money saving tips – Page 8 – Luv Saving Money

Five Ways To Save Money, Even When You Have Kids

Saving money when you were single wasn’t so hard. It just meant visiting the coffee shop a few less
times a week. All that changes when you have kids.
Any parent will tell you that saving money becomes an uphill battle the instant that first little bundle of joy is born, and it only gets worse as they age. Many parents throw their hands up in defeat because it’s just easier to keep chugging along instead of taking the time to find ways to save a little cash.It doesn’t have to be hard! With these five tips, you’ll find that saving money when you have kids is easier than you thought.

Look for Ways to Reduce Fees
People without kids pay all kinds of fees, but if you have children, you end up paying even more. No
matter where you are in life, it pays to look for ways to reduce fees.
A few ideas include:
 Using a low-fee money transfer service, like Remitly, to send money to children and family in
other countries
 Reduce subscriptions, like TV, music, and gaming services, that the kids don’t really use
 Help your college student find student loans with the best interest rates
Shop the Sales and Buy Second Hand
Kids grow like weeds. The second you buy a new dress for your toddler or a new pair of shoes for your
teen, they have already outgrown them.
You’re just throwing money down the toilet if you buy new, full-price clothing for your child. Instead,
buy items second hand. Because babies and toddlers grow out of clothes so quickly, you may even find
stuff that has never been worn before.
If you have a tween or teen that can’t fathom buying stuff at the thrift store, shop the sales instead.
Look for coupons and consider loading up on clothes at the back to school sales. You can save a bundle if
you go shopping on the back-to- school tax-free weekend!

Limit Pay-To- Play Extracurricular Activities
It is important for your child to be involved, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend hundreds or
thousands of dollars on extracurricular activities.
Limit pay-to- play extracurricular activities by allowing each child to choose one thing they are passionate about that you’re willing to pay for. Then, get creative with free or low-cost activities in your area that might include:
 Boy or Girl Scouts
 Arts and crafts at the local rec center
 Gardening club
 Sewing class
 Mathnasium, or another academic club

Just because your kid should be involved in activities outside of school doesn’t mean every minute of their day has to be planned! There’s nothing wrong with spending lazy afternoons and evenings playing at the playground and watching movies, especially since it will save you a ton of cash.

Reduce Gifts
It isn’t uncommon for parents to get excited on birthdays and holidays where gifts are the norm.
Unfortunately, many parents go into debt trying to create the perfect Christmas experience for their
children.
Tons of gifts are fun in the moment, but a few thoughtful gifts are more meaningful than a truckload of presents. Reduce what you purchase for your little ones and they’ll be more likely to remember what you bought them years later.
Another idea is the four-gift rule. On Christmas, you purchase something to wear, something to read, something they want, and something they need. It will force your kids to think about what they really want for Christmas, and it will keep you from going into debt whenever the holidays roll around.

Learn to Say No
Saying no to kids can be hard. Especially if they’re having a meltdown in the grocery store and their
favorite treat will make the crocodile tears disappear right away. However, it’s much better to say no toy our kids.
By saying no, you’ll teach your child that it’s okay to say no, and it will help your child deal with
disappointment. It can even teach your child to retain their creativity as they age.
The best part about saying no is that you’ll save wads of cash, and you no longer have to worry about being held hostage in the toy store when you learn to say no.
Saving money when you have kids doesn’t have to be as hard as you thought. Although it does take
some determination and forethought, with these four tips, you can continue bulking up your bank
account even if you share your home with little ones.

5 Ways To Save Money On Your Family RV Road Trip

If you’re a frugal person and if you’re planning a family RV road or camping trip, you’ll
probably find this article to be of much use to you.
Even though an RV trip should be cheaper in contrast to other travel options (such as flying and
staying in hotel rooms), that doesn’t mean that it’s an inexpensive endeavor. On the contrary, it
still is expensive.
Fortunately, there are a variety of methods you can use to save money on any RV road or
camping trip, and by using more than just one of these methods your savings can really add up to
a significant amount.

Here are five ways you can save money on your family RV road trip:

1 – Actually Plan Ahead
There’s just no better money saving tip than this one: actually plan ahead. Those who plan ahead
have much greater odds of saving cash versus those who just rent the first RVs or campgrounds
they see.
This means actually doing your research and learning about every RV that is available to rent so
you can compare rates. The same goes for renting campgrounds. A seemingly minuscule
difference of ten or fifteen dollars for daily rent can really add up, especially if your trip is going
to be a long one.

2 – Travel During Shoulder Season
‘Shoulder season’ simply refers to the time of year when travel costs, including rent and fuel,
tend to be much lower. It’s also known as the ‘off season.’ As an added bonus, you’ll also have
to contend with smaller crowds, which can always help make your trip more enjoyable.
Examples of shoulder season include late spring or early fall, when the large crowds are less
likely to travel than they are during the summer. Yes, this means that the weather may not be
quite as nice, through it may be worth to you if it means saving a lot of money.

3 – Avoid RV Parks and Campgrounds
Who says you have to stay at RV parks and campgrounds? Not only are RV parks often very
busy, which means you may not get all the privacy you desire, they also cost money.
A night at a decent RV parks with amenities such as laundry and Wi-Fi should cost between $30
to $50 a night. That’s cheaper than most hotel rooms, but it’s still an expense that can add up. A
week long stay at a RV park priced at $35 a night will cost you $245, for example.

In contrast to this, boon-docking (or parking your RV on public parks outside of RV parks)
doesn’t cost you anything. Sure, you don’t get all of the same luxuries that certain RV parks
come with, but what you do get is more space alone to yourself and possibly several hundred
dollars of saved cash in your wallet. Is it worth it? That’s up to you.

4 – Don’t Eat Out (At Least Not Often)
Eating out constantly is one of those seemingly harmless expenses that can really start to add up.
If you’re serious about saving money on your trip, then bringing your own food and preparing it
in the kitchen your RV provides you with will be a much more cost efficient option.
Not only that, but you can also prepare foods that are already cheaper to make. For example, it’s
probably cheaper to make chili and soup that feeds everyone versus making cheeseburgers for
each individual person.

5 – Compare Fuel Stations
Fuel is one of the largest expenses of any RV trip and you simply can’t avoid the fact that
motorhomes are not the most fuel efficient vehicles on the planet.
But what you can avoid is paying for fuel at a gas station that is priced higher than another gas
station just around the corner.
When the time comes to fuel up, use a fuel app to research all fuel stations within a certain mile
radius. Even if the difference between stations is only one to two cents a gallon, that can really
add up when you consider the fact that RV’s hold a lot of gallons (as in around a hundred and
fifty on average)

Saving Money On Your Family Trip
These are just a handful of the ways you can save money on your RV trip. Using each of these
methods together, you should easily be able to save several hundred dollars, if not over a
thousand, for the trip.

Guest Post by Susan Melony

Saving Money at the Pharmacy

This post is sponsored by Diamond links. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Sometimes going to the pharmacy can be stressful, especially if you’re just starting on a new medication or refilling a medication you already know costs way too much. If you don’t have prescription drug coverage with your insurance, it’s even worse. Some people just forgo filling needed medications because they simply can’t afford it.

I wish I could tell you I have the answer to make all your prescriptions affordable but I don’t. I do know (and use) a few ways to help save you some money.

Whether you have insurance or not, a pharmacy discount program like SingleCare can help. I actually asked my pharmacist at one point if those discount programs were any good. She said it can helps save some money for those without insurance. For those with insurance often times it’s just cheaper with the insurance. She said they can check both though just to save you the most money. Pharmacy discount programs sometimes offers coupons like this dymista coupon , for instance, where you can also compare and contrast prices at different pharmacies.

Another option, ask if a generic drug can be substituted. Not all name brand drugs have a generic equivalent especially if they’re newer drugs but it can’t hurt to ask. This could be big savings for you if they do.

If there isn’t a generic equivalent for your name brand drug, check the drug’s website. A pharmacy tech actually told me about this one. My one son needs an epipen. I have insurance so I really wasn’t paying all that much compared to what I heard some were paying. She told me to check the epipen site to sign up for their epipen savings card program. You get a card to show to your pharmacist for a discount. This actually saved me about $20/month! As I started searching I found many of the name brand drugs had a similar program. I was on Lialda for a while for my Ulcerative Colitis and they had a savings card as well.

Another trick I’ve learned, see if there is another option to fill your medication. What I mean by this is…when the epipen prices increased I heard people were being charged as much as $600 for one epipen. That was horrifying to me since people being prescribed an epipen really really need it. Without the consequences could be fatal. A medical friend told me that you can ask the pharmacist for a vial of epinephrine and syringes and they can teach you to deliver the epinephrine that way. While this idea wouldn’t be appealing to me I heard the cost is much less than an epipen.

Some pharmacies offer free or very low cost antibiotics now too.

I’d love to know what ways you’ve found to save at the pharmacy!

Ways to Save Money During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is in full force, which means you’ll likely be shopping for friends and family soon. To better ensure you don’t start off the new year in dire financial straits, you’ll need to learn a few tips for saving money during this time of year, which might also involve talking with Philadelphia insurance agents to make sure you’re getting the best deal on your coverage policies.

Make a Budget

Before you spend a dime on those closest to you, sit down and make a budget as well as a list for who you plan on buying gifts for and how much you plan on spending on everyone. As you’re mapping out this budget, be sure to give yourself a bit of wiggle room for unaccounted expenses, such as the cost of shipping. While you’re at it, it’s a good idea to also look over your regular monthly budget to see if there’re any temporary adjustments you can make to provide yourself with a few more bucks to spend (or save) during the most wonderful time of the year.

Start Early

You might think you have plenty of time to get your shopping done, but it’s best you get started as early as possible so you can finish as early as possible. Something else to think about when it comes to starting your shopping early is you have to consider how long it takes for your gifts to ship, which could take longer than you think. Plus, the longer you wait, the more you risk missing out on the perfect gift that might be swooped up by the early bird.

Use Apps to Keep Track of Prices

Looking for the cheapest deal on the gifts on your list? Use apps to select the gifts you’ve got your eyes on and set them so you’re alerted of when the cost of those items is reduced. When you feel the price is to your liking, you can strike while the iron is hot, all without spending a dime more than absolutely necessary.

Think About Opening a Holiday Savings Account

To better ensure you don’t blow your budget during the holidays, think about opening a savings account specifically for holiday shopping. That way, you don’t have to worry about accidentally spending money intended for your monthly bills or other expenses. Bill collectors aren’t likely to be too understanding that you were late for your payment because you spent it on earrings for your aunt; they’re sure to charge you a late fee and still expect their payment in full.

Rethink the Extras

Be careful you don’t get so caught up in the spirit of savings that you spend too much money on yourself on gifts, coffee, dinners on the go and the like. While it’s great to treat yourself to a gift every now and then, still the fact remains that that’s money you can spend on gifts for friends and family. Do your best to take care of everyone else first before you buy a few extras for yourself, no matter how much you might feel you deserve them.

Do Your Research

Imagine going to painstaking lengths to find the perfect gift for your friend or family member only to learn your gift was of poor quality. Be sure to research the items you’re thinking of getting to see which companies are the most reputable and which selections offer the best overall value. Check out reviews from consumers who already have the item as well as professionals who have tested and used the item themselves.

Make the holidays a little less hectic this year with the help of these tips. Be savvy not only about how you shop for everyone on your list, but how you spend as well.

Which Is Really Cheaper, Uber or Lyft?

Which Is Really Cheaper, Uber or Lyft?

As a mom trying to make each penny count, rideshare costs can be one area you can save some money. In fact, if you use ridesharing as a way to avoid the need for a second or third car you can drastically cut down on your monthly expenses.
Uber and Lyft have been in a heated rivalry for years now, and one of the ways they compete iswith price. That’s a good thing for us, and even though the prices in general may rise one day, currently they are cheaper than renting a car, taking a taxi, or in some cases driving your own car.

Uber and Lyft Pricing Comparison

Airport Trip – To see which service offers the best price we ran a comparison test with both
apps to see who could get us to the airport the cheapest. The trip would be almost 26 miles and take 28 minutes. The basic Lyft service would cost $39, while the UberX service would cost between $34 and $44.

The Results – That’s quite a range for the Uber estimate, and likely it would fall somewhere in
the middle, so very close to the $39 rate quoted by Lyft. In this case they are very comparable
and since one would get there in four minutes and the other would get there in three minutes
it’s almost a negligible difference. It is interesting to note that the same taxi ride was estimated at $65.70, so either way you’re saving quite a bit compared to a taxi.
Shorter Ride – Not satisfied with this longer ride example, we also calculated a shorter trip from the house to the grocery store to see if that made a difference. Again, there wasn’t much difference, with Uber saying it would cost between $6 and $8, and Lyft saying that they do it for $7.

Surge Pricing

Ridesharing is great during the day when there’s plenty of drivers available and prices are at
their lowest. Both Uber and Lyft have surge pricing, but Lyft’s is not as steep as Uber's so if you find yourself needing a ride after a girl’s night out, Lyft is most likely your best bet.
Cost vs. Riding Experience Much has been said about what it’s like to ride in an Uber versus riding in a Lyft. In this regard, Lyft seems to have the edge with more people rating their ride higher than with Uber. When you consider that the prices are so close to each other, it comes down to which ride will you enjoy more for the price.

Which Is the Best Value?

It may come down to which service works best in your local area and can pick you up the
fastest. Depending on which city you live in, or if you live in a more rural area, there may be
more Uber drivers or more Lyft drivers to be able to get to you more quickly.
With each app you can get an idea of how much the ride will cost and see which one will pick
you up the fastest to determine the best value in your town.