How to Save Money With a Budget and Curb Household Expenses

Dollars accumulate once you know you determine where your money is going.

Some people are surprised at how quickly their paychecks disappear.  Yet, the same people are often too free with their spending due simply to bad habits that they fail to notice the growing financial pit they are digging for themselves. Therefore, it is always a good idea to draw up a budget and examine exactly where your money is going each month.  

A Budget is a Value Tool to Understand Your Spending

The easiest way to start saving is by understanding where your money is going by creating a monthly budget.  The first priority is basic household living expense.  Write down items such as food, clothing, shelter, utilities, transportation, grooming, clothes, and medical expenses.  Next, jot down the extras like how much goes for entertainment, dining out, gifts, vacations, etc.  

Now all that you have to do is write down your monthly take home pay at the top of your page.  Add additional expenses to your list such as tuition, pet expenses, funerals, etc. Remember, you always need to save a little for a rainy day because the unexpected does happen like broken toilet, the car breaks down, gas leaks, water breaks, etc. that can sneak up on you.

Monthly Income

1.  Food
2.  Shelter (Mortgage Payment or Rent)
3.  Medical Expenses
4.  Utilities
5.  Transportation
6.  Grooming
7.  Clothes
8.  Entertainment
9.  Vacations
10. Dining Out
11. Gifts
12. Credit Card Payments
13. Savings


After you determine your actual expenses for the month, you will see how much money you have left.  Is there anything in those expenses that can be curbed down?

One simple way is packing a lunch for work instead of buying one.  When you subtract around $7.00 a day during a five-day work week, you can return $35.00 more back to your budget.  Stopping at Starbucks for coffee may be delicious and convenient.  Instead, try brewing coffee at home or using the coffee maker at work.  Eliminating the daily coffee stop can add another $25.00 more to the budget. Bottled water is another extra expense.  Take an empty water bottle to work and fill it up there will save you more money.  

How many times do you dine out each week?  Try going less will save you even more money in your monthly budget.  

Some Common Ways to Curb Costs at Home

The kitchen is a good place to begin.  Do you use paper towels?  Some brands are so thin and weak that you waste more money trying to clean up from one job than others that may cost more.  For instance, you can by a 12-pack of Bounty Paper Towels for $17.47 at Walmart, which is about $1.45 a roll.  On an average, most of us use at least a roll or two a week. A monthly cost of $5.80 for using one roll per week doesn’t sound like much, but using two rolls a week is $11.60.  Yet, the approximate cost of using those paper towels for the year is $69.60 (one roll) to $139.20 (two rolls) for the year, which is more significant.

Though disposal dish cloths may save you laundry, I use reusable microfiber towels that I can throw in the washing machine. The cost of laundry detergent is minimal. This saves you money besides shelf space.

Cable television is another expense that you may want to give a second thought. First of all, do you really sit down to watch those programs and how many of those are there?  I know people that have cable television just because it was a package deal with their internet service or they couldn’t pick up any television programming in their vicinity without it. They didn’t necessarily sign up because of the programs.  

This does not mean that you should deny yourself what you see on cable television.  It just means that you can save seeing those programs maybe a bit later by checking your library.  Libraries are a wonderful source of borrowing the latest movies and television series.  I don’t have cable and watch the latest cable series and movies without the interruption of commercials from my local library.  I recommend looking into your library and if they don’t have what you want to see, they often have a suggestion form or box to recommend a book, movies, DVD, etc.   If you see the same programming just not immediately, think of all the money that you would save eliminating that expense of your cable bill.

I have a friend that has one internet service for the wife and husband, but a separate internet service for their daughter because she didn’t care for the service.  This was a rather extravagant and an extra drain of money.  One provider for that internet service would be enough and save them money.

Dry-cleaning expenses also can be reduced.  Did you know that there are bulk dry cleaners where they charge a certain amount by the pound?  Check your local area because this is much cheaper than a visit to a typical dry-cleaner.  

Speaking of dry cleaning, you can launder some labels that you may think only being dry-cleaned.  Usually, “dry-clean” on the label can be interpreted as it is best to dry clean, but the item still can be laundered without damage.   However, “dry-clean-only” means the item needs a professional cleaning or will be damaged or shrink.  

Look at Your Motivation for Spending

When glancing over your monthly budget, notice the gifts category.  Perhaps, you work late and don’t spend as much time with your children as you would like.  If so, maybe you buy them extra little gifts basically every time you go shopping out of guilt.  Then again, maybe you feel buying someone a more expensive gift than that person gave you will help win them over personally, professionally, etc.  Ask yourself the real reason and if it was called for before possibility downsizing or eliminating some of that buying in this category.

I have endless ways to save money.  These are just a few ideas.  How do you save money?  Tell me what you do because I would love to know.

How to Go Green and Save Money and the Planet

You may want to rethink old habits in your quest to go green.

Perhaps, you have always wanted to make a difference in helping conserve natural resources.  At the same time, you might not know the best ways to get started helping the environment so it can suit your lifestyle.  However, when each of us makes a few small changes to reduce our impact on the planet, then those efforts are multiplied to bring real change.  Let me share small ways that can help inspire you.

Start to Examine What Is Important to You

The easiest introduction to going green is by asking what you really need before buying another item or returning things to your closet.

Ask yourself how much you value those unnecessary items and their holds over you?  Is the item something that you love so much that you must buy or keep it or suffer if you don't?  On the other hand, if the item is just something that you want to buy because it’s on sale and not necessarily one to steal your heart, then you might want to skip that purchase or recycle it.  

For example, maybe you bought an expensive top for a ridiculously low fraction of its original price that also happens to be a sickly shade of pale yellow with polka dots.  This color washes your face out while the cut and quality of this top are wonderful, but you don’t have many other pieces to coordinate this top with.  Instead, it keeps hanging in the back of your closet time after time, unworn.  The truth is you couldn’t help yourself from snagging such a tremendous bargain.   Judging by the marked down price tag of how much money you saved does not mean you are ahead if that top is too mismatched for the other pieces in your wardrobe.  In all honesty, the top that you don’t seem to wear is more a trophy for your bargain shopping expertise than a helpful addition to your closet.

Before Buying Try to Recall How Many of the Same Do You Have Already

I don’t know about you, but I do have a tendency to be drawn to similar styles and colors of clothes or makeup.  The cut of a pair of pants could be slightly fuller or slimmer, but I tell myself that one makes my waist smaller or gives me a better behind from the fit.  In reality though, I don’t need five or six pairs of black pants at the same time.  I am not even counting your fat pants, skinny pants or the ones in your current size. 

Does the Item Save You Work or Is It Overcrowding Your Closet?

Too many of the same items like my excess number of black pants is far from ideal.  Having more of the same pieces restricts closet space and can overcrowd your other outfits, contributing to wrinkling and more work for you to later steam or iron them.  However, trying those pants on again and forcing myself to study my reflection in a full-length mirror to compare the best fit simplifies hunting through a stuffed closet and settling on the right black pair.

Another Way to Start Going Green Is Considering Condition

How many of us keep things around the house that may need a repair?  I have a sewing pile for rips, lost buttons and broken zippers.  A tiny rip to stitch up or hem something or replace buttons are one thing, but repairing a broken zipper that ran out off its track is more complicated.  The truth is my broken zipper pile usually never goes down because I avoid fixing them because of how much work.  I could have saved myself the trouble and just ditched the broken zippered items in the first place and never have missed them.

Have You Researched the Item and Compared Prices?

It is easy to walk into any store or to browse online and find something that seems perfect and made to your exact specifications.  Yet, you didn’t read the care instructions and how needy this piece like a leather coat would be to upkeep.  It didn’t make you feel any better when you forgot to do comparison shopping and assumed this was the average going price.

In summary, these are only a few examples of how you can save money, organize, recycle and do a small part to go green by thinking before purchasing.  

What do you do to go green?  

How to Avoid Rebate Problems

Read all the fine print of the offer is one way to avoid a rebate problem.

Who doesn’t love rebates?  After all, saving some extra money on something that you plan to buy is a bonus.  It also is a great incentive to sweeten the deal for those that may be considering other brands of the same merchandise.  Though as wonderful as they are, there are times rebates may not go through for one reason or another.  Therefore, here are some tips to help better your chances of getting that rebate check.

The Devil is in the Details When It Comes to Rebate Forms

Before you rush into the purchase make sure to read the entire rebate form for what the company is asking to quality for the rebate. Offers may have a line in tiny print that the rebate applies only to one special model.  Some manufacturers like to clear their old inventory through rebates and specify the model and year in the form. You, on the other hand, may fail to notice that the one that you are picking up is the latest model, which is ineligible for the offer.

Keep Track of How Long the Rebate Offer is Valid 

Be sure to check how much time that you have to complete sending in your rebate.  As soon as you make the purchase, start getting your receipt and proof of purchase together for mailing.  Though you may have time available before the rebate may expire, you also can forget about it when left undone.  You have to fill the form out and send in what the company is requiring so why procrastinate and possibly miss the rebate deadline?  

Missing Required Proofs of Purchase

Rebate offers often do demand several forms of proof to quality.  The company might ask for the sales receipt with a specific date, a product code, the rebate form, etc.  If you miss just one of the requirements that the company is asking for regarding that rebate, you risk not receiving it.  All demands of the rebate as stated by the company in the form are required for proper submission.

Also, make a copy of your receipt and proofs-of-purchase for your own safety in case the rebate fails to arrive.

Note Your Submission Date and When to Expect the Rebate on Your Calendar

The rebate form should have a date when to expect your check.  Before mailing in the rebate, write the date of your submission and when the company suggests to expect that rebate on a calendar.  It is helpful to avoid any confusion putting these dates on a separate calendar just for this purpose instead of one that might contain medical appointments, scheduled car maintenance dates, church meetings, birthday reminders, etc.  

A rebate can take anywhere from 30 days after purchase but up to 12 weeks.  If you don’t receive your refund within that timeframe, contact the company to find out what happened to your refund.  Companies usually will want to resolve any problems, but you may have so send in further proof or need to contact the Better Business Bureau if all else keeps failing.

Be persistent and keep track of all communications with the company regarding the issue. Make note of all confirmation numbers regarding the matter as well.   I also like to jot down the name of the customer service representative that I spoke with.  This may not be necessary, but I do it as an extra safety measure.  

Taking advantage of a rebate gives you the opportunity to try a new product that you may or may not have purchased.  Furthermore, rebates can help your budget by allowing you to keep more of your money.  Rebating also gives you, as the buyer, a sense of accomplishment of finding a tremendous deal as a wise shopper. 

Don’t Be Pushed Around by the Phone and Cable Companies When You Can Negotiate!

Don't pay more than you have to for telecom services.

Did you get a new bill from the cable or phone company that’s suddenly higher?  Well this is the game that business plays anymore.  They think we will blindly accept whatever price our new bill might be.

I just went through this.  I go through it every year.  Can’t they make our lives easier and just set a price and say here’s what you have to pay for your current plan?  In Europe you actually get faster internet at much cheaper rates.  They had gigabit internet years before Google Fiber too.  

When you call the company and they can’t give you a better deal you have to tell them you are ready to walk away from their ‘deal’.  They assume that customers like to haggle and find pricing phone, cable and internet service in annual ‘promotional’ rates as an incentive to get us to buy extra services that we don’t want. Instead, what you need to do is ask for a  “retention specialist” or the “customer solutions department.” 

Ask specifically for that type of person whose job is to keep you as a customer. Shop around with real deals from their competitors and have facts ready on hand  to share with them. You should be prepared to leave the company, but you also may negotiate a lower price.  

It’s unfortunate that they put us through this.  But they all do it to us!  

I called and managed to get them to keep me as a customer.  It just took raising my blood pressure a bit, not being rude, I just stood my ground.  Perhaps, if we all did then the phone and cable companies would get tired of playing this game.  After all, competition is a two-way street.

Back-to-School Shopping Made Easy to Save You Time, Money, and Frustration!

*This is a sponsored, compensated post written by me on behalf on Find&Save. However, all thoughts expressed are strictly my own.*

Find & Save

Yes, time is running out until school will begin again.  These last few weeks of August can be stressful when shopping for back-to-school.  After all, you have a spending limit to consider, circulars and newspaper advertisements to scan when looking for great deals, let alone time and fuel traveling store to store before that exhausting process is over. 

Back-to-School Shopping

What if I told you that I found a better solution for preplanning everything on your shopping list  for the best deals in your area?  I'm talking about a great online shopping resource called Find&Save that will do all the hard work for you.

With Find&Save at your disposal, you save time with all that needed sales information for where you live in one place without leaving home.   You will save gas, free up more of your valuable day, and be able to get more organization to your shopping madness.  

To get started, you go to Find&Save and search for your state.  This will enable you to narrow it down and choose your city location.  Once you make that selection, you are taken to the right page for you.  Think of Find&Save as your own personal shopper because upon your arrival you find all the circulars for the stores in your area just waiting to be browsed. 

Just a few examples of typical stores listed on Find&Save are the ones you shop.  They include Kohl's, Walmart, Nordstrom, Walgreen's, Sears, Macy's, Target, K-Mart, CVS Pharmacy, and so many more. 

Imagine how easy your search will be with categories like Brands, Community Picks, and Local Ads at the top of the page to narrow that hunting down to a minimum. 

Keep in mind that sales change each week.  No slowing you down because with Find&Save, you can check out prices first and map out a route to make your purchases.
 
This current week I found 17-cents for notebooks and 10 Paper Mate Write Bros. Stick Pens at Walmart.   I did find  I could save 7-cents more at Target on a 10-ct package, but it would be another stop and further out of my way, which rules that out.

We also need to get shoes for a little boy.  I found a New Balance 574 Suede Boys' Preschool pair of black athletic shoes for $47.99 that got this picky one's approval or a pair of Timberland Gt. Scramble Mid Suede shoes for $54.99 that also might satisfy him at Kid's Foot Locker.  He mentioned a few other styles he also liked so this was definitely jotted down on my shopping list to visit. 

A new combination lock was also in order.  At True Value Hardware, I located a Master Lock 1-7/8 Inch Stainless Steel Combination Lock for just $4.29.

There are few other items that we also have to pick up so I refuse boring you, but you will find Find&Save an indispensable tool when it comes to shopping.  In fact, I also plugged in the grocery stores and checked out the specials while I was at it.  After I make my list of items including groceries with the necessary store stops, I can plan an appropriate route without running all over the place. 
 
The average household is expected to spend less than $400 on only needed items for back-to-school shopping this year.  However, Find&Save is the strategy that you need to get more bang for your back-to-school shopping buck.  With their expertise, you can stretch your dollars further and keep more time for yourself.

Our children are special and deserve to go back to school with all the confidence possible!  

*Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored, compensated post written by me on behalf of Find&Save.  However, all thoughts expressed are strictly my own.*

Free Tax Filing Software!

Want to use tax software from H & R Block or Turbotax for free?  And these are not your only choices of FREE programs.  Depending on your income or age, there are many free programs you can use through the IRS's Free File program. 

This program allows qualified users with an adjusted gross income of $57,000 or less to use commercial software products to file taxes online OR print out their tax return and mail it in.  The income and other qualifications vary for each free file provider.

 

And the IRS also offers e-file with fill-able forms that are available to almost EVERYONE.  Now, of course, there are some instances where you can't submit a return electronically.  But for most of us this is a great and FREE option.

Use this link to find the best free file company for you.

 

And some lucky folks can EVEN use these programs to do their state income taxes as well for FREE too!

How to Stretch Your Food Dollars!

You need a shopping strategy if you intend to save money.

Anymore you need a strategy before doing grocery shopping if you plan to stay within your budget.  Otherwise, you could easily overspend more than you allocated for food without knowing it.  However, you can do a few simple things to help cut your grocery bill to save more money.

Take Advantage of Coupons

To start, you should take advantage of using coupons.  Clipping the items that you use from the Sunday newspaper is a great way to begin. 

Another wonderful way to get coupons is online from sites such as coupons.com or smartsource.com where you can print them out at home to take with you to the store.  The only pitfall about using online coupons is that not all grocery stores accept them.  You need to check  stores as to their policies regarding online coupons individually in your own area.

Organize a coupon swap with your friends is also helpful.  For instance, your family may like one particular butter that several of your friends may hate.  Nonetheless, you can trade for something like dog food coupons because you do not have a dog, etc.

The next time you visit your local library, you can suggest a coupon box would be a wonderful service for your community.  Get a clean shoe box and donate all the unexpired coupons you want to share with others.  Glue a sign such as Free Coupon Exchange--Add and Replace to the box to encourage others to get involved.

It is always a good idea to check your refrigerator and pantry to see what you need before hitting the grocery store.  I like to make a list first.  This way you won't duplicate buying extra that may spoil if it's a perishable.

Benefit From Weekly Store Sales 

Your favorite grocery store is having a sale.  Before you put those 10 pasta sauces in your shopping cart that is on sale for $10 or $1.00 each  find out if you must buy all 10 first.  Often, you can buy a few of what you need for $1.00 each instead.

Some stores will double, triple or use both a manufacturer's coupon along with their own store coupon for excellent savings.  You need to find out how the stores in your area work this type of coupon policy also.

If at all possible, do try to leave your young children with a relative when you have to visit the grocery store.  Children are too easily tempted by bright boxes of pre-sweetened cereals with prizes and other less than nutritious items, which are overly expensive.

Control Impulse Buying and Shop From Your Grocery List

When you come armed with a grocery list, you can be more organized as to what goes in your cart.  Learn the aisles of your store and walk only down the ones with items from your list.  Train yourself to only be looking for things you wrote on your list--nothing more.

Watch for specially marked boxes for added savings.  Look for something like in this box you get 25-percent more of the dog food for the same price for instance or an attached sample.

How to Get a Shopping Edge Once Inside the Store

Turning to generic line of products is cheaper and often just as flavorful or better in some cases than the name brands.

Do check the endcaps at the store.  Often, this is where the store keeps their special purchases or sale products. 

Finally, do compare sizes of products for the unit price.  Buying the largest size is often not the most economical way to go when you compare.

Save Money on Back-to-School Clothes With a Swapping Party

Tag and label your items to swap.

Everything seems to keep getting higher in price with no end in sight.  However, I have a fantastic idea to help stretch your back-to-school clothing budget while you have fun at the same time.  What I'm talking about is organizing a clothing swap party with friends that have children.

We all know how quickly children outgrow clothes.  Often, clothes are hardly worn, which make a friendly get-together to trade outfits a great way to save money.  At the same time, you can catch up with friends over coffee and one of my pie recipes, perhaps, and turn this recycling into a great time. 

The best bet is to invite the friends with children that happen to be around the same age, sex, and body build to assure there is suitable merchandise to trade.   Just remember, the more friends that you invite, the better the selection will be available.  You can even include books or toys as part of the exchange.

Mornings probably are the ideal time to schedule your swap party or evenings.  I prefer mornings because you can finish before dinner needs to be made and the entire family reports home.

Think of this, even if you get one or two beautiful items that fit your child and are wearable, you will come out ahead.  Your only other option is to donate those outgrown clothes.  Though I applaud you, many of us are forced in this tight economy to stretch every dollar as far as possible, making this suggestion worth consideration. 

How to Clean Your House and Make Some Money at Home!

You can make some quick money and get rid of clutter at home!

Earlier on I suggested saving up your unwanted items in a few plastic tubs to sell at your local flea market.  However, there is another method you can do to cash in and clean  without leaving your house--hold a garage or yard sale.  Better still, get your neighbors involved to hold a street sale, which draws bargain hunters like bees to honey!

Fall and Spring Are the Best Time to Sell

Now is the perfect time as well as early fall to sell.   People have been cooped up in their homes all winter and are anxious to get out and spend money on things they need.  Usually Saturdays around 7:OO A.M. are a good time to plan for.  Some people like to hold their sales on Friday and run into Saturday.  Cars will arrive earlier.  Either post your firmness when you'll start selling items in your advertisement or a sign in your yard because early bird customers will begin knocking when you're still in your pajamas.

A Street Sale Draws More Customers Than a Single Garage Sale and Reduces Advertising Cost

Advertising in your local paper will come out of your profits.  The better way to go is taking advantage of a group of neighbors holding one block sale at the same time and then dividing up the cost of the ad.  Another method is placing a free advertisement on Craigslist.org.

Organization Is Key to the Success of Your Sale

Once you have a date set, you need to gather up the merchandise and organize.  If you're selling from your garage, it's important to hide any valuable tools or such somewhere else on the day of this sale.  Unfortunately, customers do steal.  Even if you have help, you can't watch everything.

For the best presentation, I like to group items by categories.  For instance, keep a table for glassware, books together arranged neatly on another, clothes for children on one, toys grouped together, adult clothes, etc. (sized). 

If you run out of tables, you can improvise.  Before your sale date, you need to stock up on some heavy duty cardboard boxes.  Grocery stores have lots of big boxes they need to get rid off, which make great tables for light items once covered with a tablecloth or some pretty material.  Just remember, people buy more items at eye level that are neatly arranged compared to bending and digging through a disorganized box on the ground. 

Understand Pricing 

Pricing is important.  Shoot for items in the same price range and keep them together. One dollar, two dollars, etc. is easier than dealing with having enough change.  

If you really want to get rid of that item, you need to sell it cheap!  Offer a bag of kid's clothes with a genre and size for a few dollars, or a bag of paperbacks you're just finished, or whatever else you need to get out of your place in a box or bag for a certain price.  The lower you mark that box, the better odds that it will be carried off.  At the end of that selling day, you will have it gone and be paid something instead of it just sitting there in your road and collecting dust!

Have Plenty of Coins and Bills to Make Change and Someone to Help 

Sometimes, customers do come in batches.  You could be occupied talking with one or giving change after a sale when a crowd suddenly arrives.  Your eyes can't be everywhere.  Therefore, I suggest wearing a fanny pack or have someone guard your money box because some people do steal either money or a valuable item when they get a chance.  

How to Simplify Your Gardening

In the winter, I start saving my food containers and recycle them to start growing my seeds indoors.  Yogurt, cottage cheese, or mushroom containers are free planters and work nicely to get those delicate seeds a healthy start by the time they're ready to weather outdoors.

If you have flowerpots and want to prevent any mess, you might try adding a coffee filter to the bottom of the pot before adding your soil. 

Go to your grocery store and head to the bakery department.  Chances are if you ask them for a bucket that came with icing or filling they will give you one for free.  These cleaned buckets can store your potting soil indoors before you start planting.

Any time you work with soil and want to save yourself a lot of aggravation in cleaning your fingernails, I have a suggestion.  Get a bar of soap and scrape your fingernails against it.  This soap barrier will help save you that ugly brown dirt look on your fingernails that never seems to completely wash clean regardless of how hard or long you scrub.  I like to do this soap trick even when wearing gardening gloves for any dirt that escapes inside and attacks my fingertips.

I found that if you paint your gardening tools bright colors or even buy tools that are an eye-popping shade of red or yellow, then those you drop will be easier to find.  Those dark colors are often harder to spot.

Here's something helpful to remember before you attach your gardening hose to the spigot.  Rub the end of the hose with petroleum jelly first as well as adding some around the spigot itself first before screwing it on.  This simple precaution will help the hose screw on and off with relative ease. 

Before you use your pruning shears again, you may want to try this tip to clean them for better cutting action.  Save an old toothbrush and dip it in some kerosense outdoors to rub against the blades of your old pruning shears.  Afterwards, wipe the blades clean with a rag and then apply a light lubricating oil such as WD40.

These are just some shortcuts to save you time and money while gardening.  I hope you find them helpful.

Flea Market Finds: Need a Great Gadget at a Cool Price?

In an earlier post, I told you about how much fun and money you can save visiting your local flea market, swap meet  or garage sale and promised to share my finds with you from time to time. 

You can find many useful things for a fraction of the price.

For me, a treasure does not necessarily have to be a valuable piece of jewelry or some exotic antique.  Though those things are beautiful, indeed,  I search for items I need or want to try  first before spending too much in a store for something I may hate.

Today I thought I would show you the wonderful little gadget I picked up this past summer at a flea market.  Those into baking will probably recognize this plastic gizmo as a bread slicer. 

What I really love about this simple piece of plastic is how uniform your homemade bread slices can be when you insert a loaf and use your electric knife to cut.   You can control how thick or thin to get those slices, which is hard to do when slicing by hand. 

Slicing thin is especially helpful for watching how much of that delicious homemade bread you eat.  After all, homemade bread is so much tastier than that commercial bagged stuff that tastes like sponge.  I guess you can call me spoiled in that respect.

Another marvelous thing about using a bread slicer comes to making big, thick slices for homemade French Toast. 

For $1.00, I think I found a real bargain.  If you ever see one, I highly recommend grabbing it for yourself because it's a fantastic kitchen helper. 

How to Shop for Treasures at the Flea Market

You can find practically anything like my hard-working $3.00 toaster oven.

Some people wouldn't waste their time going to a flea market, swap meet, or garage sale.  They assume that everything is just "junk."  Ha!  The truth is you need to come and shop early or you'll miss that great bargain and end up with the same wrong opinion.

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

I just love hunting for treasures.  As I walk through a crowded flea market and browse tables filled with merchandise, I found some incredible deals, which I'm going to share with you from time to time in this special column.

If you're starting out a home, then you should definitely consider visiting a flea market or some garage sales because you can basically get everything you need to furnish a place cheap. 

Let me show you one of the things I picked up over the summer.  This is not a valuable antique, but it was something I needed since my built-in oven died.  I had needed to buy a toaster oven big enough to bake in, but I happened to stumble on this Hamilton Beach model at the flea market instead.  I never tried baking in any toaster oven until this fantastic $3.00 purchase! 

As you can see from the photograph, this is the same oven that I made my recipes in.  This is continuing to be my only oven until my kitchen is remolded and I'm rid of those 51-year-old built in appliances, which is a nightmare when it comes to replacing.  

My flea market find is larger than the small toaster ovens.  I can fit two bread loaf pans inside or the size of a small sheet cake pan like I shown you in my recipes.  This size is wonderful and I still bake just not the same amounts as I did with my old oven with big cookie sheets.  But for $3.00 I am happily baking and testing out a product I never used before, but I would buy again.  Shopping at the flea market, I got to test it out first before wasting about $100 for a toaster oven I may have hated.

Be Prepared to Walk Away If You Plan to Negotiate

For the record, I didn't even have to negotiate a price.  The seller just wanted to get rid of the oven.  To her, the $3.00 was better in her pocket than sitting around in her basement.

Another plus I learned from using this toaster oven was savings on my electric bill.  With such a good deal like this one, you would be nuts about visiting the flea market for your next bargain too!

Need a Cheap Leather Conditioner?

You can condition all leathers except the buttery soft variety what you learn here.

Take a tiny bit of petroleum jelly on a soft cloth and rub on your clean leather shoes that you were about to polish.  Do not use this method on suede.  Allow the petroleum jelly to soak in a bit before wiping away with another clean cloth.  Once you try this thrifty tip, you'll be just as nuts about how it works to condition leather as I am.

Petroleum jelly also works well on a leather purse except not on any of the super-soft leathers of expensive bags.  Thicker handbag leather, more on the order of shoe leather that takes to shine, will work.  Conditioning with petroleum jelly can save an aged bag from cracking. Those buttery soft leathers should be treated more carefully though with recommended leather cleaners.

If you follow this simple tip, you will be surprised at how supple your older bag or shoes will be again.   You'll save your cherished older bag from getting those fine cracks in the leather. You may even skip the shoe polish for a while longer! 

How to Get Rid of Clutter and Make Quick Cash

Cleaning your clutter can be profitable.

If you don't know what to do with all those toys the kids don't play with anymore, clothes they outgrew, books you've read, or simply anything in your house that you're tired of--then I have a suggestion.  Plan for a future selling day at your local flea market. 

Decide What You Don't Need and Prep Your Items

Buy several of those plastic tubs with lids and start now.  Once you find something needing to be rid of, price it, and then put it in your tub.  By the time the warm weather rolls around, you'll have those tubs filled and ready to go.

Make sure everything that you stick in your tubs are in good condition.  Clean toys bring more money than ones parked in the garage with grime or dusty books.  Don't expect ripped or spotted clothes and games that are missing pieces to sell. 

Maybe you are without card tables for displaying your merchandise.  No problem!  An old blanket, shower curtain, or spread works well on the ground.  Another solution is displaying your things from your container or boxes.  Customers love to root through boxes, hoping to get  treasures first.

Take Someone With You to Help Setup and Deal With Sales

Encourage your husband and children to join you for a nice family outing.  Kids can learn the value of a dollar selling along Mom and Dad and responsibility as a part of the team.  Allow them to help bag or watch your items.  Reward them with a set amount to search for their own treasure, perhaps, with you or Dad later.  

Your husband may not be able to come.  Take along a friend with you on selling day--and return the favor to help her de-clutter.  A second pair of eyes is helpful to watch your items  when you need a bathroom break.  

A Fanny Pack and Packing Your Own Lunch Is Helpful and a Conversation Starter 

Make sure you wear a fanny pack with enough change to catch that sale.  People usually go to the banking machine and return with twenties for you.  Have a few bundles of change: a ten-dollar bill, five-dollar and five one-dollar bills ready.  

I recommend packing your own lunch the night before.  Make a thermos of coffee or take soda.  Throw in a large straw hat and wear sunscreen.  By all means, bring plenty of plastic bags for all the items you'll sell!

Don't get me wrong.  You won't come home a millionaire.  However, you will come home with some extra money you didn't have before, probably a nice "perk" of something you never expected to find like an out-of-print book you wanted to read for so long but missed or maybe a collectible vase for that vacant spot on your mantel.  The possibilities are endless and you'll have fun!