Jan 18 2009
Money-Saving Tips For Your “Save Yourself” Plan.
My latest blog post on the Suze Orman Community Fan Club Blog was featured on January 15th. Suze Orman, who gives us tips for living more financially responsible lives, continuously reminds us that only we can save ourselves during this downturn in our country’s economic system. She is so committed to helping us save ourselves, that she teamed up with Oprah to allow free downloads of her book, Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan.
I know bloggers have been buzzing about this book like crazy. So, instead of telling you about this book (buy or download it), I want to share money-saving tips I learned from one of my favorite magazines to help you and your family save yourself. Add the following tips to your “Save [Your Name Here] 2009 Action Plan”.
Parenting (October 2008) 
Mom Exchange: How Our Family Saves Money
“We keep a list of restaurants where kids eat for free on certain nights. This way, celebration meals won’t break the bank. My kids now watch for coupons to these restaurants — they’re getting reading practice and learning to be careful with money.” –Dawn Albrecht, Milwaukee
“Twenty dollars from each paycheck goes toward making a switch to a greener and cheaper home. So far, we’ve changed all our bulbs to CFLs and bought light-sensing nightlights for the kids. These small changes cut our electric bill by $75 a month.” –Tosha Watters, Newcastle, OK
“Instead of using coupons right away, I check our grocery store’s weekly specials and then use them on those sale items. I once had my bill go from $150 to $35. I was so happy, I hung the receipt on my fridge for a month!” –Julie Maloney, Charlotte, NC
“For kid-friendly snacks, I buy blocks of cheese and generic Goldfish and Nilla Wafers in bulk. Then I divide them into small snack bags myself.” –Michele Shea, Brimfield, MA
“My husband and I set aside an amount of cash each week to pay for groceries, eating out, and miscellaneous shopping. It makes us more aware of our spending — when the cash is gone, it’s gone” –Heather Beno, Vacaville, CA T
“I stopped buying bottled water and purchased good-quality metal thermoses. I refill them each morning to stick in the kids’ lunch boxes to save money and help the environment.” –Lisa Kimoto, Plainview, NY
“Before I buy something online, I always check to see if I can find a discount coupon. Just Google the company’s name and ‘coupon’ (for example, ‘Target coupon’), and you’re sure to find something to help lower your bill.” –Deidre Woods, Greenfield, IN
“We bought our car through a credit union. They sent our ‘order’ to all the dealerships, who then bid to give us the best deal. It saved us a lot of time and money.” –Chelle Daly, Chandler AZ
All great tips. There are so many small ways people can cut a bit of money out of their expenses. We always use a coupon or choose a restaurant with a ‘kids eat free special’ whenever we eat out….in fact, we even started a website called www.kidseatfreeplaces.com to help other people find restaurants in their areas. The great thing is every little bit of savings really adds up!