A 2007 study from the Stanford Graduate School of Business notes that shoppers who are forced to pay separately for each item purchased spend less that shoppers who buy a lot all at once. The study states that people who spend more may be doing so because they’ve built a “shopping momentum” with an initial purchase. Researchers found that for most people buying a first item leads to a “purchasing floodgate.”

In one of the field tests, students were given the opportunity to buy discounted items from the researchers as compensation for their participation. Some students initially were offered a light …read more

Happy November all. Now is the time most people really start to panic about the holiday budget – there’s meals, gifts, and plenty of extra events to figure in and it can be scary. Still, there are plenty of good deals to be had in November. Such as…

TOYS: Many of the mass market retailers put stuff on sale now, not in December as you might expect so that they can one, see how much interest there is in a specific popular toy, and two, clear the shelves for last minute holiday toy stocking.
HEALTH INSURANCE: Health insurance is usually hitting open …read more

There are plenty of ways to save money that are a snap to incorporate into your daily life. Such as…

Set aside $20-$40 each month for small eco-friendly home changes. Each month buy some new green gear that will add up to more savings in the long run, like, new CFL light bulbs, reusable water bottles (over plastic disposable water), a water heater wrap, a water efficient shower head, some waterless car wash, and so on. Over time you’ll cut energy and water bills.
Buy larger sizes of food items for kids (huge box of crackers, large block of cheese) instead of …read more

Life isn’t all that complicated – ok it is, but there are some basic rules that can be applied to most of life’s situations. For example…

College grades
Weight loss
Buying a home
Exercising more
Eating better
AND yes, of course saving money and more

For example:
Get support – no matter what you’re doing, having a baby, learning to in-line skate, creating a workable family budget to save up for a car, you can’t (or shouldn’t) do it alone. If your family is not on board with saving it’ll be harder. Just like if you’re trying to eat better and people keep bring ice cream into the …read more

With job uncertainty, health care costs rising, and all the ups and downs of life in general, a super smart move is to plan for and save for an emergency savings account. Here’s how to get going with an emergency saving plan for your family…

Figure out your spending habits: The first thing you’ll need to do is sit down and figure out how much you NEED per month for necessities, and secondly how much your family spends over that amount on a monthly basis. Come up with a final monthly figure you’re comfortable with. Some people are great about spending …read more

Sometimes saving cash takes major willpower and crafty solutions. Other times, the savings are sitting there right in front of us…
Skip restaurant extras: If you eat out often, skip one or more of the following; beverages (except water), appetizers, desserts. All of these are usually ramped up price wise. While your meal may be a decent deal, it’s the extras that add up.
Buy off label everything, whenever possible: Easy to do. Sometimes people just need a nudge.
Reclaim your rebates: I’m really bad about this. If I do get a rebate I tend to forget about it OR I forget to …read more

I hope everyone had a safe and calm New Year’s Eve. Now it’s time to think about saving money in the upcoming year; starting of course, with January…
Winter textile and fashion goods – think items like winter coats, sweaters, electric blankets, and long johns. Not that I think you’re all rushing out to buy long johns, but you get the idea. End of winter goods are going on sale right now to pave the way for spring fashion and textiles.
Furniture – Most of the big time money research guides note that January is the best time ever to purchase furniture. …read more

Happy December thrifty people. December is an oddball month for savings. You’ve got the first half of the month, where everything is seemingly inflated. Then about a week before Christmas retailers get nutty and jittery and lower prices on everything.
So, refrain early in the month from many purchases then around the 15th – buy pre post-holiday anything (almost). But, since I’m hoping you don’t go spend happy, here are some extra good December deals…
Cashmere and leather – while I don’t personally think buying leather is very ethical, it is usually on sale in early December, so if leather is your …read more

I read once that on average, the typical person gathers about $400 in change each year. That’s if the person spends only cash and then puts all their coins into a jar. With the prevalent use of debt and check cards, cash seems to be out of style. However, what you can do with this information is use it to your advantage.
IF the average person can save up $400 in change, and you consider yourself an average indiviual, than you can afford to put $400 away each year into something.
Each year use $400 to….

Pay off some credit.
Add to a college …read more

Happy November thrifty people. Let’s see what’s cool (and less expensive) to to purchase in November. PS my birthday is this month, so it’s a good month for my pals to shop – Just kidding.
Toys are a great November buy, with stores gearing up for holiday purchase, they lower prices – right now. Wait too long, and you’ll be paying last minute holiday toy prices.
Health insurance is usually open enrollment during November. That also means if you already have a plan it’s a good time to fine tune it, change options, or make other changes. One good bet …read more