What’s another cheap meal you can cook at home? How about baked beans?

You can do a lot with baked beans. There are so many versatile ways we can use them, and they just sit in the cupboard until they are needed. They’re great if you are on a budget as well, because they are always cheaply available. Quite often they can be even cheaper if you buy them in bulk, so bear that in mind.

But let’s get back to how you can actually use them. If all you can think of is the standard beans on toast, think again. Here are some more ideas:

1. Beans on toast with a twist. Add some raw chopped up onion and your choice of some hot sauce –- anything spicy you have a taste for. Mix it all together and serve it on hot buttered toast as you would normally. Test your taste buds with that!

2. Bulk out a cottage pie by adding in a tin of beans as well. Mince can be expensive and if you are on a tight budget you’ll want to make sure your meals go as far as they possibly can. One key way to do this is to add some baked beans to a dish. Cottage pie is ideal. Once you have cooked your mince, add some chopped onion, a tin of beans and some frozen peas and sweetcorn. Stir it all in together and look forward to a bulked out and very tasty meal when you serve it up.

3. Try a sausage casserole. You’ll need to partially cook your choice of sausages first, otherwise you will end up with insipid looking meats. But once you have done that you can chop them up into chunks, sling in a tin of baked beans, add some mixed up gravy and some roughly chopped onions. Cover the oven dish and cook it on a low temperature for a couple of hours for perfection.

4. Make a baked bean sandwich. Some people swear by these, especially when toasted. Butter two slices of bread and put them butter side down on your sandwich toaster. Add some beans and grated cheese and two more slices of bread to finish off. Toast and enjoy!

5. Have corned beef hash with beans. This is another favorite because you’ve got the means to bulk it out again. And corned beef and beans always go nicely together. Whatever recipe you have for corned beef hash, just stir some beans in as well.

As you can see, there are plenty of things you can do with a tin of baked beans. Beans get bad press sometimes because they are thought of as student food and food for those who are budgeting as much as they can. But there is so much more you can do with them that you really should get your thinking cap on to find as many recipes as you can that use them.

I tend to think of them as a basic ingredient that can be used in lots of different ways –- just as chicken or beef can be. Once you start thinking along these lines, you will see the benefits of stocking up your cupboard with the basics.

If you are trying to beat debt by cutting down on your food bills to free up some more cash each month, think about being creative when using the simpler ingredients. Don’t underestimate the power of beans!

For more food ideas that will allow you to stretch your budget, check out our other articles!

• Different Ways To Cook Potatoes: In Salads, With Shallots
• Using A Can of Tuna Fish: Great Tuna Dishes

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Cooking Beans: 5 Things To Do With Baked Beans

How has the summer been treating you? On our end, it’s been great. Nice warm CONSISTENT weather, nothing too hot nor too cold. Kids have been attending their summer schools and next week, my eldest is attending his first computer camp. The interesting thing about these summer camps that I’ve learned thus far is this: some can be pretty cheap while others cost an arm and a leg.

Kid Summer Camps: The Cheap and Not So Cheap

This year, we opted to splurge a little to try out the rather expensive computer camp. It’s set up for 7 to 12 year olds and is all about teaching kids develop their own video games. Yes, what kind of parents are we to be sending our kid to build these games, you may ask? After all, too much video gaming can be a hazardous thing. But we’re not having him play the game, we’re having him develop it, which should be good for his creativity. Plus I’ll let you in on a family fact: the spouse had at one point, devoted his career to the video gaming industry. So I can make the excuse that it runs in the genes?

Then again, if you think about it, most families will find themselves paying more for summers than they do for the rest of the year. Why? Because summers equate to family vacations. And many people end up trying to figure out how best to keep their kids preoccupied during this time of year. During the year, kids go to school (and that’s public school for most of us) where tuition is free. While for summers, the kids spend it in fun camps and other summer fun activities. But for those who want a fancier family experience, there’s always travel for everyone. In our case, it’s usually a trip abroad to visit relatives, and airfare can be pretty hefty when we account for 4 round trip tickets halfway around the world.

So to take things in perspective, computer camp may not be that bad. Although a sports camp or other local community kids’ summer program is probably much more affordable — usually under a hundred bucks or at most, a few hundred dollars for many weeks of fun. Now if you’ve got our own local waterhole or cave network around where you live, then consider yourself lucky. Nature is something you won’t need to spend on. Here are some other cheap ways to enjoy the summer.

Quick Roundup

• Mike Fanelli: There Is No Shortcut To Making Money
• Saving Money Today: Organizing 101: Filing Your Bills Neatly
• Lazy Man and Money: My New Career: Stealing Cars in Oakland
• One Mint: Decoupling is evident in the long run
• The Simple Dollar: Ten Big Mistakes #3: Lifestyle Funded by Credit Cards
• Nerd Wallet: Carnival of Personal Finance

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Kid Summer Camps: The Cheap and Not So Cheap

Want to start saving more money? Try DIY home improvement jobs!

How many times have you glanced around your home and thought, “That room really needs painting,” or “I should really get around to redoing the bathroom”.

If you’re like the rest of us, you will no doubt have had a few instances when this has happened. But the thing you need to ask yourself is whether or not you can do the necessary job yourself, or whether you need to call someone else in to do it for you.

5 DIY Home Improvement Jobs You Can Do To Save Money

To keep more of your money in an account that earns top savings bank rates, you can certainly attempt to tackle your own projects yourself, rather than hire someone to do the work for you. The following five jobs could be considered as pretty doable DIY home improvement jobs. Always make sure you are happy to do the job before you take it on though –- some people hate DIY (or do-it-yourself) of any kind, and in this case, they would rather spend the money on someone who does it for a living.

1. Painting – both interior and exterior. If you aren’t happy about going up a tall ladder, then get an expert in to do the upper levels of your home. You could still save money by doing the lower levels yourself, if you wish.

2. Laying a new lawn – provided you have access to a good step by step guide (which you can find on the internet), you can do this yourself quite easily. The biggest thing to remember is to prepare the surface you want to turf before you actually start working on it.

3. Tiling – this may not be ideal if you have lots of areas that require some time-consuming work where you have to cut tiles into various small pieces. But if you only have a simple area to cover with whole tiles (like a splash back for example), then you’ll be fine. Just make sure you have the right tools to do it with.

4. Landscaping your garden – just as long as you don’t need any brick walls built or complicated water features installed, you could do much of the landscaping work yourself. And even if you are looking to set up a proper wall or something similar that you know you can’t tackle, you can always get an expert to do just this bit for you. You can do the rest of the work yourself, step by step, which will help you save loads of money.

5. Installing raised flower beds – Here is another great job for the garden, that anyone can do –- and it doesn’t even matter if you aren’t that good with screws or nails, since you won’t see them by the time you’re finished. All you have to do is to get lengths of chunky wood to form the beds, and some brackets to attach them together. You can then stain the wood to give the frame some outdoor protection, and hey presto you’ve got a lovely raised bed you made yourself.

Believe me, there are some great ways to save money when it comes to tackling certain jobs around the home. Take note though, that it might require a bit of patience to get to the end result because you are bound to be slower than some of those who do these jobs for a living.

But as you can see there are some tasks which are relatively simple and don’t require much knowledge to tackle successfully. Provided you don’t try and rush it, you can get a great sense of achievement by doing stuff yourself.

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

5 DIY Home Improvement Jobs You Can Do To Save Money

Barbecues are fun and sociable occasions. But if you are hosting one, you can easily spend a lot of money on it.

It doesn’t have to be like this though. You can budget for a barbecue just like you can budget for anything else. Some people can be good at budgeting all the time. But when it comes to buying food for a barbecue they just go out and blow the budget big time. This is why you need a plan of action to follow before you start. Not all dishes have to be terribly expensive!

5 Fun Food Ideas For A Cheap Outdoor BBQ

Here are some good pointers for bulking out the meal.

1. Serve up a cold rice salad. Rice is filling and it works well to bulk out a salad. You can add in whatever ingredients you like -– sweet corn is a great choice and you can use it cold out of the tin as well. Just make sure you cook the rice not long before you need it, but allow enough time for it to go cold. Cook it in plenty of water too so that it soaks up whatever it needs.

2. Provide chicken wings and drumsticks. They’re cheaper than chicken breasts. You can buy a dozen wings and drumsticks at a time and they’re really cheap. They’re awesome finger foods! Cook some plain and add marinades to the others. Garlic butter, mixed herbs, barbecue sauce and plenty of other options all work well.

3. Grab a large French stick and make your own garlic bread. Making your own is much cheaper than buying it and you can add your own personal touch in the process. It usually only works out cheaper if you already have your own garlic though.

4. Buy hamburgers in bulk. You can buy them cheaper per unit this way. The same applies to sausages and any other meat items. Look out for special deals during the summer too. Some supermarkets offer two or three meat packs for a set amount of money for instance. These are usually ideal for barbecues.

5. Cook some new potatoes and add them as a side dish. If you grow your own potatoes, you can dig them up out of the garden on the day you need them. Just toss them in a little butter and add some chopped chives to the top. Alternatively you could make a home made potato salad to serve alongside the other dishes. Here are some different ways to cook potatoes.

The thing to remember is that a barbecue is not all about cooked meat. Watch out for discounted fish dishes as well –- sardines are usually cheap and ideal to cook on the bbq if they’re fresh. Or you can think about incorporating great tuna dishes to your spread as well.

If you provide enough side dishes, such as salad, rice and potatoes as described above, you’ll find that your meat will go further anyway. Throw in the usual condiments and a nice cool dessert for after your meal and you’re on your way. How about a mixed summer fruit bowl with cream, for example?

Another tip to remember when you want to serve up a smashing barbecue is to do as much as you can yourself. You will always pay more for chicken that is already marinated, but the odds are that you already have all the ingredients in your cupboard that you need to make your own marinated chicken.

The moral? Don’t spend more than you have to!

Some reads around the blogosphere:

• Credit Karma Blog: What’s The Deal With Debt and Your Credit Score?
• Lazy Man and Money: Tips on Buying a Laptop…
• Funny About Money: Carnival of Personal Finance
• My Journey To Millions: Carnival of Personal Finance

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

5 Fun Food Ideas For A Cheap Outdoor BBQ

Last time, I talked about how I’ve been growing carrots in my garden. Well, I’m doing the same with potatoes!

I have a clear memory of going out into the garden last year and digging my hands down into the soil to rescue some home grown potatoes. Until we actually tried them for ourselves we couldn’t believe the difference in flavor when compared to store bought ones.

Delicious Image from Insightful Nana

So I started getting a bit creative and trying some different things with them, just so we could eat them in lots of different ways. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Potato salad. This is a firm favorite and good to do if we have guests coming for lunch. I grab some new potatoes, cook them, chop them and use a mix of mayo, spring onions and chives to make my own potato salad. Then I add a sprig of parsley to finish them off.

2. Garlic roasties. These have to be tasted to be believed! I par-boil my potatoes in as little water as possible with a couple of crushed garlic cloves. Then all I have to do is toss them in olive oil and cook as normal. Quick and easy for an amazing flavor.

3. New potatoes tossed in butter and topped off with home grown herbs. One thing I noticed about home grown potatoes was the amazingly strong flavor they have. This means you don’t need to do much with them to enjoy them at their best. A knob of butter and some home grown herbs thrown in works brilliantly. Use chives for an onion flavor, or pick another favorite herb. And of course there is always parsley as a garnish.

4. Sliced potatoes with shallots and a creamy sauce. A home made cheesy, creamy sauce is easy to make. Just take some milk, some grated cheese and a dash of flour and heat them until they thicken up. Season the sauce and pour it into a dish of sliced potatoes (raw) with sliced shallots interspersed between the layers. Quick, easy, cheap and very tasty! Great for all kinds of dishes.

5. Plain and simple, sliced and tossed in a salad. This is another thing we like to do with them when the best of the weather has arrived. I tend to boil them and let them go cold, but warmed potatoes in a salad are good too.

One thing I found out is that you can stay as simple as you want with your recipes, or you can try all different combinations to enjoy your home grown potatoes at their best. I always dig up the potatoes at the last possible moment so I can clean them and cook them straight away. The flavor is divine and that’s why you can eat them as plain as you like.

I am just about to plant out my first seed potatoes for this year, so in a few weeks’ time I will be getting my first taste of them for the year. Patience is a virtue when growing potatoes, but you can keep harvesting them continually once you get them going. I staggered them by a couple of weeks last year as well, with one crop going in about now, the next one a couple of weeks later and so on. I’m planning on doing the same thing this year too, so watch out for a few recipes as my potato crop finally comes to fruition.

For more on how to be creative and resourceful in the kitchen, check out our articles on how to stretch a can of tuna and how to enjoy oatmeal in a whole new way.

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Different Ways To Cook Potatoes: In Salads, With Shallots

Part of what we like to do here is to share some ways to make the most use out of the things we have. Being resourceful saves us money. So allow me to visit the kitchen, where being resourceful goes a long way!

Today, I’d like to talk about some things we can do with a can of tuna. I’ll admit that I am addicted to tuna fish. I love it –- out of a tin, fresh and seared on the barbecue, you name it, I’ll eat it.

5 Things To Do With A Can of Tuna Fish: Great Tuna Dishes!

But there is no beating tuna from a tin –- simply because of how versatile it is. Whenever I’m looking for inspiration for lunch, I can go to the cupboard, find a tin of tuna, crack it open and I’m away. Here are some of my ideas on what to do with the contents of one of these cans.

1. Pile it high in a fresh roll and top it off with some mixed salad leaves and a bit of mayo. What is it about tuna and salad leaves? Somehow I think they go together better than any other kind of salad does with the same fish.

2. Whip up some tuna and pasta. Pasta shells are good because the tuna mix gets inside them. Mix it with strips of cucumber, chopped chives and some mayo, and you’re ready to go. Great as a lunch box alternative as well.

3. Grab a Panini or ciabatta roll, split it in two, butter it lightly then pile some tuna on top. Then add slices of cheese (mozzarella is excellent for this) and melt it under the grill. You can add black pepper before grilling too if you want. This is a personal favorite!

4. Make a tuna fish pie by flaking the tuna into a dish and adding chopped onions, chives and the oil from the tin you bought it in. Boil some potatoes and mash them up before adding to the top of the tuna mix. Finish off by crumbling some ready salted crisps over the top and baking it in the oven.

5. Whack it on top of a baked potato. Use a good sized potato, cooked in the oven in its skin, which has been wiped over with olive oil; add a touch of salt to crisp it up. Once you’ve done that, split it open and pile the tuna on top. Finishing it off with melted cheese or strips of cucumber and mayo both work well.

So there you have it –- five tasty ideas and some good reasons to buy tinned tuna fish in bulk. This is one staple item I always have in my cupboard, and as a result, I have lots of fast and quick recipes to use so I can make the most of tuna in lots of different ways.

You’ll notice too, that a can of tuna fish can provide a good base for a light lunch, a more substantial lunch or even a main meal. You can also enjoy it hot or cold, which makes it one of the most versatile things around, in my opinion.

The good thing is that it can pretty much go with a lot of other leftovers too, so economically, this is a sensational buy. Don’t forget that you have to try your own ideas as well, to ensure you can add more dishes to your repertoire. You’ll soon have plenty of alternatives to boring old sandwiches when you are hungry for lunch and you want something a bit different.

For more on making tasty dishes for less, do check out our other articles:

• Healthy Breakfast Idea: Rethinking Oatmeal
• Easy Meal Idea: Frugal Soups!
• Cheap Meals You Can Cook At Home To Save Money!

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Using A Can of Tuna Fish: Great Tuna Dishes

How organized is your kitchen pantry? Here are some money saving tips you can try around your home.

Come clean — do you know what’s hiding in your pantry? Up until a couple of months ago I certainly didn’t know the full scoop. But then I took on the dreaded task of clearing my pantry out, cleaning the shelves and re-organizing everything. It was enormously rewarding, as these kinds of jobs usually are. It took about three hours to do it all properly, but by the time I had finished, I had actually discovered plenty of food I didn’t even know I had.

Image from balancedweightmanagement.com

Kitchen Pantry Organization: Why You Should Organize Your Pantry

And this is the whole point of getting in there and having a clear out in the first place. During those three hours, I discovered several things about the process that I’d like to share with you here. I have managed to save money as a result of having that clear out, and here are some more good reasons why you’ll benefit from performing this exercise and organizing this part of your home.

1. I re-discovered things I didn’t know I had. If you have ever done this you’ll know how amazing it can be to unearth some long-forgotten items in your cupboards. Well, it can be amazing or it can be startling (if you’ve got perishables in there). In my case, I came across a good discovery. I forgot that I had flavored noodles in the pantry so the next day, I did a stir fry with them. It gave me ideas for different recipes.

2. I reacquainted myself with all those essential pantry ingredients I had forgotten about. I am referring to things like herbs, sauces and so on. Once I found a few bottles, I started using these ingredients and ended up with some different meals as a result.

3. I found things that were about to expire. It’s a good idea to do a regular cleaning or check of your pantry so that you can spot things that have an expiration date and that need to be used soon to avoid getting wasted. Re-organize your pantry to ensure that those items that have an expiration date are positioned front and center; this way you’ll tend to consume these things more quickly.

4. I was able to cross things off my shopping list because I found out I already had them. I was amazed by the number of things I was about to go and buy that I already had. I just had to tidy things up a bit to find them all.

5. I was able to reorganize my ingredients so that similar things were grouped together. This made it easier for me to keep track of what I already had and what I needed to buy. For example, dried pasta, rice and spaghetti all sit in the same place. Whenever I want to make lasagna or some other pasta or rice dish, I know exactly where to look for what I need. By being more organized, I can pace my shopping in a way that is most efficient and that saves me money.

You can see how beneficial it can be to keep one’s stock room and pantry in order. I did have to get rid of a few things that had been forgotten and were long since out of date. The wasted money on those things did annoy me, but it has taught me a lesson as well.

Moral of the story? Don’t forget those things you’ve put in storage. Here’s one place where you can avoid wasting money simply by being aware of the stuff you buy and bring in from the grocery store. I cook a lot more now than I’ve ever done before, so I’ve got a better idea of what I need to have in my pantry all the time. I am now less likely to waste or forget about anything, and I enjoy a lot more versatile meals as well. With a plentiful supply of staples like pasta, rice, spaghetti, herbs and sauces, you can’t go wrong!

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Kitchen Pantry Organization: Why You Should Organize Your Pantry

If you think this article is going to be about the illegal activity behind getting free cable, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. However, let’s take a moment to evaluate how much you are paying per month for cable and the benefits or returns you have received on that purchase. If you are like most Americans, you are probably paying on average around $50 or more on cable per month. I know people who have stated that they pay over $100 for cable or satellite per month. So, this is not an excessive calculation. So, let’s say you have paid $50 for 3 years to the local cable company. That comes out to about $1,800. If you had cut the cable and actually invested this amount in a high yield savings account (or in a mutual fund at your local online stock broker or in any other investment that yields much more), you could grow this amount over time. Compound this into a mutual fund that yields 10% on average per year and you could end up with over $2,000.

Image from WSJ.com

So, you are probably saying, “So what? $2000? I enjoy my cable. It allows me to relax and wind down.” Fine. However, keep in mind that television can be had for free or cheap. The basic channels can easily be seen with a HD receiver and antenna. On top of that, many of the cable shows you pay for can be viewed online for free (or for much less). Why not keep your $50 a month? Just imagine if you continued this trend for 10 years, you would save $10,000. I am no rocket scientist, but that could add up to a nice car right? Check out the following sites to start your free (or cheap) entertainment today!

Watch Free TV Online & Cut Cable TV Costs: Check Out These TV Sites

1. Netflix.com – For much less than paying for cable, you can check out an unlimited number of shows through Netflix.com if you’re a subscriber. They’ve got several subscriber plans that can suit your viewing patterns. I personally enjoy Netflix and feel that I get a lot of value by being a member.

2. Blockbuster.com – You can start a free trial with Blockbuster to find out if it’s a service you’d like to have in lieu of your cable programs. Like Netflix, they’ve got a few plans available at much less than the rate you’ll pay for cable.

3. Hulu.com – This is my all time favorite site to watch the latest television shows. I like to watch The Office and House. The site also features free movies as well. Overall, it’s a great site because it offers some of the most popular shows.

4. Joost.com – Joost offers music videos, TV, and movies on their site as well. You can also view recommendations for entertainment as well as make your own recommendations. The site is very similar to Hulu but also has a variety of creative content.

5. Youtube.com – I love Youtube.com. I think part of the reason I love it is because anyone can have his or her own channel. If you have something interesting to say or teach, you can express yourself on Youtube.com. People often use this site to upload videos of their families to share with other family members who may not live close by. I have found a couple of channels that I enjoy watching every day. This site provides a great deal of entertainment for anyone, with offerings that can suit diverse tastes. I love to use the site not only for entertainment, but also for learning and developing new skills. I can pick up ideas on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from cooking to learning how to give someone a French manicure.

4. Channel Web sites – Oftentimes, you can visit the web site of the actual cable channel that you enjoy and watch the same shows for free (which you were paying for via cable). Food Network, which used to be one of my favorite cable channels, offers many of their cooking shows online so you can enjoy and learn how to make dishes for free by watching the shows on the web. FitTv is another great one that I enjoy watching online.

6. Pandora.com – Ok, so Pandora is not a site where you watch shows or movies. However, if you love music, and music is entertaining to you, then this site is an awesome addition to your free entertainment collection. You can create your own personalized radio stations on this site. The site will then play songs that fit within the genre of your favorite music. If you do not like a selection that they are playing for you, simply give it a ‘thumbs down’ and the station will move on to a new song. I love to listen to this site when I am working or just hanging out. I can pick which station I want to listen to based on my mood at that moment.

I would definitely recommend checking out these entertainment sites. Just remember, you can always try to go without cable for a couple of months. Don’t worry. The cable company will be more than happy to take you back. Who knows? They may even offer you a deal if you do decide to sign up with them again after a hiatus from their service.

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Watch Free TV Online & Cut Cable TV Costs

More practical, money saving tips to try out!

Bartering is an age old skill that we could all make use of a bit more these days. I didn’t really think about this until recently, but I use a lot of bartering in my daily life without even thinking about it. And the strange thing is that once you consciously think about having this skill, you end up using it a lot more. I tend to think of it like a muscle –- the more I use it, the better I get at it.

Bartering vs Haggling: How To Get Things For Less Money

I love the simplicity of bartering because I don’t have to worry about money. This makes it a good tool to have in my armory because I know I can still do certain things without needing cash all the time.

A classic example in my life is something as mundane as a haircut. Now if you have been to a salon recently, you will know how expensive something as simple as a haircut can be. In my neck of the woods, a typical haircut can cost as much as $25 to $40 a visit (unless you visit a place in Chinatown, where lots of things go for cheap). Imagine being able to save an extra $25 here and there in your online savings account or in your SmartyPig fund. Over time, it all adds up!

So knowing just how much you can save over time, let me ask you this –- if you knew someone who was a hairdresser, wouldn’t you try to make a go of bartering?

Of course you would, and that’s just how I’ve brought bartering into the picture. My sister in law just happens to cut hair, and she also just happens to need a babysitter once in a while as well. So my partner and I pay her a visit maybe once every month or so and babysit for a few hours while she goes out to work. Then when she returns from work, we both get our haircuts! It works perfectly both ways and everyone is happy. The great thing is that we’ve made this arrangement on a regular schedule, which means that we all get something we need without having to exchange money for the service elsewhere.

I’ve indulged in a bit of bartering on other occasions as well, but it’s important to recognize the difference between bartering and haggling. Some people think they are one and the same thing but they’re not. Haggling is the art of negotiating for a better price, whereas bartering is a form of trade. Both are ways to get things for less money, but achieved through different methods. Haggling requires a confidence I don’t yet have, but I’m working on it and occasionally, I’ve received discounts by paying in cash instead of using some other method of payment. Bartering means that I have on hand something that the other person wants as well though, otherwise the whole thing doesn’t work.

Another strategy I’ve tried in the past is to swap things I don’t want with another person. And again, I’ve done this with other family members and friends as well. I started growing some salad vegetables in the back garden last year (I’ve been growing carrots in my garden) and ended up with more carrots than I thought I would. So I gave some to my father in law in exchange for some fresh lettuces and shallots –- things that I wouldn’t have room to grow myself.

So if you are wondering whether I have been converted to the idea of bartering, you can see that the answer is a resounding yes. I am now also trying to figure out other ways of using this skill, and I’ve decided that the best way to get ahead is to figure out what I have to barter with. Skills and goods both work, and once I get better at it I will hopefully save even more money each month. And at the same time I can help out some other people in the process. What could be better?

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Bartering vs Haggling: How To Get Things For Less Money

If you have a dog, then you know that sometimes they can put a dent in your wallet. Dog food, toys, leashes all add up over time. How do you keep costs in check? One way is to avoid products that pamper your pets too much. What you want is a happy dog, not a spoiled brat . Here’s how to save money on a bunch of dog costs:

Image from AllPosters.com

Save Money on Dog Care: Caring For Man’s Best Friend

• Dog Food – This is one area where I’m not willing to skimp. Some may say that all dog food is the same and therefore, it makes sense just to take the cheapest option. After checking out the site called Dog Food Analysis, I learned and realized that there is a big difference in dog foods. Once you decide on the best dog food, you can search eBay for coupons to save money. There are a lot of coupons to be found there and the small investment you make in them could save you a lot. (There are also plenty of coupons for dog treats.)
• Buy an Older Dog – Puppies are cute, but they don’t control their bladders well. So if you own a puppy, be prepared to buy lots of rug cleaner and odor removal. They also have a tendency to eat furniture. If you are going to get a puppy, it may be wise to get your furniture from Craigslist!
• Dog Collars, Toys, and Leashes – Pet stores will have the biggest selection, but they won’t necessarily have the best prices. Walmart, as usual, delivers great prices. Once again, there are savings to be had on eBay.
• Dog Medication – We get our pet medications from 1-800 Pet Meds. Its prices for Frontline and Interceptor are much better than our vets’ prices. Or you can try PetCareRx, which offers discounts on their products.
• Buy a Small Dog – Small dogs eat less!
• Avoid Dog Groomers – There are places that specialize just in bathing your dog. I’ve found that our shower works just as well. At the dog park, everyone comments on how clean, shiny, and soft our dog’s coat is.

On second thought, with all the money you’ll save, perhaps you can pamper your pets just a little!

This post was brought to you by DogTrainingPet.com, which is the place to go if you want to learn why your dog won’t eat dog food. It’s also where you can learn how to speak “dog” (and pick up the canine language). If you are looking for more tips to save money, do visit this dog supply store.

This is a post from The Smarter Wallet.

Save Money on Dog Care: Caring For Man’s Best Friend