Savings - Set up a Rainy Day Fund

If you think things are bad now, they could get worse.  That is why it's important to have some money tucked away for a rainy day.  The obvious question:  how is someone who is flat broke going to stash some cash?

Photo By Jericho [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

How To Free Up Credit

It's a fair question.  The answer is too start small. If you have credit card debt, set aside some of your credit cards for emergency use only.  It's important to have a card that will only be used if the car breaks down or for a medical emergency or for unforeseen vet bills.  Just set the card aside in a drawer and refuse to use it.  As you pay down your balance, you're emergency credit will build up.

How to Save Your Change

Of course, available credit isn't the same as cash.  It's better to have some cash stashed.  You can start by tossing all your coin change into a change pot or piggy bank.  Pretty soon, you'll have $20 or $30 saved up for little emergencies.  You can also put a few dollars in an envelope every pay period. Pretty soon, you'll have a little stash.

How to Save Money

But, you really need money in a savings account.  Open a savings account with your local credit union.  Take your cash envelope down and deposit it from time to time.   Get in the habit of transferring some money to savings each pay period.

Don't think you can save any money?  Look at the stupid things you spend money on.  For example, you could stop smoking and stash the money you save. Here is a calculator on how much you would save by giving up cigarettes:  Smokefree.gov.  You can also give up some small luxuries like Starbucks.  If you want to save, you have to make some sacrifices.  There are tons of ideas for saving money at FeedthePig.org.

Totino's Pizza Mini Review

If you are flat broke, you need to have Totino's pizza in the house.  If you are merely broke, you could splurge for Totino's pizza rolls.  These two items are really cheap ways to stretch a paycheck.  Plus, they taste pretty good.

If you buy some of these foods early in pay period, you'll at least have something to eat later in a pay period.  Obviously, man cannot live on Totino's pizza rolls.  If you eat them all the time, you'll get sick of them.  Plus, if you are what you eat, you might turn into a pizza roll.  However, it is always good to build up a food stash.  You'll need an emergency supply.

Totino's Pizzas only take 11 or 12 minutes to bake in the oven at 450 degrees and they usually hit the spot. I usually eat about 10 pizza rolls for a small meal.  These are great for lunch.

Dollar Tree Dental Hygiene

Dollar Tree is the best place to buy tooth brushes, tooth paste, and dental floss.  They have well-respected brand name products like Reach tooth brushes and Colgate tooth paste.  They also have Pluckers floss tooth picks and dental floss.  I've also gotten good deals on mouth wash.  We picked up this Colgate toothpaste as part of our last Dollar Tree Haul!

Colgate Toothpaste from Dollar Tree

If you are on a tight budget, you need to take care of your teeth and avoid cavities.  If you brush, floss, and get your teeth cleaned at a dentist on a regular basis, you may avoid more expensive dental work.

Big Savings From Our Dollar Tree Haul

We're kicking off the new year by talking about our most recent Dollar Tree haul.  There are three ways to save money when buying merchandise.  First, you can save money at conventional stores by shopping sales and using coupons.  Second, you can save money by buying in bulk and paying a lower unit price per item.  Third, you can buy minimal quantities that you'll actually use at predictable prices that fit into a tight budget.  Dollar Tree fulfills this third path to saving money splendidly.

A $55 Dollar Tree Haul

On our most recent Dollar Tree run, we spent an astonishing $55.  But, we bought necessities and snacks that will save us even more money over the course of a pay period.  For example. on the way home, we munched on a $1 batch of European cookies.  Consequently, we were able to breeze right by Starbucks, McDonalds, and gas station convenience stores where we might have bought a snack.  Having that $1 roll of cookies allowed us to avoid $4 to $12 in fast food snacks.