This just in from Financial Fit series on Yahoo Finance - When Warren Buffet talks we should listen!
Top 5 Tips to Build Wealth and SuccessPeter Gorenstein and Farnoosh Torabi
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Warren Buffett is worth $45 billion. That wealth isn't only a factor of savvy investing and good business — the "Oracle of Omaha" is also known as a penny pincher. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Neb., home he bought in 1958 for $31,500.
Follow his frugal formula, and you too may wind up with a lot more money than you ever dreamed.
This week Financially Fit covers five tips to build wealth and success.
1. Live Below Your Means.
Being wealthy isn't just a product of your salary or investment prowess; it's learning how to save.
"We can make a lot of money, you can make a little bit of money, but the second you spend all the money is when people get into trouble. Saving is the key to preserving your wealth," says Ed Butowsky, managing partner of Chapwood Capital Investment Management, a firm that manages money for wealthy individuals.
As many Americans realized during the booming real estate market, just because you think you can afford something doesn't mean you should buy it. Keeping an eye on your bottom line will pay dividends over the long term.
Related Video
2. Bounce Back From Defeat
With nearly 15 million workers unemployed right now in the U.S., it's easy to get discouraged. Don't! Most successful and wealthy people have overcome obstacles and failure along the way. Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple when he was 30. Today, he's a billionaire and a legend. Plus, after getting fired, he created another billion-dollar media company, Pixar.
"Bouncing back from defeat is something all great achievers have. They have this undying belief good things will happen and will continue to happen," says Butowsky.
Take Michael Jordan. "His airness" was cut from his high school basketball team. Motivated by the rejection, Jordan became a star the next season. The rest is history.
3. Self-Promote
Regardless of the profession, the rich and successful tend to have a strong sense of self-worth — key to skillfully navigating an upward career path. Mark Hurd, who was ousted as CEO of Hewlett-Packard in August, couldn't be kept down for long. Using his business skills and connections, in September, Hurd was named president of Oracle. (Hurd and Oracle founder Larry Ellison are known to be close friends.)
4. Have Street Smarts
Bernie Madoff lived the high life for decades, scamming unsuspecting clients, with a money-making formula that proved too good to be true. Only afterward did we learn that with a little due diligence, most clients could have easily uncovered the fraud.
But it's not only the swindlers and the con men you have to watch out for. Many times, friends and family take advantage of the rich. Whether it's a handout or an investment idea, Butowsky advises his high net worth clients that in most cases, it's wisest to just say "no." The best way to do that: have someone else do it for you.
"You need to really set up a wall between you and your family," he advises. "If you don't want to give them (family or friends) money ... saying no is probably a good idea."
5. Buy Cheap
The rich can afford to splurge, but that doesn't mean they do.
John Paulson, a billionaire hedge fund manager, bought his Hamptons "dream house at a bargain basement price," according to Greg Zuckerman, author of the Paulson-based book, "The Greatest Trade Ever." The story has it that Paulson eyed the home while it was in foreclosure. Finally, on a rain-soaked day, he purchased the home on the Southampton town hall steps. He was the only bidder.
On New York City's Upper East Side, Michael's— The Consignment Shop for Women— has been a bargain-hunting destination for more than 60 years. "We have a good percentage of women who can afford to shop on Madison Avenue but really like the idea of saving that money," says proprietor Tammy Gates.
From Chanel to Gucci and Louis Vuitton, the store specializes in high-end designer merchandise for a reasonable price. Speaking of her clientele, Gates says, "they're wealthy for a reason. They recognize that bargains keep people wealthy. Paying top dollar when you don't have to doesn't make sense."
This article is part of a series related to being Financially Fit
Showing posts with label Saving Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saving Money. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
100 free business cards for FREE!
Yes, I said Free - even the shipping is free!
Head over to Zazzle and now through 9/1 you can design a business card (be sure to choose the $16.95 value card) and have it shipped to you for absolutely nothing. Use this code: ZAZSHIPSFREE and be sure to select Economy shipping no tracking.
It's that easy! I ordered - hurry this will only last through tomorrow. In addition - check out Hip2Saves cool ways to use this free offer here.
Note, you will have to enter your CC info but it will not be charged.
Head over to Zazzle and now through 9/1 you can design a business card (be sure to choose the $16.95 value card) and have it shipped to you for absolutely nothing. Use this code: ZAZSHIPSFREE and be sure to select Economy shipping no tracking.
It's that easy! I ordered - hurry this will only last through tomorrow. In addition - check out Hip2Saves cool ways to use this free offer here.
Note, you will have to enter your CC info but it will not be charged.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Testimony to paying cash!
Found this article over at Money Saving Mom - it's just more testimony to having a budget and paying cash!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
100% Debt Free - she's my financial hero!
Crystal at Money Saving Mom has chronicled her and her husband's goal of being completely Debt Free and putting 100% down on a house, yep, you read correctly 100% down.
Her posts regarding this goal always leave me motivated and ready to move on with our goals here at Raging Bear Ranch.
Please, take a moment to read this post and find the other posts about saving Money.
Thanks!
Her posts regarding this goal always leave me motivated and ready to move on with our goals here at Raging Bear Ranch.
Please, take a moment to read this post and find the other posts about saving Money.
Thanks!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
My animals have a bank account!
It's true, our dogs and horses have their own savings account. I set aside so much each month to automatically deposit into the account. In addition, any funds made by my horses via riding lessons, kids parties or camps part of those funds go into the account. We will be opening an Orange Checking account connected to the savings account to make it a little easier to use the account when needed.
I use You Data which every Friday deposits a small amount of change into my PayPal account. Every penny counts and we use this for small needs for our animals. If you haven't checked out You Data yet then I recommend checking them out - it's small change but that small change if left alone begins to add up after a period of time! Click here to check out You Data - this link does give me credit if you do sign-up and I thank you in advance if you do - you will get a nice e-mail every Friday after you have reviewed the ads pre-selected for you that they have deposited x amount of $ in your Paypal account. I just made $.20 in 4 clicks!
Now this fund does not include their everyday needs - this account is more for the unforseen things that arise such as when Banks cut his eyelid and needed surgery to sew it up or Cody's attitude adjustment (stallion to gelding). Both of these were covered through the animals fund.
Just like Jamie talks about the car fund and starting it before you need it, same goes for your animals. We are going to be starting a car fund next month. Once we have the roof fixed we will then be adding the funds we are saving for our roof into the car fund. I like using my Orange account through ING Direct savings for these because you can open more than one and view them all on one page!
Check out Jamie's Thrifty Tips Tuesday - I love these type of posts because we can learn from each other and get ideas to help us out in our own households.
Hope this helps give you an idea of how we plan for emergencies with our pets.
I use You Data which every Friday deposits a small amount of change into my PayPal account. Every penny counts and we use this for small needs for our animals. If you haven't checked out You Data yet then I recommend checking them out - it's small change but that small change if left alone begins to add up after a period of time! Click here to check out You Data - this link does give me credit if you do sign-up and I thank you in advance if you do - you will get a nice e-mail every Friday after you have reviewed the ads pre-selected for you that they have deposited x amount of $ in your Paypal account. I just made $.20 in 4 clicks!
Now this fund does not include their everyday needs - this account is more for the unforseen things that arise such as when Banks cut his eyelid and needed surgery to sew it up or Cody's attitude adjustment (stallion to gelding). Both of these were covered through the animals fund.
Just like Jamie talks about the car fund and starting it before you need it, same goes for your animals. We are going to be starting a car fund next month. Once we have the roof fixed we will then be adding the funds we are saving for our roof into the car fund. I like using my Orange account through ING Direct savings for these because you can open more than one and view them all on one page!
Check out Jamie's Thrifty Tips Tuesday - I love these type of posts because we can learn from each other and get ideas to help us out in our own households.
Hope this helps give you an idea of how we plan for emergencies with our pets.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
$800.00 vs. $39.30 – what would you do?
This story is true, it happened to me yesterday and I want to tell everyone I know that you and only you are concerned with your medical out of pocket expenses, question every penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and dollar because it could save you a ton of money!
I had an MRI scheduled at a well-known Hospital because my Doctor had ordered it and his office scheduled it. I had not thought that there would be any pricing differences between this location and a private location. Boy, was I in for an education!
I arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am for registration (no on-line save time registrations). They began my registration at 6:15am, at that time the person who was registering me (no personality, did not even greet me) told me that since it was a new year there was a new deductible ($1000.00) and that the MRI after insurance deductions would be $800.00! I was not prepared for this, and thought I had misunderstood and asked again how much was my out of pocket - in which he never batted an eye and said $800.00. I told him I could not afford that and that I did not want to go through with the MRI, I would discuss with my doctor. He advised that we could discuss payment plans and I again said no, I would discuss alternatives with my doctor.
I walked back to my car (in shock) and this commercial kept rolling around in my head that I had just seen the night before on TV. Two X-rays of skeletons talking about a better priced alternative for imaging services. I made it to work and Swaggled what I thought was the company’s name –MRI Imaging St. Louis. What Swaggled up was Metro Imaging of St. Louis – I was close and thank goodness for Swaggle – I even won a SwagBuck!
I was pleasantly surprised at how user-friendly their website was and that they had baseline prices listed! I picked up the phone and called their South County location and spoke to Kim (So nice and very knowledgeable). I told her the above story and she took down my information and told me that she would be back in touch when she assessed my insurance information with the cost for an MRI. I was impressed with the state of the art equipment at their facilities and that they had two of four (I believe) of the new OASIS Imaging systems in all of St. Louis - WOW! And they if you do not have insurance or co-payments their rates were lower than what my out of pocket expense was going to be at the hospital AND if you pay in cash the day of service you get a discount (if you do not have insurance or co-pays).
Within the hour I received a call back and was blown away by the difference in prices between Metro Imaging and the hospitals! The level of service I was already receiving from Kim was incredible and I was feeling better about being able to afford the MRI on my knee. Not only did they BEAT, by a long shot, what the hospital wanted to charge me, I will have preliminary results before I walk out of the door and it is included in the price. Had I gone to the Hospital my image interpretation would have been an additional charge by the radiologist. Kim made the appointment for me for that evening and I was able to, with the help of the insurance team, get all my paperwork switched to Metro Imaging. She also mentioned that I could save more time (this is a huge plus for me) by registering on-line - which I did.
I arrived at your South County location and was greeted by Randy (such a nice guy) and he had two papers for me to sign and that was it, I was early (I would rather be an hour early than a minute late) so Bear and I took a seat and waited. It wasn't long before Linda (very nice and knowledgeable) called me in to get ready for my MRI. She explained everything perfectly.
In this day and time, it is quite rare to find companies that have it all and Metro Imaging has it all - Exceptional Customer Service, Knowledgeable employees who genuinely care, state of the art equipment and quality services. Consumers are being hit in all directions with higher prices, smaller paychecks, and to be able to maximize my flexible spending account to
help with my out of pocket medical expenses is very important. Kim explained everything to me and I was just floored (pleasantly by the way!) that my out of pocket expense went from $800.00 at the hospital to a co-payment of $39.30 at Metro Imaging.
I thank the Lord for reminding me of the commercial I had seen the night before and finding Metro Imaging.
I will definitely be spreading the word about Metro Imaging and their services, and telling my benefits department about this. People need to know they have a choice of where they go - it doesn't have to be where the doctor's office set's you up, you have a choice, I have a choice and I will choose Metro Imaging from now on!
Now, I ask, why did my insurance company not refer me to Metro Imaging to begin with since it was the more cost effective for the insurance and my out of pocket expense? The Doctor’s office cannot because they are part of the hospital but the insurance could have mentioned it or called me when they were requesting pre-certification to advise me of a more economical choice.
Healthcare management is now in the hands of us the consumers – if it is not an emergency, take the time to shop around for the services – you have that right – you bet I’m using it from now on!
I just called and paid for my co-payment which was $39.30 which was my 10% responsibility of the insurance contracted rate of $393.00 for the MRI at Metro Imaging. Had I not balked at the charges being quoted to me and just handed over my flexible spending card, using up over 1/3 of our flexible spending for 2010!
TAKE CHARGE AND NOW WHAT YOU ARE BEING CHARGED FOR MEDICAL SERVICES – I SAVED $760.70 BY SHOPPING AROUND!
Preliminary results from the MRI:
Baker's Cyst on back of left knee, Fluid on the joint, Loss of Articular Cartlile under the Knee Cap. Okay, bone grinding against bone - OUCH! I have an appointment with the surgeon next Tuesday so I'll keep you posted!
I had an MRI scheduled at a well-known Hospital because my Doctor had ordered it and his office scheduled it. I had not thought that there would be any pricing differences between this location and a private location. Boy, was I in for an education!
I arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am for registration (no on-line save time registrations). They began my registration at 6:15am, at that time the person who was registering me (no personality, did not even greet me) told me that since it was a new year there was a new deductible ($1000.00) and that the MRI after insurance deductions would be $800.00! I was not prepared for this, and thought I had misunderstood and asked again how much was my out of pocket - in which he never batted an eye and said $800.00. I told him I could not afford that and that I did not want to go through with the MRI, I would discuss with my doctor. He advised that we could discuss payment plans and I again said no, I would discuss alternatives with my doctor.
I walked back to my car (in shock) and this commercial kept rolling around in my head that I had just seen the night before on TV. Two X-rays of skeletons talking about a better priced alternative for imaging services. I made it to work and Swaggled what I thought was the company’s name –MRI Imaging St. Louis. What Swaggled up was Metro Imaging of St. Louis – I was close and thank goodness for Swaggle – I even won a SwagBuck!
I was pleasantly surprised at how user-friendly their website was and that they had baseline prices listed! I picked up the phone and called their South County location and spoke to Kim (So nice and very knowledgeable). I told her the above story and she took down my information and told me that she would be back in touch when she assessed my insurance information with the cost for an MRI. I was impressed with the state of the art equipment at their facilities and that they had two of four (I believe) of the new OASIS Imaging systems in all of St. Louis - WOW! And they if you do not have insurance or co-payments their rates were lower than what my out of pocket expense was going to be at the hospital AND if you pay in cash the day of service you get a discount (if you do not have insurance or co-pays).
Within the hour I received a call back and was blown away by the difference in prices between Metro Imaging and the hospitals! The level of service I was already receiving from Kim was incredible and I was feeling better about being able to afford the MRI on my knee. Not only did they BEAT, by a long shot, what the hospital wanted to charge me, I will have preliminary results before I walk out of the door and it is included in the price. Had I gone to the Hospital my image interpretation would have been an additional charge by the radiologist. Kim made the appointment for me for that evening and I was able to, with the help of the insurance team, get all my paperwork switched to Metro Imaging. She also mentioned that I could save more time (this is a huge plus for me) by registering on-line - which I did.
I arrived at your South County location and was greeted by Randy (such a nice guy) and he had two papers for me to sign and that was it, I was early (I would rather be an hour early than a minute late) so Bear and I took a seat and waited. It wasn't long before Linda (very nice and knowledgeable) called me in to get ready for my MRI. She explained everything perfectly.
In this day and time, it is quite rare to find companies that have it all and Metro Imaging has it all - Exceptional Customer Service, Knowledgeable employees who genuinely care, state of the art equipment and quality services. Consumers are being hit in all directions with higher prices, smaller paychecks, and to be able to maximize my flexible spending account to
help with my out of pocket medical expenses is very important. Kim explained everything to me and I was just floored (pleasantly by the way!) that my out of pocket expense went from $800.00 at the hospital to a co-payment of $39.30 at Metro Imaging.
I thank the Lord for reminding me of the commercial I had seen the night before and finding Metro Imaging.
I will definitely be spreading the word about Metro Imaging and their services, and telling my benefits department about this. People need to know they have a choice of where they go - it doesn't have to be where the doctor's office set's you up, you have a choice, I have a choice and I will choose Metro Imaging from now on!
Now, I ask, why did my insurance company not refer me to Metro Imaging to begin with since it was the more cost effective for the insurance and my out of pocket expense? The Doctor’s office cannot because they are part of the hospital but the insurance could have mentioned it or called me when they were requesting pre-certification to advise me of a more economical choice.
Healthcare management is now in the hands of us the consumers – if it is not an emergency, take the time to shop around for the services – you have that right – you bet I’m using it from now on!
I just called and paid for my co-payment which was $39.30 which was my 10% responsibility of the insurance contracted rate of $393.00 for the MRI at Metro Imaging. Had I not balked at the charges being quoted to me and just handed over my flexible spending card, using up over 1/3 of our flexible spending for 2010!
TAKE CHARGE AND NOW WHAT YOU ARE BEING CHARGED FOR MEDICAL SERVICES – I SAVED $760.70 BY SHOPPING AROUND!
Preliminary results from the MRI:
Baker's Cyst on back of left knee, Fluid on the joint, Loss of Articular Cartlile under the Knee Cap. Okay, bone grinding against bone - OUCH! I have an appointment with the surgeon next Tuesday so I'll keep you posted!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
How we save money....Part 2
Do you sign up for frequent shopper / diner programs? Well, you should because it will save you a ton of money.
Famous Footwear - we are signed up and also signed up for their e-mail alerts. We are able to combine the discounts/coupons offered with their sales and you can find some really nice shoes for rock bottom prices - especially when they offer the buy one get one half off!
Frequent diner programs - we belong to many frequent diner programs. One that we belong to is a local restaurant and for our rewards we earn double point coupons which when presented will double the points we earn getting us closer to a reward. Once you reach a certain point level you will receive a $10.00 off coupon, Birthdays and anniversaries will also get you a $10.00 off coupon. My friend Margie, Bear, and I went to eat and Margie used her coupon - she got a big bowl of pasta (they are huge), water, and a free piece of Chocolate cake for her birthday. The pasta came with bread and a salad and after her coupon she paid $2.93 and had enough for left overs! Bear used his coupon and for both of us and his chocolate cake our pasta with salads and bread with our $10.00 off coupon we ate for 12.59 and had left overs for the following day!
We will receive 2 $10.00 off coupons in November - one for my birthday and one for our anniversary!
Another one that we frequent is Crusoe's - Bear just got his $10.00 birthday coupon, and we will get 2 in November for my birthday and our anniversary.
Red Robin is another that will send you an e-mail for a free hamburger on your birthday.
So, it is worth going online and signing up for these frequent shopper / diner programs and then apply the discounts and coupons to sales.
Who says saving money had to be boring? You can still have fun and eat out - just keep the eating out to a minimum.
This is another way that we save money.
Famous Footwear - we are signed up and also signed up for their e-mail alerts. We are able to combine the discounts/coupons offered with their sales and you can find some really nice shoes for rock bottom prices - especially when they offer the buy one get one half off!
Frequent diner programs - we belong to many frequent diner programs. One that we belong to is a local restaurant and for our rewards we earn double point coupons which when presented will double the points we earn getting us closer to a reward. Once you reach a certain point level you will receive a $10.00 off coupon, Birthdays and anniversaries will also get you a $10.00 off coupon. My friend Margie, Bear, and I went to eat and Margie used her coupon - she got a big bowl of pasta (they are huge), water, and a free piece of Chocolate cake for her birthday. The pasta came with bread and a salad and after her coupon she paid $2.93 and had enough for left overs! Bear used his coupon and for both of us and his chocolate cake our pasta with salads and bread with our $10.00 off coupon we ate for 12.59 and had left overs for the following day!
We will receive 2 $10.00 off coupons in November - one for my birthday and one for our anniversary!
Another one that we frequent is Crusoe's - Bear just got his $10.00 birthday coupon, and we will get 2 in November for my birthday and our anniversary.
Red Robin is another that will send you an e-mail for a free hamburger on your birthday.
So, it is worth going online and signing up for these frequent shopper / diner programs and then apply the discounts and coupons to sales.
Who says saving money had to be boring? You can still have fun and eat out - just keep the eating out to a minimum.
This is another way that we save money.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
How we save money.......Part 1
Okay, I promised this earlier but was sidelined by the bad check.
TRASH BAGS
We go through alot of feed for our horses and our dogs. The feed comes in these really nice brown kraft paper and they are large enough that we can use them for our trash at home. Not only are they great for our trash but they are good for the environment as they biodegrade.
We also use the feed sacks when we plant our gardens and I put them in my flower beds - this helps to keep the weeds out as it biodegrades.
The Dog food bags are lined - we use these when we need a stronger bag.
We use the plastic bags from Wal-mart (I use cloth bags but every now and again we get plastic) in my trash cans in the bathroom and in our vehicles. Our company has started to recycle the plastic bags so I take them into work to recycle as well.
We recycle our plastic bottles and turn our cans and scrap metal in for $$ - you will be surprised how quickly it will add up and make it worth the effort! Even the dog food and soup cans can be recycled - the small change begins to add up after a time.
BATH TOWELS
Do you Estate or Garage Sale? Well, let me tell you about a nice little yard sale I ran into and scored 4 sets of bath towels - 2 big towels, 2 hand towels, 2 wash rags for $6.00! These towels were in very good condition and clean. That is $1.50 per set! We needed new towels and Bear and I tend to use ours till they fall apart. Now I can take the towels that we were using that still have a bit of life but are wearing down and use them for the dogs and horses! We keep a bag in the car for the dogs - towel, couple of plastic bags for potty breaks, two bowls (food & water).
We keep a set of towels in the horse trailer so I will be able to add an extra set to the trailer.
UTENSILS & extra
We do not use plastic utensils and I will not allow my good silverware to cross our threshhold - instead, I look at garage sales for utensils that if Bear or I were to misplace or lose it is not as costly as it would be to replace our good silverware. Recently, Margie and I were at an Estate Sale and I was able to pick up a Pampered chef can opener, another nice can opener, 4 nice steak knives, 2 large serving spoons, 4 nice heavy forks, 4 Soup spoons, 4 regular spoons for $2.00! Now the Pampered Chef can opener alone was worth quite a bit and it did work. Bear was needing a can opener for his lunch box and I did not want to let the one go that we had at home because it was very nice, so I went on a scouting mission to find a couple of good can openers. It took all of 3 garage/yard/estate sales before I was able to find them.
Always check back on Sunday for items for the kitchen and bath - usually they are 1/2 off on Sundays! That is how I got all of the above for so cheap - I went on Sunday.
I also got 2 Corningware heavy (they look like the old milk glass) mixing bowls - I'm going to use them for fruit and snack holders. I got an aluminum 9x13 baking pan - not sure if this will go for a dogs pan or for cooking - might go for cooking for a while and then for a dog bowl.
While there I spotted two items I have been wanting for a very long time because my grandmother had them and I loved using them because all the fancy restaurants had them and I thought we were something else to have the same set. Oh, how little girls minds work when you are 5-6 years old!
I spotted them in the kitchen - a matching set - wooden salt shaker and pepper grinder! They were marked $5.00 but 1/2 off would make them $2.50 - we left that estate sale while I mulled it over and after about 45 minutes we went back and I got them (I'll post a picture later).
EBAY/Craigslist/Auctions
I do put things on EBAY that I have researched and know I can sell. It is a great way to make extra cash through a safe environment - of course you need to do your due diligence on your part. I sold an energizer bunny antenna topper right before Easter that I bought for $.75 still in the package - the thing went up to $125.00 before the auction ended! You could have picked both Bear and I off the floor we never imagined it getting that high! I thought it would go for $5-$8.00 at the most. I subsequently bought a few more and in total made over $375.00! Now is this the norm - NO, it is the exception but you just never know what you have in your house that might be "trash" to you but "treasure" to someone else. The key to selling on EBAY is to research, research, research!
Craigslist is a great way to find Free items (this is where we found our couch!) or items very reasonable - you just have to be patient. I also post a barter ad for riding lessons. I am currently working on bartering riding lessons for professional photographs of our horses and dogs! Something we would not even consider due to cost but with bartering it is attainable!
Auctions - there are different types of auctions - horses, dogs, estate, and auctions who run anything through them - you just need to find them - look at what they have - I mean look it over thoroughly - and set a price that you will not go over. Auctions are dangerous because you can get caught up in the excitement of the bidding and go way over - the way to keep that from happening is to set a limit and look away if it goes over. It is best to go to an Auction and watch what they are doing, how the auctioneer and his help work the floor and understand how the auctioneer "sings" so that you understand the price they are at if you decide to jump into the bid. Another thing - don't bid too quickly, wait, wait, see who else is interested - if it is a dealer (you will know them) they may run the bid up higher than you can go and it is best to wait before jumping in to bid.
Okay, I think I have given you enough to chew for one Friday. I'll work on the next section next week and get it up by next Friday.
How do you save money - would love to hear what you do to save money other than not spending money!
TRASH BAGS
We go through alot of feed for our horses and our dogs. The feed comes in these really nice brown kraft paper and they are large enough that we can use them for our trash at home. Not only are they great for our trash but they are good for the environment as they biodegrade.
We also use the feed sacks when we plant our gardens and I put them in my flower beds - this helps to keep the weeds out as it biodegrades.
The Dog food bags are lined - we use these when we need a stronger bag.
We use the plastic bags from Wal-mart (I use cloth bags but every now and again we get plastic) in my trash cans in the bathroom and in our vehicles. Our company has started to recycle the plastic bags so I take them into work to recycle as well.
We recycle our plastic bottles and turn our cans and scrap metal in for $$ - you will be surprised how quickly it will add up and make it worth the effort! Even the dog food and soup cans can be recycled - the small change begins to add up after a time.
BATH TOWELS
Do you Estate or Garage Sale? Well, let me tell you about a nice little yard sale I ran into and scored 4 sets of bath towels - 2 big towels, 2 hand towels, 2 wash rags for $6.00! These towels were in very good condition and clean. That is $1.50 per set! We needed new towels and Bear and I tend to use ours till they fall apart. Now I can take the towels that we were using that still have a bit of life but are wearing down and use them for the dogs and horses! We keep a bag in the car for the dogs - towel, couple of plastic bags for potty breaks, two bowls (food & water).
We keep a set of towels in the horse trailer so I will be able to add an extra set to the trailer.
UTENSILS & extra
We do not use plastic utensils and I will not allow my good silverware to cross our threshhold - instead, I look at garage sales for utensils that if Bear or I were to misplace or lose it is not as costly as it would be to replace our good silverware. Recently, Margie and I were at an Estate Sale and I was able to pick up a Pampered chef can opener, another nice can opener, 4 nice steak knives, 2 large serving spoons, 4 nice heavy forks, 4 Soup spoons, 4 regular spoons for $2.00! Now the Pampered Chef can opener alone was worth quite a bit and it did work. Bear was needing a can opener for his lunch box and I did not want to let the one go that we had at home because it was very nice, so I went on a scouting mission to find a couple of good can openers. It took all of 3 garage/yard/estate sales before I was able to find them.
Always check back on Sunday for items for the kitchen and bath - usually they are 1/2 off on Sundays! That is how I got all of the above for so cheap - I went on Sunday.
I also got 2 Corningware heavy (they look like the old milk glass) mixing bowls - I'm going to use them for fruit and snack holders. I got an aluminum 9x13 baking pan - not sure if this will go for a dogs pan or for cooking - might go for cooking for a while and then for a dog bowl.
While there I spotted two items I have been wanting for a very long time because my grandmother had them and I loved using them because all the fancy restaurants had them and I thought we were something else to have the same set. Oh, how little girls minds work when you are 5-6 years old!
I spotted them in the kitchen - a matching set - wooden salt shaker and pepper grinder! They were marked $5.00 but 1/2 off would make them $2.50 - we left that estate sale while I mulled it over and after about 45 minutes we went back and I got them (I'll post a picture later).
EBAY/Craigslist/Auctions
I do put things on EBAY that I have researched and know I can sell. It is a great way to make extra cash through a safe environment - of course you need to do your due diligence on your part. I sold an energizer bunny antenna topper right before Easter that I bought for $.75 still in the package - the thing went up to $125.00 before the auction ended! You could have picked both Bear and I off the floor we never imagined it getting that high! I thought it would go for $5-$8.00 at the most. I subsequently bought a few more and in total made over $375.00! Now is this the norm - NO, it is the exception but you just never know what you have in your house that might be "trash" to you but "treasure" to someone else. The key to selling on EBAY is to research, research, research!
Craigslist is a great way to find Free items (this is where we found our couch!) or items very reasonable - you just have to be patient. I also post a barter ad for riding lessons. I am currently working on bartering riding lessons for professional photographs of our horses and dogs! Something we would not even consider due to cost but with bartering it is attainable!
Auctions - there are different types of auctions - horses, dogs, estate, and auctions who run anything through them - you just need to find them - look at what they have - I mean look it over thoroughly - and set a price that you will not go over. Auctions are dangerous because you can get caught up in the excitement of the bidding and go way over - the way to keep that from happening is to set a limit and look away if it goes over. It is best to go to an Auction and watch what they are doing, how the auctioneer and his help work the floor and understand how the auctioneer "sings" so that you understand the price they are at if you decide to jump into the bid. Another thing - don't bid too quickly, wait, wait, see who else is interested - if it is a dealer (you will know them) they may run the bid up higher than you can go and it is best to wait before jumping in to bid.
Okay, I think I have given you enough to chew for one Friday. I'll work on the next section next week and get it up by next Friday.
How do you save money - would love to hear what you do to save money other than not spending money!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Want to Make $25.00?
Click here to get started with your own Sharebuilder Account - It's working for me! Plus you get $25.00 for opening the account!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Gas Prices Dropping - Are you saving the difference?
Yes, gas prices are going down and I could not be anymore pleased than the next person. But, my question is - What are you doing with the difference? I budget $45.00 per week for fuel, when fuel was at $3.89/gallon.
Now that fuel is at $1.49/gallon and my husband just called to tell me that it cost $18.40 to fill the "Stanger" (my beloved mustang Sally) which will last us one week. So, what am I doing with the additional $26.60/week? Well, I'm not going to spend it nor am I adjusting my budget much for fear that the gas prices might just go up again. We will be putting the overage into our savings account to help build our Emergency fund.
I admit, I'm not the best person in the world for managing money - but I am getting organized so that beginning the first of the year my New Year's resolution will be successful!
So, I am working on my short-term goals with Bear and our long-term goals and will have those posted soon.
So, what are you doing with the savings you are seeing at the pumps?
Now that fuel is at $1.49/gallon and my husband just called to tell me that it cost $18.40 to fill the "Stanger" (my beloved mustang Sally) which will last us one week. So, what am I doing with the additional $26.60/week? Well, I'm not going to spend it nor am I adjusting my budget much for fear that the gas prices might just go up again. We will be putting the overage into our savings account to help build our Emergency fund.
I admit, I'm not the best person in the world for managing money - but I am getting organized so that beginning the first of the year my New Year's resolution will be successful!
So, I am working on my short-term goals with Bear and our long-term goals and will have those posted soon.
So, what are you doing with the savings you are seeing at the pumps?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Money savings using Nitrogen to Inflate Tires
Do you or anyone you know do this? I am researching the pros & cons of using Nitrogen in my tires instead of air.
I found a website that has a ton of information. I've read through their FAQ section. Jay Leno even has a video about using Nitrogen in the tires. Discovery Channel also has a video about Nitrogen in tires. I understand that NASCAR uses it in their tires. I'm just wondering if anyone in the Blog world does this and how do you like it and what is the cost?
I have heard it is expensive and that is on my research to do list is to get the cost per tire.
A friend of mine received a coupon in the mail from VW dealer advising the benefits and the cost was $19.99 but we can't figure out if it is per tire or for 4 tires. She will be calling to find out soon.
I found a website that has a ton of information. I've read through their FAQ section. Jay Leno even has a video about using Nitrogen in the tires. Discovery Channel also has a video about Nitrogen in tires. I understand that NASCAR uses it in their tires. I'm just wondering if anyone in the Blog world does this and how do you like it and what is the cost?
I have heard it is expensive and that is on my research to do list is to get the cost per tire.
A friend of mine received a coupon in the mail from VW dealer advising the benefits and the cost was $19.99 but we can't figure out if it is per tire or for 4 tires. She will be calling to find out soon.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
CVS, Walgreens, and Super Double Cpn days @ KMART
Well, after studying everyone's blogs and seeing how they were literally getting everything for free, I thought it was time to try my hand at it.
You see, I thought I was pretty good at using my coupons but I realized I'm a rookie compared to these ladies that I've visited their blogs.
Here it goes:
I first went to KMART as they were having a double coupons (up to 2.00). Now you could only use 4 of the same coupons in one transaction but could use up to 75 coupons per transaction. Needless to say, I drafted my hubby, Bear, to help me on the 4 of the same coupon.
So here is how we did - note all cpns are doubled:
My Cart
1 Revlon Nail Clipper 1.79 - 1.79cpn = FREE
1 Tresemme Hair Spray 2.79 - 2.00cpn = .79
1 Colgate Toothpaste 2.50 - 2.00cpn = .50
1 Resolve Carpet Cleaner 4.99 - 4.00cpn = .99
2 Ceasar Dog Food 1.84 - .84cpn = .84
3 Renuzit air freshner 3.27 - 1.65cpn = 1.62
2 Ziplock Bags 4.38 - 2.00cpn = 2.38
1 Scrubbing Bubbles Bath Wipes 3.19 - 2.00cpn = 1.19
2 Ziplock Containers 5.00 - 2.00cpn = 3.00
2 Ziplock Containers 5.00 - 2.00cpn = 3.00
2 Endust 6.58 - 6.58cpn = FREE
1 Glade Air freshner 4.99 - 4.00 = .99
Total for this cart: 16.04
Hubby's Cart:
1 Tresemme Hair Spray - 2.79 - 2.00cpn = .79
4 Fructis Shampoo & Conditional - 8.00 - 8.00 cpn = FREE
2 Ceasar dog food - 1.84 - .84cpn = .84
1 Purex Laundry Detergent - 4.00 - 1.00cpn = 3.00
2 Ziploc Sandwich Bags - 5.00 - 2.00 = 3.00
1 Airwick Oil Warmer - 2.99 - 2.00cpn = FREE
2 Airwick Oil Warmer - 6.00 - 2.00cpn = 4.00
Total + Tax = 13.37
Then we traveled to Walgreens and had two separate transactions.
Here is what we got:
I am including MFG Cpn and Easy Saver cpns together.
2 Lady Speedsticks BOGOF - 2.99 - 1.75cpn = 1.24
2 Colgate Toothpaste - BOGOF - 2.49 - 1.75cpn = .74
1 Reach advantage toothbrush - 2.99 - 2.00cpn = .99
Total for this transaction: 4.97
Would have cost $15.05
I have flexible spending so any OTC meds go on my flexible spending card.
2 Tylenol PM 24CT (Bonus additional 12 per pkg) 3.49 - 3.00cpn .98
1 Excedrin 3.99
1 Neosporin Ointment 4.99 - 2.00cpn = 2.99
Total for this trip: 8.24 - 3.99 rebate for excedrin - adjusted total = $4.25!
Last but certainly not least is our CVS vist.
Okay here is our last shopping trip:
1 Chex Mix Tradition 6 oz - 1.00 - .50cpn = .50
1 Aussie Shampoo - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 Aussie Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 *Herbal Essence Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 *Herbal Essence Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 Renuzit TriScent - 7.99 - 4.00 = 3.99
Total OOP = 7.83 - 5.00 ECB earned = 2.83!
*These two bottles were bonus size so we received 40% more for the same price and qualified for the ExtraCare Bucks!
WOO HOO! I'm hooked on seeing how I can get even more for less now!
You see, I thought I was pretty good at using my coupons but I realized I'm a rookie compared to these ladies that I've visited their blogs.
Here it goes:
I first went to KMART as they were having a double coupons (up to 2.00). Now you could only use 4 of the same coupons in one transaction but could use up to 75 coupons per transaction. Needless to say, I drafted my hubby, Bear, to help me on the 4 of the same coupon.
So here is how we did - note all cpns are doubled:
My Cart
1 Revlon Nail Clipper 1.79 - 1.79cpn = FREE
1 Tresemme Hair Spray 2.79 - 2.00cpn = .79
1 Colgate Toothpaste 2.50 - 2.00cpn = .50
1 Resolve Carpet Cleaner 4.99 - 4.00cpn = .99
2 Ceasar Dog Food 1.84 - .84cpn = .84
3 Renuzit air freshner 3.27 - 1.65cpn = 1.62
2 Ziplock Bags 4.38 - 2.00cpn = 2.38
1 Scrubbing Bubbles Bath Wipes 3.19 - 2.00cpn = 1.19
2 Ziplock Containers 5.00 - 2.00cpn = 3.00
2 Ziplock Containers 5.00 - 2.00cpn = 3.00
2 Endust 6.58 - 6.58cpn = FREE
1 Glade Air freshner 4.99 - 4.00 = .99
Total for this cart: 16.04
Hubby's Cart:
1 Tresemme Hair Spray - 2.79 - 2.00cpn = .79
4 Fructis Shampoo & Conditional - 8.00 - 8.00 cpn = FREE
2 Ceasar dog food - 1.84 - .84cpn = .84
1 Purex Laundry Detergent - 4.00 - 1.00cpn = 3.00
2 Ziploc Sandwich Bags - 5.00 - 2.00 = 3.00
1 Airwick Oil Warmer - 2.99 - 2.00cpn = FREE
2 Airwick Oil Warmer - 6.00 - 2.00cpn = 4.00
Total + Tax = 13.37
Then we traveled to Walgreens and had two separate transactions.
Here is what we got:
I am including MFG Cpn and Easy Saver cpns together.
2 Lady Speedsticks BOGOF - 2.99 - 1.75cpn = 1.24
2 Colgate Toothpaste - BOGOF - 2.49 - 1.75cpn = .74
1 Reach advantage toothbrush - 2.99 - 2.00cpn = .99
Total for this transaction: 4.97
Would have cost $15.05
I have flexible spending so any OTC meds go on my flexible spending card.
2 Tylenol PM 24CT (Bonus additional 12 per pkg) 3.49 - 3.00cpn .98
1 Excedrin 3.99
1 Neosporin Ointment 4.99 - 2.00cpn = 2.99
Total for this trip: 8.24 - 3.99 rebate for excedrin - adjusted total = $4.25!
Last but certainly not least is our CVS vist.
Okay here is our last shopping trip:
1 Chex Mix Tradition 6 oz - 1.00 - .50cpn = .50
1 Aussie Shampoo - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 Aussie Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 *Herbal Essence Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 *Herbal Essence Conditioner - 2.49 - 2.00 = .49
1 Renuzit TriScent - 7.99 - 4.00 = 3.99
Total OOP = 7.83 - 5.00 ECB earned = 2.83!
*These two bottles were bonus size so we received 40% more for the same price and qualified for the ExtraCare Bucks!
WOO HOO! I'm hooked on seeing how I can get even more for less now!
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