Part 7 (1/2)

1 Make Freezer Meals

We've all done it Dinnerti planned and don't feel like cooking The easiest solution is takeout, delivery, or schlepping to the nearest chain restaurant

The simple solution is freezer e With freezer meals, you ers, s, you're only microwave minutes away from a quicker, more healthful, and less-expensive entree than you probably would get dining out Whip up a few quick sides, and presto! Away toward savinglunch to work instead of buying is, ad it every day? Ask yourself why not And what about that iver wants to cut fro routine? Well, that's up to you, of course Just ht have seen the math before, but I'll repeat it here: Cut a 4 coffee and 7 lunch each workday, and you save 2,750 a year If nearly three grand is no big deal to you and you don't need to spend it on so else, then eat out

2 Use Coupons and Discounts

Granted, if a ht not want to whip out coupons when the bill coality But coupons and discounts can save significantout

One secreta discount Sign up at RewardsNetworkcom Tell them what credit cards and debit cards you use to pay for et a discount automatically credited to your credit or debit account You do nothing-no coupons or gift certificates Discounts are typically 5 percent to 10 percent

Also check out Restaurantcom, OpenTablecom, and the ubiquitous Entertain for a cheap way to take the kids out, look for special deals at KidsMealDealscom

3 Skimp on What You Don't Care About

So a soft drink, appetizer, entree, and dessert Then onder e're so uncomfortably full e leave Cut out what you don't care about

Do you like free water just as well as a 3 soft drink? Can you wait until you get holass of wine? Can you skip the appetizer or eat an appetizer and skip the entree? Are the portions big enough to share an entree? What about skipping the te back some other time for dessert only?

This isn't rocket science, but it does take discipline and a willingness to break your routine Listen to your body about how hungry you actually are and order less And look for reasonable substitutions that will cut your tab without cutting your enjoy topic, and some people have unique insurance needs But here are three things almost everybody can do to save money

Insurance, 1-2-3

1 Say no to extended warranties and other junk insurance

2 Refinance your term life insurance

3 Raise deductibles on home and auto insurance

1 Say No to Extended Warranties and Other Junk Insurance

Keep things simple and don't outsmart yourself There's a lot of junk insurance out there that is way too expensive for the risk it covers

Extended warranties are at the top of the list Just don't buy them How's that for simple? Don't buy the else Does anybody really think a 40 extended warranty on a 200 caood deal?

Are there exa off? Of course And there are examples at a casino roulette wheel, when the ball falls into the nuht die from a snake bite this year It's just not very likely The point is, almost all extended warranties are a lousy bet

Sin up for a home warranty, or service contract, which is essentially insurance on your appliances andsystems, like a furnace

You can skip ency fund to pay for repairs Here's a simple concept: When stuff breaks, pay to repair it Don't make it more complicated than that You'll save money in the end

Here's an idea-self insure Whenever you're tempted to buy an extended warranty, say no Then put the money you would have spent on the warranty into a separate bank account That will act as your repair fund Chances are that over time, you'll put far more into the account than you spend on repairs

I' you should check your brain at the door and blindly reject every offer But you'll do well to”yes”

2 Refinance Your Term Life Insurance

Ter for years So, if you have an old policy, it's tiet a new one, and then cancel the old one In all likelihood, you can either save a lot of e for the sah you're older than when you first took out the policy

I call this ”refinancing” because it's so sie to a better interest rate, only replacing your life insurance is better because the switch is free It's a no-brainer

You can save literally hundreds of dollars a year, which compounded over the life of a 15-year or 20-year policy as

What exactly is life insurance? A life insurance company pays your beneficiaries a lump sum of money if you die while the policy is in place