Budget Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

Is Couponing Worth It? Are You Wasting Money When You’re Trying To Save?

June 24, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 4 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

If you’ve ever watched the show Extreme Couponers, it is amazing to see how much money people save by couponing. But, with all of the time it takes to find deals and the extra things you may buy, you may be wondering – is couponing worth it?

At one point in my life, I tested my couponing skills. I would get a ton of household goods for nearly free, and that was the main thing that I couponed for. I would clip coupons out of newspapers, I read coupon blogs, and more. There were many times when I would walk out of the store with $100 worth of items, having maybe spent only around $10 on all of it.

I wasn't the like the people on the TV show, but I definitely loved getting stuff for super cheap and sometimes even free.

I was using so much of my time before I realized what was actually happening. [Read more…]

How To Earn Over 20x The National Savings Rate

June 12, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 9 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

High yield savings accounts are a great way to grow your savings, but most people have their money in accounts with low rates. Unfortunately, that means many of you are losing out on some easy cash!

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t even know what interest rate you’re getting on your checking and savings accounts. You were probably told that when you opened your account, but that could have been years ago.

Savings accounts at brick and mortar banks are known for having really low interest rates. For example, here are some of the lowest savings rates I’ve seen:

Bank of America’s standard savings rate is 0.03%
Wells Fargo Platinum Savings has an APY of 0.05%
U.S. Bank has a standard savings rate of 0.01%

Those rates are crazy low, which means your money just isn’t growing as quickly as it could. [Read more…]

10 Easy and Delicious Camping Meal Recipes

June 10, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 7 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Camping is a great frugal activity to do with your family or friends. And with these 10 easy camping recipes, you’ll have a bunch of delicious and budget-friendly meal options.

I absolutely love camping, and making delicious meals while being outdoors.

These easy camping recipes are simple and have quick clean up and prep. And, this list has a ton of delicious and easy camping meals, from desserts to nachos.

What I love the most about these easy camping recipes is that you will end up with meals that are more interesting than what you may normally have. And, because you can prep some of these meals in advance, you can spend more time having fun while you’re camping. [Read more…]

How We Paid off $266,329.01 in 33 Months

June 7, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 14 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Today, I have a great debt payoff story. I've known Lauren for years – pretty much ever since I started Making Sense of Cents years ago! She was one of the first blogs I read actually.

Lauren Mochizuki is an ER nurse, wife, and mother. She and her husband paid off $266,329.01 in 33 months. They also purchased their fixer-upper dream home, and renovated it without going into debt. At her blog www.casamochi.com, she is sharing her home renovation story, encouraging others to become debt-free, and that one can live a great life while being on a budget. Enjoy her story below!

The Background

Female, age 25, nurse, recently married, living her life with no regard to finances. Frequently dines out, goes to concerts, travels to foreign countries, never volunteers to work any extra shifts, lives beyond her means. Purchased a brand new Subaru Forester, husband also purchased a brand new car, lives in an 1,100 square foot condo.

Total debt owed: $266,329.01. [Read more…]

Save Money With These Top Tips For Buying A New Car

June 3, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 9 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

I’ve recently heard a lot about people spending an exorbitant amount on their monthly car loan. Personally, I know several people who spend over $1,000 a month on their car loans while barely making enough to cover that and all of their other bills.

So today, I want to give you some tips for buying a new car so that you can save money on your next car purchase.

According to USA Today, the average new car price is around $37,000, with the average new car buyer paying around $550 a month with loan terms of 69 months. Many people are buying more expensive cars and taking out loans with high interest rates in order to “afford” them.

In fact, according to Edmunds, the current average annual interest rate on in 2019 is 6.19%. I've even seen car buyers with interest rates of 20% and higher. [Read more…]

10 Easy Freezer Meal Recipes

May 30, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 6 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

On nights when you are busy, having a freezer meal ready to go is one of the best ways to feed you and your family. So, to help you get ready for your week, I have 10 easy freezer meal recipes for you to try, from breakfast burritos to meatless shepherd’s pie.

Freezer meals are simply meals you prep and cook in advance, stick in the freezer, and pull out to reheat when you need them. They are simple, healthy, and help you save money.

If you’ve never made freezer meals before, here are a few tips:

Batch cook several meals at once.
Label your meals with reheating directions.
Use freezer quality bags so your food doesn’t get freezer burn.
Make a list of what freezer meals you have and put it on your fridge or somewhere else that’s easy to see.

Trust me, these meals are nothing like the frozen dinners you would buy from the store – home cooked always tastes better (the from scratch Hot Pockets on this list look delicious!).

And, one of the best things about these easy freezer meal recipes is that you can save a lot of money on your monthly food budget. You will be less likely to get fast food or take out when you know that you have a delicious meal at home that you just need to pop in the oven or microwave. [Read more…]

How To Make $1,000 Extra With Facebook Each Month

May 15, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 18 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Today, I have a fun interview to share with you that will show you how to make extra money running Facebook ads for local businesses.

I recently had the chance to interview Bobby Hoyt. Bobby is a former high school teacher who paid off $40,000 of student loan debt in a year and a half. He now runs the personal finance blog Millennial Money Man full-time, as well as a digital marketing agency for local businesses that he started in 2015.

Yes, this is a skill you can learn!

Last year, business owners spent over $88,000,000 per day on Facebook ads.

If you are looking for a new business or even just a side hustle so that you can learn how to make extra money, learning how to make money running Facebook ads for local businesses may be something that you want to look into. [Read more…]

The Background

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