The Budget Fashionista shares 10 tips for shopping frugal
For freebie tips 1-10, click here
11. Learn a Language. Do you remember anything from your Spanish class from high school? Probably not. But we can redeem ourselves by logging on to Bbc.co.uk/languages to take free beginner courses in French, German, Spanish, and Italian.
12. Access Free ATMs. Surcharges from a foreign bank can add up quickly. Don’t pay another dime for your money. Get money from a surcharge-free network such as Allpoint, which has about 200 participating institutions and 32,000 ATMs or Money Pass, which has 600 members and 8,000 ATMs.
13. Go Back to School. Projectworkingmom.com makes school fun again by offering $2 million in scholarships to moms trying to get their groove back. It’s online, so don’t worry about sitting in a classroom all night long, and you can go at your own pace.
14. Sign Up for Rewards. You’ve worked hard for your stellar credit rating. Now, it’s time to use it to put some cash in your pocket. Log on to Cardweb.com to find the best deals on rewards credit cards that offer rebates, cash back, airline miles and other perks. You have to buy gas and groceries anyway, so use the card wisely to earn more rewards.
15. Get Your Chat On. Save on long distance by logging on to your computer. Skype.com has free software that allows users to call other Skype users for free. It’s great for catching up with girlfriends across the country or meeting with your side hustle clients.
16. Money Advice. Sites like Kiplinger.com, Cnnmoney.com, and Bankrate.com have lots of tools and calculators to keep you on solid financial footing. Expert columnists will answer your toughest questions. Think of it as your virtual financial adviser.
17. D.I.Y. Why should you pay contractors thousands of dollars when you can do it yourself? Home Depot provides free hands-on clinics on topics such as installing flooring and tiling a backsplash. Homedepot.com, Lowes.com and Thisoldhouse.com also offer how-to videos.
18. Free WiFi. The next time you’re away from home and want to log on to the Internet, search for free wireless hot spots, including parks, hotels and local restaurants at Wififreespot.com.
19. Take a Photo. Taking pics of the kiddies and putting them in a cute photo album for everyone to see shouldn’t be an expensive chore. Download Google’s free Picasa, which allows you to tweak, edit and organize your digital snapshots.
20. Get Fit. Okay, it’s New Year’s Resolution time. Reach your goal weight by joining Fatsecret.com to create a personalized fitness regime. Plus, track your progress and get tips and support from the online community.
21. House Swapping. Save on the cost of hotels by playing host. Hospitality sites like Homeexchange.com and Couchsurfing.com connect members who want to trade homes with another. It sure beats a $300-a-night stay.
22. Credit Alert. Some of you are thinking, where’s the fun in this? Well, keeping your credit free of erroneous mistakes such as accounts in someone else’s name and ID theft will keep your score high. Get a free report once a year from Annualcreditreport.com.
23. Watch Your Favorite Episodes. Hulu.com plays back full episodes of more than 900 current primetime hits including “Psych,” “House” and “The Office.” There’s a little something for everyone including classics like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” And it’s totally legal.
24. Set Up a Virtual Office. To set up your home office for free, check out Openoffice.org. Tap into word processing programs, spreadsheets, and design creative presentations with this no-cost software.
25. Get Some Points. Log on to Mypoints.com to earn points when you play online games, search the Web, or take mini surveys. In exchange, you can redeem points for gift cards to the movies, dining spots, etc.