Frugal Simplicity

Using a prepaid debit card has all the advantages of a credit card, but it saves a load of money by having no interest charges, plus you never owe a bill. Prepaid debit cards are only good for the amount you put on them, making them great for your budget and financial present and future.

Instead of having credit cards that can run you deep into debt and loads of high interest charges, opt for ap repaid debit card and save your money. Simple spending changes are a great way to live frugal.

Popularity: 65% [?]

We’re happy to announce our newest addition to the JCT Publishing network, The Tightwad Times.

The Tightwad Times is all about the art of being a tightwad. The cost of living is going up more and more on a daily basis, and it’s becoming nearly impossible for some families to keep up and make ends meet. Even frugal living (living within your means) is getting harder for many people. Hard working people are finding it’s even becoming more and more impossible just to buy food and medicine, not to mention pay a house note or rent, etc.

Because of this, we’ve created The Tightwad Times.

Being a tightwad takes frugal living a step farther. Tightwad living is not only about living within your means, it’s reusing things over and over, finding freebies and rock bottom bargains, buying second hand, making use of everyday household items in new ways, and living a more simply and thifty lifestyle.

The Tightwad Times will bring readers extreme tightwad living tips, recipes that can feed a family, freebies and bargains, discounts and sales, and tips on how to save money and get by in today’s high priced world.

Popularity: 56% [?]

The price of gas is on the rise again. Who doesn’t want to save money on the cost of gas? Here are some frugal mone saving tips that will help you save money on gas.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Get a free cookbook! Who doesn’t love freebies?

Click Here to Get Your Free Cookbook

Popularity: 25% [?]

Making your own homemade laundry detergent can save a lot of money on the cost of washing clothes. This laundry soap recipe allows you to make your own laundry soap. It’s easy to make, cleans your clothes just fine, and is a frugal way to save money on the cost of caring for your clothing.

Laundry Soap Recipe

1 bar Fel Naptha Soap
3 Cups water
1 Cup borax - 20 mule team
2 1/2 - 3 Gallons of water
A big spoon and a big bucket

Grate the bar of soap. Place three cups of water and the soap on the stove. Simmer and stir occasionally, until the soap is completely melted. Fill the big bucket with 2 1/2 - 3 gallons of warm water. Pour the soap mixture into the bucket and stir well. Add the borax and stir really well. Use about 1 cup of laundry soap per load of laundry. If you like, you can add a bit of lavender essential oil or some fragrance oil.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Freebies are very popular. Freebies are fun to get! Companies give out product samples all the time. Why? They want you to try their product, in hopes that you’ll like it and buy from them. This works great for the company if customers purchase their products. But it works even better, in my opinion, for the consumer.

Getting stuff for free is a concept that has been around for a long time. However, it’s hit an all time high with the internet age. You can find tons of free items online for free.

What makes freebies even more inviting is the amount of money one saves by getting these free items. I’ve sometimes gotten $25 to $75 worth of freebies in a month, and have even received over $200 worth a few times! Most are trial size versions of a product, but some are full size products, just like you’d purchase in a store.

What are some of the products you can get for free? I’ve received clothing, books, food samples, shampoos, pet items, beauty products, soaps, Pepsi products, baby items, medicines, personal items, educational materials (including tons of homeschooling items!), paper, software, a huge variety of children’s things, and more. The sky’s the limit!

For families living on a fixed income or have a tight budget, freebies can bring you scores of items you’d never purchase yourself. For instance, I would never have been able to purchase all of the homeschooling materials or books I’ve gotten for free.

Finding free things is not that hard to do. There are various books that offer freebies to that you send away for, but the company usually wants postage to be sent with the request. A better way is the internet. Finding freebies online normally saves you the postage costs. All that is usually required is filling in the name and address form, and viola, you have a freebie on the way! Occasionally, a site will ask you to complete a survey in order to receive the free item.

At any rate, freebies are a fantastic way to save money, and they even make great gifts! There’s nothing like going to the mail box and, rather than finding bills, finding it filled with wonderful treasures, all free!

Click here for lots of freebies and free product samples

Popularity: 10% [?]

There are many ways to save money on electricity and power costs. Following are just a few ideas to help cut the cost of your power bill and save money.

1. Set your water heater to the lowest setting. Turning the water heater to a lower setting keeps the saves money by not having to keep the water as hot, plus it’s a safer temperature.

2. Keep the curtains and drapes closed during the hottest part of the summer, keeping the heat out and the cool in. In the winter, open them during the middle of the day for the opposite effect.

3. Use the dryer only in the early morning or late at night. For even better savings, use an inexpensive clothing dryer rack to hang laundry on to dry.

4.Put weather stripping around doors and windows. If you have an attic door, put weather stripping around it.

5. Close vents in rooms that are not in use. Keep doors shut to rooms that are not in use.

6. Turning off the stove oven about seven minutes before a dish is done will save money. The heat of the oven will allow the dish to finish cooking.

7. Use an electric blanket in the winter. The cost of using the electric blanket will be less than running the heater on a higher setting to warm the home.

8.Use the slowcooker or crockpot in the summer months to keep from heating up the home with the stove or oven.

9. Once a year have a professional to service your air unit or furnace to be sure that it is running its best. A unit that is not properly maintained will use more electricity trying to keep the home cool or warm.

10. When possible, prepare enough food at one cooking that will last for more than one meal. Freeze part of the meal for another time. Preparing more than enough at one time saves on cooking time and money.

11. Thaw meals before placing in the oven. This saves having to run the oven as long.

12. If you use mainly one room, rather than heat the entire house, invest in a small portable heater that can be moved easily. These little heaters are handy and they allow you to heat only the portion of the home that you need.

13. Replace the filters on your air unit and furnace about every two to three months. When a filter has become clogged with dust and dirt, the unit has to work harder, doesn’t cool or heat as efficiently, and uses more electricity.

Popularity: 7% [?]