Thursday, January 31, 2008
Goal Update
| By Lynn Forgy To the right of the screen, I have my goal of paying off my 2 remaining loans (car & student) by the end of May 2008, a total of $15,000.00.  To date, I have managed to save almost 1/3 of that, half of which came from my extra part time job in the last quarter of 2007 and the other half will be coming from my tax refund. So now that the total is down to $10,000.00, I really have to work on coming up with that money. I've been signing up for mystery shops (the best one so far seems to be ShopNChek, but I haven't gotten paid yet so I'll let you know) and am still working my part time job. Other ideas I've been throwing around include: 1) Cleaning - I have posted ads on craigslist and some local yahoo groups, but I think to really start I need to place a classified ad in the newspaper. 2) I cut the satellite service down from some fancy schmancy plan to the very basic, and only on 1 TV which will save me about $450 per year. 3) I've been trimming my regular monthly expenses as much as possible - this includes groceries, gas, water, etc. Anything and everything is game! 4) Yard Sale - I have high hopes for an upcoming yard sale this spring. My goal: $3,000. (I really like to dream big :) - but I do plan on selling several (many?) pieces of furniture). 5) Surveys - My online surveys should bring about $100-$200 by the end of May. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Want to see your great money saving / money earning ideas on my blog? Send them to me by email! |
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Cash Discounts
| By Lynn Forgy I have heard quite a few success stories recently about how some people are able to pay less for services simply by offering to pay cash. Not only does this work for services (such as the dentist, car repair, physician), it can work with home appliances and other products too. Why not try offering to pay less than the asking price - in cash (after you have saved enough) - and see if it works! Who knows, you may save yourself a couple of hundred dollars! |
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Pinching Pennies
| By Lynn Forgy Saving money, even in small amounts, can add up after a while. There are many, many ways that you can save money - pinch your pennies until they scream.  FOOD: 1) Cook from scratch - stop spending so much money on the convenience foods at the grocery (ready made meals in a bag). 2) Check out HotCouponWorld for coupons and other money savers. 3) Recipegoldmine has some really neat recipes for making your own beauty and hygienic products (even deodorant!). 4) Eat from the pantry/freezer - that's right, even those beans that have been in there since last Christmas, along with the cranberry sauce that's been there even longer (although it might be a good idea to check the expiration dates, first - some people use these more as a "guide" than a hardfast rule :P ). AROUND THE HOUSE: 1) Recycle - cans and newspapers for cash (some may find this really disgusting, but what about "dumpster diving"? 2) Make your own cleaning products. 3) Clear out the clutter - have a yard sale, put your items on craigslist. 4) Wash your laundry in cold water rather than hot. 5) Make your own laundry detergent. 6) Do you really need the most expensive cable or satellite package - we just reduced ours to the family package and will be saving over $400 per year! 7) If there's something you're considering buying - don't! Try to get it free or discounted first. Check out craigslist, freecycle, and your local newspapers before buying the item new. BUDGET: 1) Online bill pay - why not save the cost of a stamp or 2. My bank is offering a $10 bonus into my checking account if I sign up for this free service. Woo hoo! 2) Never go to the grocery store without a meal plan / list. FOR THE STRONGWILLED / DETERMINED / STUBBORN: 1) How low can you really set your thermostat in the winter? 2) Put a bucket in the shower and use the water to fill your washing machine. You could do the same thing with water in the bathtub - use a bucket to scoop it out and fill your washer, water your plants, etc. 3) Become a "mellow" house Submit your ideas! Click Here |
Monday, January 21, 2008
Mac and Cheese, Please
| By Lynn Forgy: A family favorite is homemade mac & cheese. With a few adjustments and tweaks, you can make this is a frugal, and healthy, meal for your family.  Mac & Cheese: 1 box of pasta (I like to use the smaller shells because the cheese tends to stick better), you can use whole wheat version which is healthier Boil the pasta. Drain the water, then add: 1/2 cup milk (I use the nonfat dry milk because the price of a gallon of milk is almost $5 now), 1/4 cup butter (I use the fat free, Parkay spray which is $1.00 per bottle and 1/4 cup is about 1/4 of the bottle - you could try the "butter" made with olive oil but I think Parkay tastes the best) Cheese - depending on how cheesy you like it, anywhere from 1 to 2 cups. Again, I use the low fat or fat free cheese (the shredded fat free cheese is $3.12, so that's a little pricey for mac & cheese). Some suggestions on cheese - use a variety (cheddar, mozzarella, etc.) and slices work just as well if not better. One recipe I have calls for all of the above, plus 1-2 cups of sour cream which makes it really creamy. I have also used the above recipe, and rather than sour cream I have added cottage cheese. To make this more of a meal, you could add peas, and/or chicken or tuna. I spent several weeks about 6 months ago researching low fat, frugal, healthy recipes and although it took some time I think I'm saving a lot of money each week on my grocery budget. Labels: Mac and Cheese |
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saving Money in the Kitchen
| By Lynn Forgy One of the most effective ways I have of saving money is in the kitchen. I make a grocery list every week, with all the meals planned out and listing the ingredients needed, and this is my starting point - I know before I go the grocery approximately how much my meals for that week will cost.  Another obsession of mine is making "knock off" recipes. For instance, rather than buying Eagle Brand condensed milk (nothing against that brand, I think it's delicious, just a little overpriced), I have a recipe that allows the frugal cook to make condensed milk and save some money (Recipe below). I have put together a 3 ring binder of recipes, frugal and healthy concoctions that more often than not are really good! I use this every week to plan my menu for the upcoming seven day period. If I'm running low on funds (due to an unexpected expense, causing me to reduce my grocery budget), I take away 1 of the more "expensive" meals (over $3) and replace it with a cheaper meal ($1). Mac and Cheese is a family favorite, and can be extremely cheap and more healthy than the convenience box you buy at the grocery. Adding peas and chicken or tuna to your homemade mac & cheese (pasta, milk, fat free butter, and lowfat cheese) will make a complete meal and cost about $2.  Although it takes a little time, planning your menu before you go to the grocery can save money. Every little bit helps. Courtesy of Allrecipes.com: HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK: INGREDIENTS * 1 cup boiling water * 1/4 cup margarine * 2 cups white sugar * 4 cups nonfat dry milk powder DIRECTIONS 1. Pour boiling water into blender container. Add margarine and sugar. Blend until combined. Add the dry milk powder 1 cup at a time, blending after each addition. Store in refrigerator and use where a recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/3 cups equals one 14 ounce can. |
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Mystery shopping and other income injections
| By Lynn Forgy I've recently begun mystery shopping, with only a few companies, and although the competition is fierce I think that this might be a good way to inject money into my Debt Snowball.  Granted, I've only been on 1 actual shop, however, I am signed up for 3 the first weekend in February, and have 6 pending for that same weekend. If I get them all, I will have made a total of $84. Of course, the amount of hours spent will be somewhere around 5 or 6, not to mention the gas costs (perhaps $3-5 for my fuel efficient vehicle). But that will be $84 towards my Debt Snowball that I don't have now. The two companies that I've signed up, where I've actually been given a shop and/or gone on a shop, are Kern Scheduling and ShopNChek. One thing to note, if you make more than a certain amount each year you will be required to provide your social security number so that the companies can send you a 1099. Secondly, my surveys are going pretty well. Below are my totals: Hits4Pay $24.09 (When you sign up, they give you a $10 bonus. All you have to do is read the emails they send to you). Your2Cents $23 (By completing bonus profiles, you bump up the amount you get for completing each survey - the $23 is for completing about 5 surveys). Inbox Dollars $14.59 (You can earn more money if you complete their cash offers, etc. However, most of the money I've earned from them is by reading emails and completing a few surveys. None of the money I've earned is from shopping - I am trying to get out of debt, not buy more things. Global Opinion Panel sends out checks once you've completed surveys. The amount varies, but my daughter and I completed 1 survey and were paid $6. I've also earned $8.75 from Ebates.com by signing up ($5 bonus) and using a Target Gift Card to purchase items ($3.75 cash). My plan is to leave the survey money alone, as well as the mystery shop money, until May. At that time, I'll withdraw it all and put it into my Debt Snowball. If you have any survey companies, mystery shop companies, etc., that you would like to have added to the list, send me an email. |
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The Frugal Life
| By Lynn Forgy Being frugal, thrifty, even cheap has become a way of life for me.  CLEANING: I got on the natural, green cleaning bandwagon - making my own household cleaners out of natural ingredients (mainly vinegar and water, as well as borax and washing soda for my homemade laundry detergent). I no longer have to pay sometimes exorbitant amounts for cleaning products at the store. (Recipes below).  FOOD: I am trying to research growing my own food, which is somewhat difficult for me since I've killed every plant I've ever tried to grow. But I think with perseverance I can do it. The major obstacle, besides having a non-green thumb, is where to grow the food. My thinking is that I can grow a lot of things in containers, inside the house, during the winter months. During the summer, I can plant food outside (being mindful of the racoons, possums, and deer that live in the woods behind my house). If anyone has any suggestions on growing your own food organically, I would welcome them. My list includes potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, squash, and whatever else I can find. I would also like to try growing coffee - I love coffee, and perhaps I could save several bucks a month by doing this. Other necessities, such as electricity, water, etc. I obviously am not equipped with providing for myself. So for these expenses, I have instituted "household rules" which lower the monthly cost of these: - It goes without saying that if you're not in the room, the lights do not need to be on. That applies to all electrical appliances. - Water - I live in Georgia, and of course everyone is aware of the drought. I made a homemade rain barrel (out of flex-drain and a trash can) and will use this water for planting in the summer, watering the grass, etc. Inside the house, to conserve on water there are buckets in the showers, the bath water is saved and used in the laundry machine, and yes, we are a "MELLOW" household (if you don't know what that is, you probably don't want to know). I have a budget, which I review and monitor weekly. I also check my balances (checking, savings, survey monies, mystery shopping balances, etc.) sometimes daily but no less than 3-4 times per week. I am making steady progress on my Debt Snowball (my goal was to have it completed by the end of May 2008 = $15,000 paid off). To date, I have $2800 to apply towards my Debt Snowball, bringing the total to $12,200. I am beginning to see that getting out of debt is a process, one which takes a great deal of patience, particularly for me. As Dave Ramsey says, my shovel isn't that large so it might take me longer than it does for others to dig myself out of this hole. CLEANING RECIPES: Laminate floor cleaner - 1 TBSP. vinegar, 2 cups water. Mix together. (I put this in a spray bottle for easy application.) Sweep and mop (the spray bottle and a dust mop work well). Window cleaner - 1 TBSP. vinegar, 2 cups water. Spray and wipe. Kitchen Counter/bathroom cleaner - 1-2 TBSP. vinegar, 2 cups water, 1 tsp. tea tree oil. Spray and wipe. For those harder to clean areas, such as tubs and showers with soap scum on them, if you mix a little baking soda and salt (about 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 TBSP. salt) in a container, shake, and sprinkle on the area, then spray with the bathroom cleaner, it does really well. You may have to use a little elbow grease, but think of the money you're saving (not only on the cleaners, but you'll have wonderfully shaped arms so no need to spend all that money at the gym!) Labels: frugal cleaning, growing your own food, natural cleaning products, organic |
Saturday, January 12, 2008
More on Frugal Cleaning
| By Lynn Forgy I love to clean (I know, I'm a weirdie), and I love saving money even more. Today I cleaned out my cleaning cupboard, getting rid of the commercial cleaning products with harsh chemicals. I'm going GREEN - all of my cleaning products are now natural, homemade, and CHEAP! I spent $9.00 plus some change on the following: Vinegar Borax Washing Soda Baking Soda I am now able to make my own laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, bathtub and shower cleaner, floor cleaner, window and mirror cleaner, and laminate floor cleaner. There may be others that I haven't come up with yet, but the potential is there.  I used to buy laundry detergent at the store for about $2.50 per container (less than 2 gallons, approximately $1.40 per gallon). If I was lucky, I could get 15-20 loads per bottle. Now that I'm using the "green", homemade laundry detergent, which costs $.65 per gallon. Wow! The Family Homestead has a great, easy to follow recipe for making homemade laundry soap. Vinegar is a natural cleaner, and I mix about 1 tablespoon with 2 cups of water. This will clean counters, mirrors, even the laminate floor! The laminate floor is what really amazed me - no streaks! I used to purchase a special product only available at Home Depot (it was the only thing that did not leave streaks), which costs about $5.50 (10 uses per bottle for the entire house = $.55 per use). Compare that with the cost of making the laminate floor cleaner from vinegar = $.15 for the vinegar for the same amount of use. There are numerous websites that you can visit that provide information about essential oils, which you can add to your cleaning products (especially vinegar which I do not think has such a pleasant aroma) to give them a scent that like. Cleaning products that are purchased at the store can be very pricey - a good way to be frugal, saving some of your money, is to make your own! |
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Frugal Cleaning
By Lynn Forgy Last week, I blogged about organic food. This week, it's natural cleaning products - and what's more, it's frugal. While I don't love to clean my house, I do love it when I get done. I have noticed over the past few years that the products I was using seem to be more potent - particularly some of the bathroom cleaning products that have bleach or other strong ingredient. I used a product once that left me coughing for quite a while - the smell was awful, and the fumes were worse. Natural cleaning products use ingredients that you probably already have in your homes (excluding the essential oils, which provide the aroma and sometimes cleaning agent, which I have found to be a little pricey. However, if they last for a while, then you would probably spend less on the oils than you would on several bottles of your favorite "toxic" cleaners). Baking soda, vinegar, and more are natural cleaning products that won't leave you gasping for air. I have come up with a list of very helpful websites that provide recipes for all the cleaning products you need. Clean and Green AromaWeb - great recipes Care 2 offers helpful hints and tips, as well as recipes Stretcher.com Spring Cleaning - the Frugal Way Labels: frugal cleaning, natural cleaning products |
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Frugal Dinner Menu
| By Lynn Forgy I am heading out to the grocery store this morning, with my shopping list in hand - I spent about 30 minutes last night planning out next week's dinner menu. My budget for the week is $50, feeding a family of 3. Included in the budget are my daughter's school lunch items. Below are the dinners that I have planned for the week, along with the prices of items (I have these memorized :P ) If you're interested in the recipes, let me know and I'll be happy to post them! Night 1: Creamy Chicken Macaroni - Cheese (I buy the slices, low fat or fat free) $2.49 - Chicken ($5.00 per bag - I have 1 bag in the freezer leftover from last week, and can usually get 3-4 meals per bag) - Pasta $.50 per box TOTAL $3.00 Night 2: Vegetable and Rice Casserole - Veg All (2 cans) $1.00 - Stuffing mix $.90 - Cheese (1/3 cup) $3.00 per bag (again, I buy the low fat or fat free, hence it's more expensive) TOTAL: $4.90 Night 3: Vegetable night - Green bean casserole: green beans (have on hand), cheese (use remaining from Night 2), and sour cream (1 cup) $.50 - Rice (have on hand) - Mashed potatoes (have on hand) TOTAL: $.50 Night 4: Cheesy Rice Main Dish - Cheese (1/2 cup, use remaining from Night 2 & 3) - Rice (have on hand) - Egg Beaters ($2.50) TOTAL: $2.50 Night 5: Crockpot Mexican Corn Chowder  - Corn (1 can) $.50 - Onion (1) $.30 - Cheese (3 cups) $3.00 TOTAL: $3.80 Night 6: Pizza  - Dough (homemade, bread flour $1.80) - Cheese $3.00 - Sauce (have on hand) - Pepporoni (have on hand) TOTAL $4.80 Night 7: Potato & Onion Soup Mix - Potatoes (may have enough on hand, but if not a bag is $3.00 and I can get several meals out of it) - Onion soup mix $1.00 TOTAL: 4.00 The grand total for 7 dinners should be around $23.50, not including tax. My grocery list also includes: Daughter's lunch items $4 Cornstarch $1 Cat food $3 Butter $2 Coffee $4 My Grocery Total for the above items: $23.50 + $14.00 = $37.50 plus tax You may be wondering where the breakfast and lunch items come in - I usually don't eat breakfast, but I will eat cereal or pretzels for a snack or brunch. I have these on hand, and my daughter's breakfast is usually biscuits or rolls, toast with fruit, etc. which we currently have on hand. Lunches for the adults are leftovers from the previous evening meal. |
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
A Diet of Sorts
| By Lynn Forgy The first days and weeks of the New Year a lot of people's thoughts inevitably turn to diets. Those of us who are watching our financial waistlines are also concerned about losing weight - debt weight, that is.  A budget is the first step. Writing down expenses and income, and making every dollar scream as Dave Ramsey says, is so important. Not only do you actually get a real feel for where your money is going, you have at your fingertips some idea of what expenses you could trim. If you follow Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace plan or his Total Money Makeover, you know that the 2nd step, or Baby Step 2, is to widdle away at your Debt Snowball. This includes credit cards, personal loans, student loans, car payments, etc. For the remaining Baby Steps, see Dave Ramsey's site. The start of the New Year is really a chance for us all to reflect on our financial weight gain or loss of the previous year, and how and what to focus on for the upcoming year. Becoming debt free is a process, and I have found it to be one that is teaching me to be patient. I'm still impatient - I want to be debt free YESTERDAY - but what I am learning along this journey is life changing. Why not take the Debt Free Challenge? |
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Organic?
| By Lynn Forgy I have been hearing quite a bit lately on organic foods - particularly with the scares in the past few months related to tainted food products. Buying organic has become a way of life for a growing group of people. In my brief research so far on organic, the biggest hindrance I have found is the cost. For a lot of people, paying twice as much for a product will break their budget. My grocery budget is $100 per month, and at this point I buy maybe 5% organic. If I were to go total organic, my grocery budget would have to be twice what it is now if not more. More research on my part is needed to find out what solutions there are relating to keeping it frugal. This topic is open for discussion - your comments are welcome. Do you have any organic recipes? Tips on where to buy organic? Nutrition facts? Anything and everything related to organic is welcome! |
