Saving

When you’re trying to support a family, it’s important to make sure that you’re saving money wherever you can. There’s really no limit to how much you can save. From your food budget to your cable, internet and transportation costs, there’s always more that can be done to trim.

Saving money is probably my favorite topic on Ninja Budgeter. I’m passionate about making the most of what you have, and I write about it a lot. If there is something specific you would like me to cover in an article please don’t hesitate to reach out to me through my contact page.

Here are a few of my top articles about saving money:

45 Brilliant Ways To Save Money Right Now
5 Killer Savings Tactics To Help You Reach Your Goals
How To Automate Your Finances To Help You Save Money

21 Proven Tips To Save Money On Groceries

by Mike Greig

If you’re like most families, your food bill takes up more of your monthly budget than anything else except housing and transportation. I’ve talked in the past about how to save money on housing and transportation. Now it’s time to dive into how to save money on groceries.

The truth is, it’s really easy to let your food spending get out of hand. In our family, the food budget is constantly creeping up on us. A while back we ran out of food before we ran out of month, and it sucked.

I wanted to know what happened. We had the same amount of money in the budget that we usually do. I knew it was time to start getting a handle on things.

Have you heard that old saying: ‘what gets measured gets managed’? Your grocery budget is something that needs to be measured and tracked. As with most things when it comes to budgeting, if you stop paying attention to it, it won’t be long before the food spending starts to get out of hand.

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Are Expensive Shoes Worth It?

by Mike Greig

Buy nice or buy twice

– My Mother (probably….I can’t remember)

Are expensive shoes worth it? That’s the question I’m going to dig into today. Being a cheapa$$, I’m always looking for an excuse to spend less on things so naturally, I’m not stoked about buying premium kicks.

A couple of weeks ago I finally wore a hole through my foam-heeled $50 specials from Payless Shoes. Annoyed with having to go to the mall again so soon after Christmas, I turned to the internet and started researching cheap shoes vs. expensive shoes. I’ve always wanted a good set of leather boots, and I figured it was time to find out if expensive shoes are worth it.

The thing is, I tend to be pretty thrifty when buying for myself. While I’m happy to dole out the money to buy nicer things for my wife and children (when we can afford it), it’s hard for me to give myself the same treatment. I’m not sure why.

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9 Simple Ways To Pay Off Debt Fast In 2020

by Mike Greig

January is legit’ my favorite month of the year.

For me it’s a time full of potential and reflection. I really enjoy making new goals and taking stock of what I did and didn’t accomplish the previous year.

I usually try to use the opportunity to reflect on my shortcomings and think about how I can achieve more this year.

Making New Year’s resolutions is easy, but keeping them, that can be really, really hard. Only around 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. Frankly, the odds are against you.

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How To Buy A New Car (Without Getting Screwed)

by Mike Greig

Most of you reading this have probably at least considered buying a new car. There’s nothing quite like it. That new car smell, the flawless exterior, the warranty that leaves you feeling protected.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know that I’m not a fan of new cars. I have been down that road twice and both times my decision was made too quickly. I ended up regretting the decision and resenting the vehicle. It wasn’t the right choice for me.

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6 Simple Strategies For Mortgage Free Living

by Mike Greig

Let’s face it, for most of us, our mortgage (or rent) is likely the most expensive thing that we pay for every month.

Finding a way to live mortgage free is a dream for most of us chipping away at balances well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just think about the opportunities that would open up for you if you didn’t have to shovel over hundreds or thousands of dollars per month for a mortgage payment.

It is possible, and many people are doing it. I decided to research some of the best ways to live mortgage free or at a reduced cost, and compile my findings into one great resource.

The thing is, you don’t necessarily need to sell your home or pay it off to get rid of a mortgage payment, you could create the same financial freedom by finding another way to cover your payments. I’ve included some ideas for how to accomplish this below.

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26 Budgeting Hacks That Will Save You Money

by Mike Greig

Getting your family on a budget can be really hard. Keeping your family on a budget is even harder! Over the years I’ve learned lots of budgeting hacks to help my family stay on track.

This blog is all about helping parents win with their money by getting out of debt and saving their cash. Below are some of the best budgeting hacks that I know of. Some of these tips are things that we do in our household and some are things that our friends to to stay on budget.

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7 Ways To Lower Your High Electri Bill

by Mike Greig

Introduction

Being on the receiving end of a super high electric bill can be a frustrating experience. When you get your cell phone bill, the usage is broken down item by item so you know exactly what you did to cause the extra charges.

The power company can’t provide you with that data. They simply take a reading off of your meter and send you a bill. This can leave you mystified as to what you’ve done to cause the extra charges.

This happened to me recently. About a week ago I got the highest electricity bill I’ve ever had. It was nearly double what we normally spend. A typical power bill at our place is around $200 for two months. Still too much in my opinion but manageable.

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How To Negotiate The Best Deal On Craigslist

by Mike Greig

Do you like to buy things used to save money? Keep reading to learn how to negotiate on Craigslist.

Living on a budget is what I’m all about. One of the cornerstones of living on a budget is buying things on the used market rather than buying new.

Of course you can’t buy everything used. There are a few things that should always be purchased new – toothbrushes, underwear and sandwiches are a few examples.

For most other things, you can get a way better deal on the used market, and there’s no better used market for most things than Craigslist. Learning how to negotiate a deal on Craigslist is relatively easy. Most people are willing to be bargained with if you’re respectful and informed.

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How To Deal With Unexpected Expenses

by Mike Greig

As a relatively new homeowner, I’m still learning how to deal with unexpected expenses of the residential variety. Home ownership brings with it a higher level of financial risk than most other things.

Yesterday, I came home to a leaking hot water heater. I’ve been looking at the thing since we bought our house two years ago, knowing that it was well past it’s life expectancy. Somehow, I was still caught off guard when it started leaking last night.

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8 Good Reasons Not To Buy A New Car

by Mike Greig

So here you are, seriously considering purchasing a brand new vehicle. The truth is, you’re probably already looking at new cars. You may even be planning to buy one shortly. Before you do, first consider the reasons not to buy a new car.

You probably have a lot of friends that drive new vehicles. You’ve been in them. They’re comfortable, classy, sexy and probably destroying your friend’s finances for the foreseeable future.

I’m glad I caught you before you take the plunge. I have been down this road before, 3 times to be precise. Partly because I’m a sucker for a slick salesman and partly because I used to care deeply what people think of me. That was what drove me to buy new vehicles.

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