Live Debt Free

Pay off debt. Save. Give. Live your mission.

Google “TipJar” – For Finance Tips & More…

by //

Google has released a cool new “tips” site they call “TipJar”. It is built upon their very own Google Moderator, and in my estimation is very cool.

Click here to access the Finance Tips section of TipJar

Here is an excerpt explanation from Google’s Official Blog:

As we all navigate today’s choppy economic waters, we’d like to put these beliefs into practice. That’s why we created Tip Jar (www.google.com/tipjar), an experiment powered by Google Moderator that we hope will help you discover the most effective ways to save money.

See Google’s entire post about TipJar here.

Free Eggs! – DFA Tip of the Week – 3/9/2009

by //

There are many ways to reduce costs in our every day lives, so to help do just that each Monday I will post a money saving “Tip of the Week”.

This weeks tip involves…getting free farm fresh eggs! If you or anyone you know has ever raised laying hen chickens, then you know how challenging it can be to keep your egg carton count on pace with your never ending egg supply.

If you employ this tip you will be a help to your local chicken farmers, promote recycling among your friends, family, & coworkers, and be very likely to get free eggs out of the deal!

In order to get free eggs from your local chicken farmers, start by doing any or all of the following:

  • save your egg cartons
  • throw an egg carton drive at work to have all your coworkers save & bring in theirs
  • when taking a walk around your neighborhood, stop by your neighbors houses and collect their cartons
  • when visiting friends & family, ask for their empties

Once you assemble a good amount of cartons call a few local chicken farmers and/or visit a local farmer’s market to propose a “carton for egg” swap!  Work with them to barter a trade of your collected cartons for some of their farm fresh eggs.  The farmer will undoubtedly be willing to work with you, and may even be interested in some type of revolving exchange for each dozen.

Don’t forget to remind everyone to bring you their cartons so you can enjoy free eggs as long as you choose!

Click here to see all our past DFA Tips of the Week.

Split Meals – DFA Tip of the Week – 3/2/2009

by //

There are many ways to reduce costs in our every day lives, so to help do just that each Monday I will post a money saving “Tip of the Week”.

This weeks tip offers frugal instruction on “going out to eat”.

My wife & I have progressively adopted a few strategies to help us save while dining out at restaurants.  Let me begin by reminding you that if you truly want to save more money, then you need to greatly limit the frequency of going out to eat.  However, when you do eat out there are several strategies to follow to help limit your spending.  I have listed several useful tips regarding eating out in past editions of our DFA Tip of the Week, but today would like to focus on 2 strategies involving how to order meals:

Split a meal

The average restaurant entree feeds you way more food than you need to sustain your energy levels.  This should come as no surprise to you and is something you are most likely aware of.  So why do you continue to purchase and eat huge portions when you know you do not need to?  Simple…because we have been trained to do just that by our culture and the marketing that bombards us every day!  Now is as good a time as ever for you to stop pigging out and paying for it!  Not only will this help your pocket-book, it will help your waistline!

Eat Half & Save Half

What happens if you & your significant other cannot agree on a meal to split?  Simply order two separate meals but plan on taking half of each meal home to have as leftovers the next day.  Certain meals lend themselves to being a good leftover meal candidate more so than others…so order accordingly.  For example, a hamburger & fries will not retain their deliciousness as well as a good stir fry.  My wife thinks I’m gross because I will save the 2nd half of my burger & fries for the next days meal, but I’ll eat just about anything.  She is a little more “selective” in what she will take home for leftovers, so she orders something that will store well and be just as yummy when warmed up the next day.

If you adopt this philosophy when dining out, both your wallet and your belly will thank you.  It forces you to think frugally, and requires you to stop eating when you should and allows you the opportunity to enjoy your delicious meal a 2nd time around.

Click here to see all our past DFA Tips of the Week.