Women In The Green blog

Brown Bag Your Lunch!

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:36:29 +0000

“I’d like to talk about a savings strategy that I use that saves me around $1300 / year (or more for some people). This simple strategy that a lot of people don’t use is brown bagging your lunch! If buying lunch everyday costs $8/day compared with a brown bagged lunch which costs me around $3/day, you are saving $5/day ($1300/year). You can save even more by packing up those left overs for lunch the next day. I personally enjoy left overs. Easy meals that are ready to go that just need a few minutes in the microwave.”

Source: http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/saving-strategy-brown-bag-your-lunch.htm

How to Save $$$ @ School – College/University Edition

Jamie — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:43:31 +0000

Being a student is tough on the brain and on the wallet. Here’s some tips to help you save some money, so you can concentrate on studying!

Check your campus for recreational activities – see if your campus has gym or fitness facilities, join a varsity team, or cultural club. Some campuses even screen free movies!
Check everywhere to see if you qualify for a student discount – movie theatres, public transportation, museums and art galleries typically give discounts if you show your student card
Banks usually have special banking plans for students
Live with your parents and commute to school
Take food and snacks with you to avoid buying vending machine fare
Make your own coffee at home and bring it in a reusable container
Take public transportation or bike to school
Check your local dollarstore and/or budget retailer for your school supplies
Buy secondhand – clothes and binders, and anything else you can find
Buy used textbooks – check local used textbook stores, Craigslist, and postings around your school (only buy used at your campus bookstore if you can’t get it elsewhere, they still charge more than other places)
Instead of spending money on long distance calls, try Skype, MSN messenger, or emails
Apply for every scholarship, bursary, and grant you can – never turn down an opportunity at free money!

Today’s Quick Tip

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:54:28 +0000

Buy essential household items in bulks! Take advantage of the discounts you save rather than buying individual items. It will save you both time and money.

How to Save $$$ on School Supplies

Jamie — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:13:05 +0000

The new school year is almost here! Does buying back to school supplies leave you feeling broke? It doesn’t have to. Here are simple ways to save money on all those back to school essentials.

Shop at Home First

Before you head to the store, take a walk around your house to see if there are any items on your child’s school supply list that you might already have. Things like rulers, pencil boxes, calculators and backpacks do not need to be replaced each year, so don’t be afraid to reuse last year’s if it’s still in good shape.

Tip: Instead of buying pencils and pens, send your child back to school with the free ones that businesses hand out (you know the ones that are currently taking up space in your junk drawer).

Shop Around

10-cent crayons, 5-cent folders, 50-cent binders – stores fight hard for your back to school dollars, and that’s great news for you. Watch the weekly sales circulars closely; then, cherry pick the best buys from each store. Remember: Just because store X wants you to spend all of your back to school dollars at their store, doesn’t mean you have to; so get those 10-cent crayons, and get out.

Tip: Shop at a store that offers price matching, and you won’t have to burn up extra gas to get the good deals at other stores.

Only Buy What You Need

Once you’re in the store, all those fun extras can be tempting – colored pens, locker accessories, self-stick notes, the list stretches on and on – but chances are, your back to school budget doesn’t. To avoid overspending, determine how you’ll handle your child’s requests for non-essentials before you head out to shop.

Some Ways to Handle Your Child’s Requests:

Allow one extra purchase
Have your child foot the bill for anything that’s not on the list
Have your child pay the difference between what you’re willing to buy, and what they want to buy
Refuse to give in to the request. It may not make you popular, but it is a chance to teach smart money management

How You Can Save $20,445 A Year

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:42:41 +0000

A very interesting read!

http://zenhabits.net/how-i-save-money/

July is Family Fun month on Women in the Green!

Jamie — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:31:46 +0000

School’s out! So, what to do with the kids that’s fun (for both you and them) and not going to break the bank?

Crafts!

Get started now working on homemade birthday and Christmas cards and gifts. Check out your local dollar store to find crafting supplies for a lot less than the speciality scrapbooking or craft stores.

Check out the internet for lots of craft ideas for all ages. If the kids are old enough, maybe teaching them to knit, sew, or crochet will give them even more ways to be creative!

Today’s Quick Tip

Jamie — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:15:47 +0000

If you use a cell phone, make sure your calling plan matches the pattern of calls you typically make. Understand peak calling periods, area coverage, roaming, and termination charges. Prepaid wireless plans tend to have higher per minute rates and fees but may be a better option if you use the phone only occasionally.

Today’s Quick Tip

Jamie — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 22:52:49 +0000

Need a quick cash boost? Why not try to sell unwanted items on craigslist or eBay?

More Family Fun Ideas

Jamie — Thu, 27 May 2010 22:59:45 +0000

Check out your local recreational center or YMCA to see if they have any children/youth groups and/or activities. Get your child involved in a new hobby or sport. They’ll make new friends and have more fun than if they sat in front of the TV all summer.

Any more ideas for Family fun on the cheap? Write a comment to this blog or send me at Tweet on Twitter @moneymomma!

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Today’s Quick Tip

Jamie — Thu, 20 May 2010 18:22:07 +0000

Wanna pay down debt or your mortgage faster AND save lots of $$$?

Extra payments that you make usually go 100% to the principal of the loan, not the interest, potentially saving you thousands of $$$ in interest costs. Talk to your financial institution and see how pre-payments can work for you.