frugality

Photo by DawnVGilmorePhotography

The following is a guest post from Kristin of Making Cents out of Life:

Throughout the country, times are tough. Job losses have forced people to work for minimum wage, if they can find a job at all. Other people have been out of work for months or are facing major illness or rising costs of living. Families are finding ways to cut from their budgets to make ends meet, trimming away all seemingly unnecessary spending so that they have enough for their basic needs.

One of the things that is being cut from many budgets is medication because the cost for those who are under-insured or uninsured can be unfathomable. People can’t afford to think about the future, when that missed medication could cause greater hardship economically and physically. However, there are ways to cope with the exorbitant cost of medication, no matter your situation.

• Talk to your doctor about less expensive generic medications. Your doctor might be willing to try a less expensive medication that will serve the same purpose, and save you serious money. He may ask that you allow him to monitor you more closely until he is sure the drug works.

• Use generics whenever possible. Most medications have a generic equivalent that is just as good if not better, and a fraction of the cost. Before you leave your doctor’s office make sure he has marked the prescription so that you may get generics.

• Ask for samples of both short-term antibiotics and medications as well as routine medications. This can save you huge co-pays, especially for name brand medications. If you take a routine medication but see the doctor monthly, you should still ask for samples at your visits. The doctor may be able to provide you with samples until you get back on your feet.

• Shop around with different drugstores. The cost of prescription medication is not universal. There can be a huge difference, as much as 30% in my experience, in the cost of a medication between one drugstore and another (for example CVS and Rite Aid). Your favorite drugstore might price match, so be sure to ask.

• Use coupons for gift cards. Major drugstores often have coupons that offer gift cards (valued from $10 to $30) for new and transferred prescriptions. Some pharmacies will even accept their competitors’ coupons each time you fill a prescription. Not only will you save on medication but you will have the gift card to pay for other things your family needs.

• Understand your insurance. Perhaps I should have listed this first, but knowing and understanding what your insurance will cover will help you and your doctor develop a plan that will meet your healthcare needs.

• Use prescription assistance programs. Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPARX.org ) is a wonderful resource for finding a prescription program and other patient assistance programs that help pay for the medical care needs of those who are not able to afford them.

• FREE and discounted prescriptions. Tara recently shared a list of pharmacies that offer SDfree antibiotics or $4 prescriptions. Be sure to call around to see if any of your medications are on their lists.

Knowing where to look and knowing what is available often is what stands between people and proper medical care. There is no shame in asking your doctor for samples or for applying for help when you cannot afford to pay anything. A person’s health is much more important than pride.

Doing any of those things listed will not only save you money but could save your life. Take it from someone who’s been there and had to learn from her own mistakes; cutting out medication from your budget can lead to dire consequences, and there is no reason that you should suffer them.

Kristin Thompson is searching to find her niche in the world of blogging and has found her passion in helping people save money on medical care and other necessities. Born a paraplegic, she now works with companies to promote products and services that benefit her readers and their families. Find more money saving tips and ideas for economical daily living at Making Cents out of Life.

Mandi from Organizing Your Way (and the Deal Seeking Mom Project Administrator) is exploring 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010 this month with tips to make your resolutions a reality.

Today, she’s talking about building your savings, and I wanted to share an easy way that almost anyone can find an extra $520 a year in their budget to add to savings!

Coupon myths — we’ve all heard them from our friends and family. Sure, they’re amazed by our savings, but there’s always an excuse for why they can’t do the same:

• Using coupons is too hard.
• Cutting and sorting coupons takes too much time.
• Coupons don’t really save you that much money.
• I never find coupons for the items I need.

And on and on…

Now we know that none of these are true. There are tons of resources online that make using coupons super simple these days. The organization part does take a small amount of time, but coupons can save you a bundle that will make that extra time pay off. And I’m fairly certain that there are at least a few coupons out there for everyone these days.

So what is the real reason these people aren’t using coupons? Maybe they just don’t want to bother with them. Maybe they’re just comfortable with their current routine and are living within their means, so it seems like a non-issue.

But I often wonder if they’ve stopped to think about what they’re missing out on. Consider this — if you only clip coupons from the Sunday paper for items that you need or usually buy, and then you actually use them when you’re at the store, I’d estimate you could save on average at least $10 a week. That translates into around $40 a month or approximately $520 a year!

Now how much more could you save if you take an additional ten minutes to check out a resource like the Deal Seeking Mom Coupon Database to see if there are any printable coupons available for items you’re planning to purchase?

Of course the challenge in this is translating these virtual savings into concrete savings. If you’re spending that extra money on lattes or quick trips through the drive-thru, then you probably haven’t truly saved anything. But if you take two minutes to login to your checking account after grocery shopping and transfer the amount you saved to your savings account, now you’re making real headway on building a savings that may come in handy some rainy day.

What could you do with an additional $520 or more a year? Clipping coupons is a simple way to start building your savings without changing your lifestyle one bit. So why don’t you check out the Grocery Grab and Drugstore Deals to get started today?

Head on over to Organizing Your Way for more tips on building your savings in 2010!

The following is a guest post from Alyssa Francis of Keeping the Kingdom First and my partner on Lifetime Moms Steals & Deals.

After the rush of the Holiday Season, shopping may be the last thing on your to-do list. But for serious bargain hunters like myself, there is no better time to score some amazing deals on deeply discounted clearance items.

Wear your most comfortable shoes, shop early to avoid crowds, and stock up on items that will save you money throughout the year.

Here are my Top 5 recommendations for your post-holiday shopping excursions:

1. Wrapping Paper

• Likely marked 50% off or more at many stores, this is the time to build up your wrapping paper collection. Select colors and styles that are versatile and can be enjoyed for birthday gifts and beyond. Don’t forget the scotch tape!

2. Christmas Decor

• This is the time to score some major deals on big ticket items, like pre-lit trees, wreaths, stockings, advent calendars, and tree skirts.
• LED Lights are a worthy investment for years to come. They cost more than traditional lights, so if you find some on clearance, don’t hesitate to buy some!

3. Candy

• Holiday candy is actually quite versatile. Anything red and anything chocolate is the perfect choice for Valentine’s Day.
• Have you considered using Candy Canes to decorate? They do not go bad, so stock up now and pack them away for next year. Just be sure to store them where they are not at risk of melting.

4. Toys

• Consider all of the Birthday parties your children will attend throughout the year. Buy age appropriate, gender neutral toys to have on hand. Store them away from curious eyes, like in a gift closet or Rubbermaid tote.
• Target is legendary for their post-holiday toy clearance. You can find deep discounts of 75-90% off at many stores. Don’t miss these hot printable LeapFrog coupons!

5. Special Occasion Clothing

• Consider those fancy Christmas dresses or sweaters for your children. If you can anticipate future sizes, you can score those special items at a fraction of the retail price for next year.

As with all bargain shopping, stick to a list and avoid buying on impulse. A deal is not really a deal unless you need it and can afford it!

Alyssa Francis is a Christian mom of four blessings who loves finding creative ways to reduce spending. She and her husband began a journey out of debt in 2007, and haven’t looked back since. Motivated by a desire to share her frugal ways, Alyssa founded Keeping the Kingdom First, where she encourages and equips others to save more and give more, one coupon at a time.

Photo by Nesster

As we approach Thanksgiving and the end of the harvest season, you may still have uncarved pumpkins hanging around as part of your seasonal decor. Rather than tossing them, consider these frugal ideas:

• Why not let it hang out for a while? While there is a ton of pressure to toss away all memories of the glorious harvest season when you start to deck the halls, pumpkins make great decorations for the Thanksgiving table and serve as a great visual reminder of the abundance of the season. Keep them out, place a few acorn squash or gourds next to them, and enjoy the last few weeks of harvest before the yuletide greetings dominate the air.

• Make pumpkin seeds and homemade pumpkin puree. Especially with the odd shortage of canned pumpkin this year, its so much cheaper to can your own pureed pumpkin than buy it in-store. If you aren’t up for canning it for later use, cut it into chunks and freeze it to be pureed when you need it for a pie or soup.

• Use it as a vase. Carve out the inside and use it to hold mums, daisies, or other seasonal flowers. Or fill it with pinecones, twigs, acorns and other natural insignia of the season of plenty.

• Make a natural planter. Fit a flowerpot into the inside of the pumpkin. You’ll have a festive planter that will last at least a month or so.

• Make a harvest scarecrow. Carve a face for your scarecrow. As it starts to crumple with age, the wrinkled and nubby skin of the pumpkin will give your scarecrow some character.

• Add it to your compost pile. Before your pumpkin starts to rot, let your kids have a blast kicking it around the yard in some old sneakers until it’s broken into a few pieces and then throw it into your compost pile. (Because you do reuse kitchen scraps by adding them to a compost pile, right? Confession: I don’t. I can’t stand earthworms, they gross me out. We feed our pumpkins to the goats.)

Easy Canning Alternative #1: Par-Boil Pumpkin for Freezing

1. Chop the pumpkin into small chunks, and put them in boiling water for five minutes. This process is called blanching.

2. Drain the pumpkin pieces in a strainer, and let them cool.

3. Once they are cool to the touch and dry, you can put them in freezer-proof containers, like the millions of Ziploc bags or cheap Rubbermaid containers we’ve all acquired.

Easy Canning Alternative #2: Baking Pumpkin for Freezing

1. Cut pumpkin into small chunks and place on a baking sheet at 500 degrees Farenheit.

2. Once it’s slightly browned, let the pumpkin cool, and put into freezer-proof containers as described above. Once you find that perfect pumpkin pie or muffin recipe, all you’ll have to do is pull it out of the freezer, thaw it and puree in a blender, if necessary.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Nadia is a young Army wife and stay-at-home mom to two adorable little kids. She enjoys bargain shopping and finding the hottest and cheapest deals for her readers and blogging about her frugal living adventures as a military mama at A-B-C Frugality. When she’s not blogging or chasing a naked toddler, you can find her working hard to finish up her Bachelor’s degree in Education or reading the latest Twilight book.

Photo by Lester Public Library

The following is a guest post from Mandi Ehman, the Deal Seeking Mom Project Administrator:

Christmas is only ten weeks away! What can you do today (or this weekend) to save money during this holiday season?

1. Write down your budget.

It’s extremely easy to overspend during the holiday season, and the best way to fight back against this tendency is to make a written budget divided into spending categories such as decor, gifts, baking, entertaining, events, etc. so that you can see exactly where you’re spending money. Think through all of your holiday expenses now to make your budget as complete as possible, but remember to update it to reflect any additional spending along the way. Keeping a running total will prevent sticker shock when you start totaling receipts in January and realize exactly how much you spent.

To help yourself stick to a budget, consider using cash (similar to the envelope system) or opening an ING Direct Electric Orange checking account dedicated to Christmas spending so that you can’t overspend.

2. Consider having “a handmade Christmas.”

Handmade gifts don’t have to mean popsicle stick picture frames or tin can pencil holders. Thanks to the vast number of resources available across the internet, having a handmade Christmas is easier than ever. Chances are that you can find directions somewhere on the web for almost any project you can think of, from homemade truffles and fudge to a felt crayon roll or handmade candles and potpourris. Or for less crafty options, you could put together a DVD of old home videos or frame kids’ artwork.

The keys to successfully pulling off a handmade Christmas are brainstorming, planning and starting early so that you have plenty of time to adjust as you go and make up for mistakes along the way.

3. Make your gift lists.

Similar to having a written budget, having a gift list written down and full of ideas helps you stay on track to buy what you need for everyone n your list without having to make a last-minute run to the mall or place a last-minute online order with express shipping.

As you’re brainstorming gift ideas, it’s important to find a balance between being specific for things like popular kids toys and having broader ideas for other people on your list (in case you can’t find the teal cashmere v-neck sweater you pictured in your mind as the perfect gift for your mother-in-law). Specific is good once you know a certain item exists and is fairly easy to find; it’s not so good when you’re thinking through possible gift ideas in your mind.

4. Set limits.

Remember that overspending does not lead to a merrier Christmas. Set limits on your budget and the number of gifts you give, and make up for any deficit in dollars with creativity and thoughtfulness!

5. Subscribe to Deal Seeking Mom.

We’re already thinking about the holidays here at Deal Seeking Mom, and you can be sure that Tara will have tons of great deals, coupons and sales to share with you throughout the season. She’s already mentioned the great toy coupons that came out at the beginning of the month, and my guess is you’ll see plenty more of those over the next two months. We’ve also got some exciting projects in the works to help you with your holiday shopping, so be sure to subscribe by email or in a feed reader if you haven’t already!

6. Begin shopping now.

Once you have your budget and gift list, you’re ready to start making a shopping list to take advantage of deals as they come along. For example, my little sister is a freshman in college, and I know she’d love this 27-piece set from E.L.F. along with some lip glosses and makeup brushes, so I plan to take advantage of that deal!  Many people have been stocking up all year thanks to the great coupons Bath & Body Works puts out on a regular basis. Be sure to make a baking list too so that you can start stocking up on the ingredients you need as coupons come out on those products.

7. Bonus tip: Budget now for the after-Christmas sales.

The weeks after Christmas are a great time to stock up on Christmas cards, gift wrap and decor at 75 to 90% off for next year!

Have you started preparing for Christmas yet? What’s your best money-saving tip for the holidays?

Mandi Ehman is the Deal Seeking Mom Project Administrator. She can also be found blogging at Organizing Your Way, where she shares tips for organizing, simplifying and decluttering as well as home management printables. Subscribe by email or in a feed reader to receive daily organizing tips!