Guest Post Written By: Wendi Iacobello Electricity 1-Lights-Change your light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs. Then, only use lights in the room in which you are sitting. During the day time, open up your blinds or curtains and let in fresh light instead of using electricity. To learn more about the cost savings of energy efficient bulbs, click here. 2-Appliances-Change the way you do laundry to save money. Washing clothes in cold water is cost saving. Make sure your laundry

I love shopping during the holiday season.  My favorite day to shop is Black Friday. I know many disagree because the crowds can sometimes be overwhelming. There are ways to avoid the crowds (at certain stores) and get the items you are looking for. Shopping outside of peak Black Friday hours is a great way to avoid large crowds.  As the years have gone by, Black Friday has made its way to Thanksgiving Thursday. This is mainly because most people are not working on Thanksgivi

Who doesn’t like to relax, party or unwind every now and then? We all do, but at what cost?  There comes a point when we have to realize that some of our extra activities or things we indulge in are costing us our livelihood. Discipline is necessary when breaking or curbing any habit that you enjoy.  I used to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol years ago.  I bought a carton of Kools cigarettes every two weeks, they were about $40 dollars.  If you add up the cost of the cigare

Today, take time to think about what you are spending money on. Do you buy things outside of  paying your bills? You may be surprised to find out  how much extra money you actually have. When you are struggling to make ends meet, buying a $5 dollar Starbucks, a pack of cigarettes, or a bottle of wine can possibly add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year and quite possibly be the reason why you are struggling to begin with, think about it.🤔 Make a short-term g

Emotional stress can negatively contribute to the way you spend and budget money. When I am stressed, I tend to buy fast food everyday. This is definitely not a good financial habit. Is there anything you impulsively spend money on when you’re stressed? Below is a link with a few tips on how to reduce stress. http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot A few things you can do when you’re stressing to avoid impulsively spending m

Over the years I have learned how to cook budget-friendly meals. This used to be difficult for me.  Growing up, my family cooked very large meals, enough to feed an entire brigade of soldiers. When I became an adult and was single, I didn’t have to cook at all if I did not want to.  Now that I am married and have children, I am the person responsible for preparing most of the meals my family eats. I have learned over time to make smaller meal portions. I have also learned how