The Frugal Pig

Frugal Holiday Shopping — Survive the Holidays Without Debt

Oink — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:43:28 +0000

Ok, here we are approaching the holiday season while the economy sags all around us. The good part of this is we can find lots of deals out there as the stores compete for business. The bad part, of course, is many of us find we have a lot less money saved or invested, less credit at a more expensive price, higher costs for monthly bills like groceries, and possibly, less income.

And of course, we all meant to start a holiday savings account last January. But somehow, with higher prices and lower returns, that account either got raided, or never even started in the first place. Don’t feel guilty, but just figure out how to attack this holiday season without it. There’s always next year.

So how can you get through this season without racking up strained credit card bills? Alot of it comes down to being organized. Go ahead and follow Santa’s lead; make a list and check it twice! Then go through your list and assign a budget. If you know you want to spend $100 on teenaged Suzy and $15 on Uncle Tony, you will be able to see if your total budget is realistic. Don’t forget to add in presents you will need for work or social club events.

Now if you get to the bottom of that list, and the total is just unrealistic, this is a good time to figure that out. You know, Uncle Tony might not mind a nicely packaged box of homemade cookies, and Suzy might have to accept a $75 mall shopping card instead of a $100 one!

Shop now, and it next year, remember to start shopping in advance. That electronics device that your oldest son has to have might have been cheaper, and more available, in July. Those people who do their holiday shopping all year around, in an organized way, spend less. If you cannot afford the $500 game system right now, think about giving a $100 gift card to the store where they can be purchased.

Saving towards a goal will be good for John Jr. in the long run anyway! And maybe you can spread it around to all of John Jr’s friends and relatives that a gift card to that store is the gift of choice. Many of them will be relieved because they do not have to figure out what to buy a teenager anyway!

Copycat Restaurant Recipes to Chilli’s, Applebees, And More….

Oink — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:25:45 +0000

Tight Budgets Mean Less Eating Out

Of course, we have been encouraging everybody, including our own family, to cut out restaurant meals in order to trim our budget. We know that we can feed 4 people at home with a very good meal for $10 to $20 or less, depending upon the meal, and that dinner at a restaurant will probably cost $10 a person or more!

>>>> COPYCAT RESTAURANT MEALS AS SEEN ON TV <<<<<<< CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE

But we still miss our restaurant meals, and that’s why cookbooks like copycat restaurant meals are so popular these days! You can find secret recipes from Chilli’s, KFC, Applebees, Red Lobster, TGI Friday’s, and more. You will surprise and amaze your family when you can cook them pasta with an Olive Garden recipe or soup from Outback Steak House! Of course, we are really excited about the Rainforest Cafe crab cakes.

And you will not have to pay a high restaurant bill either. Who knows? Your family may even tip you!

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Fast N’ Easy Cheap Italian Casserole Recipe

Oink — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:30:28 +0000

Do you need a recipe that is simple, cheap, and still tastes great? Here is my quick Italian Baked Casserole which should cost less than $10 to make and will feed 8 people. Of course, it will also feed 4 people and provide you with leftovers you can freeze to reheat on another busy day!

You need: 2 lbs ground meat (i.e. hamburger, ground turkey, etc.) , 1/2 cup of macaroni or similar pasta (I like the high fiber kind), 1 26oz can of spaghettis sauce (any flavor you like), chopped up onions, green peppers or other veggies to taste, additional herbs to taste (i.e. rosemary, Italian season mix).

I like to brown and crumble the meat to reduce the fat content, but sometimes I just do that as part of the defrosting process if the meat is frozen. I have used hamburger or ground turkey, or sometimes I use 1 pound of each.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

That’s it. I like to coat the bototm of a casserole dish with a bit of cooking spray to make clean up easier, but you don’t need to do it. Then spread the uncooked macaroni on the bottom of the dish. Don’t worry, it will cook as the mixture is baking. Then mix up the meat, sauce, chopped up veggies, and additional herbs in a bowl, and spread the mixture on top of the pasta.

Cover the dish with foil or an oven safe cover, and let it bake for 1 hour. While it is cooking, you can take a break, do the dishes, surf the net, make a salad, or catch up on the cable news.

After you take it out, it will be hot, so take off the cover and let it cool for a few minutes before serving, especially if you are serving younger kids. I love to make a 1 dish meal with this because it has pasta, meat, and veggies, but a salad, fruit cup, or applesauce make a nice side dish too. As a mom and working woman, I am a big fan of simple, 1 dish meals!

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Got an extra dollar to spare … For your Credit Cards?

Oink — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:09:50 +0000

So can you spare a buck a day?

If so, maybe you can apply an extra $30 a month to your credit card bill. If so, you will be paying to finance $360 a year less, which with interest rates approaching 27% on some cards can be substantial! This is especially true if you have only been paying the minimum balance and found that you are not getting anywhere trying to pay off your balances.

This same approach can also work on car loans and some mortgages. Look at the monthly payment as a minimum and try to kick in a bit extra when you can. I am here to tell you, but nothing is so satisfying as watching those balances decline so you can think about the day when you do not have monthly loan balances to make payments on!

In addition to saving money in the long run, you will also reduce the length of time it takes to pay the bill off. So go ahead and buy the cheap coffee instead of the grande latte, and get that debt paid off!

If you haven’t been here already, why not visit our online debt payoff calculator and see how fast you can lower that debt?

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Prepare for a Recession

Oink — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:17:21 +0000

Well, now there is no doubt about the fact that the US, and the world, is enduring an economic downturn. We have been watching financial leaders and politicians deny if long enough, but even they are admitting it now. However, as much as we are all struggling to watch our expenses and keep our savings, we do find that some people do ok during a recession, and some people even prosper! What is the difference between those that can barely survive the crisis, and those that make out ok? I think the difference is being, just like a Boy Scout, prepared!

Look for some practical tips here: Surviving a Recession. It is mostly downhome advice like saving money, reducing debt and preparing yourself for a job loss. But it also contains some unique tips on making some income during unemployment with freelance jobs that you may not have thought of.

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Finding Family Health Insurance Yourself

Oink — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:06:46 +0000

I am back with another article about insurance, but that is because I have some background in the subject. And even though the economy is all the news, people are still having problems finding affordable health insurance to cover their families in case of a major illness or accident. This is especially true for self employed people, or those with a job that does not provide health benefits. However, even people who are lucky enough to get health insurance from their jobs find that premiums are increasing, and their coverage limits are plunging, which all means these people have to carry a higher burden when they seek medical services.

PPO, HSA, or Something Else?

So I want to help people choose the best health plan for their families. The article linked to in the previous statement covers the essential definitions of PPO, HSA, HMO, indemnity, and mini med health plans. If you have a choice between health plans, you will find that the best choice depends upon your own budget, habits, and expectations. For instance, disciplined savers who like to control their health spending will want to look at Health Savings Account (HSA) compatible plans. Those who want something easier to manage may be happier with an HMO or PPO plan.

Of course, most of you want to know how much it all costs. Find the best individual health insurance for your family with fast and free quotes from your area.

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Funeral Expense Planning

Oink — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:32:11 +0000

Nobody really likes to thing about the death of a loved one, and the topic is uncomfortable. However, the reality is that funerals are very expensive in the US, and when people do not plan for the inevitable, a sad time can be even more stressful. While US funerals average about $8,000, many familes do not have the cash around to pay for one.

There are different ways to plan for burial expenses, and of course the best way is to have the cash handy in an interest bearing acount. If that isn’t possible you may want to look at burial insurance for seniors, which is basically a low face value whole life insurance policy that is designed to be easy for seniors to qualify for. They are also designed to be affordable for most seniors, or for their families. A monthly bill seems easier to handle than one large payment.

If you are curious if a burial plan is right for you, and your families, look at final expense insurance rates. And since these plans are usually based on whole life insurance, you may want to get whole life insurance explained.

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What is a Credit Score?

Oink — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:23:47 +0000

Most of us know that we have something called a credit report on file somewhere. We also know that credit report affects our ability to obtain financing, and it also affects the interest rate we pay if we can get credit. This impacts our home mortgage, car loans, and other credit. However, even though we have some vague idea that we have a credit score and credit report, we really do not not understand it.

Bad Credit Blues explains credit scores here! They tell us that Americans have a number assigned to them that is between 300 and 850, and the higher that number is the better! The majority of people have credit somewhere between the high 600’s and mid 700’s. A credit score below 600 is weak, while a credit score over 700 is usually pretty good. And even though all 3 major credit bureaus use the same basic calculation for credit scores, the scores are likely to differ slightly, mostly because different information may get reported to each source.

Remember, the better your credit score is, the less you will pay for credit. A large factor in calculating your own score is how timely you pay your bills, and the amount of unsecured credit you have used vs. how much you are allowed. So try to make those payments on time, and keep control of your credit use!

Of course, here at the Frugal Pig, we advocate using as little credit as possible. But sometimes using credit is a wise decision. If your kid needs dental work, your car is broken down, or you need to stock up on PB&J, and credit is what you have, then credit is what you need to use. Just try to be responsible and keep it in control.

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Prepare For A Job Loss

Oink — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:02:37 +0000

You Can Prepare For a Job Loss

A good friend of mine had been a very productive team member at his job for years. In fact, his team even got recognized for a couple of patents, and he was certain that his company valued the contribution he made. A few short months after he brought home his certificate and bonus money, the company decided to outsource his group. He arrived at work on Friday and was told he would not need to report in on Monday. Needless to say, he was unprepared for the job loss, financially or emotionally, and it was a devestating event in his life.

Prepare for a Job Loss

Companies are cruel these days, and few employees are really safe. In fact, over a million and a half workers were laid off in the last 12 months, and I’m sure most of these people were very good employees too. Most of us will get laid off a couple of times in our working lives. We cannot possibly prevent every possible reason for a job loss, but we can prepare ourselves.

Save Your Money, Just Like Dad Said

Your financial advisor, your friends, and your dad will tell you to sock away 3 - 6 months worth of living expenses. You need to have that money saved in a way that can be easilly accessed. Have you dont that? Well, if not, don’t waste time feeling bad about it. Honestly, I have the savings now, but I can tell you that I’ve had plenty of times in my life where I was lucky to have a week’s worth of living expenses saved in a cash account.

I know how hard it is to save, especially these days, with high fuel and food costs. Besides, one trip to the emergency room or mechanic can wipe out months of savings in about five minutes. It isn’t always possible to keep as much cash on hand as we should. And though I always advise people to look at their lifestyle for places to cut expenses if they just cannot save, I also have another suggestion.

Insure Against Job Loss

Look at job loss protection plans that pay you, and not the lender. Some mortgage unemployment insurance or credit insurance pays the lender. However, since you are the one paying the bill, I think you should be the one to get the cash!

Prepare Emotionally For A Job Loss

Also be sure to emotionally prepare yourself. Honestly, I have seen depression get to lots of people, almost as much as a loss of income does. A layoff can be a major ego blow, even though most layoffs are not personal at all. Understand that this is just one of those bumps in the road that almost everybody goes thorugh. Also know that many people - myself included - look back and say that, even though we did not feel that way at the time, that a layoff was a blessing, because it led to a better opportunity later. If you get the news that your services are not needed any more, stay cool. Some layoffs are temprorary, and no matter how angry you are at the moment, remember the other good advice your dad gave you about burning bridges. Gosh, the older I get, the smarter my dad gets!

Make sure you have your friends and business contacts stored where you can get to them if you cannot login at work too. You do not want to lose all of your valuable contacts just because you cannot get into the front door at work. The best way to find a good job as quickly as possible is through your network, and do not underestimate it.

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Worried About Layoffs?

Oink — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:46:21 +0000

We haven’t been getting very good news about employment in the US lately. And of course, all economic news, with the bailout of the mortgage giants, is pretty grim. In fact, home foreclosures hit a record in the 3rd quarter of this year. And if you think that the bailout will help the situation, you might want to read this article: who does the mortgage giant bailout help?

Prepare for an Income Loss

Do home mortgage defaults and layoffs have anything to do with each other? Well, according to the much maligned Freddie Mac, unemployment or income loss is the leading cause of mortgage default. In an ideal world, we would all have 6 months of income stashed in a bank account in case of an income loss. But lately, with rising gas and food prices, most of us have had to dig into that savings account.

So what can you do? Well many people can qualify for a supplemental job loss protection program. Instead of a loan company financed mortgage protection plan, which only pays the mortgage company, you can get a plan that actually pays you cash if you are layed off. I think that giving the consumer the choice of how to allocate the cash, rather than the loan company, is a better deal to protect a family’s home, credit, and finances.

Learn more about Job Loss Payment Protection Here.

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