Make sure you aren’t overpaying!

Here’s an easy way to look into it!  Just request a quote from Esurance!

• You can save  time, hassle, and money you could save on your car insurance with Esurance.
• A lot of companies have automatic rate increases, that you may not even notice! (Mine goes up 10% a year-and that’s if my record stays clean!)
• Not 100% sold on the online part of things?  Well, it’s an Allstate company, so you know you can trust them!
• Esurance is not available in all states

Request your NO Obligation Esurance Quote, and see how much you can be saving!

Are you looking for some simple ideas to save money? We have simple solutions that you can easily apply to your lifestyle to save money!

The leaves outside are changing and piled on the ground, Halloween has come and gone, and fall is in full swing!

But with everything around looking like autumn, don’t you want to make everything smell like it too?

Here’s an amazing trick to permeate your home with a festive fall smell, and the best thing about it is it’s completely SIMPLE and CHEAP.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 mug
2 tsp Vanilla Extract (imitation vanilla extract works fine too)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2-4 cloves

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Here’s what you do:

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Put all of the above ingredients into a mug and stir them together.

3. Place the mug in the oven for 1 hour and wait as the smells fill the air in your home!

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This is so easy and so yummy smelling!  If you want a simpler way to give your home a wonderful smell, just do the same thing as the above and omit the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

happy fall

Did you run out of allspice? Read how to make allspice substitute.

• Read more Frugal Living Articles.
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Chicken broth is really easy to make and there are several way to do it.  You can save a lot of money by making it at home, but what if you want it to be fat free?

Here is a quick and easy way to make broth.

Just boil a chicken with a bit of salt, onions, garlic and other spices of your choice:

However, once you’re done boiling the chicken, the fat is released into the broth, making it tasty but oily.

If you want it to be fat free, just refrigerate your broth for a couple of hours.   Once it’s cold the fat will rise to the top and harden.  It will look like this:

For the fat-free version of the broth, skim the fat off the top like this:

After skimming the fat off the broth, you can use the broth however you want!  I love to make a big batch of broth and freeze portions of it in tupperware.  That way, when I have a recipe that calls for chicken broth, I can just pull it out and use it.

Try this almond joy oatmeal recipe.  Read more money saving tips.

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Freezing is a great way to preserve food, but if your food ends up freezer burnt, it’s just a waste.

So here are 3 simple tips to keep your food from getting freezer burnt:

1. Remove all air.  The more air from the bag or container you’re freezing your food in.  The more air that comes in contact with your food, the quicker it becomes freezer burnt.  Dry air removes moisture from food, creating ice crystals, shriveling food, and leaving an unpleasant taste.

2. Freeze in small amounts. Smaller amounts of food freeze more quickly than a large quantities.  The faster the food freezes, the smaller the ice crystals will be in the food.  Freezing bigger quantities of food means the food freezes slower, giving the opportunity for larg
er ice crystals to form.  Ice crystals break down the cellular structure of food.

3. Wrap it up.  Tightly wrap your food in order to minimize its exposure to air.

Freeze bread to save money.  Read how to freeze candy from Halloween.  Read more money saving tips.

Find out why we are giving you a daily money saving tip and how else we are helping you save money in 2012!

{Pin This}

Are you looking for some simple ideas to save money? We have simple solutions that you can easily apply to your lifestyle to save money!

Did you let your lettuce get a little wilted before using it?

Don’t throw it away!  There’s a solution!

{Pin This}

Just place your lettuce into a bowl of water for a few hours.  The water will soak into the leaves and get your lettuce back to being crunchy in no time!

Check out how to regrow green onions.  Look at this trick for keeping blueberries fresh.

Read more money saving tips.

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A lot of wasted money is spent on impulse, so before making a purchase, think it through.

Here are 5 things to ask yourself before making a purchase:

1. “Do I NEED this?”

2. “Can I live without it?”

3. “Can I wait?”

4. “Do I have something I already have something similar I can repurpose?”

5. “What else can I do with this money? [perhaps something more useful/important]

Read 5 tips to avoid impulse buying.

Read more money saving tips.

Find out why we are giving you a daily money saving tip and how else we are helping you save money in 2012!

happy shopping.

Money Saving Tips And Strategies:

• Read more money saving tips.
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• Learn other ways we are trying to help you save money in 2012!

Why not buy a little extra and freeze it for later?  Come November, you can make a smoothie or a fruit sauce with your favorite yummy fruit without paying outrageous prices for it.

Here are some more tutorials on freezing fruits and vegetables:

• How to Freeze Butter
• How to Freeze Cake
• How to Freeze Cheese
• How to Freeze Corn
• How to Freeze Grapes
• How to Freeze Green Beans
• How to Freeze Honeydew
• How to Freeze Peaches
• How to Freeze Pineapple
• How to Freeze Strawberries
• How to Freeze Sugar Snap Peas
• How to Freeze Zucchini
• How to Freeze Asparagus
• How to Avoid Freezer Burn
• How to Cut and Freeze Mango

Check out these helpful links:

• Here are some great tip on how to freeze and preserve produce.
• Read more money saving tips.
• Read stockpiling fresh produce part 1 and stockpiling produce part 2
• Here are other ways we’re helping you save money!

Besides saving yourself the a hefty fine for speeding if you get pulled over, you can also save 7-14% of your gas!  That’s between .24-49 cents per gallon.  For most vehicles, driving over 50 mph causes the car to lose efficiency in its gas use.  So, for ever 5 miles you drive over 50 mph you’re essentially paying .24 more per gallon.

What tricks do you use to save on gas?

Money Saving Tips And Strategies:

• Read more money saving tips.
• Find out why we are sharing simple money saving tips  with you. 
• Learn other ways we are trying to help you save money in 2012!

Did you find a great deal on bread?

You can freeze it for up to 2-3 months, so consider picking up an extra loaf.

Also, to prevent your bread from molding quickly, store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

How to Freeze Series

• How to Freeze Butter
• How to Freeze Cake
• How to Freeze Cheese
• How to Freeze Corn
• How to Freeze Grapes
• How to Freeze Green Beans
• How to Freeze Honeydew
• How to Freeze Peaches
• How to Freeze Pineapple
• How to Freeze Strawberries
• How to Freeze Sugar Snap Peas
• How to Freeze Zucchini
• How to Avoid Freezer Burn

Learn more about Freezer Meal Cooking:

• Benefits of making freezer meals
• Freezer Meal Recipes
• How to start a Freezer Meal Group
• How to Shop for Freezer Meal Recipes
• How to Prepare Freezer Meals
• What Foods Don’t Freeze Well

The more we eat, the more napkins we carelessly wipe up spills with, the more the more gas we guzzle, the more we use, the more we money we spend.   If we remember that everything costs money, we are less likely to be careless with our consumption.

What tricks do you use to consume less and still live comfortably?

Read my post on never having to buy paper napkins again.

Money Saving Tips And Strategies:

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• Find out why we are sharing simple money saving tips  with you. 
• Learn other ways we are trying to help you save money in 2012!

Putting your washing machine settings on “rapid wash” so that it’s going for only for 30 minutes instead of 45 often gets your clothes just as clean.  I haven’t noticed a difference in my clothes, but I have noticed a difference on my electric bill.  The one exception I make is for extra dirty clothes or heavier items such as jeans and towels.  I’ll wash those on a longer cycle, but for everything else, the rapid wash cycle gets the job done just fine!

Read 10 tips to save money on air conditioning.

Money Saving Tips And Strategies:

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Have you ever heard the phrase “walk with purpose”?  Walk with a mission, you have something to do, somewhere to be, your goal is specific, etc.  How about shop with purpose?  Shopping just to shop might just be the most dangerous strategy for your pocketbook.  Unless you have an insane amount of self control, going to the store for the sole purpose of looking around and “shopping” almost always leads you to buying things you wouldn’t have purchased otherwise.

Yes, shopping is fun, but can be dangerous.  Try to make a habit of shopping with a purpose.  If you are looking for a certain item like a backpack, don’t tempt yourself by browsing through the shoe isle.  You’re bound to find something you like and probably don’t need.  Make a list and stick to it.  Here are some tips to avoid impulse buying or read my post on wants vs. needs.

happy shopping.

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Are you looking for some simple ideas to save money? We have simple solutions that you can easily apply to your lifestyle to save money!

Do you want to make some extra change?

As a little girl, I always loved to save our old bottles and soda cans.  Every time we’d have soft drinks as a special occasion, I took care to save all of the empty cans and put them in a big plastic garbage bag.  When the bag got full, I’d ask my mom to take me to the recycling machine at our local grocery store.  After putting the empty plastics and aluminums through the recycle machine, we would take the money and got an ice cream.   It was a fun tradition that I absolutely loved doing with my mom.  When I got old enough to drive myself, I kept up with the recycling tradition, but I just started using the extra cash as gas money.

So why not save up your plastic bottles and cans and take them to your local recycling center for a small cash reward?

The money you get may not be a lot, but if you get creative, you can find worthwhile uses for it.  Whether it’s toothfairy money, a little extra to buy an ice cream, or just a tradition that gives you some change to keep filling the piggy bank, money is money.  Every little bit counts!

How do you earn extra cash?

Read about making saving money a game.

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 It’s that time again…back to class…And that means back to the store for shoes, clothes, and school supplies.

Right now is a good time to start thinking about what you or your children need for the year and begin looking for the sales, comparing prices, and making a plan.

Here are 5 Money Saving Tips to consider  in this inevitable money spending time of year:

1. Always buy on sale.  Just make it a rule for yourself and/or your children to only buy items that are on sale [and that of course have the lowest price because sometimes "on sale" doesn't mean inexpensive]. We are here to help you find the best back to school deals.
2. Check the dollar store.  Don’t forget that the dollar store often has everything you need, so if it costs more than $1 somewhere else, you can always get it cheaper.
3. Upcycle old supplies.  Take all of your supplies from the year before and make them look as new as possible.  Sharpen pencils, tear out used pages from old notebooks, and put a creative wrapping over the covers.
4. Rely on hand-me-downs.  If you have older kids, consider passing down their clothes or supplies to the younger school-goers.
5. Allow your kids to contribute.  If your children want articles that cost more than you’re willing to spend, allow them to work to make up the difference in price.

Read more money saving tips.  Find out why we are giving you a daily money saving tip and how else we are helping you save money in 2012!

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If you’re in the middle of baking and realize you don’t have enough butter or oil…

Just remember, you can save yourself a trip to the store by substituting 1 Cup of applesauce for 1 Cup of oil or butter.  

This will also save you some extra calories!

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Saving power when it comes to your big appliances can make a huge difference on your monthly bill.

Here are 4 easy steps you can use to improve your freezer’s efficiency:

1.  Defrost and dry your freezer.  This can be done about once a year.

2.  Vacuum and clean.  It’s good to keep the vent of your refrigerator/freezer clean.  Make sure it’s free from dust and dirt so it can cool off more efficiently.  Also clean in and around the freezer, paying special attention to the rubber seals.  It’s important that they are free from dust and debris so they can seal the cold air in when you close the freezer.

3.  Fill your freezer to capacity.  A full freezer is easier to keep cold.  If you don’t have enough food to fill the freezer, place the food on the sides and where it can be accessible and fill the center cavity with crumpled newspaper or any other item.

4.  Keep the thermostat exposed.  Also leave some air space in the fridge. This will allow the freezer to keep the correct temperature as it will be free to sense the air.

Click here for more tips on how to save on your electric bill.

Read 10 ways to save on air conditioning.

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It seems like every time you want to catch up with friends, spending money is inevitably involved.  Whether you go out to lunch or dinner, you can end up spending more on a restaurant tab than what you spent on your last trip to the grocery store.

Instead of spending money on restaurants, why not pack a meal and go for a picnic?  It’s a perfect way to catch up with friends and enjoy a good meal, while still keeping your pocketbook full.

What do you do to avoid spending too much money with friends?

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Invest the money in weather proofing spray, shoe polish, and shoe glue.  Doing regular maintenance on your shoes will prolong their life and keep them looking great!

Check out this tutorial on how to polish your shoes. Check out this Shoe care kit only $14.99.

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Running out of gas?

The summer months are always a tough time when it comes to gas prices, so here are three tips to help you save your fuel:

1.  Look to fill up when you have about a quarter of a tank left.  This will give you time to get to the cheapest gas station.  But, don’t wait too long because running on empty is bad for the electric fuel pump and can cause is to fail more quickly, which will turn out to be much more expensive if you have to replace the pump.

2.  When you fill the tank, fill it full [with the least expensive gas of course].  If you’re putting $10 here and $20 there, you’ll waste fuel [and time] driving around to the gas station every few.

3.  Find a gas station with a rewards benefit or a credit card with special rewards for buying gas.

Read more ideas on how to save gas.

Read how to get better gas mileage.

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 Are you traveling abroad any time soon?

Wait until you find a bank or an official money exchanging service to exchange your cash.  Remember, just like everything else in the airport, exchanging money in the airport almost always ends up being more expensive.

If you need the local currency right away, just exchange what you will need until you can make it to a bank.

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I have found that if you squeeze the toothpaste tube just the right way, you can usually make it last at least a few more days.

If you’re baking and don’t have butter, here are 4 substitutes you can use!

To replace 1 cup of butter use:

1. 1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
2. 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 7/8 cup lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1 cup margarine

*For unsalted butter, use any of numbers 1-3 without the salt.

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Rules for safely thawing foods

Here are some safety tips directly from the USDA:

“Never thaw foods in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher or plastic garbage bag; out on the kitchen counter, outdoors or on the porch. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat.

There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. It’s best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Small items may defrost overnight; most foods require a day or two. And large items like turkeys may take longer, approximately one day for each 5 pounds of weight.

For faster thawing, place food in a leak proof plastic bag and immerse it in cold water. (If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Tissues can also absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product.) Check the water frequently to be sure it stays cold. Change the water every 30 minutes. After thawing, cook immediately.

When microwave-defrosting food, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving.”

Read what foods are safe to freeze.

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Be sensible in your efforts to save money.  Remember it’s not cost effective to spend $5.00 in gas driving around to several stores to save $1.

There was a time when gas was so cheap that you could afford to drive around to get the best price, but those days are over.  Gas is expensive, so consider it into the cost of an item when you have to drive far to get it.

Read more tips on how to save gas.

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Does your toothbrush need some cleaning?

Here are 3 quick and easy ways to disinfect your toothbrush:

1. Soak toothbrush in an antiseptic mouthwash.

2. Boil the toothbrush.

3. Put it in the dishwasher.

* Get a toothbrush sanitizer.

It’s a not a bad idea to disinfect your toothbrush ever few weeks, just as a routine procedure.  It’s especially a good idea if you have been sick.  Just remember, most dentists recommend you completely change out your toothbrush at least every 3 months or when the bristles start to show wear.

I just found Colgate Toothbrushes only $0.87 with Subscribe and save. Hurry price will not last long.

Read how to quickly disinfect a dishcloth.

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If you don’t have any chicken broth in your stockpile [and don't want to go out and buy chicken broth at full price] , here are 2 fast substitutes that will work in your cooking:

For 1 C chicken broth:

*The same ratios of beef bouillon and powdered beef broth base also work for making beef broth substitute.

If you have a little more time and want to make your own, here’s a how-to on making your own chicken broth.

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Do you drink coffee?  Stops at the coffee shop really add up.  Save well over $50 per month on coffee by waking up an extra 15 minutes early to prepare your own.

Don’t be tempted to spend money on coffee you can easily make yourself.  To save even more money, invest in your own reusable mug so you don’t have to spend on styrofoam cups.

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Keep an eye on the register as the clerk scans your items to ensure that the proper discounts and come off.  Sometimes there are errors in the computers and items ring up at different prices.  This can happen at any store.  So whether it’s the grocery store or a department store, just keep an eye on the prices that come up when the clerk scans them!

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If you take good care of your shoes, they’ll last longer.  Here’s a quick how-to on shoe polishing.

Are you looking for some simple ideas to save money? We have simple solutions that you can easily apply to your lifestyle to save money!

Need baking powder?

Here are 3 recipes that make useful substitutes for 1 teaspoon baking powder (for those times you get caught without it):

1. 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2. 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 C sour milk, buttermilk, or yogurt (decrease liquid called for in recipe by 1/2 C)
3. 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/4 to 1/2 C molasses (decrease liquid in recipe by 1 to 2 tbsp

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Did you have a 4th of July party and get left with more food you can eat before it goes bad?

Try freezing it!

You can freeze almost anything, cakes, hot dog buns, fruit, hamburger meat, etc.

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Happy Independence Day!

For all those who are having BBQ’s today, here’s a government-made temperature guide for safe grilling:

Happy Grilling!

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So I’m currently on a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia right now.  Before my trip, I went to go buy a hiking backpack at a locally owned sporting goods store.  I also needed to pick up  some other camping-like supplies, so I did a one stop shop at the local store.  What I’m about to tell you is AMAZING…

All I did was be nice and I politely ask for a discount.  I made friends with the salesman and since I was buying several items, I asked if I could get some type of a discount. Those magic words got me $70 off my total purchase.  Honestly, if I would have just gone in and bought the stuff I needed without thinking to ask, I would have paid $70 more.  I even did my research and compared prices at large retailers and the deal they were offering me at the local store was much better than the large retailer prices.

That’s the beauty of many locally run businesses.  They have the flexibility to “help you out” on your purchase by marking things down for you.  At a large retailer, there’s no way they’ll just give you a discount for asking.  I already loved shopping at small businesses because I love supporting the local economy, but after this experience, I have just one more great reason to love it.  So next time, try shopping at a local store and ask if they give discounts.  Also, be sure to ask if they have special rates for senior citizens, students, teachers etc.

happy shopping.

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Did you find something you like at the store?  Try checking prices online.  You can often find better prices online and save lot’s of money.  Sites like Amazon often offer the same products you see in the store at discount prices. Learn more about Amazon shopping strategies.

happy shopping.

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