Festival of Frugality #13

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. You have happened upon the very lucky 13th edition of the Festival of Frugality, a weekly compendium of the finest from the realm of the frugal blogger. I invite to step right up and follow along as we take a tour of the carnival grounds and see what wisdom and advice my fellow bloggers have to bestow this fine week.

First up, we have the lovely Dawn from Frugal for Life with the news that her “Frugal Chat is On“, to be held regularly starting this very evening. Head on over Dawn’s place for more juicy details.

Todd from Aridni.com asks the question, “When Your Salary Goes Up, Do You Let Your Spending Go Up?“ I wouldn’t know because my salary hasn’t gone up in so long. How about you, folks?

Despite the recent studies suggesting that we aren’t saving enough, Kirby from Kirby on Finance ponders whether some of us are “Saving Too Much?“. Head on over for his thoughts on that.

Amanda from Young & Broke wants you to “Find Excitement in Your Financial Plan“. Only 48% of Americans know their net worth. Amanda offers some tools and motivation to figure out where you are so you can figure out where you’re going.

In terms of making a little extra money, Bruce of Fearless Money has found himself an “Amazon Money Flood“ and offers up a thorough article on how he’s doing it.

Free Money Finance says we need to turn off the auto-pilot on our insurance policies in “Getting Homeowner’s Insurance (and Saving Money Too)“. Automatically renewing your insurance could cost you!

Another sound savings tip, this time from Mick at Sound Money Tips, who gives us a “Tip for Saving When Renewing a Magazine Subscription“. Don’t believe the renewal notices with their promises of vast savings. Better deals can be had!

Speaking of comparing, Jeremy of A Financial Revolution recently went a shopping for a gadget and in the process, spent some time “Comparing the Comparison Sites“.

Moving along, Kay from Don’t Mess with Taxes spins us a yarn on a life of couponing in “Still Clipping After All These Years“. I would have loved to have seen the look on that cashier’s face when he saw the coupon without the barcode. Kids these days!

While on the subject of coupons, the Wandering Indian Monk provides us with a bevy of facts in the “World of Coupons“.

Staying in the vein of shopping and saving, our fearless festival leader Jim from Blueprint for Financial Prosperity reminds us that “Every Store Has a Price Drop Policy“. It always happens to me…I buy something and then the next week, the price drops. Jim lets us know what we can do about it.

Speaking of price drops, Jeffrey at Personal Finance lets us know about the “Amazon Price Watch Tool“, a nifty utility that might just save you some money if you’re an Amazon.com addict like myself.

Are you getting hungry yet?

Jenn from Frugal Upstate contemplates the frugality of farm co-ops in “Community Supported Agriculture-Frugal or Not?“ She raises some great points to ponder if you’re looking at joining a CSA farm.

Still on the subject of food frugality, Thomas shares his experiences in “Eating at Home More Often“ on his Personal Finance is Fun blog.

Speaking of around the home…

The Mighty Bargain Hunter looks at “Home Decor Gone Ridiculous“ and offers some suggestions on how to keep your decorating in the save column and out of the splurge side.

The Deputy Head Mistress from The Common Room chronicles her adventures in making her own “Laundry Soap“. A very thorough walk through on the process as well as some discussion on the incredible cost savings involved.

Five Cent Nickel wants you to know that, despite the adage, “Don’t Change Your Oil Too Frequently“. Depending on how you drive, changing every 3000 miles may be a waste.

While we’re on the topic of cars, Mapgirl’s Fiscal Challenge presents us with “Part 1 – Buying Gas: Watered Down Gasoline“. Even though you may suspect you’re getting less than would like from your friendly neighborhood gas jockey, the reality may lie in your own actions.

And last, but certainly not least, Heidi, the scribe behind Frugal Wisdom from Wenchypoo’s Warehouse gives us a rundown on where to “Work and Shop Tax Free“ in the US. An excellent reference on which states are income tax free and which are sales tax free. There may even be one or two that are both!

Well, I’m afraid we’ve come to the end of the fun and frivolity for another week. A huge thanks to Jim at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity for organizing this weekly celebration. If you’d like more information on the Festival of Frugality, including how to submit posts or offer yourself as a host, be sure to check out the main festival page here.

Until next time, keep it simple, and we’ll see you next week at Neo’s Nest Egg.