A Beverage that's good for you AND Your Budget - Tea - Frugal Food

A delicious cup of tea makes you feel like all is right with the world, AND it's easy on your budget. It can even be good for your health: studies have shown that both black and green tea (which are, after all the same tea plant, just picked at different stages of maturity) are very good sources of antioxidants.

Make a delicious cup of regular orange pekoe tea and serve with milk, sugar and/or honey. Or, chill that same tea for a yummy - and oh yes, cheap! - glass of refreshing iced tea. Add a wedge of lemon and you have a delicious drink on a warm day.

Or, herbal teas are a great alternative to other types of less healthy (and costlier) drinks, such as soda. Try combining a few of your favorite herbal teas together, or trying them iced as well. Some of the fruit 'teas' are so flavorful it's almost like drinking fruit punch!

And the best part of all for us frugalites is knowing that tea is a very affordable treat - a box of tea can cost $2.00 or more, but usually provides 16-24 tea bags at a time. Watch for sales and then stock up on tea - so that you can have a comforting hot or cold drink whenever your thirst strikes.

A Latte A Day Wrecks the Budget, Okay?

Just a crazy little calculation to ponder on:

A tall latte at Starbucks everyday doesn't seem like such an extravagant indulgence, right? Wrong! Around here, each tall latte costs $3.31. Over the course of one year (not including any lovely pastries to go on the side) that would set you back an astonishing $1208.15!! That's just about enough to choke any true blue coffee afficionado.

Watch those Bank Fees and Extra Banking Charges

On your to-do frugal list today? Right on top should be to check with your bank to see how much you're paying every month in pricey banking fees and charges. If you bank online, it'll be easy to get a review of exactly how much you pay. Getting in the habit of checking your online banking accounts often will mean you won't go into overdraft and incur really high charges.

If you find your problem is lots of extra charges for using debit cards and/or withdrawing from ATMs, then talk to a representative at your bank for an all-in-one bank account that includes plenty of transactions. Our chequing account, for instance, costs us a flat fee of $9.95 a month, but includes unlimited transactions.

You could easily save $50 or more (some people save hundreds of dollars this way!) just by checking out the types of bank accounts you currently have.

Have fun saving!
Christina

Frugal Fun - Replace this Habit with That Habit - Internet Surfing

Think surfing the 'net is the ultimate cheap activity? Well...think again, particularly if you love shopping online! If you tend to 'just find yourself' lingering on eBay or other online shopping sites, change that pricey habit for a new (cheaper) one.

Bookmark your favorite debt reduction sites and blogs instead, and take time perusing those. You'll be rewarded with educational fun, minus any cost at all. And, you'll feel incredibly motivated by the stories of people who have literally paid off tens of thousands of dollars of debt!

Frugal Food - Snacks - Popcorn to the Rescue

If you've got a bag of popcorn in the pantry, you're set for snacks. Pop up some popcorn (an air popper or simple microwave popcorn popper makes this easy and cheap - no need to buy overpriced and ickier tasting pre-bagged stuff) and drizzle some olive oil or melted butter over top. A sprinkle of salt, or even parmesan cheese and you're set! It literally only costs pennies a bowl. Stock up on popcorn when it's on sale. Freeze it in a tightly sealed container to keep large bags fresh longer.

Enjoy your frugal snack!