2paupers

I’ve just come across this great Freebie Blog that not only caters for US residents but also residents in Australia and other countries around the world.  Check it out - there are some great freebies to be had.

Welcome to the May 2, 2008 edition of living cheaply.

Jeremy Zongker presents Are Low Interest Credit Cards Really a Good Deal? posted at Creditor Web.

Nadege presents Learn why allocating your paycheck is the key to becoming wealthy posted at fabulous finances.

sarah presents Four ways to suck less at vintage & thrift shopping posted at SARAHSPY.

Sarah presents Tips To Save Money On Vacations posted at Tips To Save Money. Learn To Be Frugal, saying, “The Sexy Secretary presents her top tips for planning a great, cheap vacation.”

Jeremy Zongker presents How to NOT Live on a Budget posted at Debbie’s Debt Advice.

KCLau presents How to Identify and Invest in the Hot Stocks of Tomorrow posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “A review of the book “Finding the Next Starbucks by Michael Moe.”"

Fuel Efficient Driver presents I Want Better Gas Mileage » Blog Archive » E85 Ethanol Vehicles posted at Getting Better Gas Mileage, saying, “Author talks about the new E85 ethanol vehicles.”

Fuel Efficient Driver presents Do You Really Need Premium Gasoline? posted at Getting Better Gas Mileage, saying, “Many people are unsure if they should pay the premium for higher octane gasoline.”

business

Sally Thompson presents The Freeloader?s Toolbelt: 50 Tools to Help You Get Anything Free Online posted at Free Geekery.

Raymond presents 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards posted at Money Blue Book.

Dave presents Instant Cash for Gold, Silver, or Platinum Jewelry - Vox posted at Cheapo Groovo.

ChristianPF presents How to watch HD TV on your computer posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “As everyone knows High Definition (HD) TV is so much better than regular TV. I didn’t have an HD capable TV myself and I didn’t want to run out and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on another TV, so I thought I would investigate other alternatives. I thought there was probably a way to watch TV on my computer, but I wasn’t sure about if it would be in HD or not. I found the answer.”

Raymond presents How To Get Your Free FICO Credit Score posted at Money Blue Book.

domestic

Zork Brauk presents Recession Tip 45 Less is More posted at It’s the Recession, Stupid!, saying, “Tips on surviving the economic recession from UFO aliens.”

George L Smyth presents One Minute How-To - How To Make $10 On The Internet Right Now posted at George L Smyth, saying, “Troy Price explains a way you can get $10 on the Internet without jumping through too many hoops.”

valereee presents Foraging: hot new foodie trend, or the hottest new foodie trend? posted at Cincinnati Locavore, saying, “Nothing’s cheaper than free!”

P. Sycamore presents A Visit to Sam’s posted at She Laughs at the Days to Come, saying, “You can’t assume everything in a warehouse club is a good deal, but there are a few bargains to be had.”

Bryce presents Drive It Into the Ground posted at Save and Conquer, saying, “It is financially advantageous to drive your vehicle until it becomes unreliable, also known as driving it into the ground. Here’s why.”

Meg presents End of surburbia. . . . posted at Finally Frugal, saying, “How to save money and the environment at the same time.”

Dave presents Cheapo Postage posted at Cheapo Groovo.

Ali Hale presents 17 ingredients, 6 sandwiches, 10 days of fantastic, healthy, lunches posted at The Office Diet, saying, “Great article with fortnight’s shopping list, enough to make 10 days of healthy, diet-friendly, cheap lunches. The cost savings over eating out are STAGGERING … you could have two weeks of lunches for the price of one restaurant meal!”

MyMaria presents Making Meals on a Budget posted at Financial Tips, saying, “Thanks for considering my post for inclusion.”

MyMaria presents Why I Love my Yogurt Maker posted at Financial Tips, saying, “Making my own yogurt is just one of the ways I live cheaply. Thanks for considering my post for inclusion!”

Raymond presents Saving Money and Drinking To My Health With Free Coffee and Tea posted at Money Blue Book.

FIRE Getters presents Top 5 Freebie Websites! posted at FIRE Finance.

Mitchel Harad presents Are Prescription Costs Making You Feel a Little Sick? posted at Holy Cash Cow.

Sarah presents Are You Ready to Buy a House? posted at Tips To Save Money. Learn To Be Frugal, saying, “Buying a house is the American dream, but does your current financial situation allow for it?”

family

Larry Russell presents Objective Personal Finance Answers Are Hard to Find posted at THE SKILLED INVESTOR Blog.

Raymond presents The Best Online High Interest Savings Accounts posted at Money Blue Book.

Wenchypoo presents This Just In: 7 Money Rules You Can Ignore posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket.

Andy Miofsky presents Teach Your Parents Well posted at Bankruptcy Law Network - Real Lawyers, Real Solutions.

hank presents The 29 most frugal things I have ever done - do yours compare to my past levels of cheap? posted at My Investing Blog.

chica with issues presents Frugal, cheap or stupid? Silly things I do to save money posted at Bumblefucked.

Brice Hogan presents 5 Practical Tips to Save You Money posted at Financialzip.com, saying, “Some simple steps to put coin back in your pocket.”

Christine presents Banana, Cinnamon and Honey Spread on Toast posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France.

Brice Hogan presents 3 Steps to a Lower Interest Rate posted at Financialzip.com, saying, “If you hate paying those high rate interest rates on your credit cards. 3 easy ways that you can lower them and save yourself hundreds of dollars a year.”

Other

William Blake presents Time to Examine The Way You Spend posted at Becoming Debt Free.

Richard M. Rothschild presents Bond Market Index Funds posted at Bond Market Index Funds.

Michael Bass presents What You Should Know About Credit Cards posted at Debt Prison, saying, “For the first time in U.S. history there was no limit to the interest rates that banks could charge nationwide. This permitted credit card companies to expand; soon becoming the most profitable sector in overall banking. Citibank has been more profitable than Microsoft or Wal-Mart.”

KCLau presents Relative Value of Money posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “An article on how to earn and spend money as well as the relative value of money.”

Frank Vertin presents Top 10 S and P 500 Index Funds posted at NO LOAD INDEX FUND.

Joanne presents Homemade Gift Basket Ideas For Any Occasion posted at Homemade Gift Baskets, saying, “One way to save money is to make your own gifts. Think about making a gift basket for any of these occassions. Thanks, Joanne”

Heather Johnson presents 7 Ways to Keep Energy Costs Low as the Weather Warms Up posted at Smart Money Daily.

Barb A. Ryan presents 1 - Your Personal Financial Planning Skills posted at Pasadena Financial Planner.

Joseph presents More questions that will prevent impulse spending posted at penny pinching.

Phil B. presents Health > Wealth posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “Health is more important than wealth.”

Jessica Donnovan presents Freeganism - Living the Freegan Lifestyle posted at Sensible Self-Improvement.

Jenny presents The Green Life posted at the so called me, saying, “I think I’m gonna start getting into this whole frugal living thing.”

Dorian Wales presents How I Saved Over 3,000$ In One Hour posted at Personal Financier.

Jacob presents How I’m now getting books, CDs, and DVDs without paying for them posted at Early Retirement Extreme, saying, “If the library is not an option, the net now offers the option to get books, cds, and dvds by swapping what you already have and paying only shipping (typically $2).”

Phil B. presents No Long-Term Planning is Stupid << Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “In my humble opinion, far too many people are choosing short-term satisfaction over long-term planning.”

Leaving The Folks presents Creating a Budget posted at Real World Advice, saying, “Setting a budget can go a long way to helping you save money and cut down on debt.”

ChristianPF presents How to make a budget posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “A step by step guide to creating a budget.”

iMagxz presents 5 Ways to Break a Bad Habit posted at LifeJelly.org, saying, “Smoking is just another thing emptying your pockets”

school

Raymond presents Student Credit Card Rewards posted at Money Blue Book.

Heather Johnson presents 15 Free Things to do When You?re Trying to Save Money posted at Money Under 30.

Ted Reimers presents Going Back to College posted at CampusGrotto.

travel

Christine presents Barcelona on 10 Euro Per Day For Two People posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France.

George L Smyth presents One Minute How-To - How To Get The Best Deal With Currency Exchange posted at George L Smyth, saying, “George L Smyth explains how to get the best deal possible when you need money while in a foreign country.”

MyMaria presents High Gas Prices Affecting Families posted at Financial Tips, saying, “Soaring gas prices are affecting families and budgets across the country.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of living cheaply using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: living cheaply, blog carnival.

Welcome to the April 2, 2008 edition of living cheaply.

Jeremy Zongker presents 11 Reasons Why You’ll Want to Live on a Budget posted at Destroy Debt.

Nadege presents Always broke? Here are five reasons why you struggle financially posted at fabulous finances.

Jeremy Zongker presents Maximizing Gas Rebate Credit Card Rewards To Minimize Gas Prices posted at Creditor Web.

M.D. Creekmore presents Saving Money on Your Food Bill posted at Survivalist Blog, saying, “I would think that by now everyone, even the most frugal shoppers are feeling the crunch at the supermarket. Seems like every freaking time I go down to the Wal-Mart to pick up something, even stable foods like beans and flour, the price has jumped another 10 cents which doesn’t sound like all that big a deal at first, but when it seems to repeat the process every week I start to get concerned.”

Jeremy Zongker presents 90 Low Cost or No Cost Activities to Entertain Your Kids All Summer Long posted at Destroy Debt.

business

Raymond presents 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards posted at Money Blue Book.

domestic

Michael Bass presents How to seek bargains for food and clothes posted at Debt Prison, saying, “There are lot of ways to pay more than you have to for food and clothing. Though it may require a little more shopping, seeking bargains on food and clothing will save you hundreds or thousands of dollars each year.”

Jennifer Gervens presents Day 93 posted at The Freebie Diva, saying, “The Freebie Diva is a blog updated daily with links to legitimate free samples on the web. Additionally, separate links are posted to free coupons, by-one-get-one-free offers, and bargains. A special ongoing section on making extra money on the web has just been introduced and contains information on getting started making extra cash on the web through companies that I have personally tried and can vouch for.”

Michael Bass presents The Good, The Bad, and The Reverse Mortgage posted at Debt Prison, saying, “A financial decision involving hundreds of thousands of dollars and probably the loss of your home should be made with caution. So let’s take our time, do our homework, so that we can make an informed decision. Separating the good information from the bad can be difficult because of all the people trying to get their hands on your money.”

Nadege presents How to make sure you stick to your budget posted at Nadege Lewis.

FIRE Getters presents Save Gas - Tips To Save Money On Gas! posted at FIRE Finance.

Rio Rivas presents The importance of keeping investment expenses to a minimum posted at Get Financially Fit!, saying, “shows the impact of investing expenses on your nestegg.”

Thursday Bram presents Cutting the Grocery Bill: Reducing the Cost of a Good Spice Rack | Wise Bread posted at Wise Bread.

Penelope Pince presents Pay Bills Online and Save | Our Fourpence Worth posted at Our Fourpence Worth, saying, “How I save $60 a year by paying my bills online or by phone. Families with children that have a higher number of bills can save even more.”

Dorian Wales presents The Personal Financier: How to Make Sure this is your Dream Home: 7 Practical Tips posted at Personal Financier.

presents Saving $135.00 at Starbucks posted at Every Day Is Saturday.

Zork Brauk presents UFO Recession Tip 23 - Clip those Coupons and Use Them too posted at It’s the Recession, Stupid!.

Elliott presents Frugal Tips: Gift Shop posted at ElliottRussell.ca.

family

Laura Williams presents Super Savings Saturday: What will $4.23 get you? posted at Laura Williams’ Musings.

Christine presents Honey and Orange Juice Sweetened Hot Apple Dessert posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France.

Empty Spaces presents US Economy Going South? posted at Adventures in Money Making, saying, “A depressing look at the hardships that American families are now facing. But there’s no recession, right!”

Barb A. Ryan presents Your Family Financial Planning posted at Pasadena Financial Planner.

Faron Benoit presents Ten Things Women Wish Men Knew About Money posted at Financial Learn.

Raymond presents Save Money With Grocery Credit Cards posted at Money Blue Book.

Donovan Snelleman presents 10 Ways To Save Money On Everyday Things posted at ImprovedLife.ca, saying, “A few tips on how to save a little extra money by making changes to some everyday things you do or buy.”

other

Super Saver presents Want To Keep Your Analog TV Working? posted at My Wealth Builder.

KCLau presents Knowing your enemy - Inflation! posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “Article on what inflation is, what causes inflation and how we as consumers can outstrip inflation.”

Christine presents Wants vs Needs: A Look at Personal Consumption posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France.

Brent Diggs presents What The Promised Recession Means To You As An American posted at The Ominous Comma, saying, “Urgent Economic Humor, read at once.”

Big Cajun Man presents The Seduction of Spending posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Don’t fall into the trap of spending, just for the sake of spending.”

KCLau presents Top 39 Essential Rules of Investing posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “39 useful tips on how to make your money work hard for you. These are tips that would allow you to grow your wealth safely and soundly.”

Harrine Freeman presents 5 Easy Steps to Eliminate Debt posted at The Debt Reducer Expert’s Blog.

C Duran presents How to Earn Extra Money with On-line Surveys posted at Thrifty Jinxy, saying, “Info on earning extra money by taking on-line surveys with a list of good survey sites.”

Bryce presents Factory Extended Warranty posted at Save and Conquer, saying, “This is about finding and obtaining extended service when a company has determined there was a design flaw in one of their products.”

KCLau presents Top 5 Regular Monthly Expenses We Don’t Need posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “An article discussing some of the ways one can reduce unnecessary expenditure.”

KCLau presents Financial Security: How you feel it? posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “Article on acquiring financial security and how to increase or protect finances.”

Raymond presents How To Repair Your Car With Used Junkyard Parts posted at Money Blue Book.

Heather Johnson presents 8 Ways Women Can Save the Whole Family Money posted at wpersonalfinance.

Tip Diva presents Top Ten Tips - Going Outlet Shopping posted at Tip Diva, saying, “Outlet shopping is fun, and you can find a lot of great savings. But there is an art to this form of retail therapy.”

Tip Diva presents Tip Diva | Top Ten Tips - Going Dumpster Diving posted at Tip Diva, saying, “Tip Diva enjoys Dumpster diving, which is quite a fine art. She’s found things such as a working sewing machine, furniture, bolts of fabric, computer software, brand new candles, a fan and more. Remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so here’s how to go find your own free loot.”

Home Life Weekly presents How to Make Your Own Free Printable Birthday Cards posted at Home Life Weekly, saying, “Save money by printing your own Birthday Cards”

school

Ted Reimers presents Where to Buy, Sell and Trade Textbooks posted at CampusGrotto.

travel

Christine presents How the Declining Dollar Affects European Travel posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France.

poetloverrebelspy presents ITB Impressions: Beer Tourism posted at Less Than a Shoestring, saying, “Despite an increasing interest in microbrews and specialty beers from breweries around the globe, there’s no need for you to travel across the planet or join a bus tour to enjoy an afternoon of beer tasting or a brewery tour. Find my links for planning your own (inexpensive) beer tourism in this post.”

Raymond presents Gas Credit Card Rewards posted at Money Blue Book.

poetloverrebelspy presents Do Vacations Spoil Everyday Budgeters? posted at Less Than a Shoestring, saying, “If you have the skills to frugally manage your day-to-day expenses, you can easily tweak them to get the most out of your vacation dollar as well. This post gives concrete examples of how to turn a low-budget trip into a no-budget trip without extracting any of the fun!”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of living cheaply using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: living cheaply, blog carnival.

The world is being flooded with businesses offering freebies and charging other businesses to advertise on their products as a way of gaining exposure.  The great benefit to that is that as consumers we benefit from all the freebie sites and offers that are around.

A recent report by Trendwatching lists dozens of freebie sites and opportunities around the world.  I wonder how long it will take for Australian businesses to catch up?

Happy Easter to everyone.  The two Stewarts are heading towards being extremely sick (well this pauper is anyway) from eating so many Easter Eggs - I love them - there is no other chocolate that tastes like Easter Egg Chocolate!

I hope the Easter Bunny was kind to you all and you have a safe and happy Easter.

2 Paupers are getting behind the kids of Northampton District High School (K-10) to help them raise much needed funds to allow them to go on a school camp in August.

Northampton is a tiny farming community North of Geraldton in Western Australia and the community is suffering due to the ongoing drought conditions.  Money is tight all round and families are struggling so the expense of sending kids to camp is a luxury when it really should be a necessity.  

School camp is so important to allow kids to build and use skills they dont normally draw upon in the normal school environment.

2 paupers would love your help in supporting the kids.   All donations will be gratefully accepted to help us raise the target $3000 to get the kids to camp.  To donate click here

If you are an avid reader you can often exhaust the supply of free or cheap books you can get hold of but often it’s great to re-read a classic, the only trouble is that we don’t all own copies of the classics.

I’ve come across a fantastic site called Readprint that has literally hundreds of books that you can read online, chapter by chapter.  You can search by author or book title and there is literally something for everyone.

For those on a budget it’s a great way to do some reading without having to spend a cent!  

Happy Reading everyone.

I’ve just come across this fantastic site called Cooking by Numbers, that allows you to simply tick the boxes on what’s in your fridge and cupboard then hit Find Recipes and it comes up with a variety of ideas that you can create with the ingredients you have. 

An absolutel lifesaver if money is tight and the only thing in the cupboard doesn’t look appealing - this site seems to make even a boring old potato look good.�

What a great response to our Carnival of Living Cheaply and hats off to Anne for the work involved in putting all together (thanks Pauper!).

For another great carnival “All things crafty” with some great homemade craft projects visit Kathie’s Indie-Crafts blog.