If you can, try to buy what you need after the season. Summer clothes in late summer, winter clothes in late winter and so on. You will find more marked down stuff this way.

Collect economical decorating ideas in a notebook. When you're ready to "dress" something up, you can refer to this for ideas and save a bundle.

Make bar soap go farther. When you can get bar soap cheap, buy a large quantity. Take them out of the wrappers and either store them in your linen drawers (where they also do duty as a "sachet") or put them in a warm dry place. Being out the wrappers will give them a chance to dry out more so that they last longer.

Do you remember my little trick of putting spare change in a candy jar on my kitchen counter? In eight months I had accumulated about three hundred dollars! That's a free car payment! - Joe

Monthly Budget Stretch Story

Tuesday – This is a mini-chart for you to see what saving a little money a week translates to in as little as a month, year and up to a 3 year plan. Weekly 5.00 Monthly 21.07 Annually 260.00 3 Year 780.00 Weekly 8.00 Monthly 34.57 Annually 416.00 3 Year 1,248.00 Weekly 10.00 Monthly 43.33 Annually 520.00 3 Year 1,580.00 Weekly 15.00 Monthly 65.00 Annually 780.00 3 Year 2,340.00 Weekly 20.00 Monthly 86.67 Annually 1,040.00 3 Year 3,120.00

Switch from brandname ice cream to the store's brand; you'll save $130 a year it it's on your weekly grocery list. Woman's World

I have used this calculator to see how much money I am giving my credit cards in interest. CALCULATOR TIP: If you are calculating the credit cards put 0 (zero) in the space next to the Amortized Length of mortgage: 0

Five Great Grocery Store Savers 1. Look out for bargains. When shopping at the grocery store, keep your eyes open for specials and bargains. Buy extra of whatever is on sale. Canned goods are especially good to stock up on because they have a long shelf life. Cereals, dried fruits, pasta, rice and dried beans can also be great buys. 2. Freeze it! Buy ground meat chicken breasts and other frequently used meats in bulk and separate into individual portions. Wrap well and freeze for quick dinners. 3. Shred your own cheese. Instead of buying shredded cheese, purchase in bulk and shred all at one time to store in the refrigerator for whenever you need. 4. Make your own drinks. Instead of buying expensive sodas and bottled drinks, buy canisters of powdered mixes to make your own lemonade, punch or Powerade drink. 5. Make homemade "fast food." Kids love McDonald's, Taco Bell and the like, but they're unhealthy and very costly. Learn to make the kid's favorites from scratch and you will save big. Homemade pizza, for example, is much healthier easy to make at home and much more economical. Reference

Food Purchased at Markets 1.You can save hundreds of dollars a year by shopping at the lower-priced food stores. Convenience stores often charge the highest prices. 2.You will spend less on food if you shop with a list. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by comparing price-per-ounce or other unit prices on shelf labels. Stock up on those items with low per-unit costs. Reference

Try socking away just $3 a day and at the end of the month you will have saved nearly $100. Three dollars is bagging your lunch instead of buying a few days a week. Three dollars is not going to Starbucks for your latte. In a year, you will have saved more than $1,000, and you will be well on your way to a solid saving and investing plan. IVillage Money

Set up eletronic payments for your bills. Since you won't need stamps or paper checks, you can save as much as $38.00 a year! (Womans World)

Instead of spending 3.00 or more on glass cleaners, use a mixture of one-part vinegar and two-parts water that'll have your mirrors and windows sparkling for a fraction of the cost - you'll save at least 36.00 a year! (Womans World)

Wait until your dishwasher is completely full before you run it. You'll save $50 a year on electricity and water if you do one less load a week. (Womans World)

Looking ahead to Christmas 2002, I have matched up a month for each family member that I'll be buy for, and I do all of the shopping for that person that month only, for instance my sister is the month of January, and I will buying all of her gifts and NOTHING more all year, and I have desginated a price not to exceed, so that all the members get the same amount (money wise) of gifts this will also include a birthday card and gift - as her birthday is in July.