Gina Clark writes on financial issues. Click here to learn additional ways to save money and manage your personal finances.

1) Don’t buy too much. Come up with a budget, and impose controls on your shopping. Your child will grow up real quick anyway. There’s no need to please his or her vanity. Besides, family and friends are bound to donate clothes for your baby, too. Don’t succumb to the vast baby items that are available in your local department store or online, no matter how cute and can’t-miss they seem, because it’s not like your boy or girl is going to remain that size for a very long time.

2) Consider factors such as security and comfort for your baby. Usually, cotton is the best material, since it will feel soft and gentle and natural against a child’s skin. Outfits that mix cotton and polyester, while not as soft, might also work as they don’t tend to shrink once washed. The best option is to look for cotton clothes that are one size too big for your baby. To minimize hazards, avoid clothes that have cords, tight elastic bands, or buttons in them; you don’t want to wake up with Junior suddenly getting snarled into dangerous knots. And you also never know what your child is capable of choking on. If possible, also buy baby wear that is flame-retardant.

3) Clothing sizes differ from brand to brand. If you’re going to shop online, make sure that the clothes will actually fit your baby. That’s common sense. Visit trusted suppliers like Leaps and Bounds, Kid Surplus, and Baby Center Store for guidance and practical advice on shopping for your baby or child. Remember also to take advantage of the stores’ online deals; use Leaps and Bounds promotion codes, Kid Surplus promotional codes, and Baby Center coupon codes to save money on your baby clothes purchases.

4) Don’t rule out second-hand shops, online auctions, or consignment clothing stores. Contrary to what you may think, it is very practical to look for baby outfits that have been used before. It’s not like babies will wear out their clothes in the first place, because they outgrow what they wear so quickly. Thus, most second-hand clothing for young babies, toddlers, and children are still almost in brand new condition. You’ll even be surprised to find how many designer brands you’ll find at the charity or second-hand shop; some will even have tags on them. If you still want to buy new baby clothing while trying to save a fortune, remember at least to use discount coupons.

David Stack is a web developer who offers money saving opportunities by listing promo codes and discounts. You can view his list of coupons from various stores on his site: http://www.couponsaver.org.

Ways Of Conserving Energy

Feed up with the rising cost of the energy we use in our homes, here are some things that you can do about it.

The first thing that you should do is to look for ways that you are wasting power . I’m not talking about flipping switches. The real truth is that the energy loss through old windows is a major portion of our energy loss in our homes today Now ask your self what can I do to stop the energy loss in my home?

Now if your house has the older single pane windows, you might consider replacing your windows.Although the installation can be a bit expensive, the money that you will be saving on your home energy bill will make up the difference in just a few years. Most people see a drastic reduction in the amount of fuel that they use when they make the switch. The same is also applies to your insulation. You may be losing a lot of your heat through the attic so make sure you have adequate insulation to keep the heat  where it belongs.

If you look you will find other ways to save and reduce your home energy bills. For example, ceiling fans tend to run in most homes 24 hours a day. All ceiling fans do is move air and cost you money to run When not in room turn it off  you will cut about $10 per month per fan off of your bill. You can also save by turning off a lot of your other electronic items in your home.  Tvs,and your desktop computers including the monitor a long with any other electronic items. If you aren’t using them, turn them off.

It will take some effort on our part but if we work at it, we can really save a bundle on our power bill. As the price of power continues to rise and we feel the strain on our wallets, we will continue to look for ways to save money on our home power bill.A majority of things we can do to conserve energy takes almost no effort, but with all of us working together we can make a difference.

Land line subscriptions, VoIP services and third party providers are all great ways to save on calling Ghana for a frequent caller. For someone only calling this beautifully Gothic country on occasion, the options listed above could actually end up being more costly than just picking up the phone and dialing the number which is rather costly in itself.

Using Pre-Paid Call Cards
Pre-paid calling cards can save the occasional caller a large quantity of cash in a short period of time. Provided in dollar denominations ranging from $5-$250 or more, it is no challenge to find a pre-paid long distance card that will offer the most savings for calls to Ghana. Knowing what time of day the calls are being made locally, approximately how long the calls will be and how many of them will need to be made are important factors when shopping for pre-paid long distance calling cards.

Selecting A Suitable Card
There are many calling cards available, designed for calls targeted towards specific countries. Available for purchase are cards that specifically offer minutes for calling Ghana, or cards that offer international dialing. Generally, a card that offers minutes for calling Ghana alone will offer a lower by-the-minute rate than a general international calling card.

Understand the TOS of Each Provider
It is important to remember that some calling cards do fall victim to peak and non-peak time fees as well. Some rates for some companies are higher during business hours than during evenings or weekends. Knowing that your call to Ghana must be made during business hours means shopping for a card that offers lower rates during those hours. Likewise, if your call is to be made late in the evening, you could save by purchasing a card tailored for such.

Paying For Convenience
These calling cards are also very convenient for someone who does not know what telephone may be at their access when the time comes to make the call to Ghana. Long distance calls from pay phones are pricey and timed, so if change runs short so will the call. This can be frustrating for both parties involved. International long distance rates on mobile phones can be outrageous without a long distance subscription. Pre-paid cards can reduce these charge – by using one in combination with a mobile phone, the customer is charged only air time.

Pre-paid long distance cards are very convenient and easy to find. There is a wide selection available for purchase at most major retailers, with options designed for calling every corner of the globe. By using these cards, consumers are sure to be able to reach whomever they need wherever they are for a reasonable cost.

Really, the only way to save money on pickles is to can your own, so here are some links on canning your own pickles:

• Save money by canning your pickles
• You Can Make Pickles
• How To Make Pickles

Why pickles?  It was the first thing that came to mind.  More tomorrow.

If you are ready to get your yard ready, but you feel compelled to do it cheaply…or free, here are some ideas that can get you going in the right direction:

1. Golf Shoes - Put on a pair of golf shoes and take a stroll around your yard for 15-20 minutes.  Make sure you get into the corners and that you follow a pattern so you can hit every part of the yard.  In the spring, you should core aerate your yard.  If you don’t want to rent an aerator, golf shoes will do an OK job and won’t cost you any money.
2. Overseeding – I can’t help you with this one, other than to say that you should reduce the size of your yard by setting up a garden.  This will reduce the amount of seed you need to purchase.  You can also just skip overseeding and let your yard thicken naturally.  This will take years, though so be prepared to have some patience while your neighbor spends hundreds of dollars to make you look bad.
3. Fertilizer – YES, you can make your own fertilizer.  Instead of wasting two more sentences talking about something I know nothing about, here are some links where you can find out more:
   • Make your own fertilizer
   • You can make your own fertilizers
   • How to Make Your Own Fertilizer
4. Catch the Rain -  If you want to water your yard and not have to pay a fortune, you can catch the rain water.  This is something I am going to try this year.  It’s somewhat difficult if you live in an area that has a lot of mosquitos because they breed in water.  You can’t have an open-top rain catcher.  Here are some links to some ways to make your own rain catcher.
   • How to Make Your Own Rain Barrel
   • How To Build A Rain Barrel
   • Make A Rain Barrel

I hope this information helps you save some money and get your yard ready for spring.

If there is one thing that you can be sure of regarding the economy it is this: it will change. Like most other things in life the economy goes through cycles and while you may not be able to predict when things will improve or decline you can bet that they will. As families struggle through the current recession it is important to remember that this is not the first nor the last time that the economy will take a turn for the worse. In knowing this you should also know there are a few simple ways to prepare you finances to ensure you weather the current cycle and remain in a position to benefit when the economy takes it’s next turn; hopefully for the better.

1. Have multiple streams of income- A few decades ago it was standard procedure to graduate from either high school or college and establish yourself with a company for the long haul. Those times have changes and if you wish to be financially secure it is important to understand the benefit of having multiple streams of income. Even if you have a great job with a great salary in times when the economy falters layoffs and downsizing become a reality many people are simply not prepared for. If you depend on just one source of income and you lose that income your finances can quickly take a turn for the worse. If you are fortunate enough to have a severance package you may be able to live off of that for a period of time, but you will eventually have to find another job and in the interim you may have to dip into your savings to survive.
2. Diversity is the key- Similar to the first tip, having a diverse portfolio is the best way to protect yourself from losing everything in one fell swoop. The economy is simply not predictable enough at any time to have all of your eggs in one basket. Your age and the age at which you want to retire play a big factor in how risky you want to be in the market, but you should always spread your investments in a way that some money is safely tucked away slowly making more money.
3. Manage your debt- An import lesson was brought to attention in the last year. Millions of people have learned that their spending and saving habits leave a lot to be desired. If you have debt now is the time to tackle it once and for all. If you can do it on your own by cutting costs and focusing serious energy and efforts toward debt reduction- then by all means go for it. Keep in mind that you will likely have to take a serious look at your lifestyle and make appropriate changes to ensure you do not dig yourself out of debt only to find yourself back in debt from using credit cards or overspending. If you are overwhelmed and your debt is making it impossible to move forward financially it is time to look into the various debt relief options available to you.

Managing your finances does not have to be a game of chance, by using common sense and paying attention to where your money is coming from and going you should be able to stabilize your finances without much difficulty.

• If you pay for trash removal, cancel your service and go in together with your neighbor (or just put your trashin front of his house).
• Wait to wash your dishes until the dishwasher is completely full.
• Turn your computer(s) off at night.
• Don’t run the water while you are brushing your teeth.
• Wash your clothes only in cold water.
• Use the back side of previously-printed on paper in your printer, unless you are printing a non-draft item
• Use your cruise control
• Take your lunch to work.

There are lot more ideas on saving money, but here is something you can do to kick start your efforts.  Pick 2 consecutive days during the week and implement every money-saving option on those 2 days.  It will help you get into the habit.

Happy Saving…

Used is not always a bad thing

Have you ever purchased a used car?  Do you buy things on the clearance rack at the store?  Do you buy items when the packaging has been ripped or is open?  I do.

I was recently considering purchasing two boxes of cereal that had open boxes.  The inner packaging was still sealed.  It looked like the bottoms of the boxes had not been properly glued shut at the factory.

There was probably nothing wrong with that cereal, just like there is nothing wrong with most products that are marked “remanufactured” or “refurbished”.  I purchased a refurbished 22inch monitor a couple of years ago and it’s still working.  I’ve had no trouble with it.

It’s been a while, so I can’t be completely sure, but I believe my laptop was a floor model.

A lot of times, when an item is marked “remanufactured” or “refurbished”, people automatically thing “USED”.  Used has a negative connotation, most-like brought on by the perponderence of lemons in the used car market.

When it comes to saving money, “refurbished” or “remanufactured” products can be a BIG money saver.

Some reasons for a product being marked as such can be:

- The box came open at the factory, therefore the packaging did not pass quality control
- The box arrived at the destination open and was sent back
- Someone purchased the item, then returned it.  Although the product may have been used, it was sent back to the factory and went through quality control and testing a second time.

Companies want their products to work when you recieve them.  They don’t want to have to take a product back because it did not work.  In fact, there may even be additional scrutiny in items that come back to the factory for that exact reason.

By the way, if this is a high-dollar purchase, you will most likely get the full manufacturers warranty on the product, even if it has been refurbished.  Make sure and check into this before making your purchase.

Living On A Budget

Do you always feel the shortage of money before the next pay packet? Do you want to upgrade you television set since last couple of years but are always short of cash? If you aim for a better standard of living and are targeting for a long term financial security then a proper budget planning is a must. You should try living on basic budget and start investing the surplus for a better return.

The most common problems faced across majority of working household in America is their inability to meet the basic living expenses which in turns speaks volumes about the economic health of the country. Living on basic budget means having sufficient amount of funds which will help you maintain and sustain a decent standard of living in a safe and secure community. Family’s basic budget is dependent on the number of factors like the number of children in the household, if you are a single parent, number of earning members in the family and state where you are residing in. While planning a budget the expenditure on following essentials should always be kept in mind:-

• Accommodation – Set aside an amount which you need to pay as a rent if staying in a rented apartment or keep aside the amount you need to pay as you monthly installment if you own private property.
• Food – You need to plan your budget to provide your family with a balanced nourishing diet
• Health care – It always better to have medical cover in case of emergencies for all your family members so do make plans to pay regular premiums for renewing these medical policies
• Taxes – Taxes which needs to be paid to the federal and state government should also be taken into account
• Education and child care – If you are pursuing any part time course or are paying education loan consider that amount in the budget. If having children in the family then a definite amount should be set aside for their education and health care need
• Other needs – Other factors such as transportation, personal grooming, clothing and other miscellaneous expenditures like paying of bills should also be included while planning a budget

You can plan you basic budget using simple pen and paper or Microsoft excel spread sheet. Alternatively, you can also download budgeting software from net. By keeping a track of your income and your expenditure, you can easily find out the surplus cash which can be used for investment and savings. In this way you can also be made aware of the shortages which will prompt you to cut the corners. Neilson research shows that, if you are living on basic budget and keeping track of all the inflow and outflow of cash you can actually save 15-20% of your yearly income. Keeping a track of your personal expenditure will also help you in faster clearing off your debts , plan for all the fun stuff like movies , basketball match tickets , keep a track of spending habits of your children and also instill in them the value of money.

So keep a track of your income and spending habits and plan your budget, this will definitely let you enjoy all the goodness of life while still living on basic budget.

Think about what the builder did when they built your house.  If you have ever purchased a brand new house that you barely had enough money to afford, you will notice that the builder only drywalled the garage walls that connect directly to the living quarters.  They left the rest of the wall surface exposed.  They did this to minimize cost.

Do you think, however, the builder would deliver a house to your that you could not keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter?  They did what was necessary to keep the inside and outside air in their respective places.

Think about it this way.  If you took the garage off of your house, what more would have to be done to the walls that already had drywall to finish that area.  Siding or brick, right?

In actuality, it would take a long period of time to recover the money (some estimates indicate $1000) that it would take to insulate and drywall the outside walls of your garage, in utility savings.

Here are some posts that make the same claim:

• Insulating a Garage:  Is it worth the money?
• Should I insulate and drywall a garage ceiling that has living space above it?
• Should I insulate and unheated garage?

A better approach to saving money on the energy loss from the garage would be to make sure the walls between the garage and the living space are insulated, then make sure you have a storm door between the two spaces and good weather stripping on the bottom of the door to the house and the bottom of the garage door.

One reason why resolutions don’t work is that most people don’t set specific goals as part of their resolution.  Lose weight is a wish.  So is make more money.  These things have no defined finish line, therefore, you cannot guage whether or not you are on the right track.

Another reason resolutions don’t work is because people try to draw a line in the sand.  The change is too sudden.  It’s like the frog in the pot.  If you drop a frog into a pot of boiling water, he will jump right out.  The change is too sudden.  If you put a frog into a pot of cold water and gradually increase the tempurature, the frog will stay in the pot and end up as dinner.

The point is to set goals (not resolutions).  One example of a good goal would be “I will have $5k in the bank by the end of the year from saving $x per pay period and from selling widgets online.”

Don’t set yourself up for failure.

Make sure you lock your doors and windows, leave a radio on low volume when you leave the house unoccupied, and report any strange activity in your neighborhood.  The thieves will be out in force because the things you bought for Christmas are no longer safe in a secure warehouse or locked and alarmed department store.  Those things are now in your mostly-unsecured homes.

The economy is in the midst of her death throes. Violence and crime are projected to escalate as people begin to lose their jobs. The waning days of the credit frenzy is causing many to realize there life has had no real meaning. The consumer based economy is over and people are beginning to panic. The criminals are salivating at the realization that people’s distrust of banks are causing them to store their money at home.

Since clothing is an area where I don’t have a lot of expertise (at least that is what my last few girlfriends have told me), here are some videos containing ways you can save money on clothes, but keep from looking like bum:

• How To Save Money on Back To School Clothes
• Save Money on Clothes – From GoodHouseKeeping
• How To Make A Hem
  
• Swap Those Clothes
• Get Custom Made Shirts Cheap
• How To Wash Ties – I used to just throw mine away when they developed stains
• Shoe and Sandal Repair
• Clothing Care

If you have any tips on saving money on clothes, please leave it in the comments…

I’ve posted quite a few items on how to save money at the grocery store. I figured I’d round them up for you so you don’t have to go hunting for them.

Buy Generic – Don’t worry.  You’ll find that a lot of the generic items taste just as good as the name-brand items.  In some cases, they are actually the same items, purchased from the brand-name manufacturer and re-branded with the store’s name.  I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that the Schnucks store brand sandwich bread is re-branded Wonder sandwich bread.

Keep track of what you buy – You can do this on paper, but the post describes an application that does a pretty good job.

Eat before you shop – This one should be pretty obvious.

Freeze It – Using your freezer can keep you from wasting food.

Make A List – Don’t just wander the store aimlessly.  Also, organize your list to the layout of the store to save time.

Use Coupons – Don’t throw your cash out with the Sunday paper.

Use cash – You got me.  I didn’t post about this one yet, but what it comes down to is planning to spend a certain amount and using cash only will help you stick to that amount, or rather the thought of the embarassment you will experience if you get to the checkout lane and don’t have enough cash to pay for your purchases.

Have a tip to save money on grocery shopping.  My readers and I would love to find out what it is.  Please leave a comment and share your tip with the world.

1. Coffee - Fortunately, my company gives me coffee for free, however, I can understand how people get into the habit of buying a cup of coffee on the way in to work each day.
2. Cigarettes - This is the same as the coffee.
3. Alcohol - After having the coffee in the morning and the cigarette ever couple of hours, a lot of people have a drink at the bar a few times a week.
4. Bottled Water -  Not only is this one a drain on the wallet; it also pollutes the environment with all of those plastic bottles
5. Manicures - I am definitely against this one.  Buy a $1.00 pair of nail clippers and stop biting your fingernails.
6. Car washes – Although I sometimes get my car washed to make me feel better about driving a car with 145,000 miles on it, this is a big money-waster.
7. Lunches - Eating out for lunch can waste up to $10 a pop.  Do it 5 days a week, and you’ve got almost a tank of gas.
8. Vending machines - Have some self-control people.  So far, everything listed here is an indulgence that can be avoided.
9. Interest charges – How did you rack up such a high credit card bill?  I would think it’s the cigarettes, lunches out, and car washes.
10. Unused memberships – Guess what.  If you smoke and you eat lunch out, along with drinking 5 cups of coffee per day and having drinks after work twice a week, you probably don’t workout much.  Save some money and skip the new years fitness resolution.

Each of these has dollar amounts tied to them.  Find out how much you can really save at Bankrate.com.

1.  Examine the meds you are taking:  Do you need all of those medications?  Have you been taking them for years?  If so, maybe it’s time to go to the Dr. and get a full checkup.  Maybe there are one or two meds you can go off of and save the monthly prescription co-pay.  DO not, however, stop taking your meds without consulting your doctor.

2.  Stick to the meds you do need:  Stay on a regular schedule with the meds you do have to take.  This will keep you out of the doctor’s office and out of the hospital.

3.  Ask your doctor to switch you to generic versions of the meds you have to take.  The cost factor makes this one obvious.

4.  Eat healthier:  You will be healthier if you eat healthier.  Eat more fruits and vegetables.  Take a multi-vitamin daily.

5.  Exercise:  Even 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week will help.  Don’t go overboard, or you will be spending MORE on medical.

6.  Claim denied?  Fight it:  Most health insurance claim appeals are successful.  The insurance company is playing the odds that you will not fight the denial of the claim.

7.  Ask your doctor for samples:  If your doctor puts you on a medication, ask if they have samples they can give you.  If it’s a short-term medication, you may even be able to get by totally on samples.

What are your suggestions on cheaper health care?

There are a ton of magazines out there that have free subscriptions.  Now, I could make a massive list of these, like over at FrugalSimplicity.com, but I’m not that interested in spending days making a blog post.  I’m not going to do that.  What I am going to give you is much, much better.  I am going to give you a small list of massive lists…of places to get free magazine subscriptions.  Just the thing to give at Christmas in a down economy, right?

Here is the list…

• all-freemagazines.com
• ofree.net
• tradepub.com
• slickdeals.net
• welovefreebies.com
• about.com
• freeconstructionmagazines.com
• magatopia.com
• yotta.com
• bpubs.com
• freecenter.com
• bizreport.com
• geekpedia.com

That’s enough for now.  If you were not able to find what you needed from these links, something is wrong with you.  If that is the case, here is a Google search you can use to find what you are really looking for and here is another Google search to help you find a psychiatrist.

If you’re like just about everyone else these days, you’re looking for ways to save money. You don’t necessarily want to give up your vacation or stay at home for one of those pretend “stay-cations” though. Fortunately, there are still ways to take a trip somewhere exotic without breaking the bank. Believe it or not, a cruise can be a very affordable vacation… if you know how to do it!

Save Money on Booking Your Cruise

You should never ever, ever pay the brochure price for a cruise. If you do your research, you can save a lot of money. My mom and I are about to take a 7-day cruise to Mexico, and we are paying less than $250 per person. That includes 7 nights of lodging on the ship, all our meals, and all sorts of free entertainment, in addition to the excitement of traveling to a warm climate and escaping our rainy Pacific Northwest winter.

There are two key times when you can save money when booking a cruise:

Book very early or book very late.

When a cruise is first scheduled (a year or more in advance), you can save money by booking right away. The cruise lines like to get cabins booked as soon as possible and reward those willing to sign up early.

You can also get awesome deals by booking “last minute” cruises, which is what my mom and I did. When the sailing date is only a month or so out, the prices start dropping a lot. Cruise lines don’t make any money off of empty cabins, so they will drop their prices drastically to get bodies in those rooms. After all, they know people are likely to spend on some extras during the cruise, so they can take the loss when it comes to accommodations. (Don’t worry-we’ll talk about those extras and which ones you might want to avoid to save money.)

Save Money by Cruising Close to Home

If you’re lucky enough to live near a port where cruise ships depart, you can save a lot of money by avoiding airfare.

In the United States, lots of cruises leave out of the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area. These cruises typically swirl around the Caribbean Islands and the east side of Mexico and sometimes visit other countries on the east side of Central America.

Also, the San Diego/Los Angeles area features a lot of cruises to the Mexican Riviera (the Pacific Coast side of Mexico).

If you don’t live in California or Florida, you can still save money on airfare by picking the closer of the major ports. For instance, west coasters might want to take a Hawaii cruise leaving from Los Angeles while east coasters might want to do the Caribbean.

Save Money by Being Frugal on Board the Cruise Ship

You don’t want to spend a lot of time and energy on saving money booking your vacation only to run up the credit card onboard. Some of the extras that you will pay for on a cruise ship include alcoholic beverages, sodas (for frequent soda drinkers, save money by buying an unlimited soda card), shore excursions, “alternative restaurants,” and shopping at the onboard mall.

You probably want to enjoy some of the activities, but know that you can have a great time simply lounging by the pool, eating at the buffet or free restaurants, enjoying the onboard entertainment options, and going ashore to explore on your own instead of booking expensive shore excursions.

Also, check the balance often on your room card (which is used like a charge card aboard the ship) to make sure you’re not spending more than you want to. It’s easy to lose track when you’re simply swiping to pay everywhere you go.

Okay, that’s it for my recommendations on saving money on a cruise vacation. Do some research on your own, and you’ll likely find that a cruise, even with extras, gives you a great vacation for your money. Remember that room, unlimited food, transportation to various ports, and entertainment are all included in the cruise price!

The author enjoys travel and has written several Hawaii cruise articles and a blog on cruise travel

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TC_Thorn