Money Saving Tip #204: Insulate Your Attic Yourself

Let's face it, you can never have too much attic insulation.  The standard amount of insulation put into attics when a home is built is fair at best.  My husband and I wanted to add some loose fill insulation in our attic, but we didn't want to spend thousands of dollars to have someone do it.  We decided to do it ourselves. 

I spent about a week on the internet researching how-to videos getting all my ducks in a row.  Then, we visited the local home improvement store to price our project.  While there, we inquired about renting the tool to blow the loose fill.  We learned that if we bought a certain number of bags of loose fill, the tool rental was free for an entire day. 

We set aside a full day to do the project.  The first thing I did was go up into my attic and fix any sheets of insulation that had fallen.  Then I re-stapled any styrofoam cornice pieces that needed to be refastened.  Next, we used bubble wrap to keep the vertical pieces from falling again in the future.  We stapled the bubble wrap in place against the 2x4s.  Next, I stood in the attic with the AttiCat hose while my husband loaded the machine on our front porch.  In the end, we managed to obtain at least R48 everywhere in the attic with some places of R60.  The last thing we did was buy an insulated dome cover for the attic door.  The entire project cost us about $400 and about 4 hours of our time.  It was well worth it. 

Our home keeps it's heat much better.  Our heater does not turn on as much because the heat stays in the house longer. 

If your home is in need for insulation, consider doing it yourself and saving several hundred or thousands of dollars.

Money Saving Tip #203: Pay in Person to Avoid Fees

Some organizations offer the option to pay on-line for ease ability.  But, some of those places charge an extra "on-line fee" to make the transaction. 

Though my daughter brings her lunch to school on a daily basis, I do allow her to buy her lunch as a special treat on certain days.  Her school utilizes a website to collect lunch money, but they also take checks made directly to the school to fund her lunch account also.  If I fund her account using the website, I will be charged an extra $1.95 per transaction.  To avoid these extra unnecessary costs, I opt to write a check directly to the school. 

To pay the registration fees on my vehicle every year, I have the option of paying on-line or in person.  If I pay on-line, there are extra fees to utilize the web, usually $3.00.  However, if I pay in person, there are no extra fees.  I am lucky that I live in a county where the lines are very manageable.  Some of our locations even have a drive-thru feature. 

In the end, you should weigh the pros and cons of paying on-line.  If you will spend more money in gas to pay a bill or fee in person, it may be better to pay on-line with a small fee.  But, if you need to pay a bill or fee at a location located within the normal route you take, consider making the quick stop to avoid the fees. 

Money Saving Tip #202: Disposable vs. Refill Razors

Most men and women in the U.S. use razors on a daily basis.  Men use them to shave their faces in the morning, while women use them to shave their legs.  Shaving can be quite combersome, so razor companies have marketed fancy-looking razors over the past several years.  Some have up to 5 razor bladed claiming to give the comsumer perfectly smooth skin. 

There are several different types of razors on the market.  The most common are electric razors and disposable razors.  This post will be about the disposable variety. 

Like cars and ink pens, there is a heirarchy of razors for the consumer to select from.  The latest of the high-end razors feature a non-disposable handle with a disposable head.  These products are terribly expensive, and they trap you into their brand of product.  For example, you cannot buy a Gillette handle and Target brand refills.  Some of these razor products even have gel pads eliminating the need for shaving cream or soap. 

As a person who has tried several different types of disposable razors, including the high-end types, I can say that I save a lot of money by using the standard no-frills store brand razor that is sold in a bulk package of 10-20.  If you buy the refill cartridge packages, you will be spending about $20 for 4 refills.  I can buy close to 60 razors for the same price as those 4 refills. 

Skip the urge to buy the fancy razors located at eye level at your grocery store, and look down to the packages of razors in the bins on the bottom shelf. 

Money Saving Tip #201: Spoons

We are a family of five with 3 small children.  Our kids go through spoons at every single meal.  Oftentimes, we would run out of utincels before our dishwasher was even full.  On occassion, we would have to run our dishwasher half full or rely on plastic utincels.  Then my husband suggested that we simply buy more spoons.  Simple idea that I simply didn't think about. 

If you have a standard utincel set, you probably have 8-10 spoons, knives, and forks.  Don't force yourself to run a half full dishwasher.  Supplement your utincel set.  I went to Target and purchased two additional sets of spoons (each set had 4 spoons) for $3.99 each.  And because we have a plain-design utincel set, the cheap ones I purchased look very similar.  Now, I always have extra utincels in my drawer and hardly ever run out. 

Money Saving Tip #200: Deli Lunch Meat or Pre-Packaged Lunch Meat

I consistently make my own sandwiches at work using lunch meat.  But, is it cheaper to buy it freshly cut at the service deli (within the grocery store) or to buy it pre-packaged in the meat and cheese refrigerated section?  The answer is... it depends. 

My grocery store has terrific prices on lunch meat at the service deli.  I shop at Super Target.  I can buy Market Pantry (Target brand) lunch meat for about $5.99 per pound (not on sale).  Buying lunch meat not on sale is something that I rarely do.  Most times, I can find turkey breast on sale for about $3.99 per pound.  Target had ham on sale yesterday for $1.50 per pound.  These are super cheap prices.  Even if I opted for the turkey breast, I can spend less than $2.00 for a half of a pound of lunch meat.  You cannot get that in the pre-packaged section. 

Some more expensive grocery stores (like Publix) sell their Publix brand lunch meat for about $7.99-9.99 per pound.  Buying the pre-packaged variety may save you a little money if you shop at these places. 

Most pre-packaged lunch meat containers start at about $3.99, and it's only about 9 ounces of meat. 

Before you rush out to your grocery store's service deli, remember this:  freshly cut lunch meat really only lasts about 4-5 days.  So, don't buy more than you and your family can eat within 4-5 days. 

Money Saving Tip #199: Ask the Business about Specials or Discounts

When trying out a new business or service, ask the person you are dealing with about any specials or discounts on their product or services.  You may be surprised that they have discounts that are not advertised. 

When we first moved to the area where we currently reside, we would consistently tell businesses that we were new to the area.  Many times, the business would give a discount or a free gift in hopes that you would return to their store or restaurant in the future. 

Money Saving Tip #198: Pictures with Santa

If you are a parent of young children, chances are you love getting your child's photo taken with Santa Claus every Christmas season.  I am no exception!  If you take your kid(s) to the local mall to get their photo taken, you will be forced to purchase their photo package.  Their photo packages usually start at around $20-30 for one sheet of photos.  And, they don't let you take your own photos unless you buy theirs.  The other HUGE drawback to the mall Santa is that you are forced to wait in a huge line.  If your kids are young, they will probably get tired and cranky just before you get to the front of the line. 

Instead of rushing to the mall for your Santa pics, turn to your local community instead.  Just this morning, I passed a Christmas tree lot that advertised Santa pics.  You can find local churches and community centers that host a Santa event for a fraction of the cost or free. 

Last year, one of our local high schools hosted a Breakfast with Santa event to raise money for the band.  For $5 per child, each of my kids got a pancake breakfast plus an individual photo with Santa.  So, for $15 all my kids had a breakfast, and I got 3 photos.  This year, we went to our local Parks and Recreation Center and paid $10 for all the kids to get their photo taken plus access to the craft show.  Plus, I took about a dozen of my own photos on my camera. 

Money Saving Tip #197: Grocery Shop with a Calculator

Inside my coupon folder, I keep a small calculator.  I use this calculator whenever I do my grocery shopping.  I use it to determine the price of an item when there is a certain percentage off.  And, I use it to compare prices. 

When I compare prices, I look at the quantity of the product in the package.  Using the ounces on the product, I can determine the cost of that item per ounce.  Then, I select another similar item.  Using my calculator, I can figure out how much I would be paying per ounce.  Here is an example:

Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt 32 ounces:  $2.34 each = $0.07 per ounce
Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt 6 ounces:  $0.60 each = $0.10 per ounce

Based on my math above, it is cheaper per ounce for me to buy the larger yogurt.  I should buy one large yogurt container rather than 6 individual yogurt containers.  You should do this comparing two similar brands too (Jiff vs. Skippy peanut butter).

Money Saving Tip #196: Stop Going to the ATM

If you visit an ATM at a bank other than yours, you will be paying several extra fees just to get your own money.  The bank that you visit may charge you about $3.00 just to use their ATM, plus your own bank will then charge you another $3.00 because you used another bank. 

Imaging this:  If you withdrew $20.00 from another bank's ATM, this transaction can cost you about $26.00. 

Rather than going to another bank's ATM, go to a grocery store instead to get some cash.  Go to the checkout with a very inexpensive item (one banana, a pack of gum, candy bar, $1.00 nail polish, etc.).  Swipe your debit card and select the amount of money you want for cash back.  There are no extra fees plus you will have gotten at least something for your purchase!

Money Saving Tip #195: Stop Tanning

Visiting the local tanning salon can cost you a lot of money and can be unhealthy.  Like a gym club, many tanning salons want you to join some sort of membership.  You don't need to sport a glowing, beach tan year round.  Save the money.  If you insist on having a darker shade, consider those tanning lotions made by Jergens, Aveeno, and many other brands.  The benefit to these products is that you cannot get skin cancer from them, and the tan you receive is gradual.  Many tanning lotions look completely natural without that organge look.