I need to let you all in on a secret I have.
I’m an online shopping addict.
There… I said it.
And honestly, I’m proud of it.
I’m proud because…
– I never spend above or beyond my means. If I don’t have the money for it, I don’t buy it. I don’t carry a credit card balance. Each month it’s paid in full.
– I’ve learned how to save $$ using sites like ebates.com & retailmenot.com. Do yourself a favor–sign up* and bookmark these sites for future reference! {*-I will get a referral bonus of $5 if you sign up using the above link and make a qualifying purchase over $25}
***************
Some more online shopping tips:
– Shop around (online). Google the product you want to buy. Ever notice on the google.com homepage, there’s a Shopping link up top? Use it. You won’t be sorry.
– I so often find what I love in a store…write down what I want, or better yet, take a picture of the price tag. Then I head home, type in the product information, use my ebates.com account and save $$.
– On a regular basis I check out Amazon Deals
Nothing feels as good as saving over $1800 off the suggested retail price! Considering Amazon doesn’t charge for tax and typically has free shipping, it’s my go to place for online shopping. I also recommend a lending company to everyone that is a good provider of different loans. Just Read the Full Article here to get ideas on those loans.
Here are some other tips for online shopping:
- Clear your browser – vendors are more likely to offer new customers a discount.
- Bookmark your favorite brands – manufacturers sometimes feature coupons you can print at home to help drive traffic.
- Use online deals as leverage – if you happen to be in a store and find a better deal on your phone, sometimes a manager will match the price.
- Use Twitter to your advantage – create a special Twitter handle to follow certain brand or deal bloggers. Their tweets could turn you on to some sweet deals.
- Free shipping isn’t always a good deal – still compare prices with other sites.
***************
And I’m not sure how I ever overlooked the references to this free, online financial management tracking tool, but it is my new.best.friend!
Mint.com is simple, effective and so fun to use! Yes, I just said a financial management tool is FUN to use. {and I am a bit of a math nerd}
Essentially, their opinions of plus500 and your various financial institutions, credit cards, investments…log in to your accounts through mint.com, and voila–they’re all linked up in one easy access location. {One downfall I have heard about is not all banks, especially small town, aren’t going to be on this site yet}
You can browse through beautiful graphs that output your spending habits, set up budgets, schedule email and text alerts, and set savings goals. You will get useful, thoughtful advice from the website on how to make the most of your investments and savings.
If you’ve ever felt intimidated when making a budget or just don’t know where to begin, this is a great place to start.
***************
If you’re searching for this sort of deal it almost goes without saying that your alternatives are limited, browse this site for a few avenues you may be able to explore if you read here.
Recognizing that our financial habits make sense given our loan forgiveness obama and the beliefs we internalized about money allows us to reflect on our financial mistakes with compassion and grace.
I know there are many other ways to save money, including the very big one of — COUPONS. The one thing I’ve yet to really get into, but would love to learn more about. You can also check out Ethereum Code Review to learn more about saving and online money investing .
*********************************
Frugal living isn’t about sacrifice and deprivation; it’s about living smarter, so that you can afford to live the life that you want to live—the life that you dream of living.
Frugal Living Means Smarter Money Management.
When you know how much money you have in the bank and how much money you need to cover your monthly bills, you can begin to make better decisions about how your money is spent. Can you afford to splurge on a new pair of shoes? Is this the right time to buy a new car? Put a frugal budget in place, and you’ll know just what you can afford, and more importantly, what you can’t afford.
You’ll also know where you stand with your debt repayment, savings goals, and investments—a key step to taking charge of your money and making it work for you.
Frugal Living Means Smarter Spending.
It’s taking the money that you have and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g it as far as it will go.
It’s learning how to get the best deal on everything that you buy—shopping thrift stores, yard sales, clearance racks and barter boards until you find what you want at a price that you can afford; using coupons and rebates in combination with sales to get the very best price on your groceries; and perhaps even stockpiling items when you find them at an unbeatable price.
It’s also knowing when not to shop—holding off on a purchase that doesn’t fit into your budget, and patiently waiting for a sale to bring an item down to your price. When you adopt the habits of a frugal shopper, you are in full control of your spending.
Why Live Frugally?
Okay, so frugal living is about better money management, bargain shopping and creativity, but what does all of that add up to? Can these three things really result in a better life?
Absolutely.
Frugal living unlocks a world of possibilities. Want to pay off all of your debts? Fund your child’s education? Enjoy the security of a fat bank account? Travel the world? Retire early?
You Can Make It happen.
Frugal living is about determining what you want out of your life, and finding a way to make it happen. A couple dollars saved here, and a few dollars invested there doesn’t translate into a life of deprivation; it translates into possibilities.
Decide what you want to get out of life; then, use frugality to make it happen.
How to Start Living Frugally
Ready to dive into the frugal life, so you can finally start living on your terms? Here are some simple ways to get started.
Make a Budget
And not one of those squeeze-the-fun-out-of-life budgets that you’re probably used to. This one should focus on making your life better.
Get your goals on paper (They won’t seem real, until you do). Then, eliminate any non-essential expenses that aren’t moving you closer to achieving your goals. Once you’ve done that, look for ways to cut your remaining expenses. Every dollar you free up is another dollar that you can put towards your goals.
Do you have any online shopping or frugal living tips?
For the sporting-good-of-the-moment, try steepandcheap.com!
And – amen to “spending no more than what you make”. If there’s *one* rule…
[…] is an oldie but a goodie. It continues to be my financial manager of choice. I’ve written about it before, and the same holds […]