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How
to Save on Auto Costs
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Auto Maintenance Tips
- Change your own oil
- Have your care tuned-up
regularly
- Maintain a steady speed. Aggressive
staring and stopping wastes gas
- Compare retail prices to Bluebook prices before buying a car
- Use
steel belted radial tires
- Use a trusted mechanic
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- Balance your tires once a
year
- Check
your tire pressure to be sure they are inflated properlyRotate your tires regularly. Evenly
worn tires last longer
- Perform regular preventive maintenance
- Buy the lowest octane gas
that your auto manual recommends
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Find the Best Gas Prices!
Compare gas prices at local
gas stations - Check these resources:
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Auto Insurance
Massachusetts now has competitive
car insurance, so shopping around might save money.
Here
are some online resources where you can compare quotes!
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Cooking
& Recipe Planning
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Cooking & Recipe Planning - Web Resources
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Other Cooking Tips
- Cookmeals
from scratch - cheaper and healthier than pre-packaged or take
out foods.
- Save and eat leftovers
- Cook with your children. Not only is it fun for them, but it will save you money.
- Make cookies instead of buying packaged ones.
- Also instant pudding and jello are cheaper to make at home than buying prepackaged ones.
- Make your own pizza, it's healthier, cheaper and better than ordering take out.
- If you burn your rice, don't throw it away. Instead, cut an onion in half and put both pieces in the middle then cover with rice, put a lid on and continue cooking the rice. by doing this all the taste and smell of burning will be absorbed by the onion
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Grocery Coupons on the Web
-
www.momsview.com -
The best place online for you to obtain discounts, coupon codes and promotions.
We strive to locate special sales, clearance links and other discounts.
- www.couponcabin.com
- Save with CouponCabin's free coupons, coupon codes & deals
- www.cellfire.com
- Free downloadable coupons! No need to print orcut coupons,
download free coupons to your cell phone.
- GroceryGuide, which lets you find the best grocery deals from stores and malls in your local area
- ShortCuts
from AOL, with the convenience of electronically loading all coupons
directly to your grocery store loyalty card (no need to carry coupons
around!)
- CouponChief,
with thousands of retail store coupons. Why buy baby products from a
grocery store when you can save $5 off diapers or formula at
Diapers.com?
- Also see
our Grocery
Shopping Coupons on the Web section for more deals!
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Grocery Shopping & Food Purchasing Tips
- Use less meat in your recipes to stretch the meat further and get more meals ouf of a package of hamburg.
- Make
your coffee at home instead of going to Dunkin Donuts,
Honey Dew, etc...
- Buy generic brands
- Buy in bulk - BJs, Costco etc...
- Shop only with a list
and avoid impulse purchases
- Don't go to the grocery store when you're hungry because you'll buy more things than you need.
- Stay away from the snacks
aisle at the grocery store
- Use coupons
- Plan meals in advance and around sale items
- Save up to 40% by buying groceries
(meat friut, veggies, etc.) through the Serve New England
program. All you have to do is volunteer for 2 hours a month.
Call them at 1-888-742-7363 or visit their website at http://www.servenewengland.org
- Check what is in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer before you write your grocery list and then stick t the list, this way you won't duplicate purchases.
- To save money on baby food instead of buying the prepacked jars that they sell at the store, buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and chop or puree in a food processor.
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Local Discount & Outlet Stores
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Family Dollar & B
& Ds Discount (grocery & home goods)
(in
the Seabra/Attleboro Crossing Shopping Plaza off South
Main Street, Attleboro
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The Dollar Tree
(home goods)
Attleboro
- 111 Pleasant Street,
Attleboro, MA 02703
North Attleboro, MA
-
1190 S Washington St
(Rt.1, Circuit City Plaza, across from the
Mall)
Seekonk, MA
-
1275 Fall River Avenue, (Office Max Plaza)
Cumberland, RI -
8 Mendon Rd (Stop & Shop Plaza
Cumberland, RI 02864
Rumford, RI -
110 Narragansett Park Dr (Narragansett Park Plaza)
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Bouyea Fassetts Bakery
Outlet
North Attleboro near Norm's Seafood at
447 Washington Street
(508) 643-3979 Get directions
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Wonder Hostess Bakery Outlet
275 Newport Ave
Rt 1A, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 722-3298
Get
directions
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Pepperidge Farm Outlet
Store
1397 Fall River Ave,
Seekonk, MA 02771, (508) 336-5020, Get directions
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Entenmann'a Bakery Outlet
82 Newport Ave, East Providence RI (Rumford), Get directions
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Price Rite
(grocery store)
140
Taunton Ave (Rt 44), Seekonk 401-435-1851 Get
Directions
58 Swansea Mall Road,
Swansea, MA 02777 Get
Directions
21 Torrey and West Streets,
Brockton, MA 02301 Get
Directions
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Freihofer Bakery Outlet
465 E Washington St, North Attleboro, MA 02760
Get
Directions
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Freebies on the Internet
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Online Groups
- Freecycle attleboro
- Yahoo group
- CafeAttleboroArea
- Share community resources, request and share information/advice,
ask for help, offer services etc...
www.craigslist.com
- Network of online communities, featuring free classified advertisements (with jobs, internships, housing, personals, services, for sale/barter/wanted, community, gigs, resume, and pets categories) and forums on various topics.
- The
Attleboro Zone
- The Attleboros' OWN virtual community center,
city guide and business directory!
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Other Internet Resources
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- Simple
Debt Free Living - Money saving tips encourage frugal and debt free living
- www.flylady.net (Especially the FACE section on saving money, and she added a message board on BlogTalk Radio on this same site for people to get together and share ideas about saving money).
- www.momsbudget.com/cleaning/makecleaners.html
- Make your own household cleaners
- www.massresources.org
- a free online resources for Massachusetts residents in need
of housing, food, health care and other basic services
- Super
Saver Secrets - Clever moms save on everyday expenses
- The
Dollar Stretcher - Useful ways to make
the most of your money and time. Practical ideas that you can put to use right away.
- Organized
Christmas
- Get ready for the holiday season! Christmas organizing plans, free printable holiday planner, holiday crafts, gifts, recipes and gifts in a jar!
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Dining
- Pack your own
lunch instead of buying out.
- Eat
out less often
- Ask 4 co-workers
to take one day a week to make lunch for all 5 people, so
each of you only needs to make lunch once a week. You
might try something new and you'll save time in the morning
4 days a week!
- Don't deny yourself the pleasure — just cut down on the number of meals you eat out per week.
- Pick one night of the week for dining out. It may become more of a pleasure than your usual four-five nights
a week because you'll anticipate the occasion.
- Think — breakfast, lunch and brunch. These meals tend to be less expensive than dinner.
- Always ask the price of the "Special of The Day." They may not prove so "special," nor
necessarily less expensive than standard items on the menu.
- Watch for coupons in the newspaper or other publications.
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- Watch for early bird specials or use your "seasoned citizen" status and keep an eye out for senior
discounts.
- Have dinner at home and then go out for dessert and coffee.
- New or recently opened restaurants often have introductory dining offerings that can be real money savers.
- Save money by only having water. Wine, cocktails or even ice tea will increase the price of a meal.
- Sometimes ordering two appetizers rather than an entree portion will save you money and you'll find it a fun
change.
- Skip dessert; the markup is high.
- Vegetarian foods are often less expensive than meat-based.
- Some restaurants offer weekday specials, and you'll find the prices less than on weekends.
- Eat half your entree and take the rest home. Create something wonderful with the leftovers for your next meal.
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Gardening...
- Plant
a vegetable garden - For a few dollars, you can purchase starter
plants and reap the benefits of free vegetables all summer!
- Consider setting up an informal gardening
exchange with neighbors and friends. Daylillies and other perennial
flowers and plants multiply over time. By dividing them
and sharing them with neighbors and friends, you could receive back
some extra plants and flowers that they have to share. And it
is a great way meet new friends who enjoy gardening!
- Gardening tip: Collect rainwater from the gutters into a barrel and use this to water your garden. Saves on the water bill.
- Gardening website: www.frugalgardening.com
- Money- and Time-Saving Gardening Tips
A
vegetable or flower garden doesn't have to take over your life -- or
your budget. Read these tips to learn how to keep a garden that's
inexpensive and easy to maintain.
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Health
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Entertainment/Recreation
- Visit
The Sun Chronicle's
"GO Magazine" for fun and inexpensive things
to do in the area
- Consider
using the public library for books, magazines, movies and
music.
- Free
stargazing at local colleges and universities
- Attend local high school sporting
events instead of more expensive professional sporting events
- Review your phone, cable,
cell phone and internet service to be sure that you are
in the correct plan based on your NECESSARY usage.
- Work out at home instead
of at the gym
- Rent a movie instead of
going out to a theater
- Rent movies from the "red
box" available at most grocery stores.
- Go walking or biking in your neighborhood
or on local bike paths
- Visit free museums and wild
life sanctuaries
- Summer vacation tip: If the kids want to go camping, but there isn't enough money in the budget, set
up the tent in the backyard and cook on the grill and have s'mores over the fire.
- Take the children to free weekly playgroups for children under 4 in Attleboro.
Call 508-226-2883
- Join the area mom's club (there is a small annual fee) for play groups and mom's social events
- Go to a
drive-in instead of the movies! Save on costs, drive-ins charge
by the carload and show 2 movies. You can also bring your
own food and drinks (more economical than buying from the consession
stand
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Money Management
- Be organized - Pay bills
before they are due to insure that arrive on time to avoid
late fees or penalties
- Only
use one credit card
- Pay
off credit card every month - eliminates interest payments
- Put
money aside in advance for vacations/holiday gifts - that
way you can pay them off immediately
- Ask credit card companies to lower your interest rate
- Don't carry your credit cards with you to avoid the temptation to make additional purchases
- Pay off high interest rate credit cards first
- Hold a
Garage Sale to earn some extra cash for the household finances
and to clear out the clutter
- http://www.mymoney.gov/
- Learn how to save, invest, and manage your money better
at MyMoney.gov
- Pay bills on line to avoid buying stamps and also to have more control over when
payments are posted, possibly avoiding late fees if you tend to wait too long to mail bills out
- Climb
Out of Debt - Smart suggestions for reducing what you owe
- Make
Your Mortgage Disappear - How to lower your monthly payment
and own your home sooner
- Look at bank and
credit card fees and use banks with no or low fees
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Reduce Energy Costs &
Help Save the Environment!
- Turn off lights where not
needed
- Put your computer into suspend mode when you
are not using it
-
Fix leaky faucets - save on water consumption
- Use rechargeable batteries
- cheaper in the long run
- Turn the heat dry option off on your dishwasher
- lowers your utility costs
-
Turn the water off while you are brushing your teeth
-reduces water consumption
- Dry your clothes on a clothesline,
whenever possible - save on energy bills
- Put sealing tape
around air conditioners. Keeps hot air out and cool air
in.
-
Wash your car at home, rather than going to a car wash
-
Lower the temperature on your hot water heater
- save on energy costs
-
Lower the water level in your toilet
- save water
- Put a water filter on your faucet. No more spending money on
bottled water!!
-
Take shorter showers - saves on water and energy
costs
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- Check your dryer
lint trap regularly. Saves money and
the dryer will run more efficiently. Combine
Errands - when driving locally, combine errands together
to save on fuel costs or plan to run errands during your
commuting time
- Join a carpool
- Unplug things not
in use, even chargers, by putting them on the same safety
strip and just hit one button. You are still using
electricity if something is plugged in even if the appliance
is off
- Buy energy efficient appliances when old appliances need to be replaced.
- Replace incandescent bulbs with compact flourecent light (CFL's) bulbs
- When going shopping, instead of driving around the parking lot
looking for a parking closer to the entrance consider parking as far away as
possible that way not only would you get some exercise and use less gas.
- Buy a reusable bag from Stop & Shop for 99 cents and everytime you go shopping with your bags you get 10 cents off your grocery bill per bag. Save money and save the planet.
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Other Money Saving TIps
- If you have AAA card, you can save money on prescriptions that are not covered by insurance.
- Save your extra care bucks on your CVS receipts and use them to buy products that take so much money out of the budget, like toiletries and such. Or use them to buy a special treat for yourself.
- Go to your local library for
discount coupons or free passes to museumsBartering services also saves you money....what talent do you have that someone
else might pay for? Do you sew, cook, clean, babysit, fix cars, cut down trees,
garden, have computer skills, etc? Know what you know and know what you need!
- Consider buying water
from local suppliers by refilling gallon jugs instead of
buying bottles of water from the grocery store
- Check with your child's school
to see if your family qualifies for free or reduced price lunches.
- Shop at local food outlets
like Friehoffers or Pepperidge Farms
- Check your local park and
recreation departmentss and YMCA for discounts or scholarships
on sports or memberships.
- See if you are eligible for
sliding scale daycare assistance
- Use consignment shops for
kids' clothing or toys, either to purchase or to sell
- Trade books and magazines with friends and family or read them
online. Almost all magazines have a website. I sometimes look at the
magzines in the store and jot down the name of the website. It usually
can be found on the front cover.
- Refill your printer's ink cartridges at a local store for much less than buying new cartridges or return them to Office Depot or Staples for $3 coupons to be used on other supplies
- Sign up for a rewards card, there are many rewards cards that give you cash or points for using it
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- Recycle your empty soda cans and bottles and bring them to redemption centers. One large trash bag holds about $5.00 in returns. Use this as your child's allowance by asking them to be responsible for rinsing all cans and bottles and putting them into the recycle bin. The child can even come to the grocery store and put the cans and bottles into the recycle machine.
- To save money on toys, rotate toys with a friend or a family member with children the same age as yours. Many times children use their toys for a few weeks and then they're bored with them. By rotating, your children will have "new" toys to play with.
- Buy a piggy bank and save all your change.Then, use that money to reward yourself by taking a fun day trip or have a nice dinner on a special day, or you can use it to buy something you need, without using credit cards or money in your budget.
- Enroll at work in a flexible spending account (FSA), FSA allows you to pay certain medical, dental and child care expenses using pre-tax money.
- Buy clothes on clearance for next year.
- Kids Crafts -
this is a fun and
cheap way to build self esteem, speech, and imagination.
- Make picture frames (picture,
contruction paper you can also use beans, macaronni, popcicle sticks,
feathers or stickers for decorations).
- Make binoculars (2 toilet paper rolls together)
- make robots (toilet and papertowel rolls, cereal boxes, tissue boxes,
aluminum foil, glue or tape, egg carton, markers,
paint),
- Make a microwave - (empty diaper box, paint).
- Make your own story
book - the story can be tittle "the story of me" or "(childs name)'s
story" then go on to write the story
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Council
for Children - Benefits Resource Guide
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Please
also check our Benefits Resource
Guide for information on the following:
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Attleboro Area
Council for Children, Inc.
4 Hodges St,
Attleboro, MA
02703
Phone: 508-226-2336
E-Mail: kelly@councilforchildren.org
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