How to Save on Car Insurance
I remember how ridiculously excited I was to become a driver. I had a special calendar where I counted down the days until I got my license and could be out on the open road all by myself. Man..those were the days, weren’t they?
Now, driving is so expensive that it just sucks. But that’s what is needed when you are an adult and you need to go to work!
If you are like me and you are looking for tips on how to save on car insurance, I have gathered some tips that can help!
- Drive less. It’s true. The less you drive, the less you will have to pay for car insurance. This is great if you live in the city and you don’t commute far for work. Unfortunately we commute 40+ minutes each way to work every day so this one isn’t an option for us.
- Don’t buy new. New cars cost so much more to insurance than older ones do! This is for several reasons, first of all, older cars aren’t worth as much, therefore the replacement cost isn’t nearly as high. Secondly, if you have a loan out on a car, you have to have full coverage insurance. If you drive a car that is fully paid for, you can just have liability insurance on it which is much less expensive.
- Raise your deductible. If you are looking to lower your insurance bill, consider raising your deductible. Of course, only do this if you are able to afford the deductible in the event of an accident.
These are just a couple of the simple things that you can do to save more on your insurance bill. What tricks have you found to help you save on this expense? I would love to hear more ideas!
How to save money on Toilet Paper
Don’t you just hate spending money on boring stuff? You know what I am talking about. Like soap, and paper towels and toilet paper, oh yeah, toilet paper. I mean, toilet paper is so boring and so so expensive when you think about how much money you have to spend on toilet paper each and every year, month, week, whatever.
So, how can we go about fixing this? Well, my friends, it is entirely possible to save money on this annoying expense. I’m not even kidding! Here are some tips on how to sav emoney on toilet paper:
- Use coupons. Couponing is not dead, my friends. Couponing is very much alive! Grab your Sunday paper, break out your laptop and check out this site and others such as coupons.com to print them out, or use your store’s rewards program to find coupons!
- Shop sales. I often shop at Safeway and it seems like once a month or so, I can find a 12 double-roll pack for just $5! That is pretty affordable to me. Anytime I can get a single roll for the $0.25 mark, I stalk up.
- Use single ply. This one is a pretty heated debate in many households (mine included),but thereality is that single ply toilet paper last much long that dual ply, meaning you have to buy it far less often. Occasionally too, you can find the 12 double-roll single-ply for the $5 mark and oh my goodness does a pack like that last a long time!
- Check the clearance section. Yep, the clearance section. I’m not even kidding folks. I have found quite a few TP deals in the clearance section of my grocery store over the years. Often, it is because the company is switching their labeling up, but hey…50% off sounds good to me!
- Family cloth. Okay, I can’t in good conscience suggest this because I would never personally do it, but some people swear buy it and I’m sure they save a lot of money doing so.
How do you save on this annoying expense?
Save Money on Baby Stuff with These Tips
If you are expecting a baby, you may be stressing out about how much money it is all going to cost you. Yes, you do need to be prepared for some expenses, but it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you have probably heard.
Don’t stress it, you can save money on baby stuff with these tips:
Have a baby shower. Baby showers are told of fun and you will get gifts that really help you save later on. With my last baby I g, t so many diapers as gifts that I didn’t need to buy any until my son was 9 months old.
Shop second hand. Babies grow out of clothes so quickly that it doesn’t make sense to spend $20+ per outfit on them. Find a great buy/sell/trade group on Facebook or shop at thrift store such as once upon a child. They have a great selection of clothes in great shape.
Get needs instead of wants. Let’s face it, much of the stuff that is advertised for babies is not actually necessary. For example, I’ve had three children and I have never once used a wipe warmer or even a bottle warmer for that matter. I have also never used a diaper genie. The regular trash works just fine.
Use coupons. When shopping for diapers, wipes or baby foods and formulas, check for coupons. There are almost always coupons available for baby products. Additionally, you can sign up for Gerber coupons as well as Similac, etc.
Use WIC. If you qualify, definitely use WIC. You will get assistance buying formula and other foods until the child is 5. If you have never bought formula before, it is very expensive, and WIC benefits have less severe income restrictions than other forms of assistance.
Do you have any tips on how to save on baby stuff?
A PYP Best Blog! Being Frugal and Saving Through the Little Things!
Just in case you missed this article on being frugal and saving money the first time we shared it a couple of years ago, we are republishing it. After Marne wrote this blog originally, we got an awesome response. This is one of the PYP Best Blogs!
Recently I went for a visit to my parents’ house. The house where I grew up. It had been a few years since I had been there and just walking in the door made me remember moments, events, and holidays. Isn’t it amazing how smells, items, and places do that to us? I was flooded with so many emotions that I didn’t know where to begin.
One thing I noticed was how frugal my parents still are. They passed that gene onto me, but I am not as frugal as I could be. They pinch pennies till they scream. Me…not so much. I suppose I go through phases like anyone else, but my parents never seem to falter. They are always able to get by with less and be happy. As I thought about this while I was visiting, I came up with some things I wanted to remember and implement better in my own life. Things I already know but don’t practice. Or things that I think I knew, but really didn’t understand as much as I thought.
1. Always be thankful for what you have, not what you don’t have. This is something we are taught from toddler ages, but I think it all sinks in differently for each of us. For me, actions spoke louder than words. My parents LIVE this principle, they didn’t just teach it. I am living debt-free today because this principle has been ingrained in me. I can do a better job at not complaining, however. My mom never complained. Ever. Art least not in front of me.
2. Make do with what you have, or do without. Now, this is easier said than done. But I really believe that there are many times I just throw something away that could be re-purposed. Or just buy new pants instead of fixing the hole on the old ones. My parents rarely bought anything without using the current item down to it’s threads. I never had new clothes unless I really needed them. How many of us can say that now? Trying to differentiate between a need and a want can be tricky, but being honest with yourself will help you see what you truly need or don’t need. I was shocked to see my mom still has clothes from when I was in high school (18 years ago). She truly doesn’t waste anything. The decor is the same. Looks the same as 20 years ago. And I like it that way too. If I went home to a newly decorated house it wouldn’t mean as much to me.
3. Find new purposes for everyday items. My parents were really good at this one. I was born in 1976, so obviously the internet was not there for ideas like it is now. Pinterest and Google didn’t exist. Mom and Dad came up with ideas or solutions on their own, or talked to friends and family. I thought it was normal to use empty shoeboxes to organize my drawers, use empty oatmeal canisters for my toys, and toilet paper rolls as cord holders. As I grew I realized not many people did those things, but it really helped me know that most needs can be met with what we already have on had. No need to spend lots of money or organizing bins or fancy tie holders. Just use a little creativity and imagination and we can solve our need without spending a dime.
4. Try making it homemade. This is beginning to become more popular thanks to Pinterest and the desire to stop eating processed foods. But it is true: making food from scratch saves lots of money, and it is healthier for you. Period. I won’t even tell you how old I was before I ate pizza that wasn’t homemade or mac and cheese from the box. My mom made everything and it was delicious!
These are not new concepts. Just tried and true that we all need to remember if we want to spend less and have a better quality of life.