Over the years I have had many different address books. Every few years the scratch marks and strike-throughs would get to me and I would buy another one. I would then have to go through the work of rewriting all of my addresses into the new book. Well, I figured out something better. I now... Continue Reading →
Decoding kashrut
Keeping kosher is more than just learning the basics, buying kosher food, and not mixing meat and dairy. Just like learning Torah, it is something you must continue to keep up with. Here are some resources we have found helpful in our practice of kashrut: ∞ Weekly alerts – Unfortunately, no one is perfect and... Continue Reading →
Service plans and warranties
If you had asked me a few years ago before I was a home owner, I would have said that service plans and warranties are a waste of money. However, I have learned differently. We currently have one of each of these. Service plans: We have a service plan for our heating and cooling units.... Continue Reading →
Shelf life of your food
One of the biggest money wasters is food that goes bad. It pains me when I have to throw away things we didn't get to eat or didn't finish! So it really pays to know how long things last and what things can be frozen for later use. Some foods do better than others after... Continue Reading →
Staying on top of your kids’ clothing
Keeping track and purchasing kids’ clothing can be an ordeal for any parent. And when you have more than one to buy for, you may not be able to spend a lot on their clothes. However, we all still want quality and want to have our kids look nice. I have picked up a few tips that help... Continue Reading →
Make your checkbook digital!
One of the basics to saving money is knowing how you already spend it. This means having a system to record your income and expenses. When I was in college I used the accounting pads with the green columns to record my receipts and tabulate how much I spent in each area. It was very... Continue Reading →
Brighter savings
(updated 4/23/17) One fairly simple way to save money (and energy) in your home is to switch to more energy-efficient light bulbs. In the last few years, LED bulbs have been introduced, which are even more efficient than compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs, which had replaced incandescent bulbs). Both CFLs and LEDs have a higher cost in... Continue Reading →
Saving money and energy on Shabbos
(updated 1/8/26) This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. How can it be possible to save money on Shabbos when you aren't allowed to spend any? There are actually many things we do that are related to Shabbos that... Continue Reading →
Online shopping tips
Shopping online can be very overwhelming and time-consuming. However, last year (2010), I saved over $1600 from coupons, online shopping, buying online in bulk, and mail order prescriptions. I gave gathered a few tips to help you be successful at online shopping: ∞ Sign up for email lists from stores you like (either online or brick... Continue Reading →
(More) Make your own…
There are many store-bought products that are quite expensive if you consider how much cheaper it would be to make your own. They also often have chemicals and preservatives in them that we would rather not eat. When our boys (all four of them) were babies, we made our own homemade baby food by cooking,... Continue Reading →
Surviving on a tight budget 