Category: Food

Save money on groceries and dining out, as well as find new recipes to cook at home

Food, More, Personal Finance, Travel

Tipping Guidelines – Are There Really Any Rules?

There’s a tricky subject out there that many people fear to talk about with their friends and family. No, I’m not talking about the usual controversial stuff like sex, politics, or religion here. I’m talking about the subject of tips and tipping! Believe me when I tell you it’s a subject that you deal with pretty often and it involves so many different angles for you, your family, and of course to the people with whom you are interacting, the “tippees”. So today I’m going to cover my tipping guidelines.

Tipping can be a very confusing and even controversial subject, so here, along with some tipping history, are my tipping guidelines for all sorts of situations.

I can honestly say that this is a subject that can cause friction and even arguments for some and lots of second guessing and confusion for others. I have to be honest; it has been on more than one occasion for me. If you think about it, tipping adds a chunk of expense to your experience and you want to get the most for your money when you tip. That’s why today, I’m asking out loud this question: “Are there really any rules for tipping?”Continue reading“Tipping Guidelines – Are There Really Any Rules?”

Cars, Debt, Food, Home, Personal Finance

Concentrate on the Big Three Expenses of Your Budget

Have you ever gotten through the month and breathed a sigh of relief because there was still a little bit of money left in your bank account? It’s a great feeling but sometimes it almost feels like a mystery. How did I do that? Why was this month such a good one compared to most others? Most of us are used to feeling stressed out because most of the time our money is tight.

When you're trying to get free from debt, little things matter, but concentrating on the big three expenses of your budget is the way to go. Here are the steps to take to eliminate debt from your life.

As ridiculous as this might sound, when I look at my monthly scorecard of what I spend and what my income was compared to my budget, I think about it like it is my NFL season record. You know, when I come in under my expense budget I feel like that’s a win and when I don’t it’s like a loss. I’d really love to have a 12-0 season, but frankly that hasn’t happened…yet.Continue reading“Concentrate on the Big Three Expenses of Your Budget”

Family & Relationships, Food, Shopping, Travel

18 Money Saving Ideas for St. Frugaltine’s Day

I definitely love being in love! I am so fortunate that I have found true love on my second time around when I met and fell for Suzanne, my beautiful wife, back in 2005! Not only is she all that and a bag of chips (am I dating myself with that phrase?), but we share a mindset about personal finances and that crosses off the list any arguments we might have about money. That is a problem that many couples endure and it can really damage a relationship.

You know it's coming on February 14th, and now you need some Valentine's Day ideas that won't break the bank. We've got you covered with some money saving ways to show your love.

Having said that, we both enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day each year but we do it on our own terms. So it’s kind of a challenge to come up with some new ways to have fun, share our love, and still remain fiscally solvent. Here’s a not so short list of money saving ideas that can make your Valentine’s a “St. Frugaltine’s Day” of fun and frolic!Continue reading“18 Money Saving Ideas for St. Frugaltine’s Day”

Food

5 Easy Steps to Save Up to 50% on Your Grocery Budget

Please note this post contains affiliate links which help to fund this blog at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

News flash—food is expensive! But I bet you already knew that. Suzanne and I are pretty proud that somehow we manage to keep our food expenses under control and since I track it all to the penny for the past 10 years, I actually have the evidence that we have done a great job of saving (and patting ourselves on the back!).

Your grocery budget is one of the most important places to save money. Use these five tips to tame your spending and save big.

According to the USDA, the typical family of four spends about 10% of their household budget on buying groceries for their family and that’s well over $7,500 on the low side to an unbelievable $16,000 on the high side each year depending on income. For our family of two, our grocery budget lies somewhere between the thrifty and low-cost food plans. All these numbers don’t include the money a family spends dining out which is about one third of total food expenditure itself.Continue reading“5 Easy Steps to Save Up to 50% on Your Grocery Budget”

Food, Health

5 Ways to Make “Healthy” Easier and More Convenient

You’ve heard me say it before: staying healthy is an important way to save money. But how do you get or stay healthy when you’re busy and stressed? I’m sure we all start each day thinking that today is the day when we will try really hard to cultivate some of those healthy habits into our lives. Unfortunately, way too often, convenience wins out over our good intentions. I have to plead guilty as charged right here!

When you're busy it can be difficult to stay healthy, but there are new services and technology that will help you cultivate those healthy habits.

While we all realize that shopping for fresh ingredients at the supermarket to make a meal at home is far healthier than stopping at the drive-thru at McDonald’s, it’s so much damned easier, quicker, and convenient! But guess what, there is some good news on this subject. New business services and technology are making it easier than ever to incorporate healthy habits even into the busiest lives!Continue reading“5 Ways to Make “Healthy” Easier and More Convenient”

Food

Smart Couponing Tricks That Make Savings Even Better!

Please note this post contains affiliate links which help to fund this blog at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Grocery coupons can save you money, but what if I told you they could be saving you even more money? You know about coupons and I am sure if you are a reader of Super Saving Tips, you know I use them unabashedly! But there are a few little twists, coupon tricks if you will, on how to get the absolute most from your coupons and avoid some of the frustrations and missed opportunities to save your hard-earned money when you use them.

Coupons can save you money, but these coupon tricks can save you even more. Check out these 7 strategies to make your money go further at the supermarket.

Here are some of my favorite coupon tricks:

Don’t use your coupons right away

That’s right, you heard me correctly! My experience shows that clipping coupons from your Sunday newspaper or magazines and shopping with them the same week they appear can be a mistake. Stores know weeks ahead of time what product coupons are coming out in the inserts and ads, and they may leave the corresponding products at higher prices intentionally and not on sale just to get you to buy at regular prices.Continue reading“Smart Couponing Tricks That Make Savings Even Better!”

Food

Are You Ready for Free National Coffee Day 2017?

There’s ringing in my ears every morning, do I need to see a doctor? No, wait it’s the alarm ringing at the crack of noon each day, telling me it’s time for coffee! Coffee has a real connection to money, work, and the workplace. I’m almost positive that you have been involved in some sort of early morning meeting at your workplace and there ya’ have it, coffee to get the proceedings of your day underway. Hey, anyone want a cup?

It's almost time for National Coffee Day on Friday, September 29, 2017! Are you ready to get your freebies and deals? Do you love coffee as much as I do?

I’m retired, so to hell with rush hour and those 6 am showers like I did for 5 decades, arriving at the office after a long commute at 7:30 am to go to a meeting. Yup, I admit it. I often sleep in these days and why not? After all, I don’t have to hit the road to commute somewhere and I have plenty of time to wake up and have my morning (or noon) cup of java. I do like my coffee, so for me and probably many of you too, Coffee Day is every day now, isn’t it? But wait…Continue reading“Are You Ready for Free National Coffee Day 2017?”

Entertainment, Food, More, Shopping

627+ Absolutely Free Things for You & Your Family!

I have to confess it, “free” is just about my favorite word. I just love free things and I don’t think there’s ever a time when I can have enough of them. You are probably saying to yourself, well if it’s free just how good can it really be? After all, who would give away free valuable stuff in this day and age?

There are many free things for you and your family to enjoy if you know where to look. Check out my list of everything from birthday deals to free events.

As hard to believe as it might be, there are literally hundreds of things you can get for absolutely nothing these days, and they are all a real value to you or to someone you know. The trick is in knowing where they are and what if anything you need to do to take advantage of these treats!Continue reading“627+ Absolutely Free Things for You & Your Family!”