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How to Get a Duplicate Receipt From Walmart

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How to Get a Duplicate Receipt From Walmart

You purchased something at Walmart. Then you lost the receipt. There could be several reasons that you want to get a duplicate receipt. How will you go about getting one? Luckily, Walmart provides several options.

Why You Would Want a Duplicate Walmart Receipt

Here are some of the reasons that you might want to know how to get a duplicate receipt from Walmart:

  • Perhaps you need to return the item and want the receipt in hand to facilitate that process.
  • Maybe you gifted the item but the recipient wants to return it.
  • Maybe you scan your receipts each month to look for savings and you no longer have that Walmart receipt.
  • Or perhaps you just like to have all of your receipts for your records and you can’t find one for something that you know you purchased at Walmart.

Returns are probably the most common reason that people seek a duplicate Walmart receipt. If you do not have a receipt for your purchase, then you can typically only get a Walmart Gift Card for your return. On the other hand, if you paid cash and have your receipt, then you can typically get cash back. Moreover, if you paid with a credit card and have the receipt, you can usually get the amount refunded directly back to the credit card. In other words, you have more options about how to receive your return refund if you do have a receipt.

How to Get a Duplicate Walmart Receipt

There are several options available to you if you want to get a duplicate Walmart receipt. Before we begin, you should know that it’s far easier to get the receipt if you paid with a credit card. If you paid with debit, gift card, or cash then you still have some options. But, in the future, you might want to pay with a credit card to facilitate accessing duplicate receipts from Walmart.

Use Walmart’s Store Receipt Locator Online

If you paid for your purchase with a credit card, then you can easily go online to get a duplicate receipt. Walmart offers a receipt locator tool. Also called their Receipt Lookup service, it’s a fairly straightforward system for finding and downloading your receipt. Here are the basic steps:

  • Go to the website linked above.
  • Enter the location of the Walmart store where you made the purchase (such as the city and state).
  • Enter the date of the purchase.
  • Insert the total amount of the receipt that you’re looking for. (Your credit card statement will provide this and the date of purchase.)
  • Enter the last four digits of the credit card that you used to make the purchase.

The tool will find your receipt for you. Then you can download and print it. You now have your duplicate receipt for your records, a store return, or whatever else might motivate you to need a copy.

Use Your Walmart.com Account

If you made your purchase online rather than at a physical location, then you can go to your online account to print a duplicate receipt. Simply find the order in your account history. Expand it to see all of the details. Then print directly from your computer.

And for the future, it might help you to know that you can actually store all Walmart receipts for in-store purchases in an online account. There are two ways to do this. One is to scan the QR code on your receipt at the time of purchase then add it to your online purchase history; here’s how.

The other is to link your phone number with your online Walmart account. Then enter that phone number at checkout. Alternatively, you can use Walmart Pay with your mobile phone. Or you can shop using a credit card that’s store in your Walmart.com account. All of these options will store your in-store Walmart receipts online. Then you can easily print duplicate receipts when you need them.

Call the Walmart Hotline / Customer Care Team

Walmart has an Electronics Payment Hotline. You can use this hotline to get a duplicate receipt for items that you purchased using a credit card or a debit card. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • The location of the store where you made the purchase
  • The date of the purchase
  • Full number from the debit or credit card that you used to make the purchase
  • Fax machine to receive the duplicate receipt from Walmart.

The phone number for the Walmart Electronics Payment Hotline is 479-277-2643.

Alternatively, you can contact their 800 number at 1-800-925-6278 (1-800-WALMART). That’s their Customer Care Team number. Their FAQ/help page that provides information on using the Walmart Receipt Lookup took notes that if you made your purchase with a form of payment other than a credit card then this Customer Care number is the best way to get help for a duplicate receipt.

Go to the Store

Another way to get a duplicate receipt from Walmart is to go to the store’s customer service counter. Make sure that you go to the same location where you initially made the purchase. You will still need to know the date of the purchase. You will also need to know the credit card that you used to make the purchase. If you have that information then they can print out a duplicate receipt for you.

How to Make a Walmart Return without a Receipt

Sometimes your efforts will fail. You’ll try to get a duplicate receipt, and you just can’t access one. This is most likely the case if you paid cash for the item. However, you can return some items to Walmart without a receipt. You’ll need to present a photo ID that they’ll store in their system as a way to counteract returns of stolen items.

Once you do that, you can return the item for:

  • A replacement of the exact same item
  • Cash if the item’s value is less than $25
  • Walmart gift card if the item’s value is $25 or over

As you can see, Walmart provides several options to assist you with returns. You can get duplicate receipts fairly easily if you paid with a credit card. Setting up a Walmart.com account will assist you in better storing your receipts in the future.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

How Are Social Security Benefits Calculated?

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Social Security Benefits

You’re going to retire in the relatively near future. You intend to get some or all of your retirement income through social security benefits. How will that work? Many people aren’t quite sure how the Social Security Administration calculates their benefits. If you don’t understand that, then you might not know how much post-retirement income you can expect. And without that information, it’s very hard to plan for the future.

How Social Security Benefits Are Calculated

The Social Security Administration explains that they calculate social security benefits by taking the following into consideration:

  • The amount of money that you have earned in your lifetime from employment.
  • They adjust this amount to consider how average wages of changed over the years.
  • They base the adjustment on the 35 years you earned the most money during your lifetime.

Then it says, “we apply a formula to these earnings and arrive at your basic benefit” amount.

While the words sound straightforward, this is all a little bit confusing. After all, you probably don’t know how to adjust your wages for changes in wage rates across thirty-five years of employment. Moreover, this tells us nothing about the “formula” they apply.

Digging Deeper Into These Calculations

In order to better understand, we need to dig deeper. The Social Security Administration publishes an Annual Statistical Supplement that includes an appendix that provides us with more information about how social security benefits are calculated. The 2019 version explains that a basic calculation:

  • Assumes that you didn’t take any disability time during your working years. Further assumes that you didn’t work after becoming eligible for retirement.
  • They use “wage indexing” to calculate your lifetime earnings. This is how they figure out what you earned, adapting decades-old wages to modern standards of living. They base the adjusted amount on the year that you turn 60. For example, as of 2017, someone who earned $20000 in 1990 would have that count as over $47,000 towards their lifetime earnings based on the “wage indexing” math. You can see further examples of Wage Indexing math on this page.
  • Now about that “formula” – this is a weight of giving weight to “provide a higher replacement of earnings for lower-wage workers” in retirement. The SSA says that “the formula for persons aged 62 in 2019 is 90 percent of the first $926 of AIME; plus 32 percent of the next $4,657; plus 15 percent of the AIME over $5,583.”

So, as we dig deeper, we see that social security benefits are calculated based on what you earned (at today’s current value for those earnings) for the 35 highest-paid years of your career. This number is then adjusted with that “formula.”

What Can Change These Basic Social Security Benefits?

However, additional things can increase or decrease your basic benefits. Varied factors include:

  • Early retirement; if you retire at age 62, you can still get benefits but they’ll be lower than if you wait to retire until age 65
  • Late retirement; if you retire later than 65, you’ll typically increase the amount of benefits you can receive
  • Continuing to earn money after age 61 but still retiring at 65
  • Long periods of not working during your working years
  • Cost-of-living adjustments for the years after you’ve turned 65
  • Military service, pensions, railroad work and other factors that impact the Social Security tax you’ve paid

This is complicated stuff. No wonder many people aren’t sure how social security benefits are calculated! There is a worksheet here that can help you calculate all of this.

Get an Estimate of Your Social Security Benefits

The link above will take you to a worksheet that you can print out and fill in yourself. It should provide you with an accurate representation of what you can expect to earn in social security benefits. However, if that’s too much work for you at the moment, you might instead wish to use the Social Security Administration’s Retirement Estimator.

This is not going to give you the exact number. It fails to take into consideration many of the more complex details about how social security benefits are calculated. That said, it can give you a good starting point to guess what you are likely to earn in social security income. To keep things even simpler, although perhaps not quite as good of an estimate, the SSA also offers a Quick Calculator.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

Potential Gains Are Worth the Potential Losses

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potential gains are worth the potential losses

Have you ever come across the phrase, “potential gains are worth the potential losses?” If so, it might have been in the context of asking whether or not you agree with the statement. For example, companies sometimes ask potential employees to fill out psychological quizzes that have statements such as this one. You answer how much you agree or disagree and it’s supposed to say something about your psychology. It may, particularly about your psychology as it applies to your approach to investing. It’s worth taking a look at.

What Does Potential Gains are Worth the Potential Losses Mean?

When you break down the sentence, this statement is really all about risk assessment. Are you will to take the risk to lose a lot if it means that you have the potential to gain a lot?

This doesn’t necessarily have to apply to money. It could, for example, apply to taking a chance on love. Would you be willing to risk the potential losses of heartbreak for the potential gains of falling in love? Or would you rather protect your heart? In other worse, how willing are you to take the risk?

In COVID times, you might assess the risk/reward of taking a trip to see a loved one. Perhaps they’re getting married or maybe it’s the end of someone’s life. Are the potential gains of having that special time with them worth the potential losses of illness? Put the other way, are the potential gains of safety from illness worth the loss of those special times with them?

The fact that the sentence can apply to almost anything is what makes it appealing, and frustrating, on psychological tests. After all, you might be willing to risk it all for love but not for a job or a certain amount of money. And yet, the tests ask you to answer “yes or no” or “on a scale of 1-5.”

If you’re trying to answer the test one a psychological exam, you might just err on the side of caution and answer “3.” This would essentially mean that about half the time the potential gains are worth the potential losses.

Applying the Concept to Investing

When it comes to money psychology, it does truly help to consider how you feel about the statement that potential gains are worth the potential losses. You have to get clear with yourself on what it means for you to take risks with your money. What rewards are worth it to you if they come with potential losses?

At the very basic level, looking at your risk tolerance will help you decide how and where to invest your money. If you hear “potential gains are worth the potential losses” and immediately cringe and disagree, then you probably don’t want to make high-risk investments. You would put most of your money in IRAs, long-term savings funds, and other relatively safe forms of investment. You won’t have the potential for big gains this way, but neither will you risk the big losses. That might feel best to you.

On the other hand, if you hear “potential gains are worth the potential losses” and immediately think, “absolutely!” then you might prefer high risk investments. You might want to invest in cutting-edge finch companies, cryptocurrency, and high risk stocks. Sure, you take the risks of big losses, but you’ve already determined that you are someone who thinks the potential gains are worth it.

When The Potential Gains are Worth the Potential Losses

Your age, stage of life, family situation, and financial influences from childhood, and beliefs about business may all play a role in how you relate to the gains/losses risk/reward.

For example, younger people who don’t have a family to support and who have their whole careers ahead of the may be far more comfortable making risky investments than someone who is older, supporting their own aging parents as well as their college-aged children and coming to the end of their own career.

On the other hand, sometimes an older person has the attitude that “there’s no time like the present.” In other words, life is short and sometimes the big potential losses are worth the gains. That person might quit their steady job to invest in a business that they have a true passion for.

Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself with the potential gains are worth the potential losses in any given situation.

Assessing Potential Gains and Losses

First, you want to know where you tend to generally stand on the concept. Do you lean towards taking risks or avoiding them when it comes to investing?

Once you know that, then the other key component is knowing how to assess for risk. When it comes to investing, there is usually a lot of information available to help you decide.

For example, someone who reacts negatively to the statement “potential gains are worth potential losses” is going to have a low tolerance for risk. They could easily get the assistance of a financial advisor, letting the person know that they want to invest wisely, taking as few risks as possible.

The risk-tolerant person who enjoys seeking out those big gains may, on the other hand, ask their financial advisor to put together a portfolio of riskier stocks.

Many of us are in the middle. We tend to think that the concept itself is too black-and-white for the reality of our world. We believe that sometimes the gains are worth the losses – but sometimes they aren’t. That’s why many of us make mixed investments. We put a small portion of our money aside for high risk investments and use the rest on more conservative saving.

Although a financial advisor can help you assess risk, it’s worth learning enough about investing to do it for yourself. And then, learn to trust your gut.

Other Areas of Money to Apply This Concept

Investing is the primary area where you might want to think about the concept of potential gains are worth the potential losses. But it’s not the only financial area where this shows up. You might also want to consider it when:

  • Deciding whether and how much to pay for a college education
  • Assessing if you want to borrow money to start a small business
  • Choosing whether or not to gamble
  • Deciding whether to have joint or separate checking accounts in a new marriage
  • Determining whether or not to lend money to someone

Truly, whenever you’re about to make a financial decision, you might want to ask yourself what the risks are. Then ask yourself what the rewards might be. How do you weigh the risks and rewards?

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

Here’s How to Get Out of a DIRECTV Contract Without Paying

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get out of a Directv contract

There are a lot of good reasons why you might want to get out of a DirectTV contract. Maybe you want to cut out television altogether so that you can make better use of your time. Perhaps you stream everything these days and don’t need satellite TV or cable TV anymore. Or maybe you just want to switch to a different provider in order to save some money.

Whatever the reason, you have the right to turn off that service. But, be careful, because if you’re in a contract, they might charge you money. Here are some things that you can do to get out of a DirectTV contract without paying:

Legitimate Reasons to Get out of a DirectTV Contract

Let’s look at the easy stuff first. If you have a legitimate reason to get out of a DirectTV contract then you can do so at no charge. Reasons that DirectTV will accept include:

  • You’re moving. If you’re moving to a new apartment that doesn’t allow you to install a satellite dish, then they will cancel your contract without an early termination charge. If you’re moving to a new country where the company doesn’t operate, same story.
  • The service is constantly having outages. If you have consistently experienced outages that prevent you from regularly using the service then they will often work with you, allowing you to get out of your DirectTV contract at no charge.
  • You’ve experienced fee increases. If the company has raised rates during your contract then you might have an argument to get out of the contract. Here’s more information on what to do if the company doesn’t provide the services agreed to in the contract.
  • The person whose name is on the account has passed away. Hopefully, this is not the reason that you want to cancel a DirectTV contract. However, I suppose it’s good to know that if that happens then they won’t charge you to cancel.

Speak to a Retention Representative

If you don’t have one of those reasons, then you’ll need to put in a bit more effort to work with the company. Notably, you could say that one of those reasons is the case, but sometimes they ask for proof. In any case, it’s time to try calling them.

You need to call their customer service number. However, once you reach someone, you need to ask to speak to a retention representative. That’s because the regular customer service person is not going to be able to assist you.

Obviously, given their job title, the retention representative is going to do all that they can to convince you not to cancel your service. You just have to stay calm and firm on the phone. Be very clear with them that you need to cancel, that you can’t keep paying for the service, and that you need to know how to get out of your contract.

Notably, they do charge a cancellation fee to get out of your contract. But, as with almost all other companies, you can negotiate with them. Be patient. Be kind. Remember that this is another human on the other end of the line, just trying to do their job. If you’re lucky, they’ll work with you. Sometimes they’ll waive the fee. Sometimes they’ll reduce it. See what you can work out.

Look for a Deal to Switch to a New Provider

If you want to keep satellite TV but just don’t want to work with DirectTV anymore, then you may be in luck. Sometimes companies will run promotions for new customers. They’ll offer to pay off your termination fees with the other company if you sign a new contract with them. This doesn’t make sense if you want to get out of TV contracts altogether. But if you’re just tired of dealing with DirectTV and wouldn’t mind getting the same type of service from another company, then this can be a smart way to go.

Other Options to At Least Reduce The Cost

If the above options don’t work, then here are some things to know:

  • It might be cheaper to pay the early termination fee than to keep paying the monthly fee through the end of the contract. If you truly don’t want the service, that’s something to consider. DirectTV typically charges $20 per month for the remainder of your contract as their early termination fee. They also charge a $15 deactivation fee on top of that.
  • If you don’t want to pay for a service that you’re not using then you could at least see about downgrading your DirectTV service to the lowest possible monthly plan. Then you can use that plan until the contract runs out. Confirm with the company that you are not starting a new contract though!
  • Sue the company. This is a long shot since you did sign the contract. However, if you think that you have a good case then you can file a lawsuit against DirectTV to recoup your termination fees.

If you cancel your service, make sure that you return all of DirectTV’s devices (like your remote) to them immediately. If you take too long, they’ll charge you for that too!

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

 

How to Make $50 a Day

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How to Make $50 a Day

Learning how to make $50 a day can significantly improve your finances. You can use that extra cash to pay down debt. Alternatively, you can put it into savings. There are many different ways to earn this extra cash through hustling, passive income, and making money online. Here’s a roundup of suggestions to get you started.

Make $50 a Day with Items You Have

There are things that you already own that can help you easily begin to earn extra money. Let’s start there:

Rent Out a Room with AirBnB

If you have a spare room in your home that you can rent out then this is one of the quickest ways to make $50 a day. After all, that’s as cheap or cheaper than most hotel rooms. Therefore, people are often willing to pay that rate. Of course, you should take into consideration that you’ll spend a little more doing extra laundry and cleaning, but overall this is one of the most consistent ways to earn that extra cash.

Rent Out Your Car

If you aren’t using your car every day then why just have it sit there? Instead, figure out how to make $50 a day by renting it out to others who need to use it temporarily. There are sites such as Getaround that make it easy for you to navigate setting this up.

Rent Out Garage / Storage Space

If you have extra space for storage then you can rent that out to someone who needs it. Of course, whether or not you can make $50 per day doing this really depends on your area. Right now in San Francisco there’s a huge exodus of people leaving the city, at least temporarily, due to COVID-19. As a result, storage rental prices have drastically risen. People need that storage space so they’re willing to pay high prices.

That said, you can also get creative to make more money from your garage. For example, could you rent it out a few nights a week to different bands that need rehearsal space? What about renting it to an artist who needs a studio? Or, during these times when people are working from home, you might even be able to rent it out as a “man cave” / “she shed” to people who are happy to pay $50 per day to escape from home for a little while.

Rent Out a Parking Space

Do you have a parking space in your building that you don’t use? Or do you own a home with its own garage? If so, and if you live in an area where parking is at a premium, then you might be able to rent out your parking spot. Here in San Francisco, it’s not impossible for people to make $50 a day renting out their parking spot to travelers who are staying in certain neighborhoods.

Sell Your Stuff

Declutter your home and sell everything that you don’t need. Become an eBay seller. Try Poshmark. Sell your books online. Sell your old computers, phones, and gadgets. Although this isn’t sustainable forever, since of course your amount of stuff is finite, it’s a great way to make $50 / day for a short period of time to boost your savings or pay down debt. And, if you discover that you really like selling stuff, you might be able to parlay it into a side job doing the same work for other people at a commission.

How to Make $50 a Day Online

It’s nice to be able to make use of your possessions to earn extra money. However, honestly, when most people think about how to make $50 a day, they’re thinking about what they can do online in their spare time to earn that extra cash. There are many great options:

Freelance Writing / Design

Notably, this isa real full-time professional job so it’s not easy to break into if you’re new. That said, if you already have skills that translate well then you can begin finding work fairly quickly. For example, if you have already done content writing within the context of your work history, then you can brush up your resume to reflect that and start looking for freelance writing jobs. If you have a graphic design background, there’s work for you as well.

Virtual Assistant

Anyone who has basic administrative experience can parlay that a job working as a virtual personal assistance for someone who needs help across all kinds of different fields. And even without that kind of experience, there might be jobs out there for you. If, in your spare time, you’re happy to help someone schedule their appointments, book travel plans, and organize their calendar then you might do well in this kind of work.

Rideshare / Delivery Driver

Of course, this is a hybrid offline/online job as it requires that you leave the home but also that you’re connected to the Internet constantly. In any case, this kind of app-based gig work using your car is one of the most popular ways that people turn to today when looking for how to make $50 a day.

In the same vein, you can sign up with a site like Instacart to do shopping for others.

Get Paid to Take Surveys

The truth is that you will have to spend quite a few hours of the day doing this if you want to make $50. That said, it’s not impossible. And it will put some extra cash in your pocket. Learn more about getting paid for your opinion here.

Offline Ways to Make $50 a Day

If you’re already online regularly for your day job then you might want to know how to make $50 a day offline. After all, you can only stare at a screen for so many hours of the day. Luckily, there are a lot of fun gigs that will allow you to earn some extra cash:

Dog Walking / Pet Sitting

If you’re an animal lover then this can be one of the most pleasurable ways to make that extra cash. Whether you join a service like Rover, set up an account on a site like Care.com, or simply head to the dog park and use word of mouth, you should quickly find it easy to get gigs. You can walk one or more dogs at a time. You can petsit in your home or in someone else’s.

House Sitting

This is often a spinoff of petsitting because so many of the people who want you to stay in their home expect you to care for their pets. However, that’s not always the case. Even if you don’t want to watch pets, you might be able to get some good house sitting gigs. Some people just want a person who will water the plants, collect the mail, and accept deliveries while they are away.

Babysitting/ Childcare / Mother’s Helper

If you prefer children to pets then perhaps you’ll want to get a gig taking care of them. This can be a delightful way to spend a few hours, easily earning $50 or more per day.

Tutoring

During the pandemic, children have started doing a lot of their learning at home. Parents don’t always have the time, skills, energy, or willingness to devote to educating their children. Therefore, there’s a growing interest in home-based tutors. (Of course, this can also be an online job or a hybrid of the two.)

Decluttering / Organizing

Do you excel at and enjoy organizing closets, files, and other areas that many people keep cluttered? If so, people need your skills. Start by offering to declutter for friends for a small fee and take it from there.

Tailoring / Upholstery / Domestic Skills

Do you know how to sew? What about reupholstering old furniture to make it look new? If you have domestic skills like these then you can market those. This is a great way to start making extra cash, perhaps doing something that you really enjoy.

Lawn Care

Mow lawns. Rake leaves. If you can do a bit of gardening and landscaping then you can earn even more money on the side.

Almost Any Part-Time Job

Remember when you were a teenager and you were willing to accept almost any job just to start earning some money? If you’re looking for how to make $50 a day then go back to that mentality. Get a job at a coffee shop, a fast food restaurant, cleaning offices. Work the minimum number of hours required to earn that small amount of money. Since it’s your second job and not your career, you might even find that it’s kind of relaxing this time around.

More Ways to Make That Extra Cash

If you’re still asking how to make $50 a day in other ways, here are some miscellaneous extra ideas:

  • Create a course and sell it through a channel such as Udemy.
  • Write and sell one or more ebooks.
  • Make and sell your own food.
  • Make and sell your own jewelry, stationery, art, etc. using a site like Etsy.
  • Start a blog / YouTube channel and make ad income.
  • Take the time to get good at investing your money and earning that passive income.
  • Taking the long view, purchase a second home as a real estate investment.
  • Advertise on your car.
  • Become a paid friend to a tourist, elderly person, or other in need.

What is your favorite way to drum up $50 a day quickly?

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

 

Frugal Recipes to Try When Money Is Tight

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Frugal Recipes For Tight Budget

Your food budget probably takes up one of the largest percentages of outgoing money each money. Therefore, if you can reduce your food spending then you can improve your savings. As a result, it makes sense to look for frugal recipes for a tight budget if you want to start saving money quickly. By arming yourself with a long list of recipes you love, but that are made from ingredients that don’t cost you a lot of money, you can do yourself a huge financial service.

Frugal Breakfast Recipes for a Tight Budget

Sticking to meals that are only one or two ingredients is a surefire way to save money on meals. Breakfast is one of the easiest meals that you can do that with. Buttered toast, a bowl of oatmeal, yogurt with berries, and scrambled eggs are all examples of simple meals that you can enjoy for breakfast without spending very much money. But for those times when you want something a little bit fancier and yet not expensive try these recipes:

Low-Cost Lunch Recipes

One of the best ways to save money on lunch is to eat dinner leftovers from the night before. A sandwich or wrap is always another smart choice.

However, that’s not always appealing. Luckily, it’s easy to find frugal recipes for a tight budget that are more than satisfactory for lunch at home or on the go. Here are some top choices:

  • Copycat Panera Tuna Salad Sandwich. Get a Panera-style lunch sandwich at a much lower cost using this recipe.
  • Homemade Chili Dogs. Use this recipe to serve tummy-filling chili dogs to eight people for less than $10 total. And if you have kids at the table they might be satisfied with just a no-bun, no-chili hot dog for lunch which will save you even more money.
  • Rice and Beans. This recipe will fuel you with energy for the rest of the day.
  • Vegetable Soup. Don’t just open a can of soup and heat it on the stove. Instead, make this homemade version and reheat it when you’re ready for a warm lunch.

Frugal Dinner Recipes for a Tight Budget

Dinner is usually the most expensive meal of the day. Oftentimes, that’s because we dine out. However, it can get expensive even at home. Making smart choices about the dinner ingredients that you use will go a long way towards reducing your food spending when you’re on a budget. Here are some frugal recipes for a tight budget that will satisfy you at dinner time:

  • Barbecue Chicken on the Grill. Affordable cuts of meat that you can grill for flavor are good options for those non-vegetarians on a budget. This recipe serves six.
  • Beef Brisket. Eating meat isn’t always the most affordable way to go with dinner but if you prefer it then this is a good recipe option.
  • Better Than Takeout Chicken Fried Rice. Or skip the chicken for an even more affordable vegetable fried rice dish.
  • Easy Roast Prime Rib. This recipe doesn’t just save you money but it also saves you time. It takes ten minutes to prepare then the oven does the rest of the work.
  • Grilled Flank Steak. If you enjoy eating steak but don’t want to spend too much money then ask your butcher about getting some flank steak. It’s a tasty alternative to more expensive cuts of beef. Generally you can get one-and-a-half pounds for this meat for under $7. Here’s a recipe that will serve six people for that prices.
  • Honey Glazed Ham. Like the Prime Rib recipe above, this is a meal that you can prepare quickly then do other things while the oven cooks it for you. It serves a whopping twelve people. Therefore, its one of the frugal recipes for a tight budget that you can bookmark for holiday meals.
  • Ramen Noodle Dishes. Of course, you could really save money and get the 50-cent soups but that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about three different recipes for high-quality, extra-tasty, very satisfying homemade ramen noodle dishes that are also very affordable to make at home. These are also healthy dishes with one vegetarian option.
  • Shrimp Scampi Pasta. You can almost always make pasta dishes on a budget. If you see a discount on shrimp then make the purchase and use this recipe for a wonderful low-cost dinner.

Snacks, Sides, and Appetizers

Sometimes you just want to have a quick snack. A simple apple or handful of nuts will often do and can be your most affordable option. However, sometimes you want something a little bit more special. For example, you might want frugal snack recipes when you’re on a tight budget but still want to impress someone who is coming over to your home. Or you might want a cheap snack that you can bring to a gathering. Here are some good choices.

  • Beer Battered Fish: Although you can actually use this recipe to make dinner, it’s a particularly good option for making an appetizer or side dish for large groups of people.
  • Classic Deviled Eggs: Make half a dozen terrific and tasty deviled eggs for less than five dollars when you use this easy recipe. This is a Labor Day or holiday gathering favorite.
  • Honey Glazed Carrots. Make these in a slow cooker. You can serve up to ten people with this recipe.
  • Potato Salad. Potatoes are among the most filling frugal ingredients that you’ll find for any meal. Stock up on them and use them liberally throughout your cooking. This potato salad recipe will give you a unique snack, suitable to take to any group gathering. Moreover, it costs about $1 per serving. You can’t beat that!
  • Stuffed Mushrooms. Mushrooms are a simple food that can be dressed up with good stuffing. They are often affordable, and they work well as sides or appetizers for any meals. Make one dozen of them with this recipe.

Frugal Dessert for a Tight Budget

If you want to save money on meals then you should skip dessert. In fact, when dining at a restaurant, it is almost always best to skip drinks and dessert if you want to reduce your bill. But of course sometimes we want a little treat. You can use these frugal dessert recipes to enjoy that treat on a budget.

  • Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding. What a yummy option that will impress anyone you offer it to.
  • Chocolate Ice Cream. Ice cream is a popular dessert for all ages. Learn how to easily make your own.
  • Oven-Baked Smores. Who doesn’t love Smores? And you don’t even need a campfire to cook them. This recipe will cost you less than $10 to make. Nevertheless, it will provide dessert for fifteen people. Moreover, cooking and enjoying it will delight you.
  • The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Simple chocolate chip cookies are a surprisingly satisfying dessert. Make six dozen of them with this recipe! Of course, you can cut the recipe in half to make fewer cookies and save more money.

What are some of your favorite frugal recipes on a tight budget? Share in the comments!

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