With over 609 Millions cards issued in the USA only, credit card payment is one of the most used payment system in the World. Although very useful and highly convenient, this little piece of plastic can also lead to debt and financial difficulties.
Knowing your credit card a little better can help you maximise its benefits and avoid any bad surprise.

1. Do not over-use it: As most things, credit cards need to be used with moderation. It will avoid to pay a large amount of interest.
2. Keep it safe: Your credit card should be kept in a safe place at all time. The best place to store it is your wallet. When you use you card, make sure you replace it in your wallet. Do not leave it on your desk or on a table as it could be lost or stolen.
3. Car Insurance: You might be eligible for free rental car insurance: It is worth checking this with your card provider because you can easily save a few hundred dollars in the process of hiring a car for a longer holiday.
4. Adjust Your Credit Limit: If you have a large credit limit that you do not use, reduce it. If you are planning on going on holiday or making a big purchase, make sure to increase your limit.
5. Benefits from Warranty: It is quite common that credit card companies offer warranty. This saves you from having to pay for extended warranty periods. Check with your lender to be sure.
6. Keep your Statement & Dockets: Sending your credit card statement to the rubbish bin at the end of the month, could be a risk . Scammers can then find it and use it against you. Dockets look pretty safe, but they contain information (numbers) that can be used. Using credit card number generators, scammers can use it against you.
7. Interest Free DaysMost credit cards will offer you an interest-free period of around 55 days. This means that you can make purchases on your card and not be charged interest for up to 55 days if you have paid the balance to zero during the previous interest-free period.
8. Maximise Your Rewards: Reward credit cards offer incentive programs to make you pay more on credit cards. These rewards can get you discounts.
9. Think about a Debit Card: If you do not need a credit card, opt for a debit card. They offer some advantages.

After spending you money on holiday, September is more about saving than spending money. Summer is over and Autumn is coming fast ,so you might need a few new garments to stay warm and trendy. Do not worry if your clothing budget has taken a hit, follow our shopping tips and you will be able to renew your wardrobe at low cost.

1) Spend more time and Less Money

Time is money! So spend more time and you will save money. Very often, we tend to rush our purchase. It is quite hard to resist to buy clothes you like, when they are in front of you, but a little patience can save you money. Prices vary from shop to shop, so spend a bit more time shopping around and you will be able to save money. Quite often, shops on less crowded street as less expensive than those on big shopping malls.

2) Update your Negotiating Skills

With the rise of clothing franchise, negotiating is not as popular as before. Franchise and big chain stores won’t often accept to negotiate prices, however independent and small shops are more open and are often likely to knock off a few bucks if you buy 2 or more items in their store.
Remember, the hardest thing in negotiating is to dare doing it!

3) Recycling also works with Clothes

Recycling is good for the environment , but it can also be a good thing for your wallet. It is quite amazing a to browse second hand clothes because the range is huge, colorful and clothes are often in very good condition. You might not find clothes from the latest fashion, but you might be able to find one of these vintage piece of garment that will amaze everyone.

4) Check Online

Most online stores have lower margins than traditional retailers, so shop online and benefit from proper discounts. For example In City Fashion, offers women’s dresses up to 40% off.
You will be amaze how quick your order will arrive and you will not only save money, but a lot of time too. To take advantage of free delivery you have to buy a certain amount, so make sure you do all your shopping at once.
To be sure that the clothes will fit you, do not hesitate to go to a traditional shop to try the clothes. Remember the size and purchase it online.

5) Wait a bit, it will get Cheaper

Shopping off-season is great way to save money on clothing. Once the rush is finish, shopping centres often discount the remaining stock to clear it. Shop for your winter clothes in spring and get your summer clothes in advance when Autumn hits.

Often it is hard to tell bad advice until after you’ve followed it, however when it comes to your finances you can’t afford to follow advice in the hopes that it will be good – you have to know before you take the advice whether it is bad. When it comes to the worst personal finance advice everyone has advice they wish they hadn’t heeded – so how do you spot the good from the bad?

Consider who is giving the advice, and what their motivations are. You don’t necessarily need to be a financial expert to give financial advice – there are plenty of people who can tell you their experiences with a home loan provider or give you the name of a hot share to buy – but you do need to make sure the person giving the advice isn’t trying to make you act in a way which benefits them.

For example, a time share property sounds good – we’d all like the chance to have a holiday house to escape to and it’s especially good if you don’t have to pay full price for the property. However, those people who are telling you a time share is a good investment, a benefit to your financial situation and a good tax deduction know little about you and your situation; these people are giving this advice for their own benefit, to sell their product.

Unfortunately considering who is giving the advice is just one way of spotting poor financial advice because unfortunately many financial institutions and financial products which encourage our financial decisions can be a bad idea too. So learn more now about how to spot the worst personal finance advice for you.

Home Loan Advice

When it comes to your home loan everyone has advice to offer, and they are all quick to remind you of the gravity of this investment. However, before you consider everyone’s advice, with a pinch of salt – because you’ll run out of salt – watch out for the worst home loan advice:

The big banks are the most secure option

Yes, many big banks are secure places to choose a mortgage from, but they are not the only option and they are not the only secure option. Banks get their funds for your home loan from the deposits of their savings customers, or they borrow money to lend to you, or a combination of both. When banks struggle or in times of economic uncertainty people withdraw their savings, banks can be left with little funding to cover their loans.

However, non-bank lenders for example source their loan funds from individual investors and can’t afford to over-extend themselves. Plus, all financial institutions are regulated by independent government bodies and are also given an independent credit rating so rather than choosing a home loan provider based on perception, do your research and shop around for the combination of the best loan and the best provider.

Just get into the property market – you’ll work out how to afford it later

Yes, property can be a very safe investment as capital growth is very easy to come by when you consider that property values typically double every seven to ten years. However, just because your lender or mortgage broker tells you that you are approved for a certain amount, it doesn’t mean you should borrow it all and buy up big.

Instead, work out whether you can afford it now because deciding to cut back on takeaway, new clothes, a new car and tropical holidays sounds like a great plan, but is it one you can maintain for the next 30 years? Is it really worth it? The costs of owning a home also go far beyond just the mortgage repayments so make sure you budget for at least 1% of the property’s value each year for repairs and maintenance, plus other costs such as renovations, decorating, power bills, water bills and rates.

There is nothing wrong with starting small, or waiting a few years until you can afford to buy because making sure you are in a secure financial position will mean you can also avoid subsequent debt many home owners face such as personal debt or credit cards which they have run up trying to maintain their lifestyle.

Pay off your high interest personal debt with your low interest home loan.

Yes, this really does sound like sound financial advice because you know how much of your credit card repayment goes to the high 19% interest rate each month – why not consolidate your debts into your home loan at a low 6% interest?

This is the worst financial advice for several reasons, firstly because when you consolidate your personal debts such as your credit card into your home loan your credit card balances are zero. It is then very tempting to start spending on those cards again and so you are just running up more debt and not learning from your mistakes.

Secondly, if you pay off your credit card debt it will take you a number of years and a lot of interest, but if you consolidate that debt into your home loan, it is going to take 30 years to repay and cost you potentially tens of thousands of dollars more in interest because you are paying the debt for so much longer. Instead, look into balance transfer credit card offers which transfer your balance to a low or 0% interest card to give you a fighting chance to repay your debts responsibly.

Credit Card Advice

Credit cards do not have to be a bad financial decision, it is simply the fact that they are so easy to misuse that gives them a bad reputation. It is this reputation, coupled with misunderstanding about how credit cards really work which leads people to take bad credit card advice such as:

Keep your credit card in your wallet for emergencies

Taking your credit card everywhere you go is just asking for it to be used, if you are honest with yourself you’ll realise that anything which is a true emergency will be able to wait the half an hour it takes you to go home and fetch the card.

Use a credit card for the rewards points

This advice is often perpetuated because people assume that they need a credit card and if they’re using it anyway, they might as well be rewarded for it, but that is covered in the next piece of bad advice.

Rewards credit cards typically have a much higher interest rate than a standard credit card so if you fail to repay your balance in full, down to zero, within the interest free period of that card – making sure the card has an interest free period – then your balances can be charged upwards of 20% interest.

You are then struggling with compounding interest because the interest on your credit card debt is calculated daily, and then compounds monthly. For example, if you have an outstanding balance of $200 on your credit card rolled over after you pay the minimum on your August statement, and you are charged 20% interest your balance in September is $240. Even if you made no new purchases on your card, your remaining balance of $240 (which includes $40 of interest) is then charged 20% interest again at the end of September, so you are being charged interest on your interest and this is why credit card debt becomes so unmanageable.

Everyone needs a credit card

Not everyone needs a credit card and justifying the use of a card because everyone else does is the worst personal finance behaviour. A credit card makes sense when:

• You have a home loan with a 100% offset account. In this instance you use your credit card for all of your spending within the card’s interest free days, leaving your wages and other income in your offset account to save you interest on your loan. When your credit card payment is due, you transfer the money you need to pay off your card in full.
• Business cash flow. Big and small business owners use their bank’s money to keep their business running as they wait for their customers to pay invoices or income to come in. Again the use of interest free days gives the card holder the freedom to spend, secure in the knowledge the balance will be paid.

A credit card is also not a viable emergency fund because of the interest rate, and instead the correct financial advice would be to develop and emergency savings fund to cover car break downs, emergency doctor visits or unexpected bills, as this averts the snowball effect of new emergencies in the future such as a large credit card bill.

For every other credit card function – such as buying online or over the phone – a debit card will suffice. A debit card looks and acts like a credit card, but accesses your own transaction account rather than accumulating a balance.

Savings Advice

Your savings are important to your personal finances because they give you freedom. With a strong savings plan you have the freedom to plan your future and your retirement, you can fund an emergency expense or a last minute work trip and you can save up for the things you want without having to put your purchases on credit. Therefore, to protect your savings, watch out for financial advice such as:

You need easy access to your savings

When it comes to your emergency fund, yes you do need easy access, but for your holiday fund, your renovation fund or your TV fund you can distance yourself from your savings. Choose an online high interest savings account from a provider which is linked to a transaction account from a different provider. This will mean that any transfers you make from your savings account to your accessible transaction account will take at least 2 days to be processed, making it harder to succumb to impulse buys and deplete your savings.

If you have a longer term goal to save for, consider locking your savings away in a term deposit account which does not allow you any access at all, but continues to earn you a guaranteed high interest rate daily.

Wealth builds wealth

Yes, the more money you have in your savings the more your savings will grow thanks to compounding interest earnings and higher interest rates tiered on your higher balances. However, wealth is not the only way to build savings, so don’t be discouraged from saving because you think you don’t have enough to start.

For example, if you have just $500 in savings and want to save some spending money for an overseas trip planned next year, put your $500 in a high interest savings account at 6.51% interest and continue to add just $100 a month and you’ll have $2,000 spending money in just a year.

Borrow from your retirement funds

Most companies offer a loan feature on 401K retirement savings plans which allow workers to borrow against the money in the account. The loans are encouraged as good financial advice because financial services companies believe that if you can tap into the retirement fund, you’ll be more willing to participate in contributions because you don’t feel as though your contributions are locked away. Plus, when you pay interest back on your 401K loan you are essentially paying interest to yourself.

However, if you lose your job your 401K loan must be repaid in full within just a few weeks and if you can’t repay the loan amount the outstanding balance is taxed, and penalised as an early withdrawal. So on top of the loan amount you have to repay, you could be paying thousands more in penalties. Plus, you can’t put your loan amount back and you miss out on the potential of future interest, for example a loan amount of just $6,800 at 8% interest could have earned you over $75,000 if you’d just left it in your account.

There is no denying that buying new things for yourself or others feels great…kind of like a therapy…

However, the true meaning of therapy is ongoing benefit and while impulse purchases make you feel good at the time, they can make you feel worse later. This is often because when you make a purchase on impulse you are thinking about fulfilling an immediate need, rather than thinking about how practical the item is, or whether you can really afford it. As a result you can end up spending money on an impulse which could have been put to better use elsewhere, or you charge the impulse buy to your credit card when you can’t afford to repay it and as a result you pay for the purchase many times over in interest charges.

How to Spot an Impulse Buy

The first step to curbing a behaviour is recognising it, and impulse buying is much more than just those people who sit on the couch ordering from infomercials. Impulse buys can also catch you out:

At the supermarket. Supermarkets are designed to encourage you to buy on impulse, that is why the milk is always at the back of the store. You can also save hundreds of dollars every year on groceries simply by making a list before you leave home, and sticking to that list once at the supermarket. You avoid filling your trolley with ‘I think we need this’ and you can exercise discipline by buying only from your list, not from something which is on special but which will go off in the cupboard waiting for you to use it.

At a sale. Clothing, shoes and other nonessential items are easy to pick up on impulse because there always seems to be a sale. However, even if you really do need a new pair of jeans or a suit for work, if you buy in impulse without considering if you can afford it, you can pay for it in the long run.

For the kids. Wanting to spoil your kids is another easy way to get into impulse buys because you pick up clothes or toys or lollies when you’re on a shopping mission for something else without considering if the purchase is in the budget.

As a romantic impulse. Finding the opportunity to spend time with your partner can be hard so if you decide on an impulse to go on a weekend away you may think you’re doing everything right. Unfortunately one of the biggest sources of tension in relationships is money, and if your romantic impulse buy costs more in interest charges or late bill payments down the track, you could be causing more problems.

How to Avoid Impulse Purchases

Sometimes it is nice to be impulsive but there is a difference between being impulsive and making impulse purchases. Impulse purchases are not in the budget, and are often charged to the credit card. Being impulsive shouldn’t have negative ramifications, so you need to know how to avoid making costly impulse purchases.

Luckily avoiding the negative side of impulse purchases can be avoided with a few simple rules:

Don’t keep your credit card in your wallet. You’ll be less likely to deem a sale as an emergency if you don’t have any way to pay for the purchase. If you choose a credit card as your emergency fund then it will only work if you keep it for emergencies only, otherwise you are just accumulating unnecessary credit card debt.

Have a non-linked savings account. Keep your savings in an account you can’t access with your ATM, EFTPOS card or debit card. Ideally an online savings account held by a different institution to the one which holds your transaction accounts will require several days to transfer funds out, restricting your access to fund an impulse.

Make a budget. If you have a detailed budget you know how much money is coming in and going out, you have allocated funds to your savings plan and you know how much is left over for incidental spending. This turns an impulse buy into a one off expense you can afford, because there is room in the budget.

Cost vs use. Use this method at the point of sale to determine how much you really need the item. Divide the cost by the number of times you expect to use the item, and then consider whether the cost per use of the item is reasonable. This forces you to stop and think about your purchase and whether you really need it.

Plan an impulse. You don’t have to give up on impulsive indulgences, just plan for them. Plan a shopping trip once a month with a budget in mind, plan to buy the kids one new toy a month or plan a movie night at home where you can indulge in some snacks and chocolates which were once expensive impulse buys at the supermarket. And of course don’t forget to plan for your romantic impulsive indulgences.

Alban is personal finance writer at Home Loan Finder, he helps people to choose the best investment home loan

If you are having trouble selling your home, don’t despair. There are ways you can still earn money from your home without putting it up for sale. You can end up making thousands of dollars if you use your house as a cash tool and stop dwelling on the fact that you can’t sell it.

Make thousands from your home

Go on vacation!

People all around the world are looking for home swaps and you can join the crowd too. It is completely free to engage in home swapping, but it may cost you a small fee if you sign up with a specialized Internet site that links up home swappers from around the world.

The way this works is if you want to go on vacation you look for a home available at the destination you’re going to. Another home swapper may want to use your home for the week you are away. This gives you free rental accommodation for your holiday. If you don’t want to swap homes you can always just rent out your house for the time you are away and pocket the extra cash.

Rent your driveway

If you have an empty driveway that is just sitting there you may want to consider renting it out. You can rent it out weekly, daily or even hourly if you want. If you are located in a good area close to a train station or an airport you may end up getting more business than you can handle. Even if you live in the country, people are looking for a place to store their vehicles. Don’t delay and make your driveway a great investment.

Rent out your home as a location for films.

You can actually make quite a bit of money from doing this. A lot of movies and TV shows are looking for normal homes that they can use. All you have to do is sign up at a TV or movie company’s website and provide pictures. When producers and film directors are looking for locations, they may see yours on the website and choose it.

Make a garden

If your house has some extra land attached to it you can start growing a vegetable garden. This will save you a lot of money at the grocery store every week and everything will taste so much better as well.

Rent out a room

You can make a lot of money by renting out a spare room that you’re not using anyway. As long as you choose the person you are letting into your home very carefully, you should have no problem with this.

If you use these five tips to earn some money with your house you won’t even worry about selling it anymore. Start using these ideas, have fun, and start making some extra money.

This article was written by William Eve. William writes about saving money, investment loans and real estate for Home Loan Finder. If your a first home buyer or looking to refinance, visit the Home Loan Finder website for great advice and to compare the best home loans today.

Although billions of dollars are spent each year over the Internet, you can actually use the Internet to help you save money. While some people shop for the latest fad when they shop online, many others have learned how the Internet can lower their bills and keep shopping expenses down as well. Let’s look at 10 ways you can save money using the Internet.

1. 1. Instead of paying outrageous phone bills for your landline service, consider switching to VoIP. Voice Over Internet Protocol works just as good as regular telephone service does, yet you pay a lot less. You can still use your landline telephone but instead of your calls being carried over phone lines, your calls will be processed using the Internet. You still get all the calling features that you get with the telephone company yet you pay a fraction of the cost.
2. 2. Almost everyone spends some money on entertainment from time to time. Instead of buying expensive books, CDs, and DVDs new, shop for used versions at online auctions and at other online venues. You’ll still get the same great entertainment, albeit used, but you’ll pay a fraction of the cost.
3. 3. While trolling through your Sunday newspaper for coupons is a good idea, you can also save the cost of the newspaper altogether and print money saving coupons for free from the Internet. Not only are there several coupon sites that will let you print coupons but many manufacturers have websites where they post free coupons as well.
4. 4. Sign up for emails from the restaurants and local stores you patronize. Often, you will get offers for free appetizers, two for one deals, and notification of upcoming sales.
5. 5. When you do purchase new items on the Internet, look for coupon codes that will offer an immediate discount. Also, if you shop at the website of your local store, you can usually use the same coupon online that you can use at the store.
6. 6. Buying insurance online can save you a lot of money, especially if you take the time to compare rates. While no one wants to make twenty phone calls, it is easy to compare insurance rates online.
7. 7. Going on a trip? Book early and book online. Check out package deals, last minute specials, and sign up to receive notifications of sales from the airlines and hotels you patronize.
8. 8. Many individuals have dropped their cable TV service to watch television online. Many of the major networks stream some of their most popular shows online and you can watch them for free. You can also watch TV from several of the cable networks and if you buy an inexpensive cable, you can even hook up your computer to your television set.
9. 9. Track your spending and stay on top of your budget by using free budgeting software, which you can find online. You can either make manual entries or register your debit or credit cards and have your expenditures tracked for you.
10. 10. Forget the gym membership. Watch online exercise videos for free and work out in the privacy of your home without having to buy expensive videos.

As you can see, there are many ways you can save money by using the Internet. Take advantage of as many of them as you can and see how your savings stack up.

This guest post was brought to you by the team at BroadbandCompare.com.au, an Australian site where you can save money by comparing the cheapest broadband plans available across the market.

Most people presume that having fun at christmas time involves having money, however it does not. In the good old days, fun was for free and you didn’t need to be rich to have a good time at christmas.

Here are some of my ideas on what to do:

1. Get the kids to make xmas decorations. Colored paper at the local newsagaent is still cheap enough. I pay about 80 cents a sheet for a huge piece of cardboard. You can also use bits and pieces you usually keep for recycling. Also buy some glue, sticky tape, and some glitter…It isn’t xmas without the glitter. If you don’t know how to make anything, Google it…There are loads of free ideas out there.
2. Instead of buying gifts, make some. People appreciated anything you give them, well they should, and especially something you have hand crafted. What about baking some xmas cookies, very cheap to make and look great when wrapped in clear cellofane paper. Photos are an easy gift. You can put a photo into an old frame, decorate it, stick a photo on a magnet, and more.
3. Print out xmas activities for the kids. There are heaps of free printable sheets on christmas and it keeps the children in the spirit of christmas just when you need a well deserved break.
4. Print out christmas songs and have a singing competition and give out small prizes for the winners. This can be very funny.
5. Make your own christmas bon bons, you know the things you pull or tug on to get gifts. This is a great way to have a laugh. You can put a message in there, a joke, or even a dare for the person to do.
6. Play christmas trivia, and let the person who answers a question pick a prize from a lucky dip. Prizes can be anthing you like…Could be a christams message, a small toy, or maybe a chocolate. People do not care what they get because it is fun. You can even find prizes at the $2 shop.

Of course there are so many others things you can do to make christmas fun, and asve money at the same time.

1. Leave in Conditioner and hair detangler – Mix your leftover Conditioner with water and put it in a spray bottle. Probably one part conditioner to 4 parts water. Maybe even less conditioner if it is a high quality one. Now you can spray it on your kids hair when you are brushing it to detangle and condition at the same time. If you make it a bit stronger it works as a leave in conditioner. Both a hair detangler and a leave in conditioner are very expensive luxuries that you will not need after you have tried this.
2. Hand Wash – Make your own antibacterial hand wash with your leftover shampoo and conditioner by adding water and dash of detol or even eucalyptus oil to the mix. Put it in a spare soap pump bottle and save a truck load of money. Its better to have more shampoo than conditioner. And when you mix it there will be bubbles but they will soon disappear.
3. Stain Remover – Use shampoo to get rid of blood stains from clothing, carpets, and almost any fabric. You can also mix a bit of shampoo with some bicarb soda for those tough stains on clothes. It is also a great degreaser.
4. Fabric softener – Put leftover conditioner into your washing machine and use as a fabric softener. You can also add a bit of eucalyptus oil to the mix to make it smell nice. I have also been known to put strawberry scented oil with conditioner for a fabric softener for my kids clothes.

As you might already know, I’ve got a big family — the wife and I plus six rugrats. Plus a cat and a dog. We can go through an awful lot of food. Groceries (along with the rent and car and gas) are one of our biggest expenses. I allocate as much in our budget as I can to groceries, simply because I want to make sure we’re never short on food. Also, cooking our own food is just so much less expensive than eating out.

And as I figure that most of my readers, whether they have big families or not, go grocery shopping now and then, I thought I’d pass along some of my favorite tips. These are not all my original tips — I’ve picked up dozens over the years from magazines, books and websites. But these are the best of them, plus some I’ve figured out on my own.

So pick and choose from among these tips, which I hope will be of use to you and your family:
Always go with a list. If you go without a list, you may as well just throw your money away. Better yet, donate it to me — I probably need it more than you. Seriously, though, you need to prepare a list of everything you need, pulling from your weekly menu (next tip) and checking to make sure you don’t have it in your pantry, fridge or freezer. Make sure you’re not forgetting anything. Now stick to that list.

1. Plan out a weekly menu. This is the best way to ensure that your list is complete, and that you have enough to serve your family dinner for the week. I often plan a weekly menu and then duplicate it for the next week — this way I can shop for two weeks at once. Be sure to plan a leftovers night.
2. Don’t go when you’re hungry. This is a common tip, but it’s true: when you’re hungry, you want to buy all kinds of junk. You’ll end up spending a lot more. Eat a good meal first, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your list.
3. Have a family budget. When I go to the store, I know exactly how much I can spend. Then I try my best to stick within that limit. If you don’t know how much you can spend, you’ll certainly spend too much.
4. Do a rough running tally. Related to the above tip, if you want to stay within your budget, it’s best to know where you’re at. Then, when you can see you’re going to go above it, you can decide whether you really need that 10-lb. box of bon bons. I keep a running tally on my grocery list, just rounding off so I can do some quick math. An item costs $1.85? I say $2. Then I don’t need a calculator or all those complicated math skills.
5. Keep a list on your fridge, and write things down immediately. When you run out of something, don’t leave it to your memory. Jot it down immediately, and you’ll never have to run back to the store because you don’t have eggs.
6. Make a pantry checklist. Make a checklist of everything you normally stock in your pantry. Keep it posted on the pantry. Put a slash next to each item for the number of items you have (if you have two cans of stewed tomatoes, put two slashes). Then, when you use something, turn the slash into an x. This makes it much easier when it comes time to make your list.
7. Keep things stocked for quick-n-easy meals. Easy meals for us might be spaghetti or mac-n-cheese or a quick stir-fry. We’ve always got the ingredients on hand, so we can whip something up fast when we’re feeling lazy.
8. Buy in bulk when it makes sense. If you can save money, over the course of a month or two, by buying in bulk, plan to do so. But be sure that you’re going to use all of it before it gets bad — it isn’t cheaper to buy in bulk if you don’t use it.
9. Keep your receipts, then enter into a spreadsheet. This will be your price list. Use it so you know when bulk or sale items are a good deal. It’s also a great way to comparison shop between stores — buy your baking goods in Store A but your fresh fruits in Store B. The spreadsheet can also serve as a checklist to use when you’re compiling your shopping list.
10. Buy frozen veggies. While fresh veggies are a little better, frozen veggies are almost as good, and much better than nothing. And since you can keep them in the freezer, they rarely go bad.
11. When you’re running low, write it down. Don’t wait until you run out. when you see there’s only three toilet paper rolls left, put it on your list. Because when you run out, it will be too late.
12. Cut back on meat. Meat is expensive. We have vegetarian meals several times a week (think pasta or chili) and for other meals, you could just use a little meat as a kind of seasoning instead of the main ingredient — think Asian, Indian and other such cultural food. Actually, I eat vegetarian all the time, but the wife and kids do a little of each.
13. Pack your own lunch snacks. Buying pre-made snacks is convenient, but a big waste of money. Buy little baggies and buy the snacks in bulk, then it will take just a few minutes to pack some snacks for lunch each day.
14. Make leftovers for lunch. Plan to cook a bit extra for each dinner, so that you’ll have leftovers for your lunch and for the kids’ lunches. Pack it right away, after dinner, so you don’t have to worry about it in the morning.
15. Cook a lot, then freeze. Learn what food you can freeze. Alternatively, you can cook a whole mess of spaghetti (for example) and freeze it for multiple dinners. A great idea is to use one Sunday and cook a week’s (or even a month’s) worth of dinners. Plan 5-6 freezable dinners and cook them all at once.
16. Always have batteries, toilet tissue and light bulbs. And other necessities that you always seem to run out of — buy a whole bunch when they’re on sale, or buy in bulk. Be sure to check to see if you have these items before you go to the store.
17. Try crock pot dinners. We discovered these in the last year, and they are easy and cheap and tasty. Cut up a bunch of ingredients, throw them in the pot in the morning, and have dinner ready for you when you get home. Can anything be more perfect than that? I submit that it cannot.
18. Clip coupons. I know, sometimes they seem like too much trouble. But it’s not really that hard to clip a few coupons and toss them in a coupon envelop to take on your grocery shopping trip. And you can save 10-20% of your bottom line with coupons. Check store entrances, newspaper and flyers for coupons.
19. Only use coupons for items you were already planning to buy. Don’t let them trick you into buying something that’s not on your list, just to “save” money.
20. Look for specials. Every store has specials and this is every Frugal Shopper’s favorite past time. Be sure to look for them in the newspaper, or when you get to the store (they often have unadvertised specials — look on the higher and lower shelves for deals). Don’t buy them unless they’re things you always use.
21. Try the store brands. Brand names are often no better than generic, and you’re paying for all the advertising they do to have a brand name. Give the store brand a try, and often you won’t notice a difference. Especially if it’s an ingredient in a dish where you can’t taste the quality of that individual ingredient.
22. Cut back on your “one-item” trips. They waste gas, and almost inevitably, you buy more than that one item. If you plan ahead, make a weekly menu, and shop with a list, this should drastically reduce the number of trips you make for a small number of items. But if you still find yourself running out for a few items, analyze the reason — are you not making a good list, are you forgetting some items from your list? Stock up on the things you frequently go out for.
23. Sugar cereals are a bad buy. Lots of money for no nutrition. Look for whole grain cereals with low sugar. Add fruit for better flavor.
24. Be watchful at the register. Keep an eye on the scanner — you’ll keep the cashier on his toes, and catch any mis-priced items.
25. When there’s a sale, stock up. Sale items can be a great deal. If it’s an item you normally use, buy a bunch of them.
26. Comparison shop. Look at the different brands for a certain type of product, including store brands. Sometimes there will be a significant difference. Be sure you’re comparing apples to apples — you need to divide the price by the amount (ounces, pounds, etc.) in order to get the comparable unit price.
27. Go during slow times. One of my favorite times to shop is late at night. But during working hours or other non-peak times is good too. Avoid right after 5 p.m., on paydays and near major holidays.
28. Know when the store stocks its fresh fruits and veggies. In my area, that makes a big difference. Fruits and veggies can go bad quickly, because they have to be shipped. So I know that the store re-stocks on Thursdays, and so I usually go on Thursdays or Fridays, otherwise I’ll be getting old items.
29. Plan one big trip a month for bulk staples. You can get fresh items at another store on other weeks, but doing a big bulk trip will cut back on the expense and amount you have to carry for the other three weeks. Avoid buying on impulse at the bulk store too — just because they sell a lot of it doesn’t mean you’re saving, if you weren’t planning on buying it in the first place.
30. Avoid trips to the corner store. Or the gas station! These are some of the most expensive stores. (Ranking right up there with airport stores.)
31. Try co-ops. You can often save a lot of money at these types of places for staples.
32. Consider shopping at two stores. There’s no store with a monopoly on savings. Each has savings on different items on different weeks. You might switch between two stores on alternate weeks.
33. Think deep freeze. If you really want to save, you’ll need a big freezer. Ask around — someone you know might have a relatively new model they don’t need anymore. You can use freezers to stock up on meat, frozen veggies, and similar staples, and to freeze big batches of pasta, casseroles, and other dinners you prepare ahead of time.
34. Use everything possible. Got a bunch of leftover ingredients (half an onion, a bit of tomato, some pasta, a few other veggies?) … combine them for a quick meal, so that these don’t go to waste before your next grocery trip. The more you can stretch the food, and the less you waste, the less you’ll spend in the long run.
35. Don’t waste food leftovers. Have a list on your fridge of what leftovers are in there, so you don’t forget about them. Plan a leftover night or two, so you’re sure to eat them all. Pack them immediately for lunch, so they’re ready to take the next morning.
36. Don’t buy junk food (or buy as little as possible). Junk food not only costs a lot of money for about zero nutrition, but it makes you and your family fat and kills you. Talk about a bad deal! Opt for fruits and veggies instead.
37. Rain check. If an item is on sale but the store has run out of stock, ask for a rain check.
38. Go when the kids are in school. When you bring kids, they will pester you and pester you until you buy some kind of junk food. Even if you’re able to stick to your guns, it’s not pleasant saying no 10 million times. In most cases, you’ll save money shopping without the kids.
39. Go for whole foods. The processed kind is lacking in nutrition and will make you fat. Look for things in their least processed form — whole grain instead of white or wheat bread, fresh fruit instead of canned or juice, whole grain cereal or oatmeal instead of all other kinds of cereal. You get the idea.
40. Read labels. Look for trans fat, hydrogenated oils, high amounts of sugar, saturated fat, lots of sodium, cholesterol. Then avoid them like the plague. Look instead for fiber, good fats, protein, vitamins, calcium.
41. Clean out your fridge. You’ve got stuff growing in there and turning from solids to liquids.
42. The leftovers have begun to organize their own political party. Toss em out and make room for the new.
43. Stick to your list. Avoid impulse buys. They are almost always bad, and even if it’s just a couple dollars, they will add up to $50-100 for a trip. Over the course of a year, that can mean thousands. Tell yourself you will not buy anything that’s not on your list unless it’s an absolute necessity (why isn’t toilet paper on my darn list?).
44. Use store savings cards. These can add up to big savings over the long run.
45. Cut back on your restaurant eating. It’s never cheaper or more nutritious than eating at home. Plan your dinners (see above tip) and bring your lunches to work and save a ton of money.
46. Avoid frozen dinners or prepared entrees. Again, these cost way more and are usually much less nutritious.
47. Drink water. If you regularly drink iced tea, Tang, sodas or other types of drinks, cut those out completely and just drink water. It’s much better for you, and much cheaper.
48. Prepare your grocery list by aisle. If you regularly shop at the same stores, organize your list so that you can easily find and check off items as you walk down the aisle. We always shop from right to left, so we’re not constantly running back and forth in the store.
49. Get cloth grocery bags. You’ll save tons of plastic over time, and help the environment tremendously.
50. Pack healthy snacks for the kids. Whole wheat crackers, popcorn, cut-up fruit, raisins, and other kid-friendly snacks are much better than the junk you often see in kids’ lunches. And cheaper.

http://zenhabits.net/2007/04/50-tips-for-grocery-shopping/

What ever happened to the single income family? It died that’s what happened. For the majority of American families it’s just not feasible. This is very unfortunate that it’s pretty much a necessity to have two incomes coming into the household. Unless you are making a nice six figure income.

Well I am one of the lucky families that are managing to be a single income household, and before you ask. No I do not make a nice six figure income. The only way I make a six figure income is if you start counting decimal places. I do make a pretty good living, but it doesn’t allow my family any great luxuries. I’m married and have two children, and I‘m very grateful that we are able to keep my wife home with the kids. Let’s see the house is nothing special maybe 1200 square feet three small bedrooms and one bathroom.

Did I mention I live in Connecticut? Which lets just say isn’t the cheapest state to live in. I sometimes wonder how my wife and I are able to pull this single income household off. We are not financial wizards we don’t have our families subsidizing us. We just try to live within our means. This seems to be an alien concept to most of American now days. We had to prioritize what was most important to the household and that’s how the money would be spent. There isn’t much of a budget for frivolous spending anymore. I’d like to have that part of the budget back as much as the next guy, but it’s just not happening.

Let’s see some of the ways we try and save money. Like I said we are not financial advisors or anything of the sort just regular people trying to make ends meet. So here we go a few of our techniques we use. I’m sure these will probably be redundant as you’ve all heard of these before. The problem is people don’t use them. I believe the reason that most people don’t use these available options is because of pride. Pride can be a very positive thing when it allows you strength to overcome obstacles you might face. On the other hand you can be blinded by pride, and not ask for help when you need it, or not take some of the options available to you because you are too proud.

Lunch: Bringing you lunch to work. This one has been huge for us. I try and bring my lunch to work everyday. Once in awhile I’ll treat myself and buy lunch. I used to buy lunch everyday and maybe a coffee in the morning. It was costing me at least $10 a day.You might be saying that doesn’t sound like much. It doesn’t when it’s one day but it works out to roughly $200 a month that’s a lot of money. So needless to say bringing your lunch to work can be a great way to save a decent amount of money.

Wholesale Clubs: While these can be a big help you need to really check the prices as some of the items might actually be cheaper in your local grocery store. My family uses these clubs and they can be a great help. I’m just saying to investigate the price per unit as it might be cheaper else where. Sometimes you just don’t need 15lbs of ketchup.

Groceries: Use coupons! They work I know in my younger days I’d be to proud to use them. Not anymore. You don’t always have to buy the brand name product. A lot of the time the generic is just as good. Sometimes it’s not close, but you’ll just have to experiment.

Clothes/Shoes: If you insist that your kids have to wear all name brand high end clothes look outside of the department stores. Especially if your kids are young they’re going to outgrow the clothes and shoes in a week. Try Ebay you can find tons of clothes if you know what you’re looking for. I must say my wife has been doing this for years now and has pretty much clothed our kids for nothing. Other sites like ours help people to find Deals On Infant & Toddler Clothes also try second hand stores. I guarantee with a little looking you’ll find some very nice clothing whether it comes from a thrift or consignment store.

Baby Food/Diapers: These are incredible expenses go to the company of your choices website and sign up for their mailing list or coupon list. We receive a few five dollar coupons a month and every little bit helps.I wish you all the best. Even if you aren’t able to be a single income family hopefully a few of these tips will help out. Just don’t be to proud to use some of the tips.

This article is free for republishingSource: http://www.a1articles.com/article_165480_38.html