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You are here: Home / Archives for saving money

saving money

10 Ways to Dramatically Lower the Grocery Bill

November 13, 2018 By Joni Kinney Leave a Comment

Like most families, one of our most significant monthly budget line items is our groceries. Trying to balance necessities and what we want is always a challenge when money is tight. It only makes sense that we try to lower the grocery bill.

If you are like us then talking about budgets and expenses is scary. To try and help make things easier for you we’ve created some FREE resources just for you! We really hope you enjoy our Free Budget and Expense Tracking printables.

10 Ways to Dramatically Lower the Grocery Bill

  1. Check unit Prices
  2. Buy in Bulk
  3. Buy Generic brands
  4. Only Pay with Cash
  5. Buy seasonal fruit
  6. Shop Online
  7. Shop the store sales
  8. Meal plan
  9. Shop Alone
  10. Eat Before

Check unit Prices

A lot of times buying the biggest box of cereal makes sense. (If you eat a lot of cereal). Purchasing those big boxes or largest item is typically the cheapest method to getting the best bang for your buck.

However, if there is a sale on a smaller box, the unit price may be lower for that smaller box. The unit price is the price per serving. Check the unit prices and try to get them lower, sometimes you will fix buying two smaller size items is a better deal than one large box.

Buy in Bulk

Buying large quantities of something you use often is typically the best deal. If you can purchase a case of green beans, you may get a discount. Check those unit prices and try to buy in bulk whenever you can to stack those savings and help you lower your grocery bills.

Buy Generic brands

Let’s face it; most store brands are just as good as name brands. You can typically save yourself some money just by swapping out that name brand for the store brand. Now even I will admit there are some things we don’t buy generic because it isn’t quite the same. However, you need to consider swapping out whenever possible.

Only Pay with Cash

Paying for your groceries with cash ensures you stick to your budget. Ideally, you have set aside a specific amount to use and can stay within that budget. Not taking credit cards or paying with other methods makes you less likely to grab those items you think you needed but had not planned on purchasing.

Buy seasonal fruit

We love fruit because we make a lot of smoothies. Let’s face it though; fruit is expensive. You can help curb these costs by only purchasing in-season fruit. There are different times when berries are on sale vs. melons. Take advantage of those differences to add variety and get a better deal on your grocery bills.

Shop Online

Many local and online stores such as Amazon will allow you to make grocery purchases online. Shopping online is great because you can stack savings, but also because you are then not tempted to make those last minute and not necessary purchases.

Shop the store sales

Every local store including Walmart, Aldi‘s or Save A Lot has store sales. Strategize before you head out to pick up your weekly groceries where you will go and which store you will purchase from.

Meal plan

Meal planning to help you save money on your grocery bill helps you to know what you need. This will help you maximize your savings as you visit local stores and purchase the in-store sale items.

Shop Alone

Taking kids and husbands to the store can be expensive. Leave them home and shop alone. This way you can stick to your strategies and make your purchases without extra pressure from the littles.

Eat Before

There is nothing worse than grocery shopping when you are hungry. Additionally, this is hard on the grocery bill once you get to the register. When we are hungry, we tend to feel as if we need items we had not planned on purchasing. You are way more likely to test your willpower if you enter that store hungry than you are if you just ate a fulfilling meal.

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips Tagged With: groceries, grocery bill, life hacks, money saving, money savings tips, saving money, ways to save

Frugal Living: 25 Genius Ways to Save Money Everyday

November 8, 2018 By Joni Kinney 9 Comments

Everyone wants to save money and many of us strive for a frugal living! I don’t know a single person who has so much money they don’t enjoy a good deal. (Now I’m sure these people exist, I just don’t know any.)

Frugal Living Tips

Household / Vehicle Tips

  1. Watch less TV – This will help you be subjected to less ads, and you can cut down on subscription costs too!
  2. Clean out closets and sell things you are no longer using! Check out our Spring Cleaning : A 20 Day Cleaning Challenge
  3. Turn off your lights and if you can’t turn them off make sure you are using LED’s. Check out 5 useful ways to save money on utilities
  4. Keep your tires inflated. For every 2 PSI of air pressure your tires are under the recommended level costs you about 1% on your gas mileague.
  5. Use Surge Protectors – Not only will this help so they don’t get blown up in a storm, but you can easily turn them off to help save on electrical bills.

Holiday Items

  1. Make Gifts this holiday season! There are plenty of gift ideas on Pinterest just waiting for you!
  2. Only purchase holiday decorations after the holiday is past. Getting them when they are on sale for 70-90% off only makes sense.

Groceries / Food Tips

  1. Don’t go grocery shopping without a list!
  2. Plan your grocery shopping based on local store sales.
  3. Pack food for road trips. Just because you have to travel doesn’t mean you have to eat at fast food restaurants.
  4. Compare grocery store prices so you always get the best deal.
  5. Try generic brands. Many of the things you love are perfectly awesome in generic form.
  6. Drink more water!
  7. Pack your lunches for work.

Budget Tips

  1. Use a budget
  2. WASH your hands. This helps keep the medical bills low and the sickies away!
  3. Restrict online shopping
  4. Set Goals or use a Vision Board – This helps you realize what you are working for!

Other / Misc Frugal Living Tips

  1. Sign UP for Rewards Programs – these can help you save money on purchass you are already planning on making. Check out Rapid Rewards Shopping tips.
  2. Wait 30 Days – to make any purchase over $50. You may not need that purchase as much as you thought if you have to wait for it.
  3. Use library borrowing services. You can watch money movies and read books through your library share programs.
  4. Quit using credit cards if you can’t pay them off every month.
  5. Cancel unused memberships. If you aren’t using that gym membership, stop paying for it.
  6. Buy used. There are lots of perfectly good used items at consignment shops just waiting for you!
  7. Ask for fees to be waived. This won’t always work but it doesn’t hurt you anything to ask. This includes when signing up for services.

Hopefully you have enjoyed our tips on how you can live a more frugal life!

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips Tagged With: cleaning challenge, frugal, frugal living, money saving, money savings tips, saving money, utilities

5 useful ways to save money on utilities

September 29, 2018 By Joni Kinney Leave a Comment

One of the things we can’t cut out of our budget is utilities. For us we live in Wisconsin, we can’t go without heat in the winter. While we could probably reduce the air conditioning in the summer, I would be miserable. So while we can’t cut out those expenses, there are some useful ways that we can save money on those pesky utility bills. save money on utilities

Energy Efficient Things

The easiest thing you can probably do is start using Energy Efficient Lightbulbs. These are available in every store these days and aren’t all that more expensive than regular light bulbs. There are many options for dimmable and LED lights in floodlight bulbs or small mirror bulbs. I even found those pretty round bulbs used on vanities that came in LED options.

Another option is to use Energy efficient appliances. When your washer, dishwasher, or dryer dies, consider replacing it with something that costs less to run on a daily basis.

save money on utilities

Programmable Thermostat

One of my favorite things we ever did that ended up helping us save money was to install a programmable thermostat. We LOVE our nest, but there are so many options out there. Nest allows us to set up a schedule; auto detects if we are home based on our phone settings and it “learns” our habits and starts to sneak in energy savings we don’t even notice.

Other great things you can do to help with this is to install thermal blinds or thermal drapes. These help keep cold air out in the winter and warm air in the summer. And these do not have to be the ugly old black and brown ones we probably associate with energy efficiencies. We’ve come a long way with style in these areas!

save money on utilities

Update the way you do Laundry

Additional tips for appliances include using dryer balls to decrease dry time. Using cold water in your washer and using your appliances during off-peak times. Also, take advantage of things like your overheat in the winter, open that baby up and let it help you heat your home!

Don’t forget to review your setting on less remembered appliances such as your water heater. Make sure you aren’t heating your water above 120 degrees. This will help with Laundry when you do need to use warm water, but will also help with showers and dishwashers too!

save money on utilities

Use Fans to Save Money on Utilities

Fans are not just for summer! Get out your fans to help you push air around your house in a way that benefits your natural air flow. Winter Tip: Put your fan in the corner of the room, nearest to the heat source to help you control that air flow.

If you have ceiling fans make sure you have them going in the right direction for the time of year. In the winter months make sure they are going clockwise. This allows the fan to push the warm air back down around the edges of your room. This helps keep the warm air down where you are instead of stuck on the ceiling. Same for summer, but then the fan needs to turn counterclockwise so that it can pull the cold air up off the floor.

save money on utilities

Visit Utility Website

Most Utility websites have lots of tips, and I’m sure yours does too! If you use WPS check out all their great suggestions for energy efficiency as well as any programs they may have for you to save a few bucks on those appliance replacements or larger scale energy projects!

If you want additional tips on how to save money check out 15 Tips on How to Save Money. Let us know what other tips you have and of course SHARE our articles with your family and friends or even on Pinterest so they can get these great tips and more too!

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips Tagged With: budget, energy, energy efficient, fans, laundry, money saving, money savings tips, saving money, utilities

The 5 Best Budget App (s) to Make Your Life Easier

September 27, 2018 By Joni Kinney 1 Comment

There are many apps available to us, so it doesn’t surprise me to see so many budget apps out there. Most budget apps track spending and expenses. Some of the more sophisticated apps allow for you to set a budget in addition to monitoring those expenses.  Here are our recommendations for the five best budget apps that will help make your life easier. The best part is that all of these apps are FREE! Best Budget App

Mint

Mint is a free money management tool that allows you to track spending and expenses all at once. The current version features Mintsights which can show you money-saving insights based on your financial information.  This app also features the ability to track your credit score and keep track of your bills. Altogether a pretty easy app to use.

best budget app

GoodBudget

GoodBudget is an excellent choice for a personal budget app that based on the Envelope Budget System. This app can help you with budgets and many aspects of money management. It’s easy to sync allowing you and others to share data – such as a spouse. There are some interesting built-in reports to help you analyze your spending as well.

best budget app

Clarity Money

This app is all about helping you make smarter more educated decisions on your money. Helping you track your spending and expenses as well as your credit score and monitoring your accounts. Other cool features include finding monthly subscriptions and tracking by category.

best budget app www.kinneychaos.com

Spending Tracker

Spending Tracker is an easy to use app that allows you to track spending and expenses. Easy to navigate time periods, picking between weekly, monthly or yearly views. There is a budget mode allowing you to set budget amounts and carryover balances to the next period.

best budget app

YNAB – Best Budget App

YNAB (You Need A Budget) is probably my favorite of all the apps I downloaded. Tons of features including syncing to your bank accounts with real-time access to your information. Tools to help you pay down debt including goal tracking. Some fun and pretty detailed reporting options that help you measure your progress.

 

Which app is best for you depends on your preferences. I liked Mint’s simplicity and the options in YNAB, but in all honesty, I could use any of these and feel like a rockstar. Budgeting and understanding your money is the key to financial freedom! Get yours today, also check out 15 Tips on How to Save Money to help you get started on your financial journey!

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips Tagged With: budget, clarity money, goals, goodbudget, mint, money savings tips, saving money, setting goals, spending tracker, ynab

Simple Miles – Airline Miles by Buying Gas

August 2, 2018 By Jason Kinney Leave a Comment

When you are in the business of finding and maximizing your travel hacking rewards redemptions, you will see that sometimes the best airline miles you can get by doing things you already do.  It seems like every other day Joni or I are at the gas station having to pick up gas.  Gas cards can give you a ton of advantages. Between Joni and I we use three gas cards/programs. I belong to two for easy miles which are BP Rewards with BP gas stations and MakeItCount with Marathon Oil.  Joni has a Kwik Rewards gas card through our Kwik Trip gas stations.

BP Rewards

The first gas card we use is BP Rewards; once I signed up for my free account, all I needed to do was add my favorites points credit card to my profile.  Now every time I purchase gas, besides the points I would get with that credit card, I receive 1-2 additional miles per gallon.  Now, this isn’t a massive amount of miles by any means.  But this is a great way for free miles, and it will also keep your United airlines account from expiring from inactivity.

MakeItCount

With MakeItCount through Marathon Oil, you can receive Southwest Miles.  There are very few Marathon Oil locations where I live but have my account set up for when I am traveling elsewhere.  Once you set up your account and link it to your Rapid Rewards account, all you need to do is enter your phone number each time you fill up, and you will receive a mile per gallon.  Again, this will not make you miles rich but is a good way also to keep your account active.

Kwik Rewards

Joni’s gas card is through the Kwik Rewards program offered at Kwik Trip gas stations and allows you discounts on gas and store purchases.  We are like a lot of parents and traveling to and from events we find ourselves stopping in for a refreshing frozen lemonade or a fast supper alternative. While we are there, we might as well get something for being a frequent visitor. The Kwik Rewards program allows you to save instantly on gas and most store purchases. There are always several digital punchcards available, and you can see where you are at through a pretty sweet app.
Check out our other articles on how to save money!
  • Five Percent off Target Purchases
  • Amazon: Options for Free Points
  • 15 Tips on how to Save Money
Find out how to earn airline miles towards FREE travel with Gas purchases! #gas #cheapflights #travel #lifehack #travelhack

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips, Travel Tips Tagged With: gas cards, kwik trip, money savings tips, saving money

15 Tips on How to Save Money

July 23, 2018 By Joni Kinney 3 Comments

If you are like most of us at some point, you have wondered how to save money. Maybe you are getting into Travel Hacking or want to find a way to get fly for cheap. So you start asking yourself a bunch of questions: What’s the fastest way to save money? And my favorite how to get a bunch of money quickly? Sometimes it’s your bad money habits causing the issue. Read below to find a few tips on how to save money.

Budget Tips

If you are looking for the best tips on creating a budget and paying off debt, I would recommend you hook up with Dave Ramsey. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite tips.

  1. Track your expenses. This seems easy but you may find it’s harder to do than you would think. There are lots of ways to do this, from checkbook registers to apps, to excel spreadsheets. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just find a way to do it and track your expenses regularly. *** Read about The 5 Best Budget App (s) to Make Your Life Easier
  2. Create an Emergency Fund. At some point, you will have an unexpected expense. Prepare for it, don’t be blindsided by it.
  3. Calculate purchases by hours. Is it worth spending 19 hours worth of work on that purchase or is that money best allocated somewhere else?
  4. Use the 24-hour rule. Think over every single nonessential purchase for at least 24 hours before you buy it. This time frame allows you to evaluate if you need another pair of shoes or a purse or that ice cream treat. Waiting 24-hours is super easy to do online, add things to your cart and just leave it. Plus you never know if you will get a coupon just because you left something in your cart.
  5. Pay off credit cards every month. Stop giving the banks your hard earned money in interest.

Saving for your future

  1. Take advantage of retirement matching. Don’t let your employer keep the money they will give you for free. If your company matches money you set aside for retirement, make sure you are taking full advantage.
  2. Tax Returns or Windfalls. We’ve all probably received an unexpected cash payment at some point. It could be an extra $20 or way more. Either way don’t rush out to spend it. Put all or some of it away into your savings account, so you have it when you need it.

Bad Habits

  1. There is no competition. Do not self-impose a lifestyle competition for yourself and try to keep up with your siblings, neighbors, etc. You don’t know their life situation; they don’t know yours. Trying to compete isn’t fulfilling. No one wins this imaginary competition when trying to figure out how to save money.
  2. Emotional Spending: Don’t do it. Stay away from the store and online websites when you are feeling incredibly emotional. It doesn’t matter if you are super happy or super sad any extreme can lead to unnecessary spending.
  3. Having Super hard to imagine goals doesn’t help you at all. If your goal is to pay off $100,000 that’s ok, but it might be too hard to believe, and you may not see any progress if your progress is slow. Instead start with easy to reach and measure goals. Grab our FREE ebook to help you set realistic goals!

Random How to Save Money Tips

  1. Store that loose change. Don’t be tempted to grab it and go make that candy bar purchase. Put it into a container at the end of each day and don’t touch it again until you can take it in and deposit all that beautiful loose change into your savings account.
  2. Unsubscribe from those oh so easy to temp us emails. You know the marketing emails meant to attract you to your favorite stores, treats, offers to good to refuse… Yeah, those… unsubscribe so you aren’t tempted.
  3. Designate one day a week to be “No Spend.” One way to help you figure out how to save money is to make a day where you do not spend any consciously. This requires you to eat at home, pack a lunch, play games for entertainment, etc.
  4. Drink more water. Seems easy – for me it isn’t. I like my coffee. But drinking more water is cheaper, and healthier for you too!
  5. Save 5% on all Target purchases: If you have to purchase something, maximize your savings any way you can.

Leave us a comment with your best money savings tip! And if you haven’t already, grab our FREE ebook to help you set realistic money savings goals!

Filed Under: Money Saving Tips Tagged With: budget, money saving, money savings tips, saving money

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