Festival of Frugality – #112

With over 80 submissions for this carnival, the competition was tough. If something didn’t scream, “This is a way to save money”, it didn’t make the cut. I didn’t want to single out any articles as being my favorites. I’ve found that the best frugal tips are the ones you can use. Instead, I tried to categorize the articles to assist you find a tip to help you.

Lists of Frugal Tips

• The Simple Dollar gives 100 Great Tips for Saving Money. This article must have taken some time to write.
• Being Frugal only manages 75 frugal hacks for your home. Lynnae, you know I’m only joking :-).
• Early Retirement Extreme has a list of 25 money saving tips.
• Not The Jet Set gives some general frugality tips that you can use everyday.

Romance

• Rather-Be-Shopping has a list of 50 Valentine’s Ideas That Won’t Break The bank. I was a little disappointed that all of these tips were for what guys can do for the ladies.
• Savvy Frugality plans for some frugal romance.

Food & Groceries

• Thursday Bram gives some ways to be frugal with cooking tools.
• Cheap Healthy Good gives some grocery shopping tips. I liked the humor about her keys.
• I’ve Paid For This Twice Already writes about why shopping around the perimeter of a grocery store (typically raw ingredients) costs more than the aisles (typically prepared foods). I’m very much the same way.
• Monroe on a Budget gives some of her coupon tips.
• Diary of a New Old-Fashioned Gal made some artsy crackers on the cheap.
• Lightening Online writes about reducing the grocery budget
• Free From Broke asks buying in bulk can be wasteful. The answer is of course yes. The key is to getting non-perishables.
• The Great Money Challenge gives details on what can be purchased with a $200 a month food budget. Like the author, I don’t think it’s a tall order.
• The Sojourner brought in a ton of food for $22 from the community food bank.
• Frugal Dad saves money with 20 tips for the grocery store.

Travel

• Me, My Kid, and Life is traveling on a budget to Berlin.
• The Art of Balanced Living gives 10 tips to Save Money on Gas. I was surprised it didn’t list gliding to the stop lights, which is something I tend to do. Often by the time I get there, the light has changed and I can move on without ever having stepped on the brake.
• Mom Advice has opened her own bed-and-breakfast. As a bonus she’s made me homesick for Cape Cod.
• Value For Your Life writes about Las Vegas on a budget.
• Debt-free Revolution saves some money on vehicle maintenance.
• Debt Prison gives some tips on how to buy a used car.

Money Management

• Blueprint for Financial Prosperity lists some free tax preparation services. This might be helpful for some – my taxes are too complex and I wouldn’t qualify.
• Not to be outdone, My Dollar Plan also has some free tax preparation services.
• Funny about Money writes that you should Never pay bank or finance charges
• The Personal Financier asks you to consider 4 things before taking a loan.
• Finance Blog came up with some ways to save for a first mortgage deposit.

Health

• The Happy Rock Gives some inexpensive workout ideas.
• Be Thrifty Like Us says that you should understand your health benefits. I need to spend more time doing this myself.

Entertainment

• One Million and Beyond saves money on entertainment.
• Money Blue Book saves money at the library.

General Tips (Uncategorized)

• The Digerati Life gives some tips on saving money on energy.
• Fire Finance writes about the a dozen places to get a dozen roses. You can get a variety of flowers from the florists he mentions, I just wanted to stick with the dozen theme.
• Free Money Finance gives some tips to save money on vet bills
• Stephanie from Stop the Ride recycles scrap metal for extra cash.
• Smalls Cents writes about the end of the used cloth diaper market. This is one market I was happier knowing didn’t exist.
• Unclaimed money comes up with some ways to beat the winter doldrums. I like to de-clutter, but I’m not very good at it.
• Bean Sprouts makes frugal patchwork.
• My Two Dollars has stopped all catalogs from coming to his home. It stops him from spending money and saves the environment.
• Money Under 30 gives a review of Shoeboxed.com.
• Sound Money Matters gives three tips for saving money on college books.
• Money and Values saves money getting third-party accessories for technology products.
• Searching for Crabshells found one! Just kidding, she wrote an article about budgets.
• Dollar Frugal writes about saving money on furniture.
• Single Guy Money asks if you saved money this week?
• No Credit Needed gives some says that you should try a budget. Sorry NCN, I’m still knocking budgets – they are too much work for no payoff for me.
• Squawkfox writes about how to avoid student debt by saving money.
• Debt Beater says that you should examine your credit card interest rates often. I suggest not getting credit card debt instead.
• Keeping The Reins Tight compares Bank of America’s Keep the Change vs. Chase Cash Back.
• Tight Fisted Miser has some underwear frugality. Yep, just when you thought you’ve read everything.
• Mrs. Micah says that you can save money if you know yourself.
• Two Pennies Earned writes about her 6 favorite pieces of free software.
• Investing Lessons finds a way to find save money in various places
• The Family CEO tells you to make four calls to save money.
• Hustler Money Blog gives two tips that add up to neary 10% off of anything at Amazon.com.
• A Penny Closer realizes that Goodwill doesn’t accept everything.
• The Penny Saved has five secrets for mastering personal finance.
• Millionaire Mommy Next Door doesn’t live the “goods” life.
• Frugal Babe is remodeling her kitchen on the cheap.
• KCLau says Don’t spend the money you don’t have, to buy the thing you don’t need, to please the people you don’t like!