I was reading our AARP (American Association for Retired Persons) bulletin and saw an article that I really enjoyed. It mentioned 99 Great Way to Save. We were already doing many of them, but I saw some interesting tips I thought I'd share.
* Tax stuff: Ask your tax preparer about claiming dependents for any family member you support and who live with you (including your parents).
* Freebie-Depot.com, Mrfreestuff.com and Shop4Freebees.com offer samples of products and online coupons and rebates. I looked at Mrfreestuff.com and there were a few I might look into.
* If your shoes are wet from mud puddles or perspiration, wad up some newspaper and stick it in. You can also put a charcoal briquette into a sock and put that in the shoe overnight to absorb moisture and odor.
* You can keep deer away by pouring or spraying a "rotten egg" cocktail around your plants. Just mix six raw eggs in two gallons of water and let it sit outside for a week. The smell will keep deer away. Hmmm... That would keep me away too!
* Weeds? You can get rid of most weeds with sprays made from 1 gallon of white distilled vinegar mixed with 1 ounce of liquid dish soap.
* Insulate your windows. Cut a piece of bubble wrap, spray the inside of the window with a little water and apply the bubble wrap. It's supposed to cling for weeks and comes off easily.
* Use those cheap perfume sample inserts from magazines as bathroom air fresheners by putting them inside the cardboard toilet paper roll.
* The best day to sell your home is Friday and the worst is Sunday.
* Freighter Cruises? They mentioned offbeat cruising at reasonable prices. Check out freightercruises.com. You travel with the crew and usually with very comfortable rooms. I'm wondering about the word usually.
* Fine wine savings can be found at bargain prices at AccidentalWine.com. I checked. It's still not cheap enough for us. They sell wines that are mislabeled or has something wrong with it. I'm assuming the wine is good though.
* Hotels and Motels: LaQuinta Inns & Suites, Hampton Hotels, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites and Quality Inn offer guest free breakfast and free wifi. We stayed at a bunch of Quality Inns during our canyon trip. I LOVED the free wifi and the great breakfasts. I would definitely recommend them.
* Go out for lunch instead of dinner because it's cheaper. We do that all the time.
* Instead of individual gifts for each member of the family, purchase a gift card for the entire family.
* Use GasBuddy or Gas Guru which are free apps for your smart phone to find the cheapest gas.
* Go to aarp.org/2013almanac for a free e-book with fun facts, news and plenty of ways to save money year round.
If you'd like to see the whole article, you can click here:
http://pubs.aarp.org/aarpbulletin/20130708_DC?folio=21#article_id=310018
* Tax stuff: Ask your tax preparer about claiming dependents for any family member you support and who live with you (including your parents).
* Freebie-Depot.com, Mrfreestuff.com and Shop4Freebees.com offer samples of products and online coupons and rebates. I looked at Mrfreestuff.com and there were a few I might look into.
* If your shoes are wet from mud puddles or perspiration, wad up some newspaper and stick it in. You can also put a charcoal briquette into a sock and put that in the shoe overnight to absorb moisture and odor.
* You can keep deer away by pouring or spraying a "rotten egg" cocktail around your plants. Just mix six raw eggs in two gallons of water and let it sit outside for a week. The smell will keep deer away. Hmmm... That would keep me away too!
* Weeds? You can get rid of most weeds with sprays made from 1 gallon of white distilled vinegar mixed with 1 ounce of liquid dish soap.
* Insulate your windows. Cut a piece of bubble wrap, spray the inside of the window with a little water and apply the bubble wrap. It's supposed to cling for weeks and comes off easily.
* Use those cheap perfume sample inserts from magazines as bathroom air fresheners by putting them inside the cardboard toilet paper roll.
* The best day to sell your home is Friday and the worst is Sunday.
* Freighter Cruises? They mentioned offbeat cruising at reasonable prices. Check out freightercruises.com. You travel with the crew and usually with very comfortable rooms. I'm wondering about the word usually.
* Fine wine savings can be found at bargain prices at AccidentalWine.com. I checked. It's still not cheap enough for us. They sell wines that are mislabeled or has something wrong with it. I'm assuming the wine is good though.
* Go out for lunch instead of dinner because it's cheaper. We do that all the time.
* Instead of individual gifts for each member of the family, purchase a gift card for the entire family.
* Use GasBuddy or Gas Guru which are free apps for your smart phone to find the cheapest gas.
* Go to aarp.org/2013almanac for a free e-book with fun facts, news and plenty of ways to save money year round.
If you'd like to see the whole article, you can click here:
http://pubs.aarp.org/aarpbulletin/20130708_DC?folio=21#article_id=310018
It is always good to know ways to save a bit of money. Thanks for sharing these tips.
ReplyDeleteOh I'd love to go on those freighter journeys!
ReplyDeleteI love their tips Kay, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI saw this article in the magazine but hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. Thanks for reminding me! :-)
ReplyDeleteI should try the weed-killer idea. One of those spray packs would be pretty easy to use with it.
ReplyDeleteWhen we eat out these days, its breakfast, brunch or lunch, usually the first. The tip for wet shoes is nice, but who keeps charcoal briquettes anymore (we use propane gas)? Coupons. I get them online, David clips them from the newspapers and magazines, and we forget to use them. We use many of the tips AARP suggests and have for years. Dianne
ReplyDeleteYes, I read that article. Places to stay? We love the Hampton Inns not only for the food and wi-fi, but their beds are the best anywhere.
ReplyDeleteArt said he thought Hampton and Quality is part of the same chain. Do you think?
DeleteWe rarely go out for dinner, plus noticed that usually a large lunch out requires only a snack for dinner. Leave dinner out for the younger folks lol
ReplyDeleteL...w
I sure do agree with you. Actually, don't they say it's better to have small meals at night? Art should be doing that more because of his GERD.
DeleteMy version of the deer repellant is one egg, whirled in the blender, then add milk ( I use a Lillie powdered milk with water), and 1 T. dish washing detergent. I spray it on vegetable leaves and flowers. DO NOT add the liquid soap to the blender. I tried that once and had a mini Mt. Vesuvias in my kitchen.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! Sorry... I just had to chuckle. I was just imagining your kitchen full of bubbles.
DeleteThe support of a relative is an important tip. My girlfriend is the sole support of her disabled brother. She was wondering how to afford something he needed, I don't recall, and I asked if she claimed him as a dependent. She had no idea she could; she checked with her tax accountant and it was done. Made me feel good, too. She has done so much for him.
ReplyDeleteI all ready do that lunch thing. I tend to eat my big meal at noon anyway. Good to know it is cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI saw these two. Great tips. A penny saved helps wherever and whenever you can do so.
ReplyDelete