I hope the information I provide here will go a long way towards helping you save money.  And if you have anything to contribute, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, a particular way that you save money, or any other helpful hint that will benefit everyone that visits this site.

Happy Savings,

The Saving Lady

How many of us really enjoy sitting down and spending hours pouring over a spreadsheet detailing all of our financial affairs? While a budget can help you to organize your finances, unfortunately most of us are too busy with work, family and social routines to take the time to do it as well as we should.

If you feel this way, then a budgeting bank account could really help you, because it can take a lot of the ‘hassle’ out of budgeting – and could also help you avoid relying on borrowed money.
A bank account without overdraft could help

If you like the sound of that, then you could choose a bank account without an overdraft. An overdraft is borrowed money – and all too often, the money you borrow today comes out of tomorrow’s budget. If you can’t afford something now, you really need to be sure you could afford it tomorrow, otherwise you could be storing up debt problems for later.

Basic bank accounts don’t have overdrafts, so this is one option for the budget-conscious, although if you’re looking for some hands-on help, you could find a basic bank account that provides extra help managing your finances.

The most important part of budgeting is setting aside enough money for your essential bills and expenses – and these could include mortgage or rent, utility bills, perhaps medical expenses and certainly unavoidable expenses like food and clothing. There are bank accounts that can help you to do that.

Another tool that can help you manage your budget is an SMS (mobile banking service) facility from your bank, which could – for example – warn you if you were approaching a zero balance, giving you time to get funds into your account before any Direct Debits or standing orders were due. If you’re interested, check whether your bank provides that service.

If you’re determined to make the most of your money, you might really enjoy the reassurance of a bank account that helps you to pay your bills in full and on time, leaving you with just the money that really is yours to spend.

• Consumer Cellular, an independent provider of cell phone service, offers some of the best deals for those that don’t use a ton of minutes but still want to stay connected for convenience and emergency purposes.  A bare-bones plan that costs 25¢ per minute with no minimum usage and no contract, costs a mere $10 per month. A popular plan is the 300-anywhere-minutes option for $20 per month. This compares with AT&T’s senior plan at $29.99 per monthor $39.99 per month if you haven’t reach the golden age of 65.  Of course, the phone you get is not high-tech. It’s good for making and receiving calls. That’s it.  But if that’s all you’re looking to do, this is just about the best deal out there.

• Do you qualify for a discount? You may be eligible for as much as a 20% discount if you use the same carrier as your employer.  Do a Google search to see if you qualify by plugging in your carrier’s name and the phrase “employee discount.”

• A frugal smart phone user might be able to save if you’re willing to put up with a little inconvenience. You might be able to dial back data charges by always taking advantage of WiFi connections whenever one is available instead of using your cell’s data service. Sending free text messages by using apps like Heywire and free voice calls  with  Skype Mobile  to other Skype subscribers could save a bundle.

$1.40 off when you buy any EIGHT 7.5 oz or larger packages of HOT POCKETS® Brand Items

40¢ off when you buy any TWO Pillsbury® Sweet Rolls OR Grands!® Sweet Rolls

40¢ off when you buy any THREE Pillsbury® Crescent Dinner Rolls

75¢ off when you buy any ONE Nature’s Bounty® Vitamin or Supplement

$1.25 off when you buy any ONE Disney or Marvel Vitamins

Get yours today.

Save With Coupons You Can Use Today

Save with coupons by putting these brand new releases to work for you today.

$1.00 off 2 boxes of Cascadian Farm Granola Bars

$1.00 off TWO Muir Glen products

$0.80 off four Hamburger Helper Skillet Meals

$1.00 off 2 General Mills Divisional cereals

$1.00 off Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter

$0.75 off Dulce de Leche Cheerios cereal

$0.40 off 2 Pillsbury or Grands! Sweet Rolls

$3.00 off ALKA-SELTZER ANTACID AND ALKA-SELTZER

$1.00 off ON ANY ALKA-SELTZER ANTACID

$2.00 off on any Ester-C The Better Vitamin C

$3.00 off one Osteo Bi-Flex Caplets Softgel

$2.00 off LeapFrog: Numberland DVD

$2.00 off Valentine’s Day Titles

$2.00 off Maybelline New York Dream Face

Buy 1 Chock Full O’ Nuts product, Save 75¢. Expires 3/31/2012. One time use only.

Save $1.00 when you buy ONE (1) Fisher® Canned Snack Nut item of any variety, 4 oz. or larger. Expires 2/29/2012. One time use only. (Only at Jewel – Osco)

Buy 1 Diamond Crystal Salt Sense, Save 35¢. Expires 2/29/2012. One time use only.

Buy 1 Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, Save 40¢. Expires 2/29/2012. One time use only.

Buy 1 Diamond Crystal Sea Salt, Save 40¢. Expires 2/29/2012. One time use only. 

Look for more hot new coupons in future posts.

Next time you need new eyeglasses, check out FramesDirect.com, JustEyewear.com and WarbyParker.com before you commit to your local optician where glasses can cost as much as a house payment.