I am only guessing, not sure, but I assume since you are looking for help at yahoo answers you do not have the resources to spend paying someone else.

3 Years ago I had a mountain of debt, was barely making enough money to cover my bills, car payment, and credit card monthly payment. At least, thats what I though. Then, I did some soul searching and decided to change.

You can probably do it on your own and much cheaper.

Just start by making a realistic goal. If you have to live like a hobo to get where you want in a short period of time, it probably will not work.

Give yourself two years or so. And, break it down into 100 steps (approximately 100 weeks in 2 years).

Just tie up the loose ends and achieve your small goals each week.

Want to pay off 10,000 in credit card debt thats gonna be about 14,000 after interest. So, pay off 140 a week.

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You can also go to google or bing and type in the phrase "How to save money at home?"

"http://www.bing.com/search?q=how+to+save+money+at+home&go=&form=QBRE"

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It is now a great time to begin a comparison shopping campaign if you do not already have one in place.  Finding great deals is awesome, as well as commendable, but saving money on a regular basis is a far better endeavor.  Then when you combine the deals with the weekly strategies you come out way ahead.

One of the easiest items to comparison shop is groceries.  Since grocery stores abound, you can usually find the same quality of product at several locations within a few miles.  The interesting fact is that in some cases the “everyday” price of these items will vary greatly (we have seen up to 30% differences on several staple goods).  The idea is to find what products are the cheapest at which stores and purchase the items at the best price.

We have seen and read about many different ways to comparison shop, and there is not one that is superior to the others.  It is all a matter of personal taste.  Ways people comparison shop:

1. Sales Papers- there are entire communities dedicated to this way of shopping.  If you look a little online you can probably find one for your area that will let you join free of charge.  The way they shop is by looking at the sales papers for the stores in there area, and then planning the weeks menu based on what is on sale for the week.  This is not a bad idea as long as you can make yourself conform to whatever is on sale that week.
2. Price Books-we had honestly never noticed this until we read this tip.  Since then we have noticed a few people each week carrying a book with them and writing things down as they went.  While this works for some, for us (we try to get out asap to avoid impulse shopping)  it slows down the shopping process too much.  The few times we tried to shop this way, it slowed us down by an average of 20 minutes per trip-not worth it to us.
3. Spread Sheets-This is not a perfect method, but it is the one we prefer.  We save our receipts (it took us around six weeks to get the all the items we use regularly) and then enter the data in a spread sheet.  We alternated where we bought items through various stores in our area for the six weeks listed until we got the information we needed.  Every week we enter in our receipts (takes about 5 minutes) and see where we stand.  The negative ti doing it this way is that you have to frequently either watch the prices and try to remember them, or alternate shop again (which causes a loss of money).  Luckily our savings have stayed steady, even through the price increases due to the high gas prices last year.

Just as an example, the store that has the best quality and price of meat for us has canned items (corn, peas, green beans, etc. that we use a lot of) for 89 cents a can.  Our second store just 2 miles away has the same cans for 41 cents a can.  Just this one area save us approximately $6 a week.

Comparison shopping is also great for other purchases, especially large ones, as well.  We have saved on our “normal” expenses by comparison shopping for prescriptions (seems almost everywhere has a local pharmacy, Wal-Mart, Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens competing for business), insurances, car maintenance items, etc.

A few considerations about comparison shopping:

• Make sure the payout is worth it.  It is of no use to spend 12 hours comparison shopping and save 12 cents.
• Consider all aspects when you compare.  I am mainly referring to appliances here, but I am sure other situations fit.  Consider the quality of the products you are comparing, the energy consumption, and warranty length of the product in question.
• Make it a habit and you will usually get the best deal that is available to you.

Thanks for reading, and we hope that you have a great and wonderful day.

Do you comparison shop?  What method works best for you?  What is the most you have saved?

• How to Break the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-14: Seal Air Leaks
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-13: Fill Your Freezer
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-12: Remove Items in Groups from Refrigerator
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-11: Use Ceiling Fans
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-3: Air Dry Clothes
• Saving Money While doing Your Household Shopping

First of all I would like to say that we are coupon users through and through.  Using coupons is just one of the ways that we save on groceries.  This past week was kind of slim on the savings, so we were just wondering how many of you feel that coupons are a waste of time?

Our process usually goes something like this:

1. We get our Sunday paper early Sunday morning before church (if we wait until after they are usually all gone). Time-10min.
2. We check our usual websites and company web pages for weekly sales that are going on in our area. Time-45 min.
3. Next, we check the coupons that are inside the paper to see if any match products that are currently on sale. Time-30 min.
4. Lastly, we clip the ones we are going to use this week and file the rest for later storage. Time-5 min.

That is equal to one and a half hours of work.  Lets say that in your freelance business, or personal work that you average ten dollars per hour, you have just “spent” $15.  Factor in the cost of the newspaper and now you are at $17.

The question in play here is this-Can you save $17 by using the coupons for that week, and if so, is it worth it?  If by using coupons we save around $25, then we are only at “net” gain of $8.  With that figure we could easily make the money by writing a blog post, taking a few surveys, or many of our other endeavors within an hour and a half.

As for us, it is worth it.  We get some really good deals more often than not.  Also, this is a family gathering, so while all of this is going on (including the shopping) we are enjoying time together as a family.

If I were strictly looking at it as a way to save money and get ahead of the game, I am not sure I would continue doing it.  Most coupons are for brand name items.  We have a few things that we only use brand name products, but for the most part their generic or store brand counterparts are just as good (in a few cases better) and are cheaper even if you use a coupon on the brand name.

That is just a couple of our views on coupon use-what are your thoughts?  Do you have a system that really allows you to save tremendous amounts?

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

• Combating the Rising Cost of Groceries
• Saving Money While doing Your Household Shopping

One of our main goals right now is to get out of debt as quick as possible. We lived rather recklessly and it got us into a mess. It is not an easy task to get out of debt (far easier to get into than out of), but it is an attainable goal. Right now if we paid the minimum payment or bills (student loans, personal loans, mortgage, etc.) we would be in debt for the next 24 years! That is no longer acceptable, so we have a plan in place to reduce this time drastically (we are hopeful to reduce total debt by 40% this year).   How?  Glad you asked.

First, we are going to continue to try to reduce our expenses. In the order of importance to us:

1. Meals

This is our biggest area that we struggle with. Many times money is spent on convenience meals (that only leave you hungry in an hour) that could be used for more groceries. We have literally wasted an entire months of grocery money in one week. It is our goal for 2009 to make our dining out experiences enjoyable family outings-not just a trip to the drive through window. Another way that we are going to try to improve the area of meals is through more and organized coupon use. Combing coupons with weekly sales allows us to get many items drastically reduced, free, or if we are really lucky-we get money back!

2. Reduce our fuel expense.

Our second area that has the most room for improvement is our gas expense in our vehicles. For ways that we have reduced our fuel cost, check out this article.

3. Reduce our utility bill

Lastly, we continue to try new and innovative ways to reduce our monthly utility expenses. The best ways to help reduce this expense are in our saving on expenses category.

As a note here, there are a couple blogs out there that are really worth reading while trying to reduce your expenses. First, Money Saving Mom is a great resource for sales and deals that we mentioned earlier about getting things reduce or free. Also, Lynnae at Being Frugal always has useful information on frugality and other personal finance information. GLBL Guy at Gather Little By Little is great about providing specific personal finance information and often has free software, spreadsheets, and other reviews. We have learned a lot from these three (and others), and have been inspired by both their stories of successes and failures.

We are currently on step two of the Dave Ramsey Plan. We have our $1,000 dollar emergency fund in place and we are currently working on our debt snowball. For those of you who are getting out of debt, this is one of the best plans on the market. It required a little personal tweaking in our situation (we still wanted to contribute to retirement accounts while getting out of debt), but it has worked well for us so far. The name of the book is The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness.  If you need a little motivation as well as a guideline debt reduction plan, this is a must read.

Tomorrow we are going to dicuss ways to increase income in 2009 to help eliminate debt. Thank you for reading, and have a great day!

Photo courtesy of www.freefoto.com.

• 100 Ways in 100 Days-7: Bake Items in “Groups”
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-6: Use a Prgrammable Thermostat
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-4: Wash Only Full Loads of Laundry
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-2: Filters
• Getting Your Finances in Order
• What Debt Would You Pay Next?
• January Update: 1 Bill Paid Off!
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-12: Remove Items in Groups from Refrigerator
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-5: Switch to CFL’s or LED’s
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-3: Air Dry Clothes

Today we are going to talk about one of the biggest energy loss factors in any dwelling. An improperly sealed house (we will discuss insulation in another post, even though they go hand in hand) can “breathe” as much as once an hour. That means that every hour an entire cycle of new (unconditioned air) circulates through your house. This causes your heat or air source to work continuously to try to keep up.

According to The U.S. Department of Energy 46% of your homes energy loss due to air escape occurs in the floors, ceilings, and duct. These items we will focus on during the insulation post. The rest of the house we can work through an area at a time. So, lets get to it.

The first thing we need to do is to find the location of the air leaks. The best way is to burn an incense stick and let the smoke rise. For each of the following areas if the smoke travels horizontally there needs to be some work done:

1. The Fireplace. For those that have one, this site alone counts for 14% of the air loss. The best way to prevent this is to install a damper in your fireplace and make sure it is a good seal. If this is not an option, consider covering the fireplace opening with cardboard when not in use.
2. Plumbing Areas. An often overlooked area, any place where plumbing enters your house is good place for air to leak in or out. On average it accounts for 13% of air loss. Be sure to check all supply lines near sinks, showers, washers, and toilets. Also check the drains to sinks, showers, and washers. Most of these should have a plate installed to cover the hole; for added protection lift the plate and spray some foam insulation around the pipe. Replace the cover and you are finished.
3. Windows and Doors. These two account for 21% of air loss in the average house (10% and 11% respectively). Some windows are too far gone to do much with other than replace. Until you can do that, cover the window with plastic-your local hardware store will have kits available, but we have just used a good 3mill plastic and it has worked well. If your windows are not in terrible shape, a little caulk and weather stripping goes a long way. Just run an adequate bead of caulk around the areas where the glass connects to the window frame and smooth it out. For the windows, as well as the doors, place an adequate piece of weather stripping where the joints come together. It is a good idea to measure the area that needs to be sealed; too thick of a seal will not allow the window or door to close and lock properly.
4. Fans and Vents. For this area the main culprit is usually the damper and most houses loose an average of 4% here. Check all fans and vents with the incense as mentioned above. These may need to be weather stripped also. If you have a dryer vented to the outside be sure to check it often. Lint from the clothing will sneak past the filter at times and not allow the damper to close properly.
5. Electrical Outlets and Switches. This us usually the least of the worries (only around 2%) and is easily fixed. Most hardware stores will have available small foam inserts that fit directly behind the outlet or switch cover. These are relatively cheap and easy to install.

That is quite a bit to take in during one setting. Our project took us several months to completly finish. We started in one room and got it completed before moving on, but focusing on any one of these areas at a time seems to be the way most people we have talked to prefer to do it.

One great book that has helped a considerable amount of people is Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, 9th Edition: Save Money, Save the Earth. This book is filled with practical advice, most of which will make a huge difference. Many of the projects can be completed in a weekend.

Again we would like to ask for your comments or suggestions, and thank those of you who have replied. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

• 100 Ways in 100 Days-11: Use Ceiling Fans
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-3: Air Dry Clothes
• Save Money on Your Utility Bill Part 3-Heat and Air
• How to Break the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle
• Comparison Shopping
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-13: Fill Your Freezer
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-12: Remove Items in Groups from Refrigerator
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-9: Clean Refridgerator Coils
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-8-Use a Toaster Oven
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-7: Bake Items in “Groups”

This post is all about your freezer. The information that we will provide will work in either an over/under refrigerator, a side by side refrigerator, or a stand alone freezer. We will keep this simple and too the point.

Your freezer will consume less energy if it is full. If you have a full freezer, the items will “freeze” each other. If you are not able to fill it up with food, we have used old water or pop bottles full of water to take up space. Additionally, cool air from your freezer will find its way to your fridge helping it not to work so hard.

A word of caution here though. Try not to be over zealous. The area where your freezer’s cold air comes in needs to be clear, as well as maybe an inch around the sides and top. This will allow proper air flow and avoid damage to your freezer.

Another interesting fact for us is that during a power outage (frequent during snow and severe thunderstorms here), the freezer will keep cool longer if it is full. The main idea to remember is that the less your compressor has to work, the more electricity you will save.

Thanks for reading this article, and for those who are subscribed we are working on a free gift for you. Look for it in the near future. Have a great day!

• 100 Ways in 100 Days-12: Remove Items in Groups from Refrigerator
• Extreme Frugality: Meet the Carters – Gourmet Magazine
• How to Break the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle
• Comparison Shopping
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-14: Seal Air Leaks
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-11: Use Ceiling Fans
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-9: Clean Refridgerator Coils
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-3: Air Dry Clothes
• Get Ready for 100 Days of Saving Money
• Recession? Not Neccessarily a Bad Thing

We are all guilty of haphazardly working in our kitchens, but we could save a little money if we planned a little better. Our article on baking items together is one way that we have discussed thus far. Also, using a toaster oven will reduce energy cost in your kitchen considerably. Now, we are back to our refrigerator, where we cleaned the coils in one of our post.

This time we want to talk about energy loss from opening your door. A interesting test was preformed at energy boomer about the amount of time a refrigerator door is open. Take the following into account:

1. Opening the refrigerator door at all (even just a second) raises the internal temperature by 1 degree.
2. Keeping the door open for 15 seconds raises the temperature by 4 degrees.
3. Lastly, leaving the door open for 30 seconds raises the temperature by 6 degrees.

Now, think about when you are cooking a meal. If you open the door five times during your cooking, you have raise your refrigerator’s internal temperature by at least five degrees. Our money saving tip is to get all you need out at the same time. In most cases this can be accomplished in under 15 seconds, so you set your loss to around four degrees. It helps to have a list of all you will need before you open the door.

Well, another tip down and many more to go. We really thank you for reading. Please leave a comment, or contact us with any questions, suggestions, ideas, or things you would like to see discussed. Have a great day!

• 100 Ways in 100 Days-13: Fill Your Freezer
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-3: Air Dry Clothes
• Extreme Frugality: Meet the Carters – Gourmet Magazine
• How to Break the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle
• Comparison Shopping
• Eliminating Debt in 2009 Part 1 Saving Money
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-14: Seal Air Leaks
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-11: Use Ceiling Fans
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-9: Clean Refridgerator Coils
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-7: Bake Items in “Groups”

Welcome back to our series on saving money. Although no one of our suggested strategies will do all the work, choosing just a few to try will get you great results. Today we are going to look at the benefits and cost associated with ceiling fan usage.

For anyone with central heat and air, no matter the type (electric, gas, propane, geothermal, etc.), one of the biggest expenses is electricity. During the summer and winter a properly installed ceiling fan can save you anywhere from $70-200 in one season.

When purchasing a ceiling fan, it is important to chose one that is reversible. During the summer time, while using your AC (whether it be a central or window unit), a ceiling fan will allow you to keep your thermostat at a higher setting. The fan will evaporate moisture from your skin, making you feel cooler. During this cycle you will want your fan to be pulling the air up. This will allow the cool air (which falls to the lower areas) to be brought up over your skin.

The reverse is true for the winter time. You will want the fan to be pushing the air down (remember, we suggested a reversable fan?) across your skin. Although you will still have somewhat of cooling effect from the air over your skin, the greatest difference will be that the fan brings the hot air (which rises to the ceiling) down to you.

A four foot, 75-watt fan used 10 hours a day at half speed or less would cost $.50 to $.90 a month to operate. This is a drastic difference to the 3,000-watt per hour possible from a central unit. At the above ten hours a day, if you could save your unit one hour of work a month you would break even. The more time you save your central unit from working, well that is money still in the bank at the end of the bills.

As always, we thank you for reading. We welcome any suggestions, comments, or questions that you may have. Just use the contact us page on our site. Have a great and wonderful day!

• 100 Ways in 100 Days-14: Seal Air Leaks
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-3: Air Dry Clothes
• How to Break the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle
• Comparison Shopping
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-13: Fill Your Freezer
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-12: Remove Items in Groups from Refrigerator
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-9: Clean Refridgerator Coils
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-8-Use a Toaster Oven
• 100 Ways in 100 Days-7: Bake Items in “Groups”
• 100 Ways to Save Money in 100 Days-6: Use a Prgrammable Thermostat