Couldn’t ask for more could you. If you like sites like this be sure to check out my post on “On The Way“.

Again, do a little research and the world is at your door.

Remember back in January when you had the flu? And then in May when your allergies were acting up. How about the physical you had last month. All of those appointments drained your wallet and savings account but it also did one other thing. It when against your yearly deductible. Double check and I bet you will be in the same position that I am in right now. Sitting pretty with a paid off deductible and a check list of things to take care of.

That puts us in a big money savings situation because outside of an office co-pay which is anywhere from $20 – $30, other fees will be paid 100% by your insurance. That includes the expensive blood work and lab fees that occur on any typical visit. Schedule a yearly physical with full blood work and see how much you save while you are taking care of yourself. Just think what you would have to pay if you made that appointment, in the new year.

Go see the podiatrist about that unsightly foot odor – it’s paid for. What to have a mole checked out and removed make an appointment to see a dermatologist – it’s paid for.

Save even more money if you are on a family plan and have matched your family deductible, make sure everyone schedules appointment for what they want and more importantly what they need.

Again this money saving tip is for your own good and has no side effects.

INSULATE YOUR WINDOWS!

Don’t believe me? Wait until January and place your hand on a window. Feel how cold it is? Hold a match to your window. Does it flicker? That’s cold air leaking into your house and dollars leaking out of your windows. Now step into your time machine so you are back in the present and can do something about your windows.

Windows Stay Snug

You can find these anywhere. Hardware store, Grocery Stores, Drug Stores even Bed Bath and Beyond (yep another use for those coupons stored in your car). They come in a variety of sizes, even ones large enough to cover a door-wall. Buy whatever brand you want, they all work the same. Apply the two-sided tape around your window, stick the wrap on it, trim to size (if necessary). The last step, use your hairdryer to tighten up the seal, remove wrinkles and make it clearer so you can see the ice clinging to the trees outside. In the spring pull it off and enjoy the summer breeze. Note: to get the double side tape off without any residue bring out that tested hairdryer to heat up the tape and it will loosen up a bit for easy wipe off.

Feeling ambitious and want something you can reuse every year. If you are the do it yourself type. Click on over to the Everyday Crafty Goodness blog for instructions on how to make your own window insulators that can be rolled up and reused year after year. I was never that ambitious.

Honestly, you would be surprised how many people insulate their windows this way and you just never noticed since they are behind curtains and shades. Beside you can laugh to the bank with the money you save every month with this tip so who cares.

Grocery Stores Sales

If you are like me, you have 2-4 different grocery chains within a few miles from one another. And each one every week has specials for you to take advantage of. I’m not telling you to go to every store every week and I’m not telling you to buy something you wouldn’t normally buy. But if boneless chicken breasts are on sale for $1.99 / pound why would you just buy enough for one meal? Priced normally at $5.99 and up, buying several pounds of chicken and freezing it for future meals adds up to huge savings.

Only use Tide to do laundry. Well guess what, when it goes on sale by two or (gasp) even three and you have enough to last you until the next time it goes on sale. Only use Gillette razors – well you get what I’m talking about. It’s called the art of stock piling. And it saves people $$$$ every time you shop.

Every week, grocery stores send you their weekly specials in the mail and more than likely every week, you throw them out, without looking at them. Well glance at them next time you are eating your shrimp fried rice.

Find out which store has the most items of your favorite items on sale, MAKE A LIST, and spend some time visiting the aisles of your grocery stores, stocking up on your favorite items. Look at that insert, Cereal is only $2.00! There are pages of sale items every week from stores begging for you to visit them.

Note, If you don’t get the sale circulars in the mail you can always go on-line and view the weekly sales from the store’s website. Most even have the ability to create a shopping list on line so you can print a ready to go list. 

Also, in order to take advantage of most sales, you have to join their club. DO IT! It’s harmless. If you don’t want to carry a card every where you go or if you are prone to losing them, several stores can look you up by phone number. And if you are still paranoid more than likely, the cashier or the customer next to you in line can offer you one to scan – especially since they are getting the credit for your purchases which adds up to bigger savings (for another post, don’t want to confuse you).

I admit, I feel funny when I have four boxes of Cocoa Puffs in my cart and on my shelfs but I can’t live without my chocolate fix. And if I can have it and save money at the same time, I’m CucKoo for them (sorry, had to throw that in)

Grab everything and lets go. But wait! Your dentist is on the other side of town and the grocery store  is in the opposite direction. You aren’t sure where the nearest post office is but you know that your bank is by your grocery store.  You are slowly seeing the fuel guage in your car sink to empty as you dart all over the place to get stuff done. Think about it, every mile out of your way is about .15 out of your pocket. I know, I know it doesn’t seem like much but add it up for a Saturday of errand running and you can see how much money is wasted. Honestly, I would rather spend that extra money on a latte instead of on gas. Or better yet, put it in my pocket where I can put it towards something better than gas or coffee.

Logo

Before you leave, check out FindItOnMyWay.com This cool little site is perfect for when you want to find things on the way to your destination. Type in your starting point, your destination and then type in the places you need to hit up along the way.

Again, do your research before your errands and no one will be the wiser. In fact they will think you know your town like the back of your hand.

I would rather use my credit card to buy gas, groceries and other day to day expenses instead of keeping cash on hand or using my debit card. Then when the bill comes in, I pay it off so I don’t accure interest. Since, I’m paying it off, I searched for a card that offers awards rewards that I want instead of a low interest credit card. Check out Index Credit Cards a site that keeps updated information on all credit card offers . Decide if you want cash back, points, miles or all of the above and find the card for you.

I use a card that gets me free miles. I keep track of my balance online and when it reaches a certain amount I stop using it. I have it set up to email me just before payment is due to remind me to go online and pay it by wiring money from my checking account to my credit card. Is that easy. And you can have extra cash in your pocket or you can horde the points for that HDTV you want.

Again who knows why you pick the cards you do.

Meet Vinegar. Vinegar is your friend. I’m sure you might have heard about the power of Vinegar. Do you doubt it’s potency? Well I’m here to tell you, don’t doubt. Run, do not walk to the stores throw down your $1.00 for a 32 oz bottle of white distilled vinegar and with the money you saved buy a spray bottle or two.

As a Window cleaner, use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Keep a spray bottle of this around.

For an all purpose cleaner use equal amounts of vinegar and water. This is perfect for counter tops, surfaces and as an every day cleaner. There goes your second spray bottle.

Just remember the stronger or harder the stain the stronger ratio of white vinegar you want to use. Poor it directly into the toilet to get rid of rings. Or add 1/2 cup to your laundry as a fabric softener.

Possibilities seem endless don’t they? Check out Vinegar Tips for a growing list of uses and stop throwing your money away on chemical laden wallet, emptying cleaning supplies.

Who keeps cleaning supplies out in the open anyways.

I did this three years in a row and then I realized, I spent a combined total of $90 on jeans with a combined shelf life of 3 years. I decided to suck it up and spend $90 on one pair of jeans. That was 5 years ago. I’m wearing those $90 jeans as I type this and they are perfect. Worn a bit to make them relaxed but no holes no tears…. perfect.  At this rate, they will last 5 more years.

Lets do the math:
One $90 jeans for five years is $18 a year.  (not counting the fact that I am wearing them longer than 5 years.
Three $30 jeans for three years is $30 a year.

I came out ahead with the more expensive pair of jeans AND they fit better, they look better and they are more stylish. So am I telling you to go spend over $100 on a pair of high quality jeans? Well if they are stylish WITHOUT being trendy they will last more than a season before going out of style and, most importantly, you look great in them; definitely!

You need to start looking at a cost per wear factor not a cost per item. Obviously I’m not telling you to spend $150 on a pair of sequined purple velvet jeans that you are going to wear to for one night and never wear them again because they are so last year. But for a classic pair of denim suck it up spend the money on quality and enjoy them knowing in the end you are coming out ahead.

Are you kidding? You actually look like you have money when people see that designer label across your bottom. And less waste so feel good that you are helping lessen the load on landfills with the holier than thou cheap jeans

Enter your zip code and it will immediately pull up all the gas stations near you and highlight the cheapest one (wow $3.63 down the street from my work). Use the filters to confirm that the high end or diesel is also the cheapest in your area. But before you drive 10 miles to save $.05 / gallon on gas do the math, it’s probably worth it to go to the closer place than to drive further away.

If you feel like volunteering, sign up on their page and you can enter your own gas prices. Volunteers are entered in sweepstakes for prizes, money and of course gas cards. Not too shabby if all you have to do is look out your office window and the local Arco.

Of course I could tell you to slow down saving you even more gas but that’s no fun. And you mom already told you to do that.

If you are driving by 5 gas stations to get to the cheap one it’s going to look a little odd but just tell your passengers the bathrooms are cleaner.

Even if you buy it in bulk or large jugs at a time it still adds up to a lot of money on basically something that we grew up drinking for free. And if you really think about it, it’s almost as yucky as drinking from the same unwashed plastic bottle and it is drinking from the bathroom sink. If you don’t believe me, leave your Evian water bottle out in the hot car all day and then smell it the next day. That smell, that’s heated plastic and that can’t be good for you.

I’m not telling you to suck it up and drink from the kitchen sink because that doesn’t help when you are on the go. My solution, I bought a filtered water pitcher. Both Pur and Brita make great pitchers just find the one you like keep, it in the fridge filled with water and presto you have filtered water. If you want, buy the adapter for your faucet and you won’t have to worry about someone leaving an empty pitcher in your fridge. I prefer the pitcher since it’s in the fridge it’s always cold which is just the way I like to drink my water.

Now, I know you aren’t going to take the water pitcher and throw it in your gym bag so you have to make one more purchase. A reusable water bottle. Sigg makes a ton of bottles. Same with Kleen Kanteen. Actually you find reusable water bottles anywhere from Bed Bath & Beyond (hey you can use your coupon) to the 99 cent store. Just do yourself a favor, stay away from reusable bottles that are made out of polycarbonate. These have been known to contain chemicals that can be harmful to your body, especially when heated (remember that hot car).

I know it looks like I’m costing you money with this tip. $25+ for the pitcher, $10+ for filters and $10+ for a water bottle. But think how much money you spend on water in a month and I bet you have the money to buy the pitcher and bottle. Save the filters for the following month with all of the money you save then. And you are set for a while. And if you really want to get petty, you are saving money on garbage bags too by not filling them up with your plastic bottles of waste.

It’s a cheaper alternative and lets face it, it’s a greener alternative so you are killing two birds with one stone.

Please this actually makes you look like you have money toting around with a “designer water bottle” You are too good for Arizona Springs anyways.