More Living With Less Cash

For Smokers Only: Save a ton of cash with e-cigarettes

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 23:19:00 +0000

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you about e-cigarettes, and how much cash you will save if you switch. I wanted to post sooner, but I feared my enthusiasm was simply brought about by the newness of my stylish e-cigarette. Now that I have some time under my belt, I think it's fair to say that I no longer smoke cigarettes. The statistics shown in my screenshot are for my husband and I combined. As you can see, we have saved well over $2000.00, not to mention the time added to our lives. There are others ways that switching to e-cigarettes can save you money, and perhaps you hadn't thought of these. First, how many times have you run out of cigarettes and had to make a special trip to the store to get them? Gas is certainly not cheap, and all those little jaunts to feed your addiction will add up. Second, burn holes. Holes in your car upholstery, your blanket, your clothes. The saving there are obvious. Third, cleaning expenses go way down once you make the switch to e-cigarettes. No more tar coating your walls, furniture, curtains, etc. I could not believe what a filthy habit I had given up; it took me a month of cleaning to get everything clean again, but now it stays pretty clean. Household cleaners are pretty expensive, and you will use less once you switch. Fourth, insurance premiums will go down after you have quit for one year, because your medical expenses will likely go down as well. We spent around $80.00 for our initial e-cigarette kits, still cheaper than a carton of cigarettes. We are spending an average of $25.00 a month for liquid nicotine. I sometimes spent that much in a DAY for regular cigarettes. We did some research and decided on Halo brand rechargeable, refillable e-cigarettes. I am not necessarily endorsing the brand, but one of the reasons we chose them is because their nicotine is made in the United States, so I feel more confident about the ingredients. Disposable e-cigarettes can end up being costly, but we have really hit our cash-saving groove with the rechargeable ones. Now that we have our hardware, we order bottles of nicotine to keep them filled. Bottom line, if you just can't give up the nicotine, e-cigarettes are the way to go. The cash savings is indisputable, and like me, you may find that you can take it or leave it after a few months. Do your research, and give it a try.

Free Ebooks

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:26:00 +0000

Okay, I know eReaders are expensive, but if you have been living the frugal lifestyle, you know you can get one from eBay on the cheap. If you are still thinking they are an unnecessary expense, allow me to enlighten you. If you are an avid reader, you already know how expensive books are. If you are lucky enough to have a friend who reads the same genre that you do, maybe you can trade. You still have to have books to trade, so there is still an expense involved. You can buy them at thrift stores, cheaper than new books but still sapping your hard-earned cash. Now you're thinking, "What about the library?" If you've noticed the price of gas lately, the library costs you money even though the books are free. Not to mention late fees if you forget, or the hassle of having to hurry up and finish a book before the due date. For all the options ranging from brand new books to the library, your cash is still involved. Enter the eReader, a one time expense. I know you're thinking that eBooks cost money, right? Wrong! I purchased a three month old android tablet/eReader from eBay that still had the original receipt and extended warranty with it, and I got it for $85. Since then, I have done my homework and found many sites to get free eBooks. If you are on FaceBook (you know you are), my favorite page is "Free Nook Books etc". While you're on FaceBook, do a search for the page and then "like" it. The wonderful page owner, Tina, posts many free NookBooks every day. These are ePub files and will work on almost any eReader, laptop, or tablet. I was a bit suspect of anything free, but I have read some truly awesome books that were completely free. My other suggestion is your library. Almost all libraries have a digital section now, and you can download to your hearts' content. You do have to worry about the due date, but you never have to worry about late fees because the books just expire on the due date. If there is anyway you can manage snagging a cheap eReader, do it! You will never have to pay for a book again.

Better Than Playing The Lottery

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +0000

I thought about something today that made me feel guilty - guilty for not telling you about it sooner. There's a great site called Brainbench that provides online testing for employment skills. They also provide certification testing for those interested in being able to verify their abilities in a specialized skill. On the surface, this sounds like something that will cost you money, not make money, right? Wrong! Let me expand on how this turned out to be quite the money maker for me. I ended up with over $200.00 in six weeks. Combined with my Amazon Mechanical Turk earnings, I was able to complete 90% of my Christmas shopping without spending a dime out of my paycheck. First, you will need to register at Brainbench. Then you will need to take some of their free tests. They have many free tests that are basically just for fun. There are personality tests, trivia test, and others that you will enjoy. So far you haven't spent any money and had a little fun. You will then be in their database and will start receiving emails from them. You will receive requests to take beta tests. The key is to respond and take the tests immediately. The minute that email comes in, stop what you're doing and take the test. Brainbench will offer Amazon gift codes for the first 50 people who submit the tests. Every time I have gotten a beta test request, I have gotten a gift code. In some cases, they will offer additional codes for high scores (Sadly, I have never won one of those). If you are really good at the given skill, you might really clean up. Bottom line, after realizing I had done my Christmas shopping, purchased two new cordless phones and eight games from Amazon without dipping into my own pocket, I really felt bad about not sharing this with you all. It's an incredibly simple way to get things you might not otherwise be able to afford. Head on over to Brainbench and get started earning that extra money!

A New Look At Coupons

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:48:00 +0000

I am NOT a Coupon Queen. I am lousy at keeping them organized. I don't get the newspaper and I am lousy at remembering to print them from MyPoints. I have, however, discovered another place to get coupons that I seem to actually be able to manage. I have settled into a routine and it seems to actually be fairly easy. The first thing I do is make a written grocery list. Then I go down the list and think of all the manufacturers for each item. For example, spaghetti sauce would yield Ragu, Prego, Hunts, etc. Then I go to the manufacturers website and look for coupons and offers. I also look at my local grocery store website to see what they have on sale. Last week, they had Smith's milk for $2.99 a gallon. The Smith Diary website had .40 coupons for milk. I got my milk for $2.59 a gallon. I generally shop for a two week supply. My last shopping trip netted me $9.75 in savings. The take-away lesson here is to bookmark all the manufacturers of items you normally buy and check them before you shop. If you really are a Coupon Queen, you can couple your already considerable skills with this little tip and save a ton of grocery money.

Please watch this!

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:44:00 +0000

Please take a moment to watch this video. It is America's story, told by someone who lives in my small town.... Bank of America has really shown their evil with this situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwro-wKXRIQ&feature=share">

Please share this any way you can. Thanks!

Cutting The Cost For Soups and Stews

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 19:24:00 +0000

I just wanted to share a quick tip about a method I use to make a cheap meal even cheaper. We all probably already use leftover chicken or beef to turn it into a second meal of soup or stew. I've found a way to take that frugal meal a little farther, making it even more frugal but still as tasty. So here's how I get the cheapest meal possible from leftovers...when I'm doing the clean up after a meal, it seems there are always just a few vegetables left, but not enough for another meal. I have started keeping a large container in my freezer and I dump that small amount of leftover vegetables in there. I just keep adding to the container after every meal. When I'm ready to make soup or stew, I have a ready source of mixed vegetables without buying any or using vegetables I have in the cupboard. This makes my soup or stew almost a freebie, since it's made of things that might otherwise be thrown out. So, start your veggie container today!

I really need you all to help

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:13:00 +0000

I find that after all of my hard work and frugal ways, I have lost 3/4 of my already meager income due to circumstances beyond my control. I imagine that many of you have tips and tricks you could share. It would help me, and many others, if you would share them here. Thanks!

Quick Tip

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:11:00 +0000

I just wanted to give you a brief quick tip about broccoli. Being broccoli lovers, we have tried virtually every brand on the market. Every time I buy fresh broccoli, by the time I get all the stems and leaves cut off, I have about a fourth of what I actually paid for - not cost effective at all! Every brand of frozen broccoli I have tried has been at least (if not more) 50% stems. I have even emailed popular companies to ask them why, and gotten back various non-answers about the "proper stem to floret ratio." If I buy something, I want to use it all, not what they think the ratio of edible vs. non-edible should be! I have finally found the holy grail of cost effective, tasty broccoli. Walmart has a 5 lb bag of broccoli florets for less than $6. Did you catch that? FLORETS! You get all of what you pay for, and it tastes great. They also have other veggies packaged this way as well. Compare the price per pound to other brands and you will see that there is a huge savings to be had here. Yum!

Wal-Mart Straight Talk Cell Phones

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:48:00 +0000

A little over a month ago I decided to get a cell phone with Wal-Mart's Straight Talk plan. I was a little skeptical at first, and did my due diligence, reading numerous reviews about the program before I took the plunge. I wanted a phone that would allow me to access the internet, so I looked at what was available and decided on a Samsung slider. For less than $100, it's a nice sturdy phone that is attractive and easy to use. The only problem I had was that it was out of stock at every store in my area. I ended up ordering it online and had it in about a week. I ordered my phone card at the same time, then activated it online when it arrived. It was an easy process, and my phone was working within 5 minutes. One of the nice things about Straight Talk is that you can port your existing phone number, either cell or land line. I thought that was a great feature. So far, the service has been awesome. They use the Verizon network, which is the most reliable in the rural area I live in, and it has been exceptional. I did not sign up for the automatic monthly renewal, which was a mistake. I forgot to buy another month, and my phone was shut off at midnight on the due date. I was horrified, because the website says that you will lose your phone number if you let it run out. Much to my relief, when I renewed, I got my previous number back. I am now signed up for the convenient monthly autofill plan, so that won't happen again. I chose the $30 plan, which gives me 1000 minutes, 1000 text or picture messages, and 30 mgb data transfer. I wasn't sure this would be enough, but at the end of the first month I didn't even come close to using it all. They also have an unlimited usage plan that is $45 a month for all of prolific texters and callers. So far, the only drawback is that there are limited ringtones and wallpapers available, however, there is a site called My Tiny Phone that has them specifically for Straight Talk phones. I got some pretty good ones from them. As far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with Wal-Mart's Straight Talk cell phones. After all why give Verizon or Sprint $1200 more than you have to over the two year life of a contract, when you can get the same service cheaper?

Looking for low cost car insurance quotes?

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:11:00 +0000

In my constant search to find new ways to save money on things I have to buy, I think I have found the holy grail of cheaper care insurance. I always stayed with the company that has the little green lizard-type fellow, assuming that it must be the cheapest car insurance. Boy was I wrong! As a long time member of MyPoints rewards program, I decided to check out car insurance rates through their website. I used the NetQuote portal from their site to find car insurance rates better than I currently had. Talk about low cost! Almost all of the car insurance quotes were less than half of what I was paying. I was paying $65 a month through my previous car insurance company, and I found a policy that is only costing me $21 a month for the same coverage. MyPoints, of course, gave me rewards points for buying car insurance through them, to the tune of 5,000 points, which is almost enough for a $40 gasoline card. It’s like getting my first two months insurance premiums paid for. If you aren’t a member of MyPoints, you should be. If you aren’t interested in joining them, at least take a few minutes to check out NetQuote.com, you’ll be glad you did.

EzLaptop scam

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:04:00 +0000

For several months I have been reading ads to earn a free laptop from ezlaptop.com. I finally reached the required number of credits and clicked the link to claim my laptop. I got no confirmation email, not have they replied to any of my emails asking for the status of my shipment. Now let me say this - I went into this with my eyes open, knowing that there was a 99% chance that this was a scam. I am quite tired of these sites that make big promises and then scam their loyal members, so I am prepared to file a complaint against these folks. I am going to bulldog this one, folks, and I'll keep you updated as to my progress, or lack thereof. For any of you who have had issues with this site, full contact information can be found here:
http://whois.domaintools.com/ezlaptop.com

Let's band together and let them know that this is unacceptable!

Attention: Spammers

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:05:00 +0000

This is for the individual who somehow thinks that anyone will want to read his spam comments on my blog. No one wants to invest in your schemes. That should be obvious to you by now, since you have had to resort to spamming blogs, which seems to be quite a desperate act. Because of you and your very unwelcome crap, I have set my blog to comment moderation. I will now have to view your tripe before I delete it, but at least my readers won't be subjected to it. To my readers, I apologize for the delay this will cause when you post a comment, but the spammer left me no choice. I refuse to allow you to be spammed on my watch.

Free cell phone and free minutes!!

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:06:00 +0000

I was so excited about this that I couldn't wait to get it posted! I found a link on my state's Job and Family Services website that said "Get a free cell phone." Intrigued, I clicked on it. Apparently, those who qualify by income can receive a free cell phone and free minutes from SafeLink Wireless. If you are already qualified for HEAP, Medicaid, food stamps, etc., you automatically qualify for the phone program. If you are not on any of these programs, you can still qualify by submitting proof of income. Well, since my family is enrolled in the HEAP program, I filled out a very simple application online and submitted it. Within 10 minutes I received a message that said I had been approved and would receive my phone within 5-10 business days! Please, please, please email this post to anyone you know who could benefit from this program. Most of us are driving crappy cars that break down all the time, now you can have the security of knowing you can call someone for help. What a great way to restore a sense of security to those of us who can't afford cell phones.

MyPoints.com

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:16:00 +0000

MyPoints is a site where you earn points for various activities. You do not actually earn cash, but the points are just as good as cash. There are so many ways to earn that everyone is bound to find something they enjoy. You can earn just by reading emails received from them, you can complete offers, you can earn huge points by shopping through their site, and you can earn by joining other sites that are affiliated with them. They also have an affiliate program, which I have not tried, that pays cash. I personally use my points for emergency gas money since I earn enough for $20 BP gas cards a month. That's $20 I don't have to spend out of my pocket every month. If you're into offers, you could do much better. I typically only read emails. They do not have a referral program, this post is just for your earning enjoyment. If you click on the post title it will take you to their site. Have fun with it!

Frugal living resource

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:31:00 +0000

I found this great eBook about frugal living and I thought I would share it with you. If you are like me, every penny counts in these hard economic times, and this book is a goldmine of frugal living tips. If you want to save money, this is your resource! Just click on the post title...

The Junk Store - A Classic Treasure!

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Today I happened upon something that I should have known about all along. I wandered into a second-hand store. It is sort of an eclectic mix of wares. They sell tires and car batteries, jewelry, electronics, clothes, toys, etc. Virtually any kind of item can be found there. Not only could I stand to save a few bucks on items I need, but the thought came to me that they have to get the stuff somewhere, so why not from me? I went home and gathered a few things I thought might be of value and went back. Long story short, I made $50! I also established a business relationship that will help me the next time I need to unload some stuff for extra cash. The best part? Since I gave them my stuff at a good price, I got a good price on new tires for my car, and they agreed hold them until payday. If I had taken the time to gather more stuff to sell, I might have even been able to get the tires free. I will be looking around for other consignment shops and "junk stores' in my new quest to unload extra items and earn extra cash. I'll bet you have some in your neighborhood too.

Saving money with plastic cola bottles

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:54:00 +0000

I found a great article on the ways you can reuse plastic soda bottles and save yourself some cash.

http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/living-green/articledg.aspx?cp-documentid=20947473>1=32001

My online earnings in the past month

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:16:00 +0000

I thought maybe you would like to have a quick rundown of what I have earned online in the past month. It's not a full time income, but those of you who are trying to figure out how to pay the electric bill or put gas in the car will appreciate it. Without earning online, I most assuredly would not be able to make from one payday to the next. I earn from various sources. I am not posting referral links here, other than to my blog that is devoted entirely to online jobs, so if you do sign up for one of these programs, please tell them firemom31 sent ya!

MyPoints: $25.00 Walmart card
Chase Leisure Rewards Program: $100.00 cash, $10 BP gas card
Toluna Surveys: $10.00
SurveySpot: $16.00
oDesk: $89.00
Pinecone Research: $9.00

Think about your budget (or lack of one) and imagine how much this would help. You can earn in the same way, and stretch that paycheck. If you wish, go to my other blog for in depth information about earnings opportunities.

http://linkbee.com/MyWork

See previous post...lol

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:32:00 +0000

So it seems that we are using one roll every 2.5 days. Doesn't that seem like a lot for two people? Seriously, isn't it?

Not really a tip, just a funny example of how serious I am about this

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:28:00 +0000

It occurred to me this morning that hubby and I have made a science out of this whole frugal living concept. I spend at least an hour every day looking for bargains and online coupons. I spend a few hours a week research the various ways to make money online. I Twitter relentlessly. I not only want to make extra money from home, I want to make all of my money from home. I accepted all of this as a part of my life, but this mornings activities kind of brought it all home, so to speak.

My husband, who has previously not paid much attention to my online efforts, sat at his computer yelling "Woohoo!" because he got paid $5 for a survey - he's been hooked into my world of online cash. He is also very excited to have received a package in the mail that contained three pair of underwear. Why is this exciting? Because he is being paid to wear them, wash them, and review them (I even woohoo-ed about that one).

The crowning moment this morning was when I changed the toilet paper roll. I logged the date I opened the new package, how many rolls, the brand, and the fact that they were double rolls. This is my attempt to locate the best, yet cheapest, toilet paper. Is this hard core frugal living, or what?!

Quick tip of the day - auto insurance

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Buying auto insurance is a hassle, no doubt about it. I think that's why so many of us stay with the same company and never shop car insurance rates. You are probably paying more than you have to. The cheapest was is to buy car insurance on line. Many of the traditional brick and mortar insurers are also set up to let you get auto insurance online, even if you are a new customer. Get your car insurance quotes from several sites, and then use them to negotiate with the one you decide on. You can save big this way, and saving is just as good as earning, in my opinion.

A couple of tips

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:51:00 +0000

I sat down this week and tallied up what I had saved in coupons, and then decided to figure what the best source of coupons is. I looked at where I had gotten the best coupons from and decided to share with you where I got them. By the way, I saved $37.00 this week by using coupons!

Internet coupons are by far the best, but not just those you get from coupon sites. Go to manufacturer sites and you can often find great coupons and special offers that aren't advertised anywhere. For example, hubby is a smoker, and Marlboro was giving away 2 one dollar coupons every day for 30 days. That's a $60 savings, my friends! Betty Crocker almost always has great coupons on their site, I check there regularly. The next best sites are the free sites that let you print coupons, such as www.coupons.com. If you do a search for free Internet coupons you will come up with three or four sites that you can use. I generally get at least $5 a week in savings from these. The only drawback to Internet coupons is that most cannot be doubled. If your store has a double coupon day, save your newspaper and manufacturer coupons to use on those days. That leads me to my final tip. Look for stores with double coupon days and make sure you schedule your shopping trip on those days, you will save a ton.

I hope these tips help a little, now get off of my blog and start looking for coupons! Have an awesome day!

Want to make some money?

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Folks, this is one of those rare referral programs that really does work. No, you don't have to read thousands of emails every day, you don't have to sign up for a bunch of offers that you don't want or will forget to cancel. You don't have to put your finger on your nose and hop on one foot. All you have to do is sign up for your own site and then tell everyone you know about it. The website will do the rest. It is packed full of wonderful, educational, and informative eBooks at an awesome price. It's not a bunch of "become a millionaire overnight" books, but books on real subjects that us real people want to read about. Want to learn how to make baskets? Want to help your teen lose weight? A recipe book loaded with nothing but cheesecake recipes? And my all-time favorite: Weight Watcher Points, Recipes plus Tracker! Check it out, you'll be glad you did.

http://linkbee.com/eBooks

This site rocks!

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:17:00 +0000

I have heard over and over again how great CashCrate is, and always stayed away from the whole idea of completing offers. Well, I'm here to tell you that you can make money online with Cashcrate. I decided to give it a try and made $5 in the first 5 minutes without spending a nickel. There were offers available that only required sign up to a newsletter or some other relatively non-invasive thing. Of course, there are the usual survey sites that requires 700 pages of yes/no buttons, but really not too bad for such great earnings. I am now sold on Cashcrate, and I think you will be too.

http://linkbee.com/WSJN

Make Easy Money Online

noreply@blogger.com (firemom31) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:22:00 +0000

I'd like to tell you about a couple of ways I've found to make quick money online.

www.microworkers.com This site allows you to perform small tasks for pay and earn quick money. The perk to this little site is that you can exploit another money making opportunity at the same time. If you have a blog or need affiliate sign ups, this is the place for you. You can post your own jobs free for others to perform, direct folks to your preferred links, and viola, easy money online as the workers view your site or sign up under you. You won't spend a penny while making easy money from your site revenue.

www.getafreelancer.com Of all the ways to make money on the Internet, this one offers the most variety of jobs available, You simply register with them and start browsing jobs, and before you know it you will be making money at home!