Money – HackALife

Coupon Savings

Sometimes coupons can add up to some hefty savings. Last night I was at the store and after coupons, I save $30. My total went from $78.00 down to $48.00. All because I checked out the sales and clipped coupons before I went to the store. So you have to put some effort into it but it is definitely worth the effort.

Here are some coupon sites that will help you get on your way to some great savings.

moneysavingmom.com – Helping you be a better home economist.

247couon.com – From books to pet stores to clothing.

dealcatcher.com – Catch the best deals online.

redplum.com – Sweeten the deal.

coupons.com – Free coupons.

And for advice on how to get the most from your coupons and how to combine offers with coupons to save more check out this site – grocerycouponguide.com

10 Ways to Save More and Waste Less

Spending wisely on everyday living is the key to save more in this economy. It doesn’t hurt to be a little environmentally friendly while saving money too. Below are some easy ways to stretch your dollars, save time and conserve nature’s resources.

Cut Down on Paper Towel Purchases. Keep washcloths on hand in the kitchen to mop up spills, wipe faces, etc. It not only saves you money, its very green too.
Dine at Home. Be creative with recipes and table settings, and you won’t feel like you’re missing a thing.
Use Smart Products. Arm & Hammer Essentials Detergent cleans with plant-based soaps and baking soda and costs up to 50% less per load than the leading detergent.
Bulk Up. Larger sizes mean lower unit costs. Divide into smaller portions, freezing perishable items as necessary.
Thirsty? Make water your drink of choice. A very green option is to carry a stainless steel water bottle for refills.
Before Grocery Shopping. Search online for printable coupons. Spend time with the store’s website or circular, and plan meals around sale items.
Transfer Shampoo and Conditioner into Pump Bottles. Use just one squirt per application, its all you really need anyway.
Choose Products that Multi-Task. Try Arm & Hammer Total 2-in-1 Moist Dryer Cloths to get the best of a fabric softener and a dryer sheet in one money saving moist cloth.
Spend Less on Skin Care. Look for tinted moisturizers and body lotion with built-in sunscreen.
Whiten Teeth for Less. Buying toothpaste with whitener in it or add whitening booster to your toothpaste, works just as good as whitening strips but much cheaper.

Adapted from Family Circle Magazine.

Eating Out on a Budget

I love food, love it! But I as my checking account dwindles I am finding that I really need to slow down on eating out. I love to eat out, try new restaurants and spend time with friends but now I have started looking for ways to make my favorite past time a bit of a cheaper enjoyment than it previously has been.

Here are some ways to eat out on a budget:

Always check the restaurant website for a happy hour menu. Try making your meals out early in the evening to enjoy the cheaper eats. Happy hour most of times has some of the same options as the regular menu without the high price tag.

Look around for coupons. A lot of local restaurants have coupons in the paper or ads that come once a month in the mail. If you find coupons for a restaurant you frequent, keep them handy(in your purse or wallet) for those surprise meals out. Another great place to find coupons is in the Entertainment Book, they offer a lot of 50% off or 2-for-1 meals. Also it doesn’t hurt to check the restaurant website to see if they have any coupons online.

Stay away from drinks. Simply order water and you will save a lot of money on a family of four.

If you have kids, check out restaurants where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal.

Share a meal. This morning I shared a meal with my sis at a local restaurant that offers a lower price in the morning for their special of the day and our total with drinks came to under $9.00.

Keeping Your Summer Water Bill Low

watering-lawn-or-garden As the heat of summer turns up, trying to keep the grass green and the plants growing can consume tons of water and send your monthly bill through the roof. Here are some tips to help you keep the summer water bill at a reasonable level.

1. Try to take showers instead of baths.

2. Turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth.

3.Collect rain water and recycle it to water the plants.

4.Make sure your faucets aren’t dripping.

5.Use a bowl full of water when doing the dishes instead of leaving the tap running.

In general, turf grasses need about 3/4″ — 1″ of water per week to maintain green color and active growth. However, during certain times during the summer when high temperatures are the norm, you should allow lawns to naturally slow down in growth during those extreme conditions. You may let the lawn go almost completely dormant in hot weather. Many factors such as the soil and weather all have a role in the lawn’s water needs.

Check out American Lawns for more info on how to water your grass efficiently.

7 Ways to Save When Eating Out

1. Use Coupons ~ Not always is this easy, but its worth it to try. Here are a few sites to try: Restaurant.com offers gift certificates at a discounted price but there are restrictions. Use your Entertainment book – BOGO deals.

2. Don’t order drinks ~ Soda and alcohol can really up the bill . Stick with free water.

3. Split a meal with someone ~ This saves you from eating too much and also saves you from carrying around the dreaded box of left overs, that rarely get eaten.

4. Go early and enjoy the early bird specials or happy hour ~ You can get the normal menu items for almost half off.

5. If dining with kids, try places that kids eat free ~ Applebees and Ihop are among the many that offer free kids meals with an adult purchase.

6. Skip the dessert and appetizer ~ Desserts are a huge money maker for restaurants. If you are really craving a dessert, stop at the market on the way home to pick up something fabulous.

7. Order Take Out ~ This will save you from shelling out money for drinks and a tip, which adds up fast.

What Can You Give up to Save Money?

We each have our ‘little things’ we can’t live without. What are yours? Now lets turn that around and find the things we ‘can’ live without. In these tough economic times we have to continually be thinking of ways to save money. Below are a handful of ways to help you save money every month.

1. Get rid of the land line ~ Most everyone these days owns a cell phone, why not disconnect your land line and save approximately $25.00 a month for the monthly service and fees. You can save a bunch more if you tend to make out of state calls. That’s where the cell phone comes in hand, most contracts don’t charge extra for out of state, as long as you stay within your minutes.

2. Disconnect the cable ~ Yesterday I mentioned 5 Sites to Watch TV W/O Cable. Cable on average costs about $35-$50 every month.

3. Cancel you gym membership ~ Even if you only do it for the summer months, get outside and enjoy the weather and nature by running, riding your bike or hiking. If you want to cancel for good, try out some new exercise DVDs when the cooler weather hits. Average savings of $100 for a family of 4.

4. Cut out the weekly trip to your favorite restaurant ~ Try cutting back on eating out. Its tough but the amount you spend for a family of 4 is outrageous. Average savings is $40 weekly at a local chain.

5. Brown bag it ~ Take your lunch to work with you. Saving you about $6 every day = $30 a week, $120 every month.

If you combined all of these your total monthly savings would be approximately $445.00. Wow! That’s a savings of over $5,000 in a year.

4 Beauty Problems Solved on the Cheap

Women and even some men seem to always be looking for cheaper ways to take care of those beauty issues we face everyday. And especially these days with the hard economic times pushing in from every side. Here are some helpful ways to solve those beauty issues on the cheap.

1. How to shrink pores: You cant reduce them for good, but one inexpensive way to make yours less visible is a clay mask. You can buy a clay mask from the store for about $4 but using what you already have at home works just as well. Leave egg whites on your skin for 10 minutes, or swipe on witch hazel after you clean your skin.

2. How to fight the frizz: Dark beer poured on just-washed hair, rinsed after two minutes and followed by a conditioner works wonders. Weekly coconut-oil scalp massage keeps hair silky-smooth too. And for a midday touch up, dab on a drop of hand cream onto frizzy spots.

3. How to soften up all over: For elbows, rest your elbows in grapefruit halves for five minutes; the citric acid exfoliates. For your heels, dry and rub in extra-virgin olive oil.

4. How to stop breakouts: Dermatoligists recommend after washing your face to put on a 2% salicylic acid lotion from the drugstore. Or dissolve an asprin (salicylic acid in solid form) tablet in a bit of water to form a paste, apply to the breakout and rinse after 3 minutes. Another tip: always dry your face with a seperate towel than the one you bath with, which may have bacteria or oily hair conditioner residue on it.

How to Save Money on Wedding Gifts

When it comes to weddings, you are not obligated to spring for the most expensive item on the wedding registry. Most registry lists have lower-priced items in the $25 to $35 price range.

If you are low on cash like most people these days, send a note along with your small dollar gift, and maybe an offer to cook the couple a meal or garden for them. Be creative when thinking of a gift, what are the peoples interests. Consider making something – your friends will appreciate the time and heart you put into your wedding gift. Some other ideas:

Frame their wedding invitation.
A bottle of wine or a bottle of liquor.
Ingredients for a romantic dinner.
Magazine subscriptions are gifts that keep on giving.
Give them a movie night.

You can also pool money together with friends to get that expensive gift on their registry. Keeping your cost down and getting the wedding couple what they would like.

Hit a site like etsy.com for low-priced original art that will remind the couple of a shared experience, their backgrounds or their honeymoon. Remember, your gift should celebrate the happy couple, not break the bank.

Summer Water Saving Tips

ims00130 The sun is beginning to pokes its head out more frequently as May moves along, and as Memorial Day nears, full-blown summer is just around the corner. So while we are rejoicing in our household because it means our electricity bill will decrease (longer sunlight and no heating needed) we are now looking at how we can keep our water costs down as we strive to keep our plants pretty and are grass green.

Potable water consumption in the U.S. is about 340 billion gallons daily – accounting for about one-fourth of the US’s total renewable fresh water supply, according to an article in GreenBiz.com. When water usage is reduced through maintenance and conservation measures, thousands of dollars a year can be saved not only in lowered utility bills but also in maintenance and life-cycle costs.

Here are some helpful hints for you to reduce water consumption in your household and save money on water bills this summer:

* Install a water meter to increase awareness of water usage.
* Energy Saving Trust advises families to install efficient dual flush toilets or to put a brick in the cistern to flush less water away.
* Take a shower as water usage is far lower than when taking a bath.
* Water the garden less and never use a sprinkler system without a timer. uSwitch.com estimates that the cost of watering the garden is £1.03.
* Collect rain in a barrel and use this to water the garden.
* Water plants in the evening and not during the hottest part of the day so that the water has time to absorb properly.
* Never leave the tap running whilst brushing teeth. 10 litres of water a minute will be lost.
* Wait until there is a full load before using the washing machine or dish washer.
* Don’t clean the car with a hose pipe, use a bucket and sponge instead.
* Repair any dripping taps to prevent unintentional water usage.

Check out Personal Budgeting for more info…

Have any other tips for us here at HackALife? Let us know in the comments section.

What to do With Your Tax Refund

Some people are getting hefty refunds back from their taxes and some are not. For those of you that are not getting a refund, ignore this. And for those of you that are but are contemplating what to do with your refund here are some helpful hints.

1. Pay off that Bill: If you have a credit card, loan or medical bill with a large balance, try to pay it off or get it to a manageable balance that is easily paid off in the near future.

2. Take a Family Vacation: If you have no bills and have some vacation days waiting to be used, take a family vacation. What better way to use your tax refund than to make memories with your family.

3. Make a Home Improvement: Your house is, for most, the biggest asset they have. Making a home improvement can help build equity in your home. For more info and options to help build equity in your home check out ourfamilyplace.com.

4. Buy Spring/Summer Clothes for the Whole Family: Its that time again, flowers blooming, the kids are growing and the change in weather all calling for some new fresh clothes for the beautiful sunny weather that is now showing its face.

5. Give to a Charity: If you have wanted to give to a charity but haven’t had the funds to help charities out like you would like to. Right now is the perfect time to help out and give to the charity of your choice.

6. Buy a New Needed Appliance or Electronics: If you are in need of a new TV, Computer or maybe even a washing machine. Now is the time to get those needed appliances, so that you don’t have to deal with a bill later.