Cutting Back

I know it's hard to eliminate things in your life that you really need, but there are ways to save a few bucks and not feel deprived.

1. Internet-Do you really need the super-fast cable modem or will dial-up or DSL work for you? Usually DSL is much cheaper and if your computer is newer you may not notice the speed difference in most of your internet use.

2. Home Phone - How much do you really use the home phone? Can you get away with just your cell phone? Do you make a lot of long distance calls? Can you use your cell phone instead for the long distance calls? These are all questions to consider when thinking of pulling the plug on the landline phone.

3. A/C - If you live in a pretty temperate climate, you may be able to get away with not using the A/C as much. Tip: During the day if you are not home, shut the blinds and curtains. This will keep the hot sunlight out and keep your house/apartment cool.

4. Cable - Yes, cable TV is nice, but it's expensive. I have a digital package now through Comcast and it's expensive, but I did cut back. One of my favorite shows one of the few things I watched on HBO won't begin its new season until the fall because of the writer's strike. I was going to keep HBO through the summer, but I decided to cancel it. But here's the sweet part: some HBO shows (hopefully my show will be added to the list) will now be available on iTunes. So instead of spending the extra 15 bucks a month for HBO, I can spend $8 a month and buy them from iTunes.

Investing Tip for the Tight Budget

Think you don't have enough money to invest in anything? Think again? Sharebuilder through INGDirect.com allows you to make investments with no minimum and only a $4.00 fee. You can have money deducted straight from your bank account into your Sharebuilder account. Investments are only made on Tuesdays, so all money you want to invest has to be in the SB account by Monday at 5:00 p.m. Your investment of $20 in Apple Computers stock will cost you $24. You can also set up automatic deductions and investment schedules for thousands of companies.

Making Money Online

Sure, there are a lot of ways to make money online, but there are several that don't require any money from you.

I just started with CashCrate.com and I've already made a few dollars with 2 minutes worth of work. With CashCrate.com, you get paid to complete surveys and some offers. Some of the offers require a credit card to get the free trial, but the payout for those is a few bucks each.

4 Tips for the Single Person on a Budget

I've been thinking a lot lately about ways to save money as I'm trying to save to go on vacation. I'm a single person and I live in an apartment so I don't have much room to store things or much money to play around with. But the following are tips that I use to help me save a few dollars.

1. Buy in bulk. Invest in a  membership at your local Sam's Club or Costco and split its cost with some friends. Have each friend pitch in a bit and you can save tons. Toilet paper rolls, paper towels, soda pop, water, multiple-package boxed food items, canned goods and much more can easily be split several ways.

2. Buy produce at farmers' markets. As summer rolls along, farmers' markets and roadside stands will be popping up all over the place. Support your local farmers and save a few bucks. Local produce is less expensive because there are no middle men. And how much fresher can you get?

3. Save money. Putting $5-10 a week into your savings account will force you to rethink the McDonald's drive-thru or your favorite Starbucks coffee.

4. Show some plastic. I'm not talking about credit cards. I'm talking about AAA (American Automotive Association) The basic plan runs around $50.00 and covers roadside assistance. But here's the sweetest part: You can get discounts at retail stores like Target, Linens n'Things, Barnes&Noble.com, DirectTV, and Best Buy to name a few. Going on a trip? Discounts are also available for hotels, attractions, entertainment tickets, car rentals and more.

Welcome!

Hello to all of you of you out there. I hope that you find this blog useful in helping you learn how to enjoy life on a budget and make some extra money too! I'll share tips about saving money, investing money (yes, you can even with a few dollars), making money by doing almost nothing and much more!