Archive | Saving Money | Money Saving Secrets Blog

Guest Post-How to Save 50% on Every Restaurant Meal

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on February 19, 2010 at 9:40 am {no comments}

This is a guest post written by Liz Cutten. Liz manages a newer coupon blog featuring promo codes, hot deals, and so much more!

Going out to eat can be awfully expensive, especially if you have kids. If you’re like me, you love to save, and since you’re on a coupon site right now, I wanted to give you some great tips on how you can save some killer money, no matter where you eat out. I wanted to give you some cool pointers that I use that allow me to save a ton of money!

#1 – Kids Eat Free

There are countless restaurants out there that allow your kids to eat free. If you have children that are 12, and under, I always recommend that you head out to a place that allows you to have your kids to eat for free. Do a Google search for “Kids Eat Free Restaurants”, and you’ll get an endless list of ideas.

#2 – Restaurant.com is GOLD

If you haven’t heard of this website yet, I highly recommend it. You can find little Mom and Pop shops, and sometimes corporate places in your area that are willing to give you gift cards for next to nothing. For example, there’s a little Mexican restaurant on the corner of my street. I was able to get a $10 gift card for $1.20! If you’re going to purchase from this site, make sure that you read the fine print with the restaurants, and also make sure that you search for coupon codes before you buy from them!

#3 – eBay!

I love eBay for just about anything. I can find coupons, gift cards at a discount, and so much more. Think of some of your favorite restaurants, and check what’s available on eBay. For example, a few months ago, I was able to snag 6 free appetizers to Outback Steakhouse. I only had to pay $3.39 for 6. If I would have bought 6 appetizers, this would have set me back at least $40-50. It never hurts to check, because you never know what you can find!

#4 – Free stuff via e-mail

Just about every restaurant out there has an e-mail club. Did you know that you can get free stuff just for signing up? I’ve done this countless times for just about every restaurant imaginable. For example, you can get a free appetizer at Texas Roadhouse for signing up, and other places offer Buy One, Get One free, and more!

#5 – Do a simple search

In this technological age, you can soon find out that there are countless printable coupons out there that you can grab right from your computer. If you want to eat out at Chili’s tonight, do a search online, and see what comes up. I just did it, and found that I could get free chips and queso for giving them my e-mail. Sounds like a good enough deal to me!

#6 – Entertainment book

The last thing that I will recommend is the Entertainment book. I love this book, and every year I honestly save $100s. Just this year alone, I’ve save $55. I know, I’m a nerd for keeping track, but I want to make sure that it’s worth it. In my neighborhood alone, there are hundreds of restaurants that I can head to and use buy one, get one free, and more!

I can almost guarantee you that if you work hard, and use these tips, you’ll be able to save a fortune the next time you go out, and eat. Sure, it’s going to take some planning, but you will soon find out that it will be well worth it!

Save Money on Home Maintenance Costs

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on November 2, 2009 at 8:00 am {2 comments}

By making simple changes in a few key areas of home expenses, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars a year.

Electricity

One of the simplest and easiest ways to save electricity is to switch from incandescent bulbs to all compact florescent bulbs. One bulb saves about $30 and pays for itself in about 6 months. Plus it uses 75 percent less energy and lasts 10 times longer so you won’t have to change them as often. Just think of all the power you can save if all the bulbs in your house were changed. Also, have your electronics, such as your TV and computer equipment plugged into a power strip and be sure to switch off the power at night and even when leaving the house since some electronics can still draw power even when they are turned off. If upgrading appliances, choose ones that are Energy Star qualified. No matter what kind of appliances you do have, use them efficiently. For instance, only run the dishwasher, washers, and dryers if they are full, even if that means you have to wait longer in between loads. Washing clothes in cold water saves electricity also. Maybe instead of firing the regular oven for small dishes and meals, consider using a smaller toaster or countertop oven, especially if you are just preparing snacks and other small items. To save money on heating and air conditioning costs, close any large gaps underneath doors that cause drafts. You can purchase special covers at a regular home supply store.

Water

With an easy flip of a handle, it’s easy for households to go overboard on water consumption. But there are some simple ways to cut back, and most of them involve just paying more attention of how much water is being used at a given time. For instance, turning off the tap while you brush your teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water every day for one person. You may not even be aware that the water was still turned out while you brushed. Tell your whole family to turn off the water while they brush and you can save hundreds of gallons of water a month. When washing your car, use the bucket and sponge method instead of the hose. You can be using gallons and gallons of water in just a minute of using a hose. There are even new “waterless” car washing products on the market, where the only thing you need is the product that you spray on, and a couple towels that you use to wipe the product off. Take the time to do an entire house check for leaks and get them fixed as soon as possible. All those leaks can add up to hundreds of gallons of wasted water in a single day.

Home Insurance

Choose higher deductibles so that you can save money on your home insurance premiums. Just raising your deductible a few hundred dollars more can save maybe a fourth of your premium. Consider purchasing a home insurance policy from the same company as your auto insurance, since some may offer discounts for having more than one policy with them. But always compare with other companies also to really see which one is less expensive after all. Upgrading to include safer features in your home, such as storm shutters, deadbolt locks, burglar alarm, and other improvements to make your home stronger against natural disasters can save you money on premiums also, so make appropriate inquires to your insurance company.

Shayna Adler
Guest Blogger

Save More At The Grocery Store

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on October 12, 2009 at 8:00 am {3 comments}

shopowl

I recently read an article that stated that the poor do not use coupons, the rich do. At first this seemed crazy to me, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense.

I began to remember back to when we first needed to cut our spending. My husband was out of work after a stroke and I just had my daughter. Back then I would shop at discount stores like Aldi’s. I purchased store name products and prepackaged or frozen meals. A lot of items I just did without. I believed that I could not afford brand names or fresh meats and vegetables. We did save some money but it just was not enough.

Once I started to get into using coupons more and deal shopping I started going to the major grocery stores and drug stores. I began buying brand name items and purchasing fresh vegetables and the best from the meat department. We began eating a lot healthier but I also was spending a lot less money.

How is that possible?

Simply put, sales plus coupons equals huge savings!

I have completely changed the way I shop. The biggest impact has been on household items like cleaning supplies, paper products, beauty & personal products. I get these items at the drug stores now when they are free or close to it. I stock up when ever possible to make sure I do not run out and have to pay full price. This has really taken a huge chunk out of my monthly budget.

When at the grocery store, I only shop the perimeter of the store. I purchase fruits that are in season and at lower prices. When I find a good sale on meats I will stock up and freeze it. Usually anything under $1.99 a pound is good. I also look for value packs. By purchasing larger portions you can get a price break.

When ever I go down an aisle it is with a purpose. That is when I am purchasing items that are on sale and with coupons. Once again I am usually getting these items free or close to it and stocking up. The goal is to never run out of these items before they are on sale again.

The largest savings I find is on Catalina Promotions or instant savings when purchasing multiple items. When these deals are done properly you can save a whole lot and even at times make money.

I wish I had these skills when we were hurting financially. Even though we may be doing better now I will never go back to shopping full price. By saving on our monthly expenses it allows us to indulge a bit in other areas. It is nice not to have such a tight budget.

It is really amazing how much savings are out there if you take the time to look. Manufactures are always offering promotions to get people to try their products and stores are offering sales to get you to shop. By combining these two together you can really save a lot of money. It is just crazy not to take advantage of this.

Thinking back to the article about the rich using coupons it makes me wonder if they are rich because of it. People who are rich are rich because they are good with their money. There is a lot of money that can be saved by shopping smarter. Not paying full price for items and using coupons is a good start.

Save On Auto Insurance

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on September 9, 2009 at 8:00 am {no comments}

It is always a good idea to reevaluate your auto insurance policy every 6 months to a year just to make sure that you are receiving the very best rate.

Using a site like 2Insure4less is an easy way to receive multiple quotes. All you have to do is fill out the form with your information and then companies will send you quotes to review. After accumulating all the numbers you can then decide whether to renegotiate with your current insurer or switch companies.

I used 2Insure4less last month when my current policy was up. It was a lot easier for me to receive calls and quotes from local companies that already had my information instead of going through the phone book and having to give each person the same information over and over again. You don’t have to worry about getting too many calls either. I just received a handful and they stopped after about a week.

In the end I found that what I was already paying with Geico was a lot lower then what any other company could offer. So it was a lot easier renewing my policy knowing that I was receiving the best rate.

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Becoming an “Executive Cost Cutter”

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on July 29, 2009 at 11:56 am {one comment}

foodbag I did my grocery shopping yesterday and wanted to share my savings. I spent about 4 hours making my list, getting coupons together and shopping, all with a two year old. I went to Jewel-Osco and Dominicks and did 5 transactions all together.

I know this sounds like a lot of work. However I was able to save a total of $228 for 4 hours of work. Since I no longer work outside the home I have now taken on the title of “Exectutive Cost Cutter”. If you look at my work yesterday I made $57 an hour. That is a lot more money then I made at my previous job.

I am not going to list everything I purchased, but it was enough to cover us for at least two weeks on dinners. Many people think that in order to save money with coupons you have to sacrifice on health. However I have a freezer full of chicken, london broil and strip steak. All great for grilling. I also stocked up on items we use daily, like juice and pop. Another thing to point out is that I also purchase organic and all natural products as much as possible. So you can eat healthy and still save money. If you shop at Jewel or Dominicks and would like to know the deals just let me know and I will pass them along.

Here is the break down:
Out of poscket cost: $122
Savings by using store card: $101.32
Instant savings for purchasing certain items (Spend $10 get $3 instantly): $18
Catalina coupons: $30
Manufactures Coupons: $63.34
Store coupons(in ad): $11
E-coupons(loaded on store card): $2.30
U-promise savings(e-coupons loaded on store card): $2.25
Total Savings (Sales plus coupons): $228.21

Staying home with my daughter is a very high priority to me. It is very hard these days to be able to be a one income family. By spending some time seeking out deals and finding ways to save money I am able to make up for some of the loss in money that I used to make. I am also fortunate to be able to make enough money from home to then make up the difference.

Why Subscribe To: Money Saving Secrets Blog?

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on May 18, 2009 at 8:33 pm {3 comments}

I am aware that there are many other websites out there that list the deals of the week. So what makes my blog any different? The biggest advantage that I can offer my readers is in the accuracy of the deals and offers I mention.

I make sure that I personally check out anything that I recommend. It may take me a bit longer to list my deals of the week then others do, but that is because I make sure that before I post anything I have already taken a trip to the store to make sure the deal actually works without any hassles.

I also do not list every sale going on at every store. I am sure you can look in the paper yourself to see that. Instead I focus on the very best savings. Most people do not want to run to five different stores every week. That is why I will fiqure out for you which stores are worth visiting that week. I do try to keep it down to two stores a week.

I know that couponing sometimes can feel like a full time job when taken too seriously. This will often lead to people giving up on it completly. My goal is to help my readers weed through all the sales and find the best of the best deals. So instead of checking out all the stores to see how much a certain item is, you can just check my blog to see the one store that has it for the lowest price.

My goal is to not only save you the most money possible, but also save you time.

Jennifer Billy

Tips To Maximize Your Savings On Groceries

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on April 8, 2009 at 9:22 pm {no comments}

piggy_bank

*Go shopping with a list and planned meals. This will not only help you shop the best deals and avoid impulse buys but will help avoid having to call for last minute takeout because you did not have anything planned to cook.

*Shop for items that are on the top or bottom shelves. Merchants will often pay to have their product at eye level. The cost will then get rolled over to your cost for the item.

*Know prices. Buy items when they are at the lowest price and then add coupons. You are also allowed to use a manufactures coupon along with a store coupon. This can really save you a lot of money and also can get you some free stuff. This is a good time to stock up on items. When possible buy 3-6 month supply at that time. Then by the time you need to buy that item again you should be able to find another great deal.

*Have a separate budget for stockpiling. When an item is at its lowest price you can stock up without having to worry about taking money out of your weekly grocery budget. You will then never have to miss out on a great deal.

*Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Also check out local farmers and farmers markets. Even better yet, start your own vegetable garden.

*Shop at discount stores. One of my favorites is Aldi’s. They do not take coupons but you can find some great discounts. I have found some great savings on meat that are close to their sell by date. They will usually knock off an additional dollar or two on top of their low price. They also have low prices on fruits and vegetables. This is a great place to shop for those items that you don’t have coupons for.

*Be flexible on brand names. Sometimes the price for brand name items can be cheaper then store brand items when a good deal is going on. I usually shop store brands unless I can get the brand name on sale and with a coupon to make them cheaper.

*Never pay full price for health & beauty products, cleaning supplies, paper products, canned goods or pastas. They are always on sale so wait till then and stock up.

*Take advantage of store discount or reward cards. Make sure to use them when ever you shop. This will save you a lot of money.

*Use coupons on trial size products or clearance items. Often times you can get those items for free. Just check your coupon to see what the smallest size is allowed. Most times you will get a bigger savings on a smaller size product.

*Avoid convenience items, such as pre-cut vegetables or individually sized snacks. Although they may save time, you are definitely paying for it. So make sure the time saved is worth the price.

*Only buy what you are going to use. When you get home, make sure to store items properly to get the longest life out of them. No matter how good the deal is, if you end up throwing it out, you are losing money.

*Check your receipts. Make sure before you leave the store that everything rang up at the correct price and all discounts were applied. I have caught quite a few mistakes while shopping that has saved me a lot of money.

Saving For College Has Never Been So Easy!

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on April 1, 2009 at 6:49 pm {one comment}

You can turn your everyday spending into college savings through Upromise. All you have to do is join Upromise for FREE, register your credit cards, debit cards and grocery cards, then shop. A Percentage of your purchases will go towards college savings. Your earnings are automatically saved securely into your Upromise account. Then you can decide if you want to invest it, pay off student loans or get a check for college expenses.

How can you earn rewards?

Shop online: Get 1%-25% back on eligible purchases at more then 600 online retainers. You can even install the TurboSaver for free at Upromise so when you are shopping online it will remind you if the site is eligible for Upromise savings. Then you never have to worry about missing out on any savings.

Dinning: Get 8% back from more then 8,000 restaurants when you pay with a registered credit or debit card. You can also register your McDonald’s Arch Card to receive 1% college savings everytime you reload the card.

Grocery or Drug Stores: Get 1-3% back on eligible items when you scan your registered store card. You can also add ecoupons through the Upromise site to your store card. Then when you purchase that item the amount saved from your coupon will go into your savings.

Gas: Use your registered credit or debit card at Exxon and Mobil locations when purchasing gas and receive $.01 per gallon.

Invite your family and friends: If they register through your invitation then all or part of their earnings will be transferred to your account. Great for Grandparents!

I feel this is a great program. It doesn’t cost you anything to participate. It just takes you a few minutes to register your cards. Then all you do is shop like normal. The only thing you have to remember is to activate your ecoupons once a month or before you go shopping.

I signed up with Upromise about a month ago. I am very excited about the money we will be saving from our gas purchases. You do not find much savings when it comes to gas, besides staying home, so it is great to have that expense go towards something of value. I have registered my debit cards and my husbands gas card through work. He will be racking up a lot of miles at his job so we should be seeing a huge savings towards college. It does take a month for it to show up in your account, so I will keep you informed on our progress as we find out. I also urge others to share what they have been able to save through Upromise.

Hope this helps,
Jennifer Billy

“Upromise is a free service, and by adding your credit, debit or grocery card means that you can begin saving money for college every time you shop at participating retailers.”

Stop Giving Your Family Time To Your Boss!

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on March 11, 2009 at 7:32 pm {no comments}

ponytime I had read somewhere that there are two things that take up the majority of people’s time; working to make money and raising a family. For most people they are sacrificing time with their family to make enough money to support them.

When I started my family I did not want to make that sacrifice, so I began looking for ways to save money so we didn’t need to spend as much time making money. I started thinking that since I made $30 for every hour I worked, then for every $30 I could save was one less hour I needed to spend at work and away from my family.

This really motivated me to start getting creative and become a smart shopper. By implementing simple strategies and cutting back on certain items I have been able to cut my spending by 80%. Between those savings and the money I save on commuting to work and daycare expenses, I am able to stay home to raise my family.

If being home more with your family is a desire for you then I can show you some simple, easy, hidden ways to save money and cut your costs of groceries, health & beauty items, kids activities, restaurants, and more. I will give you coupon strategies & sources; product low price alerts; garden tips; systems for budgeting & tracking your spending; loyalty discounts for phone, internet, cable, insurance, etc.; low-rate credit cards; how to save for college; and lots, lots more!

You will never have to sacrifice your time with your family again. With a little bit of organization and planning you can easily cut your spending in half.

Jennifer Billy