Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Saving

5 Must Follow Home Energy Savings Tips for Summer

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Everyone can take a few key steps to lower the amount of energy they use in their home. While you are reducing your carbon footprint, you will also be reducing your monthly utility bills.  Check out these five home energy savings tips for summer that are a win-win for everyone.

Replace those old air filters!

It may seem like a no-brainer, but many people overlook the main air filter on their air conditioner.  When the air filter is dirty, the unit has to work much harder to push the air through the dust and dirt.  Unfortunately, air filters are not quite as cheap as weather stripping.  If you want to avoid this cost, simply clean the filter regularly yourself.  It is recommended that this be done every three to four months to keep it from getting to the point of no return.  A good way to remember is to perform the routine cleaning on the first day of each season. [Read more…] about 5 Must Follow Home Energy Savings Tips for Summer

8 Road Trip Money Saving Tips

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I like a good staycation as much as the next person, but sometimes what I really want is a good, old-fashioned road trip.

Getting out on the open road, heading for adventure, is one of my favorite ways to travel.  I rarely get tired of seeing new places and things.  However, a road trip can get expensive.  With planning, though, you can save some money on your next road trip.

Here are 8 road trip money saving tips to help you get the most for your road trip dollar:

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Try a No Spend Month: Your Wallet Will Thank You

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Do you find your expenses creeping up month after month? Do you use cash but don’t know where all of the money goes at the end of the week?  Do you feel you have gotten a bit lax with personal finance?  If so, you may want to try to have a no spend month.

During a no spend month, you limit yourself to only a certain amount you can spend on variable expenses.  My family has had two no spend months, and each time we allowed ourselves to spend no more than $500 on variable expenses including groceries, dining out, gas, entertainment, and miscellaneous.  Both no spend months made us more aware of our spending weaknesses and taught us some valuable lessons. [Read more…] about Try a No Spend Month: Your Wallet Will Thank You

Is It Worthwhile To Move To Save Costs?

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Are you trying to cut costs?  Did you have a sudden drop in income?  Are you a college student trying to avoid student loans?

One of the most common suggestions personal finance authors make is to move to a cheaper location to save costs, but does it really save that much?  How long do you have to be in the new location to reap the rewards of moving?

My husband and I currently live in a spacious, 1,000 sq. foot, two bedroom apartment.  We live in an urban area and find our $1,000 a month rent competitive with the area.  We have not had a rent increase in two years, and most two bedroom apartments cost more than ours does.  I will use our current situation as the example for the purpose of this exercise.
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Groupon Barnes and Noble National Deal

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Groupon has another of their great national retail deals going.  This one is for Barnes & Noble.

$10 for $20 Worth of Books, Games, Toys, and More at Barnes & Noble!

This deal is good for purchases in-store as well as online.  What is really nice is this deal is also valid on sale items as well as their popular e-reader the Nook! (Though not valid at B&N College locations).

You know what is coming up soon, right? I’ll tell you – Valentine’s Day! I’ve always found that Barnes & Noble had a great selection of cards and small gifts for Valentine’s Day (including the yummy Godiva Chocolates).  Here’s a way to make V-Day a little less expensive.
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