Hey! We like saving a buck and we know that you do too, especially in These Economic Times. That's why we're dedicating a whole week to doing things on the cheap. From September 14 to 18, Lemondrop will be covering how to keep your wallet -- and your belly and your closet and your mind -- full without sacrificing your fab lifestyle.We want to tailor Cheap Week to you! Tell us: What do you want to know about living the inexpensive life? Some ideas we've been throwing around include:
-- How to eat (healthy) on $20 a week
-- Weird ways to earn money on the side that actually work
-- How do I get paid to do _________?
-- Is Freeganism worth it?
Any of these strike your fancy? Leave us feedback in the comments so we can make Cheap Week as useful to you as possible. Thanks!
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Monday 10 August
By jennytsparkle
I would LOVE to get ideas on how to eat healthy for $20 a week! I am unemployed (laid off at the end of April) and I have been sacrificing healthy foods for cheap foods, so I would really like to know how to get cheap AND healthy food!
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Tuesday 11 August
By keith streb
can of tuna cheap and very healthy
Friday 14 August
By Phyllis
How To eat cheap and healthy?
When shopping at the grocery store, shop only around the outside aisles. ie. produce aisle, dairy aisle, bread aisle, and meat aisle. This is also a great way to diet. Think of the five food groups when food shopping.
Do you get rewards for grocery shopping?
Locate grocery stores that offer a customer rewards card. I have accumulated 3 months of reward points received $20 in free groceries including extra rewards points, double rewards points, free products, and coupons on product brands that I frequently purchase. It's one of the best customer rewards card that I've encountered.
Sunday 30 August
By Leanne
find a farmers market near your place. i go to the farmers market on saturdays and they always have fresh inexpensive vegetables, fruits and other types of good healthy food there. Also Trader Joes is amazing cheaper and healthier food :) love love trader joes
Friday 04 September
By gurganuschris
Instead of ordering out Pizza which gets expensive I get the cheap Totino's rizza's...they're like $1.19 each and sometimes I'll cook one for lunch and eat half, then have the other half for dinner. They're suprisingly tasty, although no competition for actual franchise pizza. Hey we gotta sacrifice, right? LOL!
Monday 10 August
By Annabel @ www.feedmeimcranky.com
I think most people would benefit from a "how to eat healthy for the same price you pay at the drive-thru" comparison. It seems most people are under the misconception (or is it a misconception?) that you can't eat healthy food for the same price that you pay to eat at a drive-thru. would be even better if the comparison was practical for people who aren't willing to eat "bare bones healthy" (just fruit & veggies).
- Annabel www.FeedMeImCranky.com
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Tuesday 11 August
By Claire
I would really be interested in weird ways to earn money that seriously work...trust me I've tried to think on my on but as of yet been pretty unsuccessful
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Monday 07 September
By elaine
When I was separated I had a truck and I had a few hundred dollars. I attended a country auction, bought many box lots on the cheap with everyday items like sheets, blankets, household items, kitchen pots and pans, some vases, flower pots etc,old books, took them to the local flea market, paid $12 for a table, maked them up and made three times my money on the first week-end. Sure, its hard work but fun and it got me thru. If you live in an area that has popular flea markets, auctions and yard sales this will help out a lot, it did for me as I started going every week-end and now have an antique shop.
Tuesday 11 August
By H-Money
Ways to make extra money that are legal:
-becoming an employee of one of those legitimate "texting" services where you can work at home from your desk, i.e. kgb-kgb or ChaCha
-grabbing books from the trash can outside of the college bookstore during the "book buy back" times and reselling the trash on Amazon.
-picking up high end merchandise that is on clearance and selling it on e-Bay.
-eating foodstuffs covered in hot sauce for the amusement of your friends and a couple "i dare you" bucks.
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Wednesday 12 August
By Brooke
Cha Cha seems like a good idea, but really isnt worth it! Takes so much time to train and then you almost never get any questions! Everyone's got an Iphone now and can google things themselves!
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Thursday 13 August
By Halsey
I'm a college student always looking to make some extra bucks. I'd love to learn weird ways to earn money on the side that actually work.
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Saturday 29 August
By Nancy C.
Mystery shopping is a great way to make extra money on the side. I have been doing this for six years. It takes some time to decide which shops are right for you and the most time efficient vs. the $$$ you make.
To find a list of mystery shopping/marketing companies go to:
volition.com
There are also other ways to make some extra cash at volition's website.
ADVICE: never ever pay any site for mystery shopping jobs.... they are available by signing up with individual companies.
Mystery shops are not a "get rich quick" scheme. They are legitimate shops where you are basically a customer service evaluator, and you submit a report online after completing a "shop". The down side initially is that most mystery shopping companies do not pay until about 60 days after you have completed your shop, but the upside is, once you have been "shopping" for 60 days or longer and you keep at it, you have a steady flow of payments (usually to your paypal account), and that will give you that extra cash that WE ALL NEED!
Thursday 13 August
By larry l
1. use seltzer water and add your own flavors. cuts down on sugar . 2. raise a vegetable garden and plant fruit trees like they did in the old days.it will save you a fortune and is much more healthier. don't buy any diet or chemically added foods. 3. cut out all sauces that's where the calories are and they cost too much. 4. cut food is just a nourishing as none can food and you buy for half price when they are on sale so stock up on them. 5 naturally use as many coupons as posible. 6. if you are married and have a husband that makes a reasonable salary, even average, stay home if you make under $20,000.00 . the cost for travel, eating out, extra clothes,etc. is to expensive to justify working 50 or more hours a week for someone. plus if you stay home and do all the chores that you farm out you wil be making more than going to work. fast one day a week drink liquids, eat fruits and veggies and home made beans soupso 7 car pull if you can and least once a week.
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Sunday 23 August
By Nancy
The fruit trees and veggie garden suggestion WORKS! If you have a partner, that person can do the tending while you work. (And it does take work...weeding, watering...watching out for typical pests in your geographic area) Personally saved about 50 dollars last month, and you can invite neighbors over to pick the extra you don't need, if they have different plants and trees. There is nothing like food from your own garden!
Sunday 13 September
By GLove
...And what happens when he's left his wife cause he's been living a double. There she sits with no income from the job she quit.
Saturday 15 August
By Summer
I have found that looking for the grocery stores and dented can stores that are sometimes placed on the less affluent sides of town can really pay off. The Super Saver and ALDI are my faves. The meats are reasonable and the can goods are cheaper than you will find anywhere (39 cents for a can of green beans at Super Saver). Farmers markets are a great way to save money on produce too. And you can freeze just about anything if you can't use it before it spoils. The quality of produce is more consistant than the big glossy chain grocery stores too. Also if short on cash, soups and chili are cheap and easy to make. And you can eat on it for a few days or freeze it for later. And don't be afraid to experiment with what you have in the pantry. My husband has been impressed with what I have thrown together with what I had on hand.
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Sunday 06 September
By felicia
hope noone is buying dented canned goods. dented canned goods maybe contaminated with bacteria that has formed from a broken seal. I have always found that frozen veggies are more economical and are closer to fresh veggies then canned veggies, plus you can cook what you need and refreeze the rest!
Saturday 15 August
By tee
Bringing food from home or eating cheaper items can save money when you eat at work. (7 dollars a day on meals = $35 weekly, where as 0-$1 a day is only $5 weekly.) I lived on a strict budget (travel fare + maybe 3 dollars left over) and survived on dollar foods - bagels, egg rolls, english muffins, soup, mcdonalds when i was at school or work, and ate actual meals at home.
Use ebay or amazon for things that you deal with using second hand (DVDs, leather jacket, electronics, books etc).
Quit expensive habits, smoking drinks etc. Dye your own hair do your own nails.
Drink at home (pregame) before you hit the club.
If you can walk, then walk save money on cabs & trains (& lose weight too)
Keep a change jar, everytime you have change in your pockets or bag throw it in, after a few months you can have up to $150 extra dollars waiting for you.
Revise your cell phone, internet, cable bills - call your sales rep to see what you can re-work to fit your budget. (I saved $20 on my phone bill by revising my text plan).
If you need a credit card get one with low monthly minimums (one like Macys usually its $10.00- 30.00 monthly).
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Sunday 16 August
By cyn
I wound up pet/house sitting for neighbors that turned into an extra part time job. Word of mouth helped me to expand. $5 a day, as needed and as long as I am available ( I do go out of town occasionally).
I have friends who use the barter system. That can help too.
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Tuesday 18 August
By macy
Living cheap: 1. use coupons--save them in a coupon file so that you will have them with you when shopping, 2. check out store adds for sale items, and shop at the store with the best values for your staple items, 3. beans are a great source of protein, are cheap, and healthy 4. when traveling, bring your own snacks- ei- granola bars, pretzels, etc. - that way, you spend less at restaurants, 5. tuna, very healthy and one of the stores will have it on sale, buy 1, get 1, if you are watching sale ads, 6. the farmer's market for cheap fruits and veggies, 7. cost club items- spliting with a friend or neighbor, 8. always check grocery receipts; take your receipt up to customer service if item is priced wrong- usually, store will give you your total money back for the mistake.
For extra money- join focus groups that will pay you money for your opinions on different products. Not a steady steam of income, but a little extra money in your pocket just for giving an hour or two of your time.
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