Live Frugal and Do Something You Love

Some great advice from Frugal Dad is to live frugal and do something you love before you have to do something for money. It's much easier done at 25 than 30 or 35.

Get free home phone service

When you plug the MagicJack into a telephone and your computer's USB port, your calls (in the U.S. and Canada) are absolutely free, using your high-speed Internet connection. The service also comes with call waiting, voice mail and caller ID, at no extra charge.

Save from $30 to $100 per month, or however much you normally spend on your phone bill. MagicJack, $40.

Click here to go to the MagicJack web site
 
According to the company's web site you even get a free phone number, free local and long distance calls, free directory assistance, free voice mail and free call waiting.
 
If you have used this product, please let us know how you like it.

Another product that elminates a home phone line bill is -

Ditch your landline


With XLink, you can gab all you want-at home-without having to pay a monthly landline bill. Just route your cell phone calls to a regular phone through the Xlink console (via a Bluetooth signal). Your cell phone's caller ID and voice mail will transfer over, too, and you don't even need a landline for the console to work.

Save about $33 per month (depending on your phone usage). XLink, $80.

Check out XLink - says it can connect up to 3 cell phones on one USB connection

In regards to the XLink, it will save you money because it allows you to cancel your landline phone service altogether. You can still use landline phone headsets all over the house to answer calls routed from your cell phone, which gives you the comfort of using a "landline" (without the pesky monthly landline phone bill!)

Homemade Beer Bread Mix

Jan’s Beer Bread with Options

3 cups unbleached flour – sifted (if you absolutely will not sift at least fluff your flour and spoon it into the measuring cup)
3 tsp baking POWDER
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup sugar
1 12 oz bottle beer ( flavor is different with each type of beer)

Mix together until blended well…

Melt ¼ cup butter and pour over batter in pan
(can do as little as 2 TBSP but I prefer ¼ cup)

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes depending on your oven.

Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.


Beer Bread Variations

• For a “lighter” bread… mix and put in the pan and let it sit about
30 minutes or until it forms a crown before adding the butter –
then add butter and bake
• Can divide this dough into 2 small loaf pans –adjust baking time
• Use 1/3 cup sugar instead of ¼ cup
• For a sweeter bread, substitute brown sugar for white sugar
• Add a handful of Mexican blend cheeses ( cheddar and jack) before
adding the beer
• Can sprinkle garlic salt on top of the bread half-way through
baking – after removing from the oven, brush top lightly with
butter and sprinkle with garlic salt.
• Add ½ - 1 cup cup cheddar and ¼ cup chopped chilies
• Add ½ cup shredded cheese and ¼ cup sliced green olives
• If you are salt sensitive – use Unsalted butter on top of the
bread mixture
• Use Brown Sugar instead of white and add ½ tsp Onion Powder and
1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Add 1 cup finely shredded cheddar, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and
½ tsp garlic powder

Save Money - Roast Your Own Peppers

Let's face it - buying roasted peppers is expensive - you can do your own at home MUCH cheaper - and if you have a garden and grow them, it's cheaper still!

Discounts for Seniors - Ohio Golden Buckeye Card

Are you 60 or over and live in Ohio? If so, do you use your Golden Buckeye Card?

This card can save you hundreds of dollars when you purchase goods and services throughout the Miami Valley.

The card is good for any Ohio resident 60 and older. It also is available to any resident who is totally or permanently disabled as determined by the Social Security Administration.

The deals vary by region, and are based on a voluntary partnership with the businesses involved. To find what deals are available in the your area or an area you will be visiting, you can search by county and city on the Web site.

Example : The “Dayton” selection contains Dayton as well as neighboring areas.

The average discount is about 10 percent off a product or service - but some merchants give even greater discounts. There is no fee for cardholders or businesses for the card. Merchants of all types (restaurants, retail, auto care, medical and more) from all over the state voluntarily offer special savings or deals for older Ohioans who carry the Golden Buckeye card. They receive no compensation from the state of Ohio for their participation and, instead, do so as a way of attracting a loyal customer base while thanking our older citizens who have reached the milestone of 60 and over for making Ohio a great place to live. Please repay their kindness with your patronage (and save some money in the process).

It applies to everything from international chains to mom and pops corner stores, a little of everything - did you know you can even get a small soft drink at McDonald's for just 39 cents?

Some discounts have stipulations, or say that the card is not to be used with other coupons, but most are just straight-forward cash off.

Prescription Drug Savings - The Golden Buckeye card now includes the Ohio's Best Rx prescription drug discount program. Best Rx lowers the cost of prescriptions for Ohio residents who do not have drug insurance coverage for all drugs. Savings average 30-40 percent on prescriptions at more than 2,300 participating pharmacies. Any Ohio resident age 60 or older is eligible, regardless of income, and you can access the program immediately using your existing Golden Buckeye card. Call toll-free 1-866-923-7879 or visit www.ohiobestrx.org for more information, to look up drug prices, to find participating pharmacies and more. This card is good at multiple pharmacies, from big chains to small independents. Ohio's Best Rx participants will always pay the lower of the calculated Ohio Best Rx price or the Pharmacy's Usual and Customary price. Prices are based on a 30-day supply for retail and a 90 day supply for mail order.

The Golden Buckeye Card, which was introduced in 1976, is the first and oldest senior discount card of its kind in the country. Click on the link below -

http://www.aging.ohio.gov/GoldenBuckeye/locator1.asp

Step One: Select a County

To locate businesses in your area that accept the Golden Buckeye Card, start by selecting a county, then click "Next".

Choose a County:

While they've made considerable effort to verify the information provided in the Golden Buckeye Business Finder, the Department of Aging and the Golden Buckeye Program offer no guarantees as to its accuracy, nor do they necessarily endorse the businesses, services and products listed.

How to Get a Card - Ohio residents who hold current Ohio Driver Licenses or State ID cards automatically receive a Golden Buckeye card in the month of their 60th birthday. Individuals who do not have a current license or State ID, as well as people under age 60 who are eligible due to disability, or who otherwise do not receive their card automatically, may apply for a card at most public libraries and senior centers. Due to ID, age and disability (when appropriate) verification requirements, you cannot apply for a Golden Buckeye Card online or by phone.

How to Get a Replacement Card - If your Golden Buckeye Card has been lost, stolen or damaged, call 1-866-301-6446 to request a replacement.

Save money on Printer Ink

Listed Below are two companies who claim to help save printing costs by regulating the amount of ink you use with their software. I can't endorse them..just passing the information along.



INKGARD

I have not personally used this product, nor do I know anyone who has. The site claims the Inkgard software can dramatically reduce ink & toner consumption while maintaining high-resolution quality. Be in total control of your ink and toner use!

Supports any cartridge model & manufacturer
Save every time you print
Ideal for home and business

Printers.TopTenReviews.com gave it a good review -
http://printers.toptenreviews.com/inkjet/conserve-your-printers-with-inkgard.html

PretonSaver Home

I am using PretonSaver Home. According to the web site it is used by hundreds of thousands of enterprise users and won many industry awards.

The following review was found online:

What amazes me is that not only it saves a tone of ink and toner, it also provide excellent print quality. And, on the same page you can set it so pictures, text and graphics are optimized at different levels. You can also block images from being print - basically printing text only - very effective for web pages printing. And, you get detailed report on cost and savings.

PretonSaver works in the background. It does not replace your print driver. You can predefine savings levels per printer. Just press print on your favorite printer and PretonSaver does the rest.

The technology is awesome. They call it Pixel Optimizer

Pretty cool product. Worth every penny.

Small House Movement Growing

This is an interesting movement that is growing in number to save money and reduce one's impact on the environment. Many people are down-sizing to simplier, smaller living.... take a look.

Small House Society

Cool kitchens for the Small Houses

This three-piece open-plan kitchen features two Natural Cherry and one Bombay Mahogany Workstations. A TP72-MH-T/B72-OC range conceals an oven and microwave/hood. An SZ15-RP-54 Armoire conceals a Subzero 700 refrigerator/freezer and a full height pantry. The Island ST76A/S76A features a Kohler apron front sink and a concealed dishwasher

Coupons - Groceries

COUPONS.COM

I have used this site and have been very happy with it. You need to register and download the coupon printer, it will also let you



SUNDAY COUPON PREVIEW -

Find out what coupons are in the Sunday Paper and How to Read Them!
When you see something listed as 2-7 Coupons (that means Feb 7th) – it’s not a special code.

You can also see the coupon schedule for the entire year so you’ll know which Sundays don’t have coupons. Additionally you can print coupons right from this site..

2-7 Smartsource coupon insert (2 -7 Refers to the date – Feb 7)
Sunday coupon preview
Regional coupon inserts & value differences are to be expected!
(XX/XX) after coupon = expiration date
(x) before coupon = multiple of same coupon
E-T-S = excludes trial sizes
DND-5 = coupon states Do Not Double, but barcode starts w/ a 5
Love Coupons?

LOTS AND LOTS OF COUPON SITES ON THE WEB

See a REVIEW of several sites and how they rate

http://online-coupon-service-review.toptenreviews.com/keycode-com-review.html