Maintain Weight to Save Money

Losing weight and looking at your new self in the mirror could give you a boost of self-confidence, but you'll get a nice kick in the pants each time you buy yourself a new wardrobe. After losing all that weight, you normally wouldn't want to hide behind those baggy old clothes. You'll want to show off your new self.

Every 10 pounds you lose in weight, you drop a size. And continuing to wear clothes 3 or 4 sizes too big will make you look and feel terrible. You’ll need to buy clothes from scratch, whether it's office wear, formal wear, jeans, or dresses, everything has to go. You'll need a couple of thousand dollars at least to replace all those, and if you continue to lose weight, you'll need a couple of thousand every 2 or 3 sizes down.

Now, I agree that losing weight is a challenge. But not putting on weight is also a challenge. The kind of sedentary lifestyles we lead, and the unhealthy foods we eat, gradually keep putting on us those extra pounds. Most of us need a lifestyle change, but it doesn't have to be a radical one. Sensible choice in food (fewer carbs, more fruits and vegetables) and moderate exercise could keep us from packing on those pounds, and prevent us from the costly health problems associated with obesity. Maintaining your weight is just one way to save money on clothes.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Generally speaking, it makes more dollar sense to just maintain your weight, but if you are already obese, maintaining your weight could cost you more in health problems and medical bills.

Learn to Cook at Home to save money

Learning how to cook at home is probably one of the simplest and easiest ways to save money on food. I'm surprised by how many adults lack basic cooking skills, and just how much of their hard-earned money they spend on take-out foods or processed frozen dinners. Depending on the size of the family, you could be spending thousands of dollars on ready-made meals a year.

Some people are on the road most of the time because of the nature of their jobs. They have little choice but to eat out. But the rest of us can easily avoid it, and would actually prefer great tasting home-made meals to unhealthy super-sized fast food, or expensive restaurant food. Learning to cook for yourself and for your family is probably one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. By learning this essential skill, you are in control of what you and your family eats and the overall nutritional value of your meals, in addition to saving money.

You can learn cooking by a variety of different methods - cookbooks, DVDs, television programs, or you can take classes at the local community college. The internet is a goldmine for free information. There are tons of blogs, YouTube videos, as well as recipes that offer tips and instruction on various cooking techniques. Learning how to cook doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg.

Experience is the best teacher. It will take you less time, if you are constantly applying what you are learning at home. Start with simple recipes and slowly work your way up to more complex dessert recipes and restaurant favorites. It doesn't matter what kind of food you like to eat, learning how to cook is going to one the most valuable skills to help you save money.

Draft Setting: Save on Printer Ink

In the not too distant past, businesses required tons of paper forms, which were either mailed or kept around the office. In the electronic world of today, most documents have become digitalized and are even transferred by electronic mail. But often these forms have to be printed in order to be signed or stamped. Compared to the dot-matrix printers of the past, printers today use up more ink to get those crisp, pixel-perfect documents and graphics. More ink equals more money, and it's important to know how you can help your bottom line by reducing printing costs, and better utilizing your ink cartridges and printer.

One of easiest and quickest ways to save ink is by the click of your mouse. Just make some slight changes in the printer settings of your printer's menu. Printers usually offer a variety of different print settings from a basic Draft to sharp Photo quality. Each setting is used for a specific purpose. If you want to print the pictures you took on your vacation, you'll need the Photo quality setting. For professional documents and resumes, you would find the Automatic Sharpening quality most appropriate. For normal use, it would make most sense if you use the Draft setting. This setting uses less ink, which means that you save more money.

Usually printers automatically stay at the last used setting. If the last time you used the printer was with the Photo quality settings, your printer will probably give you photo quality for your current print job as well. So, it's best to check your printer settings every time you start a print job. Another money saving setting is the black and white color setting. Color cartridges cost more than black ones, so it makes more sense to just print in black and white when color is not necessary.

Using a water bottle saves money

How many have you filled up on gas and spent an extra $1.50 on a bottle of water? If this is a regular occurrence, think about how much you are spending during the whole year? A little over a $100? Maybe more?

Instead of buying branded bottled water from gas stations, convenient stores and vending machines at work or in school, you can carry with you a water bottle and refill it with tap water from the water fountain. Did you know that Americans spend $1 billion dollars annually on bottled water alone? Tap water in most homes is safe, and you can make it safer by investing in a good water filter. It could also save you and your family hundreds of dollars every year.

You can take the water with you to work, out walking or to the gym. You can keep a bottle in the car to avoid buying bottled water at the gas station. A reusable bottle in your car's cup holder could save you a lot of money!

Calculated at a per gallon rate, bottled water actually costs more than gasoline. The water in those plastic bottles, however, is clean and inexpensive. By filling your eco-friendly bottle with tap water, you can make small savings that add up to a substantial amount over the long term. This will help you balance your family's budget.

A reusable water bottle is not just easier on your wallet, but also on the environment. Manufacturing bottled water costs the United States 32 to 54 million barrels of oil’s worth of energy every year. To top that off, every bottle ends up in a landfill. All that costs you further tax dollars every year. Carrying a reusable water bottle is smarter, cheaper and environmentally friendly.

Make A List When Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping is something that fills a lot of people with dread. You walk around a grocery store for a while, put a bunch of random stuff in your cart and then get to the checkout to realise you have spent well over your budget. There is one very simple way in which you can save money on your grocery bill and that is to always make a list of items that you need or want and take it with you to the grocery store. Buy only what you have on your list and do not get carried away with buy one, get one free offers and other such deals and you will soon see your grocery bill shrinking over time.

Take a good look in your cupboards and in the refrigerator before you leave for the store and make sure that you write down the things that you need that you would normally buy. These should be things like eggs, milk, bread, sugar etc. When you head to the store, make sure that you have the list somewhere safe and accessible. You will find that, with a list, you can buy the things that are just what you need. You will head to the aisles that contain the items that you need and then go to the checkout. Not only will your grocery bill be smaller, but your trips to the store will also be quicker, meaning that you have more time to spend on other things and better manage your day.

It can be very easy to go to the store and walk out with a whole bunch of stuff that you don’t need and probably won’t use. How many times have you bought items that you wouldn't normally buy simply because they were on some kind of special offer? Will a list and a little bit of will power, you will find that your grocery bills will soon shrink!

Washing Machine Saving Money Tips

If you think the only way you can save money using your washing machine is by scrubbing your clothes in the local lake on a rock, you are mistaken. There are hundreds of ways that you can save a few pennies when doing your laundry and when it comes down to it, a lot of these money saving methods are down to plain and simple common sense. Thankfully, help is at hand – here are the top three tips for saving money with your washing machine.

1. If you don't need to do laundry, don't do it! So what if your favourite jeans are a tad grubby and you want to wear them tomorrow? Hand-wash them if you really can't live without them. There is no point in doing a whole load of laundry for one pair of jeans, especially when it takes just a few moments to give them a quick clean by hand. Wait until you need to do laundry – make set days such as Tuesday’s and Sundays. Not only will you be amazed at how much more time you have on your hands, but you will also be amazed at how much money you save, both on electricity costs as well as detergent and softener costs!

2. Turn off the hot water! So many of the laundry detergents on the markets these days are designed to be used in a colder temperature of water, so why not make use of them? What's the point in heating your water to boiling point and wasting heat/electricity when the detergent you are using works perfectly well, (sometimes better) at a colder temperature? Why not try it, just for a month? You'll be shocked at how many pennies you will be able to save!

3. If your washing machine looks like something found in a seventies movie, maybe it’s time to upgrade? Not only can an old machine waste water and electricity, but by upgrading to a newer, energy efficient model, you are also doing your bit for the environment. The same applies to large machines – if the kids have moved out or you no longer have as many people living in your home, what's the point in having a massive machine? Downsize your machine size as well as your laundry costs at the same time!

Dryer Setting Tip

Laundry is one of those things that you cannot really sacrifice. You need these pieces of machinery in the same way that you need your car or washing machine for day to day use. It makes sense to learn how you can save money using your dryer and luckily, there is one simple tip that you should not live without.

Although using your dryer proves to be convenient, it can also prove to be expensive. It can use more electricity than your average air conditioning unit, and this is a lot of power. One of the easiest things that you can do to save money and power with your dryer, is to ensure that you are using the right setting for the clothes that you are trying to dry. You will find that there are normally more than a few settings for you to choose from, and one of the reasons why so many people waste electricity and money when doing laundry, is because they have their dryer (and occasionally the washing machine) on the wrong setting.

If you are drying your underwear or other delicate items, use the delicate setting on your dryer or at least use a lower temperature. It is simple common sense – the less heat you use, the less power you need and in turn, the more money you will save. You will also save money on clothing costs by doing this – using the wrong heat setting on your clothes can damage them quicker than your average amount of wear and tear, and you will end up having to stop wearing your favourite items after just a few washes.

Next time you turn on your dryer, take a peek at what setting you are using. If you only have half a load, use a lower temperature and always make sure that you are choosing the right setting for the type of clothing that you are trying to dry.

How To Save Over $100 Grocery Shopping

Here is an easy and painless way to save money when doing your grocery shopping that will not change what you are planning to purchase. Even better, this simple little change can save you well over a hundred dollars a year. You simply need to change the time you do your grocery shopping.

Studies have shown that the longer you stay in a grocery store, the more likely you are to spend money. it may surprise you to learn that consumers spend as much as 50 cents more each additional minute they remain at the grocery store after the first 30 minutes. That's right. if you can get in and out of a grocery store quickly, you are much less likely to spend extra money, but if you stay over thirty minutes, each couple of minutes after that is going to cost you $1.00. If you can cut the time you spend in the grocery store from an hour to 30 minutes, you will save yourself approximately $15. There are a variety of ways to decrease the amount of time you spend in the grocery store, but one of the simplest ways is to focus on the time of day that you shop.

A simple way to accomplish this is to go to the grocery store during non-peak shopping hours. Since there are more people in the store during peak shopping hours, you'll spend more time in the store than when it is relatively empty. This will especially help in decreasing the time you wait in the check-out line where the dreaded impulse purchase items are calling at you.

If your grocery store is open 24 hours, the best times to go are before 8:00 in the morning or after 9:00 in the evening. If your store isn't open 24 hours, shopping when it first opens in the morning is best. If that is not possible, right before it closes is next best. If you can remember, make a note the time when you enter and exit to see how much time you spend inside (a stop-watch is handy here if you happen to have one and makes it sort of a fun game). The goal is to get in and out in under 30 minutes each time you visit your local grocery store.

If you can arrange your schedule to shop when it's least crowded, you will save well over $100 in shopping expenses during the year. An added benefit is that you will free up more time to do other things since you'll spend less time shopping.

Buy Holiday Goods Now

Christmas is over which means it is the perfect time to start thinking about Christmas 2012 for those who want to save money. Before you begin rolling your eyes at the thought of having to think about the holiday season when you thought that is was finally over, remember that the better prepared you are before the holiday season starts, the more you'll save when the holiday season arrives. Just imagine how much more pleasurable December 2012 will be if you have all your decorations, ornaments and gifts bought and wrapped long before the 2012 holiday shopping season even begins?

The first thing you need to do is take a quick inventory of all the Christmas items that you have taking special need of anything that needs replacing or you wish you had during the holiday season. This is by far the best time to do this since it is still fresh in your mind so that you don't wish you had it again next year. With your list in hand, head to the stores where all Christmas related items should be heavily discounted.

You should be able to find all that you need to replace and anything that you know that you needed for 50% off or more. Once purchased, place with all your other Christmas and holiday goods and decorations and you will be set to go next year without having to worry about what you may still need. If you buy holiday related gifts for friends or family, this is also a great time to purchase these at great discounts to give for next year.

By beginning early and determining holiday needs now, you'll be in the position to significantly reduce the amount of money you spend on decorations, ornaments and holiday gifts next year. best of all, you won't have the pressure of having to find them with crowded holiday shoppers since it will all already be taken care of.

Clean Out Your Car Trunk To Save Money

Often it is simple little baby steps that can save you money over a long period of time. A good example of that is to empty out all the stuff you have been storing inside of your car's trunk.

There seems to be a law that if something goes into a car trunk, it must remain there indefinitely. As the months go by, the trunk starts looking less like a trunk and more like a storage closet. While your car's trunk may be a convenient place to store all those items that you are not sure where to put otherwise, that storage comes at a price. All those items resting in the trunk of your car add weight, and that added weight costs you money.

If you are the type of person that uses your car trunk as a storage area, make the time to go to your car and empty everything out of the trunk and back seat that doesn't need to be there. In addition to cleaning out the inside of your car, it's also a good time to take off the car rack if you have one. Car racks significantly reduce the aerodynamics of the car which lowers your overall gas mileage.

The more weight that you can shed from the car, the lighter and more fuel-efficient it will be. Emptying out your trunk should save you a minimum of $20 for the year and possibly much more. An added bonus to reducing the weight in your car is that your car's driving performance should also improve.

An added benefit of cleaning out your car is that you will likely find a lot of things that you thought were lost. Keeping it clean can also mean that important papers or other documents don't accidentally get lost in the mess. once your car is clean and organized, it should be much easier to keep it this way and save you both time and energy (on top of money) knowing where everything is.

getting your car and car trunk clean is a great first step in getting all the places in your life better organized and clean. Remember, it's a first baby step.

How A Towel Can Save You

No, this is not a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Much like the the simple washer savings baby step, I loved this idea because it only takes a second and it isn't something that I would have thought about on my own.

I live in a community where I can't line dry my clothes outside and I haven't reached the level where I am comfortable with wet clothes lying all over my house to dry. That means that I use my dryer and according to dryer tips there is an easy way to reduce the cost of each dryer load by 10%.

After throwing in all the wet clothes that have come out of the washing machine, take a big, fluffy, dry towel and throw it into the dryer with all the wet clothes. As this fluffy towel tumbles in the dryer with all the wet clothes, it helps to absorb the moisture in the wet clothes which allows them to dry more quickly. In the end, you get your clothes dry in less time and save a bit of money in the process.

I started doing this about a week ago and it seems to work just as claimed. it's one of the easiest 10% savings I have found in a long time.

Throwing on Cold Water

I love finding little baby steps to improve my finances which take very little time or effort to accomplish. This baby step does both in a matter of seconds and can save about $100 a year according to washer tips.

All you need to do is take a stroll over to your washing machine and turn the wash cycle switch so that it's pointing to a "cold – cold" wash. I have been doing this for a few weeks and I can't tell a difference in the cleanliness of my clothes at all. Unless your clothes are terribly dirty, I highly doubt that you will see a difference either.

It is the cost of heating the water that is the most expensive part of washing clothes. When the washing machine is set to "cold - cold" there is no cost to heat the water, and this is where the money savings comes from. A small and easy baby step that I took to help improve my finances.