You may have even tried the ‘save money’ approach already via a budget, clipping coupons, or shopping at local thrift stores. No matter what you do, to promote frugal spending habits, it is worth your effort even if it is as simple as clipping coupons. You and your family are more important than those not-so-well-thought-out trips to the mall. You can do it and with a little effort and a lot of patience you can make a big difference.

You have to be easy on yourself as well. A lot of people slip up in the midst of a budget-war and after they have spontaneously splurged the fifty dollars they turn right around and beat themselves up over it. It may not be obvious but the damage of self sabotage can only be harmful if you allow yourself to wallow in your own let-down’s.

If you are on a pre-planned shopping trip and you slip up, by buying something that is not on your list, the last thing you need to do is bash yourself for losing your control. When you get home, as you are putting away your groceries, think it over logically and not in a self abusive way. You need to remind yourself that this is a lesson to be learned. Either keep the item you purchased and fully enjoy it or return it, unopened, to the store you purchased it from. If it will make you feel better then it’s ok to do this. The worst thing you can do right now is to make yourself feel like you’ve ruined something. We all make mistakes and this is a little, tiny one.

Use this time to reiterate the importance of an “I want this” list. Keep a small note pad with you at all times, especially on regular shopping trips. When the shopping temptation hits you, at the clearance section at Target, first breathe then, grab your “I want this” list, and jot down the item that you so strongly desire. After a week if the desire is still as strong as it was on that day, and you have moved the item into your spending budget, then go back and get it. Otherwise, let it go and live your life. Either way it is a lesson, a valuable one, that you’ve learned from experience.

Carpentry
Carpentry is an amazingly useful skill that should be a standard thing to learn in any basic educational system. The fact that many people have a required class at some point in school that teaches them how to make something small and wooden that is usually less than practical is rather silly when people should be learning how to build a small building by the time they graduate from their primary schooling. Learning and performing carpentry yourself is something that will feel truly rewarding once you learn the basics. Another plus is that the basic tools required for general household repairs are generally relatively inexpensive and once you have a decent set they should last for years and years.

Learning how to even make a nice table for your home is a great way to get into carpentry without too much of a commitment to tools. A hammer and a saw and a drill are all you really need to give it a go and see if you like it before buying too many tools. You may just want to pick up a tool kit as it will likely be a more affordable option.

Knitting
Knitting is a popular pastime that has really made a comeback in recent years. There is a huge knitting community online and even new knitting magazines around. It is like a knitting revival is on the loose. There are even new forms of knitting and even new toys being knitted these days. It may even sound more farfetched to hear that there is even a popular video game with knitted characters. If you had told anyone that 20 years ago it is doubtful they would have believed you.

One of the really nice aspects of knitting is that the tools are really pretty affordable. Needles and yarn are really inexpensive and you will easily find information online to get you started knitting right away. A book or magazine may be a good and really affordable investment also as it may be more pleasant to reference while you are learning.

You can knit your own Cajmere sweater for a small percentage of the cost of an equivalent sweater in a boutique. Not only that but you have the freedom to design it as you like! You are no longer limited by what fashion designers and stores happen to have available, you are now your own fashion label!

Have fun and enjoy your new endeavor as much as possible. You will likely be so happy and satisfied when you finish your first project, so go for it and make sure you complete what you start!

Interestingly enough, the average wedding cost of the bride’s parents verses the cost to the bride and groom are about the same.  Typically, the cost for the wedding is split almost 50/50 between the two.  In addition, the average cost of a wedding in 1990 was about $15,000 – you can see how wedding costs have increased nearly 100% in the last decade and a half alone.

Destination Weddings

Destination wedding have grown in popularity, increasing as much as 400% in the last ten years. In part, this trend can be attributed to the fact that the average age of couples getting married has increased, so they have more money to spend on what they perceive to be exotic getaway vacations.  A typical couple will spend an average of $25,806 on these types of weddings, and one out of ten couples opt for a destination wedding.

Wedding Gowns

Surprisingly, brides are choosing to use their wedding budget on other things besides their wedding dress.  In the past, brides paid thousands of dollars for beautiful, custom order wedding gowns, but now, an average of around $800 is typically the purchase price for a wedding dress.  In addition, the number of women renting their wedding dresses instead of buying has increased, and this also helps to bring down the cost of this expense.

Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes range in prices depending on your tastes and needs.  Slices of cake can be had for as low as $1.50 per slice, although some more expensive cakes can be up to $30 dollars a slice.  Talk about a cake trimmed in gold!  An estimated average cost of a single wedding cake is $543 dollars.  Some cakes, though, can cost several thousands of dollars, depending upon how fancy the decorations are and how big a cake is needed for your wedding.

Music and Photographers

Today, hiring a five person band for four hours of entertainment has an average cost of $2,085.  One less band member will give you a savings on average of $935.  If you’re interested in hiring live musicians for your wedding, the most effective way to go would be to hire a six to ten person band.  This size group costs, on average, $2,200, which is only $115 dollars more than a five person band.

But you don’t only want good music at your wedding – you’ll also want to hire a good photographer.  Over a hundred years ago, one of the most popular types of photography was tin type, although things have really changed in photography since then!  You can get quality photos taken at your wedding for a photo album or you can have your wedding captured on video to watch for a lifetime.  Wedding photography can range on average anywhere from $950 to $10,000, depending on your geographic location, the quality of the photographer and the type of prints you purchase after the event.

1) Turn the lights off when you leave a room. Unless you’re ocming right back to the room, might as well just flick the swtich on your way out. Couple of lights here and there, and it’s an extra $10 less per month on your electric bill.

2) Don’t turn your heat up too high. If you find yourself having to open the window during winter, it’s probabl y a sign that you have your heat up too high. Heat tends to come pretty expensively (especially if you’re using electric), so close the window and turn it down a little. If you need fresh air, put some plants in your apartment.

3) Turn your computer off when you go to bed. Sure, it’s convenient to not have to turn it on in the morning, but it costs you an extra dollar/day probably not to mention the extra wear and tear on your computer.

4) Use a smaller computer/laptop if it’s all the same to you. Bigger computers like desktops can have pretty powerful power supplies that drains a lot of energy. So if you don’t care if you use a laptop or desktop… might as well just use the laptop!

5) Wear more clothes and turn the heat down. Unless you really love walking around your apartment naked during the winter, why not save some money by turning the heat down and just dressing normally? You have all summer to walk around naked and that doesn’t cost you anything.

6) Do more stuff at night if possible. Electricity is generally cheaper at night (depending on where you live), so if you have to do computer stuff, might as well try to do that during the night time instead of the day. Of course, if you’re reading or something, then do that during the day since sunlight is free.

7) Don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Sure, that dress might look pretty now, but you’ll get bored of it in a few days. Go ahead and feel it up all you want in the store. Maybe even go to the dressing room and put it on. But hey.. you don’t really need it right?

Buy only stuff you need. Yeah, you could get an iphone, but what if all you really do is use it as a phone and to text? Why spend $200 when you can spend $0, and probably get a phone with better reception? Sure, it doesn’t have all those cool features, but you just want a phoen, right?

First, try to buy groceries online. Yes, even fruit and perishable products. If you look at most large groceries stores like Safeway, they do delivery right to your door for a nominal fee of a few dollars (literally… it was around $2.95 last time I checked). Not only that, but all pershiable items such as fruit is hand picked, and they tend to pick only the good ones for you. You’ll also get builk discounts on orders and receive coupons for things that you would otherwise never know about (you also get coupons for free shipping on a very regular basis)!

Also, it’s much easier to compare brands online. If you’re searching for some thing like tomatoes, there might be a different brand that’s pretty much the same that’s .30/pound cheaper. Online, they’ll be displayed right next to each other while you might completely miss it in a store!

If you’re looking for electronic gadgets, make sure to do some comparison shopping online. When it comes to tech, online buying is the king. Recently, I tried to buy some RAM at a local store such as Best Buy or Circuit City. The price tag on it was $129 for 1 GB. $129!! If you haven’t checked the prices lately, RAM is only about $20/1 GB online, with free delivery. Local stores are just exceptionally overpriced and not very up to date when it comes to the latest technology.

So if you’re looking for a 42″ plasma TV or a new computer, check out a few popular sites like amazon, newegg, or buy.com. You might just find something online that’s 1/2 the price of that in your local store. Plus, you can read the reviews of hundreds of people who’ve used the product online, instead of you facing 5 different 42″ TVs that kind of look the same and wondering why one is $100 cheaper or something. Online, people’ll tell you that it’s cause that TV comes without a stand, or breaks easily, etc.

Look around at the different sites (making sure they’re reputable), and when you’re ready to place an order, make sure to search for a promotional code. Oftentimes, you’ll get large discounts online for just a few minutes of mucking around on Google! For example, if you’re buying your 42″ plasma TV at amazon.com, just google “amazon coupon code” or something similar an voila, your TV is at a 10% discount!

Whatever you need, from food to electronics, online buying has become part of modern reality. It not only gives you a variety of choices and prices, you also get to save time from not having to run around. And hey… time is money!

Put aside part of your paycheck every month - This is probably the most effective way of making sure you have something for that medical emergency down the line or Ivy League college graduation your kids might want. Treat it like you would any other fixed expense. You wouldn’t not pay your mortgage or your electric bill would you? Then don’t forget to pay your savings account! 

When you get your paycheck, just deposit that 10% or 20% of it into your savings account and pretend that it doesn’t even exist. That money is an investment in your own future, so why would you rob yourself the right to medical care when you need it or your kid’s dream of going to a good college? 

Invest Your Savings - Thankfully, your savings account can grow itself in time. Whether you choose to invest it in treasury bonds or a 529 plan for you or your family’s education, make sure to put your money to good use. That few thousand dollars you put in now might be enough to fund your child’s education in 15 years! Through the magic of compounding, your savings account can grow signficantly in size without you adding signficant amounts of money, so there’s all the reason to pick an investment that is right for you.

If you’re more conservative, pick things like treasury bonds, money market accounts, and very high grade bonds. If your savings account is rather large and you already have a substantial income, then you might want to invest your money in risker assets such as stocks. Make sure to do a lot of research and read up on stock investing tips though to keep yourself well informed. After all, it took you years to save up!

Save Early, Invest Early - It is greatly to your advantage to invest early if you want compounding to work in your favor. Not only can your $1000 turn into $1,000,000 over the course of half a century, you can invest in riskier assets that average out more over the long run. Wouldn’t you rather put away an extra $1,000 now if you knew it’ll give you an extra $1,000,000 when you’re much older?  It makes a huge difference to you further down the line whether you invest now or in 5 years, so start getting your money in now - you’ll thank yourself later!

1. Save on movie tickets. Everyone enjoys some movie time once in a while, but nowadays, movie tickets can cost as much as $11 a ticket and if you get snacks as well, a movie trip for two can easily be in the upward of $30. Try renting a movie instead. Companies like Netflix offers convenient services at a great discount. You can get movies arriving in your mailbox every 2- 3 days and unlimited real-time online viewing for a little as $8 a month! Want to watch the newest release in the theater? Most workplace offer discounts by places like www.workingadvantage.com to let you buy movie tickets at $6-$7 a piece. Check with your HR to see if your company offers something like that.

2. Drink tea instead of coffee. Still paying $3 every morning for your coffee? Now would be a great time to consider switching to tea slowly. Green tea is known to provide powerful antioxidants that can keep your body and mind sharper and healthier. Grocery stores usually sell a pack of 20 tea bags for a little as $2-$3. What a great way to stay healthy and save money!

3. Cooking at home. Nowadays you don’t have to be a great chef to prepare something tasty anymore. Many grocery stores have marinated / pre-prepared food that you can simply heat up. It takes minutes to prepare and can save your a bunch! Craving for something that’s not available at the grocery store and have no idea how to make it? No need to even pay for a cooking book anymore! Online recipes are everywhere. Simply google what you want to prepare, you are sure to find something out there.

4. Find a coupon code. If you’ve done online shopping, you are probably aware that most merchants provide a coupon code box at checkout. Just google the merchant’s name + “coupon” to get a list of available coupon codes. For example if you’re shopping at the www.gap.com, simply google “gap coupon”, you are sure to find some percentage off and free shipping deals. It would literally take 2 minutes of your time and you are likely to save at least $5 and usually much more. Not a bad hourly rate at all!

5. Get a water filter. A bottle of water don’t cost much, especially when you buy a whole case. But it does add up, especially considering we are supposed to consume 6+ bottles a day. Try a water a facet water filter or a container filter. It is sure to save you hundreds if you have a big family. Additionally, you’ll also feel great knowing that you are contributing to greener world by not needing all those plastic bottles!

6. Save on energy. Winter heating bill is generally a major household expense item for those of us living in the north. Try installing a timer if you don’t already have one. Those little devices lets you set when you want your heat on or off at what time of the day and on what days, so that your heat doesn’t need to be on while you’re away at work. You won’t notice a thing since it will turn back on automatically before you get home. Also try simple things like opening and closing your door quickly, unplug your electronic devices from the outlet (they use energy even when you’re off), know what you want from the fridge before opening it. Con Edison website offers some great little tips (http://www.coned.com/customercentral/energysavingtips.asp). Here’s an interesting fact: Americans consume about 1/5 of the world’s energy, so there are definitely reasons to save on energy aside from monetary motivations.

7. Refinance your home. The FED decreased primary rates again. Primary interest rate is at its lowest in many years. If you have a mortgage, it is now a great time to check out the refinancing rates at some banks. Be careful to stick with reputable banks and pay attention to any hidden costs. Remember to check out a few banks before you go with any one of them and you can always negotiate.

8. Use a credit card. Using a credit card has many advantages - points and cash back rewards, protection against unauthorized purchases, no need to carry lots of cash. Many credit cards offer up to 5% back on groceries and gas. That equates to about 2 weeks of free gas and grocery every year! One thing to watch out for credit card purchases is don’t forget to pay your bills on time, you might get hit hard with finance charges and late fees otherwise. Consider setting up Autopay for your credit card if you’ve forgotten a few times in the past. One downside of using a credit card is some people tend to spend more when they charge to a card versus paying with cash. If you tend to do that, carrying cash might be a better alternative.

9. Be creative. Thinking about changing your wardrobe because some of your dresses are out of style? Sometimes simply adding a belt or a fur can drastically change the look of your outfit. How about that pair of shoes you’re about to throw out because the sole if worn? Try taking it to a shoe repair shop to get just the sole replaced. Be creative and you will be surprised at what little treasures you might rediscover from your closet or garage.

10. Keep track of your expenses. Learn what’s your biggest expense categories and where you might be able to cut some expenses. Believe it or not, simply made aware of your expenses will likely help you save. If you know you spend $800 a month eating out, having that thought might just yield a home cooked meal one night without you even noticing!