Cell phones seem to be a way of life - but make sure that your plan fits your lifestyle. Some of us use cell phones in emergencies or only occasionally, while others are constantly on the phone. What you select for a cell phone plan, and phone plans for yourself in general, should reflect your own personal usage.

If you are an occasional user, a prepaid cell phone plan can be a big money saver. The minutes themselves are more expensive than a traditional monthly plan, but it doesn’t matter how little you pay for minutes in a traditional plan if you aren’t using anywhere near the amount you are given. Explore the idea of prepaid, where you can pay as little as $20 every three months - or maybe even less.

If you are a constant cell user - think about ditching the landline. Do you really use the phone directly wired into your house at all? If you do, could you replace that with the cell phone? Getting rid of the line in your home could really save you some money every month.

Make sure your phone plans fit your lifestyle, and you are saving as much money as you possibly can. Don’t overpay for your talk time - consider what you need today.

This frugal tip was provided by paidtwice of I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…

Lose a button? Bust a seam? Need a little hem on the cuffs to make those pants look right? Learn basic sewing skills and you can save money on replacing your clothing by fixing them instead! And it doesn’t stop there - you can make your own curtains, napkins, placemats, and so much more! A sewing machine in the right hands is a very frugal investment.

Don’t despair - does sewing just never work out for you? I know how you feel, and I have the scars on my thumbs from wayward needles to prove it. Find a good tailor, and make them your friend. I am very short, and need both the sleeves and legs of every taekwondo uniform I have ever worn shortened. By finding a tailor to do it for me, I save myself a lot of frustration, and I don’t have to find a way to special-order tiny pants. A good tailor will cost less than replacing an item that isn’t quite right.

This frugal tip provided by paidtwice of I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…

Do you want to garden but don’t have a yard or other suitable place to plant it? Why not try square foot gardening! As explained by Frugal Dad, square foot gardening is planting fruits, flowers, and/or vegetables in a raised bed above infertile soil (or above really anything) in 1′ x 1′ square plots. When you harvest something, you can plant another crop in its place. He has pictures on his site of the 4′ x 2′ bed he planted and how he constructed it - his total cost was about $40. There are detailed instructions on his site for how to construct the garden framework as well.

Lynnae at Being Frugal followed his lead and constructed her own square foot garden with her son. A fun family activity and frugal too!

If you’d like to garden but don’t have the fertile soil in your yard (or don’t have a yard) to do it, consider this alternative. I think I might even try doing this on my patio!

This frugal tip brought to you by paidtwice of I’ve Paid For This Twice Already… 

Last week I talked about baking soda and some of the many ways you could use it to clean, deodorize, and even unclog drains, as a frugal alternative to more expensive manufactured items.  Today I’ll discuss the other half of the frugal household helper pair, vinegar.  Vinegar, white vinegar to be exact, can be bought by the gallon for literally a few dollars, and a small amount of this handy liquid can really go a long way.  I use vinegar by itself for such chores as:

• Fabric Softener:  I use vinegar in the rinse cycle of our washing machine as a natural fabric softener.  It really works and since I am allergic to most commercial fabric softeners, is a great frugal alternative! Note:  Do not do this if you use bleach in your wash load.
  
• Cleaning the Toilet:  Put straight vinegar into a spray bottle and then spray vinegar on the toilet rim.  A quick wipe and you’re done!  Very important since I live with boys. 
• In The Dishwasher:  Pour 2 cups vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher before running.  Put your normal dishwasher soap in and run.  Your dishes will come out even cleaner this way!

And don’t forget, baking soda and vinegar work together well too to clean out your garbage disposal!

This frugal tip was written by paidtwice of I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…

Baking soda is a very common household item that is generally used for baking and deodorizing in the refrigerator and freezer. But it can be used for so many more things! Some of the uses I have for it in my household are:

• Cleaning my eyeglasses: I sprinkle a little on the lenses, and use a damp cloth to wipe them. I then rinse with cold water and they are sparklingly clear!
• Cleaning my coffeemaker: I run a mixture of 1 cup water and 1/4 cup baking soda through my coffeemaker once a week to make my coffee taste better.
• Cleaning my microwave: I boil 1 cup water with 1 tablespoon baking soda mixed in for about 5 minutes, then wipe down the interior of the microwave with a wet cloth. Grime comes right off!
• Carpet deodorizer: I sprinkle my carpets with baking soda about an hour before vacuuming (when I can keep the kids away!) and the whole room smells a little fresher.

Lynnae at Being Frugal has even more tips for baking soda, including as an ingredient in homemade laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, and even unclogging a garbage disposal!

Try some baking soda yourself for these or many other uses! It is cheap and really works! Yay for frugality.

This frugal tip was written by paidtwice of I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…

If you’re reading this than you probably have a desire to live a more frugal life. But developing a finely-tuned frugal mindset can take some time. It’s not easy. When you first start trying to spend less on things you’re eye catches every potential deal that’s out there. However, there are a few traps that can end up hurting your chances of success:

1. Buying the Wrong Products in Bulk

This is the classic trap. You see a crate full of something and look at the total price. In your mind you quickly calculate the per-item cost and you are blown away at the savings. You buy it. Three months later you still have two-thirds of the product left and no desire to use it, or even worse, it’s expired. If you’re a regular Sam’s or Costco user you know what I’m talking about.

2. Free Trials Turn into (Oops!) Credit Card Charges

We’ve all signed up for a free trial and accidentally forgot to cancel after the trial period. It happens. You end up paying an extra month of something that you stopped using after the first free week. If you use free trials, please make sure you set yourself a reminder to cancel the subscription. I use my MS Outlook calendar at work.

3. Chasing the After-Purchase Rebates

With a little work, the after-purchase rebate can work out great. Mostly though, we get a product home and never take the time to mail in the forms to get the rebate. You’re too busy using whatever it is you bought, right? Also, if the rebate is a reward instead of money, make sure it’s a reward you want. Bottom line: try to buy products with in-store rebates and get all your money up-front.

4. Not Reading the Fine Print

You mean I have to buy two? You mean I have to dine-in to get the deal? Take the time to read the small print on all your coupons, as they will inform you of what kind of deal you are really getting.

5. Confusing Cheap for Frugal

Lastly, don’t ever confuse frugality with being cheap. There a big difference, in my opinion. Find the balance between sacrificing your time/effort and the price you are paying. Also, try to avoid sacrificing quality if it’s a product that you will be sitting on, sleeping on, or depending on in some way.

Written by PT of Prime Time Money (RSS)

In the past, I was a brand conscious person.  I would naturally reach for brand name as opposed to the cheaper generic store brand products. But a marriage and a baby put a stop to that now that we have to watch our expenses a little closer.  However, it takes time to learn how generic store brand compares to the real thing.  Also the quality of generic products can vary greatly from store to store.  It’s a trial and error exercise, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run.

Here are some of the generics that I have tried recently:

• Medicines – Just read the active ingredients and try out the smallest size first.  Since medicines are controlled by the FDA, the quality doesn’t vary too widely.
• Cleaning products – This should be an easy one to substitute.  You could also go a step further and create your own cleaning products — ingredients usually include vinegar, baking soda, and bleach.
• Personal hygiene products – So far, I have tried Target equivalent of Listerine Whitening — possibly the best mouthwash ever.
• Baby diapers – My wife didn’t like the CVS diapers I bought because it’s not as soft as Pampers Swaddlers.
• Baby wipes –The ones from CVS weren’t that good, but the ones from Costco were great.
• CD-R and DVD-R – I have some good, and some bad experience with these.

Do you use generic store brand products?  If you found something that works well for you, please share with us.

Written by Pinyo of Moolanomy

Recently, I made a few changes to my services to take advantage of bundle discount. If you have the opportunity to make these changes, you could save quite a bit of money.

• Bundle your Internet access, TV, and telephone services – Depending on your area, you may be able to move all these services (may be even your wireless service) to one provider. A few months ago, I switch my Internet, TV, and telephone from Time Warner to Verizon and shaved off about $50 a month. I also got a 19″ flat screen TV as a bonus gift to boot. Not bad for about an hour worth of work.
• Bundle your insurances – After the switch to Verizon, I thought why not try my insurance. I used to have my car insurance with GEICO and home insurance with AllState. After a few phone calls, I settled on moving both my home and car insurance to Liberty Mutual. The move saved me about $1,145 a year.

Now let’s talk about something more valuable than money:

• Bundle your tasks and errands — If you have a couple of things to do, trying to bundle them into one day event and plan your route. This could save you quite a bit of time. You’ll also be saving some money on gasoline, and help the environment.

I hope you enjoy the article, now go make some phone calls and save yourself a bundle of money.

Written by Pinyo of Moolanomy

We live in a society where bigger is better.  Premium is better than standard.  First class is better than economy.  And the list goes on. The problem with this mentality is that our average income can hardly be considered premium.  As such, those with this mindset often live beyond their means, and some even go into debt to fuel their needs for bigger and better.

Here are some ideas to help you do a self-check, and perhaps help you save some money in the process:

• Cell phone – Do you need the 5,000 minutes plan when you rarely go above 1,000 per month? Is the unlimited text messaging and unlimited Internet access necessary?
• Cable — Do you need every single channel in existence when you spend 90% of your time watch basic channels?
• Gasoline – Do you really need the 93 octanes?  Your car is not going to move any faster with it.
• Food – Do you really need to order large or super size it?
• Hotel – Do you need deluxe accommodation when the standard room will do just fine?
• Health Insurance — Do you need the low deductible plan when you only visit your doctor for annual visit once a year?
• Coffee — Okay, I won’t go there.

Okay, I think you see where I am going with this.  Frankly, I am guilty of these occasionally, but I have been putting my expenses under the microscope lately.  You’ll be surprised how much money you can safe my trimming back on all the bells and whistles.

Written by Pinyo of Moolanomy

Well, before I get you all worked up, there’s definitely value for some use once and disposable items — as a new dad, these items include disposable wipes and diapers. When I said avoid use once and disposable items, I would like you to consider the long-term value of any item that you purchase.

For example:

• Buying DVDs that you can watch many times is better than going out to the movies (although, it’s nice to be in the theater occasionally).
• Buying Cars DVD that your children will watch a million times over is a better than buying a movie that you’ll watch only a few times.
• Buying rechargeable batteries is better than buying the normal ones if you use a lot of batteries.
• Buying a decent camera is better than buying a disposable one
• Borrowing from the library instead of buying the book that you may not even finish
• Giving your children toys like LEGO, which spurs their imagination and doesn’t become boring after a short time
• Buying a little more expensive, but more durable items

Next time you are at the store, be sure to consider the items durability and reusability before you make the purchase.  It will save you some money and your decision could even help the environment.

Written by Pinyo of Moolanomy