We talked about about saving money on groceries.  But people need to have fun, too.  So here are some ideas about how to save money and still enjoy life.

• Be a coupon clipper.  Look for two-for one offers on meals, museums and special events. 
• Don’t drive – take mass transit.  And look for special offers there, too.  NJ Transit, for example, has “Deals and Destinations” offers for NJ transit customers.  Log on to your mass transit provider and see what’s offered there. 
• Visit your library.  Not just because you can borrow books for free, but also because libraries tend to have lots of information on local activities, many of which are no or low cost.
• Bring back the potluck dinner party.  Each person brings a course, and together you share a meal.
• Or host a baking or cooking exchange, where you make a bunch of cookies or casseroles suitable for freezing, and exchange them with friends who have made their own specialties.  It’s a great way to stock up your freezer
• Volunteer.  Most volunteer activities cost only the price of gas, if you have to drive.  You will meet a lot of nice people, too.
• Join an interest group.  Interested in photography?  Put the words “photography” “interest group” and your local county’s name into a search engine.  You may be surprised how many groups are out there.  
• Do you have a hobby?  Why not start an exchange with those of similar interests? Trade your beads or yarn or baseball cards with others. 
• Start a book club, or join one.  Many local libraries have them, and they will gather the books from surrounding libraries, so it’s no cost to you. 
• Have a garage sale with your neighbors, and advertise it in the local media.  A large sale will draw more traffic.  You may get to know your neighbors better, and make some money, too. 
• Discover your local parks.  Plan to visit one a month.  After you’ve made the tour, pick your favorites, and become regulars.
• Take a hike.  Hiking is great family exercise. 
• Find out more about your community.  Join the historical society, go to a planning commission meeting or volunteer for community clean-up.  By knowing more, you may start to understand some of the crazy decisions your local government makes. 
• If you have land, or access to community space, you can have a garden.  Start with herbs, which are easy to grow and smell great.  And does anything taste as good as a home-grown tomato?  Studies show that children who participate in the growing of their food are much more likely to try new tastes. 

In 2009, employees can contribute a maximum of $16,500 to their 401(k) or 403(b) plans, with an additional catch-up of $5,500 if they are over 50 or turn 50 next year. For someone 50 or over, the total will be $22,000. 

 

If you are paid biweekly, that means that you can contribute a total of $634.62 biweekly if you are under 50, or $846.15 if you are over 50 or turn 50 in 2009. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28433807#28420368

More from Stacey on the Today Show.

Money’s tight, and people are looking for ways to save money wherever they can.  One of the big line items in most budgets is food.  It may be that there are certain foods that are very important to you and your family.  Those you should include in your budget, if it allows.  But for everything else, you might find the tips below helpful:

 

• Eat in.  It’s almost always cheaper to prepare your own food than to eat out.

• Involve your family.  Give everyone a job.  Studies show that young children are much more likely to eat those fearsome green vegetable if they are involved in the preparation.

• Stay away from most prepared foods.  It is cheaper and healthier to fix your own.
  • Exceptions: boxed macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, instant mashed potatoes. But these should NOT be the main foods in your diet.
• Cold cereal is expensive.  Store brands are cheaper than brand names, but hot oatmeal, grits and farina are inexpensive and stay with you longer.
• Think generic, but be careful.  Look at unit prices on items.  Sometimes a brand name, on a sale and with a coupon, is cheaper than the store brand.  But most times, the store brand wins.
• Size may or may not matter.  Again, look at unit prices.  Normally, the big size is cheaper per ounce.  But not always.
• Some fresh vegetables are almost always a deal.  Root vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, turnips and onions, are normally inexpensive. Five or ten-pound bags make them even cheaper.
• Cabbage is an inexpensive and versatile green vegetable.  You can stuff it, make slaws with it, or use it in soups and casseroles.  It also belongs to a family of vegetables (cruciferous) regarded as particularly healthy.
• Think five-pound bags for apples and oranges as well.  The whole fruit is healthier and more satisfying than expensive juice.  Bananas are normally inexpensive as well.
• Jars of applesauce and canned fruits, particularly store brands, can be a good value too.  Make sure you buy fruits that are unsweetened and packed in their own juice for better nutrition.
• Frozen vegetables are convenient.  One-pound bags of plain store brand vegetables are generally the best value.
• Eat low on the food chain.  Red beans and (brown) rice are staples in many countries.  Seasoned with garlic or onion and spices, they make a satisfying meal.
• When you use beans, think dried beans.  You will need to soak and cook them before using them in recipes, but pound for rehydrated pound, they are a much better value than canned.
• Think of meat as a condiment, and buy it on sale. (By condiment, we mean use it sparing in dishes.)  Think fried rice or chili with beans.  Add a bit of meat for flavor.
• Think about substituting ground turkey for ground beef in some of your recipes.  It’s normally less fatty and less expensive.
• Use cheese sparingly.  It’s generally expensive and high in fat.  Sharper cheese tends to go farther – you can add flavor by using very little.
• You don’t have to give up fish when you’re trying to save money, and tuna is not your only option.  Canned pink salmon is relatively inexpensive, as are frozen fish fillets, particularly pollock, flounder and whiting.
• If you have access to a microwave at work, the most nutritious and cost-effective lunches can be leftovers. 
• Buy whole grains.  They don’t cost much more, but have much greater nutritional value.
• Pasta is just about always a good deal, and is now available in whole-grain varieties for good nutrition.  Just stay away from the rich sauces, and try a little olive oil, garlic and vegetables instead.
• No matter how little soft drinks cost, they are still much more expensive than tap water.  Or try iced tea, made with store brand tea bags or store brand iced tea powder.
• One of the best treats for the money is regular popcorn.  Reserve a battered old pan for it and add a bit of oil.  It’s as fast as microwaving, and much cheaper.
• Forget bottled water.  It’s expensive, and the bottles are not good for the environment.  If you can’t stand the taste of tap water, buy a filter for your faucet.
• Many recipes call for milk.  Dried milk, reconstituted in water, can a good substitute here.  Most people do not like it for drinking, but some like it just fine mixed half-and-half with fresh milk.
• Use the Internet to find new recipes.  Querying a search engine for soup, for example, yields 70 million hits!  If you don’t want to look through 70 million websites, go to places like allrecipes.com, epicurious.com or foodnetworktv.com and type in what you’re looking for.

To sum up, think store brand, basic rather than prepared, and whole grains.  Try one or two vegetarian meals a week to see if you like them.  Get your family involved in planning and preparation.  And think of this as an experiment.  See what happens.  You may find that you are eating better and healthier for less.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28433807#28433807

Stacey’s on the Today Show - see link above

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/26852059#26970885

Watch Stacey on The Today Show

Watch Stacey talk about kids & money on The Today Show:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/26852059#26852059

Stacey will be in

Washington DC this week participating in two roles at the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Agenda Conference: As a panelist on Congresswoman Corrine Brown’s highly anticipated Town  Hall Meeting on the foreclosure crisis.  Other expected panelists include Sen. Hillary Clinton, Congressman Barney Frank, and Senator Chris Dodd.  Stacey is also leading a panel on the financial issues that professional athletes face for

Congressman Ed Towns.

 

Stay tuned for more information on NY area book signings and other national media appearances for Stacey as she works with global financial literacy giant Operation HOPE, http://www.operationhope.org/smdev, to bring attention to this important and timely issue!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/sns-yourmoney-0907managers,0,594884.story

The article concerns changing funds managers. 

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/taking-charge-survey-relationships-1276.php

Unsure of whether or not to “share” your credit with family members?  Read here!