Daily Preparedness

Even if you never aspire to create great fashion, knowing about the differences in fabrics, how to care for them, mend them and recognize quality will allow you to stretch your clothing and home decor dollars.  Having on hand a few basic sewing supplies may allow you to significantly lengthen the lifespan of your favorite outfit or produce an entirely new one! Regardless of whether you ever intend to sew a runway masterpiece or not, it is most provident to acquire a basic set of skills and supplies

First, the skills:

1. How to identify and care for fabrics. When shopping in a retail store, can you recognize the difference in quality between one fabric and another? Do you read care labels and follow them? Do you understand the wearability and expected lifespan of a thin polyester versus silk? What about the safety factors of wool versus fleece? (Did you know that wool self-extinguishes when removed from a fire source or that fleece is not only highly flammable, but spews bits of molten fiber as it burns?) Which fabrics will fade or wear out quickly in the sun? Which fibers are best for insulating?

2. How to make simple repairs to clothing and household items. Can you sew on a button? What about a snap? Repair a hem? Re-enforce an area that is showing wear? Stitch a seam before an item is ruined? Know which iron-on products you can use to make simple repairs? How to re-enforce the buttons on a new garment?

3. How to sew a straight seam on a sewing machine. You do not need an ultra-expensive computerized embroidery machine. But, you should be able to thread a sewing machine and at least sew a straight seam.

The supplies: (For all items, watch for sales. Sign up for the JoAnn Fabrics mailers or email notices. Also check Freecycle, thrift shops and other venues for free or cheap items!)

1. Hand sewing needles. Store a variety of betweens, sharps, quilting and curved needles. In general, the short thin needles are the easiest to use with most fabrics. You should store thin and thick curved needles, as the thin ones can stitch up a cut human while the thick ones can repair leather and other thick fibers.

2. Needle threader. The sturdiest needle threader I have seen is made by Fons and Porter. Having a needle threader is a a true aid to anyone attempting to sew by hand!

3. Scissors. Set aside a pair of scissors that will only be used on fabric. Mark the scissor handle as ‘fabric only’ and sternly enforce the rule. Fiskars and Gingher are both good beginner brands. A medium length scissor is good for most applications.

4. Measuring tape. Purchase a sturdy, coated one intended for sewing. Measuring tapes will stretch over time.

5. Ruler. Store at least one 12″ ruler, A transparent one is the easiest to use while sewing.

6. Fasteners. A supply of snaps, hook & eyes, buttons, velcro and a few all-purpose zippers. If you are going to throw away a piece of clothing away, cut off and save the buttons first!

7. Sewing machine. A good, basic machine is all most folks will need. Some of the older pre-computer-days machines are sturdier than the more modern ones. With the machine, store the manual, some sewing machine oil and spare needles.

8. Sewing machine needles. Always purchase needles packaged in a hard plastic case. Needles packaged in paper/thin plastic-type packaging often have microscopic bends and knicks in them. Schmetz is a good, readily available brand. Store a variety of sizes. Sewing machine needles can also be used to remove splinters (sterilize first), hang pictures on walls and pierce a variety of materials.

9. Iron-on interfacing. A good quality iron-on knit interfacing can be used to mend small tears, re-enforce worn spots and buttons in ready-to-wear garments. If applied carefully, it can give new shape to a sagging sweater or soften rough seams.  Always store with the instructions and away from heat, moisture or dust. Cover your ironing surface before using and place a piece of white paper between the interfacing and your iron.

10. A few basic patterns. Look for a variety of multi-sized skirts, dress, blouse, elastic waist pants and nightwear patterns. Patterns go on sale monthly and can often be picked up for free at community events as well as freecycle. Additional patterns are available on the internet.

11. Fabrics. Not everyone needs a true ‘fabricaholic stash’, but it would be wise to have a supply of cotton flannel, broadcloth, denim, cotton cheesecloth and wool. Sheets purchased from the clearance rack can provide a lot of yardage at little cost. (thrift store sheets are less wise to store as they are often worn unevenly and have been repeatedly washed) The flannel can be made into diapers, bedding, nightwear, re-usable sanitary products, as an insulator and for cleaning. Broadcloth can be made into garments, burial clothes, bedding and household items. Denim is nearly indestructable. Old jeans can be recycled into a variety of items. Wool is self-extinguishing, insulating and it breathes. 100% wool blankets can be used for a variety of purposes, including clothing. If you want to experiment, try felting wool by washing it several times in an electric clothes washer. Follow with a spin in the dryer. The resulting fiber is nearly water proof and incredibly warm. It won’t ravel and can be washed.  Cheesecloth is used in many areas of cooking, gardening and can be turned into gauze bandages. If you want to expand from those basics, add some colors, prints and a variety of textures.

12. Thread. Store a variety of hand sewing, hand quilting, buttonhole and machine quilting threads. Have on hand at least several spools of basic thread in white, beige, black, navy and red. Purchase a good quality thread such as Gutterman or Mettler. Hand quilting thread is stronger than ‘regular’ thread and can even sew up a human cut in an emergency. It is coated to make it resistant to breaking and can tolerate more stress than regular thread. Buttonhole thread is one of the strongest threads and can be used to repair heavy-duty items. Machine quilting thread (different than hand quilting) is again coated to tolerate more times going through more layers of fabric. Remember, though, that hand quilting thread should NOT be used in a sewing machine. Thread is another item that goes on sale frequently.

13. Elastic. Store some elastic in a few widths varying from 1/4″ to 1.5″.

14. Seam ripper. Un-sewing is a part of the process! Seam rippers are good for cutting loose threads from ready-made garments, as well as picking out the thread left behind when a button falls off. The sharpest seam rippers have curved blades and were based on disposable scalpels.

15. Thimble. A leather one with a metal tip is the easiest to get used to.

16. ‘Wonder under’ and similar products. There are a variety of products on the market designed to fuse, either temporarily or permanently, two pieces of fabric together. Steam-a-seam, stitch-witchery and wonder under are all brand names of these type of products which serve different purposes. Fusibles will allow you to quickly hem an item, repair a seam, make decorative items, hold items in place while stitching, as well as a variety of other useful purposes. LIke the interfacing, cover your ironing surface and put a protective layer between the fusible and your iron. Store with the instructions, away from heat, moisture and light.

17. Pins. Straight pins — my favorites are the long ones with the colored plastic or glass heads. You can iron over the glass heads. Never sew over a pin with your sewing machine! Also store safety pins.

18. Marking tools. Plain white chalk, tailor’s chalk in blue or pink, and a sharp #2 pencil are the basics.

19. Book. Find a good, basic ‘how to’ book such as Nancy Zieman’s “Let’s Sew: A Beginner’s Sewing Guide,” which was written for children in the 4-H program. If that is too basic, add Ms. Zieman’s ‘10-20-30 Minutes to Sew’ or her “Sewing With Confidence: A Beginner’s Guide.” The next level would be “Pattern Fitting With Confidence” or “Fitting Finesse”. Nancy’s books are always clearly written with great illustrations. All of her titles can be found used or at very reasonable prices. She has been on PBS for years, her shows are repeatedly shown and always informative. (And she is a genuinely nice woman!)

20. Containers. Store all of your supplies in labeled containers away from dust, heat and light.

A bit of sewing know-how can save you countless dollars and, maybe, provide you with a wonderful creative outlet that has proven to have significant health benefits. If nothing else, hauling bolts of fabric around is aerobic exercise.

Sorry for the delay in completing our field trip–we have had one medical crisis after another!

It is off to the store; list, coupons, re-usable bags, thermal bag for frozen foods and our frugal wits about us! With your super-organized list you are going to come out a winner at the end of this race.

As you enter the store, check your list to see if you have prescriptions to drop off or pick up. Consider making the pharmacy your first stop, especially if you are dropping off a prescription. If you are picking one up, check to make sure it is ready. If it is ready, place the medications securely in your purse or return to your car to lock them in the trunk (unless they are heat sensitive!).

With your well organized shopping list, you are ready to fill that cart with bargains. When you are standing in front of the well organized shelves, keep in mind several tricks of those whose lives are dedicated to removing the maximum amount of cash from your budget.

Mark off items as you purchase them. If you are going to utilize a coupon, remove it from your coupon pile and place it in an envelope, a separate part of your clipboard or on top of your re-usable bags. One savvy shopper keeps a clip on her re-usable bags. As she picks up a coupon item, she attaches that coupon to the bag with the clip.

Generally, the most expensive, highly publicized brand will be at eye level. The cheaper brands, including house brands, tend to be lower or higher on the shelves. Remember to look up and down before deciding which to buy.

Scrutinize the small portion of the shelf price sticker that allows you to compare the cost of product per measurement. If your store doesn’t offer this option, go to a different store! Double check your coupons to be certain that you are truly saving money as compared to a different brand. Be extra cautious with laundry detergent as you need to compare the estimated number of loads a particular brand will do. Do NOT assume that the larger size is necessarily cheaper!

Wherever possible, purchase store brands. Remember the golden rule–the less prepared the item, the more you are likely to save.

Need items due to a special diet? Check the ingredients in the ‘regular’ aisles before heading to the speciality aisles. For instance, I needed dairy-free chocolate chips. In the ‘natural section’, the chips labeled in large print “Dairy-Free” were $10.50 a pound. GAG! Taking a few seconds to read the ingredients of the store brand dark chocolate chips in the ‘regular aisle’ revealed they were ‘dairy-free’ and less than $4 a pound.

Avoid money pits!

• Pre-packaged side dishes & entree mixes (5 to 10 times more $$$ than a dish you assemble yourself, plus more calories, fat & sodium), spaghetti sauce (2 to 6 times as much as homemade),
• Spice packets (10 to 30 times the cost of mixing your own)
• Single package snacks & treats (2 to 3 times more than bagging your own).
• Junk food in general, including fruit ‘roll-ups’ and ‘fruit snacks’ (which are really just well-named candy full of sugars and bad for little one’s teeth)!
• Power Bars, energy drinks and expensive trail mixes. Make your own trail mix from cereal, a few nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruits & miniature marshmallows for a fraction of the cost.
• Nearly anything packaged for children. Avoid paying extra to subsidize the marketing campaigns of this week’s favorite TV or movie kiddie-hero!

Check end caps for sale or special items. Likewise, check the area where the store places their ’scratch and dent’ items.

Stockpile items that you use frequently when they are deeply discounted. Remember, after holiday sales occur in grocery stores. The kids won’t really care if they are eating pink and red M&M’s in May!

Purchase all of your ‘dry goods’ first. This includes paper products, canned goods, packaged items–anything that does not require refrigeration.

Tempted by a ‘luxury food’ not on your list? Place it in a separate section of the cart so that you can review your decision before checking out.

Produce:

• Check your produce carefully to make certain it isn’t bruised, overly ripe or over-priced.
• Eat seasonally. Do you really need raspberries in the dead of winter?
• Remember cost per portion. If you purchase large apples and you don’t cut them in half for the little ones, they will probably waste a good portion of the apple.
• Consider the true cost of a few minutes of time. Those bags of salad? At least THREE times the cost of a few raw ingredients. Pre-cut stew vegetables? Probably more expensive than the meat you will purchase. Pre-cut celery, carrots, etc? Again, you are paying up to $40 an hour for someone to whack up a few vegetables. AND most are treated to keep them fresh.
• Whole vegetables will store longer, are less treated and more versatile.
• Treat your produce gently in your shopping cart!

Dairy department.

• Avoid the budget killers–little portions, ‘kiddie’ foods and high prices. Want Junior to eat yogurt? Great! Buy a larger container without the cutesy wrapping and save up to half!
• Look for unadvertised specials, seasonal close-outs and short-shelf-date sales. Know what type of sticker your store uses to highlight these items.
• Group your cold items together, beginning with dairy. During warm weather, put cold & frozen items in your thermal bag.

Meat department:

• Check first for mark downs! If you find an unexpected bargain, think of what you might need to serve with it. Add those items to your list & purchase them as you head to frozen foods.
• Place your meat in a thermal bag separate from the dairy & frozen foods.
• All meat should be placed in the lowest part of the cart away from fresh foods. Packages should ideally be handled with paper towels and placed in plastic bags.
• Compare the cost per pound for ‘family packs’ vs. smaller portions. You can save big by breaking down a family pack into meal-sized portions.
• Don’t buy a more expensive cut of meat than you need! If you are marinating a steak, you can purchase a less expensive cut.
• Consider replacing chicken breasts with thighs.
• Be certain that you aren’t paying for water or ‘flavor enhancers’ instead of meat. In many stores, chicken meat is infused with15% or more fluid. That fluid may be water or ‘flavorings’ (and who knows that means? Chemicals, most likely)
• REMEMBER, cost per serving!
• Meat department budget busters include pre-formed hamburger patties, gourmet cuts of meat, pre-marinated meats, ‘oven ready’ entrees and pre-cooked items.

Freezer department:

• Avoid Wallet Drains: Frozen entrees, ‘lean meals’ (translation: ‘You pay more, we give you less’), kiddie food, breakfast items (I once compared the cost of toaster waffles to the real thing–25 times the cost of a fresh waffle!), individual ice cream treats and gourmet ice creams are certain to sink your solvency ship.
• Protect your purchases. Add frozen foods to your cold items in the thermal bag.
• Maximize the smart choices, which can include plain vegetables (those microwave bags & veggies with sauce–RIP OFF!), plain fruits, juices (not juice blends which are primarily sweeteners), some pie crusts, some frozen doughs, some french fries and frozen pizzas for nights that you are caught without dinner.

Before getting in line:

• Review your list to be certain that everything is crossed off.
• Did you buy a cut of meat at a discount? Do you have everything you need to cook it?
• Have you picked up that prescription you dropped off?
• Look with a critical eye at any impulse items you added to the cart. Did you buy them because of an ad you saw? Were you just tempted due to fatigue or hunger? Do you really need it? Can you afford it? If in doubt, hand it back to the cashier.
• Keep your eye on the prize. All of those candy bars, little goodies, gadgets and magazines are placed there to tempt you out of your money! Focus on the task at hand and get out of that store with your budget intact.

Check Out Carefully:

• Hand the cashier your re-usable bags and coupons. The coupons should be left out where you can see them–they are the same as cash and you don’t want the cashier completing your purchase before deducting them.
• If the store has a loyality program that gives you sale prices, utilize it. If you don’t want a record of your purchases (though it can be useful for returns and recalls), simply use a different name.
• As you place items on the belt, keep raw meat away from other foods. Keep cold and frozen foods together. Have these items bagged into your thermal containers.
• Watch the prices as they are scanned–especially clearance & deeply discounted items. The percentage of errors in some stores is criminal. If in doubt of a price being rung up, ask. Many stores will give you the item for free if it rings up incorrectly. If you have a large number of deeply discounted items, keep them towards the end of your order so that you will be sure to have finished unloading your cart when they are rung up. Never hesitate to ask the cashier to price check an item.
• If you pay off your balances every month, consider using a credit card that offers cash back based on your purchases. With many of these cards (which you should NEVER pay an annual fee for), the rate of return is higher on groceries than other items.

You did it–all you have to do is pay, pat yourself on the back for the money you saved and load the car to drive home.

Oops…load the car carefully.

• Keep those frozen and cold things together.
• Keep heavy items down low. You don’t want a can of beans whacking you in the back of your head.
• Don’t obstruct the view. You need to be able to see out of your car.
• Drive cautiously, especially in the parking lot which is a haven for accidents.

• Don’t make other stops on your way home unless the outside temperature is below freezing and your cold items will stay cold!

Congratulations! You may have just saved 30% or more off of your grocery bill. If you followed all of the rules, avoided those money pits, shopped from a list and chose wisely, your savings will exceed 60% over the foolish shopper.

Next time: X-Treme Grocery Shopping puts the groceries away!

In today’s culinary world of fast-food, prepared foods, ‘take it and make it’ nearly prepared foods and the explosion in frozen dinners, it is easy to become totally reliant on food that is prepared by others. Not only are prepared and restaurant meals higher in sodium, fat, sugar and calories, they are a steady drain on your budget. In an age when we are seeing grocery bills climb daily, it is not only frugal but nearly mandatory to re-examine the cost vs. benefit of the way many of us prepare our meals. And as our economy declines, we may all be faced to return to the ways of our mothers and learn to cook!

Researchers at Arizona State University compared the hourly rate we as consumers are affectively paying for many ‘convenience’ food. They purchased food in the non-shredded, cubed, etc. form and then calculated how long it took to prepare the food into its ‘convenient’ state. This calculation was then translated into an hourly wage that you, the consumer, are paying someone else to perform a simple task. For instance, shredded cheese costs you over $49 an hour as vs. buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. Cheese sticks? More than $43 an hour! In addition to paying someone else an exorbitant rate for a simplistic task, these ‘conveniences’ usually utilize the lowest possible grade of the product, then add coatings, inhibitors and other ingredients to extend their life and usability. The researchers also found that many ‘convenience’ foods such as pre-chopped, frozen, throw in the pan entrees save very little time (as little as 10 minute), while adding tremendously to the over-abundance of sodium, fat and sugars.

Even if you are willing to trade dollars and health concerns for the ‘value’ of convenience, you should still acquire the ability to easily prepare a wide variety of foods that result in a nutritious, wholesome and affordable meal for yourself and your family. Many adults today are lacking in these basic skills and that lack of education hampers one’s ability to not only live providently but to survive a wide variety of emergencies.

If you fall into the ‘heat and toss’ category, consider beginning now to learn the fine art of food preparation. You need not achieve the status of gourmet cook, but simply learn how to easily and economically prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner from fresh ingredients. At least once a week, prepare each of these meals using no pre-packaged/half-prepared foods, raw ingredients including a variety of meats and vegetables, a carbohydrate such as rice, potatoes or pasta, and fruit. In a huge hurry? Scrambled eggs, toast and fresh fruit should take no more than 10 minutes to prepare and serve. No time to clean up? Use a nonstick pan that is dishwasher safe and paper plates. You will be eating a meal that is nutritious (more so if you omit some of the yolks), cheap, fast and much healthier for you than a trip through the drive thru! If you are running out the door, slap the eggs on the bread (or a tortilla), wrap it in foil and eat as you walk to the car.

Don’t have a clue what to cook or how to cook it? Check out your local library for standard cookbooks such as The Joy of Cooking, which teaches everything from how to boil an egg to making creme brulee. The editions published during WWII include dealing with limited quantities of common items such as meat, flour and sugar. Some of their recipes, tips, techniques are available online at www.thejoykitchen.com.

Your first attempts at true ‘from scratch’ cooking may seem cumbersome and frustrating. Cooking, like any skill, requires practice and repetition to achieve ease and consistency. Keep trying, keep experimenting and don’t hesitate to ask for advice!

For experienced cooks, refresh your skills in a new area. Try cooking with food storage items, making your own yogurt or cooking meatless for a week.

Any skill you develop that provides your family with more economical, health-conscious food is one to treasure!

As with a medical ‘physical’, a Fiscal Physical requires you to look at the history, examine the patient, evaluate and make recommendations based your findings. Those recommendations (even if they are a bitter pill to swallow) may just find you better able to accomplish all of the other goals you set for yourself It is important to remember that how we handle the financial aspects of our lives has a direct relationship to all other areas of our lives!

Put on that white coat, grab your financial records, and let’s get started on your Fiscal Physical!

The first step is to analyze the incoming money. Where is it coming from? Is it a secure source of income? Can you increase your income this year? Are you taking advantage of all pre-tax options? Are the exemptions declared on your W-2 adequate but not excessive?

Next, look at where your money has gone. Everyone has a different method of and different comfort level of tracking how they spend their money. Some people must record every expense they make while others have broad (or no) categories. Wherever you are in that spectrum, are you comfortable with it? Did you have money left over after meeting necessary expenses? Do you have absolutely NO idea where your money went? Are you saving appropriately? Do you have emergency funds? Are you planning for the future? Do you even know how much you have saved? Are both spouses equally aware of and agree to the allocation of money?

Now, see if the outgoing and incoming are relative to each other. If you have debt beyond a reasonable home, reliable transportation and as few student loans as possible, your incoming and outgoing are out of balance. If you feel stressed about your expenses and shudder every time an envelope with a window arrives in the mail, you need some Financial ICU time! Time is truly of the essence and you must make the decision now that you will become Financially Fit.

After assessing your incoming and outgoing status, analyze all of your accounts. This includes credit cards, loans, mortgage, checking accounts, savings accounts, 401-Ks, IRA’s, CD’s, stocks or other investment vehicles. As you perform this review, check to see if you are optimizing your investments, saving enough and have a plan for the future. Review your insurance coverage in health, life, home, liability and auto. Pull out your ‘What If’ notebook to be certain that a copy of each account’s statement is in your notebook.

If you have a balanced in and out flow, still continue on with the physical. You might find that you could be saving more; you can plan ahead and utilize the money that you are saving wisely.

For those that need a trip to the Money ICU, there are some bitter pills that you may need to swallow in order to get yourself back into a state of Financial Health. Look carefully at where your money is going. If you don’t know, start tracking ALL of your expenses. Do this for at least a month. Remember, little expenditures just like little savings add up quickly. Look for any area in which you might be able to cut expenses right now. Do you really need cable TV? Multiple cars? Dinners out? Fast food? Have the courage to honestly assess where you are, where you want to be and how you can remedy any mistakes that you have made. If necessary, cut up or stash away your credit cards. Cancel any ‘extras’ that you can and begin to take control of your life today.

The next step, no matter what your financial health, is to plan ahead. As you look at the blank pages of the calendar begin to list all of the expenses you know are coming and, if possible, what month they will be due. If needed, use one of those free calendars and actually write down the expenses for each month. For example, do you have youth going to camps this summer? Tuition due? Vacations? Birthdays? Christmas—it comes every single December so start planning now! Do you have taxes due in certain months? Insurance premiums? Other holiday expenses—Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day. On each holiday estimate what you will spend and develop a budget NOW! Don’t forget back to school expenses—clothes, shoes, books, supplies, and all of those fees that seem to add up each September. And of course there is prom, homecoming, etc, etc, etc.

After writing down the date-defined expenses, begin to think about those big bills that are likely to come due this year. Does the car need new tires? The house need a new roof? What about the furnace and a/c? Chimney cleaning? Landscaping? College tuition? Wedding? Need a new refrigerator?

Now, write down the things or experiences that you would like to have—things like new furniture, a vacation, new television, etc. Prioritize this list and consult other family members to see if they have known needs or wants.

You should now have a fairly comprehensive outlook of your major expenses for the next year. Of course, you have to add in all of those other ‘necessities’ such as mortgage, food, insurance, donations, etc, etc. Fairly quickly, you will be able to see how much of your family income can be allotted to each need, goal and desire.

All planned expenses can now be saved for. If the entire family is aware of your combined goals, saving can take on the feel of a contest. You have a reason in mind—a goal, something the ‘team’ can work toward. And if there are bitter pills to swallow, you can do it together!

Another benefit of listing all of your needs and wants is that you can watch for sales, clearances or even giveaways of items on your list. Certain items are cheapest at certain times of the year. Knowing this allows you to get the most for every one of your dollars.

Being in control, or in other words, being frugal with your resources, is the best guarantee any of us can have of achieving and maintaining good financial health. Regardless of income, frugality is a principle that yields not only physical, but emotional and spiritual well-being.

No matter what your income level, stretching your hard earned dollars is a wise move. Why spend more than you need to? Smart spenders know that there are bargains everywhere. Small savings quickly add up to large numbers of dollars that YOU get to KEEP! Think of it as a game, a hunt for the best price on everything you buy. And the trophy? More money in YOUR bank account!

Many of these topics are covered in depth under their own heading in other articles, but here is a quick review of basic things we all spend money on:

Price comparison and Price Matching: Many retailers will match the advertised price on items. You can save yourself time, gas and money by pre-shopping the weekly sales flyers for items you wish to purchase. Consolidate your list and see if one store carries all of the items. Simply take the flyers from multiple retailers into one location, head for customer service with your chosen items and ask for a price adjustment.

Online shopping & comparisons. The internet provides all of us a portal to quick and painless price comparisons. Most grocery stores and major retailers post their weekly flyers on their website. Many will give you the option of being notified via email when a new flyer is available. If you find an online price cheaper than the brick and mortar store, ask that they match the price. If they can’t, many will order the item for you at the internet price and have it shipped to the store for free. Also, be certain to ‘google’ any item you are shopping for. Check all of the results for the best price. If you call the supplier directly, you may be able to get an even better price! There are price comparison search engines, but these do not always give the broadest possible results. Also remember that many of the results at the top of ‘google’ or the side bar results are sponsored links–the company has paid to have the top spot so these may not be the best deal.

Out of stock? When a store is out of stock on a sale item, ask if they could possibly substitute another item. Many will offer you the next higher priced product at the sale price. And do NOT forget to ask for a raincheck. You can then wait to purchase the item (up to the expiration of the raincheck) at the sale price.

Gas guzzling your wallet? Of course, you will consolidate your errands and keep your car maintained so that you get the best gas mileage. Before you go out to fill up your tank, use one of the many online gas comparison sites such as www.gaspricewatch.com. Some local radio stations are offering a similar service. Do remember though that driving too far out of your way to save a few pennies at the pump is most likely costing you money.

Insurance. Periodically review your insurance coverage and cost on your home, health and auto. Everyone needs insurance, but a quick call to your agent or competitors may save you BIG. If you find a quote cheaper than you are currently paying and are happy with your insurance company, ask them if they can meet the competitor’s price. Also, update your insurance if you add safety features to your home such as an alarm system or enhanced fire detection system. These can reduce your premiums. Be certain to read the fine print on any policy so that you know what you are covered for! Definitely avoid unknown or little known companies. There are LOTS of insurance frauds out there. Don’t forget to accept the offers from banks and credit unions for free small life or disability insurance. Don’t feel pressured to ‘add to’ these policies, but accept the freebies. Keep a copy of the ID card, policy info, etc in your ‘What If’ Notebook.

Cars. Whether buying or selling, check your emotions at the door. People that buy cars emotionally are prone to overpay and over-regret later. A little bit of research ahead of time can save you BIG! Do some online research into cost guides such as edmunds.com (though many of the prices listed do not account for economic downturns, markets glutted, etc) for the average cost of the car you are looking for. Research recalls, maintenance costs AND insurance costs as you decide which vehicle to buy. Compare warranties–what they cover and for how long. Once you have decided between one or more possible cars, search online for ‘internet pricing’ from dealers in your area. NEVER, NEVER, EVER fall victim to the common scam of ‘the car is in Portugal or another state, but in pristine condition….send me cash and I’ll send you the car’. Everyday, people fall victim to this one! Don’t buy a car you can’t drive where you want to (within reason) and have checked by a mechanic you trust. If looking for a new car (usually an unwise step), at least see if you can’t get a fleet or ‘direct’ price via the wholesale department. Be certain that any warranty information you given is in writing and matches what the salesman tells you. Research is your friend–use it wisely!

Watch That Cashier! We all make mistakes and so do automated cash registers!! Researchers believe that a good percentage of cash registers are not accurately portraying sales and clearance prices. The average consumer is over-charged thousands of dollars in a lifetime. When you pick up clearance items, double check the price. At the register, be certain you can see the price being rung up. If it is incorrect, notify the cashier. Also remember that most grocery stores will give you the item free if it rings up incorrectly. Before you leave the store, at least glance over your receipt. If you notice a discrepancy, head straight to customer service.

Eating Out/Calling In. If you eat out or enjoy carry out food, always watch for coupons. For those that dine out a great deal, consider investing in an ‘Entertainment Book’, which is full of buy one/get one free coupons. Before calling in an order for delivery or carry out, check online for internet specials or printable coupons. When you place an order on the phone for delivery or carry out, ask about specials. When you see a coupon, cut it out and stick it in your Entertainment Book or on the frig. Don’t forget, too, about early bird specials, happy hour specials and other ’special’ times at your favorite restaurants.

Clearance Zones. Learn where your favorite retailers place their ‘clearance zones’. Nearly every major retailer has a set mark down timetable and area they place items marked down. As you go through the store, zip past these areas and keep your eyes peeled for bargains. For instance, Target uses end caps at the opposite end of aisles from the ‘main aisle’. Items with a price ending in a ‘4′ are usually at the end of the mark down cycle and will not be marked down further. At Sam’s Club, an item with a price ending in a ‘1′ is usually at the end of the cycle. Also look for end of season items drastically reduced–especially items that can be utilized for other purposes. For instance, I pick up Christmas gift sets at 90% off that contain flashlights, mini tool kits, pasta and other food items. At Sam’s, they cleared out ‘holiday’ pasta packaged in Rubbermaid canisters. The canisters normally retail for about $6 each and contained 8 pounds of pasta. Worth about $8. My cost? $3.01. My savings? $10.99. Post-holiday sales are also a great place to stock up on plastic totes. Check Target after Halloween and you may pick up orange totes for 90% off.

As you go about your daily life, incorporate the concept of wise spending and watch the savings add up!!