www.womensave.org Money Saving Tips, Save Thousands with These Tips Year Round to Have Christmas Cash at the Holidays

#1 Call your state Comptroller.

In Michigan, our Comptroller can be reached at (517) 636-5320 Other states look at the phone number list at www.womensave.org. Ask if your State is holding any unclaimed funds for you. These funds are free to claim. If the State is holding any of your funds, it will usually take between 3 - 4 weeks from the time they receive your completed paperwork until you receive the check in the mail. Comptroller held funds can come from many different resources, such as old rebates, closed bank accounts, stock dividends, unused food stamps that are converted to cash, safety deposit boxes that have expired, tax checks, stimulus payments, home heating credits, credit card balances and many more. Rich or poor, about 1/7th of all Michigan residents have money waiting for them. The amounts can range anywhere from a few dollars to thousands. The average we've found is around $83.00 per person.

#2 Extra Work

See if there are any jobs you can pick up that will not affect your current schedule. For example, do you have a friend who needs a baby sitter before or after school? If you are already at home with your own children, why not make some extra money by watching his/her children at the same time? Your children will have the chance to interact and have fun with other children. If it is on a daily basis, Monday - Friday, you can easily earn $50.00 a week, which amounts to 2400.00 a year or more, to help meet the needs of your own family.

Do you like to exercise? Instead of losing money paying a gym, why not go out and earn some money while exercising? You can rake yards, mow lawns, shovel snow or even cleaning houses. Not only will you be earning some extra money, but you will also be getting a great workout in the meantime!

#3 Ask for what you're worth.

When starting a new job, most companies will ask you what you'd like to be paid. Do not undercut yourself. If you feel you are worth more than average, ask for it. Pay is usually negotiable. At Walmart, for example, I have been told that some people are earning $10.00 / hr instead of $7.00 / hr simply because they asked for it. There is never a guarantee that this will work, and most likely you will not get the top dollar you ask for, any extra you may get will help! $2.00 / hour more equals upwards of $4000.00 per year, and I don't know too many people who couldn't use the extra money! It could even amount to a nice vacation you and your children have been wanting to go on.

#4 Eat appropriately.

Use menus that show you how to shop and feed your family frugally. $50.00 a week is possible if you plan ahead, rather than spending $100.00 a week or more. This will help you meet other needs you may have such as electric or heating bills, car payments, rent and more.

Drink a lot of water instead of expensive sodas and try and stay away from other expensive drinks like alcohol. Water is not only much cheaper, but it better for your teeth, your body and your wallet! Limit eating out to special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. It makes going out to eat more exciting and special if it's not an every day occurences.

#5 Look for activity scholarships.

Scholarships are generally available to low income households. These can be for a number of different things such as swimming, preschool, soccer, basketball and more. For example, the Midland, Michigan community center will provide low cost activities to low income families. They offer swimming, rock climbing, sports, classes and more at up to 80% off the normal price. This can save you thousands of dollars over the years and provide not only you, but your children as well, some much appreciated fun time.

#6 School Scholarships

If you are in school, get as many scholarships as possible. Any funds you get will help pay for your education. Any left over funds are given to you once a year in the form of a check. Spending about 25 hours applying for and providing your reference letters to scholarships will offset the cost of your school and save you many hours of work trying to keep up with your payments.

#7 Ask for untraditional gifts

My favorite presents are date nut bread from my step-mother and sugar cookies from her mom at christmas time. By asking for these types of gifts, you alleviate some of the financial strain on others during the holidays, and usually they won't expect a high priced gift in return. If they are willing to spend their money on a pricey gift for you and ask you what you would like, ask for things such as gift certificates to grocery stores, gas cards, a payment to your electric company...etc. These will go much further than some sweater or coat hanging in your closet that you really didn't need anyhow.

#8 Thrift Shops

If you are in the market for a new outfit(s), consider purchasing them at thrift shops such as the Salvation Army, Good will or others. You can find great deals, sometimes even new clothes with the tags still on them.

#9 Put your money to work for you.

If you find something for a reasonable price, like an expensive name brand coat or outfit, or unopened toys at rummage sales or thrift shops, consider selling them on ebay to help offset some of your bills.

#10 Bank accounts

Get a good bank account. There is no reason why you should have to spend your hard earned money on bank fees. Many banks have accounts that provide you ATM fee reimbursement, free checking and savings accounts and more. In the long run, these fees can add up to a hefty saving! Etrade is a great choice and offers accounts that are free, pay you interest and pay you back any and all ATM fees. They are also convenient as they're an online bank.

#11 Do your own taxes

Do your own taxes online. You can do your taxes some places on line for free, or for a very small fee, compared to going to H&R block or other companies and paying upwards of $400.00 or more in some cases.

#12 Don't buy it!

If you don't truly need something, don't buy it. If your child already has a room full of stuffed animals, the next time you see one, pass it over and instead put the money into a savings account in his or her name, saving towards the future. If you read several newspapers or magazines, consider going to your local library an reading them there, or getting them from a friend when they're done with them. If you have a nice wardrobe, hold off on that next big purchase. You can mend your clothes if needed.

#13 Use what you have.

If you get WIC, use the items you get through WIC to make meals instead of just snacking on them. For example, adding a box of noodles, you can make a fun and tasty meal just by slicing mozzarella cheese over the cooked noodles. If you purchase your own food, use what is in your pantry instead of buying new items. Don't make excessive meals. If you make more than what you need, you will have leftovers. Many people tend to overlook leftovers and they tend to get tossed out when they're re-discovered weeks later. If you can cut back on the size of your meals, you'll cut back on cost and waste, which again, will add up to some hefty savings at the end of the year.

#14 Share Tips!

Join message forums, coupon swapping groups online and talk to people you know! Knowledge is power. The more ideas and coupons you swap, the more you save.

#15 Get free samples

#16 Charity Begins at home

Before giving thousands to charity, consider helping those in your family such as your children, parents...etc. Give a reasonable amount to a unique charity that is close to your heart, or save some money and simply donate your time to a local charity or event.

#17 Use Freecycle!

Wether you're rich or poor, FreeCycle (www.freecycle.org) is for you! You can give away items you no longer need, regardless of their condition, as well as ask for items you may need yourself. Cashmere winter jackets, parrots, horses and buggies, you name it, it's been given away and picked up through our local freecycle this past year. It is definitely worth checking out. You will get notices through your email when someone has something to offer or is looking for something specific.

#18 Turn it off

If your not using it, turn it off. This applies to many different areas in your home. Consider this, if you turn off your computer when it's not in use (including the monitor, printers, speakers...etc), you will save over $100.00 a year in electricity! Lightbulbs may not seem to use much electricity, but turning off all the lights in rooms you aren't using adds up fast when it comes to your electric bill. Even if money isn't a big issue for you, think about it this way, less electric usage = less pollution being created.

#19 Take advantage of special deals!

If you are a smoker, be sure to ask at the gas stations if they have any buy one, get one free deals. Many times, they are not put in spots that are readily noticeable. If you are ever making a purchase online (airlines, shopping...etc) ALWAYS use goggle and search for a promotion code BEFORE you make the purchase. You would be amazed at the number of companies that offer special deals for online customers.

#20 Preserve your food.

There is nothing quite as annoying as food going bad. There are a number of ways you can prevent this.

*Get a chest freezer - If you can find a small, inexpensive chest freezer, consider purchasing it. You will save enough money on food not wasting to cover the cost. Chest freezers are more reliable than refrigerator freezers and will keep food much colder thereby preserving it better. Also, having a chest freezer allows you to purchase extra meat while it is on sale at the grocery store.

* Vacuum bags - No, not for your hoover. Another great investment is a vacuum sealer/bags. When you purchase bulk meats, separating the meat into "usable" portions before freezing will allow you get out only what you need when you need it without having to thaw out the entire amount of meat at once. My family prefers to separate chicken breasts 1 per bag, hamburger 1/2 or 1 pound per bag and other meats as seems appropriate. Also, vacuum sealing food is one of the best methods to prevent food waste due to freezer burn and/or rot.

*Canning - If you or someone in your family knows how to can foods, this can be a great method to preserving a lot of food at once. My Aunt preserves many different types of foods from meats to veggies and has them stored in a cool spot in her basement. When needed, she can go downstairs and grab food that has been sitting there for many, many months. If you need canning supplies, consider freecycle as mentioned above. You can usually find someone who has more supplies than they need or no longer want.

We wish you and your family the best of luck. These are troubling times and everyone is feeling the crunch. If you use even one of our tips above and it helps you save a little of your hard earned money, our job has been done! Please feel free to click on the "forums" link on any of our menus and share your tips or tell us your success stories you may have. We would love any feedback you may have!

Sincerely,
The Womensave.org team