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

Rebates can add up quickly of you do a lot of online shopping. If you consider how much gas you save by shopping online, especially with gas running close to $4 per gallon, the savings could be even more significant.

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.