budget talk
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July Budget Smart Highlights
Hope your summer (or winter), is going well. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost August. While I have achieved lots on my to do list, there’s still a lot I haven’t started to tackle. Two things I wanted to learn this year were making sourdough bread, did that, and finally, learn to use a pressure canner, got that achieved this month. Have any of you been growing vegetables this year? The weather’s been hot with little rain which has been a drawback, and what has been growing has been enjoyed by rabbits. Well, at least something got some tasty treats. Yesterday, I canned salsa. I like to think of…
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Money Saving Tip-Eat in Abundance
Each month, check out what’s in abundance and plan meals around it. For example, this month, I’m seeing lots of berries, tomatoes, and cucumbers on sale. Another tip is to buy extra and preserve them for times when these items aren’t plentiful and therefore will cost more.
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Money Saving Tip-Bells and Whistles
Do you really need all the up to date, high tech features on appliances, cars…all those bells and whistles? If you’re looking for something new or thinking about replacing say, an old refrigerator, don’t be talked into buying something with all the time saving features or features that do the work for you. Not only do they cost more but they seem to increase the odds of something going wrong. And then the final downfall is when they need fixing, the cost is usually a lot more than the basic no frills model. If you can, go back to the basics because you save money not only now but in…
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Money Saving Tip-Great Value Protein
I probably don’t have to tell you that proteins like meat and chicken are going up in price…sometimes weekly. A great way to get protein that is also one of the best values at the store, is to use beans. Either using them as the main component of the meal, for example a bean burrito or black bean burger or adding beans to make meat go further in a dish. Canned beans are a favorite pantry staple of mine but dried beans can save you even more money. Another great thing about beans is the variety is endless and each one has a slightly different taste so you’re bound to…
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Money Saving Tip-Don’t Forget Your Calculator
Our money saving tip of the day is all about looking at unit pricing instead of the overall cost. In many supermarkets, you’ll see two tags pinned to the shelf underneath a product. One gives you the price, the other the price per ounce, per pound etc. With this information, you can compare products and see which offers you the best price. It’s great when that work is done for you but an easy way to make your own comparisons is to grab a calculator. I find myself doing that when I’m buying things on line. Is it a better buy to purchase the 2 pound bag of flour or…
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June Round-Up-Gardening and a Money Saving Podcast
The end of June, and just like that, half the year gone. How is your year going so far? Met your goals, still have ones that you need to focus on? I began the month planting a garden, so far things are looking good. I’ve also done a lot of canning. I made jams, and for the first time, tried pressure canning. Speaking of which, I purchased a digital pressure canner because I thought it was the best place to start the whole pressure canning experience. I was thinking about doing a review of products here at Budget Smart Girl, but then thought about my cooking site…I’m ashamed to say…
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Moneysaving Tip-Grab a Notebook
I’m getting lots of requests for moneysaving tips so I thought I’d begin a new category Moneysaving Tip. If you’re new to the site, it is full of money saving articles, tips, and recipes so take a look through the archives and feel free to share the links with others who might be looking for tips. Now to this tip. Here’s something you should be doing all the time but it’s even more vital now as prices go up or at least fluctuate, and that’s a getting a notebook and writing down the prices of things you buy on a regular basis. That way you don’t have to rely on…
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Looking for Extra Income or a Side Hustle?
Who doesn’t want to make extra income or create a side hustle doing something you love. Keeping ahead of inflation is vital now and one way to do that is to create a business or someway to make extra cash. I’m excited to tell you about the current Content Creation Collection Toolbox because I think you’ll find it perfect for finding a way to do just that. This toolbox is a collaboration of the best training (courses & eBooks), high-quality done-for-you content, beautifully crafted commercial use low content books, developer rights plugin, and Canva templates you’ll find on the web by over 60+ talented product creators. That’s right – with…
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End of the Week Soup
Have leftovers, hate to toss them in the garbage but have no idea how to put them to good use? I used to frequent a restaurant that always had vegetable soup on the menu. It always tasted different from the time before. Sometimes it would have beans in it, sometimes rice, but it without fail, it was delicious. One day, I got up the nerve to ask why the ingredients were different each time I ordered it. They let me into a little secret…it was their leftovers. No, not food scraped off of plates that were returned to the kitchen but food they had a surplus of that week or…
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What’s Next?
I hope you enjoyed the Money Challenge last month. Did you learn anything new? Figure out what sort of business you’d like to start? A new way to save money?. I’d love to hear what you thought about the challenge. So, what’s next? Lots of you have told me you’d like to see a making money challenge. I’m in the planning process and will keep you updated. I’m also working on a couple of products keyed toward saving money. Next month, I’ll be taking part in another Toolbox kit. In fact, the product I’m including is my brand new Content Creation Machine. If you’d like to buy it now, here’s…