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100 Things to Do During a Money Free Weekend

100 Things to Do During a Money Free Weekend
Some time ago, I offered up the idea of the money-free weekend: For the last few months, my wife and I have been doing something every other weekend or so that we call a “money-free” weekend, in an effort to live more frugally. It’s actually quite fun – here’s how we do it.We’re not allowed to spend any money on anything, no matter what. In other words, we can’t make a run to the store to buy food, we can’t spend money on any sort of entertainment, and so on. Since we often do our grocery shopping on Saturdays, on a “money-free” weekend, we delay it to Monday or Tuesday.We can use our utilities, but no extra expenses on these utilities. I followed that up with 15 things to do during such a weekend, 15 more things to do, and 15 deeply fulfilling things to do during such a weekend. Since then, lots of people have sent me ideas for activities for money-free weekends, plus we’ve uncovered a bunch of our own. So, here we go – a hundred fun ways to spend a money-free weekend. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

» 100 Money Saving Tips Email Need a few ideas on how to save some extra cash? When I first wrote this list, it was November and we were ramping up to the holiday spending binge that we all love so much, but these tips can help you save money at any time in the year. Why wait until our consumer driven society gets all whipped up into a fervor? We can save whenever! Here are a hundred tips on how to save some quick money: Eat, Drink, Being Merry (18 Tips) Cook your own meals: The number one tip, echoed almost anywhere you look, is to cook your own meals. Related to Your Ride (9 Tips) Carpool just one day a week: You don’t need to carpool every day, just carpool one day a week if that’s possible and you can save yourself some green and do something kind for Mother Earth.Buy the type of gas your car calls for: If your car says it needs regular unleaded, don’t go putting premium in the tank because it doesn’t improve your mileage. Streamline Your Service Plans (7 Tips) Your Home (17 Tips) Beat Away The Tax Man (3 Tips)

27 Ways To Make Money Now! - christianpf.com What is an Offset Account? - Yahoo!7 Moneyhound An offset account is one of the most powerful ways to save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a mortgage. A ‘100 per cent offset account’ can sound too good to be true. But these accounts enable you to have every cent of your money working to reduce your mortgage rather than sitting idly in your cheque or savings account. If you put as much of your spare change as you can into an offset account, and keep it there for as many days as possible each month, your home loan repayments can be reduced as your savings are bringing down the interest incurred and in effect 'offsetting' the cost of the loan. Related: How refinancing your home loan can save you thousands How does an offset account work? Imagine if every dollar you had was linked through your everyday transaction account to offset your mortgage balance. Start with your wage An offset account can be beneficial even for those who find it hard to save. Calculate offset account mortgage savings Why use an offset account

Healthy Living on a Budget :: Stay at Home Mum Healthy Living on a Budget isn’t as hard as you may think! Saving money and living frugally doesn’t mean you have to compromise on health. It’s important to keep yourself and your family trim and healthy without it costing a fortune. Rising obesity levels in Australia are causing a huge boom in pharmaceutical sales and doctors visits. Here are some healthy tips to eat nutritiously and and boost your families health and well being. Eat Seasonally and Locally By eating fresh fruit and veggies that are in season you are eating the right food for your body and giving your body what it needs. Grow your own Veggies and Herbs Space permitting, and you will always know what you are feeding your family. Save Water Typical shop bought produce uses up to five times the amount of water to produce vegetables, compared with growing the same amount of your own. Eat Less Meat This is probably the easiest way to save money. Add beans to meat dishes. Choose Whole Grains Always choose the whole grains.

Frugal Ideas for Living on a Budget People who want to pay off debt and save money can benefit from frugal living on a budget and it does not require an entire lifestyle change. By finding alternatives to current expensive habits, you can enjoy life while watching your debts decrease and your savings increase. Getting Started on Your Budget Get started on the path to a frugal lifestyle by coming up with a budget system that works for you and your family. Even people who make six figure incomes can end up in financial ruin if they do not have a workable budget. Creating a budget is simple: Total your net monthly income after taxes.Subtract your fixed monthly costs from this amount.Allocate the remaining funds amongst your monthly variable expenses. The key is to develop a household budget and then stick to it. Make Frugal Substitutions After determining a personalized budget, use your imagination and some creativity to find ways to live within your means. Food Beauty and Skincare Clothing Entertainment Travel Transportation Fitness

Ten cost-cutting tips from James Cook University 5 Tips for Living Comfortably on a Tight Budget" For some people, a spectacular meal at a five-star restaurant is worth missing a mortgage payment. For others, the act of cooking and subsequent mastication is a boring but necessary chore. No matter how you feel about food, one thing is for sure -- you gotta eat. Americans spend a lot of money on food, to the tune of about $770 per month for a family of four [source: USDA]. There are plenty of ways to think smarter about food expenses. Buying ingredients for those recipes is itself an art form. Grocery coupons are making a huge comeback, and for good reason. Of course, you still have to go out on the town now and then. Food is just one facet of your budget.

10 Things You Should Buy USED and NOT NEW - Yahoo!7 Moneyhound So much of what we buy devalues the minute you open the box or walk out the store. Buying used goods instead of paying a premium for something new can see your savings quickly multiply. Take advantage of these 10 great savings options and avoid paying top dollar. Cars Cars lose value as soon as they leave the factory floor, so there are huge savings to be made even by purchasing last year’s model. Compare: Low rate car loans Furniture Save thousands buying second-hand furniture without your house looking tired. Related: How to sell stuff on eBay successfully Children’s clothes and goods Resisting the urge to dress your child in the latest fashions could save you thousands. Home décor Scour websites, op shops, thrift stores and garage sales for individual and unique pieces that will not only save you money, but add character to your home. Related: 10 Ways to lower your rent Formal suits and frocks Buying used formalwear could ensure you get a better product at a cheaper price. Video games and DVDs

10 Things You Should Never Scrimp On - Yahoo!7 Moneyhound Buying cheap doesn't always pay off. Frugalistas are the new fashionistas, with budgeting the new bling. Whether you’re embracing minimalism to reduce wastage or tightening your purse strings as the economy weakens and the dollar falls, many people are swapping brands for bargains. The key to making it work is knowing where to save and where to splash out. Good quality products can be more expensive, but they often last longer, saving you money in the long run. Here are 10 products you should never scrimp on. 1. What’s a good night’s sleep worth? 2. A good-quality chef’s knife will last years – some handmade Japanese ones last for generations. 3. Shoes are bad for our feet regardless – studies show that we still haven’t evolved to wear them. Related: 10 Ways to reduce monthly bills 4. Never buy old, used white goods – they’re far less energy efficient and you could run up a big bill if they break down out of warranty or even flood your home. 5. This is a no-brainer. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

School Lunches for Less Than $2 a Day - Yahoo!7 Moneyhound It’s Sunday night. Dread fills you. The school week is upon you. You know what that means. School lunches - coupled with the eternal question of what can you pack that won’t add up to a small fortune? But it doesn’t have to be that way. For less than $2.00 a day you can fill your child’s lunchbox full of nutritious and interesting food. Sandwiches Budget friendly, tried and true sandwiches. Carrot and celery sticks Nutritious, cheap and easy to eat these veggie sticks are a must have. Related: Earn $500 in 20 minutes Yoghurt Store bought yoghurt in a large 1kg tub is the most economical way to buy yoghurt. Dry Cereal Might sound weird but this is another cheap option for lunchboxes. Left Overs Got a spare sausage or rissole leftover from last night’s dinner? Related: The 10 best money-saving apps Homemade Muffins/Slices/Fudge With a little planning you can make muffins, slices and fudge to feed your whole family for a week all in one hit. Pikelets Drink Bottles

Moneyless Is it possible to live comfortably in today’s American culture without money or a job? The thought of living without money conjures up images of homeless people in rags pushing their junk-filled shopping carts around the dirty centers of cities, sleeping under bridges and begging for food. Yes, some people do live this way, but it’s hardly desirable. There are other ways – comfortable ways. John (not his real name) has lived a nearly moneyless life for the past seven years, yet he enjoys a freedom that others, slaving at their jobs, only dream of. Liz (not her real name either) owns a house that she rents out. These are just two examples of people living in America on little or no monetary income yet they are far from suffering. Air and Water The first needs are for clean air to breathe and for clean water to drink. Food The next need is for food. 1. 2. 3. 4. Clothing A tremendous amount of clothing can be found for little or no money. The library is an incredible free resource.

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