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Is your lunch hour becoming too expensive?  Learn 7 easy ways to cut the cost of your lunch hour.

1) Stock foods that can be taken for work

Grocery shop once a week, and make sure to buy plenty of things that you can bring to work. Choose a grocery store that carries foods that work well for your lunches. Make sure to have lettuce or bagged salads at all times during the week. Fruits and vegetables are definitely important too, such as carrot sticks, bananas, and apples. If you like soups, check out the frozen selections.

2) Cook enough each night to provide leftovers for the next day

Try to typically cook dinners consisting of fresh vegetables and make sure to cook enough to take to work for the next day or two. Often you can often add other meal components that are easy to cook in bulk, such as rice or pasta, to complete a leftover. Certain meals are good for leftovers, like soups and chili. All of these are easily reheated at work.

3) Keep (healthy) food at work

Aside from what you bring to work each day, keep food at your desk just in case. Keep nuts, granola bars, and crackers, these desk foods are somewhat healthy since don’t encourage high-calorie snacking.

4) Don’t keep menus or let people talk you into lunch

Don’t keep menus or other temptations around the office. Out of sight out of mind. If others are going out to lunch, politely decline.

A lot of lunch options out there are things that you could make yourself. If you’re going to go out and buy a ham and cheese sub, make it yourself instead for a fraction of the cost. Salads are super easy to make, especially with pre-mixed bags of lettuce and a wide variety of toppings available.

6) Find other productive things to do during your lunch break

Rather than spend all of the time it takes to order food, go out and get it, bring it back, and then eat it, settle for the lunch you have in the office fridge that you brought to work. You could  heat it up and eat within 15 minutes or so. That leaves another 45 minutes to do what you choose. You can read books or blogs, or pay bills and do other tasks that you would need to do at home anyway.

7) Consider the trade-offs

Don’t think that you’re simply skipping lunch to deprive yourself of “the good life.” It’s more that you would prefer to spend your money in other places, even if it’s still on food. You would much rather eat out for dinner than buy a sub or pizza for lunch every day. A well-prepared and exciting dinner, like Ethiopian food, might be rather enjoyable.

One of the main reasons people do eat out for lunch is that they don’t want to take the time to make lunch every day. This is a poor excuse. Most alternatives don’t take much time to prepare, and packing leftovers takes virtually none.

If you must eat out for lunch, definitely set limits. Once a week is plenty. Consider cutting down on this number gradually while getting used to making lunches for yourself. It really isn’t that bad, and it’s an easy step to padding your wallet.

Return to Thrifty Spending Issue 100

Cool and heat your home efficiently

1. Cool your home at 78 F or warmer with the thermostat fan switched to auto. For additional savings, raise your thermostat to 82 F or warmer when you’re away.

2. Heat your home at 68 F or cooler with the thermostat fan switched to auto. To save even more, lower your thermostat to 65 F or cooler at bedtime or when you’re away from home.

3. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically and maximize your energy savings. It also helps to maintain a comfortable temperature when you wake up or return home.

4. Clean or replace your air conditioner’s filter regularly to help your unit run more efficiently and trim cooling costs.

5. Turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room. A fan that runs all the time costs up to $7 a month.

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Speeding Ticket? How to Fight for Savings

It’s a classic scenario: You’re cruising at 10 miles over the speed limit. You think you’re going with the flow of traffic when you see flashing lights in your rear view mirror. A few minutes later, you’re holding a $325 speeding ticket.

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MONEY SAVING TIP:  Cool and Heat Your Home Efficiently

Cool your home at 78 F or warmer with the thermostat fan switched to auto. For additional savings, raise your thermostat to 82 F or warmer when you’re away.

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DID YOU KNOW…That You Can Save by Asking for a Home Energy Survey?

Taking a free Home Energy Survey is a great way to find out the energy efficiency of your home. If you qualify, an energy xpert will inspect your home and provide valuable tips on how to maximize your home’s energy-efficiency, as well as…

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Many restaurants and stores offer consumers discounts if only they create an account with the merchant and agree to receive promotional emails and other offers, which could equal tons of junk emails.

“Today’s Deals” with Karla Bowsher from moneytalksnews.com subscribes to 500 promotional emails and brands so you don’t have to. She creates and organizes lists of valuable coupons, promo codes, sales and freebies.  Click HERE to be directed to her webpage.

Return to Thrifty Spending Issue 98 

Debt Management Credit Counseling Corp (http://www.dmcconline.org) a nonprofit organization (DMCC), now helping individuals repay income tax debts to the IRS. DMCC will prepare and file IRS forms to establish monthly installment agreements for 1040 filers as part of a debt management plan. Individuals needing tax debt help should call DMCC at (866) 618-3328 or submit an application on the DMCC website.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:  Have you ever wondered if the expiration dates on foods are simply a marketing ploy or if they really mean something?

The expiration date on foods is not exact science. If you want to know for sure if you should throw food out, you need to use other senses; smell it and taste it.

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MONEY SAVING TIP:  Avoid the junky emails and still get the discounts!!

Many restaurants and stores offer consumers discounts if only they create an account with the merchant and agree to receive promotional emails and other offers, which could equal tons of junk emails. Learn where to get the discounts without the junk emails.

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DID YOU KNOW…that cosigning on a car loan could be a huge mistake?

But if you are determined to help the other person purchase a car, there are four things you need to do.

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Debt Management Credit Counseling Corp (http://www.dmcconline.org), a nonprofit organization (DMCC), announces new program to teach consumers how to increase their personal credit scores. Credit Score Analysis program includes a simulator that enables DMCC to provide consumers a written action plan custom to their personal goals. DMCC provides the program for free to its debt management plan clients, and charges other consumers $49 to cover its costs.

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How to make dish washing detergent and more

According to the latest government data, Americans spend an average of $659 a year on housekeeping supplies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which provides that figure, also says the average American earns about $787/week – which means many people are spending most of (if not more than) a week’s pay every year on dish soap, laundry detergent, and other cleaning products.

If that sounds expensive, here’s a better idea: Make your own dishwasher detergent for a third of the cost of the commercial stuff.

Recipes for cleaning products are as numerous as recipes for dinner. Here are just a few to help with dishes, clothes and more.

How To Make Dishwasher Detergent

Here’s a simple recipe for dishwasher soap:

• 1 cup of borax
• 1 cup of baking soda
• ¼ cup of table salt
• 2 packets (half an ounce) of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid

You can try to save even more by buying ingredients in bulk, but another idea is to find smaller and much cheaper boxes at your local dollar store: a good idea to since you’ll want to try a small amount at first to see if you like the results. The amounts listed above are good for 16 loads – one tablespoon each – so even small batches will last a while.

Other recipes online vary. For example:

• 2 bars of shredded Octagon soap
• 1 cup of baking soda
• ¼ cup of washing soda
• ¼ cup of lemon juice

For this one, shred the soap into about 5 quarts of water and heat until it melts. Then add the other ingredients and pour it into a sealed container. It isn’t supposed to create a lot of suds, but it’s supposed to work well.

Laundry Detergent

Here’s an easy recipe for laundry detergent. You’ll need:

• 4 cups of water
• 1/3 bar of cheap soap, grated
• 1/2 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
• 1/2 cup of Borax (20 Mule Team)
• 5-gallon bucket for mixing
• 3 gallons of water

First, mix the grated soap in a saucepan with 4 cups of water, and heat on low until the soap is completely dissolved. Add hot water/soap mixture to 3 gallons of water in the 5-gallon bucket, stir in the washing soda and Borax, and continue stirring until thickened. Let the mix sit for 24 hours, and voila! Homemade laundry detergent.

Other cleaning products

If you like the results of your homemade concoctions on clothes and dishes, why stop there? The next time you’re at the store, instead of picking up a bottle of some expensive cleanser, grab these six items and make your own cleaning supplies:

1. Vinegar. It may smell a little weird, but vinegar can handle everything from dishes to laundry and even weeds. We’ve written about the wonders of vinegar before in Household Products Vinegar Can Replace.
2. Baking soda. Eliminates odors and helps with stains, and also works as a natural method of pest control – ants hate it.
3. Borax. This mineral salt beats bleach as a toilet cleaner and is also useful for scrubbing walls. And as you see in the recipes above, works with laundry, too.
4. Fels-Naptha soap. This one’s actually made by one of those big cleaning companies: Dial. They recommend it for “pre-treating” stains. In other words, “use this in addition to a bunch of our other expensive products, like Purex!” But you can turn the tables by using it as part of a recipe for your ownlaundry detergent, and they can keep the Purex.
5. Rubbing alcohol. Works as a disinfectant and is also a great glass cleaner. It also gets grime off plastic and metal surfaces like patio furniture or bathroom fixtures.
6. Lemon juice. This cuts through dish grease and is an ingredient for homemade furniture polish – but it’s not the easiest thing to preserve long-term.

If making your own cleaning products sounds a little extreme, there are still simple ways to save. The best? Buying generics. And if you insist on using name brands, at least clip those coupons.

www.moneytalknews.com

Return to Thrifty Spending Issue 97

FEATURE ARTICLE:  How to Buy Scratch-and-Dent Appliances

Often, you can find great deals on brand-new appliances at scratch-and-dent sales. The trick is first finding a store that sells them, then finding an appliance with flaws that won’t affect your use.

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MONEY SAVING TIP:  How to make dish washing detergent and more

According to the latest government data, Americans spend an average of $659 a year on housekeeping supplies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which provides that figure, also says the average American earns about $787/week – which means many people are spending most of (if not more than) a week’s pay every year on dish soap, laundry detergent, and other cleaning products. If that sounds expensive, here’s a better idea: Make your own.

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DID YOU KNOW…there are three things you should never buy a used?

A used mattress, tires and software.

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Things that consumers purchase that they can get for free.

1.  Free checking. Plenty of banks still offer free checking accounts.  Depending on where you live, SunTrust for example, offers a free plan with no minimum balance required. And you get free online and ATM service too. Check your local Wachovia and U.S. Bank to see if they have their own version of free accounts. Some Chases even offers $100 for opening such an account. Indeed, a host of banks and savings and loans offer free checking. So far. When you’re looking for lower fees, including free checking, always to look to smaller local banks and credit unions.

2. Free credit reports. You can go to AnnualCreditReport.com for a free look at your credit history once a year. If the Financial Regulatory Reform bill passes, you might also one day get a look at your credit score.

3. Free cash. If you can’t find an ATM near you for a free cash withdrawal, no worries: Plenty of stores will give you cash back with no fee when you use your ATM card to make even a small purchase. You can buy a candy bar or a Diet Coke and get back up to $100 in cash from Wal-Mart. Target will give you back $40 if you use your ATM card for a purchase. Grocery stores also offer cash back. And then there are iPhone and other apps that will help you locate ATMs.

4. Free information calls. Bing 411 (1-800-BING-411 or 1-800-CALL-411) allows you to find local shops and restaurants, as well as get driving directions, traffic reports, sports scores, stock quotes, and weather reports. 1-800-FREE411 allows you to get any number, business or residential, in exchange for listening to a brief ad.

5. Free scholarship search. Plenty of websites offer free searches for scholarships, such as Fastweb. There’s even a company called Free Scholarship Searches that offers links to 40 websites that offer free scholarship searches.

6. Free baggage. Sure, nearly all airlines are charging to check baggage but at least one doesn’t, Southwest. And remember carrying on bags is still free, except for on Spirit Airlines.

7. Free entertainment. Your local library and parks offer lots of free fun, from books to movies to concerts. Join their e-mail list to see what’s up. And of course, there’s the Internet, offering free games as well as magazine and newspaper articles. Just go to the website of your favorite periodical.

8. Free Water. While technically not free, tap water is about as close as you can get. If you’re concerned about water quality, buy a filter. But don’t ever pay for water at a convenience store.

9. Free TV. Thanks to sites like Hulu, you can now watch many popular television shows online for free. If your favorite shows are free on the web, why pay for cable or satellite? Do an Internet search for other websites that offer free television shows.

10. Free telephone calls. Services like Skype and AIM let you communicate with other users for free. Always calling a loved one long distance? If you both get copies of something like Skype, you can talk all you want without paying a dime. And with a service like Google Voice, you can get all of your cell phone calls free, too.

Return to Thrifty Spending Issue 96

Debt Management Credit Counseling Corp (http://www.dmcconline.org), a nonprofit organization (“DMCC”), has been approved by HUD to provide Reverse Mortgage counseling. Reverse mortgages provide seniors the ability to obtain cash utilizing the equity in their homes. Seniors interested in pursuing an FHA reverse mortgage should contact DMCC for a free loan estimate and information.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Debt Forgiveness: Is it truly forgiven or is it transferred to one’s income tax?

Ever settle on a debt and wonder what will happen to the amount that was not paid? For example, if a credit card debt totaling $30,000 was settled for $7,000, what happens to the remaining $23,000? Is it just forgiven or is it taxable?

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MONEY SAVING TIP:  Things that consumers purchase that they can get for free.

1.  Free checking. Plenty of banks still offer free checking accounts.  Depending on where you live, SunTrust for example, offers a free plan with no minimum balance required. And you get free online and ATM service too. Check your local Wachovia and U.S. Bank to see if they have their own version of free accounts. Some Chases even offers $100 for opening such an account. Indeed, a host of banks and savings and loans offer free checking. So far. When you’re looking for lower fees, including free checking, always to look to smaller local banks and credit unions.

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DID YOU KNOW…there are good and bad times to use your car’s a/c in order to optimize your MPG?

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FEATURE ARTICLE:  Have You Bounced Yourself Out of a Checking Account?

Have you tried to open a checking account and been turned down? Or, did your bank close your account? If so, you’re not alone — and it’s important to understand why this can happen, and what you can do about it.

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MONEY SAVING TIP:  Homeowners Insurance and Car Insurance

By increasing the deductible of your policy from $500 to $1,000, you can see big decreases on your premium.

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DID YOU KNOW…that sometimes the extended warranty is not worth it?

The Manufacturer’s Warranty Is Often Sufficient

Just about all products on the market today come with a standard manufacturer’s warranty, which typically covers your purchase for one year. The majority of minor malfunctions occur within this first year, while major problems are more apt to occur much later, beyond the reach of an extended warranty’s term.

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Homeowners Insurance and Car Insurance

By increasing the deductible of your policy from $500 to $1,000, you can see big decreases on your premium, says Michael Barry, vice president of media relations for Insurance Information Institute in New York. “People pay about $880 a year, so if I can knock $88 off, it’s a start.” Regarding auto insurance, take a look at your collision insurance if you have an older car. If you have even a fender-bender, sometimes the cost to repair the car would be more than it’s worth, so perhaps you could cancel the collision insurance altogether. First, look up the value of the car at Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com or the National Automobile Dealers Association, then check the collision line on your auto insurance bill and see what it’s worth to you to keep that insurance. Also, if you don’t drive that car much, look for a discount. If you drive from 7,000 to 7,500 miles a year, you can often qualify for low-mileage discounts.

www.finance.yahoo.com

Return to Thrifty Spending Issue 95

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Car Ads too good to be true?

Every day consumers are bombarded with cars ads on the radio and on television that grab their attention and get them thinking about trading in their current automobile.  Consumers are targeted with special finance offers such as, “no money down,” or “if you work, you qualify” Some of those ads although true are sometimes misleading. The dealer neglects to state that the interest rates on these loans may be astronomically high, and the cars in these ads may be high mile models, or have a history that could include accident damage.

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MONEY SAVING TIP: Get a free energy audit.

Many utility companies will come out to your house for free or at a nominal cost and tell you how to save money.

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DID YOU KNOW…that when you open credit cards at your favorite stores in order to get the discount, you’re hurting your score?

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Get a free energy audit.

Many utility companies will come out to your house for free or at a nominal cost and tell you how to save money. If yours will, let them. And while they are there, ask if they have any off-peak, load-management or other savings programs.

Return to Thrifty Spending Issue 94

Debt Management Credit Counseling Corp (http://www.dmcconline.org), a nonprofit charitable organization (DMCC), announces new program to assist consumers struggling to repay payday loans. Program provides repayment plans with affordable monthly payments and suspension of collection calls. DMCC also approved by state to provide Florida residents a 60 day deferment of their loan payments.

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So if you decide to take the plunge and sign up for the membership, you’ll want to take full advantage of the best bulk-buying opportunities these stores have to offer. Here, then, are the things you should always aim to buy in bulk.

1. Toilet paper – meets the main criteria for bulk-buying: It doesn’t go bad, you’re always going to need it and you use it all the time. Just make sure you have room for it in your house, and that you buy a brand that you and your family actually like.

2. Bottled beverages – rather than buying individual bottles for $1.50 each, instead buy a 12-pack for $6.

3. Diapers – buying a 100-pack of diapers  might sound daunting – in addition to the logistics of fitting it in your car and then finding room in your house, it also reminds you that you’ll be changing 100 diapers in the coming weeks. Still, it is still less expensive than buying less diapers at your local store.

4. Dog food and treats – try a 14-pound box of large Milk-Bone treats, which can be had for around $10 and which is enough to last for two dogs for half a year. Also buy rawhide dog chews in bulk, but be aware they don’t last as long in the house.

5. Laundry detergent – buying laundry detergent in bulk, usually means two giant containers of liquid or powdered soap sold together.  To make the most of your purchase, follow the instructions and moderate your usage.

So if you decide to take the plunge and sign up for the membership, you’ll want to take full advantage of the best bulk-buying opportunities these stores have to offer. Here, then, are the things you should always aim to buy in bulk.

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DID YOU KNOW…It’s not good to maintain a balance of more than 30% of your limit?

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