July 4th is right around the corner and you know what that means…fireworks, bikinis, and barbeques!

photo credit: Design By Zouny

Fourth of July celebrations can get pretty expensive, so if you’re looking for ideas for saving money on a big party then this article is for you.  There are plenty of ways to keep your costs down without sacrificing the quality of your party.

You can save a lot of money right off the bat if you stick with non-alcoholic beverages.  Soda, water, and iced tea are just as good as beer, wine, and sangria…right?

Right?

Seriously though, these days money is tight for many of us.  Your friends and family will understand if you have to cut back a bit on the booze.

Organize a potluck party where everyone brings a dish.  One person brings the hot dogs, another brings some rolls, someone else brings some beer and so forth (my wife makes killer potato salad!).  Potlucks are great because no one person has to bear the full cost of the party.  Plus everyone gets to try out different recipes they’ve never had before.

If a potluck isn’t practical for whatever reason, why not take up a collection to help cover expenses?  Have each person kick in a few bucks to pad your budget and you’ll be able to afford more food and decorations than if you were footing the entire bill yourself.

If you’re looking for ways to cut your spending a good place to start is your local supermarket.  On average my family drops a few hundred bucks a month on food expenses so I’m always looking for new ways to save money on groceries.

Here are all the tips I could find for saving money on groceries:

1.  Shop alone.  My wife and I are polar opposites when it comes to shopping.  I like to get it, get what I need, and get the hell out as fast as possible.  My wife prefers to walk up and down each aisle (spending money along the way).  It drives me nuts.  And if I bring the kids…oh boy.

2.  Don’t shop when you’re hungry.  I’m often guilty of breaking this rule and it always costs me in the end.  Once my stomach starts growling cookies, Twinkies, and other snacks start magically appearing in the shopping cart.

3.  Make a list and stick to it. Shopping off a list ensures you only buy what you need and it also saves you from making multiple trips to pick up things you forgot.

4.  Take a calculator.  It’s easy to spend more than you realize if you’re not paying close attention.  Use a calculator to keep a running total so you’re not shocked when you get to the register.

5.  Compare the price per unit. Is the 16 ounce bottle selling for $1.99 a better deal than the 22 ounce bottle for $2.79?  The only way to know is to compare the price per ounce (the 16 ounce bottle is the better deal).  Most stores include the price per unit right next to the price.  If not, that calculator will come in handy!

6.  Make one big shopping trip instead of a lot of little ones.  The more often you walk into the store the more opportunities there will be to overspend.  Plus, the more trips you make the more you’ll spend on gas.

7.  Buy in bulk whenever possible.  It’s usually cheaper…but don’t assume!  Remember to check the price per unit to be sure you’re getting the best deal.

8.  Look up and down. Supermarkets place the most expensive items at eye level, so if you want to find the best deals you’ll have to go looking for them.

9.  Use coupons. Yes, it can be a pain in the butt to have to clip them and drag them with you to the store.  but it can save you big at checkout.

10.  Shop at stores that double or triple coupons. Why save 50 cents when you can save $1.50?

11. Shop at larger supermarkets.  They usually have better deals than convenience stores that charge you a premium for the “convenience”.

12. Watch the cash register. Scanning errors happen all the time and if you keep a close eye you may catch one that keeps you from being overcharged.

13.  Ask for a raincheck. If a popular item goes on sale and the store runs out, don’t just let the deal slip through your fingers.  Go to customer service and ask for a raincheck so you can take advantage of the price at a later date.

There are probably many more ways to save money on groceries.  What tips do you have?

Mother’s Day is right around the corner! You forgot didn’t you? Well have no fear! In today’s post I’ll share some ideas for inexpensive Mother’s Day gifts so you don’t show up empty-handed.

1. Flowers. What mom wouldn’t love a beautiful bouquet of flowers? You don’t have to spend a fortune either. You can order flowers online and have them shipped right to your mom’s front door for as little as $30 to $50.

2.  A Family Portrait. Get the whole family together and have a professional portrait taken.  It won’t cost much if you split the cost.  Another option is to gather a bunch of old pictures and make them into a personalized photo album.

3.  Home Movies on DVD.  If your mom has old home movies laying around on VHS or 8mm tape you can have them transferred to dvd so she can enjoy watching old memories whenever she wants.

4.  Have her grandchildren make her something. It could be as simple as a card made with construction paper, crayons, glitter, and glue.   Or it could be a do it yourself project like the ones offered at Home Depot.  I take my kids to Home Depot on the first Saturday of each month for the Kids Workshop.  This month they made little planters with pretty flowers for their mom.

5.  Burn a CD of her favorite tunes.  You can download free legal MP3 songs and then burn them onto a CD so your mom can listen to them at home or on the road.

6.  Make her dinner at home.   How many thousands of meals did your mom cook for you while you were growing up?  Well guess what…now it’s your turn!   Grab a cookbook and some groceries and prepare a homemade meal for your mom.  She deserves it!

Do you have any more suggestions for inexpensive Mother’s Day gifts?

My wife and I have always been big movie fans.  Before we were married we went to the movies almost every weekend.  But now that we have a mortgage and 3 kids to feed, our movie-going ways have been cut back significantly.

But we still need to get our movie fix somehow, so we came up with some ideas for saving money on movies.

Going to the Movies

As parents of little kids, matinees are perfect for us.  We can enjoy a late afternoon movie and still be home before the kids have to go to bed.  And of course they’re less expensive than later show times.

There are lots of ways you can get cheap movie tickets.  Some theaters offer discounts for children, senior citizens, or AAA members.  The Entertainment Book includes coupons for many popular movie theaters.  Your employer might even offer discounted movie tickets to employees.  Try asking someone in your HR department.

Of course ticket prices are just part of the problem.  Popcorn, snacks, and drinks will cost you an arm and a leg too.  Unless you can find a way to sneak your own snacks into the theater. When I was a kid my mom used to bring an extra large purse full of Twizzlers candy.  Just be careful not to get caught!

Movies at Home

You can save even more money by skipping the movie theater altogether and watching movies at home instead.  Personally, I hate watching movies that have been edited and contain commercials…but they are free.  Even better is my cable provider’s movie package which gives me dozens of premium movie channels and OnDemand channels.  I can enjoy dozens of movies at home each month for less than the price of a single trip to the movie theater.

We’ve saved a small fortune on rental fees since we started renting movies from the library. Our local library has a huge collection of movies and tv shows and they’re all completely free to borrow for up to 2 weeks at a time.

Sign up with Netflix and you can rent an unlimited number of movies for one low price.  The more movies you watch the more money you’ll save!

Visit your local Redbox machine and rent a movie for just $1 a night.  Just make sure you bring it back the next day to avoid being charged again.

A few months ago I told you I was trying to cut back on the amount of disposable products we use in our home.   We figure we can do our small part to help the environment and save a little money at the same time.

But how much can you really save by eliminating or reducing the use of disposable products like paper towels, plastic cups,  and paper plates?

As it turns out quite a bit!

With kids and pets in the house we used to go through paper towels like crazy.   Every time there was a spill or mess to clean up we reached for the paper towels.  But then I decided to break that habit and reach for a washable towel or dish rag instead.

We’ve managed to cut back our paper towel usage dramatically.  We went from using a roll of paper towels every two days to using the same amount in 2 weeks!

At a roll per day over the course of a full year we would have used about 183 rolls.  But at a roll every two weeks we’ll only use 26 rolls!  That’s a difference of 157 rolls of paper towels!

How much does that actually save us?  Well I stopped in Target at lunch time and jotted down a few prices:

Bounty Paper Towels = $2.19 for a 70 count roll.

Target Brand = $3.49 for a 156 count roll.

Now this doesn’t take into account all the different multi-packs and varying price per unit but I didn’t really have time to sit in the aisle taking notes for an hour.  So for argument’s sake let’s just be conservative and say each roll would cost $2.

That means we will save $314 this year just by switching from paper towels to washable rags.

I still can’t believe we were spending that much money on something so stupid all this time.  Just goes to show you the importance of tracking your spending and always looking for new ways to save money.

Ever since I was a kid I have always enjoyed reading.   I’ve usually got about 3 or 4 books going at any given time and it drives my wife crazy because I leave my reading material all over the place.

I just can’t help it.  I love to learn new things and what better way is there to learn lots of new things than sitting down with a good book?

I also think it’s important to set a good example for my kids.  I want to instill in them a love of learning and if they see me reading all sorts of books I hope they’ll follow my lead and pick up a book for themselves instead of just sitting in front of the tv like a vegetable all day.

I buy most of my books from Amaon because their prices are tough to beat, and I also take advantage of our local library.  But one of my favorite places to get new books is Paperbackswap.com

Paperbackswap is a book swapping site where you can post your books online and swap with other members.  It works like this:

1. Go to Paperbackswap.com and sign up for a free account.
2. Post all of the books you are willing to trade
3. You have to post at least 10 books and then you’ll instantly get 2 book credits so you can request 2 books right away.  The books you receive are free and yours to keep.
4. When another member requests one of your books you mail it to them (you pay the media mail postage rate).  Once they receive the book you get another credit so you can request a new book for yourself.

The thing I love best about PaperbackSwap is that you can find all sorts of books that are out of print and unavailable elsewhere.  I’ve gotten over a dozen free books since I joined and I’m looking forward to getting a lot more.

If you sign up through my link below and post 10 books I’ll receive 1 free book credit!

Click here to join PaperbackSwap for free.

You’re getting married? Congratulations!

It’s such a wonderful time and it can be so much fun. But it can cost you a fortune too.

Between the wedding dress, limos, food, flowers, and music, you can easily drop tens of thousands of dollars on a wedding.

You’re smart for looking for ideas for wedding receptions on a budget.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a beautiful and memorable wedding. Let’s look at a few ways that other bride and grooms have thrown wedding receptions on a budget:   

If you live near the coast and are getting married in the warmer months, a wedding on the beach is perfect. The sound of waves crashing into the beach sets the mood and a spectacular ocean backdrop makes for stunning pictures. How about a clam bake and late night bonfire? You’ll save a fortune over more formal affairs.

If the beach is too far or you just don’t like getting sand all over you, getting married in a park is a good alternative. Look for a park that’s clean with lots of scenic views. You won’t need to spend much on a florist if you choose a site already loaded with lots of greenery and flowers.

For those on a real shoestring budget, a backyard barbecue can be the best option. One of the best weddings I ever attended was in my friend’s backyard. It was informal and cozy, and the food was fantastic (My buddy’s dad is from Texas…and he knows how to GRILL!!).

Obviously you’ll need a yard that’s large enough to fit your guests and tidy enough to not embarrass you. Mow the lawn, trim the bushes, and hide the gardening tools in the shed. You should also consider renting a tent in case the weather doesn’t work out the way you plan.

More Money Saving Tips for Weddings

I’ve just given you three different options for throwing wedding receptions on a budget. But there’s a lot more to planning a wedding on a small budget than just location:

1. Who pays for wedding expenses? This is an important concern for many couples. If your families offer to help great. If not, you’ll have to start saving some serious cash ASAP!

2. Food. Buffets are usually much cheaper than sit-down dinners, and many guests prefer buffets because they get to try out all of the dishes instead of just one.

3. Music. Live bands are great, but going with a DJ can easily save you a couple grand. If you can’t live without live music, try to find a college band that will play for less money.

4. Flowers. Using flowers that are in season can save you a bundle. Out of season varieties may have to be shipped halfway around the world and you’ll be footing the bill.

5. Video and Photo. Prices vary wildly from one vendor to another. Shop around before making a choice, and ALWAYS ask to see samples of their work. Also make sure you meet with the person who will actually be working your wedding. You’ll eliminate potential personality conflicts later.

6. Transportation. Skip the Hummer and Rolls Royce models (and don’t even think about a horse-drawn carriage). These specialty choices will cost you an arm and a leg. Stick with the standard limo and save the money for something else.

Planning a wedding on a small budget does create some challenges. You may have to make some tough choices and eliminate something you really want, but the money saving tips for weddings I just gave you will help.

And remember money isn’t everything.  Wedding receptions on a budget can be just as fun and memorable!

When you look at your phone bill do you ever wonder why the hell you’re paying so much?

With all the taxes and surcharges it can be hard to figure out what exactly what you’re paying for.  Which is why it’s important to take a closer look at your bill and check for BS charges like inside wire maintenance.

Inside wire maintenance is an optional monthly service offered by your telephone carrier that provides repair protection for the telephone jacks and wires inside your home.

That sounds nice until you really think about it.

In my town inside wire maintenance plans costs $6.99 per month and it’s probably similar in your area.  That’s $83.88 a year for “insurance” on a bunch of wires.

Now ask yourself…have you EVER had someone come to your home to “maintain your wires”?

Seriously, telephone wire and jacks really don’t require much maintenance at all.  Once it’s installed it will probably be good for 30 years.  Maybe a loose connection will need to be tightened once a decade or so and that can easily be done by anyone with a screwdriver.

Even if you do need to replace a jack or rerun some telephone wire…it’s a piece of cake.  I’ve done it many times myself and if you don’t know what you’re doing you can always ask a friend to help.  And the jacks and wire you need can be purchased at Home Depot for less than $10.

Do yourself a favor and ditch the ripoff inside wire maintenance plan.  Put the $83.88 you save towards your credit card debt or take your family out for dinner instead.

When you’re a parent of young children it seems like all you do is change diapers, make lunches, help with homework, and drive to soccer practice.   It can be tough to actually carve out a little time for yourself and your spouse.

But your relationship will suffer if you don’t make an effort to have some adult time with each.  This makes finding a reliable baby sitter a necessity.   But finding a baby sitter you can count on is easier said than done.  And the good ones don’t go cheap.

So do what we’ve done…find another couple with young kids and trade baby sitting services with them.  One night you drop your rugrats off at their house for a few hours so you can have a relaxing and peaceful dinner with your spouse.  Another night you look after their kids while they have a night out.

You can save money too by bartering baby sitting services with another couple instead of paying cash for a babysitter.   After all…you deserve a night out once in awhile don’t you?

When I was a kid my dad was always complaining about how wasteful our family was.  He was always telling us to turn out the lights when we left a room, don’t take more food than we can eat, and stop wasting so many paper towels and napkins.

At the time he seemed like a cranky old miser, but now that I’m a dad myself and I have the responsibility of paying the bills each month I realize he was right.

In an effort to reduce our debt to more manageable levels I’ve been on a campaign of sorts to cut expenses and save money in any way I can.  My current target…disposable products like paper towels and plates and plastic cups.

Disposable products like these can be a huge time saver.  It’s a lot easier to just throw a plastic cup in the trash rather than having to wash it.  And paper towels come in often handy for quick spills that happen constantly when you have young children.

But there’s a price to pay for that convenience.  Just take a walk through the disposable products aisle of your local supermarket and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Anyway, here’s the steps I’ve taken so far to minimize our use of diposable products and shave a few dollars off or grocery bills.

1. Our cat Jasmine eats 1 can of food each day.  She gets half in the morning and the other half in the evening.  During the day we had been using a plastic zip lock bag to store the half can of food that was left after her morning feeding.  I did away with the wasteful bags and picked up a small, reuseable tupperware container for 50 cents.  It saves us money everyday by eliminating the use of disposable bags.

2. Paper plates are awfully convenient, especially if you’re like me and despise doing dishes.  But they aren’t cheap and a family of five can go through them pretty quickly.  We still use paper plates occaisionally but by making an effort to bypass the paper and go with the real dishes instead we’ve been able to make them last a lot longer and limit the number we have to buy.

3. Those big red platic cups are great for parties and I also like to use them when I’m working in the yard or the garage so I don’t have to worry about breaking a glass.  But there’s no reason to throw them out.  We just wash them with the rest of our dishes and stack them neatly in the cabinet where they take up almost no room at all.

4. I still catch myself going for the paper towels when I spill some coffee on the counter or one of the kids knocks their drink over.  But most times I catch myself and whip out a dish towel instead.  Then I just toss the towel in the laundry room to be washed.  Yesterday I picked up a 12-pack of bar rags at Target for just a couple of bucks.  Those rags will clean up hundreds of messes and save me lots of hard-earned cash.

Think about some other ways you can limit or eliminate your use of disposable products.  Not only will you be saving money, you’ll also be helping to save the Earth by living a greener lifestyle.