Money Sense Tips

In today’s economy most of us need all the help we can get when it comes to saving money. There are lots of ways we can save on the everyday needs of our families, but using coupons has benefits beyond just saving a few cents on household items.

Benefits of Coupons

Couponing can be an enjoyable hobby that can help you save money while discovering new items that you and your family can use. Another benefit of using coupons is that the money you save is tax free. Think about it. When you use coupons to discount the items you purchase, the effect is just like using cash except that the only thing you’ve done to earn the money you save is to find your coupons and redeem them!

How to Find Coupons

Your first question is probably “How do I get started saving money with coupons?” The beauty of couponing is that it is an simple way to save money. Coupons are readily available from a variety of sources including your local newspaper. The Sunday newspaper is typically the one that has the most coupon inserts, along with advertised specials from stores where you can use them. Combining your coupons with the sales on items you wish to purchase yields additional savings. Check your local recycling bin and ask relatives, friends, neighbors or co-workers to save copies for you.

There are also a variety of ways to obtain coupons from online sources. Entering the keyword “coupon” will bring up tens of thousands of websites where you can print off coupons. Coupons.com is a popular site that offers coupons on almost any good. Grocery store websites typically have a coupon section and so does your local supermarket. Money-saving coupons may be found in aisle displays or in specific areas of the store dedicated to those who use coupons. You can also look for coupons in packages of items that you buy.

If grocery store websites do not have many coupons, continue to check back with them. Grocery stores usually run weekly sales and coupon offerings can change weekly.

Make a shopping list of the items you want and need. Visit the manufacturer’s website to print coupons for the products you are looking to buy. Make sure you check with the grocery store to ensure they accept the coupons.

Once you start using coupons, it’s easy to learn the money-saving strategies that will help keep your household budget under control.

Cleaning is a necessary chore if we want our homes to look presentable. In your monthly budget you can save money on cleaning supplies with a few simple tips.

All those television commercials tout the latest and greatest cleaning solution. “If you want to remove tough stains fast, try this product.” “If you want to stop grease sticking to your kitchen surfaces, spray with this product first.”

The advertisements are everywhere. But before you go out and spend your hard-earned money on something that may or not prove worthy of your time and elbow grease, here are some suggestions for you.

* Buy in bulk – Stores usually give you a discount when you buy more than one of a product. If you have a cleaning solution that you have used for years and it still works for you, then you know that you will always need it. Stocking up saves money in the long run.

* Do a little research – Just what is in those cleaning products? This is as much for you to save money as it is for the environment. Cleaners with bleach are expensive. Why not just use the bleach yourself? Lots of ingredients are just for smell or to help bind together the other compounds.

* Make your own household cleaners – This is not as hard as it sounds. You will not be Doctor Frankenstein cooking up something dangerous in the lab. Do you have a bottle of bleach? Mixing it with four parts water to one part bleach can make an excellent disinfectant for cleaning your shower curtains and your tub. Add a little to dish water to remove tough, baked-on stains in pans.

What about lemon juice? It is citric acid and can be used to cut grease. Simply squeeze some juice concentrated onto grease stains or mix it with warm water in a spray bottle and apply. Let sit and you can then use a sponge or damp sponge to remove that grease.

Don’t stop now. There is also white vinegar. It has many uses, which includes taking foul odors out of rugs and furniture where you have spills. It can also be mixed with warm water to clean your linoleum flooring. Mix it with water in a spray bottle and use it to clean your windows. You can also use ammonia and water. Dry with a piece of newspaper.

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* Clean regularly – An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as they say. Cleaning surfaces when spills occur or keeping to a set schedule for weekly chores prevents the build-up of hard water stains, soap scum, grease and the like. Milder cleaning products, like homemade ones, can be quite effective for regular cleaning without all the blood, sweat and tears.

Are you looking to save money on cleaning? Don’t go get a maid service. Create your own cleaning products, clean often and buy store cleaners in bulk.