Forget about buying individual serving sizes
Buy the larger size packages of snack foods. Then pack a snack serving size in a ziplock bag. This little bit of effort will save you lots.
Carry an empty water bottle
Why spend money on water, soda, or coffee, when you’re just a little thirsty? Take an empty water bottle with you to the airport, movie theatre, shopping, etc. Fill ‘er up from a water fountain after you’ve gone through the airport security checkpoint, before you sit down in the theatre, or while you’re shopping. While some places won’t let you bring in outside food or beverages, there’s nothing wrong with filling up your empty bottle at a water fountain. And you are helping the environment by reusing those plastic bottles.
Have one meatless day a week
As a society we seem to believe that each meal has to be based around meat, chicken, or fish. Designate one day a week to go meatless. It’s healthy, and cheaper.
Make your own dog food
Do an internet search on ‘homemade dog food’ and you’ll find a slew of recipes. You don’t have to cook every day - a family I lived with in college cooked a stew for their dog once a week. You’ll save money and know exactly what your dog is eating. And your cat? Well if you have left over turkey slices you use for the kids lunches I am sure your cat will be happy with a change of pace once in a while.
Smoothies
Do you end up with lots of fruit that is not quite perfect for eating but a shame to throw out? Putting them into the blender with some ice, sorbet, and fruit juice makes a delicious and healthy smoothie. It’s become a Sunday tradition.
What is interesting about these cost saving ideas is that they are also healthy and help the planet – so everyone benefits.
It’s easy to subscribe to more entertainment services than you really use, and to keep paying those monthly fees without getting your money’s worth. Here are some thoughts on making the most out of your entertainment dollars.
Premium Cable Channels Do you watch the premium channels you pay for? Really? Great. Otherwise, cancel them. You can always resubscribe when your favorite series comes back on the air (my fellow Entourage fans – I’m talking to you). All it takes is one quick phone call to cancel or resubscribe.
Free movies through cable TV
It takes some hunting, but your cable TV provider probably has a few ‘free’ movie channels. Take the time to look through them every once in a while – you’re bound to find something you’ve always wanted to watch. You’re already paying for them, so use them.
Netflix Netflix is a great deal for people who actually watch the movies they rent. But for the many people who let a Netflix DVD sit around for weeks before watching it, it’s not such a great deal. It’s easy to cancel, resubscribe, or change your service – just a few clicks on line can easily save you some cash.
Consider subscribing to more movies-at-a-time in the winter when you spend more time at home, but fewer movies-at-a-time in the summer when you spend more time outdoors. Whatever you choose, just make sure to take advantage of it.
When my husband lost his job we took a hard look at our expenses. Eating out had to go. Now we keep ingredients on hand to make inexpensive and easy-to-make meals. You’ll probably recognize some of these from your childhood:
Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup:
American cheese, canned soup, and bread. Add mustard, a slice of tomato, or bacon to the sandwich for something different.
Franks ‘n beans: Hot dogs and baked beans. Keep the hot dogs in the freezer and this is one quick meal you’ll always have on hand.
Pizza: Pre-made pizza crust, mozzarella cheese, and tomato sauce. Throw some cooked meat and/or veggies on top if you have them - a great way to use up leftovers.
Huevos rancheros: Eggs with salsa on top, rice on the side
Eggs, salsa, and rice. Nice to haves: shredded cheese, refried beans, and tortillas.
Pasta with spaghetti sauce: Pasta and spaghetti sauce. Another way to use up leftover veggies.
Breakfast for dinner: Eggs, pancakes, sausage, waffles - whatever you have on hand.
We’re saving money, throwing out less food, and spending more time at home together. Too bad we didn’t try this sooner.
Try to keep your credit card balances low:
As a general rule, keeping your credit balances around 25% - 30% of the credit limit is a smart move. This will assist in protecting your credit score. When you use your credit cards pay more than the minimum due if possible. And if you have more than three or four cards reducing the number is a good idea: especially store cards. It’s easy to forget you have all those cards, acquired when being offered 10% off your store purchases, but these all go onto your bureau and show you have a lot of credit lines available.
Buy a car that will last at great financing:
If you have good credit you can get a new car at a good rate - however, some states are requiring a score of over 750. There are still a number of ways to get a car loan – directly with their finance companies or through your bank or credit union. Be sure to shop around to find out how to get the best rate. The car companies are eager to move their 2009 inventory so you might be able to negotiate a better deal once you have your bank/credit union rate in hand.
Don’t forget the charities:
Charities are hurting this year in large part due to the credit crisis. However most of us can afford to give a tax deductable donation of some small amount. Or you can always clean out your closets and donate the items to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. You can even donate your car – it’s very simple – you can fill out a form online or call a toll free number and a representative will assist. Once the information is input the organization will work with you to ensure you get the best tax deduction possible. They then provide you with the official paperwork so that you can file your tax deduction. If you search “donate car to charity” a number of sites will show up. Many are nationwide and arrange free pickups.
We wish you a very Happy New Year and here’s to keeping all those resolutions for longer than a few days!
As the year ends and we frantically find all our co-pays for doctor’s offices, miscellaneous drug store receipts and bills from medical labs, it reminds us that putting aside money for these medical expenses was a good idea.
Flexible Spending Accounts are a way of setting aside pretax dollars in your account and using the money to pay for out-of pocket bills – these can include myriad items including braces for your kids, dentistry, prescription drugs, medical alert jewelry and many other items. Depending upon your needs you can even put in for acupuncture – but verify with your provider first.
When you next check out at Walgreens or Duane Reade look at your receipt. If there is an F beside an item – such a cough medicine – it means that the purchase on this item is eligible for your Flexible Spending Account – with most programs.
The accounts can save you hundreds of dollars, not just in federal taxes, but also in Social Security and, in some states, state income taxes. If you have kids and therefore run up some hefty bills, putting aside $1,500 could save you around $500 a year. The $1,500 is taken out of your paycheck (before taxes) over the year however you can apply your doctor visits, prescription drugs etc to the account and it will be deducted from your continuing contributions. But be sure to use up the money because it is a use it or lose it program. Most companies give you a few weeks in January (some even through March 15th) to find all those bills and fax them in to the provider.
However, if you find you have not used up all the money you elected to have set aside from your paycheck, you can always schedule an eye examination and purchase new eyeglasses – that’s more than likely to put you over your allotted contribution!
Forget about buying individual serving sizes
It’s easy to subscribe to 
When my husband lost his job we took a hard look at our expenses. Eating out had to go. Now we keep ingredients on hand to make inexpensive and easy-to-make meals. You’ll probably recognize some of these from your childhood:
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As the year ends and we frantically find all our co-pays for doctor’s offices, miscellaneous drug store receipts and bills from medical labs, it reminds us that putting aside money for these medical expenses was a good idea. 
