Money Saving Tips:Seasonal Buys and Pocket Change

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CoinsSeasonal Buys
One to three days after a holiday, stores mark their holiday items from 50% to 75% off. This is an ideal way to stock up on next year’s Christmas or Halloween decorations. This is true for stores that sell seasonal clothing as well. Shopping for jackets or sweaters in the summer will provide you with great deals.

Pocket Change
Keep a jar or some type of container handy and each time you come home, drop in your change.
Every time you break a bill, put the change in your container. You will be amazed how quickly your money will build.

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By: Laura

11 Amazing Ways to Use Plastic Sleeves and Pouches for the Money-Saver

Posted: June 2010 in Stay on the Budget - Tags: ,
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The Sleeves
Image by Flasshe via Flickr

A plastic sleeve can be used as a pooper scooper bag, travel bag, or a yard sale bag. It can substitute for work gloves or an umbrella cover and serve as an extra beach bag or shoe holder. A plastic sleeve can provide dry feet protection, be used as a CD container or photo sleeve, and act as a covering for small appliances.

A plastic sleeve and plastic pouch are simple things that are utilized for protecting different objects. They comes in various sizes, thicknesses, and colors. The ways you can will use the depend on the finish of the plastic sleeve or pouch. Use one that is finished clear or polished clear if the pouch or sleeve is used for presentation or storing things like collector items and documents. Other finishes are rough, are waterproof, and have a low visual distortion. You can also find plastic sleeves with a thicker cover. Those are ideal for holding menus or any other important things that need durable, see-through packaging. Without a doubt, plastic sleeves are a money-saver.

Travel bags
Avoid spillage in your luggage by placing stuff like shampoo, lotions, and other liquids into a plastic sleeve. Don’t forget to tie the bag shut!

Yard sale bags
Organizing your yard sale items is a great way to attract customers. Place little things in a plastic newspaper sleeve so you don’t have to spend money for plastic zipper bags. Just a simple tie around the bag will do the trick.

Work gloves
Do you need gloves for gardening or other household chores? Just put on two plastic newspaper sleeves and voila! You now have free, instant work gloves.

Umbrella cover
A plastic newspaper sleeve is a good substitute for lost umbrella covers. Before tucking your umbrella in your bag or glove compartment, secure it inside a newspaper sleeve with a rubber band to keep water from leaking out.

Extra beach bag
After a swim at the beach, we always have to deal with wet clothes and where to put them. Plastic sleeves are good tools for this purpose.

Shoe holder
Travelers can surely use this tip. Use plastic sleeves as containers for shoes. They will protect your clothing from dirty soles.

Pooper scooper bags
Plastic sleeves, especially plastic newspaper sleeves, can be reused as scoopers for your pooch’s droppings. They are great for leisurely walks at the park with your dog. Leaving droppings in a public place is a big no-no. Just simply slip-on the plastic sleeve and pick up the dog droppings. Turn the bag inside out and toss it in a garbage bin.

Dry feet protection
Protect your child’s feet during rainy and muck days through sliding a plastic sleeve over each foot after putting on his socks. This will provide him an extra layer of protection and dryness. It will also help him avoid stinky feet.

CD container
There are plastic sleeves that are especially designed as CD packages. They will protect your precious collection from scratches and dust.

Photo sleeve
We all want to have our photographs look the same for years. Plastic sleeves can be a neat way to store photographs. You can store photos individually, back-to-back, or as albums.

Coverings for small appliances
There is a type of plastic sleeve that can be used for covering small appliances such as game consoles and remote controls. This is preferred compared to coverings made of cloth because dust can’t seep through the plastic and they are lightweight.


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By: Laura

Money Saving Tips: Beg, Beg and Beg

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Coins

Beg, Beg and Beg for lower prices has been my technique lately, and today I got some “fruits”.

This morning I went to my insurance company office and I told them I had a better price and I needed them to lower my life insurance price. After quite a few excuses that I already had a good price, that I had an excellent plan, etc. etc. , I kept telling the lady that I was jobless, two kids, finances were really tough, she decided to talk to her boss in the main office. She asked for my mobile number and said she was going to call me later with the verdict.

Before I left the office she asked me if my parents have a life insurance because they have affordable life insurance for seniors and that I could tell them to ask for a quote. It’s amazing how these people are always trying to sell other insurance plans, but that’s fine, it’s their job.

Well, I went home and 1 hour later I received a call saying that they could reduce me the price in €53 (+/- $71) annually. Better than nothing. I’m going to sign the papers this afternoon.

If you want a lower price don’t be ashamed to beg and beg. They are the ones that rob us. Sometimes they can make lower prices but they don’t tell the costumers.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Thomas Huston

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By: Laura

No Income Sucks

Posted: May 2010 in Stay on the Budget - Tags:
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I’m arriving at the bottom of the hole. No income, no job, bills to pay, family to feed, mortgage to pay, etc.

I’m having the time of my life because I’m now a SAHM although I consider myself a WAHM because I’m writing some requested articles from home and I keep looking for work online. The income is not enough but right now there are no jobs available and with my age (40) I’m considered a old women when it comes to work marketplace.

If only I could say that I can solve this situation by selling my jewelry or that I could sell my timeshare and abdicate from my house vacation, but that’s not the case, I have nothing to sell.

Next week I’m going to try to sell some of my kids clothes to a second hand store, maybe I can get some money from selling them.

I know this is a temporary situation and that I will probably will find a new job soon, but for now, my belt is really tight.

One of the things I regret is not having a savings account. A saving account is the first thing I’m going to open as soon as I have a regular income. In a difficult situation, a few bucks aside are a great help.

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By: Laura
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Shopping Tips: Stretch Your Grocery Budget #2

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Last week I posted Stretch Your Grocery Budget #1 and, as promised, here are more Shopping Tips with Strech Your Grocery Budget #2. Enjoy!

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By: Laura

Saving Shopping Tips: Taking Advantage of Discounts

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Here is a screenshot of my laundry room where I also have some shelves with groceries and related items.

On our journey to save money, we take advantage of all the discounts we get to bring home extra products we need. When we get a 50% discount for instance, instead of buying 3 packs of cereals we buy 6 or more and store them on these shelves for future use. On another cabinet I have one item of each of those in the photo for daily use.

Today I went to the supermarket to get some bread and I notice that a new 50% discount promotion is taking place there. From cleaning products to the best eye cream, from wine to milk. Yes, milk is with a 50% discount and, once we drink so much milk at home, I’m going to take advantage of this promotion and buy some extra packages.

Of course we have to take a close look to expire dates and on this milk case, the expire date is September 2010 so no problem getting a lot of them and store them at home.

Do you have a grocery storage plan?

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By: Laura
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Shopping Tips: Stretch Your Grocery Budget #1

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I am always searching for shopping tips that can help me to save money and reduce my grocery bill. This week I bring here a youtube video posted by CentsibleSawyer. It was posted one year ago but it has great tips than can help us to save some money. This is the first video, next week I’ll post the second one.

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By: Laura