Saving Money on Car Gas

With the cost of gas today, we are all looking for ways to save money.  Below are several tips that will help you save on car gas.  Every little bit adds up.

*Get A Gas Card

Almost all major gas stations offer their own brand of gas credit card that will allow you to save 3-5 percent on all your gas purchases at their stations. Saving 5 percent off every gallon of gas means a savings of around $3.75 per tank.

 *Avoid Aggressive Driving

Hitting the gas pedal hard when the light turns green and braking hard when you stop will increase the rate at which your car using its gas.

*Use Your Cruise Control

Cruise control not only helps you drive at a steady speed but also saves you gas. On average, you’ll save about seven percent more gas than if you don’t use cruise control.

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Save on Communication and Electricity

With only a few barely noticeable changes in how you communicate electronically-by phone and internet-and how you deal with electricity, let’s face it we all have to deal with electricity, will start to show a savings in as little as a month.  Below I have listed several things in both areas that will start you on your way to saving.

Cell Phones, Internet, and Communication Utilities
* Avoid pre-paid cell phones, even if you just want the phone for emergencies, unless you are careful to use a plan with minutes that don’t expire. You pay exorbitant rates per minute.
* Never underestimate the minutes your teen may use. Be careful not to get the lowest plan. Constant overages are very expensive overall.
* You don’t necessarily need a home phone if you have a cell phone. With free nights, weekends and long distance, you may save considerably. Be careful with phone plans that have low rates, because the taxes add significantly to the bill.
* For your Internet connection, you don’t have to get the highest rate of connection speed. For the average user, you won’t be able to tell the difference and that can save you $20 a month.
If you switch to broadband, don’t keep your dialup (unless you travel often outside the country or in rural areas). Also, drop paying for AOL. All AOL features are free if you have broadband.

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Frugal Recipes

Below are two very special recipes that will save you both time and money.  The first is a basic coating mix that can be used not only with chicken, but also with pork and fish.  The second is a stuffing mix-just waiting to be put in that Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas goose.

Chicken Coating Mix
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons onion powder or dried minced onion
2 teaspoons dried minced celery
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.
To use: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Gently beat 1/2 cup milk and 1 egg together in a bowl. Wash and pat dry chicken. Fill a bag with 1 cup of the coating mix. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk-egg mixture and then drop a piece of chicken into the bag and shake. Let pieces dry thoroughly before baking. Place chicken on a shallow, lightly greased baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until tender.

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Low-Cost Frugal Vacations

What makes a perfect family vacation? That depends on your family; what they like to do, where they like to go, the ages of your children, even your parenting style. But most families will agree that a perfect vacation needs to be relaxing and fun with something for everyone. There is a seemingly endless list of resorts in the United States that fit that description. But for many parents, there is one more essential aspect of the perfect family vacation. It needs to be affordable.

One of the most fun and inexpensive vacations is camping.  Yes, you could spend a fortune on supplies, but why not plan a survival camping trip?  You can find nearly free campsites at most National parks.  Fish for your meals or collect berries and other plants.

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Painless Ways to Cut Vacation Spending

Vacations are another way you can save money.  Below are a few tips to help you save on your next vacation.

*Learn the exchange rate - This seems like common sense, but knowing the exchange rate will permit you knowing when you’re paying too much or at least more than you want to be spending.

*Make a budget - By setting yourself a boundary on what you can spend each day, you’ll start to subconsciously limit yourself.

*Make it a game - If you’re traveling with someone else, try to make it a game to see who can spend the smallest amount of money.

*Walk - Instead of paying for transportation and taxis, why not get a little exercise and save money at the same time?

*Eat where the locals eat -You have certain places that you eat because they’re good and they’re inexpensive. So do people in other countries.

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