| Do you want to save money? Lots and lots of | | | | Almost every town has this incredible FREE |
| money? Did you know that you can live well AND | | | | resource called the library. In fact, I am writing |
| barely touch your earnings? Don't believe it? Read | | | | this article from the library using their freely |
| these top tips for tightwads and save up to 70% | | | | available computers and internet access. The only |
| to 80% of your earnings every month. Read on | | | | downside is that I am restricted to only 45 |
| for the best, specific and practical tips for frugal | | | | minutes of internet usage during the busy times, |
| living. | | | | but that is not necessarily a bad thing as I am |
| NEED A PLUMBER, AN ELECTRICIAN, | | | | forced to truly focus my time and make full use |
| DECORATOR or ANY OTHER SERVICE? GET | | | | of it. The library has, of course, hundreds if not |
| THEM TO WORK FOR FREE WITH A BARTER | | | | thousands of books you can borrow for free, but |
| DEAL | | | | many libraries these days have free courses, free |
| Join a LETS scheme. LETS stands for "local | | | | events (such as story telling for kids), CD/DVD |
| employment and trading systems" and it's | | | | borrowing and even toy libraries. Why buy a book |
| essentially a local services-for-barter system. The | | | | for $10 or a DVD for $15 when you can rent one |
| system started in Canada in the 1980s and now | | | | for free (or a small annual membership fee). |
| there are schemes all around UK, US, Australia | | | | GROW YOUR OWN...EVEN WITHOUT A DECENT |
| and Europe. You list your skill and it is given a unit | | | | GARDEN |
| of currency e.g. one hour. You are then issued a | | | | Container gardening is the hottest new frugal living |
| "checkbook" with which you can you "buy" | | | | trend. You can grow vegetables even without a |
| services. For example, you can "trade" one hour | | | | proper garden: all you need is a decent sized |
| of babysitting or dog walking for one hour of | | | | container. Even an old bucket might do depending |
| plumbing. A LETS scheme is strictly non-profit so | | | | on what you are growing. It is entirely possible to |
| no money changes hands although there may be | | | | grow enough vegetables, herbs and fruit to fulfill |
| a small annual administration fee depending on the | | | | your family's needs in a space of only around 6 |
| particular scheme you have joined. You can even | | | | yards by 4 yards if you plan carefully. Potatoes |
| start your own LETS scheme if one does not | | | | may be grown in a barrel, herbs and tomatoes will |
| exist in your area. The money-saving potential is | | | | grown in hanging baskets or pots on the |
| enormous and do not be put off if you feel you | | | | windowsill and if you are a true tightwad and do |
| do not have any particular "skill". Even simple | | | | not want to buy a container, you can even use |
| tasks such as letter writing, typing, basic | | | | garbage bags. The taste of a vegetable you have |
| needlework, data entry or house-sitting may be | | | | grown yourself is like no other, and there is an |
| considered. What you may consider easy to do, is | | | | odd but proven spiritual side of gardening that is |
| a real challenge for others. | | | | immensely satisfying too. |
| If you do not want to go the whole hog and set | | | | DON'T BUY, GET YOUR STUFF FOR FREE |
| up your own LETS, just set up a simple bartering | | | | Freecycle.org is the best known website for |
| service amongst friends. For example, you could | | | | finding stuff that people are giving away for |
| create a babysitting pool. | | | | NOTHING. They claim to have over 7 million |
| DON'T BUY SOFTWARE, USE SHAREWARE | | | | members and even have a workbased version |
| These days, many businesses and most | | | | called "Freecyle@work". Of course, the potential |
| households can be run using simple computer | | | | downside is that you never know quite what you |
| programs such as word processor, spreadsheets | | | | will receive: whether it works or not and you |
| and internet access. Traditional office software | | | | usually have to go through the trouble of |
| from Microsoft might cost over $100 or more, | | | | collecting it yourself. |
| but there are free alternatives available. The best | | | | GET PAID TO HAVE A FREE MEAL |
| known ones are Google Docs and OpenOffice | | | | Get a part-time job in a restaurant. Most |
| (openoffice.org). They used to be very poor | | | | restaurants provide free meals to their staff. The |
| replacements but these days they have both | | | | quality of the meal might vary and you are |
| upped their game and provide highly satisfactory | | | | unlikely to have any choice in what is served, but |
| user experiences. Many small and even mid-sized | | | | if you work in a good quality restaurant, the |
| companies have reverted to Gmail as their | | | | ingredients are likely to be of high quality and they |
| company email service and use open source | | | | will serve it to a decent standard. I used to work |
| shareware to run their businesses without a | | | | in a Chinese restaurant at the weekends where |
| problem. Using open source shareware also means | | | | most of the staff were from Malaysia and |
| you may not have to upgrade your computers | | | | Vietnam and the food was even better than the |
| so often and they are likely to suffer less glitches | | | | food they served: local-style Malaysian curries and |
| and other problems, which are often caused by | | | | Vietnam "pho" noodles ~ simple but unbelievably |
| users failing to upgrade their software properly or | | | | tasty. |
| wrongly installing their software in the first place. | | | | Start saving money now but using these tips for |
| THE LIBRARY IS FREE, AND IT'S NOT JUST | | | | frugal living. Spend your savings on stuff that truly |
| FOR BOOKS | | | | matters to you. |