Don't Buy That Insurance YET!

A lot of people really believe they need insurance for everything they own, but let's evaluate this.

Obviously you need auto and health insurance. It's even required by law. And, if you own your own home, you definitely want homeowner's insurance.



Now, let's look at a few other types of insurance.

Cell Phone Insurance: Perhaps you're the type of person who drops your phone constantly, or you have young kids, and you definitely need cell phone insurance. Consider paying your cell phone bill with a credit card that offers free coverage just for charging the phone bill to your card every month. (Of course, you'll want to be sure and pay the bill in full each month.)

Renter's Insurance: This one won't be the same for everyone. If you are a lifetime renter, and you have accumulated a lifetime worth of items, you probably will want to purchase renter's insurance. If you just moved out of your parent's home and everything you own is either curbside furniture or hand me downs, you might be just as well saving that money for your first home. Compare the annual cost with the amount you paid for your current assets.

Life Insurance: Obviously, if you are married with children, you will need to provide enough life insurance to not only pay for your funeral, but to provide the lifestyle your family is currently used to living. However, if you are single, you might want to consider planning your funeral and expenses in advance and skipping the monthly payment.

Life Insurance on a child: Put the money into a savings account for the kid instead!

Please consult a trusted financial advisor for assistance in any insurance decisions. I am not a professional in the industry, just someone trying to bring to light ideas to help you save some money and help with an inexpensive way of life!

Save when Cleaning your Oven

A lot of us are just learning that the self-clean feature on ovens can be harmful to the health of our stoves. It seems the self-clean feature runs the oven at such a high temperature that it burns control panels and fuses in the newer model stoves.

Solution: use a 1/2 cup of ammonia.

This will probably be less expensive than the electric of running the self-clean feature on your oven, and definitely better than the aerosol oven cleaners.

Here's the directions, from thekitchn.com:

" First, turn the oven on, let it warm to 150°F (65°C), and then turn it off. Place a small bowl containing 1/2 cup ammonia on the top shelf and a large pan of boiling water on the bottom shelf. Close the oven door, and let it sit overnight. The next morning, remove the dish and pan, and let the oven air out awhile. Then wipe it clean using the ammonia and a few drops of dishwashing liquid diluted in a quart of warm water -- even old burned-on grease should wipe right off. Warning: Do not use this cleaning method with a gas oven unless the pilot lights are out and the main gas lines are shut off."

Quit Living Week to Week!

Follow these steps, and you'll see how easy it is to quit living week to week.

Stock Up While It's On Sale

All of us have certain items that we use on a regular basis, from your favorite soda or your favorite cereal, to your favorite laundry detergent.  These are items that are always in the house, or we need to pick up if we run out.

If you watch the ads close enough, you will find certain items go on sale at certain times of the year.

For example, my favorite soda is Mountain Dew.  It goes on sale frequently enough, but it's usually at it's lowest price for about two weeks before each holiday.

If I buy a case of Mountain Dew when it's on sale for $5 instead of the regular price of $7, I save $2 a case.  Considering I go through a case about every other week, that's a savings of $52 dollars a year!

If you do this with everything you buy, these savings add up!

Another example, canned vegetables usually go on sale in the fall, just before Thanksgiving.  It's September and I still have enough vegetables in my cupboard from last Thanksgiving, to do me until November. 

It may seem like a lot of money to put out, at first, but after a while it will be less than your normal grocery bill. 

Next you'll find yourself only going to the store to buy necessity items, unless there is a good sale. 

Do this with your meats, too.  Keep your freezer stocked so that you aren't running to the store two or three times a week to pick up something for dinner 'tonight'!

You'll find you are not only no longer living week to week, but you also have free time to spend with your kids.  Or you'll have the extra cash to go out for dinner and a movie without worrying about next month's rent!