Save Money By Packing Your Own Snacks
I am always looking for ways to save money and I think that in addition to bringing in your own lunch you can also bring in your own snacks.
I love having food readily available to me as I get cranky when I am hungry.
I mean really, REALLY cranky.
It can be so easy to run to the vending machine (well not for me since I don’t carry cash) and get a snack to tide you over but when you think of the cost of vending machine snacks and how they add up over time it is just not practical.
Tracking My Finances In 2009: 14 April
Welcome to tracking of income and expenses for the month. Please note thatI get paid on the last day of the month so my cash flow net effect will usually be negative until the last day of the month.
This does not mean that I am adding to my debt, it just means that the money coming in is less than the money going out because bills are due starting on the first but I don’t get paid until the last day.
Reusable Toilet Wipes (Poopy Cloth Patrol)
I found this site called WallyPop that sells Resuable Family Toilet Wipes.
Yes.
Wipes.
For the family.
Now these wipes are simply cloths that you use instead of toilet paper, sort of like baby wipes. The main difference is that unlike baby wipes, these wipes are made of a washable material….sort of like cloth diapers.
You use the wipe and then toss it into some container and wash in the machine when you have a load (pardon the pun).
Spring Break Equals (Almost) No Spending
We had Spring Break a couple of weeks ago and since I decided to stay at home I had a wonderful days of no spending.
I ate a lot of cold meals (sandwiches and stuff like that) and did not drive or have to iron. This translated into no items being put on my credit cards and would have been a really no spend week IF not for the increased electricity use.
I had the computer on most of the day since I was having marathon movie and show watching sessions so I know this racked up a few dollars in the electricity bill.
How I Save Money At CVS: 29 March 09
Today I paid $1.05 out of pocket for $11.97 worth of items.
Transaction 1
Item: 2 Scrubbing bubbles
Price: $5.00
CVS Extra Care Bucks earned: $1.00
Item: 2 toothbrushes
Price: $5.00
CVS Extra Care Bucks earned: $1.00
Total coupons used: $10 ECB + $1 MFR
Item: Wisp
Price $1.97
Total out of pocket today: $1.05
Total CVS Extra Care Bucks earned today: $2.00
Total out of pocket to date: $192.40
Gift Card balance : $0.00
Total CVS Extra Care Bucks earned to date: $594.55
Sneaky Credit Card Trick
While I believe that credit cards a great tool if used correctly I must admit that I almost got in trouble with a sneaky credit card trick. I pay all of my credit cards automatically via ING so that I do not have to deal with the hassle of writing checks.
I have a system to pay my credit cards where the two cards I use on a regular basis (to earn cash back) get paid four times a month based on my budget for what is put on that card. I have an idea of what I put on each card and divide that by four and ING sends that one fourth payment every week to the card. The amount is more than the minimum payment would be and since I am paying multiple times I do not even have to worry about the due date.
Five Ways To Ruin Your Financial Life
Part of the challenge over at ProBlogger is to write a list post. Today I will be showing you five easy ways to ruin your financial life!!!
- Don’t have an Emergency Fund
- Don’t pay your bills on time
- Don’t have a budget
- Don’t use online savings accounts
- Don’t use free services
If you follow the five tips listed above you are well on the way to making your financial life a nightmare in the future, especially with the state the economy is in right now.
Don’t have an Emergency Fund
How to Make the Best of a Taxing Situation (Guest Post)
It is at this time of the year that I crawl up on my soap-box about two issues related to paying federal income taxes. Using a refund anticipation loan to perhaps receive your income tax refund a few days faster, and receiving an income tax refund at all, are two areas I feel that consumers should avoid. Here’s why:
Refund Anticipation Loans
In spite of the fact that taxpayers can have free tax preparation, file for free, and receive their refunds in approximately 10 days, many still opt to pay for tax preparation and obtain a Refund Anticipation Loan.
