Put Dollars in Your Piggy Bank With (Painless) Change

FOOD & DINING

• HOST A POTLUCK- Brunches, lunches and dinners add up. Many times we go out to "dine" for the company of our friends, the quality of the food or both. A great way to stop spending AND enjoy both, given that you and your friends can cook up some delectable dishes is by hosting a potluck. Poor Girl Gourmet is a fantastic blog that instructs you on how to create "low-budget, high quality food." The author makes cooking fun and though I'm a beginner, the food comes out absolutely delicious. Just ask my Mom. Anywho, offer up your place to avoid the drive to and fro. Whatever you buy, buy the store's generic version if you feel it is close in quality to what you'd normally get. It usually is. Set the item(s) out in nice dishes/containers. Your friends won't know the difference and it'll look like you tried. EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY!

• CAN'T I GO OUT SOMETIMES?!- Grab coffee/hot cocoa or dessert instead of a meal. You can spend just as much time with friends and eat something tasty, but instead of spending $15-$200, you can spend $5-$12, depending on where you go and what you order. The point is to maximize quality time and minimize money spent. Added tip, get a somewhat large dessert and split it with your friend; do this at meals too.

• BUY GENERIC- I alluded to this above. Buy store brand groceries instead of name brands. This saves you money and most times the food tastes just as good.

• HIT UP THE DISCOUNTERS- COSTCO, WALMART and TARGET are faring better than most retailers in this recession because they offer their customers deals. Their non-discretionary items like food and prescription drugs showed strength according to May 2009 retail reports though same-store sales fell more than Wall St. analysts expected due to a tapering in discretionary spending: household items and appliances, socks, pajama's, travel (Costco only), etc. Nonetheless, it's cheaper to go to them for both discretionary and non-discretionary items. CAUTION: Do NOT buy in bulk if you live alone with your cats or dog. This practice is most economical and practical for FAMILIES.

ENTERTAINMENT

• UNSUBSCRIBE- CANCEL your MAGazine subscription(s) and STOP buying books. Get a FREE library card, borrow and read. Some libraries belong to a consortium. So, if your library doesn't have the book you want another might. And as a convenient bonus, sometimes you can arrange for the book to be delivered to your library.

• BORROW, USE & ALWAYS RETURN- I HARDLY ever go to the movies, EVER!
  

• I borrow DVD's from friends or go to their houses for a movie night.
• Use your library. Some, like mine, allow you to borrow DVD's for free or $1 per night.
  
• Redbox: 15,000 convenient vendor machine locations. Choose and reserve your movie online and of course they have new releases. Plus, you can read the synopsis and watch the trailer online. Pick up your movie at the location you've designated and return it at any Redbox location. All for the cost of $1 + tax per day. redbox.com
  
• Finally some do the Netflix and Blockbuster thing. Eh...unless you watch more than nine movies a month and you're really bad about returning things on time, they're not worth it to me.

• THE GREAT OUTDOORS- Go for a walk, have a picnic, lounge on a park bench with a book and enjoy your surroundings. Sit on that bench and people watch. Go on a hike. Bike or roller-blade on hot asphalt. Play golf on your local park's course, tennis on its courts, games with friends on its fields. Feed the ducks and geese; they're feeling the recession too. It's all FREE and FUN.

• GROUP RATES- Get a bunch of your friends and tell them to invite their friends on trips to amusement parks and the beach. This cuts down on parking fees, gas, AND admissions rates if you have enough people. You can all go your own ways once you get in if you don't enjoy the company of everyone in the group. GRRR...play nice!
  

GREEN HOUSE

• IT'S ELECTRIC- Unplug things that you don't use. If you can plug electronics that are clustered together into a SURGE PROTECTOR (NOTE: I DID NOT SAY EXTENSION CORD. THOSE ARE DANGEROUS!). You can turn off all of those appliances at night by unplugging the surge protector. Don't want to unplug? Well, at least flip the switch off. I'd bet that would cut your energy costs too.

• FACING DIRE STRAITS? There are a number of energy assistance programs that will help pay utility bills like Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). Primarily, these programs help with heating and cooling costs, but HEAP and others will assist with electrical. Check this link for detailed information and eligibility criteria.
  

• GOODBYE BOTTLED WATER- BUY A WATER FILTER and a RE-USABLE WATER BOTTLE. Brita Walter Filters (the pitchers) retail for as little as $10.99. Make that investment. According to Project Earth H2o YOU CAN FILL UP an 8oz GLASS with FILTERED TAP WATER 15,000 TIMES AND IT WILL COST LESS THAN PURCHASING a 12 PACK of BOTTLED WATER. Oh and from personal experience, it'll taste just as good...mmm hhmm...yum. Don't belive me? 40% of BOTTLED WATER is FILTERED TAP WATER.

• DISH TOWELS, RE-USE- STOP buying paper towels! Everytime you wash your hands, dry them using a dish towel. Designate two other towels to clean up messes (counter and eewww...floor).

• GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT- Buy Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs at Walmart while you're grocery/prescription med shopping. These bad boys will last longer than the bulbs you're probably used to and save energy while providing quality lighting. So, you won't spend on bulbs too often and your electric bill will be lower. Remember, to check wattage needed at home before buying.
  

• FASTER AND SOFTER WITH BALLS- Buy these dryer balls. Apparently, they soften your clothes, so no more spending on fabric softener sheets AND they cut drying time by 25% saving you on electricity because of faster drying. Not to mention, the less but more efficiently you use your dryer the longer its lifespan.
  

COMMUNICATION

• CALL MY CELL- Get rid of your land line. Ask your service provider about an international calling plan for your cell phone before you do, if you make a ton of international calls. Got internet access at home?
  

• SKYPE- Get a Skype membership. Skype allows you to make international calls to landlines and cell phones CHEAP. Plus if you and your friend have internet access and Skype, then you can chat for free. Added bonus, with a webcam, you can see your friend, still free.
  
• GOOGLE TALK- SKYPE alternative for Google Fanatics. Okay, you and your mates have regular internet access and a microphone. Everyone involved has a webcam? Even better, VIDEO CHAT!!! Anyway, tell everyone to download Google Talk. THEN, add each other to your buddy lists. Now, click on the person and hit "call." Yes, you'll be chatting...FOR FREE!!! You can also leave voicemails. Love it!
• FACING DIRE STRAITS? There are assistance programs that will provide discounts/savings on your phone bill whether it be cell or land line. They go by the names Lifeline, Link-Up and Telephone Assistance. Lifeline will save $10/month or more on your phone service. The amount varies from state to state. Link-up will pay up to $30 for phone set up charges. Link-up also allows consumers to borrow up to $200,, interest free for a year, for set-up fees. For more information consult National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates and or Universal Service Administration Company.
  

EXERCISE

• SUSPEND 3/4 of the Year- I have a Bally's membership. Bally's allows its members to suspend their membership for a measly $4 monthly fee. Instead of spending $29 bucks per month I spend $4 during the spring, summer and fall. I exercise outdoors during these seasons. The mornings and evenings are the coolest times to do so. I don't want anyone dying of heat exhaustion. Use your body weight, large stones, milk jugs filled with water, or if you have a set of weights, by all means use those for resistance and strength training. Check out Discovery Health's National Body Challenge for a free comprehensive fitness and eating plan (including free workout videos).

GAS & CAR WARE AND TARE

• CARPOOL- Find colleagues who live in your area. Befriend them. Set up a carpool.

• TRIPS- Take the bus or train. I'm not always a fan, but if you need to save. This could be a great way to do so. Boltbus currently offers service between NY and Boston, Baltimore, D.C. and Philadelphia. I mention Boltbus because the travel experience is superior to Greyhound and Peter Pan. Free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets are available on board. Reservations can be sent directly to your phone (so, none of that printing e-ticket or picking it up at a kiosk wawawa). The fare is usually cheaper. For those of you outside of these areas...Greyhound?

• Wash Your Own Car
  

STUDENT LOANS

• Working Part-time or Unemployed for whatever reason?- Apply for a Loan Deferment or Forbearance. If you have Federal Loans, they come in two forms. Subsidized and unsubsidized. Loan deferments are more favorable because the GOVERNMENT will make interest payments on SUBSIDIZED student loans while you are in DEFERMENT. Where as, DURING FORBEARANCE YOU are responsible for interest on any subsidized student loan, which will cost instead of save you money. If you qualify for deferment, opt for that over forbearance. Oh and if you’re approved, it’s good for SIX MONTHS.
  
  I would ask any private loan issuer to defer as well. Ask. If you can't defer try forbearance.