FRUGAL TOOL BOX

2017-10-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.” Abigal Adams

01. INTRODUCTION

02. HELP WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG COST USING THE FREE INCARERX CARD.

03. SAVE UP TO 90% USING THE FREE INCARERX DISCOUNT PRESCRIPTION CARD.

04. COVERING MEDICARE PART D DONUT HOLE COVERAGE GAP.

05. "TODAY, NEARLY 40 PERCENT OF A SENIOR'S HEALTHCARE IS ON PHARMACEUTICAL MEDICATIONS" - DENNIS HASTERT.

06. EATING FRUGAL IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH EATING CHEAP.

07. IS THRIFT SHOPPING FOR YOU?

08. I SHOP NEW TOO!

09. HARD WORKING HOUSEHOLD BUDGET.

10. I LOVE GROCERY SHOPPING ONLINE - THRIVE MARKET REVIEW.

11. BUDGET STRETCHERS.
12. MAINTAIN BEAUTY ON ANY BUDGET.

13. IS A DENTAL SAVINGS PLAN VS DENTAL INSURANCE FOR YOU?

14. I LOVE WINDOWS - BLINDS.COM.

15. DON'T OVERSTUFF YOUR FRUGAL TOOL BOX.

Accept My Invitation to Fall in Love With Frugality!

2016-06-14T16:35:00.000-05:00

“Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.” Benjamin Franklin

MY INTRODUCTION TO FRUGALITY:

Hello, and thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoy my out-of-the-box frugal tips and ideas, and sign up for my quarterly Frugal Tool Box newsletter that will contain some very useful information to stretch those household dollars that you may not have encountered before.

The intent of this frugal blog is to demonstrate applied frugality by covering a cornucopia of budget stretching tools. I view frugality as a lifestyle that I love, and have embraced for many years. It is a lot of material, so please bookmark for future reference. This is my frugal story in keeping with an out-of-the-box e-book style blog format.

Please check out my review on Thrive Market (PART VI - Older Posts) and or my post in the Beauty Section (PART V - Newer Posts) entitled "Do You Smell Good or The Scent?" that many of my friends find unique and interesting. Anyway, enjoy the thrill of the hunt for frugal ideas and tips that interest you. There is no one size fit all.

It is my opinion and is shared by many, that being frugal is not the same as deprivation. I view frugality as being informed, resourceful, and spending smart. So without further ado enjoy.

PART I - GOT PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS?

Like utilities, housing, and food, in today's world, prescription medications are constantly costing more.

This blog will start off with saving money on prescriptions, which is a huge expenditure for a lot of people.

With that being said there are still a few ways in which you can realize some awesome savings. First and foremost I'm a big believer in getting the right insurance for your specific needs. A policy that is a good fit for your neighbor may or may not be a good fit for you.

Secondly, I like the prescriptions discount medication cards. With the InCareRx card you are able to receive up to 90% savings on approved prescription medications.

Also, the InCareRx is one of the highest discounts in the industry, and is HIPAA compliant. Print out a FREE InCareRx Discount Prescriptions Card today.

Prescription Drugs Can Strain Your Household Budget.

Are You Or Someone You Know Paying Full Price, Out Of Pocket, For A Prescription Medication?

I admit, sometimes there is no way around paying full price. However, when I have a prescription to fill I check to see if a discount is available.

If this is of interest to you click below to receive awesome savings on your prescriptions. Also, let me mention here that you don't have to be without medical insurance to put this tool to work for you.

For example, sometimes your prescription drug plan may not cover a certain medication. In this case you would pay full price not having a drug benefit.

In another case you may be in the donut hole, and again no drug benefit to help offset you cost.

The InCareRx Discount Card is absolutely FREE and ACTIVE right now! One card covers your ENTIRE family (including pets), and can be duplicated to share with friends.

This card can be used at pharmacies nationwide (CVS, Walmart, Target, Kroger and especially Big Box Stores, for example like a Costco).

If interested, Print Out FREE Discount Card and present to pharmacy.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE: InCareRx FREE Discount Prescription Savings Card & Save Up To 90% On Prescriptions.

This is the only discount prescription savings card, to my knowledge, that is HIPAA Compliant which means your information is private and we don't sell your information.

Did You Know That You Can Save Money On Your Prescription Medications, Whether Insured Or Not?

Truckers make the world go around. Where would we be as a society without truckers? Truckers are hard working, some even independent, all making nice incomes.

You probably wouldn't think that truckers could qualify for a free Rx card, however they do. In fact most everyone will qualify whether they have medical insurance or not.

With the price of gas being what it is, in addition to other expenditures your prescription medications can on occasions take a back seat. Without your prescription medications minor illness can sometimes become major.

Maintaining good health can require more than a healthy diet and proper rest, but also prescribed medications. You could save up to 90%!

Print out your free prescription card today. Print out and present to pharmacy.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE: InCareRx FREE Discount Prescription Savings Card & Save Up To 90% On Prescriptions

Helpful Tips On How To Use The FREE InCareRx Discount Card.

The InCareRx discount prescriptions card is to be used as a standalone, and not on top, but in combination with a drug benefit.

Say for instance, you have medical insurance with a drug benefit, but your insurance does not cover that one medication.

Well, you can utilize the InCareRx card for that one med, but not for the medications that are covered under your plan.

Sometimes there is no generic version, or your doctor may want you to try a brand name. If at all possible, you would not want to come out of pocket 100%. Of course, it's no guarantee, but check to see if a discount is provided using your InCareRx card.

If you are paying out of pocket with no drug benefit you can use the card. If you have Medicare Part D you can use the card if you haven't satisfied a deductible, or in the donut hole with no drug benefit.

You cannot use both a drug benefit and the InCareRx card.

Covering Medicare Part D Donut Hole Coverage Gap.

Part D coverage your Medicare drug benefit plan. It is my understanding that, contrary to popular belief, not all medicare part D plans have the same retail price.

So it is possible for someone who is taking the exact same medications that you are taking that have not reached the donut hole, and you have.

This is a possibility because they are enrolled in a different medicare part D plan with lower retail prices for those specific medications. Shop a medicare part D plan specific to your needs. There is no one size fit all.

All of this may somewhat sound confusing, but in essence all you are doing is putting together your plate from food laid out on a buffet table. Some foods will be a good fit you and some not.

A good thing to know also is not everyone will experience being in the donut hole. It's not a given, but just a matter of understanding the coverage to choose a good fit to lessen your risk of getting into a hole, or coverage gap. Also, remember part D is optional and not for everyone.

However, please note that if you do not initially sign up for Part D, there is a penalty issue. You might not require a lot of prescription medications today, but who know about tomorrow?

There is a risk if you do not initially sign up for Part D. So you must decide if part D is for you. And if so, which part D provider is a good fit.

Basically, there are 4 parts to your medicare benefits. Part A and B is original medicare, and will not help cover your prescription drug cost unless you add on part D which entails an extra premium.

You can have medicare part A and B and elect to add on a Medigap policy, which entails an extra premium for the 20% hole in coverage under your original medicare part A and B.

Now your part C is your advantage plan. Your advantage plan replaces your original medicare plan part A and B. Instead of part A for inpatient, part B for doctor services, and part D for drug benefit, an advantage plan, depending upon the advantage plan you choose can contain all 3.

An advantage plan operates kind of like an HMO and can encompass some type of drug benefit. There are many advantage plans, and there are differences. Start early and give yourself time to shop around.

Make sure to the best of your ability, that whatever plan you choose is budget friendly to hopefully prevent an unnecessary strain on your finances, but at the same time you want the best plan, in my opinion, that you can afford.

Also if you have limited funds to pay premiums, you might qualify under special programs for assistance.

Too many people don't understand the value of having a Medigap policy until it's too late. It is my opinion, of course, but happens to be shared by many that just having parts A and B (original Medicare), is incomplete coverage.

Your Medigap policy is a hard working tool that helps protect your assets. Knowing that you have a gap in original Medicare, why not exercise a tool to help lessen your risk?

Your Medigap policy is provided initially without any health questions, and should if at all possible not be allowed to lapse for nonpayment of premiums. If this happens you might be then subject to qualifying health questions if you seek re-admittance.

With all this being said your Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance), is not completely comprehensive, which means that a Medigap doesn't cover all gaps in Medicare, for example dental, however still in my view your Medigap is a hard working frugal tool that is worth it's weight in gold.

A Medigap policy is designed to only supplement original medicare and will not be part of an Advantage plan. If you have a Part C Advantage plan it is illegal to be sold a Medigap policy.

It's important also, I think, to note that for example, you tried the Part C Advantage plan, and for whatever reason would like to switch back to original medicare with a Medigap to supplement your original medicare. If possible, be sure to get what is called a trial right.

Without a trial right you may not be able to get your old Medigap policy back. In some cases you may not be able to purchase any Medigap policy without a trial right. Tread with care.

How To Help Pay For Rx Medications Your Insurance Plan Doesn't Cover.

If you are in a coverage gap or in the process of needing a deductible amount, why not consider using a discount prescription drug card? That way you are not 100% exposed.

This card is not insurance, and works similar to a coupon. Even if you have insurance you may have a prescription drug that your insurance will not cover.

You can realize up to 90% savings on some medications. The card will also cover some prescription pet medications. Print out and present to pharmacy. The card is free, and absolutely no qualifying.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE: InCareRx FREE Discount Prescription Savings Card & Save Up To 90% On Prescriptions.

A discount prescriptions savings card can be a great option to be used as a backup to Medicare Part D, or serve as your sole Rx help to keep you from being without your meds.

"Today, nearly 40 percent of a senior's healthcare is on pharmaceutical medications." Dennis Hastert

THE FRUGAL PET

Save A Bundle With Pet Insurance

Having various insurances is almost commonplace in today's world. We protect ourselves with car insurance, health insurance, homeowners insurance, and the like.

If something happens you want to be able to have the peace of mind knowing that help is there for you. But if a pet emergency strikes, how prepared are you?

Having pet insurance gives you a little more freedom to choose treatments versus authorizing what you can afford. Check them out for yourself today.

Bark Box

These precious animals deserve a treat!

I am a firm believer that you cannot spoil a pet. Bark Box is a monthly subscription of dog toys, chews, and treats.

They, like people, enjoy the special attention, and over time they even recognize the box. Check Bark Box out today.

"Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to."

Alfred A. Montapert

LOVING CARE 4 YOUR PET

Are you looking for great value and savings on prescriptions, food, toys, treats, clothing, beds, collars, gear, crates, and a lot more for your small pets? Check out one of my favorites above and below, plus get repeat autoship orders.

The Frugal Cook

PART II - The Frugal Cook: Eating Cheap Versus Buying Cheap Are Not Synonymous.

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients."
Julia Child

My I Present My Article Reprinted from GoArticles:

Being Frugal Is Also Eating The Best Quality Food You Can Get Your Hands On by J. McKnight in Health/Nutrition (submitted 2013-02-19)

In numerous cases, quality has little to do with cheap, or inexpensive. Kale is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to taste, nutrition, and cheap, cheap, cheap.

Also, you will be in my opinion hard pressed to come up with a contender that could outshine the taste, and nutrition of dried beans.

What society puts a value on may or may not be congruent with its inherent value. When you pay for those high priced processed food items, in too many cases you are paying for advertising and packaging. You may or may not be receiving the quality that you paid for.

A case in point is that dandelion greens is absolutely a miracle food and is often viewed basically as a weed. Parsley is a fantastic highly nutritious green that is basically viewed as decoration.

What about a sprig of parsley thrown into a smoothie for some extra nutrition? Perhaps a sprig or two of cheap parsley thrown into a homemade soup would be nice. The choices are limitless.

Don't have money for breakfast? What about a 13 cent banana? It surely beats having nothing and is loaded with good nutrition. You would be hard pressed to beat the benefits of a simple banana breakfast. Even a lot of sugar-laden cereals couldn't match it.

Another way to prepare inexpensive nutritious meals is to implement whole grains. You can purchase whole grain oats in the bin for extra savings if you choose, or buy boxed on the shelf. I buy my whole grains in the bins now and I absolutely love the quality so far.

I eat whole grain oatmeal five days a week with a fruit. You don't need much; whole grains fill you up. I sweeten my oatmeal with local honey. The whole grains will take longer to cook so plan for extra cooking time.

With all this being said, there are cases where quality has everything to do with price. This is where using a grocery coupon can be a budget stretcher in offsetting that price. A grocery coupon can afford you to be able to buy the better brands at huge discounts.

I use to think food couponing was a waste of time. However, like many others, I discovered that like any other skill couponing has fundamentals that must be learned in order to food coupon successfully. Hypothetically what extras would you purchase with that 25% savings realized by implementing grocery couponing?

For a large breakfast crowd, I have had fantastic success slow cooking whole grain oatmeal in a crock pot. Break out of that box. You can eat oatmeal for dinner too.

It is certainly a bargain when compared with other options that are not nutritional heavyweights like oatmeal.

So with some knowledge and a little planning, it is very possible, even in today's world to eat well. When you are eating cheap you must be careful and be mindful that buying cheap is the way to go.

Eating cheap can deprive the body of needed nutrients for optimum health. Eating cheap and buying cheap are not synonymous.

*** Please note this article cannot be published without full author's details.

About the Author: J. McKnight is a Home Economist and an advocate for consumer awareness. To learn more about frugality see http://www.frugaltoolbox.blogspot.com.

Invest In Nutritious Frugal Foods That Support Good Health.

"You don't need a silver fork to eat good food." Paul Prudhomme

PART III - The Thrift Shopper

To Thrift Or Not To Thrift - That Is The Question.

Thrift Shopping May Or May Not Be For You. I Always Say To Do What You Love. So, If Thrifting Is For You, Or If You Are Undecided Read On.

There Is No Sale Like a Resale!

If you are lucky enough to catch the resale fever it is my firm belief that you will be able to save thousands, and perhaps even upgrading your wardrobe.

I love to thrift shop. However let me say right off that thrift shopping isn't for everyone. You have to be willing to put in the work to become a good thrift shopper.

Thrift shopping is a skill that takes some time to learn. There are, in my opinion, several basic skills that must be learned to increase your chances of success. My definition of success is to look fabulous in your thrift store finds.

If you are really interested in thrift store shopping, stay with it. You were not born knowing. We all had to learn. Those of us who are good, had only an interest and a love for living frugal. It's therapy in a way.

There is no shopping like thrift shopping. If you think thrift shopping is for you, take that first step and give it a try. You might discover a new love.

One of the major skills you have to master is to learn how to hunt. It takes a lot of patience, but can prove to be well worth it. Also, it's a good idea to know about labels.

Some thrift shopping pros can tell you what stores, especially your high-end stores that carry a certain brand. When you know your labels you are in a better position to know when you are getting a good deal or not.

Don't make the assumption that everything in a thrift store is a bargain. I've actually seen thrift store items priced higher than regular retail. It's also nice to know something about garment construction.

The way a garment is finished will speak volumes about the quality. For example, the hem of a higher end garment will have more of a finished look than a garment that is not.

You have to look over every inch of a garment. For example, I recently spotted a suit that looked absolutely gorgeous. However, after careful inspection, I discovered that the top was my size, but the bottom was 2 sizes too small.

A lot of thrift stores in my area have a no return policy so you really have to be careful. These types of observations done repeatedly will become habit. The thrill of the hunt, in and of itself is a lot of fun.

For example, I jumped for joy when I was able to acquire a beautiful $49.00 jacket with the tags still on for 25¢. Yes you heard me right 25¢. However, this in not regular thrifting, but hard core thrifting, which as the words state hard core.

I hard core thrift almost exclusively when thrifting for clothes. What's not to love? Well a whole lot, but you learn how to work around the undesirables.

The icing on the cake is that a whole lot of money can be saved by shopping frugal. This is one of my most valuable tools in my toolbox for stretching a dollar. There is no sale like a resale.

Thrift Risk -- How to Avoid Bedbugs When Shopping Secondhand.

Let's face it bed bugs are everywhere. And yes, there is risk whether you shop thrift or regular retail. Risk exist. For instance, an employee could have bedbugs at home, but coming to work continues because bills have to be paid.

However, the focus of this post will be on thrifting. It seems that in today's world it's a big probability that you will experience them. So it makes perfect sense to me to educate yourself on how to lessen your risk.

To start off I no longer take my thrift purchases directly into my living space from thrift stores and yard sales. In fact, I give all of my purchases a good look-over before I bring them into my living space. No, I will not stop thrift shopping. I will not allow those pesky little bugs to control my life. However, I don't advocate throwing caution into the wind either.

With good results so far, I transfer my thrift store purchases into a heavy duty trash bag and close all openings including the top opening well. I then set the bag outside or in my vehicle in 90 degrees plus direct sun for 3-4 hours. I do this prior to washing or dry cleaning. A friend of mine uses extreme cold this exact same way with excellent results.

This method may not be for you. However, I strongly suggest that you do something to deter bed bugs if you are to lessen your risk of getting a bed bug infestation that can last for months.

The Re-Emergence of Bed Bugs.

I think it's important to address bed bugs. So much information exist about what to do after you get them and very little information provided on the proactive front. Well, first of all in today's world with the re-emergence of bed bugs, I would be proactive in protecting my home as best I can from getting a bed bug infestation which is expensive and can last for months.

Bed bugs are everywhere and anywhere. However, taking a few precautions could lessen your risk. The days are long gone when, in my opinion, you can throw your thrift finds as well as new purchases directly on the bed.

I also would not unpack my luggage from a trip on my bed. Nor would I bring in a mattress into my home off the curb, unless I knew what I was doing. And even though you can find them in any part of the house, they don't call them bed bugs for nothing.

Last but not least, I would no longer throw coats on my bed while entertaining, which was a common practice back in the day. All of these behaviors are now considered high-risk behaviors and could expose your home to a bed bug infestation.

I'm just touching the surface here, but I am a believer of just doing some of these could lessen the probability of having to deal with a very stressful and expensive infestation. Also, since it's easy and inexpensive to do, I would consider protecting my mattress which is an investment that can be costly if I had to replace one.

Bed bug mattress and box spring covers are specialty products and not simply a mattress pad or cover.

A cousin in the pest control industry told me that a good quality bed bug encasement for mattress and box spring should protect against a bed bug infestation involving the mattress, by keeping them outside and preventing entry into one of their favorite hiding and feeding places, the bed.

On the other hand, the bed bugs that are trapped inside the encasement will be unable to exit and will eventually die. This translates to you not necessarily having to throw out your mattress and box springs.

I am a firm believer that detecting early versus late can mean the difference between having to spend thousands of dollars for professional intervention versus possibly using an inexpensive and effective D.I.Y. For more information see link above.

Thrift Shopping Hoopla?

Have you ever wondered what all the hoopla is about concerning thrift shopping? In three words it makes cents. A case in point is when my child was little, and I was in the market for another coat, I thought about checking out a thrift store to browse.

To my surprise, I came upon a very dirty cute little coat for $1.00. You heard me right $1.00. This coat if new would probably retail for about $200.00. I know my labels. A lot of high-end merchandise pass through thrift stores.

You had to have the vision to see this diamond in the rough. After careful inspection and I do mean careful, because most sales are final, I saw that the coat was in excellent condition having next to no wear. I also noted that it had a good label and would probably take a good washing well.

So I decided to take a chance and purchase the coat. After only one wash the coat came out great. I always use a colorfast detergent to preserve the color. Let me say that it’s been my experience that thrift stores do not sell dirty items from wear. However, this coat appeared to have gotten dirty after falling from the rack and walked on.

It’s been my experience that a lot of thrift stores will mark these items down for a quick sale versus throwing them in the trash. Thrift stores appear to hate waste almost as much as I do. I guess they figure some amount is better than nothing. And I agree 100%.

I am not above purchasing dirty floor walked on items. I’m sorry, I’m just not. I am however above trying on any dirty items, and will eyeball whether the garment will fit or not. I figure that if it doesn’t fit the material could be added to my quilt pile if nothing else.

Or perhaps some other child in need of a coat could benefit after it’s been washed of course. So far as I’m concerned this was a good buy. If you made three good buys per year you could realize $300.00 or more in savings. Now that, in my opinion, is worth some hoopla.

"The dictionary defines frugal as 'thrift'. And, thrift is defined as 'economy; careful management; providence'. Whether you call it thrifty or frugality it all comes down to getting more for your money." B. Pulsifer

My How To Tips I Use When Thrifting For A Designer Bag.

7 Ways to Assess a Thrift Purse Buy by FrugalToolBox.blogspot.com

Thrifting for purses is one of my favorite past times. I am a vintage girl. Finding a vintage purse in almost new condition is always my goal. The tips provided below has been developed over a number of years. Of course, I'm always becoming, and never arriving at knowing enough on how to thrift for that special deal.

#1. The first thing I do is to be on the lookout for designer purses. I do however buy awesome quality non-designer purses too. Whatever catches my eye is of interest and foremost for me as a purse thrifter. Training the eye is a good skill to develop as a thrifter. To be able to spot a gem at a distance without even knowing the brand is, in my opinion, worth it's weight in gold.

If you are not looking for a specific brand just get yourself a general education on a few brands starting out and then broaden your knowledge going forward. As a frugal consumer you want to know when a deal is a deal.

You do have to know for yourself and not depend upon the thrift store. From time to time they will make a mistake and have a fake purse locked up while the real deal is hanging on the rack. This means that a fake purse sold as a designer is going to cost you more than it’s worth. So keep your antenna up.

#2. Because a thrift purse has an odor may not be a deal breaker. There are many ways a purse odor problem can be addressed. A simple way is to use charcoal briquettes for 2 weeks or so to absorb the odors. These beauties are often heavily discounted to help offset your risk.

#3. Know beforehand about your quirks when it comes to purses. For example, I am a shoulder strap girl. I love outside pockets, at least one minimum, and lots of storage compartments. A good deal ignoring your quirks can turn into a bad buy within minutes (especially if there is no return policy) if you ignore your must haves when purchasing a handbag.

#4. Play close attention to the condition. Does the purse have a lot of wear? I will buy a purse with some wear because all new will become old so why not? If it’s oldish but still looking good I’m interested. Of course, too, you want make sure all the zippers work, any stains you don’t want to deal with, the straps in good condition etc.

#5. Don’t buy solely the name. It’s safer to recognize the quality of a designer purse so when it’s looked over and thoroughly accessed you can confidently say yes this is a designer whether the name is familiar to you or not.

This way you will increase your inventory of designer bags, by not focusing only on brands that are familiar to you, and as a result leaving some top unfamiliar brands on the table. This is a skill worth striving to obtain.

#6. Make sure a purse is up for the job intended. Is this an everyday purse where you pack a lot of stuff, or a special occasion purse that will be used very seldom? This will, for me, affect the price I will pay even though the higher brand with the higher price will be used sparingly.

Why, because I want to protect my investment. I don’t use certain brands for my daily workhorses. In a word often they will not take the pressure resulting in straps breaking etc. To increase longevity I preplan function.

#7. Come prepared to work. Be well rested etc. Come early. Come early. Come early. Be there before the door opens for the best deals. After only 20 minutes after a thrift store opens the best designer bags can be gone. The high quality designer bags will go fast. You have to acquire before you can access.

A Frugal Way To Prepare For A New Baby.

Newborns can be expensive without doing careful planning. There is a lot of good quality gear for newborns at thrift stores, garage sales, and resale shops.

An idea one of my friends had was to purchase a container to be used to stockpile her baby thrift store finds. Once the due date gets close the items are taken out and washed.

This saves time, energy, and yes money. It's so much stuff out there you have to be careful not to over buy.

If you are having a baby shower you are in a better position to tell friends what you want.

Some things you might want to purchase new. Shopping frugal, is the way to go, in my opinion. Babies outgrow their clothing extremely fast.

Awesome baby gifts at good prices at Way Up Gifts.

Who Knew? ThredUp: A Thrift and Online Consignment Store That Rocks!

Babies outgrow their clothes super fast. ThredUp is a consignment store where you could find some nice labels that are on consignment, including maternity wear. Check them out for yourself.

Shop ThredUP, The Largest Online Consignment & Thrift Store.

I have been a fan of ThredUP for many years and appreciate their online availability where you can consign as well as shop.

Don't Forget Recalls

Keeping up with consumer recalls is especially important to the frugal shopper. A lot of times you find good deals on toys and furniture, but do not get the opportunity to fill out a product registration card.

It's a good idea to be proactive and stay up to date on all recalls by signing up for alerts, and doing whatever else out there that can keep you abreast. One agency you can sign up with is http://www.recalls.gov.

There has been a lot of media attention about infant cribs. Be sure and do your homework prior to purchasing your crib. Do not just buy looks, buy safety too.

I Shop New Too!

Click Here To Check Out Zulily!
As nice as thrift shopping is, sometimes we may want to shop new, especially for gifts. Well, there are options other than shopping at a brick and mortar store. One of those options is an online retailer called Zulily that specializes in products for kids, moms, and the home. They are headquartered in Seattle Washington.
Click On Image Above To Save Up To 70% Off Daily Deals

PART IV - Make Money Thrift Flipping.

The skill of thrifting can be an awesome tool in your frugal tool box. Not only can you save money, but make money too. The retail therapy is awesome, but if you are not careful thrifting can become an addition that can sneak up upon you. The result is you can stress your storage space, and or have to donate or possibly resale a few items to generate some extra income.

As you probably already know, eBay is a well known vendor for resellers. There is a learning curve, especially for selling clothes. You could also consider reselling on consignment. This seems simple enough, but also you have to know a little something about consigning. Click Here for additional tips in evaluation of items to resale.

You might even entertain a garage sale or two. However, be aware that some neighborhood will restrict the number of garage sales that can be conducted annually per household. Renting a table at a flea market can also be an option. The possibilities are endless.

It might be a good idea to visit a few yard sales or flea markets to pick up a few tips. Most people that I know that do this business full time successfully learned it through somebody. This is a full and part time business for a lot of people. They purposely buy to generate inventory, and resell for a profit.

You probably will be taking mostly cash, but might need something to take an occasional credit card. There is now a payment device called Pay Anywhere that allows you to turn your Smartphone or Tablet into a credit card reader.

Some customers do not carry cash, and a pay-as-you-go mobile credit card processing system can come in handy. People often will buy more when you are able to accept credit cards.

With New Technology, You Can Use A Mobile Processing Service To Accept Credit Card Payments On-The-Go Using Your Tablet Or Smartphone.

You may already have a pay-as-you-go system that you are not completely satisfied with, and seeking something else. Pay Anywhere could be your answer. It is my opinion that it is a good idea anyway to have a backup.

Someone I know opened up a dedicated savings account to be used with her new Pay Anywhere earnings to purchase a better vehicle. The versatility is awesome.

Pay Anywhere can be used with different types of businesses such as garage sales, food trucks, nail shops, lawn care, flea markets just to name a few. The customer can even sign the receipt on your smartphone and receive a receipt via email, or you can use an optional mobile printer from your smartphone.

Pay Anywhere is even compatible with Apple, Android, and Blackberry devices. I think Pay Anywhere is a smart little tool.

Accepting Credit Cards - The New Normal vs Cash.

Again, you can now turn your smartphone or yes even your tablet into a mobile merchant account to accept credit cards with no additional equipment to buy. If you don’t do a lot of volume, maybe an occasional garage sale.

Click on Pay-As-You-Go Option link for more information and to get started with no monthly fee incurred, only a low competitive rate per transaction. Click on Pay-As-You-Go Option to sign up or for more information.

- OR –

Of course, if you have a lot of volume for instance a nail shop, food truck, or perhaps a lawn maintenance service, you might order our very popular Custom Option for a very competitive monthly fee, and a lower competitive rate per transaction.

Click on Custom Option to sign up or for more information. This product is backed by North American Bancard with an A+ BBB Rating.

It Is Possible To Earn An Extraordinary Amount Of Money Thrift Store Flipping.

I have been thrifting for a while now, and enjoy thrifting immensely. I now, almost exclusively, enjoy hard core thrifting where the discounts are huge. These 3 beautiful scarfs above and the hand-made piece below cost less than $1 total.

Want Some Extra Cash?

How To Accept Credit Cards At Your Next Garage Sale!

Got Pay Anywhere?

In summary, I have been affiliated with Pay Anywhere a long time, and I love the fact that:

1. The Standard Pay Anywhere credit card reader is free. You can swipe credit cards and read the EMV chip.

2. The money from credit card sales goes directly into my personal bank account within 1 to 2 business days, unlike some other pay-as-you-go systems.

3. The only pay-as-you-go system, to my knowledge, that has 24/7 live customer support, versus basically being on your own.

It could be a good idea in today's world to have more than one payment option.

Sign Up Today For Your Free Pay Anywhere Credit Card Reader.

When someone is ready to buy, being ready and able to sell is a good idea. It is my opinion, that it is better to have it and don't need it than to need it and don't have it. Sign up is easy.

PART V - Frugal Beauty?

Do You

Smell Good

The Scent?

Do you smell good or is it the scent? How often do you hear someone compliment you on your scent, case in point, you smell good or I love Chanel too. It’s similar, but not exactly the same animal. Pay attention.

A scent chooses you. I now actually use an essential oil for my everyday scent. And of course, my Chanel is still me. However, for me my essential oil gives my Chanel some serious competition. I chose Chanel, but perhaps Chanel doesn’t choose me.

The comments to date, was all about the perfume, which is a familiar scent that is recognized by many. And yes, Chanel is without a doubt awesome. However, my intent when purchasing Chanel is to enhance my natural scent, but so far a no.

Whereas, when I wear my essential oil fragrance the comments rock in my direction, you smell so good. What fragrance is that? Yes!

So a scent either works for you or leaves you in the dust. It’s the same thing for a particular hairstyle, attire, makeup or whatever. A style, scent, new blouse chooses you; even a new skin care regimen.

Some products work wonders for some and do absolutely nothing for others. When a friend of mine wears Chanel, the comments are all about how she smells, so good with the emphasis on she!

Could our noses exist for reasons other than the obvious? No one has your exact unique raw scent which is as unique to you as your fingerprints. A thousand women can smell like whatever fragrance, but only you will have your unique raw scent.

According to popular belief, your natural scent my even play a role in attracting people into our lives that are a good fit for us whether romantic or otherwise. As mammals, we all sniff fortunately not like a monkey, or a dog, but we do sniff in more appropriate human ways. The thing is the scent we humans smell, is seldom our raw scent.

Unfortunately, our natural scent is so camouflaged that a desirable match or friendship for us could possibly be thrown off course, while a green light is displayed for someone who is completely wrong for us, because our true scent was unable to be properly accessed.

I know this sounds crazy, but this scent thing could have merit. Have you noticed that, or is it just a coincidence that, the more body washes, perfumed soaps, and colognes we have on the market the higher the divorce rate?

Could a simple thing like raw scent be a factor? We could possibly be thrown completely off course or even pass up an awesome potential partner because he or she is camouflaged in a scent that is not unique to them.

So just being clean and unscented every once in a while could possibly be a game changer. The role that scent plays in our lives could be much bigger than we think.

Got A Beauty Box Subscription Anyone?

"The best color in the world is the one that looks good on you." Coco Chanel

Also a beauty box known as a beauty sampling service is a wonderful gift to you. This is an awesome way to make us feel special. You get a chance to sample products in the marketplace that are a good fit for you.

Just receiving a gift in the mail every month is a gift all by itself. I have a few I have tried and gifted to others with awesome results. There is no one box that will fit all, so browse.

You might be interested in prestigious top brand perfumes and cosmetics from Sephoria which was founded in France.

If you want some of the world's best professional grade skin care, SkinCareRx can provide some of the highest spa-quality skin care for home use.

You can't find the fragrances you are looking for, Perfumania is America's largest fragrance retailer for genuine designer fragrances, skin care products, bath and body products, and cosmetics.

If you are like me, you like to have a variety of perfume scents depending upon the occasion or even the mood you are in, with Scent Bird you can have a variety package of your choice send directly to your door each month, for a small fee each month.

Presentation Rocks!

As the 2019 new year rolls in, we in a few days will reach another Valentine Holiday. I love Valentine since I was a child, passing out Valentine cards to my classmates.

However, my hope now is for us to celebrate Valentine's Day any day. We do not have to wait for that one special day. Another thing I'd like to address is presentation.

Presentation matters as you well know, when we had to turn in our research papers, when we were in school. Also, our food that we have prepared can be so tasty, but without the proper presentation the taste can become secondary when the dish is on point. It does not always have to be 100%, but some presentation efforts, in my opinion, are in order.

As a single woman, I slept in lingerie by myself in my own place. I liked lingerie because I discovered that it made me feel wonderful. If you feel good, you are at least 50% the way of looking good.

Sometimes it can be something simple like have clean underwear. You might laugh, but a woman friend I know told me that she asked her husband on Valentine's Day to name one thing that he loved, and appreciated about her. His reply was that he liked and very much appreciated the way she kept her body clean, and her undies presentable.

He then went on to say that cleanliness had been so hard to find in the dating world. What! We laughed about this that evening, and many years thereafter.

Could this be true? I would say yes, because I heard this, and things similar from men friends too. My woman friend was expecting her husband to say that he loved her new doo, or he likes the way she throws down in the kitchen, just anything but having good hygiene, and no holes in her underwear.

Adore Me sells women's intimate wear from petite to plus sizes. Their unique designer collections includes activewear, swimwear, sleepwear, and yes lingerie.

Maintain Beauty on Any Budget.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Makes an Awesome DIY Moisturizer.

I am of the opinion that whether you entertain commercial or natural products quality matters. I entertain, and enjoy both worlds.

I would like to mention also that maintaining beauty has a great deal with not only what you put on the outside, but also eating the right foods too can impact significantly on how you age.

I am in love with DIY products, but also incorporate conventional products as well. I first and foremost am an advocate of eating a healthy diet that supports healthy skin.

We all know that skin is the largest organ of the body and is first line of defense in protecting us from pathogens that compromise our health. With that being said it is important to keep the skin healthy and intact.

We want to keep our skin moisturized whether using a DIY or a conventional product. Also everything I do for my face, I do for my neck area, and yes hands. I happen to love using extra virgin olive oil as my top go to for a very good and cost effective moisturizer. Very little does the job for me.

Castor oil too is a great moisturizer for some. Shea butter is absolutely wonderful, and my friend fresh aloe is good too. Just whatever I have on hand usually will do the job.

However, I do tend to lean more towards extra virgin olive oil, because it doubles as a makeup remover for me. I never knew for years that you can use oil to remove makeup. I do seek opportunities that enable me to reduce my exposure to chemicals.

My extra virgin olive oil removes the foundation, eyeshadow, eyeliner all in one simple step. I may do a repeat if my makeup was applied heavy. In addition, as a third step I rub a small amount of the oil onto my lids just like I would use a makeup remover.

I am not advocating to anyone to use this. I am just saying it works well for me, as well as so many others. If you are one that is more comfortable using a conventional product, by all means do so.

I then use witch hazel astringent which works as a toner that helps to keep my dark under eye circles at bay. I get good quality witch hazel that you can purchase at a natural food store. A quality brand I have found makes a tremendous difference.

I know many say generic is the same as brand, and yes it could be but for me, my experience not always. After cleansing I moisturize with almond oil in the summer months when my skin tends to be oily in spots. I use extra virgin olive oil in the winter when my skin is somewhat dry.

Homemade Natural Face Powder

I do a DIY face powder that I love. It took a few tries, but I finally got it right. I hopefully will do a video on how I put it together. I love lipstick and have discovered an awesome matte lipstick called Wild One a matte lipstick, is a huge seller at Thrive Market online with awesome reviews. Let me mention here that Thrive Market is an online membership shopping club that offers an initial trial membership.

"Moisturizing every night is important. When you're 50 or 60, it's going to show if you don't take care of it. You have to prepare when you're young so you still have that healthy, glowing skin when you're 60 or 70."
Halima Aden

It is the best stuff since vegan okra gumbo. Words cannot describe how wonderful this lipstick is. I do make a few tubes of lip gloss every once in a while, but always on the lookout for quality commercial products too.

I try to take good care of my lips by keeping myself hydrated. Personally my lips will crack when I am dehydrated, so I try to stay on top of my lip care regimen. My lipstick application is so much easier when I do.

My One Ingredient DIY At Home Facial.

I love facials bottom line. I have however never in my life had a professional facial. This is something I want to experience some day. In the meantime, a friend told me about a facial she found online a while back. She can't remember the source the source but passed it on to me anyway.

Get ready to experience my DIY facial which is Organic Greek Yogurt. I apply it like any facial, and leave it on for about 25 - 30 minutes, rinse with warm water followed by cold to close my pores. I love it, I love it, I so love it!

A beauty workhorse, and so frugal friendly. A must in my frugal toolbox. I saw a difference with my first use. As I already said, I have never experienced a professional facial, but I can't imagine anything better than my new DIY facial done at home! A DIY can rock!

My DIY Shea Butter Body Lotion

I absolutely love this lotion, especially in the fall and winter months when my skin tends to be drier, and appreciates a thicker lotion.

Shea butter is a fatty substance that is a skin super food obtained from the nuts of the shea tree. I do like my lotion on the thicker side for a luxurious feel.

I place approximately 2 cups of organic shea butter into a bowl alone with 11 drops of jasmine essential oil, because I like the scent of jasmine. I then add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil.

I place these 3 ingredients in a double boiler that I purchased from a thrift store to be used exclusively for my DIY skin preparations.

Once the ingredients have liquified I give it a gentle stir to mix it well. When it cools down, but is still somewhat liquidity, I place in my squeeze bottle until ready for use. But actually a recycled wide mouth lotion bottle will do.

What I Did For My Thinning Hair

"Taking care of myself doesn't mean 'me first.' It means 'me, too.'" L. R. Knost

PART VI - The Frugal Student

Refinance Your Student Loan

(CLICK BELOW)

If you are looking to refinance your student loan, why not consider Credible? Credible is an market place for different types of loans, from the student loan refinance to credit card consolidation. Credible can help you by letting them compare loan offers from different lenders at no cost to you.

It is my understanding that consumers can compare loan rates without affecting their credit sore, which is a big plus in my opinion, however please verify.

It is also my understanding that you can not be a student. I read somewhere that Credible states that some of their partner lenders, that for whatever reason, do not allow you to refinance student loans while still enrolled.

I'm a firm believer that student loan debt is good debt, but can quickly change to bad debt if left unmanaged. I would also like to state too, that refinancing student loan debt is only one way among others.

Refinancing your student loan debt, like for example a mortgage could mean that you pay less and pay it off sooner. Bottom line is the service is free to try and money saved could be put toward retirement income or a down payment for a home.

Taking Care Of Your Teeth And Mouth

A Good Quality Toothbrush Can

Be A Gigantic Budget Stretcher

I buy in bulk when I can; it saves money. I like aluminum-free. I brush twice a day. I try to remember to brush at night, especially when I have had a sweet treat.

I floss too, once a day, cleaning between teeth matters too. Every surface area of a tooth demands attention. Proper cleaning is a big part of maintaining healthy teeth, and proper nutrition is also a big part of it.

I have allergies to some foods that have a high content of vitamin C. I discovered in my research that Vitamin C is critical in maintaining gum health. My dentist recommended I supplement vitamin C.

My baking soda over time has kept my teeth nice and white. Baking soda tends to whiten somewhat slowly, but in my opinion, is a good economical tool to whiten stained teeth. I have been using baking soda for years with excellent results.

Today, I usually ace my dental checkups. But it hasn't always been that way. I use to have some serious dental problems where my teeth were moving around in the sockets.

Someone recommended to me to start gargling with sea salt which helped tremendously. I have had some extractions and loss a precious tooth in the front.

I have had some expensive dental care that I will always respect. I preserve that dental work that took me 18 months to pay off. I decided to spend some time on my teeth, and clean them properly.

Teeth work very hard for us, and deserve our utmost attention in keeping them healthy, and intact. It's been my experience that dental insurance very seldom pay the entire bill.

I had a great deal to pay for out of pocket over and above what the insurance covered. Dental work is just so expensive, in my opinion. So it makes cents for me to exercise my frugality working my toothbrush, and flossing daily.

Having A Dental Savings Plan Versus Dental Insurance Could Be A Better Fit For You.

When going in for dental services a dental plan can save you a lot of money. With dental insurance there is usually a waiting period and an annual cap sometimes $1,000 to $1,500 which can be used up pretty quick.

Suze Orman, a personal finance guru have a lot of good things to say about dental savings plans in helping to stretch those budget dollars. It works similar to a coupon. You get a discount, and pay at time of service.

Having a discount plan in my opinion is so much better, in a lot of cases, than having regular dental insurance and surely better than having nothing.

I am of the opinion that you can save yourself a lot of money just by being proactive with your teeth. You probably already know that a toothache demands attention.

A toothache will not wait, and neither should good dental care. Daily cleansing as well as good nutrition will go a long ways in providing you and your family with good dental checkups.

Save On

Prescription

Eyewear.

A Little Known Way

To Save On

Prescription Eyewear.

I Now Buy Prescription Eyewear Online And Save. You may or may not know that you can order prescription eyewear online. This may not be a good option for all, however for some this is a good fit. By law your prescription is yours that can be used to shop around. I happen to be a huge fan of Warby Parker.

They have a try before you buy option that is unique and appreciated by a lot of people. Also, free shipping is provided. Their 85,000+ Twitter followers, in my opinion, is nothing to sneeze at.

Huge savings on prescription eyewear can be had online, an idea that's gaining popularity. I gave it a try myself with great results, saving more than half on my prescription eyewear.

(Click Older Posts Below To Continue)

Stretch Your Budget Using A Grocery Coupon

2016-06-12T07:49:00.000-05:00

PART VI - An Introduction To Grocery Couponing.

Put to use a coupon group that is a right fit for you. Every coupon will have your name on it. A huge part in using a grocery coupon is having a system in place so that you can have accessibility to them.

Your ongoing goal is to keep your coupon file organized and ready for use. I like the binder method below for my main once a month monthly shopping, and a backup coupon box for anytime odds and ends grocery shopping trips.

I maintain both files and tailor them to my specific needs. I have vegan household, and pull together my coupon group that help me meet those vegan needs. I can normally save 50% to 70% off, and I'm happy with that.

Your savings realized will depend upon the work and time you are willing to put in. Your knowledge base too will play a huge part in how much you save. Also, if the ends justifies the means take time out and learn more.

Couponing 101: Step In How To Start Couponing.

Your first step in my opinion is to start with a little grocery couponing vocabulary. You can start out with these 13, and add on when you are ready.

Just stick your toe in first. You don't have to get overwhelmed, frustrated, and then possibly losing interest. Just your toe in for right now will be fine.

LEARN TO SPEAK COUPON:
A QUICK 101 POST TO BEGIN LEARNING COUPONING LINGO

01. BOGO, BIGI - Basically it's Buy One Get One Free.

02. Catalina or Cat - This coupon come out of the Cat machine located by the register, and often left behind, or thrown out by the cashier. This can be an awesome coupon group.

Ask the cashier, or store manager where your Cat machine is located at time of checkout.

03. A Store Coupon - A store coupon is a coupon only to be used at their store. Manufacturer coupon is a coupon created by the manufacturer, or creator of the product to be used wherever the product is stocked, and accepted unless otherwise indicated.

A manufacturer coupon normally are not limited, and can be used at any store.

04. DND - Listed on a manufacturer's coupon to inform the store Do Not Double, even if store policy.

05. Printed Coupon - A coupon printed off the Internet.

06. Stock Coupon - Is stacking more than one coupon or coupon code to purchase a product, which can reduce the price, sometimes to zero. Normally you can stack a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon.

07. $1/1, $1/2 - Take $1 off when purchased one, or take $1 with the purchase of two.

08. Product Matching - A retailer will match a competitor's price for a like item if you show some proof, for example a flyer etc.

09. Peellies - A coupon you peel of a product packaging that can be use on that particular buy. You peel them off yourself, and do not rely on the cashier.

10. Blinkies - A coupon dispensing machine with blinking light.

11. Tear Pod - A coupon found on the shelf in a stack near a particular product that you tear off.

12. EXT - Excludes trial size.

13. Matchup - Matching sales ads with a manufacturer or a store coupon to maximize savings.

"No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively, have to find people who have already paid the price to learn to achieve our goals." Brian Tracey

I know a lot of folks don't like to grocery coupon, and sometimes I don't, and I don't. I still, however, feel that knowing something about grocery couponing is a plus. Someone that I casually know was introduced to grocery couponing by me some years ago.

I would just teach her a few couponing tips whenever I saw her in the grocery store. A co-worker taught me how to grocery coupon on our breaks many years ago. So, I was in essence paying it forward.

By chance I ran into her at the beginning of this year, and she was so elated to see me. She told me that her husband been laid off, but working again and now doing great.

We chatted about a lot of things, however one thing that was a surprise to me, was that she told me she probably would have lost her home if she didn't know how to grocery coupon.

She said that her #1 priority was to put food on the table for a family of 7, and grocery couponing made it possible. I am a firm believer that what is learned is never wasted.

Don't Buy Into Every Buzzword

There are a few things to know that helps you stretch those food budget dollars. For example, you will see advertised hormone-free eggs. The use of hormones in poultry, as far as I know has been banned since the 1960's. Another example could be eggs labeled free range.

The free range sometimes, but will not necessarily always be what you may be thinking. The free range could be a concrete slab. For better assurance look for certified humane. Why all the hoopla? Because a label is a huge determinant in the cost of a product. Another common one is 50% off. It's important to note what you are getting 50% off of.

A biggy for me is that chasing loss leaders can actually cost versus save you money. Just because it's on sale doesn't mean that you will reap the sales price. Loss leaders when gas was cheaper, was well worth chasing. Loss leaders are advertised items, sold at a loss, or next to no profit to the store. You see them first thing generally on the front page of your supermarket advertisement.

They are used as a marketing tool to get you in the door, in hopes that you will purchase other items too. It can be tempting to chase all of these great loss-leader bargains as they pop up, however with the cost of gas in today's world the money you save may not make sense.

A better idea, in my opinion, is to simply stack pile the weekly sales ads in your vehicle, and if by chance you happen to be passing by, stop in and grab a loss leader or two.

_________

The e-Coupon - A New Kid On The Block

The world of couponing is constantly changing and taking full advantage of new technological advancements. There is now what is called an electronic coupon or e-Coupon. An electronic coupon is not a paper coupon that you cut out or print. Instead, its value is added to your store loyalty card.

Since manufacturers may limit the total number, or quantity a coupon can be downloaded, don't tarry. Some stores will not accept a coupon that has been printed online because of counterfeit concerns. There are specific e-Coupon sites such as U-promise, but some grocery store websites, such as Kroger in my area, have their own electronic coupon.

Once you register and setup an account with your favorite store, you can login and view a selection of fantastic coupon offers. Then you simply select or click on the ones you like and they will be added to your store loyalty card. When you buy those items and swipe your store loyalty card, the discount or e-coupon is automatically applied.

I also want to mention that whether it's an e-Coupon or a paper coupon, they do have an expiration date.

When e-Couponing, Protect Yourself With A Good Antivirus Program.

I think surfing for any coupon deserves some protection like any other work we do online. You will be viewing many different sites that will request your email address. I use an exclusive email for this application. Also, you will have to download software from various sites for the privilege of printing a coupon.

Remember, your coupon must come directly from the printer, it is illegal to photocopy them. Some people are a little concerned, but I have never had an issue. I do a lot of coupon printing, so it is important to me to get a good price for my ink and toner.

When e-couponing you can reap awesome benefits along with some new responsibilities. One responsibility, first and foremost, is protecting your computer with a good antivirus program.

Another responsibility, in my opinion, is to keep your cost of ink and paper down as much as possible. I think using a laser printer for this application set to print in black ink is very economical. Color coupons do look awesome, but are completely unnecessary.

Can I Photocopy A Grocery Coupon?

Can I photocopy a grocery coupon is a question that is asked by many that are new to grocery couponing. I always say when you don't know something ask. Have you noticed that you see the word printable, everywhere but not photocopy, because photocoping a coupon is not allowed.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just print out on a printer the number of coupons you wanted. Copying coupons on a photocopier versus a computer printer is considered counterfeited by law, and you can be prosecuted. Coupons are a fun way to stimulate business, but not to go out of business.

However, with all of this being said, you can with an iphone print coupons from the printable coupons, Grocery and Coupon Code Apps. The limit is 2. Also, there is the Grocery IQ Coupon App with a limit of 2. So you have 4 with different barcodes. Also, don't forget friends and family.

Also, any attempt to change your IP address to print more coupons is considered fraud. There is a per computer print limit. I have been told by a friend that nowadays with new technology there is no requirement to download the software to properly print coupons. You can now print from the library, your work place, or anywhere you met resistance from downloading the software.

Now you can take advantage of the new awesome technology that will also maintain computer integrity and security. Printing out coupons is very green in that you can look at all the coupons and print out only the ones you intend to use, using your own paper. You can use recycle paper.

Just print out your coupons on the back side that has no graphics or print. This is very cost effective for the manufacturer. Ink cost can be managed by purchasing good quality ink at a good price. I like to purchase my ink from here.

I am able to get huge discounts on my ink and toner at Ink4Less. It's good quality ink and toner, you might give them a try here. You can also save paper by printing on the back side of scrap paper. It works! To grocery coupon is not free, but it is seldom addressed.

I always say just use your best judgment. However, some sites you might want to pass up. I have never had a problem. I do believe that going from site to site ups your risk, just like it would in other types of searching.

So, I like to use an anti-virus software on my computer for a little bit of insurance. There are many available. You might like to check the one I like below. Learning to search for ecoupons is a little bit of work in the beginning, but can pay off handsomely in the end.

Click Here to get more information about the Top Rated Antivirus Program I use when surfing the internet.

My I Present My Article Reprinted from EzineArticles:

How to Learn Couponing

By J McKnight | Submitted On June 13, 2014

I have many savings tools in my frugal tool box, and couponing happens to be one of them. At the end of your transaction total, each coupon is then applied. Each coupon makes a beep sound reducing your amount due.

Couponing can be a hard working tool in your frugal tool box. Using a grocery coupon can be a great budget stretcher. Would you like to venture off into the world of grocery couponing where consumers like yourself save a lot of money?

Couponing can be a lot of fun too whether you are doing it with someone or you are going solo. What an experience it is when you are at the register listening to every beep bringing down your total as each coupon is applied reducing the retail price of your goods.

All of your time, effort, and hard work is paying off as they play your favorite beep song in subtraction mode.

Equipped only with the fundamentals you too can realize a great deal of savings. Couponing in the beginning is a lot of work, because your couponing skill is new and has not yet become habit. Learning couponing can pay off big however if you stay the course.

For example, think about when you were learning to walk. It wasn't easy but you stayed with it. How about when you learned how to cook, the amount of work it was in the beginning. But after you mastered the basics, you could almost cook in your sleep.

So you want to know how to get started grocery couponing? Couponing like any skill requires knowledge. Grocery couponing can be frustrating, and almost impossible if you don't equip yourself with the fundamentals first.

Well the first step is to commit to the necessary work that will be required in learning how to grocery coupon.

No one whether they be extreme couponers or not, was born knowing. They paid a price to know what they know. Too many people think you shouldn't have to work at learning how to grocery coupon.

They think perhaps that this is a skill that should come natural. Well if you clip out a grocery coupon now and then and that's the beginning and ending of you grocery couponing, then I guess that would come natural.

However, if you want to do some stretch your budget kind of couponing, you will need to acquire some knowledge to do that. You will need to know more than just how to operate a pair of scissors.

After you have the basis under you belt, then is up to you how far you want to take this new skill. Just like with cooking or any other skill there is always something new with couponing.

The more you learn the more you save. You decide how much you want to coupon. It's different for everyone.

In my book any savings is a plus. There is no one size fits all. You can also learn at you own pace as long as you continue the course. There is absolutely no need to jump in head first. You can enter the water gently.

If you decide to venture off into grocery couponing you too might discover how useful this hard working frugal tool below can be. Give it a try.

You might discover a new budget stretching hard working tool that plays your favorite beep song. Just do what you can do. Enjoy the music. It's an awesome song.

To get the basic fundamentals needed to start grocery couponing visit: https://frugaltoolbox.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/J_McKnight/1220440

"Never stop learning because life never stops teaching." Unknown

Contrary To Popular Belief You Can Buy Organic On A Budget.

How I Skipped Couponing, The Grocery Store Crowds, and Still Realized Some Awesome Savings On My Organic Items by Shopping Online at Thrive Market.

Have you heard of Thrive Market? Allow me to introduce a major player where I purchase online organic items for less. It is a membership site that offers natural and organic food products at a lower cost. I love grocery couponing, however I never allow myself to forget that grocery couponing is just one savings vehicle among many.

Prior to my Thrive Market membership I did good with a little time and effort locating organics on manufacturer's websites. This was my thing. I started putting together a list so I could stay focused on what coupon I was looking for.

Many times I was able to add a coupon from some of the manufacturer's websites to my store loyalty card. Saving is saving, whether you are using a grocery coupon, canning, and even shopping online at Thrive Market. I try not to put myself in a box.

My focus is to save. With me, the savings vehicles can and do vary. You can get a trial membership to use for 30 days to see if this tool is a good fit for you. I emphasis use, because if you don't use it how will you know?

You must see for yourself the awesome savings on organic brands for a wide range of diets such as vegan, paleo, non-GMO to name a few.

PART VII - Stretch Those Organic Food Dollar.

Check Out Thrive Market For Awesome Deals on Purchasing Organics.

Organic On A Budget.

My Thrive Market Review:

Is Thrive Market The Bad Guy?

Have you heard of Thrive Market? It's an awesome online store where you can purchase organics at good prices. We have to think outside, as well as inside the box these days to bring wholesome nutritious foods, to the table without going over budget.

This is a review on Thrive Market, and some of the online reviewers of Thrive Market. Prior to a membership purchase I read many reviews about Thrive Market, and they range from totally awesome to not happy.

I was thinking why was there such disparity in the Thrive Market experience? Well, it’s impossible to know, however there is one possibility I’d like to explore.

After reading a great deal of the reviews, I came to the conclusion based on the comments, and not my experience, that it's a good idea to follow the procedure for cancelling a trial membership to the letter.

Entering a trial membership especially with a credit card requirement is serious business. I review the terms prior to entering into such an agreement. One thing I did learn from reading the comments is to make sure to use only one email, because you might run the probability of creating 2 accounts and billed twice.

If I am cancelling, and not moving ahead with the membership, I would cancel no less than one week prior to my trial membership ending. I would give myself at least that much time, because too many uncertainties can come last minute.

I would follow through to confirm my cancellation, preferably receiving something in writing. I couldn't help but notice, based on the comments, that Thrive Market will most likely hold you accountable to the terms of the trial agreement.

I think Thrive Market is a good company, but perhaps they have concerns too, about being taken advantage of. And of course you are not the bad guy, because of your complaint. You have a right to complain. Maybe nobody is the bad guy here, just a lot of misunderstanding, undotted “i”s and uncrossed “t”s.

Whenever you enter into a trial agreement you have to be on top of your game. I have had some not so pleasant experiences with trial memberships myself, where I had dropped the ball, and invited unhappiness. I allowed it to happen so many times that I just don’t do trials anymore.

There is nothing wrong with trial memberships. They are not just for me. In a lot of cases we don't realize, or want to accept that a trial agreement is serious business. It is imperative that you watch dates, especially if there is a chance you will be cancelling the membership.

I’ve had some companies give me a full refund, even after my credit card was charged, but I hadn’t used the service. I made a mistake in painting this experience with a brush, not fully accepting the fact that every company operates differently, guided by their own terms of service.

If you like the service, you could allow your trial membership to roll into a 1 year membership agreement. That’s the route I took. With Thrive Market, it is my understanding that you can cancel anytime during the trial period and not be billed. I didn’t read the terms.

If I had gone the trial route, I most definitely would have. But I know me. “To thine own self be true,” says Polonius in Hamlet. I had been courting Thrive Market for a long time, and knew what I wanted.

My experience has been a good one with Thrive Market. They sell well-known awesome brands at way below retail prices. Some stores do sell close to Thrive Market prices, however, the quality of the brands is of no interest to me. Eating cheap and buying cheap are not synonymous to me. My goal is to eat quality, while buying at very affordable prices.

How To Buy Organic On The Cheap.

If this is something of interest to you, checkout Thrive Market for yourself. Today’s food prices are constantly rising, and we must be on the lookout for ways to stretch those food dollars. Thrive Market does require a membership of $59.95. Well, I feel the $59.95 is not a bad investment at all when weighing all the fantastic benefits that Thrive Market offers.

Thrive Market carries major brands that will be of interest to vegans, those interested in eating organic, paleo, among many others. Browse the Thrive Market catalog to see for yourself. Orders at the time of this writing, over $49.00 ship free.

I try to make sure to meet this requirement, because I hate paying shipping. I have cancelled orders from places where I felt the shipping was way too much. With just taking into account the free shipping alone, you could re-coup that $59.95 membership fee in no time.

I was introduce to Thrive Market through their awesome blog. There you will find informative articles, free recipes, and the like. Thrive Market, in my opinion is an awesome frugal tool. You can realize savings of up to 50% off retail.

With so many wonderful benefit it’s sad to see people unhappy with their Thrive Market experience. However in my opinion, all is not lost.

You still have a membership that is an awesome budget stretching tool, to put to work for you. With a little ingenuity you could in no time re-coup the $59.95 membership fee, and make yourself whole. It’s not like you have a dress 2 sizes too small that is of no value to you.

There is a lot of money that can be saved by taking advantage of the benefits that Thrive Market has to offer. Where stressing is not working, perhaps recouping will.

If this post is of benefit to you, or someone you know, please share it with them, and on your Facebook Page. Share links are provided below.

PART VIII - Freezer Meals Anyone?

You can save 50% or more off your food budget just with this one awesome frugal food budget tool. A grocery frugal coupon is not the only food budget stretcher.

"When one teaches, two learns." Robert Heinlein

An Entire Month of Meal Planning and Preparing Rocks.

Stockpiling meals for me translate into cooking when I want to cook, bottom line. The taste and nutrition greatly suffers when I'm just not up to cooking, but must. Take-out advantages without the take-out is a major benefit.

Providing nutrient dense, wholesome, economically meals are difficult to do last minute. When I stockpile, I have my 30 day meal prep at the forefront of my meal planning. So in essence my food stockpiling evolves around my 30 day meal prep.

A lot of my friends extreme coupon, and I like to extreme coupon too, however, I have found it very difficult for me at least, to put a meal together with unrelated inventory. As I mentioned above, when I stockpile my goal is meal prepping, and not just accumulating a bunch of unrelated food items. Of course, it's nothing wrong with that, I just think it is important to know what your goal is when you stockpile.

The taste and nutrition greatly suffers when I'm just not up to cooking, but must. Take-out advantages without the take-out is a major plus. Providing nutrient dense, wholesome, and economical meals are difficult to do last minute. An entire month of meal planning and preparing are, in my opinion, awesome budget stretching frugal tools.

I started out doubling recipes and freezing one for another meal. No pressure. Now I bulk cook for a month at a time. Pressure in the beginning, but lessens as the skill becomes more and more comfortable with use.

I generally have more than 30 meals ready to heat up in the freezer at any given time. However, I am not committed to any freezer meal. I know what I have in my inventory, and if I want something else I prepare it.

"The expert in anything was once a beginner." Helen Hayes

About Once A Month Meals!

Make Ahead Meals Saves A Bundle Of Time And Money.

Lots of people in today's world love the freezer meal concept. A friend of mine who teaches elementary school purchased the program, and tried freezing a few meals during her holiday break, just to see if she liked it, and to get her feet wet. Well is she glad she did?

She now has a new skill that she says saves a lot of money. Some days she says she is just drained, and loves the idea that they don't have to eat out so much.

Eating Out Of Plastics Can Get Old.

Sometimes because of time restraints and convenience, eating out is the quicker option. However, I am of the opinion that, by stockpiling even a few meals, and being able to control the quality, and ingredients can pay huge dividends in helping to keep your immune system well nourished and strong.

Click Here for great value, savings, and discounts at restaurants if your local area, if you decide to have a family outing at the restaurant.

Over the summer when her Mom visits they stockpile meals together for the upcoming school year. Her husband especially appreciates their efforts. They call it cooking for the freezer.

"Fast food is popular because it's convenient, it's cheap, and it taste good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu."
Eric Sohlosser

Cut Down On Takeout.

Freezer meals provide for me the take-out convenience without having to do take-out. I control the ingredients which better my chances of putting a wholesome, economical meal on the table which is difficult to do last minute.

Having to put a meal together without the proper planning can lack essential nutrients necessary for optimum health. So my last minute meals are the exception, and not the rule.

My thing is that we have many technological advancements in the food arena, case in point, the refrigerator and freezer, so why not put them to use to save some money? My grandmother had what was called an icebox, where they delivered ice to her home daily.

She would have loved to be able to prep her lunch for a week, and then grab and go.

The truth is in our modern day society, we take a lot for granted. I love stockpiling meals because for me it is a labor of love. Is it for you? If you think it could be, begin with knowledge.

Reheat And Eat

This resource has guidance that should provide assistance in getting started. We can sometimes piggy-back off the learning of others who have done what we are desiring to do. Frugal friends the time has come to reheat and eat.

Take That First Step Today And Learn How To Freeze Food.

"Every Accomplishment Starts With The Decision To Try." Gail Devers

Create Your Own Home Coffee.

I love good coffee. With the right equipment good coffee can be easily had at home at a fraction of the cost of going out. Even if you had coffee out with friends twice a week versus five would save a lot of money.

The smell of good coffee is so inviting when entertaining at home. A big part of the ultimate coffee experience is the smell. Good coffee equipment, in my opinion is an awesome frugal tool that pays for itself in no time at all.

So when you are not in the mood to go out for good coffee, you can create your own coffee bar so that you have the option to have good coffee anytime you are in the mood, whether you are in or out and about.

You Too, Can Learn To Bake Your Own Scrumptious Bread

Is It Cheaper To Make Your Own Bread - It Depends.

by Frugal Tool Box

"The art of bread making can become a consumer hobby, and no matter how often and how many kinds of bread one has made, there seems to be something new to learn."
Julia Child

My I Present My Article Reprinted from HubPages:

Not always cheaper to bake your own bread. Updated on June 29, 2017

JM McKnight

Not always cheaper to bake your own bread.

Frugal friends, it is not always cheaper to bake your own bread. When you factor in your time, your own ingredients, and creativity it's anything but cheaper in my opinion.

So it just depends. My number one reason for baking bread at home is that I can control the ingredients. Bread is a staple in my household, and it is important to me to make sure I provide it at a good price without sacrificing taste, nutrition, and texture in that order.

One of the health issues in my household is high blood pressure. Sodium, better known as salt, can be a common restrictive dietary item in the management of this disease. Commercial bread can contain a huge amount of sodium. So, baking your own bread can be helpful in the management of sodium.

A lot of people are gluten free, and can start baking their own gluten free breads at home. People on a weight loss journey can custom make their breads. I know that I for one, tend to eat less bread when I make my own. This translates into me being able to keep a little more bread in my life when I am losing, or maintaining my weight.

The question is which is cheaper, baking your own bread at home, or purchasing bread at the store? A lot of individuals say that you can save money by baking your bread at home. I have been baking bread for a long time and have not been able to beat , or even meet the cost of commercial bread. So, my hat is off to these individuals.

Sometimes baking homemade bread cheaper than store bought can and does happen, but is not a given in my opinion. The cost of bread baking will depend on several factors, such as quality ingredients, quality being very relative. Frugal friends, you know first hand that quality does not come cheap.

Quality grains and seeds are expensive, in my book. Also, when I have time I grind my own grains for freshness which, in my opinion, is worthwhile and super easy to do. Cost is a major factor in stretching those bread making budget dollars. However, not everything is about dollars and cents.

Buying yeast in bulk does however help, but unlike commercial bakeries, I cannot buy wholesale my major ingredients for better pricing. Without this edge I am at a disadvantage to commercial bread bakers based on my cost. However, disadvantages sometimes can, with a little creativity, be worked around.

A lot of times when something is mass produced the attention to detail will not be on the same level as when the focus is more specific. This, in my opinion, is where the home bread baker can shine. Let's also factor in my time and electricity cost.

My skill in baking bread that is tasty and appealing to the senses takes time, not to mention lots of hard work, and sometimes with little payoff. If baking bread is a skill you would like to have, just stay with it. Trial and error will, in lots of cases, get you there. This is just a small part of learning an awesome new skill, that will pay for itself in many, many ways.

Frugal friends, tasty nutrient dense bread doesn't just happen. There is a learning curve, so if you would like to venture into making homemade bread, understand up front that no matter how easy the recipe, baking bread is a tool that will require skill.

The skill of the baker and the quality of the ingredients, in my opinion, is not unlike a tailor made suit costing you more than buying a suit off the rack.

I think it is a pity that many people view commercial bread as being inferior to homemade bread. The truth is you can make very crappy nutritionally inferior bread at home too, and buy awesome wholesome bread at the store. I know first hand because I have done both.

When I first start baking my own bread, I thought I was providing a good service for me, and my family by not saying no to recipes with cheap ingredients.

When I'm baking my own bread I am seeking something special compared to just buying run-of-the-mill bread. I have come across some awesome deals on store bought wholesome bread that I stockpile in the freezer. I thaw out one loaf at a time, and never refreeze.

So as you can see, I bake and buy bread. This is what works for me. A friend of mine never buys store bought bread because lots of store breads are loaded with preservatives. I have a little more tolerance in this area.

The truth is I have only purchased what I concluded, after reading the label, to be good quality store bought bread, for 25 cents a loaf in many cases. I can't make bread for that price unless I use cheap ingredients and perhaps not even then.

In a modern society we are exposed to many toxins on a daily basis. I read labels, and decide for myself what is consumed by me and my family. Also, I rely on the intelligence of the body. If I consume a food that makes me feel sick, or perhaps drained, I will stop consuming it whether it is considered a health food or not.

If I can stockpile quality commercial bread at a good price that perhaps does not eliminate, but does however, lower my toxic load, I consider this purchase a win for me, but not my friend who has her own truth. It's been my experience, that when the quality goes up the cost also goes up, regardless of where the bread was baked.

By baking your bread at home you can produce, in my opinion, a better product that can be tailored to your specific needs, and requirements. It is your personalized creativity that will knock commercial competition right out of the park, with the many advantages that can far outweigh the price.

I Buy Top Quality Day Old Bread And Save.

Conventional store bought bread is normally delivered everyday except on Sundays and Wednesdays. The colored bread tags correspond to a particular day of the week. For instance, blue is for Mondays. So if you see a blue tag and it's Monday the bread was delivered that same day.

Green is for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays are skipped, Red for Thursdays, and White for Fridays. There are a few exceptions in the marketplace, but the above system is pretty much universal. A definition of day old bread provided by the manager of a day old bread outlet, is bread that is a day old, or perhaps more than a day old, but still good for consumption.

In fact stale bread is better for making homemade croutons, bread pudding, and stuffing things like that. But when I make my sandwiches, I prefer fresh. With the cost of bread today, utilizing day old bread places can save you 50% or more off your bread budget, which makes day old bread a hard working tool in my frugal toolbox.

Also, if interested every brand of bread usually will have an outlet. I buy in bulk for maybe 2 weeks. I use one loaf and freeze the rest which will slow down the aging process. When a loaf is thawed out, I don't refreeze. I thaw out as needed. I have been doing this for years. The money that is saved on bread can be put to good use stretching those food budget dollars somewhere else in the food budget.

Visit link for more out of the box frugal ideas:

FRUGAL TOOL BOX

Visit link for more out of the box frugal ideas.

Would You Like Some Hot Soup With That Salad Hot From Your VitaMix? Fast Nutrient Dense Meals Are Quick With A VitaMix.

You can save money buying a refurbished or new Vitamix machine by calling my friend Janet at VitaMix, phone number 1(800)848-2649, ext 2316, and tell her Joyce referred you. Plus you get Free Shipping by using my code: 06-00222.

3 Ways to Eat Healthy When a Food Budget is Super Tight.

I, among many, believe that tasty, affordable, and nutritious meals can be had with very limited resources. If resources are extremely tight you might consider seeking the services of food banks in your area. The tool here is to put frugality to work for you.

Contrary to popular belief, frugality is not natural, but an acquired skill-set unique to the individual. In this instance, your goal could be to buy cheap, but not to eat cheap which could compromise good health.

I have 3 ways to eat healthy when a food budget is super tight. Maintaining a positive mindset is probably the #1 most important thing you can do to get through this, with emphasis on through.

Believe it or not your most important asset long term is not money; but is in my opinion, your ability to think and come up with ideas to work with or around money.

This may sound a little crazy but money did, for whatever reason leave you. It may not have been money's fault, case in point, a job loss whatever. The bottom line is your money is low or non-existent. So in essence money is free to leave, however, we never have to leave ourselves.

Money is important but not the be all end all. What we choose to develop within us will not leave us and is ours for life. I have read articles about the super rich losing millions on an investment but they appear to never be overly concerned.

I think it is because they have developed proven skill-sets that will make more. In observing the wealthy, wealth appears to be created within, versus outside of themselves. So more often than not, what they know within will create more.

In essence, it appears to not be the money per se, but the knowledge and experience developed within.

My #2 way is to intentionally overlap ingredients. For example, you took out a sizable portion from your food budget to purchase the ingredients for cornbread. This is what I call your meal anchor. You will then build the rest of your frugal meals around this anchor.

You might entertain cornbread and collard greens which is an absolute powerhouse of awesome nutrition. Another possibility could be cornbread and beans. One of my favorites is cornbread and milk, which is normally eaten like a cereal.

All of these mentioned dishes I ate a lot of especially during my childhood. And who knew cornbread is freezer friendly. I'm vegan and what I eat now is a lot of soups.

If you are on a budget and want to eat organic, in my opinion soups are the way to go. I normally prepare large batches of soup with organic ingredients and freeze a meal or two. I use in my soups brown rice and wild rice combination, lots of wholesome sweet potatoes, lentils, and chickpeas for some protein.

Not a soup fan, how about some chickpeas and curry over rice? Also contrary to popular belief, you don't need to have every single ingredient in a recipe for it to still taste fine. Do whatever speaks to you, with emphasis on the do.

I like to grocery stockpile. Whether I'm stockpiling can goods, spices, or even a skill-set, stockpiling is an awesome budget stretcher. For example, knowing a little something about freezer meals, or how to prepare preserves could be a good place to put stockpiling to work. Stockpiling is very versatile.

My last and #3 way is to keep searching for new ideas and recipes that you feel will work for you. When I first encounter a recipe, the recipe title is the first thing that catches my attention. However, it is only after I scan the ingredient list that I make the decision to give it a go.

If I spot a major ingredient that is too expensive for me at the time I will pass it up and look for something similar. Sometimes you can do substitutions that will keep you on track with the original recipe, or you may discover you have created a different dish that taste even better to you than the original one.

I especially like recipes that touch on the basic food groups. Familiarize yourself with the basic food groups, which could serve as the foundation of your meals. The library has tons of free information about preparing healthy meals.

There is a lot to know, however just knowing the basics will serve you well. I might prepare a pasta dish that I want to up the protein on by adding a few lentils. Preparing wholesome, nutritious, tasty, and yet inexpensive meals may require you to be a little creative but are not out of your reach.

Being able to put frugality to work, in my view is key. Life in my opinion, is not all about what you have on the outside, but what you have on the inside counts too!

Frugal Gardening Hacks - How To Start A Garden On A Shoestring

A garden is a must have for me. I maintain 7 different gardens now, which is my limit. There is something special about being out in nature particularly in the growing process of our food, which is a necessity for our survival.

Gardening like most things lends itself to frugality. As a child I grew up eating from a summer garden in an urban environment. However, I got away from it after I left home.

I have a friend that loves gardening. After speaking with her, I too became interested in starting my own basic garden, but the savings were huge. I then began to see the potential savings of having gardens, and have been gardening ever since.

I like to use seeds that are left over from the previous year. I check my seeds each year to see if they are good. I will pour the seeds in a bowl of water and leave them overnight.

The seeds that sink to the bottom are usually good to go. The ones that floated to the top are thrown out. This is a frugal tip from my dear avid gardening friend that has served me well.

The Shoestring Gardener Ebook (Click Here)

Decoding Organic Food Labels Is An Awesome Budget Stretcher.

Information is critical in knowing as much as possible about what you are buying. When buying fruits and vegetables you may encounter a sticker that will provide you with some information about what you are buying. These stickers a lot of times will drive the price. If you are comparing a product on sale it is critical that you are comparing a product that not only looks alike but is an exact match.

"Food is ever-changing and ever moving forward and getting more and more complex."

Alexander Guarnaschelli

Understanding Nutrition Facts

"Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments." Bethenny Frankel

Some basic codes based on my understanding are as follows:

01. 5 digits starting with 9 was organically grown.

02. 5 digits starting with 8 is genetically modified.

03. 4 digits starting with 3 or 4 was grown conventionally.

Organic food labels can be confusing, and based on the percentage of organic ingredients in the product.

04. 100% Organic foods, are foods that use the USDA seal, or are made with 100% ingredients.

05. Organic foods, may use the USDA seal and will contain at least 95% organic ingredients.

06. Made with organic ingredients food, cannot use the USDA seal, but may list specific organic ingredients on the front of the package, contain at least 70% organic ingredients.

07. Contains organic ingredients, cannot use the USDA seal, but may list specific organic ingredients usually on the back of the package on the information panel, contain less than 70% organic ingredients.

"If you can't afford organic food and are unable to grow your own, it's crucial to wash all inorganic produce very carefully to minimize the toxins you consume. Soak everything for 20 minutes in water with vinegar and salt or water with fresh lemon juice and salt."
Suzanne Somers

How To Afford Organic Food?

Is Eating Organic Affordable?

Some people will tell you that eating organic is just not possible for them, mainly because of the expense and availability. This can be true if you are not implementing some awesome tools, to help you to work around the extra expense, of eating organic. Eating organic can be can be a little pricier.

However, the truth is, eating organic can be very affordable if you are willing to implement a few frugal tools. These tools will assist you in working around those higher prices that normally can be associated with buying organic. Buying conventional versus buying organic are 2 different animals and must be shopped for using very different techniques.

From my experience to get good prices on organic foods you must be willing to shop around, and create good options for yourself. With grocery shopping especially, I think that there is no grocery store that will fit all. I get the best deals when I shop around.

Every store has its strengths and weaknesses according to my observations. My grocery shopping experiences are much better when I shop from strength to strength which is highly subjective. The first tool to take out of the frugal tool box is to determine why you are interested in eating organic.

For example, I purchase organic products to reduce my consumption of pesticides, and for better taste. I don't however, eat 100% organic because in my opinion I see this as unnecessary for one, and two, impossible for the most part to achieve. A case in point is a non-GMO crop can be cross-contaminated by a GMO crop in the field.

So I purchase some organic and some conventional foods that meet my goals. I see no reason to not take full advantage of buying lower cost conventional foods that have a lower probability of having a high toxic load. I think it is important to note that it is a myth from, my shopping observations, that eating organic is expensive.

There is nothing more basic than eating a food the way nature intended. Organic foods are very comparable to conventional foods in price. In my opinion, it is the buying of pre-packaged organic foods that can greatly unlevel the buying field, making organic eating unaffordable for many.

When eating organic I find it cheaper to shop from the bins, eliminating paying for packaging whenever possible. I purchase conventional foods that are less likely to be GMO. I also purchase pre-packaged conventional foods containing a GMO, but it is listed way down on the ingredient list.

My main goal in implementing organics is to reduce rather than eliminate my pesticide intake. Of course, these are the bread and butter tools I use to grocery shop that are always in style, whether buying organic or conventional. Another important tool I use when grocery shopping is to stay focused, and I do not grocery shop hungry, in order to reduce impulse buying.

The granddaddy tool of them all is to shop with a list, and pay attention to the price per unit. Some out of the box tools you can use, is to keep in mind that eye level is considered buy level. You might want to shop higher, or lower for the more economical options.

Also, you could reconsider throwing out those organic, so called scraps. They can be put to work in various dishes to up the nutrition as well as taste. For example, broccoli to me is awesome in polenta. So, after using the broccoli florets in the polenta for the breakfast meal, you could peel, chop, and saute the broccoli stems, to soften them up, and add them to a lunch salad, to up the nutrition, for no additional cost.

I don't always buy certified organic, because I do a lot of my organic produce shopping at the farmers market, and from my own garden that's planted using organic seeds. These foods are considered non-certified organic if they meet the same requirements as growing organic. They may not have not followed through to obtain certification, in many cases because of the expense.

When you eat organic, basically you are eating a product that has not been radiated. It has not been grown by using synthetic fertilizers, no synthetic pesticides, or sewage sludge, and no GMO. So eating organic is appealing to many.

However, I must caution you to not lean too heavily on any given label, because organic does not mean lead-free. You can research it for yourself.

I find organics a lot of times at off-priced stores, like in my area the $0.99 stores. When I come across the 100% organic label I pay close attention. I want to ascertain whether or not this is a product that I can stockpile and purchase with a very handsome discount of more than 50% off regular retail.

When I see it I buy it, because a good deal heavily discounted like this one will not last. I visit often, maybe 2 - 3 times per week because inventory changes daily. This is not the type of place where you go back; you must buy right then and there or you will lose out.

Another frugal tool to help you buy organic is to buy in season. When organic produce is in season and on sale, I buy in bulk then freeze and dehydrate. Also, if interested you can learn how to freeze, can, plus prepare your own flavored vinegars.

The final step I love doing each and every time I grocery shop, is to do a look over of all the foods in my cart, to make sure there are no second thoughts. This may sound simple, but is a powerful frugal tool, where you can realize savings of up to 25% or more.

You want to feel good when you get home about the purchase of each and every item. This final step will help you achieve that. These are ideas that could consequently, in my opinion greatly enhance your dining experience, for pennies.

Whenever possible I like to buy local produce that has a shorter distance to travel from the field to my table. I like to buy in bulk, and buy from bins where I am paying for product only, no packaging.

I'm also a big advocate of buying organics online. Thrive Market is my go to place. Checkout Thrive Market for yourself. Sometimes you can buy cheaper online because of their cheaper overhead.

Some of these online retailers will pass on those savings to you. Some require membership that in essence will pay for itself in no time at all, depending upon how often you shop. Thrive Market is an online retailer that does require paying an annual membership.

This is not a problem for me. I already pay for an offline membership that is worth its weight in gold. Now I have an online membership that also looks like a winner having been a member less than a year. Thrive Market meets a different need with a focus mainly on being able to purchase quality organic brands at awesome prices.

Thrive Market, in my opinion, is always competitive with other online venues, but not always the absolute cheapest. I just don't have the time or interest to seek out the cheapest bottom price. What a time hog that is.

My time has value also! And sometimes good enough is just good enough. I am checking my spending, and yes savings, which is my goal especially on products I purchase a lot of. I think Thrive Market is awesome with people that have this type of mindset.

The more you shop the more you save, has been my experience. So, just utilizing these simple tools will give you a good start and enable you to bring the cost of purchasing organic food way down, and hopefully more affordable.

I love blending with the Ninja. It's a great frugal tool that ups your nutrition for pennies on the dollar. I try to always use organic products with the peel in place, where a lot of nutrition is lost.

I read somewhere years ago that when you blend or juice, you concentrate everything not just the vitamins and minerals, but sugars and pesticides too. So, I try to juice using organics and not use straight fruit, but add a veggie also.

The Ninja is comparable to a lot of blenders that cost more. It is a hard working frugal tool that I think almost any household could benefit from. Find out more below on how the Ninja can help you to save time, and eat organic by increasing creativity and reducing waste.

I save my organic scraps mainly by freezing to pop into my smoothies and a nutritious breakfast is served. To save time, your blender can also do recipes. For instance, I may have some leftovers that can easily be transformed into a delicious and nutritious soup or snack using the Ninja transformer to reduce waste without sacrificing quality.

It's awesome on vacation. I cut my food expense in half, minimum, when I take my Ninja.

Foraging Anyone?

A lot of us are looking for more ease in our lives when it comes to food acquisition. I too enjoy the ease and savings that online grocery shopping can afford. But, yes there is a but however, in 2019 I would like to try a bit of food foraging as one of my New Year's Resolution.

Good exercise and a new skill set could work. I wish I knew whether the mushroom image above were edible or not. It would be nice to know.

So, my 2019 frugal resolution is to learn how to forage. My definition for foraging is the acquisition of wild food in nature or grown naturally without outside intervention; for example a garden versus the wild. This is frugality at it's best, but not for everyone.

Let's keep frugality free, and unboxed. I especially am interested in being able to recognize edible mushrooms and will be going with a group of experts that enjoy this activity as a way of life. I say for me, give it a try. Why not?

Stay On Track With Stockpiling

Stockpiling is one of my favorite frugal tools. However, take it from me when I say that you can get off track and defeat the benefits of stockpiling, and yes invite waste versus savings. When things are on sale stay on top of your coupon file, it's time to stock up.

You don't however, have to coupon to benefit from stockpiling. Stockpiling is a fantastic way to save when you have a system in place.

Stockpiling is very individualized. Stockpiling is frugality at it's best when it is tailored to your specific needs. Stockpiling is not hoarding! Stockpiling is also not a stack it and forget it proposition.

Your stockpiling has to be rotated, just like the grocery stores. You too have to be pulling from your older acquisitions, paying close attention to your expiration dates and whatever else that is a good idea to do depending upon your individualized stockpiling.

Buying 50 rolls of toilet paper will not cause the same issues as purchasing 50 boxes of cereal which are perishable items. If you and your family cannot use up 50 boxes of cereal without wasting you will lose money. So when grocery stockpiling, I think it's important to choose a track that will take you to your specific goals.

PART IX - Awesome Ways To Save Money Whether You Are Grocery Couponing Or Not.

A Buffet Table of My Favorite Money Saving Apps and Products in My Frugal Tool Box

An app is a type of software designed to perform a specific task, and definitely has room in my Frugal Tool Box. Here are apps and programs that I think are awesome.

Budget Stretch Using Kitchen Apps

I'm always on the lookout for a good app.

These are some of my favorites. Check them out below:

#1 Shop eBates For Huge Discounts Daily On Name Brands.

#2 Shop iBotta And Get Cash Back Every Time You Shop.

#3 FREE Trial For “Amazon Prime Student” Is A Great Discount.

#4 Checkout 51 “Earn Cash Back” For Shopping Online For Your Favorite Brands (From Food, Household Items, Prescription Drugs, Clothing & More).

#5 With the Spendee App, See Where Your Money Is Going; Manage Your Money On The Go. Sign Up For Free.

#6 Wunderlist: To Do List & Task. For Those Like Me Who Like To Cross Things Off A List.

#7 Pocket App. For All Things You Want To Read (Or Checkout Later).

#8 Our Home App. Delegating Household Chores.

PART X - Frugal Household Budget Stretchers.

#1 Mirrors

Take good care of your mirrors. They are an awesome investment that will last usually for years with care. My grandma's windows and mirrors were always spotless. You might elect to try her very inexpensive mirror and window cleaner presented below.

My Grand-Mom's Favorite...

Mirror and window cleaner in a spray bottle made with 1/4 cup of white vinegar placed in one quart of water. It's a good idea to never spray directly on a mirror.

If the moisture seeks to the edges and get behind the mirror's back side it could ruin the silvering which could result in dark spots. I usually spray on a clean cleaning cloth then wipe and buff.

Blinds.com

Being frugal is hard work. I'm sure my frugal friends would agree. Getting a lead can be a great time saver. Let me do some of the heavy lifting and please allow me to introduce

I have been doing business with them for years. Their quality, and customer service is first rate.

I would never consider moving into a place without good quality blinds that have been placed up prior. I grew up with blinds, and I just love the look. Blinds are my first layer when doing my window treatment. My second layer is my drapes that will go up over the blinds in my master bedroom, formal living room, and the kitchen.

Blinds the same color, showing from the outside, give me a very consistent look that adds to my curb appeal. I then can be as creative as I want with the drapes.

My cousin in real estate tells me that well chosen blinds help sell houses. No one enjoys having to put a sheet up upon move in. Sellers almost always leave their custom blinds but often take their drapes.

I buy quality blinds from Blinds.com, and treat with care. If you are in the market for blinds I highly recommend that you first check out some of the stores in your area. Hopefully you will see why I shop exclusively for blinds online at Blinds.com.

PART XI - How I Save On Toilet Paper

You might be surprised by how much some places pay for toilet paper. A new neighbor of mine use to work for a college up north told me that they paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $30K per year for toilet paper. I don't know if the $30K included the dorms or not, but in my opinion this amount is nothing to sneeze at.

Still in disbelief, I came upon a site called sixfiguresunder, and again was very surprised to see that they had a post that gave 5 ways to save on toilet paper. If interested check it out. I enjoyed it immensely. I also enjoyed reading this article about toilet paper. What do you know, another related article you might find interesting.

Some months ago I decided cut my annual toilet paper expense. I came up with a figure that wasn't bad, and nowhere near 30K. But still I felt that it was a figure that needed some work to help it come down some.

Well I came up with one awesome thing that has managed to bring down this expense by 50%. That one thing I do is buy commercial paper. I do still stockpile grocery store toilet paper when on sale, and with a coupon. I take my grocery store paper with me when I travel.

I don't have to be concerned about whether or not I will have access to toilet paper. I have my own with me as backup. For the most part though, I use my commercial paper for home use.

I went through a few commercial brands and discovered one that I buy most often. It's tough and you don't need a bunch for the job. It's also nice for a change to get it to roll without a struggle.

For the most part cheap toilet paper does not work for me. Surely, cheap is better than nothing, but for me not very cost effective. Sometimes instead of coming off in a continuous sheet, it comes off in bits and pieces, and paper ends up wasted.

There are time too that I can't find the end because I guess the paper is too thin, and therefore waste more paper trying to locate the end. Before you know it the better part of a roll has been destroyed.

This toilet paper issue may not seem like a big deal to many, but the waste does add up over time. As I said earlier I don't mind spending, I just like spending smart. So I appreciate buying a good quality commercial paper I get from a local janitorial store.

Also I have learned through observations to be very careful about using toilet paper that's not on a roll. A lot of public restrooms skip this step. So don't assume that toilet paper hanging on a roll is clean, because it just may not be.

If the toilet paper is damp or stained, you may want to reconsider. I have seen first-hand toilet paper hung back up by the cleaning staff after rolling on the floor in urine. I think it's a good idea to be observant and aware.

Magazines 4 Less

Why pay more for the same magazines off the shelf when you can, with magazines.com, subscribe to high quality magazines like American Nurse Today, Inside Lacrosse, Food and Consumer Reports, The Oprah Magazine, Cooks, Essence, and Wedding Flowers to name a few, at great discounts. Just choose a specific category and browse. I've done the heavy lifting for you.

I Love To Dumpster Dive

In 2018 I picked up a new skill as part of my New Year's Resolution on how to dumpster dive. Yes dumpster diveing is skill. First get familiar with the laws in your city about dumpster diving.

Secondly, it's nice to go with people that dumpster dive and learn some tricks of the trade from them. The term dumpster diving does not mean dive. I don't recommend diving into a dumpster. Be smart about it and choose safety.

Without further ado, these are a few of my pet peeves. I like diving at dawn where I have some natural light, and hopefully go with someone. Most of the time I never climb into a dumpster, but just pick from the top.

I don't dive into dumpsters that may have medical waste like a clinic or doctor's office, for example. I can wear gloves some thick and some thin. I never go tired. This is an alert activity.

I have come across some amazing finds; for example, great magazines which can cost as much or more than books these days. I do take full advantage too of magazines.com to have a hard copy of something to read especially when traveling. So there are many ways to budget stretch. I enjoy dumpster diving very much and feel awesome about the recycling aspect.

Don’t Over Stuff Your Frugal Tool Box

Please don't get frugal fatigue. Exercising frugality is too important to your budget, your community, and the world. Being frugal in my opinion is a personal experience.

One who donates to a thrift store is exercising frugality as one who is the recipient of those goods. Frugal fatigue can sneak up on you when you buy into every frugal idea that comes along. Some frugal tools will be a good fit, and some not. Just be on the lookout for those tools that work great for you.

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(Click Newer Posts Below To Continue)

FRUGAL TOOL BOX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Accept My Invitation to Fall in Love With Frugality!

MY INTRODUCTION TO FRUGALITY:

PART I - GOT PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS?

Prescription Drugs Can Strain Your Household Budget.

Are You Or Someone You Know Paying Full Price, Out Of Pocket, For A Prescription Medication?

The InCareRx Discount Card is absolutely FREE and ACTIVE right now! One card covers your ENTIRE family (including pets), and can be duplicated to share with friends.

This card can be used at pharmacies nationwide (CVS, Walmart, Target, Kroger and especially Big Box Stores, for example like a Costco).

Did You Know That You Can Save Money On Your Prescription Medications, Whether Insured Or Not?

Helpful Tips On How To Use The FREE InCareRx Discount Card.

Covering Medicare Part D Donut Hole Coverage Gap.

THE FRUGAL PET

Save A Bundle With Pet Insurance

Bark Box

LOVING CARE 4 YOUR PET

PART II - The Frugal Cook: Eating Cheap Versus Buying Cheap Are Not Synonymous.

PART III - The Thrift Shopper

To Thrift Or Not To Thrift - That Is The Question.

Thrift Shopping May Or May Not Be For You. I Always Say To Do What You Love. So, If Thrifting Is For You, Or If You Are Undecided Read On.

There Is No Sale Like a Resale!

Thrift Risk -- How to Avoid Bedbugs When Shopping Secondhand.

The Re-Emergence of Bed Bugs.

Thrift Shopping Hoopla?

A Frugal Way To Prepare For A New Baby.

Who Knew? ThredUp: A Thrift and Online Consignment Store That Rocks!

Shop ThredUP, The Largest Online Consignment & Thrift Store.

I have been a fan of ThredUP for many years and appreciate their online availability where you can consign as well as shop.

Don't Forget Recalls

I Shop New Too!

PART IV - Make Money Thrift Flipping.

With New Technology, You Can Use A Mobile Processing Service To Accept Credit Card Payments On-The-Go Using Your Tablet Or Smartphone.

Accepting Credit Cards - The New Normal vs Cash.

It Is Possible To Earn An Extraordinary Amount Of Money Thrift Store Flipping.

Want Some Extra Cash?

How To Accept Credit Cards At Your Next Garage Sale!

Got Pay Anywhere?

PART V - Frugal Beauty?

Got A Beauty Box Subscription Anyone?

Presentation Rocks!

Maintain Beauty on Any Budget.

Homemade Natural Face Powder

My One Ingredient DIY At Home Facial.

My DIY Shea Butter Body Lotion

What I Did For My Thinning Hair

PART VI - The Frugal Student

Taking Care Of Your Teeth And Mouth

Having A Dental Savings Plan Versus Dental Insurance Could Be A Better Fit For You.

Save On Prescription Eyewear.

Stretch Your Budget Using A Grocery Coupon

PART VI - An Introduction To Grocery Couponing.

Couponing 101: Step In How To Start Couponing.

Don't Buy Into Every Buzzword

The e-Coupon - A New Kid On The Block

When e-Couponing, Protect Yourself With A Good Antivirus Program.

How to Learn Couponing

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/J_McKnight/1220440

Contrary To Popular Belief You Can Buy Organic On A Budget.

PART VII - Stretch Those Organic Food Dollar.

Check Out Thrive Market For Awesome Deals on Purchasing Organics.

Organic On A Budget.

My Thrive Market Review:

Is Thrive Market The Bad Guy?

How To Buy Organic On The Cheap.

PART VIII - Freezer Meals Anyone?

An Entire Month of Meal Planning and Preparing Rocks.

About Once A Month Meals!

Make Ahead Meals Saves A Bundle Of Time And Money.

Eating Out Of Plastics Can Get Old.

Cut Down On Takeout.

Reheat And Eat

Take That First Step Today And Learn How To Freeze Food.

Create Your Own Home Coffee.

You Too, Can Learn To Bake Your Own Scrumptious Bread

Is It Cheaper To Make Your Own Bread - It Depends.

Not always cheaper to bake your own bread. Updated on June 29, 2017

Not always cheaper to bake your own bread.

I Buy Top Quality Day Old Bread And Save.

FRUGAL TOOL BOX

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Prescription

Eyewear.