone Creations paint. You can see what the colors will look like on the lid. I used about 2 1/2 cans, then protected them with several thin layers of polyurethane and everyone thinks we have installed new countertops! A quick fix without much expense.
- Carolyn
Instead of Cash
When setting a budget, some people don't like to carry their spending cash around with them. Although that's the easiest way to keep track of what you spend and what you have left. My suggestion is to get a reloadable Visa or MasterCard gift card. At the beginning of the month (or each payday), put your spending money on the card. Put on it the money that you have budgeted for fun, for take out, for morning coffees, etc. You pay for all these extras with the gift card, and when you spend it, it's gone until the next time you are scheduled to reload it. Remember to get a gift card that has no fees!
Using the gift card for all the non-essential purchases is a convenient way to realize what you spend money on and where you go overboard.
- DeAnna D.
Lower Cost, Healthier Ground Beef
When meat such as roast, round steak, or London Broil (a thicker cut of round steak) goes on sale, I buy several packages and ask the butcher to grind it into hamburger. This is a free service in most grocery stores. I get fairly lean hamburger at a great price. When I get home, I make several packages of hamburger patties and freeze them. I also brown several pounds and freeze it in conveniently sized packages to use for tacos, chili, etc. If I'm really ambitious, I make several meat loaves and freeze those, too. This is a great way to save money and time!
- Kari L.
Shop With a Purpose
Here is a tactic I found helpful when I used to use "shopping therapy" that others might find useful. I kept a running list of items that I would need to buy, but weren't "urgent", like:
- replacement light bulbs
- a fall jacket
- birthday present that was required for the next month
- rug for the spare bathroom
You get the idea... then when I really had a urge to shop, I would grab the list, and kill two birds with one stone. I got to shop, and got errands done at the same time, without going over my budget.
- Peggy S.
Winter Blanket Storage
Here's a tip you can use with Spring just around the corner. Use the space between your box spring and mattress to "store" those winter blankets, as well as extra sheets and pillow cases. You won't have to purchase those expensive storage boxes and you will have your needed items for each particular bed right at your fingertips.
- Lisa B. in Hopewell, VA
Unexpected Senior Discount
I have a tip for folks on a limited income. If you have to have car repairs and have to deal with a dealership, ask about a discount for senior citizens. My dad did and saved over $70.
- Delores
Frozen Windshields
Here's an idea for the cold winter months. Windshield washer de-icing fluid is a great help for those freezing winter months, but it is usually two to three times the price of regular fluid. Instead of filling the washer reservoir with the de-icing fluid, which can waste quite a bit of it, I fill a squirt bottle with the fluid and keep it inside the car. After a few quick squirts, turn the wipers on. The windshield will be clear! Using this method can make one gallon of de- icing fluid last quite a long time.
- Paul I.
Match the Recipe
I find that whether or not I use lean ground beef depends on how I plan to use it. For recipes, I look at the fat content of the other ingredients in the recipe. If using fattier ground beef makes the recipe dangerously high in fat and cholesterol, then I use the lean ground beef instead. If going with the fattier ground beef results in better taste or texture, then I will go with that.
Beef Stroganoff is a good example of a recipe where I would go with greater than 90% lean. The sour cream and the egg noodles have more than enough fat to add flavor to the dish, so no extra fat from the ground beef is needed. When I am making hamburgers, on the other hand, I find I like a little more fat. Ultra lean ground beef tends to be dry, crumbly and has little taste on its own, so it is not very good for burgers. 85% lean is a good balance between texture, taste, and fat content. So which grade of ground beef you choose should depend more on how you plan to cook it rather than the price. With all the different choices you have today, there is no reason to tie yourself down to a single grade.
- Joseph B.
Want to live better on the money you already make? Visit TheDollarStretcher.com to find hundreds of articles to help you stretch your day and your dollar! Copyright 2008 Dollar Stretcher, Inc.
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