This featured post is presented by Bouncing Back From Bankruptcy.

I have been a member of Costco, (then Price Club) since 1992. When I first joined, you had to show proof of belonging to a qualifying organization. In my case, I worked in a school district so I was allowed to become a Costco member. My then boyfriend had to be added to my account as an extra card holder since he worked for a small company that was not on the Price Club list. It cost $35 a year to be a member and my renewal this year was $50. In 18 years the dues have gone up $15 and I have NO complaints about that. I do believe that I do save the cost of the membership with my shopping at Costco over year.

Continue reading Why I have a Costco Membership at Bouncing Back From Bankruptcy.

This featured post is presented by i pick up pennies.

Sometimes it seems to me like most things associated with frugality are, well, sneaky. Sure, sure, there are the basic coupon combos. And, if you’re diligent (and patient) you can actually make money off certain offers with the help of rebates. Which is, depending on your point of view, kind of sneaky — but in the sense that we say such a word proudly.

Continue reading Does frugal mean sneaky? at i pick up pennies.

This featured post is presented by The Year of Living Frugally.

I’ve been a little down in the dumps since the weekend. I started off the year of frugality with high hopes to have the whole damn debt wiped by Dec 31st 2009. Looking at what income I have coming in and how much time I have left in the year – I think I may need to concede that it is not going to happen this side of Christmas! Unless I suddenly either win the lottery, get a mystery benefactor to wipe the remains of my debt or win £10,000 in one of the writing competitions I have entered. On the off chance these *might* not happen. I have to think contingency for payoff in 2010. Boo!

Continue reading Overcoming Frugality Fatigue at The Year of Living Frugally.

Many people have made the switch to a frugal lifestyle as a result of the recession. Most people are glad that they did this but there are some people who can’t wait to get back to living a more lavish lifestyle one day. Before you jump on that bandwagon, you may want to think about the fact that living a frugal life could be a lot healthier for you.

Some of the ways that living frugally makes you healthier include:

• Frugal people tend to eat healthier. Of course, this isn’t always the case. Some frugal people are living off of Ramen noodles and microwave burritos. However, most frugal people are eating fresh produce and other healthy inexpensive foods. This type of frugal diet keeps you healthier.
• Frugal people walk and bicycle more. A lot of people are giving up their cars and even public transit since these modes of transportation are expensive. They walk and bike more. This keeps them fit which makes them healthier.
• Frugal people are creating a healthier environment. A lot of frugal choices are also green choices. People are wasting less water and electricity in order to save money. They’re making their own household cleaners instead of using expensive chemicals. A greener environment results in healthier humans who live in it.
• Frugal people may experience less stress. Debt creates a lot of stress. Frugal lifestyles reduce or eliminate debt. This often reduces stress. Since stress can cause a variety of different health problems, people who live frugally may end up healthier.
• Frugal people make an effort to stay healthy. A lot of frugal people are simply more conscious about trying to avoid getting sick. They don’t want to spend the money on healthcare so they’re taking better care of themselves and keeping their immune systems strong.
• Frugal people make conscious choices. Ultimately, the reason that frugal people are often healthier than their non-frugal counterparts is because the frugal lifestyle is one that is based on making conscious choices. Instead of being on automatic pilot, frugal people think through every decision. Sometimes this is all it takes for people to start making healthier choices in their lives.

Being frugal isn’t going to keep you healthy all of the time. However, it could be one key factor in living a healthy life. You may want to think about that even as the economy improves and your options for spending more money open up again.

Guest post by Kathryn Vercillo. Kathryn is a writer for Promotionalcodes.org.uk which gives away free discount code (like this La Senza discount code) and also publishes money saving tips.