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Tips That Make You Feel Like a Genius
Secretly, I feel like a genius when I discover a secondary use for this or that — in case I run out of this, but have plenty of that! Like using a paper coffee filter to wash a glass top or mirror when I'm in a pinch for paper towels. Or using …Read more.
Supermarket Tricks That Makes Us Spend More
I've always thought of myself as pretty sharp when it comes to spotting supermarket trickery. I'm not even fazed by an end-cap display announcing, "Special." I know their ways. They hope we'll just assume that "special" means …Read more.
The Struggle to Actually Use up Gift Cards
My love-hate relationship with gift cards has intensified. What a pain, really. I'm one who just forgets to use them, and when I remember, I try to figure out how to use each one to the last cent. I was reminded of my situation recently when I …Read more.
Commingle Personal and Business Finances? Never!
Dear Mary: I am reading your book, "Debt-Proof Living," and have begun tracking my expenses. I have a home-based business. Should I include business expenses or just personal expenses in the tracking? — Lucy, Vermont
Dear Lucy: You …Read more.
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4 Easy Budget HelpersWhen it comes to managing our money, there's a lot we can learn from the classic fable "The Tortoise and the Hare." The small things we do consistently day after day and without fail, not the occasional big efforts that quickly are abandoned, are what separate the winners from the losers. Check out these four small ways other "Everyday Cheapskate" readers keep their budgets on track. TRACK MASTER. I keep track of the costs of our household products this way: For products that we use over a period of a time — such as shampoo, lotion, spices and household cleaning supplies — I place blank address labels on the containers. On the labels, I write down how much I paid for the items and the dates on which they first were opened. When an item is all used up, I can calculate how much I spend in a year to use that product. It really helps with the budget. — Stephanie C., Missouri INTERNET MARKETPLACE. Shopping online is a great convenience, but I don't feel comfortable giving out my bank information over the Internet. Instead, I buy a Visa gift card for the approximate amount I will need to make my online purchases in any given month. That way, I stay within my budget, curbing my tendency to overspend, all while combating credit card fraud. — Margie C., Colorado MATCHING GAME. When I shop at stores that match prices, such as Walmart, I make sure I'm organized before I shop.
LOOSE CHANGE. I have a habit of throwing change in my purse rather than putting it in my wallet. As I found myself digging in the bottom of my purse to find change for vending machines, I began to wonder how much money I wasted by this careless handling of change. So I began removing all the change from my purse at the end of every day. I opened a savings account at my bank and called it "Loose Change." Six months later, I've cut out trips to the vending machine. I've lost weight, and I have a total of $107.48 in my savings account, just from change! — Susan, e-mail Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Include your first and last name and state. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
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