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More Money Saving Microwave Tips

By Jessica Hunter on March 11, 2014

Here are a few more microwave tips that can help you save a little money

In a recent article, I shared a few microwave tips that can help you save cash here and there, mostly by extending the shelf-life of edibles and revitalizing items like masking tape. But all that was just a drop in the bucket, really.

The fact is, you can do all kinds of things cheaply with a microwave oven… if you know how to do them right. In this article, for example, we’ll take the guesswork out of cooking several things you might not expect to work in a microwave, so you don’t have to experiment and suffer wastage.

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Categories : Consumer Tips, Home

Want to Save on Gas Money? Buy a Scooter!

By Jessica Hunter on March 9, 2014

Not only will you save on gas when you buy a scooter, you’ll save on insurance and maintenance, too

Here’s an easy way to save money: buy a scooter and use it instead of your car for simple commutes. Now, I’m not talking about one of those Razor thingies that all the kids were wild about a few years back. Those are cost-efficient, sure, but hardly worth the effort. Might as well ride a bike.

I’m talking a motor scooter here: basically, a low-powered motorcycle. When the weather’s good and you need to get somewhere in a hurry, a motorized scooter can be very helpful.

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Categories : Auto

Cleaning Up On Personal Hygiene

By Jessica Hunter on March 7, 2014

Want an easy way to save cash? Keep an eye on your family’s personal hygiene

Most of us don’t care to talk much about personal hygiene, and that’s understandable. It is, after all, personal. But the fact is, the old “cleanliness is next to godliness” argument has some solid economic reasoning behind it. So as a savvy consumer, it behooves you to understand how it can save you cash.

But it isn’t all about being so clean that you squeak. Let me explain what I mean.

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Categories : Health

Sox Appeal: New Uses for Old Socks

By Jessica Hunter on March 5, 2014

Just because that sock’s a little worn and stretched out doesn’t mean you should toss it. There are many clever uses for old socks

As with just about anything, you can find plenty of alternate uses for old socks if you’ll just put your mind to it. In a recent article, we told you how you can use old cotton socks to make wicks for soda can emergency lamps, which is kind of cool. But that’s just the beginning for socks you’ve otherwise worn to a frazzle.

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Categories : Recycling

Xeriscaping Your Lawn to Save Money

By Jessica Hunter on March 3, 2014

Xeriscaping is a great way to save money on watering your lawn, especially if you use native plants

If your water bill’s getting a bit steep lately, one way to decrease it over the long-term is by xeriscaping your lawn. That is, landscape with dry-loving plants, so that you can save money simply by conserving water.

If you were wondering, “xeros” is the Greek word for “dry” (thus “Xerox”, which uses a dry ink method for photocopying). Make sense? It’s also why some people call drought-resistant landscaping “xerogardening.”

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Categories : Home

Beware of False Economy

By Jessica Hunter on March 1, 2014

Some ideas may seem like great ways to save money, but they end up costing you. Here’s how to avoid the specter of false economy

If you’ve ever driven across town to save a nickel on a gallon of gas, then you’ve been a victim of false economy — that is, an action intended to save money that ends up costing even more money in the long run.

We savvy consumers occasionally run afoul of this type of behavior in our quest to save money. But don’t feel bad: governments tend to be even worse about it, and our bad decisions cost maybe a few bucks, not billions.

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Categories : Finance

Super, Simple Christmas Savings

By Jessica Hunter on February 27, 2014

You can exercise your Christmas savings muscles without going all Scrooge on the world. Here’s how

For many people, the concept of “Christmas savings” means putting money aside in a special bank account so you can buy gifts when the holidays roll around. That’s a good idea, but we’ve got a few ways you can save money on the fly during Yuletide.

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Categories : Shopping

How to Save Money Using… Junk Mail?

By Jessica Hunter on February 25, 2014

Call it direct mail, junk mail, a waste of trees, or what you will: you shouldn’t just throw it away

Junk mail. Marketing experts love to sing its praises, and they have a special term for it: direct mail. Apparently it’s one of the most effective marketing methods ever — even though most of us sort through it over the trashcan, rarely giving it a second thought.

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Categories : Recycling

Savvy Sewing Tips to Consider

By Jessica Hunter on February 23, 2014

Sewing your own clothes is already a great way to save money — but you can save even more with these sweet, savvy sewing tips!

If you’re already handy with a needle, may we suggest that you add these savvy sewing tips to your repertoire? They can help you save even more money on an activity that’s already gratifyingly frugal. Take a look!

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Categories : Consumer Tips

Sharpening Garden Tools By Hand

By Jessica Hunter on February 21, 2014

Sharpening garden tools is fairly easy, and you don’t need to pay anyone to do it

Sharpening garden tools by hand may seem like a minor way of saving money, but it’s more frugal than you might think… and like all these other ways that we show you to save cash, it’s a good way to squeeze a few bucks out of the household budget here and there so you can use it better elsewhere.

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Categories : Home

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