tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40218434184331646062024-03-08T06:30:02.077-08:00Budget WaysChris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-7172969378844991242012-07-04T05:43:00.001-07:002012-07-04T05:43:28.535-07:00Have you thought about refinancing your mortgage?
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<p>Rates are low but there are a lot more factors you should consider when deciding whether or not to refinance your mortgage. For example, points and closing costs could add up to more than the savings a lower interest rate gives you. Especially if there's a good chance that you move in the next five to ten years. For more on this subject, visit our blog The Money Ways.</p>
<a href='http://www.themoneyways.com/should-you-refinance-your-mortgage-or-not.html'>http://www.themoneyways.com/should-you-refinance-your-mortgage-or-not.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-85140086977191441822012-07-03T07:23:00.001-07:002012-07-03T07:23:30.705-07:00What apps do you use to save money on your iPhone?
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<p>I started listing the apps I use most to save money on my iPhone and I realized I don't use that many apps for that purpose. In fact, I really only listed three. Do you have apps that you use that you can recommend? If so, visit our post and leave us a comment with your favorite iPhone apps that save money.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/favorite-iphone-apps-to-save-money.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/favorite-iphone-apps-to-save-money.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-84979395899165725592012-07-02T07:31:00.001-07:002012-07-02T07:31:23.856-07:00Are your child care costs getting out of control?
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<p>The average cost of child care, especially in urban areas, has gotten completely out of control. Unless you are earning more than twice the minimum wage, it is hard to work enough to pay these bills. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to cut these costs, which we've highlighted in our most recent post at Budget Ways.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/child-care-shouldnt-cost-you-a-fortune.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/child-care-shouldnt-cost-you-a-fortune.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-22378458941360512992012-06-28T07:47:00.001-07:002012-06-28T07:47:25.982-07:00Need help lowering your college expenses?
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<p>While I always knew people that had free rides through college or whose parents were able and willing to foot their bill, I can't say that most college students can afford to pay for college themselves. That's what makes finding ways to plan ahead and lower your college costs even more important. Every dollar you spend during college that you don't already have will end up in the form of a student loan. Use some of the advice we give in our short guide to help you cut college costs.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/cutting-college-costs-guide.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/cutting-college-costs-guide.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-47879614688232415432012-06-27T09:05:00.001-07:002012-06-27T09:05:43.072-07:00Have you looked into solar power?
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<p>If you've thought about buying a solar power system in the past but it didn't make sense, you may want to look again. That's because there is a big glut in inventory and prices have fallen dramatically. Also, there are a number of solar companies that are willing to lease their equipment to eliminate some or all of the upfront cost of installing it. I've highlighted some of the factors to consider on whether or not solar power can save you money.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/saving-money-with-solar-power.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/saving-money-with-solar-power.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-75010077868819487652012-06-21T05:43:00.001-07:002012-06-21T05:43:25.996-07:00How do you manage paying your bills?
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<p>Some people use automatic bill pay through their online banking. Some people use post it notes stuck to the side of their desk. And some people use an inbox/outbox system to keep track of bills that need to be paid. Whatever you use, it's important to have a system in place that prevents you from missing any important payments that could jeopardize your good credit standing. Here are some tips that we put together to help you manage your bills.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-manage-your-bills.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-manage-your-bills.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-46560257887470423992012-06-20T06:44:00.001-07:002012-06-20T06:44:06.347-07:00How do you save money on family activities?
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<p>Although we normally stay away from Groupons, there are several websites that we use to find good deals on family activities. There are also some local free magazines that offer coupons for local attractions. The other way we find good deals is by continuing to search and read to find more and better deals. Once you find a deal, it is usually duplicated each month or year, so they become easier to find over time.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/money-saving-deals-for-the-family.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/money-saving-deals-for-the-family.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-35123215715152467322012-06-19T06:42:00.001-07:002012-06-19T06:42:56.081-07:00Summary of all the budget templates we provide
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<p>Today I put together a summary of the many budget templates that we provide on Budget Ways. Besides the actual spreadsheet files, each one also has a video tutorial on how to use it. There is a monthly worksheet, a family budget, a household month/annual spreadsheet, as well as a checking worksheet and even a printable version for those uncomfortable with using spreadsheets. Whatever budget help you're looking for, these budget templates can help.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/choosing-the-right-budget-worksheet.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/choosing-the-right-budget-worksheet.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-78947778955878801102012-06-10T07:31:00.001-07:002012-06-10T07:31:46.547-07:00How do you calculate how much money you need to retire?
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<p>Most people don't really have a retirement plan. They simply save as much as they believe they can and hope they can someday retire. While this may work for people that are really good savers, it won't work for most. The alternative is to make a plan to reach your retirement goal. We created a simple spreadsheet retirement calculator that you can update just four simple figures and it will arrive at an estimate for your retirement needs. If you're interested in giving it a try, please visit Budget Ways and find the free retirement worksheet.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/a-retirement-worksheet-to-calculate-how-much-you-need-to-save-to-retire.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/a-retirement-worksheet-to-calculate-how-much-you-need-to-save-to-retire.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-59131227460254097592012-06-09T07:48:00.001-07:002012-06-09T07:48:13.605-07:00Do you pay yourself first?
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<p>There is one thing that most finance gurus agree on. That you should pay yourself first. This means taking money from each paycheck or income source and depositing it directly into savings. By doing this, you in essence pretend to live off the remaining money. While it can be difficult for some to save, using a method like this can really work and is a great way to jumpstart your retirement savings. Have you tried something like this? If so, we'd love to hear about it. Visit our blog and leave us a comment.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/save-money-by-paying-yourself-first.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/save-money-by-paying-yourself-first.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-14849054945398023672012-06-08T05:19:00.001-07:002012-06-08T05:19:21.536-07:00Is it hard for you to save ahead of your annual expenses?
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<p>Do things like annual property taxes or income taxes set you back each year? Have you ever borrowed money or used a credit card to pay a bill that you couldn't cover upfront? If so, you may need to take our advice about how to budget for those large and annual expenses that are going to happen. The best way to do this is to plan ahead and save a portion of each expense every month. In essence, you can set up your own escrow account to cover these expenses. Read our most recent post if you want to find more about this topic or leave us a comment.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-budget-for-annual-expenses.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-budget-for-annual-expenses.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-34999446150675501132012-06-07T06:53:00.001-07:002012-06-07T06:53:41.540-07:00How did you get into budgeting, or are you just starting now?
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<p>While I thought the budgeting methods I was outlining in my posts were fairly simple, I still get the occasional beginner that just doesn't know where to start. For them, I wrote a post highlighting just how simple a budget can be. I also filled it with information about how a beginner can get started. If you also budget and have some advice to give our readers, please stop by and let us know what it is that helped you learn how to budget. And if you're a beginner yourself, you should stop by and hopefully get some help for your own budgeting needs.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-make-a-budget-for-beginners.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-make-a-budget-for-beginners.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-25452566679557686192012-06-06T10:42:00.001-07:002012-06-06T10:42:06.762-07:00What are your best deals at the dollar store?
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<p>Do you shop at a dollar store? If not, you should. And if you do shop there, what have you found to be the best deals worth returning for? These are the questions that I asked myself today before I wrote a post on my blog about saving at dollar stores. I'm hoping that people like you will visit my blog and help me discuss this so that we can all find better ways to save more money. After all, every penny counts.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-shop-and-save-at-a-dollar-store.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-shop-and-save-at-a-dollar-store.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-36794820592361261672012-06-05T07:51:00.001-07:002012-06-05T07:51:10.077-07:00What is the strangest thing you've done to save money?
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<p>I was writing an article about strange ways to save money this morning when I realized that, while I've probably done some strange things to save money in the past, I couldn't remember any. Either that or I didn't think anything I did was strange. It's probably like that for other people too. What I consider normal is probably very strange to others. It's easy to look at others and say "you're strange". Anyway, we're looking for examples of strange money saving methods. If you have any to share, please drop by Budget Ways and leave us a comment.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/strange-ways-that-people-save-money.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/strange-ways-that-people-save-money.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-48594192992825970272012-06-04T09:56:00.001-07:002012-06-04T09:56:04.180-07:00Are you ready for this summer's AC bills?
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<p>If you're not ready to pay large air conditioning bills this summer, there are a number of simple ways you can cut your cooling costs. The easiest ways are to simply let your body adjust to a higher temperature in your house. Other ways include upgrading your AC unit or getting a programmable thermostat. You can even plant trees strategically around your house to help provide shade and shelter from the sun. If you want to see all of the ways that I save on my AC bills, visit Budget Ways and read up.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/how-i-save-money-on-air-conditioning.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/how-i-save-money-on-air-conditioning.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-72976754879076595202012-06-03T06:23:00.001-07:002012-06-03T06:23:59.569-07:00The average American only saves 3% of their income!
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<p>Can you believe it?! The average American only saves 3.4% of their income. That is very low compared to the rest of the world. For example, in China, they save about 15% of their income. The only countries with lower savings rates are countries like Sweden and Norway, where all of the retirement and health care is provided by the government and savings aren't as necessary. I guess Americans learned nothing from the great recession. After savings rates spiked during the recession it looks like they are back to their old spending habits. I mean three percent! That's less than the 401k "match" that most companies provide. Anyway, if you're interested in reading more about this, check out the latest post at Budget Ways.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/are-you-saving-more-than-the-average-american.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/are-you-saving-more-than-the-average-american.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-46770230494577165492012-06-02T05:49:00.001-07:002012-06-02T05:49:34.214-07:00Do you think of your finances like a business does?
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<p>Did you know that the best financial minds actually treat their own finances like a business does? And I don't mean that they are unproductive and waste their resources, but I mean the good things that a business does. Like having a good financial plan, planning for the future, investing in the future, minimizing costs, and maximizing savings/profit. A lot can be learned by looking at how businesses budget and applying those same fundamental principles to your own personal finances. I wrote a post that specifically compares the traits of a business to those of an individual. Click the link if you'd like to read more about this.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/budget-your-life-like-a-business.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/budget-your-life-like-a-business.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-57847360923891103472012-06-01T07:00:00.001-07:002012-06-01T07:00:47.578-07:00How to calculate the real cost of car ownership
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<p>If you're like me you've purchased a car without really looking at all of the costs of ownership. It's a fact that most people only look at how much their monthly payments will be when making a car purchase decision. This can lead to thousands of dollars in costs that you hadn't thought about. You should take all of the costs of ownership into account BEFORE you make your car purchase decision. That includes the depreciation, insurance, maintenance and fuel costs. You should create a worksheet that shows exactly how much each cost could be and then add them up to find out which car will actually save you money over the period you intend to own it. Read our latest post for help making these calculations.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-really-save-money-when-you-buy-a-car.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-really-save-money-when-you-buy-a-car.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-46816999093889644622012-05-31T11:11:00.001-07:002012-05-31T11:11:06.888-07:00Where do you find the best deals on wine?
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<p>Around here, we often go to Costco or World Market to find the best prices on wine. However, searching the shelves for sales at the local grocery stores is sometimes just as good of deal. If you're interested in learning how to save money on wine, then you should check out the article we wrote. It covers how to use apps or websites to help you locate the best deals. It also tells you what you should avoid doing. The full article can be found at Budget Ways.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-save-money-buying-wine.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/how-to-save-money-buying-wine.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-20179692524637413262012-05-30T06:49:00.001-07:002012-05-30T06:49:32.949-07:00Here are some of the free things I do with my family
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<p>If you're like me, you're always looking for cheap things to do with your family. It's hard to find good ideas on your own, so I made a list of free things that I like to do here in Madison. If you have a chance to visit our site and read them, perhaps you could add something to the list. Even if you're not in Madison, most of these ideas could be used in almost any location. For example, visiting state parks is something that can be done in any state. Granted, it is not completely free, but you get my point. Anyway, if you're interested in reading more about free things to do in Madison Wisconsin, please visit our latest post and leave a comment.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/11-free-things-to-do-in-madison-wi.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/11-free-things-to-do-in-madison-wi.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-48248247687532012782012-05-29T06:09:00.001-07:002012-05-29T06:09:09.324-07:00Bartering - Can it save you money?
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<p>I'm sure you've seen ads on craigslist that offer items in exchange for other items. For example, I was looking at ATVs when I saw an person wanting to trade their ATV for a pickup truck. Transactions like this are called bartering, and they are much more common than you'd expect. With the recent trend of being frugal, more and more people are using barter to try to save money and get more value for their used items. Can it save you money? Of course it can, if you do it right. Did you ever hear of the guy that bartered his way to a a brand new car from starting with a few dollar item? (or something like that). Anyway, if you want to read more about how you can barter to save money, check out our latest blog post.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/have-you-tried-bartering-to-save-money.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/have-you-tried-bartering-to-save-money.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-13418924416723247492012-05-28T12:40:00.001-07:002012-05-28T12:40:07.296-07:00What are your favorite ways to save money?
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<p>When it comes to saving money, everyone has their favorite ways that work for them. I listed my favorite ways in a recent post on my blog at budgetways.com. There are always clever ideas that I've never even thought of, so if you'd like to read my best ideas from my blog and add your own to the list, please visit us and let us know your best money saving ideas. You know, the one's that really work for you.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/ways-to-save-money.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/ways-to-save-money.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-2036533816287484962012-05-25T06:15:00.001-07:002012-05-25T06:15:04.967-07:00How did/do you budget for your wedding?
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<p>When I got married, my wife did all of the budgeting. I hardly felt like I was involved, unless it was a decision that I felt strongly about. Looking back, I would recommend that the process be more evenly distributed, but at the time I was working a lot and it was hard to spend time on decisions that I didn't really care about. Anyway, to make it easier to create a budget for your weddding, I created a wedding worksheeet budget that you can use to estimate all of your wedding expenses. When the actual bills come in, you can fill in the actual amounts and it will calculate the differences for you. If you're interested in using it for free, you can download it at budgetways.com.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/wedding-budget-worksheet.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/wedding-budget-worksheet.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-59521592927017741712012-05-24T05:22:00.001-07:002012-05-24T05:22:10.795-07:00Do you have a budget for each family member?
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<p>Most people, myself included, only have one budget for themselves or their family. However, there are a few people out there that are so organized that they budget right down to the individual family member. A family budget of this sort is useful because it helps you allocate your spending money across family members and monthly expenses. For example, you can use it to keep track of how much money you spend on each person's clothing or to allocate the clothing fund to each member. We created a simple but useful family budget worksheet, along with a video tutorial of how to use it. If you're interested, you can find it on our latest post at budgetways.com.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/family-budget-worksheet.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/family-budget-worksheet.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021843418433164606.post-81449700107695349402012-05-23T06:03:00.001-07:002012-05-23T06:03:20.761-07:00What extreme have you gone through just to save money?
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<p>I know someone that backed out of a free week long vacation only because they didn't want to spend $25 on a fishing license. I've also seen people move from a large house to a small apartment to save money. These are some extreme ways to save money. When I started looking for more extreme ways I found that some people apparently use reuseable toilet paper, stuff pillows with pet hair, and do other absurd things to help them save money. What have you done to save money that was either extreme or silly? Visit our latest article and let me know.</p>
<a href='http://www.budgetways.com/whats-the-most-extreme-way-you-save-money.html'>http://www.budgetways.com/whats-the-most-extreme-way-you-save-money.html</a>
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Chris Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01778189381458666006noreply@blogger.com0