Do you have an Amazon visa credit card?

Amazon recently announced that you may now use your Amazon credit card rewards towards purchases on Amazon.com. Yes, there’s now a way to get free stuff on Amazon.com!

I’ve had the Amazon visa credit card by Chase for a few years, since I frequently shop at Amazon.com for their great prices and fast shipping. I was so excited about this that I used my racked up rewards to buy something right away. It’s like getting free stuff on Amazon!

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http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/amazon-credit-card-rewa...

A couple months ago I stumbled on an article at Yahoo! Finance that documented 5 Ways To Save $1,000 Per Year, that I thought was very interesting and useful.

I think the article has some pretty solid advice which points to some fairly simple ways to reduce spending in your everyday life. Here are the major bullet-points followed by a little commentary by yours truly.

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/5-easy-ways-to-save-100...

Even though we may love our careers and families, there is a need to take “me time” to keep your sanity. That’s where girl’s night out comes in. Doing fun things with your best gal pals mean the world to us single moms.

While indulging in these fun nights has not been easy with the recession, it has definitely taught us to keep getting creative and to spend less while still having fun. Here are some tips on planning the night that we’ve picked up over the years.

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/girls-night-out-on-a-bu...

Health insurance may be easy and affordable to obtain for those who are young and healthy. But when you have a pre-existing condition, it can be downright challenging, if not impossible. Don’t those with pre-existing conditions need health care the most?

If you are self-employed, unemployed, or your job doesn’t provide health insurance benefits, when you have a pre-existing condition, you are either denied for health coverage when you apply, have to pay a much higher rate, or are offered coverage that excludes your condition.

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http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/health-insurance-for-pr...

I heard about the fairly new Amazon Mom program last year. So when I became a mom, I couldn’t wait to join and explore the membership benefits.

With Amazon Mom, you get 30% off diapers and wipes and the coveted Amazon Prime. Here are the details of the benefits of Amazon Mom membership.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/amazon-mom-benefits

Weddings are notoriously expensive. You want the best for your special day but that doesn’t mean you have to pay an arm and a leg for it. If you are flexible on some of the details, you can still have a beautiful wedding on a budget.

The key to a budget wedding is to save as much as you can on minor aspects of your wedding, such as invitations and favors, so that you can put more money into the areas in your budget that you care most about.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/budget-wedding-ideas

We’re all working hard to make ends meet in the current economy by scrimping, saving, and sacrificing the finer things. Going to the movies, buying new treats for ourselves, and going out to eat frequently have been some of the first things to go.

But fine dining doesn’t have to be a no-go while you’re on a budget if you plan and research carefully! The internet is the best tool you have for research before you go out for a nice dinner in town.

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http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/frugal-tips-for-fine-di...

When you become a parent, you realize quickly how expensive having a baby can be. Diapers, formula, wipes, clothes, boppy, breast pump, crib, and other things you didn’t know you needed, can all add up quickly.

With lack of sleep and a crying baby in your arms, you may not have the time or energy to even get out of the house some days. Where can you find the best baby bargains as well as save time?

Continue reading at: http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/best-baby-bargains

In an effort to save a couple of hundred dollars every few months, most movie addicts switch from catching a flick at the movie theaters to renting them at home just to get their entertainment fix.

But even renting movies from traditional movie rental businesses like Blockbuster can burn a pretty hole in your wallet—a single rental can cost as much as $5. Fortunately there are other alternatives. To learn how to rent movies on the cheap, continue reading below.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/cheap-dvd-rentals

It is now harder for men and women to obtain free checking accounts from normal banks. For example, Wells Fargo stopped free checking accounts for customers on July 1, 2010. Since then a lot of major banks have raised the minimum balance requirements. In addition, extra fees are added in order to obtain checking accounts.

Continue reading at:http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/how-to-get-free-checking

From now until Sunday, May 15, it’s Frappuccino Happy Hour! That means when you purchase a frappuccino between 3 – 5pm, it’s only half price.

Hello! What a deal! Also, check out their selection of flavors.

Caramel
Chai
Coffee...

Continue reading at: http://www.yummysf.com/frappuccino-happy-hour/

I recently wrote about Extreme Couponing Fraud. However, not all extreme couponers cheat to get deals. Featured in this post are extreme couponer blogs that I follow.

Ever wonder how extreme couponers save so much money? They spend a lot time matching up coupons with store sales.

Don’t have time to do this but still want to save money? Follow these extreme couponers and get the same deals that they get.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/extreme-couponers-blogs

We all know that saving money is essential, but statistics tell us that most Americans don’t do it on a consistent basis. In fact, just prior to the economic collapse of 2008, personal savings rates were at all-time lows in the United States. Much of this was fueled by the property market bubble, which led people to believe that their homes could never depreciate.

Therefore, the ever-increasing value of their home equity each year, dis-incentivized people from saving money. Why save money every month, when home equity is building so strongly every

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/how-to-build-the-crucia...

Last week, TLC debuted its new series “Extreme Couponing“, featuring people who save extreme amounts of money using coupons. Deals like scoring hundreds of dollars worth of goods for as little as $10 were featured.

You can either be inspired or depressed after watching this show. How can the average person get these kinds of deals? The truth is they can’t.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/extreme-couponing-fraud

Do you like saving money on groceries, hair care products, makeup, medicine, and whatever else happens to be in your cart when you reach the checkout lane? Of course you do!

There are a variety of ways to save money on the items you purchase by using coupons. Once you start looking you will soon realize that coupons can be found all over the place! Here are a few places to start:

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/best-places-to-find-cou...

Photo Credit: kodomut

Green is the new pink. It has become more fashionable to be eco-conscious and to take steps to reduce your carbon footprint. There’s no better way to reduce your carbon footprint than to increase the mark of your actual footprint – by walking, that is.

But if you live in the suburbs of a small state like I do, it can be nearly impossible to walk to the places I need to go. However, there are some great cities to live in that are well-known for their walking culture or their accessibility by walkers.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/10-most-walkable-cities...

Photo Credit: DoctorWho

What did you think of the TLC show "Extreme Couponing"?

I feel like not everyone can achieve those kinds of savings, 91% off? And I don't have 5 hours to scope the grocery store and another 5 hours of searching and matching up coupons and sales to get these deals, nor do I live in an area where stores double or even triple coupons.

Unless you’re a trust fund baby, chances are you don’t have a lot of money lying around as a college student. Even though a large proportion of college students work, many work part-time or take up flexible jobs that pay just above minimum wage so they can work and go to school at the same time.

Still others participate in unpaid internships or don’t have any money beyond what their parents might provide for living expenses and groceries. If you want to make the little money you have stretch, take a look at the following handy tips for living frugally in college.

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http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/5-ways-to-live-frugally...

It’s a common misconception that there are no coupons for natural and organic foods, that if you want to eat healthy, you don’t “coupon”. That’s not true. You just have to look harder!

Most coupons for natural and organic foods aren’t available in your Sunday paper like most other grocery coupons, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Save money while being healthy.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/organic-coupons-and-dea...

Do the villa’s of Italy entice you – there are no places like them on Earth. The clatter of plates in the out doors Ristorantes, the beautiful sunsets and scenery. The Mediterranean, clear blue and clean… the smells of fresh foods and drink wafting in the air. Who wouldn’t want to just ‘get away’ for a romantic tour of Italy?

Perhaps your choice would be a quiet island in the Caribbean or the Bahamas. White sand beaches, clear warm, baby blue water that beckons a midnight swim. Island music and drinks while relaxing on the beach…

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/how-to-score-free-travel

In this economic climate, you need every dollar to work for you as hard as it can. Here are 10 tips to help you make your money work for you, to live richly – on a budget.

Tip #1 – Prioritize Your Spending

Before you do anything with your money, you should have a goal in mind, whether it is to retire comfortably or go on vacation to the Caribbean. Look at your monthly expenses and decide what is most important to you and what falls down on the list in terms of priority.

Continue reading at: [url]http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/10-smart-tips-on-how-to-make-your-money-work-for-you[/ur]

The weather is getting warmer, the days are growing longer, and I’m embarrassed to admit, I just removed the last trace of Christmas decorations from my tiny apartment. Spring is coming! I love change, and redecorating is one of the best parts of Spring cleaning (scratch that, the only good part of Spring cleaning!)

Redecorating just makes waiting out the winter thaw that much more bearable. Because I don’t have a huge budget for new furniture, I’ve come up with some ways to spruce up a room that are thrifty and fun.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/6-cheap-and-fun-ways-to...

With the economy the way it is, a flood of daily deal sites have popped up. Groupon and Living Social are two of the most popular daily deal sites.

Basically, when you join Groupon or Living Social and create an account, you get daily deals via email. These deals are discounted at least 50% off and you have a limited time to purchase the deal, which is like a gift certificate. You may redeem the gift certificate or voucher by printing it out or using your iPhone or Android.

The problem is you’re tempted every day to purchase something on the spur of the moment, due to the time limit on the deals. And it may not be something that was in your budget.

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http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/are-groupons-really-a-g...

Welcome to the March 7, 2011 edition of carnival of credit score and debt, a blog carnival that focuses on debt, credit scores, credit cards, and other credit related topics
Editor’s Picks:

Ken presents 4 Payment Options You Can Use If You Owe Taxes posted at Spruce Up Your Finances.

Sun presents How to Evaluate a Lending Club Loan posted at The Sun’s Financial Diary.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/carnival-of-credit-scor...

Photo credit: celesteh

Inevitably, every year, rising gas prices makes the news. While there’s nothing we can do about the price fluctuations, we can be more efficient with our gas by changing the way we drive.

Here are 12 tips on how to save money on gas.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/12-tips-on-how-to-save-...

Photo credit: Marcin Wichary

I am super excited to be hosting this week’s edition of Festival of Frugality. If you’re new to the Festival of Frugality, the purpose is to spotlight the excellent ideas that are floating around out there to help squeeze a few extra pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters out of every dollar.

The definition of frugality: economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.

We should all have a money saved for a rainy day (or days) because rainy days happen when you least expect it. Surprise expenses seem to creep up...

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http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/festival-of-frugality-2...

Photo credit: wheat_in_your_hair

Having been in the wedding business for 5 years, I learned a lot about saving money on weddings from other vendors. So when it came time to plan my wedding years ago, I was prepared.

Cakes can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, depending on how elaborate the design is. There is no point in spending too much on a wedding cake when it gets eaten and forgotten by the end of the night.

Sometimes wedding magazines will give you unrealistic advice. So I hope you can use these ideas, which I learned from a cake vendor.

Continue reading at: http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/inexpensive-wedding-cak...

Ever wonder when things go on sale at the grocery store?

Well, stop guessing. Here’s your guide to grocery sale cycles for the entire year!

Know when to stock up on certain grocery items and when to wait until things go on sale. Get the best deals and plan for the whole year.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/grocery-sale-cycles-whe...

Photo Credit: qmnonic

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. If you don’t have time to buy Valentine’s Day cards, what’s the next best thing? Free printable Valentine’s Day cards!

I did some searching and found some stylish yet totally free Valentine’s Day cards that you can print at home. I still can’t believe these 10 supercute cards are free! I am totally in love with these cards and candy covers.

There is even an iPhone Valentine!

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http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/10-free-printable-valen...

Valentine’s Day is next Monday! If you haven’t gotten started with your Valentine’s Day gift, now is the time.

Here are some great ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts under $20, for him or for her, from Amazon.com. All of these items come with Free Super Saver Shipping. However, I would recommend one or two day shipping, so that you’ll have your gift in time for Valentine’s Day.

If you need quick shipping, for a limited time, Amazon.com is offering Free Two Day Shipping on select Valentine’s Day items in the Grocery and Gourmet Food department.

Continue reading at:

http://www.livingrichlyonabudget.com/valentines-day-gifts-un...