If you don’t have time to get the Sunday paper or simply don’t want to pay for one, just to get coupons, there are other options – printable grocery coupons! And yes, these websites offer most of the same coupons you’ll find in the Sunday paper inserts!

You’ll find coupons for groceries, drug store products, limited restaurant deals, as well as coupon codes for online shopping. Just select the coupons you like and print.

You may have to install their coupon printer program the first time you print, but it’s simple to do. After it’s installed, you can print anytime.

Here are the 5 main databases for printable grocery coupons.

1. Coupons.com – Here you’ll find an extensive selection of drugstore and grocery coupons. You can print coupons straight from this site on our coupons page. Select the coupons you like, then click the right and left arrows to scroll through the pages without having to refresh to a new page. I love this feature! And they have coupon codes for online shopping.

2. Mambo Sprouts – If you’re looking for printable coupons for healthy and organic foods, then check out Mambo Sprouts. They are part of Coupons.com and feature coupons from Organic Valley, Earth Balance, Nature’s Path, Numi Teas, and more. You can also find their coupon book at Whole Foods. Who said you can’t be healthy and save money at the same time?

3. Coupon Network – This coupon database features printable coupons and coupons that you earn towards future purchases, called YourBucks Offers. Printable coupons are listed in blue and YourBucks Offers are in green. However, you must create a login account to earn these register rewards. And you can only earn and redeem YourBucks Offers at certain stores.

4. SmartSource – If you’re a Sunday coupon regular, you are probably familiar with SmartSource. They have a good mix of drugstore and grocery coupons.

5. RedPlum – RedPlum also has inserts in the Sunday paper. They feature more drugstore coupons than grocery coupons on their website.

Want to find coupons on-the-go? Check out how to find mobile coupons with your phone.

Beginning Couponing Articles:

• Why You Need a Grocery Price Book
• 9 Apps to Help You Find Coupons On the Go
• 7 Extreme Couponer Blogs to Follow
• How to Coupon in 10 Minutes or Less
• Grocery Sales Cycles – When Do Things Go on Sale?
• 25 Extreme Couponing Tips
• 7 Coupon Clipping Services

I hardly used coupons before TLC’S Extreme Couponing show. But after I saw what was possible, it motivated me to try some of their techniques.

My goal isn’t to get $1,000 worth of products for $40. Let’s be realistic here. Most of what we saw on TV was that person’s biggest haul. That means that they don’t get that kind of savings every single week!

Also, some of the rules are bent so that the extreme couponer can be filmed for the show. For example, there are limits on the number of coupons that a register can handle per transaction.

When the camera shows the store manager going to the back office to bypass the system so that the coupons can go through, they aren’t going to do that for everyone else! Or when they showed someone doing 9 transactions on 9 different registers at once, let’s be real! They’re not going to let you do that either!

The store wants the cameras there to film for publicity purposes, that’s why some rules are bent. Otherwise, if the couponer isn’t successful in completing their transactions, there would be no show!

So don’t have those kind of expectations when you start couponing or you will be severely disappointed and give up. The goal here is to save money, more than you did before.

I’m not trying to compare myself to someone else but more like trying to one up myself. And if I use that as my measuring stick then I am successful.

Now I never pay full price for these things and you won’t either.

Don’t know where to begin? Here are 21 extreme couponing tips to get you started.

1. Subscribe to the Sunday paper.

Find out which Sunday paper has the best coupons, then subscribe to it. My coupons come from a free Sunday paper that we used to throw away. It was like throwing money away! I bought the regular Sunday paper, which was a whopping $3, and it only had a few more coupons. So now I only use our free Sunday paper for coupons.

2. Use a coupon clipping service. 

What’s great about a coupon clipping service is that you can get coupons from other parts of the country, that might have a higher value than the coupons in your area. And you can stock up on coupons for your favorite products without buying more papers. Here are some coupon clipping services to check out.

3. Join the store loyalty program.

Most stores have a loyalty program and it’s free to join. So there’s no reason not to join except that you’ll pay more if you don’t! Sometimes coupons are loaded onto your store savings card like at CVS.

4. Stack coupons with store sales.

You can also follow bloggers who do this. They spend hours matching up coupons with store sales to get the best deal. Don’t re-invent the wheel! Follow these extreme couponers and get the same deals that they get!

5. Get familiar with store couponing policies.

Does your store allow double couponing or using more than one coupon per product? Find out. Each store has a different coupon policy so it pays to know. For instance, did you know that Trader Joe’s accepts coupons? And Walgreens only allows 1 coupon per item.

6. Get around couponing policies.

So what do you do when Walgreens only allows 1 coupon per item? Buy a “filler” item, which is a cheap item like a 5 cent pencil, that will allow you to use that extra coupon.

7. Know what a good deal is.

Start a grocery price book. Compare apples to apples when it comes to deals. Make sure you compare the per unit price to see if you’re really getting a good deal. You can do this by dividing the price by the number of items in the package. For example, with diapers you would divide $27.99 by 192 = $.14 per diaper.

8. Be aware of the coupon expiration date and exclusions.

Sunday paper coupons usually expire within 30 days. And with the popularity of TLC’s Extreme Couponing show, there are limits now on how many of the same coupons you can use per transaction and how many products you can buy with the coupon. With CVS, since the coupons are loaded on your card, they place a cap on how many times you can take advantage of an in-store coupon or sale.

9. Shop at more than one store.

The way extreme couponers are able to save 90% or more on their purchases is because they shop at multiple stores, multiple times. To save the most money, be willing to go to the store with the best sale for toilet paper. Don’t be loyal to only one store.

10. Make multiple transactions.

Extreme couponers will make multiple transactions to maximize savings, depending on the coupon. This would allow you to maximize savings if there is a limit of coupons per transaction. You can do this by asking the cashier if it’s ok to do so, if the line is short, or be willing to go to the back of the line or come back another time. Some extreme couponers will do their grocery shopping separately from their sales runs.

11. Plan out your shopping trips.

Instead of just heading out to the store, plan ahead to see what’s on sale and which coupons you can use. When you have a plan of what to buy and which coupons to use, shopping trips will be faster. And you won’t be stuck figuring things out at the store.

12. Shop with a store circular in hand.

Even if you know what you’re going to get and which coupons to use, sometimes you might not be sure which particular product the sale pertains to. For example, the 2.5 oz moisturizer is on sale but the 7 oz. version isn’t. With the store circular handy, you won’t have any surprises at the register.

13. When in doubt, ask.

Sometimes the store circular isn’t clear or has misprints. One times CVS printed that Aquafor was on sale for $1! But when I got to the store, it was actually only $1 off.

14. Use overages to get free stuff.

An overage is when a coupon is worth more than the product itself and the store gives you store credit towards something else you are buying. Not all areas or stores allow this. So check your store’s policy.

15. Use store rewards towards your next purchase.

When you earn store rewards, use them to your advantage. Don’t lose them because they’re like store credit. Use them towards your next purchase perhaps on items that never have coupons or never go on sale.

16. Stock up during a sale.

When something good is on sale, stock up! Get enough to last you until the next sale then you won’t have to run out and buy something at full price.

17. Start a stockpile.

Extreme couponers have a stockpile of stuff in their garage or closet. The reason for having a stockpile is not to become a hoarder, but it allows you to buy stuff only when it’s on sale. Then you won’t be forced to pay full price on something you need because you have it in your stockpile. Your stockpile doesn’t have to be 100 packs of toothpaste, but enough to last you until the next sale. And start your stockpile slowly, buying 2-3 of an item when it’s on sale. Then you’ll be able to stick to your budget.

17. Anticipate store sales and plan your savings accordingly.

After awhile, you will start seeing a pattern at each store and know when things go on sale. Save the most during seasonal sales like after Christmas sales or Back to School sales. Here is a list of Grocery Sales Cycles and when things go on sale.

18. Shop online.

Couponing doesn’t always have to mean going into the store. The CVS.com website, for example, offers discounts like 20% off everything, from time to time, that can be used on anything you buy from their website. It’s like having a 20% coupon for every item you’re buying. And you know some products never have coupons so it’s great to use this to your advantage to stock up on these things. Plus, CVS.com gives you coupons and free samples with your shipments!

19. Print coupons online.

There are some coupons that you’ll never see in the Sunday paper. They’re available only online like at our Coupons.com database. Here are some other resources for printable coupons.

20. Subscribe to magazines that offer coupons.

All You is a favorite magazines among couponers. It’s popular because it has high value coupons you won’t find anywhere else.

21. Follow your favorite brands on Facebook.

Some coupons are available only on Facebook. Follow your favorite brands and be the first to know about special sales and exclusive coupons.

22. Don’t get suckered into buying things you don’t need.

Yes, coupons are great, but don’t let it become an addiction where you buy something just because you have a coupon and it’s on sale. If you buy something that you or your family will never use, it’s wasteful and you’re not really saving money. You’re spending money on things you don’t need. Then you have to ask yourself, are you buying things just because they’re on sale or because you really need them?

23. Don’t compare yourself to others.

Sure, that person on the Extreme Couponing show got $1000 worth of stuff for only $60. That’s not a realistic measuring stick of success. You may not live in an area where there are double coupons, overages, or high value coupons.

Plus, manufacturers are cracking down on extreme couponing. If you look at most coupons, the fine print limits the number of products you can buy with that coupon and how many like coupons you can use per shopping trip.

24. Check out dollar stores.

Some items are cheaper or just as cheap at the dollar store than they are with a coupon and on sale at the grocery or drug store. One example is Softsoap liquid hand soap. With a coupon and on sale, the cheapest I have gotten this is $1 at CVS. While at the dollar store, it’s only $1 everyday and without a coupon!

25. Review your strategy.

Did you get the best deal this month on that product or did another store have a better deal? Could you have used a better coupon? Don’t feel like you have failed if you didn’t get the best deal. Learn from your past purchases and put together a better strategy for the next sale.

* How to make the coupon binder pictured in the photo.

Need coupons? Print coupons here.

Photo Credit: jenniferworthen

Beginning Couponing Articles:

• 7 Coupon Clipping Services
• Where to Find Printable Grocery Coupons
• Why You Need a Grocery Price Book
• 9 Apps to Help You Find Coupons On the Go
• 7 Extreme Couponer Blogs to Follow
• How to Coupon in 10 Minutes or Less
• Grocery Sales Cycles – When Do Things Go on Sale?

Photo Credit: jenniferworthen

As fuel prices continue to climb – and the national average climbs above $4 a gallon – fuel efficiency is more important than ever. Whatever you drive (cars, trucks, wheelchair accessible vans, motorcycles, mopeds, crossovers, SUVs) there are simple ways to save fuel without making major changes to driving habits. Here are a few easy-to-implement changes in driving behavior that can significantly reduce your fuel cost.

1. Accelerate slowly

Pushing the pedal to the metal as soon as the light turns green is a huge waste of fuel. Fast acceleration actually burns fuel four times faster than normal acceleration – that’s almost four miles worth of gas wasted per gallon! The same rule applies to braking; decelerate slowly when stopping at lights, stop signs, and traffic. Slamming on the brakes wastes as much gas as rapid acceleration.

2. Stay in one lane

Many of us are guilty of being aggressive lane-changers. Did you know that switching lanes constantly doesn’t reduce travel time and causes you to waste fuel? Stop treating the open road like a video game; pick a lane, set the cruise control, and stay there.

3. Don’t leave the car running when running errands.

An idle car is an easy way to burn through a tank of gas. Yes, it’s convenient to leave the car running when you’re running errands, but you’re spending more money than you’re saving. Leaving the car on when it’s not in motion is damaging to the environment, too.

4. Remove extra weight from the vehicle.

Who knew that a clean car actually means better fuel efficiency? It’s true – extra weight means more gas burned per gallon. Clean out the trunk and the backseat; heavy unneeded items are eating up gas.

5. Avoid high-traffic travel.

Idling in traffic wastes time and fuel. Although you may not be able to avoid traffic completely, try leaving your home early to avoid rush hour. Another great way to save fuel: take the road less travelled! That extra five minutes off the main route could save you gallons in gas.

6. Keep an eye on local gas prices.

As gas prices continue to increase, it might be worth your time to check out gas price websites to find the cheapest price in your city. GasBuddy.com is an excellent resource that is updated frequently. Keep in mind that prices normally increase before the weekend and holidays; fill up on Tuesdays to get the best deals.

Other tips to consider:

· Whenever possible, carpool.

· Plan shopping trips and errand runs for one day instead of spread out through the entire week. This will help you avoid traffic, too!

· Park and walk to your destinations whenever possible: You’ll be amazed how much gas you save when you don’t drive from place to place.

With a few changes to driving habits you can stretch your gas tank. Do your best to avoid high traffic travel times and leaving your vehicle idling. Don’t be a lead foot or a brake slammer – fast acceleration and deceleration burns gas. Plan your shopping and errand trips in advance and use cruise control whenever possible.

This guest post was written by Leah B, who is a contributor to the Eat Breathe Blog.

Featured in the Festival of Frugality 292nd Edition, hosted by Mom’s Plan.

Planning for a budget is one thing. The hard part is to stay on budget, and make sure you stay within your spending zone.

The spending zone, is a term I use to describe what you are willing to pay for either an object, a grocery shopping experience, or even how much money you are going to spend in a week. For example, “I am only going to spend $50 on a BBQ grill, and not a penny more.”

Sticking to a budget is habitual, the more routine you make it, the better results you are going to see. Here is a list of five ways to make following a budget easier.

1. Never Pay Retail Price.

Although this may seem, almost impossible, it is a very suitable option. Your average retail markup is 30%, so what that really means, is that you are paying 30% more than you have to.

This retail mark up is based on a simple supply and demand model. Once a product has more supply than demand, and fixed costs of manufacturer are met, that product will be sold for manufacturer price, or less.

For example, if a manufacturer sells 90% (90 units) of product A to a department store for 10$ an item they make 900 dollars. If you estimate a 5$ fixed cost, mixed with a 2$ overhead they have $630 in expenses. Therefore a profit of $270.

However, for those last 10 units, simple economics will tell you to sell them as long as you are getting back your fixed costs. In that case the remaining units would be sold at $5 a unit, and a profit is still being made overall. This is when you see sales at stores, or find yourself able to buy the same product at a TJ-Max for half the price. If you have patience, you will never have to pay retail price.

2. Purchase Large Quantities.

If you want to stay on budget and within your spending zone, shopping for larger quantities is a great way to do this. Many people do not wish to shop for large quantities due to inconvenience, or lack of storage. On top of that, some things are just not suitable to buy in large quantities.

However, things like toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, soda, freezer foods, are the simplest ways to save money. The savings are endless.

One thing that will be more convenient when shopping for large quantities, is the amount of trips you will to take to grocery stores. Shopping for larger quantities may save you 4-5 trips to the local grocery store.

If you shop in advance, planning two weeks ahead, it is easier to stay on budget and within your spending zone, and save yourself trips to the grocery store every other night after work.

For instance, if you buy a coke every morning for $1.20 you are spending $16.80 after two weeks. If you shop at a Sam’s Club, or a Costco you can get a 30pack of coke cans for around $12. You will end up paying less, for double the product, as well as save trips to the convenience store every day.

3. Buy Last Years Model.

This isn’t always the most appealing option for people, but if you can’t get this years model without all the markup, it is the next best solution. One thing to remember, companies produce products for one purpose, and that is to make money.

With that being said, they have to come out with a new product every year to keep sales high. Usually the “new” product companies come out with, is hardly differently from the previous years model. Every new model is substantially more money from last years model.

EA Sports, a company that produces video games, is even being sued for creating a monopoly in the video game world. They sold virtually the same game year after year, with minor changes, for a extremely high price (around $60 a game).

The video game from the previous year would drop down from anywhere to 8-12 dollars a unit. Think of it this way, when you drive that brand new car off the lot, you lose up to 40% of your value instantly. Whats wrong with buying the used car with 12k miles on it, and paying 40% less?

When buying the newest model, what you are really paying for is the companies new advertising scheme to attract even more customers.

Of course you might be missing out on the newest feature, but is that feature really worth 40% more? one thing to consider as well, your brand new item is going to be worth as much as the old one in about 4 months.

4. DO NOT Eat Out.

When I say do not eat out, I mean, do not eat out often. In fact, it is good to reward yourself for sticking to your budget once a week by enjoying a night of dining out.

If you are staying within all of your spending zones, you won’t have anything to worry about picking up the check once a week, guilt free. This will actually help you to stick to your budget even more so knowing that you have saved “x” amount of dollars throughout the week.

The problem with eating out is when it becomes an everyday occurrence. I am including eating out for lunch every day at work. If you pack a lunch, you can save anywhere between 50-100 dollars every week. Not to mention all the calories you will be saving packing fresh foods.

Then, dining out once a week with the family will be more rewarding, and might even turn into a little family tradition you grow to love.

5. Have a Budget Buddy.

A budget buddy should be someone close, like a family member, spouse, or even a close friend. A budget buddy should be someone you share your financial information with.

Although this may seem scary, this will help you in so many ways. You will second guess spending extra money on those useless impulse items, feel more in control of your finances, and even grow a stronger bond with someone in the process.

It is very important that you trust your budget buddy. This should be someone who is a responsible caring individual.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to admit you made mistakes. Everyone has made financial mistakes at one point, the first step to fixing them is correcting those mistakes, not just simply ignoring them.

Everyone’s budget is different. Therefore, you must plan accordingly. If you set up spending zones for everything you are buying, and then stay within those limits you will be doing great financially. Debt will slowly disappear, and your stress levels will be relieved as well.

Executing your budget isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but it certainly does pay off.

Want to create a budget? Check out these personal budget worksheets and tips on creating a budget.

This article was written by Alyssa Jacobs. Alyssa is a writer who frequently blogs on areas such as health, finance, and economics. The currently writes for www.acnecentre.com, a website that gives you the latest treatments of acne.

Photo Credit: jenniferworthen

Mr. Rebates is an online shopping rebate program, where you earn cash back every time you shop from their list of online merchants.

I signed up for Mr. Rebates last year, made some purchases, and totally forgot about it. When I logged in and checked my account, I had almost $10 in rebates. If I used Mr. Rebates more when I made other online purchases, I would have made more.

What I like about Mr. Rebates is that it’s really easy to earn cash back. They don’t make you jump through hoops like other sites. Just sign up and right away you earn $5 as a sign up bonus.

What I also like is that they provide current coupon codes for each online retailer. You don’t have to search to save money! They do recommend their coupon code vs. others since it may negate your rebate.

Here’s how Mr. Rebates works:

1. Log into your Mr. Rebates account.
2. Then click through to the online shop of your choice.
3. When you make a purchase through that online store, you will be automatically credited for a rebate. Within a day or two, Mr. Rebates will send you an email confirming the pending rebate.
4. After 90 days, your pending rebate will become available.
5. When you reach $10 in available rebates, you can cash it in as a check or have the amount deposited into your Paypal account.

Mr. Rebates is associated with so many popular online stores. Here are some sample rebates.

eBags = 10% rebate
Dell Home = 3% rebate
Get Organized = 7% rebate
Holiday Inn = 5% rebate
Old Navy = 3% rebate
Petco = 8% rebate

What I like about Mr. Rebates:

• Easy to use
• Coupon codes provided
• Can earn a huge rebate with big purchases like with computers or electronics
• Popular stores that I normally shop at are associated with them
• Wide variety of online stores – clothing, music, electronics, pets, food and wine, kitchen, travel, etc.

Earn more with Mr. Rebate’s referral program:

Mr. Rebates has a referral program too. Whenever someone signs up to join Mr. Rebates, you get 20% of their rebate, every time they make a purchase. It doesn’t decrease their rebate either.

So if you sign up for Mr. Rebates here, you’ll get a $5 bonus rebate for signing up. When you refer others, you’ll earn 20% of their rebates too! Check it out, there’s really nothing to lose.

Amazon recently announced that you may now use your Amazon credit card rewards towards purchases on Amazon.com. Yes, there’s now a way to get free stuff on Amazon.com!

I’ve had the Amazon visa credit card by Chase for a few years, since I frequently shop at Amazon.com for their great prices and fast shipping. I was so excited about this that I used my racked up rewards to buy something right away. It’s like getting free stuff on Amazon!

First, you have to set it up in your Amazon.com account to use your Chase Amazon credit card rewards for purchases. If your Amazon card is already stored in your account then it’s just one click.

After that, you can choose to use all or some of your reward points towards purchases. An instance of this is when you want to use an Amazon gift card and reward points in one transaction.

How to earn points:

• 3 points for every $1 spent on Amazon.com
• 2 points for $1 spent at gas stations, restaurants, drug stores, and office supply stores
• 1 point for every $1 spent

How to shop with points:

• Every 100 points = $1 towards your purchase
• Pay for all or part of your purchase – there’s no minimum

Amazon recently cut off all of its affiliates in California so that includes me. Sadly, I no longer receive affiliate income from them. This is just an honest review.

I still love Amazon and wanted to share this great rewards program if you’re a frequent Amazon.com customer.

Also, if you’re a parent or are expecting a child, check out Amazon Mom for deep discounts on diapers and baby stuff.

A couple months ago I stumbled on an article at Yahoo! Finance that documented 5 Ways To Save $1,000 Per Year, that I thought was very interesting and useful. I think the article has some pretty solid advice which points to some fairly simple ways to reduce spending in your everyday life. Here are the major bullet-points followed by a little commentary by yours truly.

1. Drink Plenty of Water. I am a big proponent of this tip, especially at restaurants where a soda often runs $2.50 and a beer is $4.50. Also, the health benefits of drinking a lot of water are unarguable.

2. Drive Efficiently. A great way to safe money at the pump is to drive the speed limit and avoid fast accelerations and stops when possible. Also, keep your car well maintained, tires properly inflated, and don’t skip oil changes and routine maintenance as it will cost you more money in the long run.

3. Use Thrift Stores Often. This is one that I am not very good at. I tend to not think about thrift stores for much more than old furniture that I can re-finish. But there is no doubt that you can save a ton of money by shopping at thrift stores regularly.

4. Do Stuff Around The House Yourself. This is one that I am actually pretty good at. I take care of my own yard and my wife and I clean the house ourselves. I have also become pretty good at home repair and improvement projects. But I definitely know when I am in over my head, especially with electrical and plumbing jobs.

5. Cancel Expensive Services. This one is pretty obvious. The examples that come to mind include getting rid of the gym membership that you rarely use and not renewing that magazine subscription which never gets read.

What tips would you add to this list? Please leave a comment. I will go ahead and throw in #6, which is to use online coupons on as many purchases as possible. The coupons are there for the taking, and here are a few good ones I found during the past week.

About The Author: Kyle James owns and operate a website called Rather-Be-Shopping.com which specializes in coupon codes for over 700 stores, organized in 25 shopping categories. He also has a blog, where he writes about frugal living tips, creative ways to save money, and other musings about the adventures and mis-adventures of raising 3 active kids.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth/Table4Five

It’s nice to have a supply of baby formula if you don’t breastfeed, want to supplement, or just want a backup supply of baby formula. If you can get free baby formula and coupons, why not take advantage of it?

During pregnancy is a good time to apply to for free baby formula and formula checks, which are coupons for dollars off baby formula. Baby formula is expensive so everything helps.

Baby formula companies want you to buy their brand of formula so they are more than happy to send you free samples of full size cans of formula as well as formula checks.

How do you get free baby formula? Simply register your info on their site. Keep in mind that it may take at least 6 weeks to receive cans of baby formula and formula checks. That’s why it’s a good idea to register as soon as possible.

Baby formula companies will send you one or two cans to get you started. And formula checks can range from $3.50 to $11.50 towards your purchase of formula.

Here are the big 3 baby formula companies and registration info:

Gerber Good Start – get formula checks

Enfamil – get free cans of baby formula and formula checks

Similac – get free cans of baby formula and formula checks

Formula checks have your name printed on them and your ID may be required when using them. These checks are redeemed at the store like a coupon. Then the store deposits it like a check.

Also, after you deliver your baby, your hospital will also send you home with free baby formula.

People who have gone through a severe financial crisis will definitely have a mission to curb their flamboyant lifestyle this year. But curtailing your expenses does not mean you will detach yourself from the world.

You can stay within your means while planning a party frugally to entertain your guests. If you are more organized in your approach then you can easily entertain your guests while managing your expenses.

1. Pre-conceive a plan

If you pre-conceive a plan then it will be easier for you to organize a party while keeping your expenditure within your budget. Your initial task will be to prepare the guest list as well as plan the menu according to the number of guests you are planning to invite.

Planning in advance can help you to save a few squids. You can avert draining your hard earned cash if you shop for the party from a wholesale dealer.

2. Plan for low budget food

There are recipes that do not require expensive ingredients. In case you are not aware of it then search the Internet for recipes to prepare some cost effective food.

Recipes sites can help you to prepare sumptuous food without pinching your pocket. Ask your friends to share some excellent cooking tips or request them to join you to create some extraordinary delicacies at low budget.

3. Bring innovations in your home decoration

Decoration sets the mood of the party, therefore, it is considered to be an important factor while planning a party. You can save a large amount if you take out some extra time to prepare for the decoration.

There are endless options in hand but you have to choose something that is affordable for your pocket. You can come out with innovative ideas for home decoration like making flowers out of a pine cone. You need a pair of wire cutter to cut the layers of the pine cone in shape of a flower.

You need glue to stick the pine cones on a foam ball. Then color these flowers with red paint to give a vibrant look and then accessories the flower ball with glitters.

You can also sprinkle some essential oils like cedar wood, rose or cinnamon on the pine cone flowers. This is one of the interesting ways that you can employ to decorate your house.

4. Keep the beverage simple

A party is incomplete without serving the right drink. Once the dinner is laid you should immediately stop serving the drinks. According to the preference of the guests try to keep coffee along with tea.

You can also try out some home made drinks as that will save a few extra bucks. You can keep two different varieties of cocktails like Margarita and Daiquiri. As it requires one spirit so it is considered to be a pocket friendly drink.

You can avail budget friendly liquor punching it with some fresh seasonal fruits at a reasonable rate. Blend the ingredients well and use a flavor for the drink according to your taste.

5. Utilize your modern electrical appliances

Try to buy essential things for the party and stuff it into your freezer. The departmental stores often give offers and coupons, utilize these discounts.

Sometimes few magazines and newspapers distribute shopping coupons of a particular store, collect them and use them to reap more discounts.

6. Make use of the left over ingredients for the party

You can easily use the left over ingredients for the basic food preparation for the party. Chicken and veggie scraps can be used to prepare the soup stock. Soup can be a special starter either for a chilly lunch or midnight meal.

Use the left over meat for the salad dressing. Slice the meat into pieces and toss it with a few drops of olive oil in the cooking pan. Use the remaining beef or chicken cubes as topping or mix it in the sauce for preparing a delicious pizza or spaghetti sauce for the party.

Divide the responsibilities concerning the party amongst your friends and relatives. The task can include anything from sharing the party expenses or the fun of cooking. Keep all these tips in mind and you will be sure to enjoy the party without burning a hole in your pocket!

This article has been written by Angela Sanders. She is associated with Oak View Law Group(ovlg), A Trustworthy Bankruptcy Law Firm.

Photo Credit: saaleha

Even though we may love our careers and families, there is a need to take “me time” to keep your sanity. That’s where girl’s night out comes in. Doing fun things with your best gal pals mean the world to us single moms.

We love to talk, indulge in guilty pleasures, and giggle the night away when we spend time with the girls. It’s just one of those things that reenergize us for the daily grind.

While indulging in these fun nights has not been easy with the recession, it has definitely taught us to keep getting creative and to spend less while still having fun. Here are some tips on planning the night that we’ve picked up over the years.

Tips for Planning Girls Night Out

Plan ahead

Planning is always the key to making sure everyone is going to have fun. Research about everything important: security of your location, availability of parking, and its proximity
to other places. Check out reviews of people who have gone there before to get first-hand accounts.

Set a budget

I’ve had some friends discreetly ask me what my budget is for every night out. These days, all I really need is a $30 budget or less! Set a budget for spending for the night then tell your friends about it. Chances are is that they’re on a budget too!

Get everyone on board

While we love surprises, it is often better to get everyone on board with the activity beforehand. Keep everyone in the loop with emails or texts. You can even create a Facebook Event Page for it!

Now that you’re up to speed on how you should plan for your night, here are five things you can do for a girl’s night out without breaking the bank.

5 Ideas for Girls Night Out on a Budget

1. Coupon Night Out

With the bevy of coupon sites nowadays, coupon clipping is back with a vengeance; and we love it! Whenever any of my friends find an interesting deal online, we plan our girl’s night out around it. Whether it’s a dinner at half off or a round of drinks at a new bar, we plan the night around one major coupon. We then find other things available at locations near the major coupon’s area and have a coupon clipper’s night out! It usually saves us more than half of what we usually spend on our girl’s nights. That’s a great bargain!

2. Theme Night

You don’t have to go out to have a good time. Once in a while we have themed “Girl’s Night In” parties that are just as fun as going out. One of our favorites is 50s Movie Night, where we pick our favorite movies from the 50s, come as our beloved movie characters, then have all night movie marathons.

Another popular one is Iron Chef Night. Emulating the reality show, we take one main ingredient and each cook a dish around it. We then have secret ballots to pick the winner!

The themes keep our “Girl’s Night In” always interesting and fun.

3. Dolled Up for Free

Beauty schools always need models to practice their craft out on. Call the nearest beauty school in your area and schedule free makeovers. You can get everything from nail art to haircuts for the fabulous price of nada.

4. Clothing Swap Meet and Fashion Show

One girl’s trash may be another girl’s treasure. Every other month, we hold a clothing swap meet between us to see if there are items from someone else’s wardrobe that might find a home in our own. The fashion show afterward is also a fun way to show off what you scored!

5. Amateur Entertainment Night

Whether it’s an up and coming amateur band, an unsigned singer-songwriter, or poetry readings and plays, amateur entertainment is often a goldmine! Best thing about it? It’s all for free! Just check out your local newspaper for event announcements. You never know, you may be one of the first to witness the next big thing in the entertainment scene!

Girl’s night out should keep us sane. So it’s only logical that it shouldn’t drive us up the wall in credit card bills. Whether you’re young or old; single or attached; with four kids or with twenty dogs, any woman will tell you that spending time with the girls is a date we love and need.

This guest post was written by Pasha Lubeck,who is a single mom to two sons. When not spending time with her kids or working for Kichler Superstore, an online retailer of home lighting fixtures and ceiling fans, she indulges in girl’s night out with her girlfriends!

Photo Credit: Noemi Manalang