Saving Money at Home - Part 2 of 2

I've surveyed some of the best budgeters I know (who happen to be moms, of all ages and stages) and they've shared with me some tips for saving money at home. Some are new and creative, others are "greatest hits" that hold true today.

• Shop sales, but only for items on your list and meal plan, and think outside of the grocery store box. This week, the Walgreen's on my street corner is advertising a gallon of milk for $2.99 and my favorite coffee is $.49 cheaper at Target.
• If you  have a non-budgeted expense, especially for a "want" and not a "need," gather all the loose change in the house and  head to a bank, such as TD Bank's Penny Arcade, to have it counted and doled out for free.
• Barter away! Find your special skill, talent or interest and trade it for what you need within your  network. My neighbors and I do this all the time, swapping haircuts, birthday cakes and even tax advice when needed.
• Bulk up, and pare down. Buy snack food items in bulk and serve up smaller portions in snack-sized baggies or even reusable plastic containers. Your waistline will get smaller while your wallet looks bigger.

What are your favorite tips? Come on, share with the class, we could all use a little help these days!

Creative Money Saving Tips for Work - Part 1 of 2

I was inspired recently by a conversation among members of The Enterprising Moms, a group I'm a part of that helps women growing families and businesses, about saving money at both home and work (often a home or small office). Some great money saving tips were bandied about, and I thought I'd share some with you:

• Use a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP) service such as Vonage or Packet 8 for affordable phone services
• Reuse paper (I even recycle the back sides of junk mail paper!) by printing on both sides
• Use fax services such as fax.com or eFax to avoid a capital expenditure on purchasing a fax machine
• Use the Executive Level membership at Costco to procure discounted business services such as online transaction fees and payroll services
• Do networking "coffees" rather than lunches, chat over a $3 coffee and not a $20 lunch!

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