tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65288118436011896972024-02-20T13:39:31.830-08:00Feeding Your Pig$$ Hundreds of practical ways to save money $$ Getting your family financially balanced $$Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger351125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-48210976020026337412014-08-15T04:53:00.002-07:002014-08-15T04:53:34.167-07:00Be generous. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757085"></a>A generous person is generally a very happy person. There is something
fantastic about blessing others. When others see you being generous, they are
more inclined to be generous to you as well.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-62145835544105250462014-08-15T04:53:00.000-07:002014-08-15T04:53:05.497-07:00Count your blessings. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757084"></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">It can be
overwhelming to think every day of what you do not have and what you need to
give up to save money. Most of the ideas in this book generally aren't giving
things up entirely but finding alternative means at a lesser cost. Count your
blessings daily and remember you do have many wonderful things in your life.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-86340133370450287482014-08-15T04:52:00.004-07:002014-08-15T04:52:38.183-07:00Review and adjust your priorities, goals, and budget regularly. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757083"></a><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Review
and adjust your priorities, goals, and budget regularly.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The things that are important to you will
change. Maybe not the top three items but below those will. While you learn how
to save money, you will experience parts of life you never knew existed. This
all changes what our priorities are, what our goals are, which then changes our
budget.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-91541647142733752242014-08-15T04:52:00.000-07:002014-08-15T04:52:03.202-07:00Finish what you start. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757082"></a>There is a lot of waste in this world with people
deciding to give up on something they began: divorce, abandoned pets, half-painted
houses, and retirement accounts that were never opened. If you're giving it a
chance - give it a real chance and see it through. If you said I do, don't say
I don't. Divorce can be one of the most expensive decisions made in life.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-77420386266258074152014-08-15T04:51:00.002-07:002014-08-15T04:51:33.875-07:00Try anything once. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757081"></a>Maybe not anything but you get the idea. If you think an idea here or something
you found online might work, give it a chance. There are so few limits in life,
breaths in the air, clouds in the sky, stars up above. Give ideas a chance.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-63472705985270915662014-08-15T04:50:00.007-07:002021-04-19T10:05:18.615-07:00Best price for hotels. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757079"></a>Check with hotel registries to see what's their
lowest price in the area. Be sure to mention any affiliations you have such as
teacher, military, USAA, senior. Also check online to see if there is another
price available that they are not offering you. As the evening gets later on
the day of travel, you may be able to get the best price by walking into the
hotel in person. Be prepared to walk back out, though, and make your
reservation on your Smartphone in the parking lot.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-1903178609294882132014-08-15T04:50:00.003-07:002014-08-15T04:50:25.079-07:00Stay with friends and family en route. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757078"></a>Whether you are visiting said family or
not, most family and friends will happily accept your family for the night. You
might even be able to ask friends if they have friends where you are going.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-47857153540728397862014-08-15T04:49:00.005-07:002014-08-15T04:49:51.590-07:00Cooler and fridge space on trips. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757077"></a>When you are traveling, pack a small cooler
to travel with you. Place in it some fresh fruits and vegetables, deli cheeses,
meats, and beverages or bottles of filtered water. By keeping these fresh foods
available while driving, you can keep yourself safe and focused by not being
hungry. You can also avoid fast food black holes that are bound to suck you in
otherwise. By making sure your accommodations have at least ice if not a small
fridge, you can place your food in overnight to keep it better longer. Be
cautious of what to include considering the temperature of your cooler may not
be food safe for some foods after a long drive.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-83114467591811491362014-08-15T04:49:00.002-07:002014-08-15T04:49:19.340-07:00Enjoy a stay-cation and spend travel FUNds on the fun. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757076"></a>There is no rule that your
vacation days must be spent away from home. There is no rule that your kids
must go on a vacation to some super fantastic great and expensive place. Enjoy
a stay-cation at home. Invest the funds you would have spent traveling on
family fun, entertainment, and tools that will be around for longer than just the
weekend. Buy an Xbox or a PlayStation and a really special game. Plan a day at
a local fun shop instead of going far, far away, maybe go-carts, putt-putt, or
even just pizza. Ask members of the family in advance what they would like to
do.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-12545575950842285482014-08-15T04:48:00.006-07:002014-08-15T04:48:49.384-07:00Grocery hopping or avoid needless trips. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757075"></a>If getting one item at a different
store saves you 50 cents... what does the drive cost you? There is a
calculation to consider if the 50 cents per 5 minutes for the purchase is a
worthwhile purchase but the ENTIRE purchase is much more than 5 minutes when
you consider the drive. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-496128165941801792014-08-15T04:48:00.003-07:002014-08-15T04:48:17.761-07:00Compile a to-do list and have an errand day. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757074"></a>This helps by giving you a much fuller
look at the locations you need to travel to and allows you to group things more
efficiently, rather than driving all over town each time an errand arises. If
you decide Thursday is always your errand day, you can tell anyone who needs
your time that Thursday is your errand day and plan around it from there. The
other benefit is that it gives your brain four days off per week from errands.
Have the willpower to only allow errands to drive you one day a week and you
get the four other "business days" to yourself for what you want and
need to get done.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-80313728748332545152014-08-15T04:47:00.008-07:002014-08-15T04:47:52.929-07:00Plan your day or week in advance to group trips together in order to save miles.<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757073"></a>Plan your day or
week in advance to group trips together in order to save miles.
By pre-planning the events of your week, you can lump events on one side of town
into one day and events or needs in another part of town on a completely
different day. If you need a book from the bookstore which is right by the
grocery store - plan to do those the same day. By looking at your weekly
calendar of events, you should be able to add in the additional trips you need
to make into the right slots.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-72105811271642003672014-08-15T04:47:00.003-07:002014-08-15T04:47:18.899-07:00Give yourself a driving zone <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757072"></a>Give yourself a
driving zone and if
you have to drive outside of "the zone" make sure you NEED to be
going. If you don't need to drive - don't. If you must, plan your trip
carefully to be sure you only drive as far as you need. I would suggest you
consider a "driving zone." Look at your regular everyday activities
on a map and consider what might be your reasonable region. Then anything you
need/want to do outside of that region - THINK about it before getting in the
car!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's amazing how different life is living in Washington, D.C.,
compared to western Kansas. Some of the tips I discuss are going to be complete
common sense to many people reading them - while other people may think they
are radical concepts and nonsense! Where I grew up "the big town" was
about an hour away; that's also where the Walmart was. You didn't just jump in
your car and go to Walmart because you needed something; you planned, made a
list, asked friends if they needed something or wanted to go, and made a BIG
trip out of going to Hays (the big town). At least my family and friends did.
Shopping and restaurants are 10-15 minutes away, which is pretty reasonable but
driving further than that is VERY common.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hubby for instance drives an hour both ways for work! That's
a lot of money and a lot of time. (We save A LOT on housing expenses because of
this however.) From the north to the south, the town we live in right now is
about 30 minutes long. Our playgroup has mommies on all edges and in adjoining
towns. Is it more than a 10 minute drive? Do I really want/need to go? Is there
another way I can get there or something else to do today? I can go by the
mechanic's shop and also pick up a few
groceries afterwards - good idea! Makes the cost of all that gas more worth it!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-65550187587230764522014-08-15T04:46:00.009-07:002014-08-15T04:46:51.173-07:00Fill up in the morning when the ground is the coolest and right after someone else. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757071"></a>There is a lot at play in this money saver. The concept is that the cooler the
gasoline the denser it will be so you'll get more for your gallon. Generally
the temperature underground in the tanks has little to do with the time of day
and more to do with the temperature it was stored in the delivery truck and how
long ago it was there. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The real difference experienced in research was that the gas
in the pump box above ground was effected the most by temperature. By being the
second person to use the pump, you are making sure your gas is not the day
warmed gasoline at the top of the mechanical system.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-41872472774810585022014-08-15T04:46:00.006-07:002014-08-15T04:46:28.520-07:00Gas Buddy. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757070"></a>Using <a href="http://www.gasbuddy.com/%20">http://www.gasbuddy.com/</a> can
help find a good price if you are in a market with options. Simply turn on the
software and it will use the GPS locator to tell you the prices of all gas in
the area. You can make your choice from real information but you do need to
check the price when you get there in order to avoid disappointment on your
receipt.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-25385200244932515842014-08-15T04:46:00.003-07:002014-08-15T04:46:09.668-07:00Fill up before your last quarter of gasoline - avoid last minute gas emergencies. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757069"></a>If you allow yourself to get to an emergency situation, you are at the mercy of
the market for what you will pay for gasoline. Start shopping from 1/3 to 1/4
so that you can get a good price. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-18520442308746941922014-08-15T04:45:00.005-07:002014-08-15T04:45:45.656-07:00Avoid gas stations with gas tankers filling it up. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757068"></a>It's really bad for your car
to fill up when the tanker is there. It may now be more historic legend than
fact but when a large tanker is pouring fluid into another tank, it is bound to
stir up some stuff you don't want going into your car. Just try your best to
avoid it if you can.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-18972976540480342792014-08-15T04:45:00.002-07:002014-08-15T04:45:23.600-07:00Make groceries pay you back by cashing in on gas rebates. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757067"></a>With gas prices
soaring, various businesses are offering rebates on their receipts for gasoline
purchases. They want your money in their store and they want your money at
their affiliate gas station. Consider this amount of savings when choosing your
one store shopping if you don't grocery hop to various stores. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-72535359318555737012014-08-15T04:44:00.008-07:002014-08-15T04:44:58.556-07:00Carpool. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757066"></a>Whether to work, school, church, or fun, carpool as much as possible to save
money on resources and to help the planet. Washington, D.C., has this hilarious
concept called the slug lot. People pull up to the slug lot with 1 person in
the vehicle, pick up a couple of travelers, and drive into town. These
additional strangers qualify the vehicle to travel in the much faster
high-occupancy lanes. D.C. also has a free ride home program in place in case
you've come in with limited opportunities to get home and are in an emergency
situation to return home (get sick midday). This helps to eliminate the qualms
causing folks to avoid efficient community opportunities.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-33637256453893798632014-08-15T04:44:00.005-07:002014-08-15T04:44:39.301-07:00Walk short distances instead of driving.<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757065"></a> This is great for your health
plus great for your gas tank and car's health. Stop and write down a list of
places you could walk to from your home. Tape the list near your door to jog
your brain when you are grabbing your keys to head out. When you are in one
location, walk to the next location if it's nearby, too.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-59423290726780627082014-08-15T04:44:00.002-07:002014-08-15T04:44:09.516-07:00Use public transportation. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757064"></a>Generally the cost of getting from point A to
point B on public transit is reasonable compared to the real cost. The perks of
not having to drive, being able to do something else in the meantime, better
time made by the transportation, and the savings on not having to have a
vehicle can really make up for the expense required. Additionally there are a
lot of options throughout the world for passes and special tickets that make
regular use less expensive than occasional use.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-1108268693790139562014-08-15T04:43:00.006-07:002014-08-15T04:43:51.116-07:00Celebrate a car free day each month. <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757063"></a>If you've said no to other ideas of public
transportation or carpooling, try to make a car free day each month. Maybe you
have to ask your boss to let you work from home for only one day. Maybe this
will be the day you carpool or take mass transit. Maybe this will be the day
you just stay home from all of life's craziness. Maybe this is the day you'll
walk or bike. Celebrate your freedom to make choices and the power you are
taking over your budget.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-36070147080879452712014-08-15T04:43:00.003-07:002014-08-15T04:43:31.993-07:00Ask about all discounts. Carry multiple policies with one company if the price is right.<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757062"></a> Be sure to speak with your insurance agents about discounts that you COULD get.
If you carry two policies with the same company you get an additional X% off
both premiums. This could really make the deal better. Need a report card for
an honor roll student? Just ask what the discounts are.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-46697831539403979332014-08-15T04:42:00.005-07:002014-08-15T04:42:51.093-07:00Is your insurance coverage right for your car's age? <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757061"></a>Many people were raised to
be full coverage or liability only folks. When should you have which? You don't
WANT to have to pay to replace your car but if the value to total the vehicle
is less than the amount to repair it, that's what the insurance company will do
with full coverage. Older cars should always be <u>considered</u> for liability
only. Newer cars generally are required to have full coverage while being paid
for because the loan holder does not want to risk having the car wrecked
without replacement costs. The gray area between a new car under loan
requirements and an old car that obviously needs only liability leaves the
dirty details for you to decide. Find
the Kelley Blue Book <a href="http://www.kbb.com/%20">http://www.kbb.com/</a> value
of your vehicle. Get the annual cost of collision (full coverage) and the
annual cost of liability only coverage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
value of car /
(collision-liability premiums) = years until you've paid to replace your car.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Example:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your car is worth $3,000 on KBB. Collision is $600. Liability
is $100.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3000/(600-100)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3000/500</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In six years you will have paid the insurance company the
money they would give you today if you
totaled your car. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your car will have also depreciated in six years to $2,000
(give or take). If you wrecked it in six years, they would only give you $2,000
and you will have paid them $3,000 (more paid above the liability premium). </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Insurance is about risk. You don't know if you'll wreck your
car tomorrow, ten years from now, or if you'll sell it as an antique when you're
a dinosaur. The decisions are all yours to make.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528811843601189697.post-18590468791097395652014-08-15T04:42:00.002-07:002014-08-15T04:42:17.020-07:00Are you still paying a gap insurance with your car payment? <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc394757060"></a>Gap insurance
is designed to pay the difference in the insured value and the loan value early
in a car loan in case of the event of totaling. This is a nice coverage to have
if this is a concern, but you would be better to not buy a higher value car.
Better yet, walk in and pay cash for your vehicle.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0