The Frugal Life

On Valentine’s Day 2008, millions of people around the world bought expensive gifts and treated their partners to expensive dinners and days out. Of course, I’m generalising now because some may have been frugal and some may not have celebrated Valentine’s Day at all but regardless of how much you spent last year, you will probably be thinking about how you can cut back this year.

If you are looking to save money on Valentine’s Day then why not be frugal with the following tip. You’ll save a fortune!

• Cook your partner a meal at home. Buy a few candles and make your favourite meal from scratch. You’ll save a fortune by paying supermarket prices for your restaurant meal!
• Invest in a few bath salts and have a romantic bubble bath together. This is incredibly cheap but one of the most relaxing and romantic things you can do together on February 14.
• Make presents for each other that demonstrate your love without spending a penny. As corny as it may sound, photo albums, mix CDs and other similar items are incredibly thoughtful without being expensive.
• Choose ecards over real cards or make your own. Valentine’s Day cards are very expensive if you buy them from stores so choose the cheap but no less expressive options instead.
• Borrow a DVD from a friend or rent one rather than going to the cinema. Dim the lights, invest in popcorn and away you go!
• If you want to go away but don’t want to pay Valentine’s Day prices then just delay your Valentine’s Day by 2 weeks. You’ll be able to book into a hotel or go on a break for half the price by delaying it for a few days.

Just a quick tip for everyone today to kick start any savings plans you may be putting into force in the near future…

Save your pennies!

If you have a quick scount around your home then I’m betting you can find numerous pennies laying around on windowsills, in old purses, in unwashed jeans, on the floor, down the sides of sofas etc… You get the picture! I have to say that my car is a magnet for loose change for some reason so you may want to look there too. Simply go around your home and pick up any loose change you have and then put it in a money jar. The best ones to use are the tin ones that you cannot open unless you actually use a can opener on it. You can put any coins you like in there over the course of a few weeks. I usually put all my 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p coins in a jar once a week. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it soon mounts up. When your jar is full count it out, bag it up and put it in the bank! You’ll start saving money without even realising it!

I was reading an article about how much the credit crunch is affecting the level of public donations made to charities today. Interestingly, street vendors that collect money have not found their donation levels to be any different as a result of the fact that the same people will offer up their change every time they see someone collecting for a worthy cause. However, other charities have found a major difference in their donations… especially those that rely on private donations and membership fees. As such, the credit crunch is proving to be a problem in society in more ways than one.

There are ways that you can still donate to charity without actually spending a penny though and now is the time to look into those ways and means. I’m always looking to contribute in some way, whether that is finding £1.50 for the Big Issue seller or throwing a few pence in a tin. However, I’ve been running an appeal for Greyhound Rescues for some time to help reduce their credit crunch funding deficit and many people are helping out. I collect used stamps and foreign coins because a couple of the Greyhound Rescue charities I support have arrangements to convert them into cash to help save these beautiful creatures. Stamps and unspent holiday coins are just two examples of free items that you can send on to various charities though. Here are some more:

• Mobile phones and ink cartridges can be recycled for cash to help raise money
• Old clothing that you no longer want or need can be sent on to various charities, whether via charity shops or direct appeals for help
• Toys that are no longer used can be sent to children’s charities
• Old pet equipment can be sent to animal rescues and charities for use
• Tins of food that you will never eat can be passed on to local shelters

Just be creative! There are loads of ways that you can help out charities in your time of need to aid their time of need in the credit crunch without spending one single penny! Why not? After all, there is always someone worse off that you and helping out will make you feel better as well.

British Gas announced that they were cutting their energy prices by 10% a couple of weeks ago, which was definitely welcome news after most of us having to scrimp and save to pay our bills in 2008. Although the cut will come into force when the worst of the winter is over, any saving is better than no saving at all! This is why I’ve chosen to write a blog about how you can shave money of your heating and energy bills in the coming years.

The following tips will give you a firm foundation to work from and save money on your energy bills. Some may only shave a few pence off but every penny counts!

• Only charge appliances when you are on hand to switch off the power! How many of us have charged our mobile phones overnight? I certainly have but that will cost you more money in terms of your energy bills because your mobile, Nintendo DS, laptop or any other appliance you charge will continue to eat electric when the battery is full. Charge them when you are there so you can switch it off as soon as the battery is full!
• Switch the plug sockets off when you’re done. If you have boiled the kettle, used the toaster and switched off the computer, switch the socket off and unplug the appliance because leaving the socket live will cost you a few more pounds over the course of the year.
• Ban standby in your home! Never leave the TV or DVD player on standby as it takes energy to power it. It may be convenient but it can add a lot to your energy bills over time.
• Make the most of an open fire if you have one. Coal and wood to burn is much cheaper than relying on gas central heating so make the most of an open fire or burner if you have one. With Valentine’s Day coming up, an open fire and some candles can also be incredibly romantic! Bonus!

If you have been snowed in during the last couple of days then you will not be on your own. Many people up and down the country have been unable to leave their homes and go to work as a result of the snow storms. Whilst this may provide you with a couple of welcome days off, you can take the opportunity to make a little extra money at home. No work required!

As long as you have an Internet connection and a computer, you can earn money from home to boost your income without putting in too much effort at all. There are several ways in which you can do that and here are a few ideas for you!

• Sort out your old stuff and put it on eBay, Amazon or other similar websites. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure so sort out any clothing, books, CDs, DVDs and other items that happen to be in good condition but you no longer want or need. You can earn a few pounds/dollars for your old stuff and boost your savings quites easily this way!
• Take a look at some of the survey sites and mystery shopping sites out there. They offer paid surveys, cashback and mystery shopping assignments that will help you to make a little extra money in the coming years. Although there ay not be that many assignments and surveys available today, you can relax and find the best ones in your spare snowed-in time!
• Get paid for Internet searches. Yes, there are companies that will do that! Search as you normally would and get paid!
• Finally, set up a blog. Blogging here at Today.com will give you $1 extra a day plus a few cents for traffic so set up a blog and get to writing! 

You can find a range of paid survey panels at the Finance Central blog that appears in the blogroll to the right, in addition to a link to a paid Internet searches site. Make money on your day off and enjoy!