While admittedly I am not a coupon clipping queen, I do respect and admire those that can buy $100 dollars worth of groceries for a fraction of the price. My style is more about quality store brands like those you can find at Publix or UKrops or other quality grocery retailers.

What a lot of people don’t know is that store brands are often the quality name brands simply repackaged in a store brand label. With that said you are getting quality at a discount without even having to use a coupon. Add to that a buy-one-get-one store sale and voila — mega savings without having to clip! I find that more time efficient, but each frugal girl has her own style. The common denominator is to SAVE!

But, if you love to clip coupons and save on groceries, then here are a few great coupon sites to check out. Not only can you search for coupon specials by zip code, but you can then view by key categories and print out only the coupons you want before going shopping. And, if you want to stock up on your favorites, these sites let you clip more than two coupons to keep on saving!

Great Coupon Sites

Coupons.com

A great coupon site (and I’m not the coupon clipping queen). You can enter and search by zip code and then view by key categories. You can also print more than two of each coupon if you want to stock up on a favorite product.

Red Plum

Another similar coupon site, but it excels on the design side (that’s the ad girl in me). It’s kind of like the Target of coupon sites. It’s got the same zip code search with fewer categories (which I prefer) and it’s packaged in a great, clean, functional site.

Smart Source

Another great site where you can print more than two coupons for those stock-up extravaganzas. I guess it comes down to a personal preference in terms of look and functionality as well as determining if one site carries more coupons for your favorite brands than another site.

I’ve also got these listed on the Frugal Links page of Living Frugal Tips for on-going access to instant savings.

Great Coupon Apps for Smart Phones

There are also a slew of coupon apps coming to the market for use on your phones. One in particular that I have on my phone is The Coupons App (free Android app). I’m using the free version which limits the capabilities, but still offers great deals and ways to save — especially on dining out offers. For a monthly fee, more features can be enjoyed:

• Real-time coupons widget
• Scan barcodes for local pricing
• Share coupons bu texting to any/all phones, email, and Facebook
• Voice search
• Plus it saves coupons to your calendar and more.

As I come across more great coupon apps or sites I will update this page. Please share any great coupon sites or free coupon apps that you come across.

Happy Clipping!

Check out these 17 great money saving tips from Living Frugal Tips. Fast and quick ways to save without having to try (really hard). That’s how we roll here at LFT — fast, quick, easy and everyday ways to save!

1.  Save water by taking a shower (uses 8 gallons) versus a bath (uses 21 gallons). Also turn the tap off while brushing your teeth to save another 2-1/2 gallons.

2.  Save money on dry cleaning by purchasing a hand-held steamer (Walmart $19.00). Simply hang, steam and save big. Steam 4 – 5 pieces & it’s paid for itself. — Tipster: Becky Wilson

3.  Pre-portioned food costs more! From snack packs to individually wrapped cheese & chicken breast portions — they cost more. Buy regular or bulk size and create individual portions on your own.

4.  Improve your cars fuel economy by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. This improves fuel efficiency up to 5% & can save you $75-$100 a year based on mileage and gas prices.

5.  Get Living Frugal Tips on the GO. Living Frugal Tips is now Smartphone compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, Android, Opera Mini, Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm mobile devices.

6.  What to do with fresh herbs that are about to go bad? Chop them up, put them in ice cube trays, add water & freeze to preserve. Then just add the herb cubes to soups or cooking as needed for fresh flavor.

7.  As water restrictions ramp up over the hot Summer months, a good tip is to pull your car in the grass when washing it so you can wash and water at the same time. Saves water & $$ — Tipster:  Becky Wilson

8.  Want a ‘green’ way to clean faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Rub a cucumber slice on the surface. It will remove tarnish, bring back the shine, & won’t leave streaks or harm your hands while you clean.

9.  If you enjoy eating out on occasion and want to save money, go to www.Restaurant.com and buy gift certificates for a fraction of the face value. Some restrictions apply, but it’s worth checking out!

10.  Trying to beat the Summer heat? Install more ceiling fans! the breeze of a fan can make you feel three to four degrees cooler. You can then raise the thermostat and still stay comfortable.

11.  Have a theme park visit planned this Summer? Take advantage of the current specials such as Buy One Day and Go All Year. You can’t beat that. A year of fun for the price of a day.

12.  Save up for big purchases and use cash to pay for them. During the time it takes you to save, you have plenty of time to make sure you really need it, and by using cash you won’t overspend.

13.  Don’t have a warehouse club membership card? Just give a family member or friend a check or cash and have them buy a gift card for you. You can shop and get the deals without paying the membership fee.

14.  The start of Summer is a great time to replace your air conditioning filter. By doing this every 2 – 3 months you will maximize your air flow and energy efficiency and save money.

15.  Save on clothing costs by buying things that coordinate. Solid colors that you can mix & match will minimize the amount of clothes you need. Black, tan, navy, gray and white are the basics to build around.

16.  Want new clothes? Hold a clothing swap with friends. Clean your closet of things you’ve not worn in a while and trade with friends who’ve done the same. What’s “old” becomes new again.

17.  Stop the need to go out for lunch or pick food up for dinner by making meals that are leftover friendly like casseroles and soups. Prepare, pack up and frig or freeze them for quick mid-week meals.

Please share all your money saving tips with Living Frugal Tips!

The recession has forced people to become more resourceful as they manage small home repairs and improvements on their own. The net effect is a huge growth in all things DIY (do-it-yourself). Home Improvements and repairs can add value to your property and doing these yourself can save you money and exponentially increase the value you’ve added to your home.

Start small, do your research or even learn by helping others. My husband’s first project in our first home was building a bird house, next he made a workbench and then built a deck in our backyard with a fish pond. Each cost a fraction of what he would have paid if he hired someone to do these jobs. Since the bird house he’s tiled floors, laid wood floors, painted our house, fixed broken sprinklers, repaired leaky sinks, installed fans, lights, closest organizers and more. He’s become an awesome handyman and made our house a beautiful home in the process.

With time, patience, determination and the help of some wonderful home-repair resources, you too can start making small home improvements and repairs and stop paying others to get the job done.

Home Repair & Improvement Help

HGTV – A meca of all things home improvement and home repair. You’ll get ideas, inspiration and home improvement tips on everything from painting to plumbing to redoing your powder room. There are also great articles such as 30 Tips for Increasing Your Home’s Value.

Do-It-Yourself.com - A great site with tons of DIY guides, videos and even a forum where you can ask and answer questions and interact with other DIYers.

National Association of the Remodeling Industry – Great tips from the home remodeling experts. Get kitchen and bathroom tips and creative ways to make small spaces appear larger.

Department of Energy – Improve your home’s energy with Energy Star. Find ways to make your home more energy efficient and reduce your high energy bills.

Hands-On Training

If you learn best with some hands-on training, then get home repair and improvement help by checking out your local Home Depot or Lowe’s and take advantage of their buying guides and in-store workshops designed to help everyone be a DIYer.

Home Depot – Check out their site for how-to project guides, a list of upcoming in-store workshops or better yet, join their Home Improver Club and receive home improvement newsletters, tips based on weather conditions on where you live, how-to tutorials, tips, and more.

Lowe’s – There are a slew of Buyer’s Guides to help with buying everything from caulk to grills, to lumber, decks, light bulbs, tools, appliances and a ton or other things you may no know anything about.

Hire with Caution

If , however, you find yourself in over your head then by all means, hire someone to do the job for you. But, first make sure that you hire a reliable handyman or contractor. Ask around and get referrals. This is the very best way to insure that you will hire a quality service provider and be satisfied with the job that’s done.

Angie’s List - A very well known source for finding reliable service providers. See how friends and neighbors have rated various providers select based on ratings and reviews.

Federal Trade Commission - When in doubt … check it out. If you are worried about a provider or potential scam, check it out here. There is a great article on things to be aware of when hiring a home contractor — Home Sweet Home Improvement.

Remember to start small, do your research, and learn from others. Once you’ve completed a project, not only do you have a sense of accomplishment, but you’ve added value to your home and you’ve saved money.

Happy home repairing and improving!

Life itself can be crazy sometimes. Add to it all the doom and gloom in the news right now about the recession, unemployment, oil spills and more, and it can take it’s tole on even the optimists in the bunch. If you’ve been forced into frugality due to a job loss, it can be even more taxing and stressful. With that said I’ve got some quick pick-me-up tips and mood boosters guaranteed to leave you feeling a bit more relaxed, refreshed, and perhaps even have you seeing the sunny-side of things  as you go from bitchy to bubbly … even if it’s just for a while.

Take a Time-Out for Yourself

• Hide-away somewhere quiet even if it’s just for a few minutes. I prefer outside places where I can deep breathe and meditate or where there is an enjoyable view or water or birds or trees. Being one with nature melts the worries away.

Melt Your Worries Away

• Nothing beats a hot shower or a relaxing soak in a tub. While showers are more economical in terms of water usage, sometimes you just need a soak. Add some bath oil to moisturize dry skin, light a candle and just relax.

• Another mood booster is a good sweat-producing workout. It can get your endorphins going and naturally elevate your mood. It’s your bodies natural prozac.

Pamper Yourself for Pennies

• Rub a slice or two of cucumbers on wrinkles or problem areas for a few minutes. The phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of wrinkles.

• Paint your finger nails and toes a bright, cheery color. Do little things that make you feel better about yourself.

Eat More Power Foods

• If you’re feeling tired in the afternoon and need a quick pick me up, drop the soda and sugary snack and grab a cucumber. Cucumbers contain Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. They are great for a quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

• Remember to take your vitamins.

Hang with Friends

• Rid yourself of the pessimists in your life that bring you down (perhaps even more) and surround yourself with optimistic, happy people that like to have fun. Fun is infectious and when your around a bunch of people that are laughing you will likely join in the fun.  Add some upbeat music to the mix and let the dancing begin.

Be in an Attitude of Gratitude

• Take a few minutes right now and think of something that you are truly grateful for. In fact, every morning we should wake up and say thank you and think about what we are thankful for. Write it down if you must and really think about even the little things in your life that you appreciate and that put a smile on your face when you’re not so mired down that you forget about them. When you’re feeling blue, read them and be reminded of the good that you are grateful for. Be in an attitude of gratitude today and always.

Use Your Brain

• Challenge yourself with a crossword puzzle or word game. Read a good book. Play a game like Scrabble. Anything to clear the cobwebs away and get the wheels turning.

Pay it Forward Because Doing Good Feels Good

• It’s a simple thing — when you do something good for someone else, it makes you feel good. Plain and simple … just like that. Whether you help a stranger, do a favor for a friend, do a kind deed for a neighbor, practice random acts of kindness (I love these), or even simply pay a compliment — regardless of what you do, there is a little rush that happens inside of you.

• Regardless of your situation, there is always someone in this world worse off than you. Help a cause you care about because when you surround yourself with people who volunteer — who so selflessly give of themselves — there’s just this euphoric, super buzz that goes around and you can’t help but smile and feel good inside.

When All Else Fails …

• Have a glass of wine, watch a funny movie and laugh. And, if you’ve had too much wine you can eat some cucumber slices before going to bed to replenish your bodies essential nutrients and prevent a headache or hangover. These little cucs pack a punch of vitamins and electrolytes that will leave you feeling refreshed the next day.

What do you do to banish the blues?

Please share your tips, tricks and mood boosters so that together we can banish those bitchy blues and see life through some rose colored glasses.

Quick money saving tips from Living Frugal Tips are sure ways to save money with minimal hassle and sacrifice. As I always say, it’s about making frugality a lifestyle and mindset. It’s an on-going thought process to find more ways to reduce, reuse and recycle for savings — without feeling deprived. Once you get going it actually becomes fun to find more creative ways to save. As I’ve gotten my friends and family into the mindset they all email me more useful tips to try and share. Everyone please keep sharing and together we will save.

Reuse Household Items for Greater Good

• Reuse an old plastic orange juice container, or any other container with a wider opening, to save your loose change. Empty pockets nightly and once it’s full you can roll it and bank it. It all adds up.

• Use old plastic bread tabs to mark and organize all your electric cords behind the TV, for example. Simply use a permanent marker and write on each plastic tab to identify each cord and item. Then just attach one to each cord and instant organization and minimized frustration.

Reduce Electric Bills with Some Easy Changes

• When cooking in the oven, turn it off a few minutes early. The heat will continue to cook your food for several minutes without the continued power use. A few minutes a day adds up over a year.

• You use less energy with a warm dryer. So, it’s more efficient to wash and dry loads back-to-back so that your dryer doesn’t completely cool down when it needs to heat up for the next load.

• Closing off an unused room in your home can actually cost you more in comfort and energy savings. It’s best to keep air vents and doors open so that air can circulate freely and properly.

• Want big savings with little to no effort? Raise your thermostat! You can save up to 10% of your cooling costs for each degree above 78.

Stop Wasting Water and Start Saving Money

• Save water and money by turning off the faucet when brushing teeth. An estimated 2.5 gallons of water are used when kept running x 2 brushes a day x 7 days a week x 52 weeks = 1,820 gallons WASTED!

• Save water by taking a shower (uses 8 gallons) versus a bath (uses 21 gallons). Also turn the tap off while brushing your teeth to save another 2-1/2 gallons.

Simple Suggestions for Household Savings

• Think before you print. The average consumer spends $240/year on ink cartridges and paper. Instead print only the text you need, save information and files electronically, reuse old paper and print on both sides if possible.

• If household items or toys require batteries, use RECHARGEABLE batteries. They can be reused hundreds of times which saves money and reduces waste over time. This savings quickly out weighs the cost premium for the initial purchase.

• Get rid of extra landline phone features such as caller ID, call waiting and call forwarding that are really not needed and may not be used often. Or, better yet, get rid of the landline all together.

Modify What You Buy at the Store

• Stop buying bottled water and drink from the tap. A 24-pack cost $4.00 – $6.00 depending on the brand. The equivalent water from the tap costs PENNIES! If you don’t like the taste, install an inexpensive faucet filter.

• Stop buying paper towels. Paper towels produce 3,000 tons of waste per DAY and wastes money. Use a dishrag instead and toss it in the wash. If you must use paper towels use 100% recycled paper towels which saves landfill waste, energy and water.

• Stop buying certain vegetables and instead grow your own vegetables and start with seeds. A packet of tomato seeds equals the price of ONE tomato but can yield 20-30 plants per packet. While time is required, the saved money and great taste are huge.

• The greenest products that you can buy are the ones that already exist. Buying a “pre-loved” sweater, for example, saves the energy equivalent of 68 loads of laundry. – ebay.com/greenteam

Travel Smart and Save Big

• If planning a plane trip, pack light to avoid the escalating baggage fees: $15-$25 for the 1st checked bag, $25-$35 for the 2nd, and up to $300 for overweight, outside the U.S. bags on Delta!

• Save money by flying at the right TIME. Flying off season to a destination, flying overnight, or scheduling departures and arrivals on a Tuesday or Wednesday will cost less.

• Budget your vacation and bring traveler’s checks versus credit cards so there is no temptation to overspend. You can track what’s spent and what’s remaining and there’s no big surprise bill later.

• Have your cable switched off while you’re away. Some cable companies will turn off your cable for the week(s) you’re away on vacation. It doesn’t hurt to ask and it could be an easy way to save money.

With school coming to an end and Summer vacations about to begin, these websites can help you save money on travel and help with planning your next vacation. The real-time web brings us real-time deals so your best bet to save money on travel is to do your homework in advance in terms of where you’d like to go and then be prepared to act quickly as some of the best deals go quickly. Every site has unique features depending on your travel preferences, priorities and degrees of flexibility.

Living Frugal Tips picks for travel savings:

1. Kayak.com – This is the travel site not to be missed. It searches hundreds of travel sites all at one time in search of the best deals. It will quickly compare sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, Hotels.com, airline sites, car rental sites and more. It’s quick and easy and you can create fare alerts to be notified of hot deals.

2.  Yapta.com – With the high degree of fluctuation in airline fares and hotel rates, buyer’s remorse can be bad. You book a flight for $450 and then a few days later it’s 1/2 price. With Yapta.com you can say goodbye to buyers remorse. Yapta conducts daily price checks on the specific flights and hotels that you choose, and alerts you when prices drop or when they fall within your budget. And it will alert you if rebooking makes sense due to significant price drops.

3. Voyij.com – The unique feature on this site is it helps you save money on travel by searching for last minute deals, specials and unsold inventory. If you can plan a quick trip and have some flexibility you can find hotel rooms for as low as $29 on the Vegas Strip as an example. Another great feature is that it also tracks deals on Twitter.

4.  Twitter.com – As mentioned above, Twitter is a mecca of real-time travel savings. If you want to go right to the source, you can go to Twitter and in the “people search” section type in a travel provider, such as United Airlines or Marriott, to find their Twitter user name. Then just follow along to begin keeping up with the hot deals that they tweet about … but they go fast.

5.  BedandBreakfast.com – I love the quaintness of a B&B and there’s no better site for finding one. I also love that this site has a one click Hot Deals section for last minute trips that week. You can sign up for a weekly email and for hot deals in your preferred region. There is also a Value Vacations section and you gotta love a site that has a Beer Lovers Getaways section!

6.  TravelZoo.com – I’ve been using TravelZoo for years. The feature I love best is you can sign up for their Weekly Top 20 travel deals for travel savings. Quick, easy and right to your inbox.

7.  InsideTrip.com – If traveling in comfort is more your style, then you’ll love the quality scores that are presented with each itinerary. Points are awarded for nonstop, legroom, wait times and more. This makes finding the fare “gems” among the double layovers a breeze.

If staying close to home is more your style, then be sure to check out Tips for Planning the Best Staycation Ever so that you can make the most of your time and dial up the fun-factor in your area. Other great posts for free fun stuff — 50 Frugal Fun ideas for a Bored-Silly Saturday and 14 Ways to Pass the Day Trapped Inside.

Whether staying close or going far, enjoy yourself!

Bon Voyage!

Photo from: www.seriouslygood.kdweeks.com

I wanted to share a quick dish that’s great for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. Potato Salad. But, to know me is to know that I love to put my personal twist on every dish and this one is delicious… and no exception! It’s a potato salad version of those yummy potato skins you get at the restaurants (see picture at right). I call it Potato Skin Potato Salad.

Ingredients:

• 5 pound bag of red potatoes
• 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix prepared as directed with 1 cup light mayo and 1 cup milk
• 1 small sweet onion
• 6 – 8 green onions (can certainly adjust the amount of onions and green onions according to tastes and preferences)
• Bacon pieces – can make and crumble your own, but I used the pieces (not bits) in the bag
• 1 cup+ shredded cheddar cheese

Directions for Making Potato Skin Potato Salad:

• Make ranch dressing according to package (1 packet with 1 cup light mayo and 1 cup milk), chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
• While ranch is chilling, quarter red potatoes (keep skins on), place in pot and boil for 10 minutes until tender.
• Finely chop 1 small sweet onion and green onions and add to chilled ranch dressing, reserving just a few of the chopped green onions for the top.
• Add cooled potatoes to ranch/onion mixture above and stir/toss to coat.
• Next add bacon pieces and gently stir in.
• Then, once cooled, add cheddar cheese and stir in. If the cheese is added when the potatoes are still warm it will melt.
• Sprinkle remaining green onions on top for the finishing touch.
• Salt, pepper and season to taste.

Another great twist that I’ve tried is to roast the potatoes instead of boiling them. It  really tastes like potato skins then. A bit more time-consuming, perhaps, but well worth it!

Enjoy the dish and enjoy the holiday.

The internet brings the world to our fingertips and makes enjoying life while saving money easier than ever. It provides instant access to a slew of free entertainment options that cost … nothing. OK, nothing except for the high-speed internet service needed to truly maximize your enjoyment potential.

Below you will find some of my personal favorites for frugal, free entertainment and fun:

Free Music

Pandora – Intelligent internet radio that only plays songs that you like. Simply create your own station and select an artist and Pandora will begin playing songs by that artist. It will then gradually songs by other similar artists. You can give each song a “thumbs up” (like it) or a “thumbs down” (don’t like it) and it will keep playing the ones you like and it will never again play the songs that you don’t like. There’s now a 40 hour monthly limit for the free music. You can pay a small fee for unlimited access, but why do that where there are other free music options that you can enjoy.

Last.fm – While similar to Pandora in terms of tracking what you like, this site is truly global and available in 12 languages. It also adds a social networking and peer-to-peer community component as it’s all powered by the community of listeners.

Grooveshark – Another free internet radio service with no limits on the number of hours you can listen to for free. This is great if you only want to listen to a certain artist or album. Based on what you search for it will return all the songs available by that artist and then you simply hit play. You can create playlists and favorite certain songs.

Free Television

Hulu – Just an amazing free entertainment destination. You can watch last nights shows from many popular channels, you can get caught up on an entire season in one sitting, and even watch great movies. All for free, all from your computer.

Free Books

Scribd – A reading social community where you can see what others are reading, and download from a ton of selections –free books, magazines, newspapers, how-to guides and more.  You can also upload your own ebooks, and documents for instant publishing.

Check out 17 Best Websites to Download Free eBooks for more great sites for free reading.

Free Photography

Snapfish – Lets you share pictures with friends and family members for free. When you register you receive 20 free photo prints, and if you want more they are very affordable. You can also create lots of great homemade gifts with your pictures. While not free, the sentimental value far outweighs the costs when you give gifts from the heart.

Free E-cards

Someecards – While I do love receiving cards in the mail, with the rising postage costs and the ridiculous price of greeting cards, ecards are a super way to save money. Someecards is not your run-of-the-mill ecard site. These are hilarious and yes, sometimes off-color. But, if you want a good laugh and are looking for something a bit off-beat when balloons and puppy dogs just won’t do … then this ecard site is for you.

Wrongcards – The name says it all — funny, free ecards that are wrong for every occasion. Again, if you don’t have a sense of humor … don’t bother.

Free Games

Yahoo Games – A favorite for online versions of popular board games like Monopoly, Scrabble and Chess, to brain games,  video games and more. Lots of free games and free trial versions of games to play without needing to purchase.

When All Else Fails

Bored.com – The place to go when you are bored silly — games, videos, humor, quizzes and blogs. It’s a mecca of silly stuff to pass the day away.

One big way to save money is to buy produce during peak season. Every fruit and vegetable has a peak time period when it’s sweeter, juicier and perfectly ready to be picked. With great taste comes greater availability and cost savings for you.

Featured Peak Season Produce: Watermelon

With the watermelon season at its peak, I thought I would share a wonderful watermelon salsa recipe. I often make it as part of a Caribbean or Cuban themed dinner to top the grilled pork, black beans, and yellow rice with a pineapple twist. It’s a great, fresh way to top meats, rice or serve it with chips. I’ve had it with the blue organic chips and the lime tortilla chips and both are great. I’ve even just eaten it all by itself. I just love things with such versatility!

Watermelon Salsa Recipe

Combine the Following Ingredients:

• 2 – 3 cups seedless watermelon, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons sweet rice wine (Mirin) or a raspberry vinaigrette will work too
• 1/2 of a lime, freshly squeezed
• A dash or two of garlic salt

Cover and chill several hours until ready to serve so all the juices and flavors blend together.

It’s light, fresh and totally delicious! Enjoy.

Resources to Determine Peak Season for Produce

Here are two great resources for determining the best time to buy produce at peak season and save money:

Epicurious – Peak-Season Map – A great interactive map where you can select a state and a month and see peak season for produce, info about that fruit or vegetable and recipes.

Publix – At Season’s Peak – My grocery store of choice has a great section on their site with peak times for the most common fruits. You can sign up for an email alert or they can text message you when it’s time to buy.

It certainly pays to buy produce at peak season to enjoy the best taste and save money too.

Frugal living and saving money are best accomplished when they become an ongoing part of your everyday lifestyle. It’s a mindset. A little savings here … a bit more saved there … it really adds up.

Here’s a list of 14 quick and easy Living Frugal Tips to save money that can easily be incorporated into your daily life to cut costs without feeling like you’re scrimping and sacrificing.

Tip #1 – The best way to get cheap organic produce is to grow your own.

Tip #2 – Extend the life of your razor blades by drying them off after each use to prevent rusting.

Tip #3 – Wrap lettuce in paper towel & place in a plastic bag in veggie bin to extend life. The paper absorbs water & prevents mold.

Tip #4 – Speed up clothes drying & save energy by adding a dry towel to the load to absorb water. Better yet line-dry on a nice day.

Tip #5 - Save money by coloring your own hair. I can color my hair 20 times for the same cost as 1 time at an expensive salon (20 x $7 = $140).

Tip #6 – Save money by grating & chopping your own fruits, veggies and cheese. You pay a premium (almost double) vs. what you pay for whole items.

Tip #7 -  Spend less by using the library. A library card is free and you can rent books, music and even DVD’s. Mine has a used bookstore attached – $0.10 magazines and $0.50 books.

Tip #8 – Relieve red eyes by placing a chilled cucumber on each eye for 10 – 15 minutes. Puffy and red, use chilled used tea bags with caffeine. Both are anti-inflammatory.

Tip #9 – S.O.S = Save or Suffer!

Tip #10 – Save money by giving a gift from the heart. They cost less and mean a whole lot more. Make: a card, dinner, memory box, coupons to redeem for car washes, chores, etc.

Tip #11 – Take only what you will eat … and eat all that you take!

Tip #12 – Save money by knowing the best time to buy. Save money by purchasing fruits and vegetables when they are IN season. Save money on clothes when they are OUT of season (on clearance).

Tip #13 – Reheating last night’s dinner? Use your microwave or toaster oven to reheat and save up to 30 percent of the energy required to cook in a standard oven.

Tip #14 – If you’re wanting to dine out – go midweek when the restaurants typically run specials to drive customers in during slower periods. You can also dine early and get the early-bird specials.

Please share any other Living Frugal Tips to save money that you may have.