How Your Backyard can Help You to Live Frugally

September 7, 2020 Leave a Comment

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Many people try to live a frugal lifestyle, but often find it hard to put their plans into practice, or are unsure how to get started in the first place. Everyone likes to grab a bargain and save money, but to live completely frugally takes a more focused approach. The great news is that saving money is all about getting back to basics, so you don’t need to look far to make your dreams of living a frugal lifestyle a reality.

 

Are you fortunate enough to have a home with some outside space? If so, are you using it to its full potential? Utilizing your yard is an excellent way to save money. Outdoor space provides you with so many opportunities to reduce your costs; here are some of the ways that you can use your outside area to enhance your frugal lifestyle:

 

Spending More Time at Home

 

The pandemic has helped many people to appreciate their time spent in their homes and caused them to realize that they don’t always need to venture out to stay entertained. Many people have found that they have inadvertently saved a lot of cash by merely staying home more during the pandemic. If your attitude towards going out and spending money has changed, you may decide to continue being at home more often. Investing just a little time and money on improving your backyard right now can save you lots of cash in the future. Once you have created an outdoor space that you love to spend time in, you can enjoy life at home even more, saving you money on going out.

 

Get Gardening

 

Gardening is an excellent hobby, even if you don’t have a naturally green thumb. Being out in your garden and taking care of your plants is beneficial to your health and well-being. Gardening is excellent exercise, and a whole lot cheaper than a gym membership!

 

To get your backyard looking beautiful, you will need the right tools and equipment to help you. Finding tools that perform well and last will save you money in the long term, and also make tasks in the garden far easier. To ensure you save money and choose the right tool for the job, it is useful to make an informed purchase by looking at reviews and carrying out research before buying, such as this ego trimmer review.

 

Grow Your Own

 

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is not only a really enjoyable hobby, but is also a really simple way to save cash on your grocery shopping. The great news is that it is also good for the environment, as your food miles will be zero, and packaging is eliminated, so you will be actively reducing your carbon footprint while saving money at the same time! Many fruit and veggies can be grown in containers and don’t take up too much space in your yard. Why not get the kids involved too? They will love helping out and watching the produce grow.

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4 Tips On Buying Your First Home

February 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

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So you’re considering buying your first home? Ahead lies an exciting time full of new beginnings, investment gains, and home decor fun. Before you get to all the perks, it’s time to get the red tape out of the way and deal with the practicalities. 

 

1 . Saving early 

 

Rule number one, if you’re looking to buy, it’s well worth saving early. You may not be entirely certain that you want to purchase a home right now, but if it’s something that you wish to do in the future, you definitely won’t regret saving early. Remember, it’s preferable to put down as large a deposit as possible.

 

  1. Assess your budget 

 

When you are looking to get on the property ladder, the first thing that you need to do is assess your budget. You can have a go at doing this yourself with the use of a budgeting app. Mint, for example, is a top app that allows you to track all of your financial accounts in one place from your general bank accounts to credit cards, investments, and loans. Mint uses your income and expenses to create a budget for each category and help you to determine how much you can stand to save.

 

  1. Mortgage shopping 

 

Once you have a good idea of your budget yourself, you should also make an appointment with a mortgage adviser so that they can give you a professional assessment of how much you could potentially borrow. Ensure to take all of the appropriate documents when you go to meet your mortgage adviser, including payslips, details of credit commitments, and various forms of ID.

You should certainly shop for a mortgage before you begin the process of viewing houses. The last thing you’ll want is to find your dream house to then miss out because your mortgage is not yet finalized. Your mortgage lender will complete a credit check to assess your options moving forward. Remember, the sooner you get a mortgage in place, the sooner you’ll be in the best position to start making offers.

 

  1. Must-haves

 

With a mortgage sorted, you’ll be ready to get house hunting. Before you do so, it’s a good idea to figure out exactly what you are looking for and define your ‘must-haves.’ Ask yourself what is most important to you, be it the cost, the size, garden space, or even the neighborhood. If you’re looking to keep costs down, you might be looking for smaller Apartments for Sale as opposed to going for a house on your first buy. Perhaps you’re particularly interested in a new build home that is fully energy efficient? Maybe it’s important to you to be close to a station to commute to work? Whatever your needs are, be sure to define them before you start looking.

Getting on the property ladder can be a long and drawn-out process, so it’s essential to stay patient. It may take a little time to secure a great place, but rest assured, the wait will be worth it. Moving house can be a slightly stressful process, be sure to get organized early to avoid the pressure.

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20 Ways to Save Money on Everyday Items….

February 12, 2018 Leave a Comment

Growing up money was tight, I learned at a very young age you had to work hard for everything you want in life. This also taught me the importance of money. Saving it, making it and especially how to spend it.

After marriage and graduating college money issues were not as “tight”, but I still took those young values I learned with me and it has paid off!

Here are ways I like to save money!

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  1. Cell Phone bill – I had AT&T for years, I would call every so often and explain that I will have to cancel my account since the prices were constantly going up. It wasn’t until a blog conference that I recently found out Cricket is owned by AT&T. I did my research and found out they use the same towers and covered the same area. So I switched from a 160.00 for two lines to 100.00 for four lines.
  2.  Cable bill – I hated writing the 124.00 a month check to Directv every month so I did a little research and sure enough if you call them when they have promotions and ask for it, you can cut your bill to half of what it is. I now pay around 60.00 a month. The only reason we keep it is the husbands wants the SEC channel.
  3. Filters – Changing out your air conditioner/heater filters often will help save on the electricity bill. The more clogged they are the more the air conditioner/heater will have to run.
  4. Shop wisely – When I am browsing in a boutique, I usually take a picture of the tag of something I really, really, like 99% of the time I can find it online way cheaper than in the store!
  5. Dollar Tree – This place will save you 5.00 – 10.00 a week if you shop there first. I buy all my cards and gift bags from here and every now and then you will find something on your grocery list there for a dollar!!
  6. Wash your sheets – Keeping your bed clean will help you not to get sick as much. Besides the fact that clean bed is amazing!
  7. Coupons or Sales– Check for printable or app coupons before leaving to shop, plan meals around what is for sale that week. Regardless of how great the coupon is, only buy what you will use.
  8. Bulk – Take a calculator with you, if it is a lot cheaper to buy it in bulk then do it. I love when something in bulk is on sale and I have a coupon, I stock up!
  9. Budget – Make and stay on a budget regardless!! This is important to learn, I remember weeks when I would say we are going to have a “leftover” night or let’s find a meal at the “Dollar Store”. Really what I meant is that is all we could afford but wanted it to seem like a fun activity. Staying on the budget meant getting creative.
  10. Electricity – It is important to seal off any air leaks or making sure your home is insulated to reduce the electricity bill.
  11. Intrest Rate – Negotiate those as often as possible.  You will be amazed at how willing a company will be to work with you if you make payments timely.
  12. Pyramid payment – This took us several years to master but now I am happy to say we are debt free! You take your smallest bill rather if it is a 300.00 jewelry store account or 500.00 hospital account and you pay extra until it is paid and continue this until everything is paid off. We paid cash this year for my new Cadillac and it sure felt good!
  13. Savings – Regardless if you put 5.00 a week away, make sure you start and have a savings account. You need something to fall back on when you have an emergency!
  14. Education Degree – The more education you have or can receive the more you make in life, as a general rule. Try and get some type of degree even if you can only take one class a semester. There are so many grants and aids that can help you with this.
  15. Church – Most churches have a ton of really fun free activities you can do as a family. Church communities love to help out.
  16. Yard Sales – I can’t tell you how many times, my new wardrobe consisted of my latest yard sale finds. Most yard sales have clothes really reasonably priced. I clothed my children for years from yard sale finds.
  17. Garden – Plant a small garden of veggies your family likes. If you don’t have room for a garden put them in a pot, people love fresh veggies and it is a great way to give to others.
  18. Fix broken items – If there is an issue with something like a vacuum or dripping water faucet, fix it immediately. You will save money in the long run by taking care of it right away.
  19. Money saving sites – Shop sites like slickdeals.net before making online purchases to see if there are any great deal or prices. I recently found a 99.00 gift that I wanted to get my grandson for his birthday on there for 25.00 at a certain store. I was so excited!!
  20. Ebates – If you download Ebates to your dashboard every time you shop online it will pop up and tell you how much $$ you will make from the purchase not only that but it will find if there is any money saving coupons out there. I use it for every purchase and get a check in the mail!!

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These are a few of my favorite ways to save money! I am sure there are a ton more ideas and would love to hear yours!!

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5 Small Ways to do Your bit for the World

June 5, 2017 Leave a Comment

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Every day, the world gets a bit scarier, a little bit more unsafe and a little bit less protected from destruction. Our newsfeeds and TV screens are filled with bias and war, our political leaders are neglecting our planet, and there are so many scandals that they have almost become normal. With all of this going on, it can be easy to feel as though there is little we can do to make a difference in this big bad world. But, as parents of the next generation, we must be strong and bring our little people up as movers and shakers, carers and lovers.

 

Change begins at home, and here are some small things you can do to make the world a little bit happier and healthier.

 

Buy ethical

 

Changing your shopping habits isn’t always easy, but buying local and buying from ethical companies are a big step in changing the world. By purchasing from local suppliers, you will reduce your carbon footprint but not buying products which have been flown halfway around the world to your supermarket shelves, as well as putting money back into your local community rather than in the pockets of big business. There are also many clothing companies out there who use natural materials and stay away from exploitation. An example of this is Il Gufo Clothing, a great alternative for children’s clothing without feeling guilty about where you are shopping!

 

Take time out to volunteer

 

Volunteering doesn’t have to take too much of your time but can be a rewarding way to give back to your community and do your bit for a better world. Volunteering comes in many shapes and sizes and can involve one day a week spent in your local charity shop, planting trees, spending time playing cards with the elderly or helping out at your local food bank or soup kitchen.

 

Offset your carbon footprint

 

If you are a family that flies or drives a lot, there are many ways in which you can offset your carbon emissions. Websites such as carbonfootprint.com and cotap.org allow anyone and everyone, from large businesses to individuals, to calculate how much carbon they use and then options for offsetting it – from tree planting to contributing to sustainability projects.

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Give blood

 

Giving blood is one of the most rewarding ways in which you can give back to both your community and the world. By taking some time out to give blood, you can directly save someone’s life who has been in an accident, needs surgery or even a transfusion. How amazing is that? You also get given tea and biscuits at the end, which is always a win in my books too!

 

Leave the car at home

 

Not only will walking save you money on fuel, but it will result in less pollution and a boost in fitness for you and your family. As a general rule, if somewhere is less than a five-minute drive away, it’s usually within easy walking distance. Using public transport is also a great way to do your bit for the environment, and save you money too!

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Do you have COPD or Asthma? If so here is how you can save on Advair!!

May 24, 2017 1 Comment

I have Asthma, therefore, I have to take several maintaining medicines. Although I have insurance for prescription coverage, I have to pay the co-pay for everything I take.

If it is generic I pay around $10.00 if it isn’t I pay $35.00. Usually, I pick up my prescriptions every 3 months so even with insurance 3 months prescriptions cost me $105.00. Of course, I wanted to find a way to save money, I tried to get generic but and there was none available so I was told about this coupon.

 

https://www.advair.com/coupon-and-savings.html

I printed this coupon out and use it every three months before I go to pick up my Advair and only pay $30.00 for 3 months supply.

If you have expensive medicine, check their the manufacturer’s website and see if they offer a discount or coupons.

Please share this with anyone you know that has to pay a deductible for their prescriptions!

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