Saving Money Archives

Top 5 Tips for Saving Time and Money at Walt Disney World

The following is a guest post by Evelyn Ramsey. If you would like to write an article for Money Q&A, please visit our Guest Posting Guidelines page.

Disney World is two times larger than Manhattan. If you’ve ever wanted to visit Orlando, now is the time. There are so many exciting things to see and do.

Here’s how to save money at Disney World, have fun, and visit the very best areas of the park.

How to Save Money at Walt Disney World

Get a Good Hotel

Staying at a hotel on property gets expensive. Some hotels in the park can be had for $70 per night, but if you’re bringing a large family, it can be more like $500 per night. So, instead of paying steep prices, check out these Orlando hotels and just drive or shuttle to the park.

Most hotels that are near Disney World also have taxis or at least a car rental agency nearby that can take you and your family. If a rental car costs you $30-$50 a day, and the hotel costs you $60 per night, it might be cheaper than staying in park if the park prices are a few hundred dollars.

Watch What and Where You Eat

How to save money at Disney World? Food in Walt Disney World is notoriously expensive, but the prices are coming down a bit. Drink water, and it’s free. Juice is $1 cheaper compared to the soft drinks.

And, the park has relaxed its rules on the whole “no outside food” rules, with a few exceptions. You can’t bring glass containers, hard-backed coolers, or alcohol or food that would need heating up. That’s how to save money at Disney World.

Some ideas for food that works well at Disney include sandwiches, snack foods that are brought in plastic bags, dried meats (jerky), and candy. Since water is free, you don’t really need to worry too much about this unless you want to bring your own filtered water bottle.

11 Ways How to Easily Save Money in College

by Guest Contributor

As a college student, finding ways to save money while in college poses a great challenge. It needs someone with self-control and discipline to achieve this. 11 Ways to Save Money while in College is a simple and elaborate guide to the success of saving money while in college. 11 Ways How to Easily Save Money in College One might be tempted along the way, but setting your sight on the ultimate gains must be the major goal. To achieve one’s goal, 11 Ways to Save Money while in College must act as a guide. The 11 ways are as follows: Creating a Budget Creating a budget is the first step in saving money in college. Maintaining a strict budget … Read more

How to Save Money When Buying a Purebred Dog

by Hank Coleman

I have come to realize that there are many things that you must consider before buying a purebred dog. Meet the newest member of the Coleman family, Winston, in the picture to the right. After much consternation and nail-biting, my family and I finally decided to get a dog. This was a long, hard-fought battle of when and what breed to get. When is the right time to buy a dog? I don’t think there is one. I’m not sure what we were waiting for actually. I joked with a friend the other day that it was a little akin to waiting for the right time to have children. If you wait for the perfect time, you’ll never have children. … Read more

How To Think About Frugality Like An Economist And Save Money

by Hank Coleman

Is being frugal worth your time and effort? Can the law of supply and demand work in your favor to earn additional savings on your everyday purchases? Did you know that you actually hurting the US economy by saving your pennies and being too frugal?

You may be surprised to find out how you can save money when you approach think about frugality like an economist. Here are a few lessons from your economics class and how you can apply them to your frugal life.

Toilet Paper Is Worth More Today Than Tomorrow

If you won the lottery, would you want the lump sum payment today or would you want to spread your winnings out over 20 or 30 years? Thanks to our friend, inflation, you would be better off financially by taking the lump sum payment up front today. A dollar today is always worth more than a dollar in the future because of the effect of the time value of money and inflation.

These same economic theories can be applied to frugality and saving money on everyday purchases as well. When you stockpile toilet paper by the case after finding a good deal at the grocery store or discount warehouse chain, you are not only incrementally saving money on each item’s cost by buying in bulk. You are also saving money by not paying higher cost of the products later due to inflation as well.

What Is Upromise And Why You Need To Use It

by Hank Coleman

The Benefits Of 529 College Savings Plans

What is Upromise? Upromise is a service that helps individuals save money to pay for college or to pay down existing student loan debt.

The beauty of the program is that you save money for college by simply shopping at the normal stores you visit every day. Upromise was created in partnership with Sallie Mae and is designed to help save for education costs.

What Is Upromise?

It is not a college savings plan (like a 529 College Savings Plan). It does not see tax deferred growth. However, what the program does offer is a great way to save through partnerships with retailers. Similar to a cash back rewards card, this plan puts rewards from retailers into an account that you can use to save money for school or paying down current Sallie Mae serviced student loans.

How Upromise Works

Once you join Upromise, you simply have to shop at eligible retailers. You can shop online and get anywhere from 1$ to 25% back that is credited to your account. There are more than 600 online retailers, including Target and more, which will give you rewards.

Many stores link your Upromise account with your loyalty card. You can also get up to 8% back from participating restaurants when you pay with a credit card or debit card that you have registered on the Upromise website. There are over 8,000 restaurants to choose from including many nationwide chains like Subway.

Top 10 Simple Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill This Winter

by Hank Coleman

This past week has marked a turning point in the South, with temperatures noticeably dropping and long sleeves and pants making their comeback out of the depths of our closets. I routinely see my electric bill almost double during the winter while switching on my home’s electric heating unit. Electricity costs can eat up a substantial portion of your monthly budget if you are not careful. Households that use heating oil and gas do not fair much better either. In fact, the average home using heating oil spends over $320 per month, and gas users pay over $160 each month, according to Money magazine. But, there are ways to curb the cost of electricity, lower your heating costs, and save … Read more