The Importance of a Gas Budget

I love to save money on purchases and in general. I have learned somewhere in my adulthood about being careful with money. It really started when I started blogging. I learned quickly that it wasn't always steady each month like a job outside the home. It became something I started doing very quickly. Using tools like coupons and fuel budgets are a great way to really know what you are spending. It will help you know where your gas money is going or even how much you are spending. You can easily cut down.

We budget for food, entertainment and clothes. We often forget about car related expenses like gas. Even with the lower gas prices depending on your mileage you may spend $45 each time you fill up. If you do a lot of driving that has to add up quickly. If you drive a half hour each way to work that can become expensive. Most jobs don't offer reimbursement on fuel. It's just part of having a job. The only way they will reimburse you is if you are traveling for business. I am pretty sure pizza delivery drivers aren't reimbursed for their gas while working. Hopefully they make more to factor in their fuel costs. A fuel budget is pretty important to them because they may find out that delivering pizzas is no longer worth it to them.

Making a fuel budget is really easy and can help you know what you spend on gas each month. Learn how to create a gas budget.

Renting a Car for Road Trips is a New Trend

I have noticed a new travel trend. People have started renting cars to drive on road trips. My friends recently rented a car to drive 19 hours. I assumed they would have flown. It was interesting to hear about. I didn't think about renting a car to drive somewhere. There have been a couple times I have gone on vacation with a group of people and we rented a van. It was mostly because no one had a car that everyone could fit in. Instead of taking multiple cars it was a great option. It's actually a really smart idea for many reasons. Mileage is probably the biggest reason people rent cars for car travel.

It's definitely something I will consider for my next road trip. It would be fun to take an SUV and have extra room. I am not really van person unless it's a really comfortable one. After going on different road trips in vans I know that fifteen person passenger vans are really uncomfortable with a lot of people. I need space to spread out. I would have to remember what the rental car looks like. Sometimes I forget those things. I am pretty good at it. Renting a car can be much cheaper than flying or cheaper in the long run if you have an older car or one with car trouble.

Check out my post about renting a car for road trips for more reasons you should consider it. 

How to Save Money for Travel

When you love to travel like I do, you want to do it often. You also have to think of ways to fund your trip. You can save all your change or have a special travel fund. It seems like that may take forever. Sometimes trips come up at the last minute. You decide to get away or a loved one needs you. Unexpected travel happens. You have to plan for the unexpected. You should have a small savings if possible. It doesn't have to be strictly for travel. This fund can be for anything. Traveling doesn't have to be really expensive. There are tips and tricks to save while traveling. Everything from staying with family to packing your own meals. You could see as many loved ones as possible. Try to put together an impromptu reunion or get together. I love when my family gets together. Even when it's family I see often. We sometimes get together because someone is In town. It gives an excuse to see each other. I grew up really close to my cousins even though I am the youngest. We are still really close but don't spend nearly as much time together now that we are all adults with children, jobs and we are more spread out. One of my cousins lives in Switzerland now.

Cutting down or out some of the expenses can definitely help you have a better trip without making your pocketbook hurt.  Check out my tips and tricks to save money while traveling.

Saving money this Christmas

Christmas is an expensive time for everyone, so it is important that we save cash wherever we can. Here are some effective money-saving tips that will help you out this season:

Look out for store discounts

It has been reported that the UK alone will spend £10 billion pound online this year, so the total for the world is set to be astronomical - and it’s easy to see why. Compared to shopping in store, there are a range of bargains and discounts to be had online.

Before I purchase anything online, I always do a quick search for voucher codes. I simply type the name of the store and ‘discount code’ into a search engine and I can usually find some great discounts. I’ve saved so much money over the years!

Like many other people, I am looking forward to all of the Black Friday savings to be had, although I don’t think I’m quite cut out to battle through the stores. Instead, I’ll be enjoying it online. Amazon have had some pretty great discounts in the past, so I am excited to see what they’ll have to offer this year.

DIY

Shop-bought cards and gifts can be expensive, bumping up your Christmas budgets. While you will inevitably have to fork out for gifts at some point, there are some great DIY options too that could save you some cash.

Not many people send Christmas cards nowadays, but it is a nice touch especially if you are sending them to people who live far away. If you have kids like me, you could get your little ones to hand make a few cards – your friends and relatives will love the personal touch.

I’m tempted to put my computer skills to the test and try a spot of card designing on my PC. The only problem is that our printer is not very good, so I’ll need to invest in a new one before I start designing – there’s no point in having a beautiful card that I can’t send to anyone!

As United Carlton is based in the UK, I know I can’t order from there, but I have been looking on their website to get some ideas on what printer to go for. They’re printing specialists so I know that they will only recommend the best.

As you know, I love to bake and cook. I’ve found this recipe for gingerbread men online. They look delicious and the ingredients will be much cheaper to buy than ready-made ones, plus I’m sure Noah wouldn’t mind giving me a helping hand! I may even dish these out to our friends and family as extra Christmas gifts!

Four ways to cut your spending

With the economy being how it is at the moment, a little extra money to spend is something many people would welcome. If cash is tight there are a number of options available to you,such as getting a credit card or taking out a loan. But even if you do that there are other simple ways to reduce your expenditure too.

Consider where you buy

In days gone by, comparing prices meant going from shop to shop and making a note of how much an item you wanted costs. Thankfully, if you’re prepared things can be much easier these days and thanks to the internet you could almost entirely avoid the high street if you wanted to. It’s easy to compare prices online and (depending on what you want) it can be cheaper too, so always have a look before handing over your cash. If you’re shopping for a holiday then prices can vary greatly, so never settle for the first price you find. Remember too that it might be worth waiting for your credit card application to be approved, to protect your cash in case of something going wrong.

Slash your bills

Household bills can soon add up, so it’s well worth finding out if you could make savings in any way. This might be possible by switching to a new tariff, paying by direct debit or moving to a new supplier. If you’ve been with the same company for a few years then your loyalty might not be paying off, so find out what the competition has to offer.

Save money on your car

If a car is something that’s essential in your life then it’s probably an expense you have factored in to your budget. But that’s not to say you couldn’t be paying less. Shopping around for a better car insurance deal might help, but you might also like to consider car sharing when possible. This could mean sharing driving duties with work colleagues, or weighing up if your family really needs that second car.

Make days and nights out cheaper

In summer it can feel like one gathering after another and while that’s great for your social life it can take its toll on your bank balance. So instead of dining out at a restaurant, it might be worth inviting your friends over for a barbecue. That way everyone can contribute with a little food and drink and the costs can be kept to a minimum. The same applies to days out, so take a picnic to the park instead of forking out to go to the cinema.

Shopping Online to Save Money

There are a few stores I love to shop at. I don’t always have time to go to the mall, and shop. I rely heavily on shopping online. It is more convenient when you are a mom.  Two of the stores I love to shop at are Bath and Bodyworks and Victoria’s Secret.  Noah has classified these as girl stores and doesn’t like to go in either. I normally don’t take him in to Victoria’s Secret because it is an underwear store.  I do like for him to go to Bath and Bodyworks with me.  I like his opinion when I am purchasing hand soap because he uses it too.  I love to use coupons and coupon codes when I shop online. Every penny counts in my opinion. 

Bath and Bodyworks has semi-annual sales, which are great. They usually bring back some of the scents that are retired. When you are like me and most of your favorite scents are older it can be harder to find in stores, except during their semi-annual sales. Even then, you run in to not being able to find the scents you love. My most favorite scent is Pearberry, I wasn’t able to find it in stores this time. I know they have it online because I went back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to go to the store or order online.  I ended up getting Juniper Breeze, which I also really like. If I would have purchased online I would have been able to get both.

It’s really important to use coupon codes to save money. Even if it is a small savings it adds up. It’s funny because when I know my family or friends are shopping online, I always encourage them to use coupon codes.  It is worth the minute or two that it takes you to search for them.  When my mom and I would go grocery shopping when they had amazing coupon sales we used to pretend what we saved was what we earned on the trip, so if you think of online shopping the same way, it will be more of an incentive to take the time and use one. Some places like Victoria’s Secret you can stack coupons too, for extra savings or even a free gift.