1000 Ways To Save Day 4!

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Wow this is fun! Have you tried any of the tips yet? I made bows from recycled magazines last night! (Tip number 280!)

They turned out okay! I had these little flower brads that I struggle to use in scrapbooks because I just never like the look! Now I have a great use for them!

Missed the first three days?

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Let me know if you’ve tried any of the tips and if you have any ideas to add for the next 600!

First and foremost…

301. Check your pride. I know I constantly struggle with this. I am often prideful in the sense that I do not go to God first with our finances and think that I can do this all on my own! My pride gets in the way again when I think its embarrassing to use coupons or ask for discounts, what will the clerk think of me? Its easy to think “I’m better than that, I make enough money to not ever have to write a list or use coupons.”

It’s easy to fall into and God is very straightforward with what He thinks about pride. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Prov. 11:2

302. Continue to pray about and trust God with your finances. There is such fear associated with finances right now as our country struggles through this rough patch. But God has called us to trust Him and live without fear of what this world brings to us. If we approach this situation from our own understanding, yes, things are turning bad! But God calls to turn away from our own understanding and trust in him! We can have joy and peace in the fact that He is in control and He will be glorified in even the darkest of times! In fact I believe that this is the hour that we as Christians point to our savior and say, “Praise God! My God is my provider and He is in control!” People will see that and know that something is different! They will see everyone else panicking and pulling their hair out and the Christians lovingly trusting in their God and at peace! Now, not to say that we as Christians will not have to face trials as well; its not the lack of trials that speak to God working in our lives, its the presence of peace and joy that comes from Christ as we go through those trials.

I love this verse in Prov. 3: 5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Amen!!

Check out what Crown Financial Ministies has to say about the “2008 Ecomonic Earthquake” HERE.

For the home…

303. Make the most out of the seasonal decor you already have! I read this post and loved what Sarah is doing in her home to stretch out the fall decor she has. She adds a little bit of wintery decor to beef up what she has for fall. That way she’ll also have less to take down once winter comes! Her home looks so cute and if you like the country/rustic look, you’ll love it! Read HERE for more.

304. Free Prints! You can print a coupon for 25 free photo prints at Rite Aid online! Click HERE for more info!

305. Even more free prints! You can get free photo prints and free shipping when you sign up at Shutterfly.com! (I just did and I’m getting my summer vacation prints printed for my scrapbook!)

306. Got a dirty toilet? You can clean it with Coke! Yes, Coke! All that acid in what you drink eats away at the yuckies in your toilet!

307. Take your shoes off at the door. This tip isn’t just for neat freaks! Less dirt tracked into your home means less vacuuming, a longer life for your carpet, a longer life for your vacuum, and less energy.

308. Read the label! The shirt label that is. I have sad news, I failed to follow this tip and shrunk one of my husbands favorite sweaters! I felt so bad, I almost cried when I told him! I just assumed it was the same as the other sweaters we bought at the same store from the same manufacturer, but this one was wool. Ugh! Please learn from mistake! Read those labels!

309. Learn to knit! You can make your family all the warm weather garments you need and even make items to sell if you know how to knit! You could also make gifts for others very inexpensively! I bought my knitting needles at a second hand store for $.50 and yarn on sale for $1.25. (I’m still working on my project!) I found this site, learntoknit.com with some great tutorials.

310. Learn to crochet! My sister says this is easier than knitting, I’m working on it. My mom made our family Christmas stockings crocheting and they are so precious to us kids! Here is a tutorial for beginners at the same site!

311. Use a timer! This tip I learned from Crystal at moneysavingmom.com! Use a timer to help you stay on track for the tasks you need to get done for the day. I use the kitchen timer on my microwave. Time is money!! One way I love to use this is set the timer for half an hour and try to get as much housework done that I possibly can in this time. I work faster and am more driven if I have a time limit!

312. Host a toy party! This tip comes from bargainist.com. If you find that there are toys in your home that your kids just don’t play with and they are still good toys, invite friends to come over and bring their non-played with toys from their kids. Serve some light snacks and exchange toys! New toys, no money spent!

313. Want to skip the party? Just have a friend keep a box in their home as you also fill your box. When your boxes are filled, exchange them! Again, new toys, no money spent!

314. Reuse cups! Use the same cup/glass all day. This will cut down on dishes and waste. Have a special cup for each child! (Kate from Jon and Kate plus 8 does this!)

Concerning shopping in general…

315. Pray before you shop! I am trying to remember to do this. Before you go into the store, pray that God will be with you and giving you wisdom. Invite Him into your shopping experience and I even pray for good deals and wise stewardship!

316. Split Buy one get one deals! In college, I would go to the B1G1 sales at JCPenney and Payless with a friend and we would go into the B1G1 deal together! We would then split the price in half and save even more! For example, once tank tops were on a B1G1 sale and they were priced at $14.99. We’d both pick a top we wanted and then pay $7.50 each! Not bad eh?

317. Make the most of your gift cards! I mentioned yesterday asking for gift cards as gifts. Don’t let those gift cards burn holes in your pockets. Wait for a sale, wait for coupons and stretch that gift card as far as possible. If you think of it as actual cash, you’ll be more likely to spend it wisely.

All things Halloween!

318. Make your own costume! My family didn’t really celebrate Halloween when I was growing up. But my mom was good about letting us participate in Harvest celebrations at church when they were available. She made costumes for us if there was a harvest party and she did such a great job! I was a lamb- cotton balls glued to a white leotard from dance class. A princess- I wore my flower girl dress and my dad made a pointy hat with ribbons cascading down the back! A Hershey’s Kiss- chicken wire, a helmet,  a lot of foil and a piece of white tag board.

Need more ideas? Click here for some good ones! Also keep in mind that those homemade costumes mean so much more to little ones than those $50 ones from the store.

319. No candy cash? We’ve been there! To politely deal with the throngs of children wanting candy, place a sign on the door that says “We are out of candy! Have a safe and happy evening!”

320. Use Halloween as a ministry opportunity! We have friends that use those sticker labels to print Bible verses on and then wrap around the candy the pass out each year. It adds about $5 to the total cost, but who knows what the eternal impact could be?

321. Attend Church parties! This is also a safer option for your little ones! Some cities sponsor harvest parties as well!

322. Halloween alternative: Looking for a fun and frugal alternative? Make a paper mache pumpkin! My family did this one year and I still remember how fun it was! (My mom was brave! 4 little ones and paper mache?) She painted it when it dried, and dad used a sharpie to draw a “happy” jack-o-lantern face on it. We got to take turns hitting it until it broke open. It was a fun way to celebrate and still get candy without any of the evil influences. (We made the paper mache the day before.)

323. Another Halloween alternative: Watch a Christmas movie! I know it may sound weird, but my mom did this with us and we loved it! We each got a cup full of popcorn and a cup full of treats. We set the tv up in mom and dad’s room– which was a special treat for us and watched a Christmas movie!

324. Go to a pumpkin patch! Our local patch is just $4 to visit and there is a corn maze, a hayride and a pumpkin patch where you can take home a pumpkin. If you’re not sure where to go/how much it costs, click here for a state by state list, or google your area!

325. Don’t let that pumpkin go to waste! Pumpkins are like the ultimate in frugal opportunity! Use the inside to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin milkshakes, pumpkin bread, or pumpkin soup! Toast the seeds for a tasty snack! Use the outside for fun/frugal seasonal decor!

326. Use the pumpkin as a candy dish! I saw this in Good Housekeeping. Carve out the base of a wide pumpkin, place a large dish inside and fill it with candy corn! It really does look super cute!

327. Frugal Halloween Craft. Take those gloves you can purchase at the store for handling food and fill them with popcorn or candy corn. Tie them off with a little ribbon and they are a creepy little treat!

328. Not into the creepy craft? Use cheapo sandwich baggies and fill them with popcorn or candy corn on an angle. They look more like carrots this way. (I’ve seen this done for Easter too.)

stretching the food dollars…

329. Embrace soy! Most soy products can be much cheaper than the alternative. Nate and I use tofu on occasion– cheaper than other meats.

330. Embrace canned meats! Canned tuna and chicken can be great meat choices and depending on the brand, can be much cheaper! We have found some yummy recipes using tuna! Check allrecipes.com.

331. Chop those veggies right away! This prevents food spoilage because you’ll have veggies ready to serve for snacks, or to throw into a salad at dinnertime! I’ve done this celery and then put out little tupperware containers of peanut butter to eat with the celery! Makes for a great addition to Nate’s lunches.

332. Baby carrots, my dilemma. This may be just me, but I love the way baby carrots taste. Per ounce, a bundle of the larger carrots are much cheaper. But, if I cut up those large carrots right away, like I do the celery, I may be able to switch and save some money.

333. Make your own salad dressing! My mom does this and I actually prefer it! Read a how-to HERE.

334. Food bank. Remember what I said about swallowing that pride? If you are low on budget and need to feed your family, do not turn to credit. Go to your local food bank and receive aid. Most food banks have a no questions asked policy. Meaning you can get something no matter your income level. My mom got free bread and peanut butter using that program when times were tight growing up.

335. Food Stamps. We have friends/family members who use food stamps to help them get through college when times are tight. It is humbling, but they get healthy food with very little out of pocket. Click here to find out if you are eligible in your state.

336. Read the fine print! On coupons that is! I’ve made mistakes this way and its kind of embarrassing. Make sure you know you have the right product, the right size, whether or not you have enough products for the coupon and so on.

337. Fool the kids! Do your kids refused to eat non-name brand cereals? Buy the malt-o-meal or cheap brands and pour them into the name brand box.

338. Unsure about shopping at drugstores? The systems can seem to be a bit complicated. Here are some great tutorials at being frugal is fabulous! Click here for tutorials on Walgreens and Rite Aid.

339. Have a CVS nearby? Use it! I am constantly amazed by the deals I hear about from this store! Click this tutorial here for more at moneysavingmom.com.

340. Free Podcast! This is a podcast featuring Crystal moneysavingmom.com. There is so much that Crystal has to offer; if you’re overwhelmed by the idea of cutting expenses on your grocery bill, she can give you what you need to know in easy steps. There are two podcasts available, click HERE and HERE.

341. Want more? Crystal has an online course called Supermarket Savings 101. I bought it during her summer sale and it was worth every penny! Check out moneysavingmom.com for more.

342. Can’t afford the paper? Most papers are fairly affordable, but when times are tight, you can look at most sales ads online. When I can’t get the paper, I look at the ads online and use printable coupons. Using the ads helps me to plan my weekly menu according to sales and saves me SO MUCH money!

343. Found an awesome sale on milk? Freeze it! I didn’t know that you could successfully freeze milk back when we were first married and ended up having to toss a whole gallon!

344. Put meat into portions before freezing! I do this with my ground meat. Instead of cooking the whole pound, I split it into 2-3 portions to stretch out the meat.

345. Use fillers. My mom did this growing up using potatoes in with the taco meat to fill us up more! Its so yummy!

346. Try soups! And I don’t mean the canned kind! Make your own! I made my own chicken noodle soup last night and it was so, so, so good! Better than any can! I found the recipe at allrecipes.com. I’m planning on making a potato soup next week!

347. Cook from scratch weekend! Cooking from scratch is a common saving money tip. If you work like I do, this can be super challenging! For me, I try to cook from scratch on the weekends when I have more time. Try it and maybe it will become easier to cook from scratch during the week.

Concerning water/energy conservation…

348. Light bulb inventory. This may sound weird, but Nate and I do this. In our room, we both have a lamp on our night stands. Nate never uses his, so I unplugged it and took the light bulb out! The lamp is there still for appearances, but I didn’t want to waste a light bulb! Do you have unused light bulbs that could be better utilized?

349. Consider installing dimmers. This would be an initial investment. From what I’ve read, it can save about 50% off your lighting costs.

350. Become a fan of ceiling fans! Ceiling fans can be used instead of an air conditioner and save you up to 80% on your cooling bill. Or, if you still want to use your air conditioner, turn it down about 6 degrees and run your fan at the same time. It will still cut your bill to use both.

351. Electricity Usage Monitor. These little babies help you figure out the efficiency of your appliances. All appliances are not created equal! If this is not a purchase you are willing to make right now, read this post at GetRichSlowly.org to see a sample of someone else’s findings!

Concerning Cars…

352. Use higher gears. Some of what I read talked about using higher gears on your car when possible to boost your fuel economy.

353. Park in the shade! This keeps your car cooler and require less from the engine to cool it down!

354. Can’t park in the shade? Use a window reflector to block out the sun! I recommend using one in both the front and back windows for the best effect. I used to drive a little black car without air conditioning, I learned from experience!

355. Use Cruise Control! My mom would kill me if she knew I was telling you all this– my mom still does not know how to use cruise control! Many studies confirm that yes, cruise control saves you money on gas. Try to set it slightly below the speed limit. (356 will explain why!)

356. Slow it down! The faster you go, the more your speed affects your fuel economy. A good number to stick around is 60mph.

357. Don’t do what I did today! I forgot my math assessments I needed to turn in at home and didn’t realize until I got all the way to school! I had to drive all the way back! I was so mad at myself for wasting gas! Always check that you have everything you need before you leave!

Concerning entertainment and vacations…

358. Split meals out! Most restaurants allow for this. We’ve paid a $4 fee before for doing this as well. You still get the meal experience but spend quite a bit less.

359. Ask for a box right away! If you’re not in a situation where you can easily split, consider asking for a box right away. Put half of your meal inside to take home for lunch tomorrow. (You’re still getting 2 meals out of one entree!) This technique is very helpful for portion control and also prevents overeating. My mom learned about this in the 90’s while participating in the Christian weight loss movement called Weigh Down. By the way mom, you still look great!

360. 5% of your take home income. According to Crown Financial Ministries, your allotted budget for entertainment should only be 5% of your take home income. Are you spending just 5% or less? How come? What’s keeping you from that?

361. Don’t forget the babysitter! When figuring out that 5%, don’t forget to include the baysitting costs within that budget.

362. NFL fans rejoice! This tip comes from my hubbie. As you all know, we canceled our cable, we don’t get the games anymore. After much searching, my resourceful husband found nfl.directtv.com/supercast! This site allows you to watch the games! He spent Sunday watching his Rams get beat AGAIN. Poor guy. Too bad there’s not a free website that will cure husband’s nfl-crushed spirits!

363. Planning a vacation? Perfect teaching time! Teach your kids about money while on vacation! Crown Financial Ministries has a wonderful article all parents should read about this! Click HERE for more!

364. Scholastic Book Orders! I just did one of these for my class and there are books in there, good and fun books, for just $1! Plus, if you are a teacher, you get tons of free books and resources! I get 13 FREE books and have over 1500 points to spend (a $3 book is 60 points) in the future! Take advantage of these if you are a parent or teacher!

365. Title Trader and Paperback Swap. I’ll admit, I don’t use either of these! But I have heard so many good things from people who do! You only pay for shipping and swap books, dvds, cds, or whatever with other people! I’m thinking about trying Title Trader for our dvds. We recently purged our collection and I have 13 dvds to get rid of now! This may be as good option for us.

366. Free devotionals! Nathan was talking about going to purchase a devotional we could use once we get paid and I said, why not look online for free ones? I found one I really like at crosswalk.com and ladies, there are some fabulous options for just women! Check them out HERE!

367. Free listening entertainment! One of our favorite frugal forms of entertainment is to listen to one of our favs online! Here’s what we enjoy, though I’m sure there are many more programs available out there! Google them and see!

Money Life from Crown Financial Ministries

Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Lee Demoss (for ladies)

The Dave Ramsey Show You can also listen to archives if you miss the show.

Desiring God with John Piper

368. Speaking of John Piper… There are some wonderful resources available to you at desiringgod.org that are sold to you at very low prices. Nathan and I purchased a set of 25 pamphlets called “Don’t Waste Your Life” for just $3! The title sounds harsh, but its really good stuff. What we love about John Piper is that we walk away from listening to him feeling so convicted! His wisdom and insight into the Word of God is amazing and worth your time!

369. Youtube.com! If you haven’t already used this website, you should really check it out! Talk about free entertainment! I could spend hours watching stuff on there! By the way! There is some good Dave Ramsey stuff available on Youtube.com!

370. Kayak.com. I read about how this site helps you find the cheapest travel rates and searches over 140 sites at a time! I tried it out with a dream trip I hope to take with the hubbie some day and found some great deals!

371. bedandbreakfast.com! I love b and bs! They can be an affordable choice! Just for fun, I looked up a local b and b, only $90 a night right on the beach! I also looked up b and b’s in London! Oh someday!! I also heard that if you sign up for this site’s newsletter, you’ll get updates on cheap rates and promotions.

372. Hostels.com. I’ll be honest, the idea of hostels kind of creep me out! I looked at some pictures of rooms inside hostels and was presently surprised! Not too bad! And, there are even singles available if you’d rather. Most the time, this is a very affordable option!

373. Priceline negotiator! Don’t you just love that little jingle? I have heard a lot of good about this site, so I checked it out. You actually send in bids for airfare/hotel prices! I was impressed! Put in the price you want to pay and see if its accepted! (The bids aren’t always accepted.) If used in conjunction with Kayak.com, you could research the lowest rate and have a good idea what a realistic bid would be.

Money spending attitudes and habits…

374. Want to reign in your spending habits? Try Mvelopes with Crown Financial ministries! They offer a free 30 day trial that helps you keep track of all your expenses and organize your spending! I have heard people whose financial lives were turned around by this system. I took the tour of the system and it is amazing what it does for you! Take the tour HERE!

375. Need a reality check? Daveramsey.com has a free reality check that you can take. You type in the amount of money you pay for rent, your monthly pay, your monthly savings, and then find out what your plan will produce for you vs. what Dave’s Total Money Make Over will produce for you. He also has a description of his baby steps on the same page! Click HERE for more.

376. How do you build a budget on a fluctuating income? Good question! Nate is a substitute teacher and our income fluctuates depending on how many jobs he can get in a month! I found this article at Crown.org to be very helpful when we began budgeting seriously last year. It can be done!

377. Spending plans. Nobody likes making these. This tool is also very helpful at getting your spending plans on paper no matter your income level! I double checked ours and was surprised to see that percentage wise, we are over spending in some areas! I also noticed that we are underspending quite a bit in others, so it balanced out! Find out what yours should be and pray about any differences you see between what you spend and what you should spend. God is there to give you wisdom!

378. Keeping a spending track. Those little checkbook registers don’t work for me! They are too tiny! I use a notebook and we keep all receipts and I store them in a page protector in my home management binder. Once a week, (usually Monday) I go through and update the spending track. I then double check it with the online bank statement and make sure there is nothing I forgot about/didn’t have a receipt for. I then go through and enter each purchase into the appropriate budget category to see how much we’ve spent and how much we have left in each category. I use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of the budget categories and just highlight the expense in my spending track to mark that I recorded it in the budget.

There may be better are more organized systems out there, but this works for us. I just encourage you to find a system that works for you!

379. Flexible Spending Accounts. I am only recently learning about these as I have been offered on through my job. FSAs are an account you put money into– pretax dollars, for medical or sometimes dental expenses. You turn in your receipts for reimbursement, and get your money back. Remember, it is your money either way. The savings come from being able to keep those dollars from taxes! You can save a nice chunk of cash this way. Beware! If you don’t spend all of it, it will disappear!

I was looking at the list of expenses you could claim and even band aids and cough drops were there! So, if you play it right, and FSA could save you money. I worked the numbers and Nate could possibly save up to $35 using this system. We are on the lower contributing side, the more you put in, the more you’d save–if you use it that is.

Ask your company’s HR rep if this is available to you!

Concerning phone and internet services…

380. Skype! Skype is a wonderful phone alternative. You can talk through your computer for free to anyone else who is using Skype. We have friends who are engaged and in two different countries who use this service to talk to each other each day. Its wise! There is a small payment for calling a lanline or non-skype user.  ($.021-.024 a minute in US) Check it out!

381. Vonage. Another cheaper alternative for a phone line. 500 minutes for $14.99 a month or unlimited for $24.99 a month. The promotion I looked at was also offering one month free!

382. Prepaid calling cards. Kiplinger.com suggested this if you have a roommate. You can make all the calls you need without having to worry about upsetting a roommate! You can find these cards at most stores for very reasonable prices. (I used them in college. Would call home and then mom would call right back so we could maximize my minutes!)

383. Pre-paid cell phones. Some cost as low as $20 initially and then minutes cost  anywhere form $.10-.60 each depending on the deal you find. Again, this can be a very affordable option for you.

Concerning toiletries…

384. Shampoo dimes! My mother-in-law taught her boys to put a drop in their hands as small as a dime to keep them from using too much. We try to do that was well! I tend to use too much and now realize it only takes a drop as small as a dime!

385. That time of the month? Suzanne brought up the idea of making cloth menstrual pads, though I agree with her in the fact that it would be somewhat terrifying to try at first! I found a site with some fairly practical ways to go about this. If your brave, it could save you some money! Click HERE for more.

386. Free razors! Crystal again at MSM.com (moneysavingmom.com) helps us find the good stuff! Click HERE for more about how to get free razors!

387. Apple Cider Vinegar. I read on some sites that this can be used to help rebalance the Ph levels of your hair making it soft and shiny.

388. Hair loss? Could too much contact with chemicals in shampoo be contributing to your hair loss? Some say yes it does! The best suggestion is to dilute your shampoo with water and/or use natural hair cleaning remedies.

Random tid bits…

389. Drip systems for gardens. Drip hoses can save up to 50% in water lossfor your garden.

390. Keep it shaggy! Shaggier grass holds moisture better! Raise your blades to the 3 inch level!

391. Youdata.com. Another money making opportunity that I read about today on MSM.com! Read more HERE.

392. I found more coupons! In my Good Housekeeping magazine! I mentioned adperk.com before, try it to get this magazine for free and you will also get coupons!

393. Minimizing Monday! For those of you who are ready to get serious about living with less and purging your excess, read minimizing monday at handprintsonthewall.org each week! Here is this weeks post, its a good one!

394. Theft proof your car! Just the other day I heard about some teachers who experienced car theft and I felt so sad them for them! Too bad they had an iPod in plain sight! People! Put away anything of value, lock your doors, activate your alarm if you have one, park close to stores and/or lighting at night and be safe!

395. Know the terms! Whenever you sign up for any service at all, make sure you know the terms 100% before you put money in their hands. Nathan and I thought we could take advantage of a modem deal for Comcast internet, but we couldn’t! We went ahead and signed up for the modem with the modem company before we realized that! So, we had to pay for shipping to send back the modem and in the mean time, we’re out $90! Don’t do what we did!

396. Get rid of those annoying credit card offers! Not to mention the temptation to sign up for one! There are multiple companies that can stop the flow of junk mail. Proquo.com is free! Check it out.

397. The couponizer! I’ve read about this and people just love it! This could be a great way to get your coupons organized! Read what Jane had to say HERE!

398. Got a dog? Great coupon! Click HERE for a $5 off coupon for Hill’s dog food!

399. Know what you’re dealing with! If you do still have credit cards, make sure you know what you’re dealing with. Do you even know the interest rate? I found this great article that explains the difference between APR and APY! Educate yourself if you still have credit HERE!

400. Learn from your grandparents! Family members often tell me how much like my grandma I am. She saved everything and lived an extreme frugal life. Think about the way your grandparents lived– did they waste anything? Did they have a lot of debt if any? How did they entertain themselves? How did they feed their families? And often, our grandmothers stayed home! They lived on just one income! If your grandparents are still alive, what a blessing it would be to them and also to you to ask them for some frugal advice! I’m sure they would have so mnay stories to tell that will keep you inspired!

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