Tips to Help Save You Money at the Grocery Store

If you have noticed that your grocery budget does not stretch as far as it used to, you are probably looking for ways to save a few dollars at the grocery store. These tips can help do just that! And most are quick and easy, too!

Sign up for your grocery store's loyalty card. Most grocery chains offer a loyalty card that you will need to get their sale prices. Some even attach special deals to their loyalty card such as gasoline discounts. The best thing is anyone can get the loyalty card; most do not require a credit check or approval.

Plan your meals and make a list. Planning your meals serves two main purposes-- you plan a meal for each day so you are less likely to eat out and you have a set list of items you need while at the grocery store. Use the grocery ads to help you decide your menu. By seeing what is on sale, you can choose meals utilizing those items.

Shop the sales! If you have several grocery stores close by, be willing to go to several of them to get the good deals (be sure you aren't traveling too far or the money savings will be eaten up by gasoline costs).

Clip coupons. I know you have heard it over and over but coupons can really save you money. The biggest reason I've heard for not using coupons is the time it takes to clip and sort them. Get your family involved in helping cut coupons. Even young children can be involved. I carry along my coupons to sort when I am watching the kids at an activity or sporting event. Clip and sort while you are on the phone or watching TV.

Load coupons onto your loyalty card. Some stores offer clipless coupons you can load onto your loyalty card. You pick the coupons and load them onto your card then they automatically come off at checkout. No clipping and no remembering to take them with you to the store. Check your grocery store's website to see if they offer this deal.

Check the day old bread shelf and the deli in the evening. You can often find great deals on the day old baked goods shelf. Just plan to use it right away or freeze it for later. Some grocery stores will sell some of their deli items, such as rotisserie chickens, cheaply right before closing. It's always worth asking!

Use Upromise. Sign up for Upromise.com and earn some money back on grocery purchases. After you sign up, register your loyalty cards with Upromise. When you make a purchase of certain items with that loyalty card used, you will get a small percentage back into an account which can be used for college education expenses. They also have ecoupons you can load onto your loyalty card. If you purchase those items, a larger amount of money goes into your college saving account.

With a few easy changes, your family can still enjoy a variety of healthy meals without breaking your food budget.

Save Money on Fuel With a Homemade Water Fuel Kit

Need a brilliant and easy way to save money on fuel? Fuel prices are not likely to be as affordable as before. Today, most drivers are exploring different ways to improve their car's fuel efficiency and avoid spending so much of their hard earned money on fuel. And one way of cutting down on fuel consumption that has got the automobile world buzzing is by converting water into fuel.

While many have converted their cars and trucks to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or even switched to an electric-gasoline hybrid car, a growing number of innovative people significantly save money on fuel by fixing their vehicles with homemade water fuel kits. And the name literally says it all - you can make these water fuel kits yourself from home!

It costs you thousands of dollars to convert your car to run on CNG. And although it will eventually help you save money on fuel, not many of us are ready to spend such a huge amount of money on our cars. Not especially when there is a more affordable way of saving on fuel by making your own homemade water fuel kit.

Water fuel kits make use of the electricity from your car battery or alternator to extract the hydrogen and oxygen elements of water through electrolysis. The gaseous end product known as Hydroxy is then introduced to the engine's air and fuel mixture to act as an enhancing supplement. Hydroxy is 3 times more powerful than normal petrol, and helps the latter to burn more efficiently and cleanly. This means less fuel is wasted through incomplete combustion, a phenomena common to our existing engine design.

What this means is that less fuel is needed by the engine to drive the car or truck, and less fuel is wasted too. The result - a significant achievement to save money on fuel, as you cut down on the number of visits to the fuel pumps.

The great thing about water fuel kits is its affordability. Because you can make the water fuel kit from home, it does not cost you thousands to convert your car to run on water fuel. With $200 or below, one can obtain the instruction manual on how to make the water fuel device and also to get the necessary materials. It's a relatively simple and interesting project if you have basic technical knowledge, or engage a friend or family member to help you out on the technical parts.

Being affordable and with promises of improving fuel consumption by up to 70%, making your homemade water fuel kit is definitely the best way to save money on fuel.

5 Surefire Ways to Save Money in the Current Economy

Saving money can be a lot easier than you think. And these days, as the economy continues to worsen, saving every little bit that you can helps. So, just what can you do to save money? The biggest expenses for most people are on food and gas, simply because they are the two things that we use most often. Below are 5 surefire ways for you to keep some extra money in your pocket by saving money on these two highly used items.

1. Go to the store with a prepared grocery list, so that you don't buy more than you need. Also, many people end up spending more per month when they make small, frequent trips to the grocery store, rather than one large trip. Clipping coupons will also help keep a few more bucks in your pocket.

2. When preparing your food, find out what items are good to substitute for others, so that you will only have to buy a few items, instead of many. For example, you can use onions instead of garlic. This will enable you to save money on garlic and use onions for many more recipes.

3. If you live near shops and restaurants, walk to them. Not only will this save you money on gas, it will also help the environment and your waistline. Walking is healthy for you and the fewer emissions you put into the environment, the better.

4. Keep your vehicle well maintained. If your car is low on oil and has flat tires, it is going to put more wear and tear on your car. The more demand that is put on your car, the more gas it will use. If you maintenance your car regularly, your wallet will think you for it.

5. Trade in your gas guzzler for a smaller car or, if you want to keep your new SUV, invest in a smaller car to drive regularly. The longer your commute is, the more you will save!

Want more ways to save? There are plenty of ways to keep your cash; you just need to be pointed in the right direction.

Save Money With These 5 Food Storage Ideas

Need to save a few bucks? One way to save money is to store food in a way that reduces spoilage and waste. Less food spoilage means less food you will have to buy, which leaves more money in your pocket. Here are five easy ways to save a little money by storing your food so it will last longer and not go to waste.

1. Here is a great way to store your vegetables longer and keep them fresh. Wrap up of vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, squash and celery in paper towels and put them in plastic bags in the crisper box of the refrigerator. The paper towel will prevent oxidation and condensation that softens vegetables and causes mold to grow.

2. Store your rice, beans, and pasta in big, clear storage jars so you can see exactly what and how much you have. Put the date on the jars so you'll have a good idea of when you need to use it. Putting these staple foods in jars also keeps them fresh for a longer period of time. This is especially important when you buy the items in bulk.

3. Cheese can get mold on it fairly quickly, so here's a better way to store it and keep it fresh. Wrap the cheese in aluminum foil as soon as you bring it home from the store. This keeps the cheese from sweating in the plastic bag or container and turning moldy. When you've used up the cheese you can reuse the foil for the next cheese you buy.

4. Flour is one of those food items that attract mites and mealy bugs quickly unless it is stored right. Here's how to lengthen the storage time for flour. Place your bag of flour in an airtight plastic freezer bag and freeze it for 24 hours. Take it out of the freezer but leave the flour in the plastic bag to keep it airtight. You can then store the flour in your pantry or in your refrigerator.

5. Keep the stem on the peppers. When you're using only part of a bell pepper don't cut off the stem or remove the seeds and put it back in the refrigerator. You can store the pepper much longer by leaving the stem and seeds intact than by removing them.

In conclusion, you can see that it's possible to save a little money just by making small changes in the way you store some of your food items. It's not hard to do, but does require action, because doing nothing results in no savings. Make some changes today, and start saving money.

How Can I Save Money on My Cable Bill?

This may be a question you ask yourself each month when you get your monthly bill. The prices keep going up, and you wonder why you have to pay so much money just to be able to watch a few TV shows you like each week! The good news is that there are many ways you can save money on your cable bill each month.

Many cable companies these days offer a lot more than just cable television. Does your cable company offer Internet, as well as telephone service? Sometimes by combining the services and getting them all from one company, you can save money that way. They will "reward" you by giving you a discount for getting multiple services with them. I know that when we switched our phone service to our cable company, we got a $20 discount per month that now makes it less expensive than when we had a separate company for phone and television. By combining services (whether it's with your cable company or phone company), you can usually get a discount and save money.

Another way to save money on your cable bill is to comparison shop. It used to be you had only one choice - your local cable company. Now in most areas, you have your cable company, usually a phone company, and even a satellite service all offering you cable TV. With all of these choices, they have to compete to get you to use them. So if you're unhappy with your bill, call up the competitor. Find out what they offer, and what their price is. Once they hear you are with their competitor, they will most likely try to beat your price so that they can get you as a customer. This way you both win. You'll end up with a lower monthly bill.

What if you don't want to leave your cable company, but still want a lower bill? That's easy as well. Call your cable company. Explain to them that you really don' t want to go to the competition, but that you want a better rate on your service. They don't know that you won't leave them, and will most likely make you a better offer so that you'll stay with them. There are almost always offers going on to get new customers, so they might offer to give you a better price that they are offering new customers. This way you'll get to save a lot of money each month without even changing cable providers!

Last but not least, take a good look at your cable bill. Do you pay extra for channels you don't even watch anymore? If so, you can easily cut that out, and save money each month, without missing anything. The cable bill is long, but if you take the time to look through it, you'll be surprised at what you're getting charged for that you might not even realize. By going through it carefully, you might notice that you don't want something that you have, and can save money each month that way.

There are many ways you can save money on your cable bill. You just need to be willing to spend a few minutes to look at all of your options, and see which is best for you. But if you really want to save the money, you will see that there are many choices you have in which to do so.

Save Money on Your Household Utility Bills and help the Environment

Save Money on Heating

(a) Loft Insulation

Make sure that the loft in the house is fully insulated; remember heat rises and most of the heat that you generate in your house is lost through the roof. It is simple to buy good quality loft insulation from all the main DIY superstores and this could be one investment very much worth making.

(b) Good Quality Windows

Ensure that your windows are in good condition, no broken or cracked pains, the wood surround is in good condition, the paintwork is kept in good order with regular refreshes of paint to stop rot and damp. Double glazed windows are a must if you want to keep the heat in and stop the cold and damp from coming through. If the budget extends then even some new replacement windows could be a great investment.

(c) Internal and External Doors

Make sure that you have good external doors, these should be double glazed also and be fitted properly with seals for the letter box and the surrounds. The internal doors in the house should all shut properly and make good seals and have draft excluders where appropriate.

Save Money on Electricity

(a) Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Fit energy saving light bulbs to all your main lights, this not only helps to keep your electricity bills down but at the same time you are doing your part for the environment. On average the light saving bulb will last up to 12 times longer than the normal light bulb and reduce the amount of electricity required by reducing the amount of electricity lost in heat compared to a standard bulb.

(b) No Electrical Equipment on Standby

Make sure you turn your electrical equipment and sockets off when you are not using them, especially television, videos, DVD players that have standby modes, these use more electricity than you would think.

(c) Electrical Safety Checks

Get your wiring and circuits professionally checked to ensure that your appliances are working to their optimum capacity.

Save Money on Gas

(a) Regular Gas Safety Checks

Make sure you keep your boiler serviced and well maintained in order to improve efficiency.

(b) Insulate the Hot Water Tank

Ensure that your hot water tank is also well insulated to keep the heat in and keeps the water hotter longer. You can buy a jacket for the tank from the DIY stores and remember that it is worth insulating the pipes as well.

Save Money on Water

(a) Toilet Flush

If you want to reduce the amount of water that the toilet cistern uses for each flush then there are devices available from DIY shops that can be used to reduce the amount of water used. These are easily fitted and can reduce the amount of water used per flush by as much as 1 litre.

(b) Shower don’t Bath

Take showers instead of baths this reduces the amount of water that is used and will save you money on heating the water and the amount of water used. A bath can take between 15 – 25 gallons of water where as a shower uses around 60% less water than the bath.

Summary

Doing just a few of these will help to save you money; some require more of an initial outlay than others but are well worth doing in the long term. If you own your own house then it could be a good investment and if you are renting a property then instruct your letting agent/landlord to make a plan of necessary changes to help protect the environment, their property and your pocket.

Teaching Children to Save Money - 7 Simple Tips

Teaching children to save money starting when they are small is easy. Every child learns very quickly that money buys things they want. They already know the value of money, money concepts are taught in school, and the basic mathematics involved. Here a 7 simple tips to help you get them saving and investing.

1. 3 things to do with money. They can let it sit in their wallets and purses, spend it, or save it and watch it multiply. Drive to different parts of your city with your children and point out different living conditions. Some spend everything and never get ahead. Others let their money sit idle and it never increases. But the wealthy know how to spend what they need and then save and invest the rest.

2. Help your children set goals. Ask your children what they want when they grow up? Every child wants to be someone like a doctor or a fireman but what do they want? How do they want to live? Do they want to be poor or rich? Help them set some goals early and explain that proper saving and investing is a huge part of getting what they want.

3. Help put goals into action. Develop a rough financial plan with them. This is great fun and you will learn a lot by teaching them. If you have a financial planner you could introduce them to your children. This will help your kids see that saving and investing is serious business.

4. Be frugal. If you have not already, read the book "Millionaire Next Door." This really opened my eyes to the world of the rich. People become rich through saving and investing wisely, not by earning a great deal of money. The typical millionaire in America has appreciated assets from years of careful investing and saving. Show your children how a frugal budget allows you to save more.

5. Open savings accounts early. Take your children to the bank as soon as they understand basic money principles. Open savings accounts in their names and go over the statements with them as they come.

6. Give your children choices. A big birthday party, for example, is expensive. What if your children would be just as happy with cake, ice cream and some games with their friends? Say something like, "A big party like we had last year cost $200.00. What if I put $185.00 in your savings account and just spent $15.00 this year?" Some of your children will still want the big party but you might be surprised to learn that some will be listening to you and will choose the savings option.

7. Time deposits. Since your children will not be touching the money anytime soon, take advantage of time deposits for higher interest. This will give the savings a boost and help you in teaching children to save money.

Teaching children to save money should be fun. Let them know this is for their future because you love them. You will enjoy this time together.

Save Money With Online Coupons and Rebates

We are now hearing the word cash rebate,what is meant by it. Cash rebate is an amount paid by way of reduction, return, or refund on what has already been paid or contributed. It is a type of sales promotion, which marketers use primarily as incentives or supplements to product sales.

The best place to learn about rebates is online. Check different forums and email newsletters. Many are free and are very comprehensive. Save money with coupons and rebates. Using coupons will lower the initial cost of the products and sending in for the rebates will lower the overall cost.

At one time, you had to wait for the Sunday paper to great coupons and deals on useful products including clothing and home repair items. The World Wide Web has made it remarkably simple to find discount coupon codes and online rebates for stores wherever you like to shop. While clipping flyers will still save money on your personal budget,online bargains are prolific and should not be overlooked.

You can find lot of websites that pays you for shopping online,and the features that they offer makes shopping through these sites are a pleasure. Credit card companies keep coming out with new offers every now and then and have understood that there is no other better way in which they can win their existing customers other than paying them for shopping.

The cash rebate credit cards aim at this particular factor. These cards work in a way that every time you use your card for making a purchase there are some points that get accumulated and when it reaches a certain limit the customer gets it back in the form of cash. This amount can be used in any way. You can either direct it to pay off your credit card bill or have it deposited in your bank account.

The cash you receive from a rebate card should be viewed as a reward for all the hard work you have done in lowering your credit card debt And paying your balance full each month. And if you happen to be wondering how credit card companies can pay you cash for free, here is the answer, the merchants you shop at are charged a fee for every credit card purchase.So let them pay for you to get a well deserved reward!

The Cutbacks in How to Save Money

Cut back on groceries and gas expense to save money

Groceries:

If our body did not require food, we would have more money. However, our body needs nutrition so we must learn how to save money. Groceries are very expensive these days and prices are going up every day. All these high-rising expenses are because of changes in our economy.

We can save money by making changes in how we buy and eat. It takes a few changes but we can learn how to save money by changing our grocery spending habits and taste buds.

You can save coupons to save money, check out the Internet to find free coupons. The coupons that come in newspapers and magazines are free so take advantage to save money. It only takes minutes to cut or print them.

You will find there are many coupons that offer you various saving options. Watch for different ways; some will offer you money back on certain products. These are called rebate coupons. You will find some coupons that say buy one get one free. When you buy, one you will be saving the full price on the next item.

Buy ahead when you use coupons and watch for sales. Save money by using your coupons and buying items in cases rather than one item at a time. Buying a case on sale can save you a bundle of money.

Change brand names to save. Most items you buy in a can are all made by the same company only have different labels. Watch for savings by reading labels and prices to save you in the future. Maybe one-week buy a case of something and the next week buy a case of something else that is on sale.

You will be saving money by using coupons and buying cases of items when on sale. Stocking up can also be good if you can't get to the store every time you need something. This will save money on car expense by buying ahead when on sale.

Car Expense:

Save gas money, wear, and tear on your vehicle at the same time by buying groceries ahead. With the way gasoline is today, we all need to save on gas expense.

Don't make a trip to town everyday to buy something you need for supper. When you buy groceries ahead, you will have extra items such as spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and extra vegetables for a side dish.

Save car expense by buying groceries ahead when they are on sale to save gasoline, tires, and food. Start learning how to save money today by buying sale items ahead.

Tomato Plant Care

The tomato is one of the most popular plants kept in home gardens. They are easy to grow and provide food for your family. Tomatoes do need to be cared for to grow though.

The tomato is actually a fruit even though most people think of it as a vegetable. At one time, people thought it was poisonous to eat and they were only grown for decoration. They were referred to as "love apples" then. There are literally hundreds of varieties to choose from for your home garden and all of them have different size, color, shape, season of maturity, disease resistance and taste. Choose a variety that you will enjoy having!

Tomatoes can be either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate means that they develop a flower cluster at the terminal growing point. The plant will stop growing at this height. Indeterminate plants do not form this flower cluster and will continue to grow taller indefinitely. Indeterminate tomatoes also produce very flavorful fruit, but are usually late to mature. Most of the older varieties of tomatoes are indeterminate. Determinate vines are easier to control but they also have ripe fruit for a shorter time period than indeterminate plants.

Tomatoes do not tolerate freezing temperatures, so it is best to plant them once the weather is warm. For adequate harvest room, you will need to space your plants apart. The spacing for each variety is different, however. For dwarf plants, they will need to be twelve inches apart in the row. Staked plants will need to be 15 to 24 inches apart. Some indeterminate varieties even need four feet of space between them in the rows and five to six feet in between rows.

When you plant your tomato plants, you should fertilize them right away. You can also cultivate shallowly or hoe to keep the weeds down without doing damage to the roots. Mulching is highly recommended, especially if you want to have your plant for the full season harvest. Organic materials or black plastic is okay to use for mulching. However, don't put down organic materials until the soil has warmed up all the way. If you put it down too early, the plant will not grow very well.

You will need to water your tomato plants regularly and thoroughly. If you are keeping your plants in containers they may need to be watered every day or even more. You will also need to feed your plants with a liquid tomato fertilizer once every two to three weeks until the end of August. The fertilizer should be high in potash. Once September arrives, just feed it with a regular fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. Weed around the plants as much as you can to prevent bugs and diseases from getting to your tomatoes. As the plant grows, you will also need to use stakes to support it. Tie the main stem to the stakes.

If you give this plant the care it needs, you will be rewarded with delicious tomatoes. Tomatoes are the best after they have just ripened so for the best taste eat them as soon as they are ripe. This is a great plant to keep at your home!

Discount Mattresses - Economical Purchases

Discount mattresses on the market today are everywhere. Every store, which sells mattresses and mattress companies, sell their products at a discount. This is primarily because few people are willing to pay full retail for mattresses anymore. These mattresses can be found in any size, style, and color.

Some people order discount mattresses from online distributors and still save a lot of money even when shipping and handling are included in the price. These mattresses are typically shipped via trucking companies and they only provide curbside delivery, unless inside delivery is requested.

When purchasing discount mattresses the best approach is to conduct an online search of consumer reviews. There are multitudes of websites, which provide consumer reviews. In addition, products and reviews can be found on Google or Yahoo by conducting a search for specific mattress styles. Google searches provide a listing of different types and brands, along with prices and consumer reviews if they are available.

Purchasing discounted mattresses does not mean a person needs to settle for poor quality, there are many fine quality mattresses available. One only needs to comparison shop using online resources, consumer guides, and recommendations from family and friends to select a fine quality reduced price mattress.

The best way to find reduced price mattresses is by merely watching TV commercials, reading newspapers and listening to the radio. Discount mattress sales are always being advertised. However, beware, because in many cases these advertisements are just switch and bait tactics to get you in the store. The store may only have one mattress in the style you are searching for or the salesperson will press a hard sale tactic to upgrade to better mattresses.

Alternative places to purchase discount mattresses include used furniture stores, Salvation Army stores, and clearance stores. These stores only accept well-maintained mattresses and require the mattresses be cleaned before they will accept them for resale. One place to avoid reduced price mattresses is purchasing at yard sales. There are no cleanliness standards and the history of the mattress is unknown.

Another location to purchase reduced price mattresses includes buying clubs, such as: Sams, Costco, BJs, and others. Mattresses can be typically purchased at wholesale prices. The only requirement or drawback is that they do not deliver, so a purchaser must arrange for transportation of the discount mattresses to their homes.

Finding discount mattresses is not difficult today; the only problem is ensuring the quality of the mattress. Reduced price mattresses are the best option when it comes time to purchase a new mattress set, however do not sacrifice quality for price - a restful night's sleep depends on a wise choice.