http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html Blog'n Cents - tips on saving money in a variety of ways! Keep updated on new Web pages and quick tips for www.saving-money-makes-cents.com . en-us saving money Tue, 08 May 2012 01:38:18 GMT Tue, 08 May 2012 01:38:18 GMT saving-money-makes-cents.com http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#What's-Your-Lifestyle-Going-To-Be? http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#What's-Your-Lifestyle-Going-To-Be? <ul>Make retirement a priority! Retirement needs to be among your goals regardless of your age. Goals such as college or new home you may be able to borrow for, but you can’t borrow for retirement. Start saving, keep saving, and stick to your goals.If you are already saving, whether for retirement or another goal, keep going!. If you’re not saving, it’s time to get started. Start small if you have to and try to increase the amount you save each month, 3 months, 6 months or yearly. Remember the sooner you start saving, the more time your money has to grow. Here’s an example showing how by starting earlier your money grows. This example shows what you could accumulate after 5, 15, 25 and 35 years if you saved $5,000 each year and your money earned 7% annually. In: 5 years = $ 28,754 15 years = $125,645 25 years = $316,245 35 years = $691,184 So where do you want to be when you retire? Think of your <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/saving-for-retirement.html">retirement savings</a> just like you would saving for a car, tv or even home. Only difference this is your future. Wouldn’t it be nice to live at or above the lifestyle you’re living now? Don’t depend on the government to support you, who knows what it will be like by that time. And if social security is there then, just imagine how much nicer it will be to supplement social security with your retirement saving. Make saving for retirement a priority. Develop a plan, stick to it, set and keep those goals. Remember, it’s never too early or too late to start saving. Have a great evening! As always,<br> <b>Saving Money Makes Cents </b> </ul> <br> <center> <form action="http://www.google.com" id="cse-search-box" target="_blank"> <div> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-4827508046471517:4466610317" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8" /> <input type="text" name="q" size="55" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" /> </div> </form> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box&amp;lang=en"></script> </center> Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:21 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Get-in-a-Money-Saving-Mindset http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Get-in-a-Money-Saving-Mindset <ul>Why Save Money? Do you need a new computer or perhaps a new couch? Are you expecting to replace your stove, refrigerator or some other important appliance? It's always hard to buy something that you have not been saving for. So whether you are just wanting to buy something that costs a pretty penny or are anticipating replacing something in the future start a <A target="_blank"HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/misc-other-savings.html">special savings account</A> now for it. Knowing that the money will be there when something breaks down or that you'll be able to buy that new computer or perhaps a digital camera without having to charge it is a great feeling. Give some thought about what you want or may need to buy in the future, do a little research as to what the cost will be. Then <A target="_blank"HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/budgeting.html">budget</A> $5, $10, $15 or more into your budget each payday to put into a <A target="_blank"HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/misc-other-savings.html">special savings account</A>. Save towards something small at first and see how easy it to save then increase your saving for the next big purchase. Need a little motivation to save? Get in the right money saving mindset! Try this little exercise to help you work towards your goal to save money. Make a list of 10 of the most important things you want, putting them in the order of most importance to you first. Creating this list will help you see the things you consider the most and least important to you, giving you a visual of why you want to save. Here are some examples of what you might put on your list. A new vehicle, a family vacation to someplace special, <A target="_blank"HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/get-out-of-debt.html">paying off debt</A>, a new home, or what about <a href="http://www.sitesell.com/Terrie2.html" target="_blank"><font color="blue"><u>starting a home business</u></font></a>. Write your list on a couple index cards and put one someplace you’ll see first thing when you get up. Put another one in your wallet or checkbook so when you pull those out to buy something, your list will remind you why you want to save and if what you’re planning on buying is what you really need or just want. Change your mindset, create motivation and you’ll be well on your way to saving. Have a great day! As always,<br> <b>Saving Money Makes Cents </b> </ul> <br> <center><script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www.kqzyfj.com/pm118kwshjlovskly6CFACDAA?target=_blank&mouseover=Y"></script></center> Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:53:19 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Don't-Let-Retirement-Sneak-Up-on-You----Budget-and-Plan-–-Part-2 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Don't-Let-Retirement-Sneak-Up-on-You----Budget-and-Plan-–-Part-2 <ul><b>2. Start and/or Increase Your Saving</b> <i>Make a savings plan</i> - Every time you receive any money, whether it’s from your regular salary, bonuses or side jobs, try and take at least ten percent (10%) from it to put in your <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/saving-for-retirement.html">retirement savings</a> . Now this 10% is not 10% of what you have left over after you've paid for everything. Think of this savings as part of your regular monthly payments; subtract it from your salary the way you do with other monthly bills like rent, utilities, groceries and other necessary expenses. Set this 10% to automatically be added to your savings account every pay day. Or better yet if your employer offers a <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/457.html">457 Deferred Retirement Plan</a> have them automatically take it out of your check to be deposited into your retirement account. Another great thing about this is that this saving amount taken out by your employer is also tax deferred which means you won’t pay taxes on it until you retire and start withdrawing it. <b>3. Invest Part of Your Saving and Possibly Earn Even More</b> <b>Create an investment plan</b> - <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/savings-accounts.html">Savings</a> are meant to keep us warm during stormy nights; and when used wisely, savings can help us achieve financial freedom before we actually retire. Consider taking a portion of your saving to invest and help generate additional income. If you’re a first time investor, consider using about twenty-five percent (25%) of your savings as a start-up investment. You don't have to have thousands to start investing. Check with your bank to see what types of investment options they have, from money market accounts that can lock your money up for as little as 90 days on up to what you feel comfortable with. Careful <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/budgeting.html">budgeting and planning</a> will help you determine which is right for you. I know investing can be scary especially in today’s economy so if you’re not ready to try investing any of your retirement savings, that’s ok. The important thing is to start saving and planning for your retirement now. <i>“Budgeting and planning means never finding an excuse not to save.” </i> Have a great evening! As always, Saving Money Makes Cents </ul> <center><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/oc115shqnhp48976CD8465CD57BA" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> <img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/a9103wquiom7BCA9FGB798FG8AED" alt="" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/ie77p-85-7NRSQPVWRNPOVWOROS" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">The FREE way to get organized and save.</a><img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/8o121xjnbhf04532894021891415" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> </center> Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:31:55 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Don't-Let-Retirement-Sneak-Up-on-You---Part-1 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Don't-Let-Retirement-Sneak-Up-on-You---Part-1 <ul>Whether you’re in your 20’s, 40’s, 50’s or older don’t let Retirement sneak up on you. Now is the time to budget and plan. Many folks hate these words. They associate <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/budgeting.html">budgeting and planning</a> with that of a strict spending plan. They believe that folks who do budget and plan aren’t able to have fun and buy what they want. But the funny thing is that the folks that criticized budgeting and planning also fail to take a look at where those retirees who splurged on themselves are during their fruitful years. What became of those retirees after years of no planning & budgeting? Are they happily spending their retirement living their dream life? Or are they relying solely on their social security pension or worse, if they weren't an active contributor to the social security system, will have to rely on some government run home for the aged. After working for much of our lives, we all want to spend our <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/saving-for-retirement.html">retirement</a> traveling around, relaxing on a beach, or simply go fishing on a lake which is just a few meters away from our own comfy home. We all have a dream retirement in our heads. And whatever that is, we can only achieve this through budgeting and planning. So if you want to live that <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/retirement-planning.html">dream retirement</a>, there are a few things that should be done now regardless of your age: <b>1. Modify Our Current Spending</b> <i>Make a spending plan</i> - Now is the time to change the way you spend money. We need to track the money that's coming in <b>and</b> going out. We all make sure our paycheck is correct, that we’ve been paid accurately, but do we really pay attention to what all we spend that money on? Fortunately, there are easy ways to do that. We can go online and search for "free budgeting software." There are many free and paid bookkeeping software around and any more they are easier to use and understand than complicated finance software. Finance software lets you track all your spending by category and can even make monthly comparisons of your actual spending to the amount you've budgeted. Of course we have to be diligent and honest with ourselves about what we spend on. If you don’t like writing checks or using cash, use a debit card instead of getting a credit card. This way, the amount you're spending is the amount you actually have in your bank account. Credit cards allow you to spend over and above your current budget, which is not good, especially if you are not expecting any money to come in anytime soon not to mention the finance charges and any other fees for using it. <i>(To Be Continued)</i> As always, Saving Money Makes Cents </ul> <center><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/jk122gv30v2IMNLKQRMIKJQRJLPM" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/rm72tkocig156439A51329A2485" alt="Mint.com - Take Control of Your Money" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/de81iqzwqyDHIGFLMHDFELMEGMM" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">Use Mint to manage your budget</a><img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/ej116uuymsqBFGEDJKFBDCJKCEKK" width="1" height="1" border="0"/></center> Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:41:00 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2011-–-Part-7 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2011-–-Part-7 <ul>And finally the last part of your SMARTER Goals <i>“R”</i> <b>* Review Them Often.</b> Resolutions/goals often fail because they are casually made once at the beginning of the year and then simply forgotten. So stay focused by writing and reading your goals every day. Repetition is one of the keys to re-programming your mental computer (mind) for success. Use the goal card technique, write your single most important financial goal on a small card, then carry it with you everywhere, read it several times a day, to keep you motivated.<br> Don’t forget to make your goals even smarter this year. A goal that’s not strongly sought after and kept in front of you every day will be soon forgotten. Stay focused, be SMARTER and expect success!<br> <center>Once again here are your SMARTER Goals: <br> <b>S</b> - Specific<br> <b>M</b> - Measurable<br> <b>A</b> - Accountable/Achievable<br> <b>R</b> - Realistic/Reasonable<br> <b>T</b> - Timely<br> <b>E</b> - Emotional<br> <b>R</b> - Review Often<br></center> As always,<br> <i><b>Saving Money Makes Cents</b></i></ul> Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:09:13 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-6 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-6 <ul>Let's make those SMART goals even SMART-ER – today's blog and the next will help to keep you motivated on those goals. Here's the next one <b><i>"E"</i></b>: <b><i>* Emotional. </i></b>Goals may give you direction, but if you have strong emotions they can be the driving force that motivates you in that direction to keep those goals. Build up a desire by focusing on the emotional reasons why you want to achieve your goal. What is the most important reason for reaching your goal(s)? If you reach your goal(s), what will that do for you? What will your life look like then? How will reaching that goal make you feel? Write down your answers so you can review why keeping these goals is so important to you. Have a Wonderful Day! As always,<br> Saving Money Makes Cents</ul> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:02:18 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-5 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-5 <ul><b>”T”</b> - It's time to set a date to those goals. <b><i>* Timely. </i></b>Create those goals with deadlines. Creating time limits are highly motivating and effective. When you don't set a time limit, there is no urgency for completion, and you keep pushing it further and further off. So instead set a few timelines for different goals. Set short term goals, those for this year, perhaps that short term goal is just <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/get-out-of-debt.html">paying off one debt</a> or saving $250 in that <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/savings-accounts.html"><b>Christmas or other savings account</b></A>. Next set a long term goals as well perhaps for one year, five years and even longer depending on what your goal is. Just remember for all time periods, be certain that your deadlines are realistic. Now to recap your SMART Goals, make them: <b><i>S - Specific<br> M - Measurable<br> A - Accountable/Achievable<br> R - Realistic/Reasonable<br> T - Timely</i></b> Let's make these SMART Goals even SMART-ER... the next couple posts we'll add to them. See you soon. As always, Saving Money Makes Cents </ul> <center><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/j9101js0ys-FJKIHNOJFHGNOGNOG" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> <img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/mm79wquiom7BCA9FGB798FG8FG8" alt="" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/od98p-85-7NRSQPVWRNPOVWOQWW" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">Use Mint to manage your budget</a><img src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/3c100vvzntrCGHFEKLGCEDKLDFLL" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> </center> Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:21:35 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-4 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-4 <ul><b>”R”</b> – are your goals realistic? <b><i>* Realistic/Reasonable. </i></b>Set goals that are attainable and maintainable. If all you can save is $10 a paycheck, you are doing great. Saving $50 to $100 a paycheck sounds great, but it is not typical, most people are already stretched to the limits financially and to try and save an unreasonable amount is nearly impossible to maintain and this will just set yourself up for failure, causing you to say I can’t do it. Just remember one of my favorite saying “Start small and watch it grow”. When I first started saving for retirement and putting money in a <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/457.html">457 Deferred Account</a>, I started out only putting in $10 a paycheck, each year whenever I received a raise or cost of living increase I would increase my savings to the 457 Deferred Account (I did it as soon as I received the extra income so I wouldn’t get use to the extra money). I am now contributing a substantial amount towards my retirement (about 25% of salary). The same thing <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/get-out-of-debt.html">applies to debt</a>, I like to pay off the smallest debt 1st, just because once that bill is paid off I see immediate progress and I have one less bill to pay. Being realistic does not mean paying off a bill and creating another one, if you do that then you have just defeated the goal of being debt free. Instead take the amount you were paying on the debt(s) you just paid off and add it to the next debt you want paid off, this will cause a snowball effect and before you know it you will have all your debt paid off. Have a blessed day! As always,<br> <i><b>Saving Money Makes Cents</b></i></ul> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:22:16 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-3 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-3 <ul><strong>* Accountable/Achievable.</strong> Set goals that you can be held accountable to. First be accountable to yourself by creating and using a weekly progress chart, this is something that will show you are committing to meeting your goal(s). So if your goal is to start a <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/savings-accounts.html"><b>savings account</b></A> then your chart would show your deposits to your <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/christmas-savings-fund.html"><b>Christmas</b></A> or other savings account each payday. Or perhaps if it’s to pay down a specific <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/get-out-of-debt.html"><b> debt(s)</b></A> then you will create something like a chart that shows your beginning debt, what your regular payment is and then what you’re paying extra to pay off that debt. You’ll be surprised how a visual chart you can look at daily, weekly can help motivate and keep you on track. Your next SMART Goal tomorrow.... Have a great evening. As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b></ul> <center> ********************** <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/6b81ox52x4KOPNMSTOKMLOSLMLN" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/l177vvzntrCGHFEKLGCEDGKDEDF" alt="EntirelyPets" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/hl101zw41w3JNOMLRSNJLKOKSPOT" target="_blank">Save up to 40% off Items in the Winter Store!</a><img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/ts76y7B-53PTUSRXYTPRQUQYVUZ" width="1" height="1" border="0"/></center> Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:39:25 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-2 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012-–-Part-2 First off --- Happy New Years! <ul>Today it’s the <b>”M”</b>, we discussed this a little last time. <strong>* Measurable.</strong> Set goals that can be measured, for example if you’re want to lose weight you’ll want specify your goal in pounds, body fat percentage, maybe inches and/or clothing sizes. Is your goal to start a <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/christmas-savings-fund.html"><b>Christmas</b></A> or <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/emergency-savings-account.html"><b>emergency savings account</b></A>? Your measurable goal would be what you want to have saved by Christmas if it's a Christmas savings account. Again be reasonable, take into account your current financial situation and where you can cut to save. If your goal is to <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/get-out-of-debt.html"><b>pay down debt</b></A>, don’t just say you want to pay off debt. Be specific which debt(s) do you want to pay off, how much is that? Be specific so that it is measurable. Till tomorrow.... Have a great afternoon. As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b></ul> <center><a href="http://order.sitesell.com/Terrie2.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://graphics.sitesell.com/snippet/promo3-160x300.gif" alt="Special SiteSell Promotion" border="0" width="160" height="300"></a> Good News <a href="http://order.sitesell.com/Terrie2.html" target="_blank">SBI's Holiday Special 2 for 1</a> Held Over till Jan 3rd, 2012! Moms (and dads) what a great gift to give yourself, and to then give the second as a gift to your child(ren) in high school or college. They'll graduate with so much more than a degree, they'll have a real, money-making business. But hurry this <a href="http://order.sitesell.com/Terrie2.html" target="_blank"> 2 for 1 special</a> is almost over. I wish I had discovered this when my kids were in high school. </center> Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:10:37 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012---Part-1 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#SMART-Goals-for-2012---Part-1 <ul>The New Year is almost here, have you been thinking about your New Year's Resolution? Will it be to get fit, get out of or lower your debt, save money, quit smoking or whatever it may be. Use the the SMART Goal process to follow through with your resolution(s), just change it to pertain to your resolution. Over the next couple weeks we’ll discuss making some SMART Goals as part of your New Year’s resolution(s). Let’s start with the <b>“S”</b>. <strong>* Specific.</strong> Be specific, set your goals with clarity. If you’re vague then you can’t really say when a goal has been met. For example if you say your goal is to pay off a current debt and you’re paying it down/off but you go out and create more, then you’ve reached your goal. But is that what you really meant? Of course not. So if your goal is to be <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/get-out-of-debt.html"><b>debt free</b></A>, write down what debt specifically it is you want to be free of and what it will take to pay it off. For example if you have a credit card with a $500 balance on it, you can’t be debt free just paying the minimum or a few dollars more, you have to write down how much more each payment you’ll be paying to meet that goal. For example an additional $50 or more a month (this would be above the regular minimum payment) would help you pay off this debt this year. Just remember, don’t go out and create more debt because you paid off this one, remember the goal is to be debt FREE. Perhaps your goal is to start a <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/savings-accounts.html"><b>savings account</b></A> or <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes- cents.com/christmas-savings-fund.html"><b>Christmas savings account</b></A>. Be Specific, how much do you want to save? Do you have a goal date, write that down. Next how are you going to achieve that goal? Figure out how many paychecks you’ll get by your goal date and divide the Savings goal amount by the number of paychecks and this will be the amount you’ll want to save each paycheck. For example I want to save $600 from now until November 2012, which means I’ll have to save $25 a paycheck for the next 24 paychecks which puts me at my goal. I was clear – I want to save $600. Precise - my goal date is the middle or end of November. Specific - I will need to save $25 a paycheck. Reasonable - $25 a paycheck is a reasonable amount to save and will work in my budget.<br> Be clear... Be precise... Be specific…. and Be reasonable. As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b></ul> <center><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/j9101js0ys-FJKIHNOJFHGNOGNOG" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> <img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/mm79wquiom7BCA9FGB798FG8FG8" alt="" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/od98p-85-7NRSQPVWRNPOVWOQWW" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">Use Mint to manage your budget</a><img src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/3c100vvzntrCGHFEKLGCEDKLDFLL" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> </center> Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:45:35 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#6-Frugal-Food-Tips-(continued) http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#6-Frugal-Food-Tips-(continued) <ul>By Leanne Ely, C.N.C.<br> <i>(continued from yesterday)</i><br> <b>4) Start a garden.</b> Now’s the time to get it started! It doesn’t take much–find a spot in your backyard somewhere or in containers on the patio or windowsill even. There are books about every type of gardening imaginable at the library for free! You don’t need a gigantic field! <b>5) Try the dollar store.</b> You know those stores where everything costs $1? Lots of stuff you won’t want, but I’ve seen spices there for next to nothing (2 for $1) and dairy and what-have-you just marked WAY down. Watch it though–some stuff is actually more than the regular grocery store–especially the canned stuff. <b>6) Really strapped? Have you checked out Angel Food Ministries?</b> Unbelievable deal on a basket of food each week–$65 worth of food for $30. No choices, but your family will be well fed, check it out, www.angelfoodministries.com That’s all I’ve got for now, but listen…you cannot eat cheap if you don’t have a plan. And even if you do have a plan, you need to be flexible too! See my point #1 about chicken to see what I mean. <i>Leanne Ely is a New York Times best-selling author and the author of the <a target="_blank"href="https://www.secureinfossl.com/affProgram/Saving-Dinner-Affiliate-Program/54144"> Saving Dinner series</a>. According to Woman’s Day Magazine, she is the expert on family cooking. Her media experience includes multi-city book tours, satellite media tours, QVC several times as well as guesting on several national television shows, including HGTV’s Simple Solutions, ABC Family’s Living the Life, Ivanhoe’s Smart Woman, Small Talk for Parents and Talk of the Town. She has guest chef-ed on the cooking show, Carolina Cooks and has taught cooking classes all over the country for Bloomingdale’s.</i> ==================<br> Have a great day! As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> <center><!--Begin---> <a href="https://www.secureinfossl.com/affiliateAdmin/affiliate_media/clickAd/1100/08419be897405321542838d77f855226/b3c6f505b6b52d355c5f21327066a2da/1"><img src="http://savingdinnershop.com/affiliates/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/SD300x200final.jpg" width="300" height="200" border="0" alt="What’s Your Plan for Dinner Tonight? Families That Eat Together Are Healthier and Save Money. Get a FREE Week of Recipes Here >"></a><img src="https://www.secureinfossl.com/affiliateAdmin/affiliate_media/trackAd/1100/08419be897405321542838d77f855226/b3c6f505b6b52d355c5f21327066a2da" width="0" height="0" border="0"><!--End---> <a target="_blank"href="https://www.secureinfossl.com/affProgram/Saving-Dinner-Affiliate-Program/54144"> Saving Dinner </a></center> Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:12:57 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#6-Frugal-Food-Tips http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#6-Frugal-Food-Tips </u>A great little saving article By Leanne Ely, C.N.C. In the economy of things, it’s our own home economies that may be taking as hard a hit as our own country’s! This may be true for you and people you know, but you know what my answer to that is! Take it out on your grocery budget! This is the ONE place that you can hit hard and make a huge difference. Here’s another list of 6 things you can do now to make a difference on this week’s food budget: <b>1) Shop EARLY.</b> How early? Well, get there about an hour after the store is open and before the crowds get there. Why? This is when you get your choice of markdowns. I bought a package of 4 plump chicken thighs on sale for about $1 a package–they had a $2 off sticker. I bought all 6 packages and am using them in place of boneless skinless chicken breasts till they’re gone. Marked down produce is equally abundant early in the morning. It’s worth going early! <b>2) Make your own spaghetti sauce off of marked down tomatoes or BOGO canned tomatoes. </b>Make your own everything–it doesn’t take much and it will save you significantly. It’s not hard to make chicken broth out of the roasted leftover chicken you had Sunday night and that will give you another meal in the form of soup! <b>3) Make your own baby food.</b> Check out the savings on this one: 1 bag of carrots is about .89 at my grocery store. A jar of strained carrots is about the same price. You can get about 12 servings out of that bag of carrots! Do the math–huge savings! And we have a baby food menu to help you do this, too! <i>(to be continued)</i><br> <i>Leanne Ely is a New York Times best-selling author and the author of the <a target="_blank"href="https://www.secureinfossl.com/affProgram/Saving-Dinner-Affiliate-Program/54144"> Saving Dinner series</a>. According to Woman’s Day Magazine, she is the expert on family cooking. Her media experience includes multi-city book tours, satellite media tours, QVC several times as well as guesting on several national television shows, including HGTV’s Simple Solutions, ABC Family’s Living the Life, Ivanhoe’s Smart Woman, Small Talk for Parents and Talk of the Town. She has guest chef-ed on the cooking show, Carolina Cooks and has taught cooking classes all over the country for Bloomingdale’s.</i> ==================<br> Have a great day! As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> <font size="3"><center>Check out <a class="actionLinks" href="https://www.secureinfossl.com/affiliateAdmin/affiliate_media/clickAd/1011/1afa34a7f984eeabdbb0a7d494132ee5/b3c6f505b6b52d355c5f21327066a2da/1">Christmas for the Freezer</a> </center></font> Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:55:40 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Your-Shopping-List http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Your-Shopping-List <ul>Add a couple of items that you will need for the holidays to your weekly shopping list now. By buying a couple of items listed on your holiday list each time you go shopping starting now till Christmas, you won't need as much when Christmas is finally here. So start <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/pantry.html"><b>stocking that pantry</b></A> and freezer now, little by little. Make the holidays a stress free one by not letting it creep up on you and then trying to do it all at once or spending more than you need to. Have a great day! As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> <center><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/e381ox52x4KOPNMSTOKMLUQOLSU" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.cardstore.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> <img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/bm116iw-ousDHIGFLMHDFENJHELN" alt="Cardstore.com" border="0"/></a></center> Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:39:29 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/peanut-butter-brownie-mix.html http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/peanut-butter-brownie-mix.html Peanut Butter Brownie Mix / Blondie Mix Gift Jar Recipes Fri, 25 Nov 2011 01:59:22 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#A-Couple-Tips-to-Help-Curb-Impulse-Buying http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#A-Couple-Tips-to-Help-Curb-Impulse-Buying <ul>Are you an impulse shopper? Try this, make a list of who you are giving a gift to, along with a budget and what you want to give or make to give and Stick to the List! Don't second guess yourself. Having this list available at all times will help with that, as well as keep you on track with your Holiday budget. Also if you think you will still do some impulse buying, take only enough money with you to buy what is on your list and leave your checkbook and/or debit card at home. Set a date also as to when you'll do no more shopping for the Holidays. Double check you're <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/pantry.html"><b>pantry</b></A> (make sure you have everything you need for your Holiday cooking) and gifts a week before this date. Stay on budget and Say no to <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/money-saving-tips.html"><b>impulse shopping</b></A> and you won’t over spend. I was probably the worst for trying to second guess myself on gift giving and yes I <b>was</b> an impulse buyer (that was part of what put me in credit card debt years ago, but no more). Have a Great Day! As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:19:31 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/your-home-business.html http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/your-home-business.html Your home business, need a way to help with the finances consider a home business, work your hours around the kids. Sat, 27 Aug 2011 13:55:15 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Healthy-Dessert-and-Breakfast-Recipes http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Healthy-Dessert-and-Breakfast-Recipes <ul><a target="_blank"href="http://find-your-abs-fitness.getprograde.com/Protein-Packed-Fat-Burning-Desserts.html"><font color="blue">51 Fat Fighting Recipes</font></a> perfect for breakfast, dessert and snacks.... <b>Free e-book!!!</b> My partners over at Prograde have done it again! They've just released this brand new ebook that you can<a target="_blank"href="http://find-your-abs-fitness.getprograde.com/Protein-Packed-Fat-Burning-Desserts.html"><font color="blue"> download 100% free </font></a> . Well, for a limited time that is. I've been told they will start charging $30 for it soon. So save some money and get your free copy now. <center><a target="_blank"href="http://find-your-abs-fitness.getprograde.com/Protein-Packed-Fat-Burning-Desserts.html"><font color="blue"><b><u>===> 51 Fat Fighting Recipes <===</u></b></font></a> </center> This e-book is packed with recipes for cookies, muffins, cakes, candies and more yummy sweets! As well as all kinds of healthy, tasty breakfast recipes! I grabbed my copy yesterday and they've got awesome breakfast, snack and dessert ideas in there you will LOVE. Do like cheesecake? I love cheesecake in fact it's a downfall of mine, there's a recipe in there for Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries, what could be better? Unless you love chocolate, there's recipes in there for you! You don't have to be a professional chef to make them ;-) <a target="_blank"href="http://find-your-abs-fitness.getprograde.com/Protein-Packed-Fat-Burning-Desserts.html"><font color="blue"><b><u>Get your 51 Fat Fighting Recipes here </u></b></font></a> before they start charging for the book. And don’t forget to let me know which one is your favorite! Enjoy! Have a Wonderful Evening! <br> As always,<br><b> <i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b><br> <br> </ul> Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:12:41 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Saving-Money-in-the-Kitchen-&-Ice-Cream http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Saving-Money-in-the-Kitchen-&-Ice-Cream <ul>We love making our own <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/dry-rubs.html"> spice rubs </A> for cooking, and as you know those little jars of spices can be quite expensive. Did you know that you can save half the cost, if not even more on those spices you buy in the little jars? Instead of throwing those jars away when they are empty and buying a new one, buy your spices in the little bags and refill your jars instead. These bagged spices can normally be found on an end isle by the produce center. They are normally labeled as an ethnic product, but most are the same spices that are in the jars. Most of those packages are about 50 cents for the small bags and between $1 and $1.50 for the larger ones. Another great place to find these is at the dollar stores, just check the expiration date on the bags. So the next time you buy spices remember to check out the spice bags first. <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/gift-jars.html">Click here</A> for my favorite simple all round cooking spice. Now for the Ice Cream! Hillbilly Housewife is running a fun special right now. She has a <i>cool</i> new e-book out called <a target="_blank"href="http://www.quicksales.com/app/?af=1148195&u=www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ebooks/icecream.htm"><i>"Homemade Ice Cream and Other Frozen Treats"</i></a>. She’s having a little fun with the pricing she started the e-book out at $3 today (July 14th) but the price will go up by 50 cents a day until the book reaches its final price of $7.00. So if you’re interested in it now is the time to get it before the price rises and rises and rises……. Have a Great Day! As always,<br> <i><b>Saving Money Makes Cents</b></i> </ul> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:03:02 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Extreme-Couponer-–-Not-Me! http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Extreme-Couponer-–-Not-Me! <ul>I'm not an extreme couponer, but I do love saving money. I do use coupons, sales and <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/money-saving-tips.html"> other ways to save </A> on groceries and other household items. And this past weekend was a great example. I bought $60 worth of items that we use on a regular basis and the final cost of the items was less than $4. I love when that happens. Of course, I utilized several things to make this happen. 1st the items were on sale; 2nd i used my <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/store-perks.html">rewards card </A> to get the sale price as well as additional rewards coupons; 3rd I used <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/coupon-savings.html">clipped coupons </A> and finally I utilized <A HREF="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/mail-in-rebates.html">rebates</A>, making my final cost less than 7% of the original price or to make it sound even better saving over 93% or I could say free only paying the taxes or less. Pretty cool. Now I don’t spend hours on couponing, in fact I spend less than 1 hour a week. When the ads come out, I take a quick look through them keeping a pad and pencil handy to write down anything we could use. I then check for coupons already clipped and any new ones in the weekend paper. I also don’t drive all over to save on the deals, that defeats the purpose, if I have to spend money on gas running all over I’m not really saving. So for example this past weekend, we stopped at one of the drug stores that was next to where we were having breakfast. And then because I knew the sale was ending that day and I had to pick up a prescription, we went to our regular drug store and made our next purchases, again utilizing clipped coupons, the rewards coupons (received earlier that day), sales and rebates. Making Saturday a great saving day. Not bad for <i>less than</i> one hour of my time. So which would you rather do spend your hard earned money or a few minutes of your time and save money? Have a Great Day! As always,<br> <i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></ul> <center><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/k5117lnwtnvAEFDCIJEACBIJBIJB" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> <img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/a073qmqeki37865BC7354BC4BC4" alt="" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/hc103js0ys-FJKIHNOJFHGNOGIOL" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.mint.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">Mint.com- free personal finance software</a><img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/lk70wquiom7BCA9FGB798FG8AGD" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> </center> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:08:13 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Money-Saving-Tips-–-Part-2 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Money-Saving-Tips-–-Part-2 <ul>Here's the next couple of <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/money-saving-tips.html">saving tips</a>. <b>4. Carpool.</b> If you can, I know not everyone can, but try carpooling, not only do you save money on fuel, but you also save on the wear and tear on your vehicle. If you have to drive a distance to work, it's also nice to have the company and to also let someone else do the driving once in a while. <b>5. Buy on Sale/Use those <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/coupon-savings.html"> coupons</a>.</b> You will be surprised how much you can save by buying what you need on sale and using coupons. Yes coupons can be a pain sometimes, so try sticking to coupons that save you a dollar or more. There are also some grocery stores that have the option to load coupons on their rewards cards. Which is pretty cool, and there are even times that I have been able to save with a coupon loaded on my card and a clipped coupon, saving even more. Another quick tip, buy items on sale that offer a <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/mail-in-rebates.html">rebate</a>. I've used coupons with the rebate and actually wound up making money. Of course I have to wait for the rebate check, but I was going to buy the item anyways. For more ideas on how to save with coupons - check out this e-book on <b>101 Coupon Tips to save More at the Store</b> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://terrie01h.brpublish.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_top">Check it out here!</a>. With purchase of the ebook you get 9 bonuses of several e-cookbooks --- one of them a crockpot cookbook. And the nice thing about ebooks is you don't have to wait for your books to arrive in the mail, you just download them to your printer or print them out at your leisure or just read them from your computer. Using just one of these tips alone may not save you much money, but when you combine several of these tips and others together and save, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how much you're actually saving. Have a Great Evening! As always, <b>Saving Money Makes Cents</b> <i>P.S. If you haven't already signed up for <a target="_blank"href="http://www.groupon.com/r/uu17561998">Groupon's deals</a> you really should. Today the special was 26 weeks of our weekend newspaper for only $10. My subscription was just running out so this was a deal I jumped on. I saved over 65%. </i> <font size="3"><center> <a target="_blank"href="http://www.groupon.com/r/uu17561998">===> Groupon Deals <===</a></center></font> </ul> Sat, 09 Jul 2011 01:06:53 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#5-Money-Saving-Tips-–-Part-1 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#5-Money-Saving-Tips-–-Part-1 <ul>Here are 5 simple tips that may only save a little here and there, but remember it’s the little things that can add up to a lot. So starting with these small things will give you thought to see how else you can save. <b>1. Stop shopping at convenience stores.</b> Convenience stores are famous for being more expensive, compared to grocery stores. If it isn't worth the trouble to go to a grocery store, you probably don't need the item anyway. Make a list weekly when you do your shopping so that you can avoid having to run to the convenience store. And remember shop only once a week. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll save with this one little tip. The more often you shop the more you spend. <b>2. Avoid those late fees when paying bills.</b> Pay your bills on time! It’s amazing how those late fees add up and how much you are charged. If the problem is a lack of organization or just plain forgetting, set your bills up for online auto pay (you set the day of month you want them paid). Just remember if you put your bills on auto pay to make sure you have the money in your account, this is where having a <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/budgeting.html">budget/financial plan</a> is great. If you don’t put your bills on autopay then how about programing a reminder into your phone, or use a reminder service like the Google's calendar feature that can send you a text or email to let you know when due dates are coming up. <b>3. Save your change.</b> I’ve said it before, but this really is an easy way to save money. Make it a habit to put all that pocket change in a jar at the end of each day. Use cash to pay for most things and instead of trying to give the right change, only use the bills. When you get home, drop those coins in a jar and watch it fill up. You will be surprised at how quickly it adds up. We have filled jars several times a year and used the change for mini weekend getaways. <i>(to be continued)</i> Have a Great Day! As always,<br> <b>Saving Money Makes Cents</b> </ul> <center><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/or80shqnhp48A978BE465E6AC8C" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.entertainment.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> <img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/fh77uuymsqBFHGEFILBDCLDHJFJ" alt="Save on all the things you love to do!" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/rb101shqnhp48A978BE465E6AC96" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.entertainment.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">Get the 2011 Entertainment Book for just $8.99 plus Free Shipping. Valid through 7/13/11.</a><img src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/6k115elpdjh2687569C243C48A74" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> </center> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:46:10 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Fun-and-Frugal-Family-Outings---#2 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Fun-and-Frugal-Family-Outings---#2 <ul>More of the Great Outdoors Family Outings Parks are great for day trips. Those with playground equipment can keep the little ones entertained for hours. Some parks even have hiking trails which are great for exercise and exploring. Many also have picnic areas, so you can pack a lunch or have a barbecue instead of <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/coupon-savings.html">eating out</a>. Check ahead of time and see if they have a day fee, most of the time if they do it is minimal. Wildlife refuges are also a great place to teach the kids about nature and get some great pictures. Normally these are free to tour and have a drive and walking route. Again don't forget to take your cameras and see how many different wildlife you see. We have a couple in our area that we just discovered. It's just wonderful to drive around and take pictures of the beautiful landscape, flowers & of course the wildlife. Well this month has been mainly about saving money while on vacation or traveling. I hope these tips and suggestions have helped. Have a Great Day! As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> <center><a target='new' href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=B27*FuHEaVg&offerid=225533.106&type=3&subid=0" >Best TRAVEL Magazines. LOWEST PRICES Online! MAGAZINES.com.</a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=B27*FuHEaVg&bids=225533.106&type=3&subid=0" ></center> Wed, 01 Jun 2011 01:27:19 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Fun-and-Frugal-Family-Outings---#1 http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Fun-and-Frugal-Family-Outings---#1 <ul>Spending time with our family is priceless. A lot of the most popular family activities can be quite costly. For example even a simple afternoon or evening at the movies, by the time you buy your tickets, popcorn/snacks and drinks, can add up to $50 or more bill for just 2 or 3 people. Using <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/eating-out.html">coupons</a> can help if you can find some for the movies, but how about some cheaper things to do for family outings. Here is one idea and watch for another one or two in a couple days; <b>Nature Outings</b> The great outdoors offers a treasure of possibilities for family outings. Camping is a wonderful activity for families, and it doesn't have to be costly. It can be as simple as pitching a tent in the back yard or rent a space at a campground. Bring the grill and some hamburgers or hot dogs for lunch & dinner, or catch some fish to fry. Did you know that once or twice a year the fish & game department offers a free fishing day, you don't need a fishing license. This would be a great day to introduce the kids to fishing. If you don't want to use the fish you catch for dinner, then just teach the little ones about catch and release. This is our favorite way to fish, when we want a day away from it all we go to one of our favorite fishing spots and fish all day, releasing what we catch to live for another day. Have a Great Day! As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> Sun, 29 May 2011 00:59:42 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#More-Traveling-Saving-Tips http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#More-Traveling-Saving-Tips <ul>When traveling whether for business or vacation a couple last minute places to check for coupons to save on dining out and even attractions is in the yellow pages of the local phone book, when you get to your <a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/4h102lnwtnvAEFDCIJEACBIJHDEB" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.hotels.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> hotel</a><img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/4s121o26v0zKOPNMSTOKMLSTRNOL" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> room, pull out the phone book and see what coupons are in it. Don't forget to check out the hotel's information binder in your room also, sometimes you'll find a <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/coupon-savings.html">coupon</a> in it for dinning out or even local attraction. And don’t forget when you're checking in, see what coupons / flyers are on the check in counter or on their information wall. So as you can see you can have a great vacation on a tight budget with a little pre-planning. Hope these tips have been helpful. Have a great evening!<br> As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> Fri, 27 May 2011 02:53:33 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Vacation-Savings http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Vacation-Savings <ul>My last blog spoke a little about lists and planning your <a href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/vacation-savings-accounts.html">vacation</a>, and I’ve decided to expand on that a little bit more since it’s just about vacation time for a lot of folks. One thing I was sharing with my husband the other day, since we are planning one of our vacations for the end of the year, was instead of buying tickets and then reserving a hotel was to look at the hotels that were sponsoring the event and get a hotel package. Not only will you save some money by buying hotel package, but some even offer additional goodies. So always make sure and check and see what all the hotels are offering. Go ahead and see what the hotel costs by itself and your attraction tickets and then compare that to the cost and what is offered in the hotel special. This last week I was talking with a coworker about <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/coupon-savings.html">couponing</a> and we were discussing the extreme couponing show on TV and the different ways we save with coupons and <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/mail-in-rebates.html">rebates</a>. And the subject came up on how to save while on vacation. Her tip which I never thought about, but is along the same idea of the coupon books, was once she knew where they would be staying, she would go online and see what restaurants were close by and then check out their websites and look for coupons or specials like ‘kids eat free’. She was telling me how they, a family of 4 (on a very tight budget), with two growing boys (and we all know how growing boys can eat), were about to have a 5 day vacation for around $500. Now that is extremely cheap, when you consider this paid for travel, hotel, meals and attraction tickets. So with a little creativity, research and pre-planning it’s amazing how much you can save. Have a vacation savings tip you’d like to share, <a target="_blank"href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/contact-us.html">email me</a>. Have a great evening!<br> As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> <center><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/36103r09608OSTRQWXSOQPTQURWY" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.bestwestern.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> <img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/op72z15u-yJNOMLRSNJLKOLPMRT" alt="" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/ca110nmvsmu9DECBHID9BAFCGDJB" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.bestwestern.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">AAA members save up to 20% off lowest rates at Best Western</a><img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/3c100m-3sywHLMKJPQLHJINKOLRJ" width="1" height="1" border="0"/></center> Sun, 22 May 2011 00:53:13 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Lists-and-Saving http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Lists-and-Saving <ul>Making that list to save money does not just apply to grocery shopping. Make a list when deciding on purchasing most anything. What about that upcoming vacation, you plan where you want to go, but do you plan how much you want to spend and on what? By making a list when planning your vacation you can list how much you want or will need to spend on each aspect of your vacation. You may find that in order to buy those souvenirs you may need to cut back on something else. Or on your vacation planning list you may have listed to look for coupon saving books for your vacation. Or even sign up for specials with hotels in the area you may be vacationing. We discovered that by purchasing a theme park's annual pass that most give additional coupons you can use while there (and of course on future visits). I don’t know about you but I don’t like to rush my vacation and even if it includes a theme park, it’s nice to just take our time an perhaps go 2 or 3 days, making that annual pass well worth the money. Don't forget to start that <a href="http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/vacation-savings-accounts.html">vacation savings account</a> also so you don't have to wonder how your going to cover it all at the last minute. Plan ahead, make that list and save some money. Have a great evening!<br> As always,<br> <b><i>Saving Money Makes Cents</i></b> </ul> <br> <center> <a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/fh77cy63y5LPQONTUPLNMPVRQRT" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.travelocity.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"> <img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/cc111bosgmk59A87DE95769FBABD" alt="" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-3421783-10852615" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.travelocity.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">Hotel Savings Alert! Save up to 50% on Your Hotel with Travelocity.</a><img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-3421783-10852615" width="1" height="1" border="0"/></center> Sun, 15 May 2011 23:07:48 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Cakes,-Cookies-and-Candies,-Oh-My! http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/Saving-money-blog.html#Cakes,-Cookies-and-Candies,-Oh-My! <ul>Weddings, receptions, potlucks and on and on, wouldn't it be nice to make something a little different for one of these activities? Well you can, here’s a great site to check out if you’re interested in making and decorating cakes, cookies and candies. They have online training videos (and I love learning from videos) and a community of many others, who, like you are interested in decorating cakes and other goodies. They have stories, recipes, pictures and much more. This is a membership site, which means you'll learn new tips every month. You get over 100 Step-by-Step "How To" Videos which are available members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, right from the moment you join. Free step-by-step how to videos are added to your library every month! Full-length "Video Tip of the Week" on Cake, Cookie or Candy Techniques. Access to hundreds of Cake, Cookie, and Candy articles and answers to your questions. They even have special members only contests and giveaways and much, much more. Not only would this be great for impressing your family and friends on those outings and functions, but you could start a home business making cakes and other goodies. How cool would that be?! Ok, enough of my jabbering go check them out here at ===> <a target="_blank"href="http://06a54rroz9tt2cbsh4uooxdn2i.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=SAVING" target="_top"><b>Yummy Arts!</b></a> And don't forget to check out some of the cute cakes and candies some of their members have made. After you make your first (or 2nd or 3rd or....) goodie from your lesson drop me a line and let me know what a hit it was. Have a great evening! As always,<br> <b>Saving Money Makes Cents </b> </ul> <br> <center><font size="3"><a target="_blank"href="http://06a54rroz9tt2cbsh4uooxdn2i.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=SAVING" target="_top"><b>Cakes, Cookies and Candies, Oh My!!!</b></a></font> </center> <br> <br> Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:11:35 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/goodies.html http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/goodies.html Goodies - Gift Jar Recipes - free gift jar recipes for cookies, cakes, muffins and more..... Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:52:03 GMT http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/pumpkin-bread-mix.html http://www.saving-money-makes-cents.com/pumpkin-bread-mix.html : Pumpkin Bread Mix, Pecan Bread Mix and Peanut Chocolate Chip Bread Mix Gift Jar Recipes, make your own gifts and not only save money but make your gifts unique..... Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:21:38 GMT