The best way to save money with landscaping is to invest some sweat equity in the project. Doing it yourself will save you money and give you a general feeling of satisfaction. While the thought of moving your own trees around the yard may be intimidating, a little know how will go a long way.
Plan Ahead
Steps like improving poor soil or arranging good drainage are best done before you put in new plants. Having your sprinkler system in place to match the design you want will save you money as well as hassle. Evaluate your yard and draw out a plan of where you want to place each bush and tree. Organize any beds you want and select plants with similar growing needs to be placed next to one another. Shop around for the plants you want and if you can negotiate a bulk discount, get them at one location so you save on delivery fees.
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Traditionally, people always needed to find clever ways to stretch their food dollars. I’m not talking about hunters and gatherers – they obviously had a hard time staying well-fed. But even as humans learned how to farm, grow and manufacture their own food, families were still large and resources weren’t necessarily plentiful.
The result is a fascinating collection of frugal recipes that have developed over the years, across cultures and in many different countries. I find it absolutely fascinating that very different cultures, with very different cooking traditions, all share the same basic concept when it comes to frugal recipes: the need to use leftovers, or ingredients that are not very fresh anymore, and the need to stretch small quantities of meat so that they can feed a large number of people. Let’s take a look at a few of these common tricks.
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Do you have a particular hobby you just can’t get enough of? Some part of your lifestyle that identifies you? Something that you’d be happy to spend more time (and more money) on? For most of us, there are several parts of our lives that really make us tick. Sometimes it’s hard to justify spending money on these sorts of hobbies even though it’s what we want to do. But if you can make your lifestyle into a business, you can make those expenses deductible — which, at the very least, makes these expenses more palatable.
Note that not every aspect of a lifestyle can be turned into a business, but with the availability of easy options for business creation online, you might be surprised at your options. Playing video games, gardening and much of the other things you do can be turned into a business. Excited? Here’s what you need to know to get started.
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I live in an area where one-income households are common. One question I am often asked is this one:
“How can I increase my retirement savings when my wife [husband] doesn’t work?”
This is a common conundrum for many who have maxed out an IRA, and wish that they could open another tax advantaged retirement account. They feel stymied (and punished) by the fact that their attempts to make a good home for their children limits the retirement options. Luckily, there is another option that I am happy to tell you about.
Spousal IRA
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Dealing with a financial crisis is not easy, especially since they are almost always accompanied by other stressors such as losing a job, a divorce or a loved one experiencing a serious illness. Quite often, dealing with money is at the bottom of your list of priorities as all of your energy is poured into dealing with the emotions and logistics of dealing with other precipitating events.
Eventually, the time will come when you have to focus some of your attention on your financial situation even while your life is still in turmoil. It’s not easy. We’ve recently been through this in my own family after a sudden and tragic death in my husband’s family. We’re still in the process of getting our finances back on track and I’ve learned a lot from dealing with this crisis, pointers I want to share with you.
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There are some forms of insurance you just can’t live without. Car insurance is mandatory in all states, homeowners insurance is required if you carry a mortgage, and any parent will tell you that medical insurance is crucial. With rising costs hitting all of these necessary protections, it pays to make the most of every dollar.
Car Insurance
Since you have absolutely no choice about having car insurance, you may as well shop around to find the best deal. I know that there are many advertisements trying to entice you to change companies, but before you do that, compare what you are getting right now to what they are offering. Frequently companies “save” you money by providing lesser coverage; in my book that is no savings. Shop around and do it early, insurance companies will almost always match any legitimate offers you find.
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