Penny Pinching - Save money on utilities, groceries and fashion!

I hate spending money on utilities.

I also hate being too cold or too hot, so my perspective on great ideas to save money does not include me being bundled up in the dark in a parka. I am constantly looking for new, sensible ways that allow me to maintain a thermostatically pleasant environment without going over the top.

Try some of these cost savings ideas. Some of them may save only pennies a day, but we penny pinchers know that those pennies add up... try amortizing $1 over thirty years!

• Use glass or ceramic cookware in the oven. You can use a temperature that is 25 degrees lower than that called for in the recipe.
• The stove or range top uses less energy than the oven, so cook topside whenever you can.
• Closing off seldom used rooms (so you don't heat them in the winter and cool them in the summer) is a great way of saving energy.
• Vacuum the coils on the bottom or back of your refrigerator. Dust build up on them makes the refrigerator run more often.
• Make sure your refrigerator has plenty of breathing room or it will get too hot and run more.
• Smaller appliances like electric cookers or slow cookers use less energy than the range or oven.

Saving money on groceries is one of the most rewarding ways to be a penny pincher. Simply by substituting a healthy quick vegetarian taco dinner for more traditional beef tacos, you can eat better and save money. Try these easy tricks for saving money on groceries.

• Always shop the perimeter of the supermarket, and avoid the center aisles are where you will typically find the high priced prepackaged and preprocessed items. The perimeter is where you find the produce, meat, and dairy.
• Make your own substitutes for prepackaged items you buy (ie: hot chocolate mix, spice rubs, etc.) These are usually easy to make and store and cost a fraction of the store prepackaged versions.
• Make your own salad dressings and croutons. These are easy and quick, and will save you at least 50%.
• Load up on loss leaders (the advertised sale items the store uses to bait you in). If it's a perishable item, then buy only as much as you can use. If it's non-perishable, buy the limit.
• Sneak in at least one vegetarian meal made with legumes and grains each week. They are much cheaper and very good. Try the recipe I've included to the right. You will not be disappointed.
• Buy the largest quantity rather than individual portions. Larger quantities are almost always cheaper per unit.
• Shop at thrift bakeries. Most of them have fresh items (fresher than the markets, actually) at discounted prices. Remember, the trick isn't just to save money, but to eat and live well for less.

When most of us think of being frugal, we think of someone who is shabbily dressed, wearing clothing that went out of style three decades ago.

I assure you, this does not have to be the case!

The trick to looking like a million (while still being frugal) is to buy classic (at a huge discount of course!) then take care of what you buy. Remember, the goal is to look fantastic and live great for a fraction of the cost.

• Buy fine jewelery at fashion jewelery prices. Check out the online auction sites where law enforcement agencies like the police departments and sherrifs departments auction off stolen goods. You will not believe the fine jewelery you can buy on these auctions for a small, small fraction of the retail price. Take a look at the 14K topaz ring I purchased as a graduation gift for well under $50. 
• Learn to accessorize. Well-chosen accessories can easily give one dress several distinct looks. Determine which colors and lines look good on you, then stay with that. That way you can swap out pieces for yet another look.
• Avoid paying retail! There are so many fashion outlets and sales that it is crazy to pay full retail for anything. Remember not to shop for your garments at the last minute, especially for events like weddings.