Everyday Cheapskate - Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate

Eight Little Words That Can Change Your Life

You hear it all the time, but do you know what it means to live below your means? Have you figured out how to do that?

To live below your means is to choose a lifestyle you can pay for with the money you have and still have some left over.

Living below your means in this high-pressure, credit-based, gotta-have-it-all-right-now culture is not exactly easy.

It takes skill and determination to go against the tide and buck a system that encourages spending all we have now plus what we hope we’ll get in the future. Read more

November 17, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

A Mishmash of Ideas and Holiday Tips

As we face the crush the Holiday prep, could you possibly use some help? Try these tips and ideas on for size.

Double up

When you cook this month, double your favorite meals and freeze the leftovers. Then, when you’re in a frenzy the few days before Christmas, you won’t have to fret about making dinner, too.

Electronic cards

You can save a lot of time and money when you send electronic Christmas cards, or eCards. There are lots of free sites—DaySpring.com and BlueMountain.com offer the best selections.

Shop from home

Shopping online can save a lot of time, frustration and gasoline. Finding free or reduced shipping makes online shopping even better. Dec. 14, 2018 is Free Shipping Day. Check FreeShipping.com for retailers who will be participating.

MORE: 9 Ways to Avoid Christmas Debt Even If You’re Short on Cash

Get cash back

If you’ll be shopping anyway, you might as well get some of your cash back. Ebates is by far the easiest and most efficient way to do that. An Ebates account is completely free, easy to set up. Then every time you shop online, make sure you have your Ebates account activated (it’s so easy—you’ll see once you have an account). And you can use your Ebates account in-store, too!

If you’re curious why I’m such an Ebates fan, yesterday I got another Ebates check in the mail—cash back for things I would have purchased anyway, including the rental car Harold and I used on our recent New England getaway. I didn’t expect it, but I’ll take it!

The hardest part about using Ebates? Remembering to use it! Ha. However, they do make it pretty easy. I believe I’ll stop forgetting, now that it is putting money back in my pocket.

November 16, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Food & Recipes, Holidays and Special Occasions

Time to Load Up on Baking Supplies

Look up the word ‘impulsive’ in the dictionary and prepare to see my face. In my basement pantry, I have bags of of chocolate chips to prove it. They are the ghosts of a Christmas past—left over from one of my Gift-in-a-Jar marathon projects.

And those two containers of candied fruit that must be ten years old by now, which I keep because they’ve become such a novelty? They appear to be the same as the day I bought them.

Baking supplies are notoriously on sale at rock-bottom prices starting now in anticipation of Thanksgiving and continuing through the end of the year.

I still have bags of all-purpose flour from last holiday season, which I bought for $.99 each, which I’ve stored in the freezer. Sugar is cheap during the holidays, too. Ditto for other holiday baking ingredients from marshmallows to sweetened condensed milk, dates to nuts.

One of my basic rules of grocery shopping is this: When it’s on sale, buy enough to last until the next time it’s on sale. Baking supplies become so cheap this time of year, now is the time to stock up.

Which begs the question: How long will baking supplies last in the event you decide to buy enough to last the year? It all depends on the items and if you have the storage space to keep them at their optimum.

Here is a handy guide:

November 15, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Holidays and Special Occasions

Take the Stress Out of Entertaining with a Holiday Potluck

Whether you are invited or doing the inviting this holiday season, choosing a potluck over a more formal dinner party can relieve a lot of stress. When everybody brings something it takes a great deal of pressure off the host and offers guests the joy of contributing to the festivities.

Hosting duties

If you’re hosting you need to …

1. Pick a theme for the menu, like Comfort Food, Thanksgiving Bounty, or Christmas Favorites.

2. For one dozen people, at the least, you will need approximately two or three appetizers, two side dishes, bread and butter, two desserts, one salad, and one main dish.

November 14, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Tips

A Clever Purpose for Useless Candle Stubs and More Great Reader Tips

An unintended consequence of embracing a frugal lifestyle is that gnawing tendency to never throw anything away. Fight the feeling, folks. Turning into a hoarder will only create a new problem in your life.

Now, about all those useless candle stubs you’re hanging onto—its time to get them out and keep them by your fireplace or wood burning stove.

Cheap Fire Starter

Save your candle stubs in a container by the fireplace. The next time you need to start a fire, light a couple of the stubs and throw them in along with paper or kindling. The wax will burn for a long time and give the larger pieces of wood more time to catch fire. Mary Anne

Ultimate Sales Insert

If you often spend Sunday afternoon paging through the week’s sales inserts for your favorite stores, check out SundaySaver.com. This site has handy links to all weekly sales and specials for hundreds of stores like Kohls, Wal-Mart, Old Navy, Walgreens, Home Depot and Amazon. Kim

At this writing, I just checked and clicked on Kohl’s at SundaySaver.com, and can see the Black Friday ads, which must have been leaked because they do not yet appear at kohls.com. Great tip. –mh

November 13, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Holidays and Special Occasions

9 Ways to Avoid Christmas Debt Even If You’re Short on Cash—Plus a GIVEAWAY!

To pull off an all-cash Christmas in the face of a credit-aggressive retail industry will be like holding back the sea unless you arm yourself with a very important tool.

You won’t have to run out and buy this tool because I am absolutely sure you have it already. And you won’t have to go on a whole-house search to find it either. This all-important tool is as close to a magic wand as you will ever get and as powerful as you choose for it to be. It is your attitude.

You can choose a joyful, expectant, can-do attitude with bold determination—an attitude that says, “No matter what, I am not going to spend money I do not have to pay for Christmas. Period.” With that kind of attitude, even the powerful consumer credit and retail industries will be no match for you. You will prevail.

Here are nine simple ideas to get your attitude revved up and your determination switched into high gear!

November 12, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Money and Finances

How to Stay on Track with a Rollercoaster Income

If you are among the millions of people in this country who don’t really know how or when they will see another paycheck, chances are you’re either unemployed or self-employed—which now that I think about it, being self-employed can be a lot like being unemployed except for an unemployment check.

If you are a freelancer, a consultant, work in commission sales, the arts, or some other form of self-employment and don’t know when, how, or how much you’ll get paid from month to month, the word rollercoaster may bring more to mind than something in an amusement park.

Some months you work yourself nearly to death but produce absolutely no income. Then a deal closes or you have a pretty good month, and it takes nearly all of that money to pay last month’s bills.

Then miracle of miracles, you have a $10,000 month and suddenly in your mind, you’re making $120,000 a year. Time to call the travel agent and book a European vacation!

Does any of this sound familiar?

November 8, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Cleaning, Tips

In the End Flannel Makes Great Cleaning Cloths, Plus More Great Reader Tips

When Swiffer WetJet hit the market years ago, consumers went wild for it. I loved my Swiffer, but did not like the price of the cleaning pads. And my readers didn’t like it either.

Readers still send me their tips on what they use instead for disposable, pricey cleaning Swiffer cleaning pads. Some are clever, some too complicated, and some I just can’t repeat. I like Brenda’s idea, as it saves money and recycles, too.

SECOND LIFE FOR FLANNEL

My tip involves giving my husband’s old flannel lounge pants and flannel shirts a second life as cleaning pads for my Swiffer. I cut pieces 8″ x 20″ (or to fit your mop head of choice), attach to the mop head and then dampen with water before use. When I’m done mopping, I toss these in the laundry. Brenda

November 7, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Health and Beauty

Five Super Cheap Yet Fabulous At-Home Spa Treatments

If you don’t happen to have an extra hundred bucks to enjoy a day at the spa, don’t sweat it. There are lots of ways you can be nice to yourself for less. A lot less!

SALT SCRUB

You can pay $32 for a 6.7-ounce tube of Salt Scrub™ by Origins, or make your own for about a buck.

Find a nice container (a small glass jar or with a tight-fitting lid works well) and fill it about 3/4 full with Epsom salt. Now slowly mix in either almond oil (better) or baby oil (cheaper) and stir until the mixture looks like wet snow.

It’s optional, but you can add your choice of aromatherapy-grade essential oil to add scent.

To use: Massage over wet skin in a hot shower with hand or washcloth. Rinse. Scratchy, scaly skin is suddenly gorgeous. Do not use on broken or freshly shaven skin.

PUFFY EYE TREATMENT

Here’s an off-beat but highly effective way to deal with morning eye “puffiness” that does not cost a small fortune. In fact, it’s more effective than all of those high-priced department store eye cream products.

November 6, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Money and Finances, Shopping, Tips

19 Hobby Lobby Money-Saving Hacks, Tips, and Tricks

I was late to the party but somehow managed to catch up quickly. While Hobby Lobby has now expanded to California, I’d never stepped foot into one of the more than 800 stores until moving to Colorado.

How I lived for the greater part of my life without Hobby Lobby remains a mystery. Remarkably, somehow I survived.

Hobby Lobby is basically an arts-and-crafts heaven but also includes hobbies, picture frames and framing; jewelry making, fabrics, floral and wedding supplies, cards and party ware, baskets, wearable art, home accents and holiday merchandise. And let me tell you, this company runs a tight ship.

Generally, the prices at Hobby Lobby are good. But if you know the secrets—these hacks, tips, and tricks—you’ll never pay the full price on anything at Hobby Lobby again. And you’ll routinely be saving 50% (sometimes up to 90%).

Know the Hobby Lobby Sale Schedule

Just about everything in the store goes on sale for 50% off at some time or another. Knowing how to anticipate those sales is the secret for saving big.

November 5, 2018/0 Comments/by Mary Hunt

Photocopying or reproduction other than for subscribers’ personal use is strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher, DPL Press, Inc. Everyday Cheapskate, Debt-Proof Living, Cheapskate Monthly, Tiptionary, Rapid Debt-Repayment Plan, Rapid Debt-Repayment Plan Calculator, Freedom Account, Live the Plan! and 7 Money Rules for Life are trademarks owned by Mary Hunt.All letters, tips and other materials and correspondence submitted to Everyday Cheapskate, Debt-Proof Living and Mary Hunt become the property of Mary Hunt and all rights thereto including copyrights.

Submitters grant the exclusive right to use and or reproduce the materials in any manner and for any purpose. All information published is taken from the most reliable sources possible and given as information only. All specific financial, legal, tax and accounting situations should be referred to appropriate legal or accounting professionals.

Eight Little Words That Can Change Your Life

A Mishmash of Ideas and Holiday Tips

Double up

Electronic cards

Shop from home

Get cash back

Time to Load Up on Baking Supplies

Take the Stress Out of Entertaining with a Holiday Potluck

Hosting duties

If you’re hosting you need to …

A Clever Purpose for Useless Candle Stubs and More Great Reader Tips

Cheap Fire Starter

Ultimate Sales Insert

9 Ways to Avoid Christmas Debt Even If You’re Short on Cash—Plus a GIVEAWAY!

How to Stay on Track with a Rollercoaster Income

In the End Flannel Makes Great Cleaning Cloths, Plus More Great Reader Tips

SECOND LIFE FOR FLANNEL

Read more

Five Super Cheap Yet Fabulous At-Home Spa Treatments

SALT SCRUB

PUFFY EYE TREATMENT

19 Hobby Lobby Money-Saving Hacks, Tips, and Tricks

Know the Hobby Lobby Sale Schedule

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Double up

Electronic cards

Shop from home

Get cash back

Hosting duties

If you’re hosting you need to …

Cheap Fire Starter

Ultimate Sales Insert

SECOND LIFE FOR FLANNEL

SALT SCRUB

PUFFY EYE TREATMENT

Know the Hobby Lobby Sale Schedule

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