181. Find a Tailor

Have quality clothing tailored. If you have clothing that is good quality, having it tailored to fit you can end up extending the life of your clothing. Quality clothing tends to have a longer life than the cheaper counterpart and having it fitted as your body shape changes or as styles change, can save you money in the long run.

Happy Tailoring!

Until Tomorrow!

180. Clean Your Microwave with Vinegar

If you use your microwave a lot, you probably have found that food often sticks to the inside. A method that we use to clean our microwave is to fill a cup with about 8oz of vinegar, put this in the microwave and microwave on high until it boils. Let sit for a couple of minutes. Then, remove the cup (use caution) and wipe down the inside with a moist towel. Every once in a while, I may have to scrub some of the food residue off, but for the most part it all wipes of easily with this method.

Happy Cleaning!

Until Tomorrow!

179. Check Flights from Other Airports

One of the easiest ways to save money on flights, is to check on the prices from and to various area airports. I have found savings of over $200 per person by simply switching my flight to an airport that is a little further away. If you travel a lot, this could save you a small fortune!

Happy Travelling!

Until Tomorrow!

178. Drive your Vacation

Air Travel, Train Travel and Bus Travel are all pricey for multiple people. If you have two or more going on your trip you can often save a bundle by driving your own car. Or, sometimes, even renting a car for the trip. It will take longer to get to your destination, but you can make an adventure out of it along the way. If you plan your trip right, you could even extend your experiences.

Happy Travelling!

Until Tomorrow!

177. Flavor Your Own Water

Water is one of the most inexpensive items you can get to drink; however, it is sometimes a little bland. If you like to have a little more flavor in what you drink try adding some flavor to your water. This is easily done by adding some fruit or some herbs to a pitcher of water and then allowing it to sit for a short time. This creates flavored water for you to enjoy.

Try adding:

• orange, lemon, or lime slices
• hulled strawberries
• mint leaves
• cucumber

Each of these adds a new flavor to your water. You could even combine them in a variety of ways.

Happy Hydrating!

Until Tomorrow!

176. Make Your Own Comforter Cover

If you have an old comforter that you no longer like the look of, you can cover it as apposed to getting rid of it. By purchasing two flat sheets in the size of your comforter, you can make your own comforter cover. Simply put the sheets  finished side together, measure the width and length, stitch three of the sides closed, and then you can either trim and hem the top, or you can fold it over (depending on the look you want). To close the end, you can add buttons and button holes,  you can use button holes with ribbons, you can sew in a zipper, you could use Velcro, etc. If you don't like the idea of a removable comforter cover, you could simply stitch the end closed and stitch in some pockets to stop the insides from shifting. Recovering a good comforter can save you a bundle and can give you the exact look that you are going for without sacrificing the quality of the comforter itself.

Happy Decorating!

Until Tomorrow!

175. Steam Mop

If you have sealed, hard-surface floors, investing in a steam mop can save you a bundle in cleaning product. A stem mop not only reduces your need for floor cleaner, it also keeps the chemicals off of your floors. Using the heated water to remove all of the grime from your floors is easy, budget friendly and environmentally friendly. Although their is some initial investment, if you clean your floors regularly, it will pay for itself quickly.

Happy Cleaning!

Until  Tomorrow!

174. Vacuum Your Ceiling & Nooks

In an effort to save time and money, and to keep the house clean, I have found that a couple of times a year it is a good idea to vacuum the ceiling and any nooks. Using the extension hose on the vacuum, I vacuum at the ceiling to remove any dust, cobwebs, bugs, pet hair, etc. Then, I vacuum all of those nooks and crannies where dust likes to hide. I, also, vacuum the ceiling fan blades, the tops of cabinets, any place where dust and other stuff likes to settle. This reduces the allergies that my family experiences and keeps my heating and cooling system filters cleaner longer.

Happy Cleaning!

Until Tomorrow!

173. Car Seat Covers

When your car seats start to show wear, you should get covers to extend the life of your seats. Do not use car seat covers when your seats are in good shape, otherwise you end up wearing out your seats and the covers (wasting money). Once your seats start showing wear, cover them and it will improve the total look of your car!

Happy Covering!

Until Tomorrow!

172. Living Social

If you enjoy getting out and doing stuff, there is a website that offers discounts for a bunch of activities in your area: Livingsocial.com. You set up an account, telling them your location and they will send you updates for discounted activities in your area.

Happy Action!

Until Tomorrow!

171. Using the Back of Paper

This is especially money saving if you have young children who like to draw. Often, when something is printed it is only printed on one side and the other side remains blank; if you need paper for something that is not "important" then you can use the reverse non-marked side of the paper. The cost of paper continues to increase and saving money this way may seem like a small amount, but it adds up quickly. Even using the reverse of lined paper for quick notes or other information, can save money. If you need to, draw a quick "X" over the side that is no longer needed.

Happy Reversing!

Until Tomorrow!

170. Pay Yourself First

When you are in money saving mode you must remember to pay yourself first. Going through the motions of saving can be rewarding if you see the fruits of your labor. Put the money you save into savings, do not blow it on some other expense. You can use any method to save the money, you just have to be sure that you are saving it. Seeing the results of your endeavor can give you the desire to continue to work on it.

Happy Saving!

Until Tomorrow!

169. Say No to Fast Food

Fast food can be a huge budget buster. It is often very quick, seems cheap, and is grabbed on the run; however, when you add it up, it is very costly. Anything that is designed to save you time is going to be costly. I had a mechanic once who had this great sign up:

WE OFFER THREE TYPES OF SERVICE HERE:
                   QUICK
                   CHEAP
                   GOOD

YOU CHOOSE THE TWO YOU WOULD LIKE.
                IF IT IS QUICK AND CHEAP, IT IS NOT GOING TO BE GOOD.
                IF IT IS CHEAP AND GOOD, IT IS NOT GOING TO BE QUICK.
                IF IT IS GOOD AND QUICK, IT IS NOT GOING TO BE CHEAP.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS.

I keep this in mind in all areas of service and fast food is a service industry.

Food for thought!

Happy Dining!

Until Tomorrow!

168. Handmade Party Decorations

Making your own party decorations can be fun and it can be a family activity. Creating your own festive items can improve your party experience and save you money. Making a banner for the party can even be a party activity. In order to have a nicely decorated party, the idea of creating your own decorations should be appealing. Create your own festive environment inexpensively.

Happy Decorating!

Until Tomorrow!

167. Make Your Own Cards

Although you can sometimes find cards at a reasonable price, often they are crazy expensive. Printing and making your own cards can save you money. We have printed cards from the computer and we have hand drawn cards. Either option can be done on any type of paper and can be personalized for the person to whom it is being given. If you struggle being artistic, that is okay. Just find some examples that you like and you can use those to help you get ideas.

Happy Creating!

Until Tomorrow!

166. Save Monthly for Large Expenses

If you are in the market for spending a large amount of money, make sure that you plan ahead and save up so that you pay cash. One of the biggest culprits of the large spending sprees is the Christmas Season. People tend to spend a lot of money during this season on gifts for others. In order to make this a viable option, you need to start saving in January for the expense of December. Do not use credit cards to fund your holiday spending; if this is necessary, you need to spend way less. By saving up for the holiday spending, you have a set amount and do not have the stress of finances included in, what can be, an already stressful season. Also, if you are in the market for a large purchase, save up for it. The product will still be available later; however, it may be cheaper, or a better model may be available.

Happy Saving!

Until Tomorrow!

165. Reduce Utility Consumption

Utilities are one of those expenses that never goes away, however, reducing your consumption can result in a reduced bill. By using less energy or water you can reduce the expense on these bills. Often, we do not even notice when energy is being consumed and in order to reduce the usage, we must pay attention to it.

Happy Reducing!

Until Tomorrow!

164. Pay off Debt

One of the best ways to save money is to pay off your debt and one of the easiest ways to do that is to pay off the smallest amount first. Then, add that payment amount to the next highest amount and pay that off. Then, add the total new amount to the next highest amount and so on. By doing this, you will get your debt paid off. Make sure that you continue to pay the minimum payment on all of your larger debts while increasing the amount you pay on the smallest amount. You, also, have to quit adding to your debt. This is one of the vital steps!

Happy Debt Reduction!

Until Tomorrow!

163. Plan your trip for savings

When you are taking a trip make sure that you plan for all savings options. Some trips have multiple stops, make sure that you plan them so that you do not have to travel in circles. Figure out all of the stops and map out the most direct route. Also, make sure that you consider all of the errands that you could "go ahead" and do while you are out. Making multiple trips is a big waste of money.

Happy Planning!

Until Tomorrow!

162. Avoid Late Fees

Avoiding late fees seems like a simple way to save money; however, it these fees can sneak up on you. Make sure that you pay attention to due dates and pay your bills on time. One of the reasons that I use on-line bill pay is because I can set up future payment dates (and have the option to change them as financial matters dictate). If something comes up and your payment is going to be a struggle, often, if you call the biller, you can work out alternative payment arrangements. Being pro-active can work to your advantage, although continued payment issues will probably not work out well.

Happy Avoiding!

Until Tomorrow

161. Learn to Sew

Learn the basics of sewing and you can rescue your clothes and other fabric products. When my daughter was young, she had a favorite stuffed toy. She took it everywhere, she had it since before she was born, it was washed every couple of weeks and it started to develop holes. Instead of throwing it away and buying her something (not the same) new, I hand stitched the holes and they became "love" stitches. She still has the toy and she is almost 18. This is just one example of rescue by sewing! I have rescued many a favorite shirt, sleeping bag, blanket, etc., just from knowing how to sew. I have, also, transformed used dresses into amazing dresses for myself and my daughters, saving the hundreds for a new dress. I have sewn curtains from sheets and other fabric. I have done basic alterations on ill-fitting clothing (for the more complex alterations, I have used a tailor). This skill has probably saved me thousands over the years. If you can take a basic sewing class or have someone you know teach you, it is a valuable skill.

Happy Sewing!

Until Tomorrow!

160. Research Before a Vacation

When you are planning to take a vacation, make sure that you do all of your research. An enormous amount of information is available on-line and, although you cannot believe everything you find on-line, you can gain some information about the place to which you are travelling. Check out hotels at multiple sites prior to booking, reviews written by other guests are generally very informative. Also, check out any activities that you are interested in, often discounted tickets can be found on-line. Find out all that you can and save your money up front, then have a wonderful trip.

Happy Travelling!

Until Tomorrow!

159. Ride a Bike

If you can ride a bike instead of driving a car, you could save a bundle. Riding a bike reduces the need for fuels and increases your daily exercise. Riding a bike can save on your insurance costs, as well. Powering your own transportation could save you in a multitude of ways.

Happy Riding!

Until Tomorrow!

158. Eat Less Processed Foods

One way to save money now at through your health services is to eat less processed foods. By purchasing natural foods that have required less processing, you not only eat healthier, but also do not pay extra for the processing. Find recipes that use natural foods and purchase those in bulk whenever possible. Then you do not have to pay for all of the packaging either.

Happy Cooking!

Until Tomorrow!

157. Acne Treatment

Using witch-hazel or alcohol to clean your face as an acne treatment can save money. I know that there are a lot of products available, for a price, to help with acne. If household remedies do not work for you, you could look into these more expensive options; however, you should always try the less expensive and less chemical methods first. Wash your face every day and use witch-hazel or alcohol (applied with a cotton ball) to kill any external bacteria.

Happy Cleaning!

Until Tomorrow!

156. Wash Athletic Shoes

If you have athletic shoes that are not leather, throwing them into the washer is relatively easy and can keep them looking and smelling good. You can air dry them, or put them into the dryer (be careful with this option). If you are unsure how to properly care for your shoes, check on-line for options. Different shoes should be cleaned in different ways.

Happy Cleaning!

Until Tomorrow!

155. Reuse Picture Frames

When decorating, picture frames can become very expensive. Often, the image is the cheap part of the picture. One of the things that we do to save some money is to reuse picture frames. We find frames at yard sales or second hand stores that have the look that we want, then we can paint them to the color to match our decor. Simply remove the backing and glass, and spray or brush paint. I have even used the lines of the frame to create colorful frames. This is much cheaper than purchasing the same frame at a local retailer. Also, you can get exactly the look that you want by using this method. If you have some frames that are the right size, but not the right color, you can even paint your own frames.

Happy Painting!

Until Tomorrow!

154. Wash Your Car

If you want your car to last longer, you have to wash it. Especially if you live in an area where salt is used on the roads in winter. This road salt can quickly rust out the body of your car. Also, if you live in an area with hard rain water, you want to wash and wax it regularly. If you live in an area with a lot of sun, you want to make sure that you wax your car regularly. All of these different elements can reek havoc on your car's body and on your paint job. Taking care of your property is a sure way to increase the life of the item and your car is no exception.

Happy Washing!

Until Tomorrow!

153. Use Your Community Services

If your community offers any services, make use of them. You are really already paying for them, so get your money's worth. If you live in a community with a pool or community center, make sure that you are utilizing them regularly. If your community has parks or trails, use them too. Your community resources are funded by either your taxes or by other additional fees, so in reality you have already paid for them. Part of choosing a certain community is for the services offered, make sure that you make the most of what is available to you. If you are not certain of what is available, do some research. Go to some of these places and check out what they have. Often, if the services are not free, the charge is minimal.

Happy Activities!

Until Tomorrow!

152. Clean Up Your Food Storage

One way to save money is to make sure that you know what food you have stored in your house. Go through all of your food storage areas: the refrigerator, the freezer, the pantry, the cabinet, etc. Know what you have and get rid of food that is no longer edible or that your family will not use. This food can be composted, or donated, or any other options you have available. If there is food that is dying in the back of your refrigerator, you need to know about it. Cleaning out your food storage areas before each grocery shopping trip helps you to be completely aware of what items are needed for your food consumption.

Happy Cleaning!

Until Tomorrow!