How to save on Cosmetics

Makeup that works wonders is hard to find, but finding great makeup that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is even harder.  If you see most of your paycheck flying out of your hands and into the pockets of Mac, Sephora and the like, then it might be time to trim down the cost.

Do You Really Need It?

There’s a big difference between wanting and needing. Sure, smoky eye shadow and red lipstick might be so in this season, but probably won’t be the next. However, if you’re running low on mascara that you use every day, then you have a good reason to buy another one. If you’re impulsive (like me), the trick to avoid splurging is to stay away from the stores until you really need something.

Find a Cheaper Version of Your Favorite Product

I understand the deep love one can hold for a department brand lipstick or eye shadow, but this love does not come cheap! High-end cosmetics can get very expensive, so try to find a cheaper drugstore version of your favorite makeup products. That peach blush you spotted at the drugstore may turn out to be the same quality as the one you pay over $20 for.

Ask & You Shall Receive

Department stores and makeup brands will give out free samples just for walking buy or sitting through a makeover. Using trial sizes of products for a few days can help you decide if you really want to spend money on the full-size version.

Take a walk around your home (apartment, condo, single family) and make note of all the gaps and cracks you find. You can save up to 20% on your cooling bills by repairing those gaps and cracks.

1. First start inside:
   • Turn off the electricity at the circuit bow, then remove the outlet covers to look for gaps.
   • You can either replace them with insulated covers (can cost anywhere from $3 – $4 each) OR use foam insets (gaskets) for around $49 cents each. You can find either type at your local hardware store. FYI… you can also insulate phone-jack covers as well.
2. Check the junctures (layman’s terms: where windows meet walls, walls meet floors and pipe and wires enter the home.)
   • Plug any gaps you see with calk (a box of 12 can cost anywhere from $15 – $20 and a caulking gun can cost you upwards of $40.)
3. Other areas to investigate for cracks and gaps:
   • Fireplace dampers, mail slots, wall-mounted air conditioner, attic doors, baseboards and weather stripping surround doors.

Extra tips:
Look for daylight, feel for drafts and listen for rattles.

Folow these FREE everyday steps to avoid getting the swine flu:

- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

- Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Don’t fall for any swine flu scam!

What to Eat to Stay Healthy?

Don’t let this recession get you down and get your weight up. Try these tips for keeping fit during a down economy.

The $1 menu is NOT your friend:
- It’s easy to pull up at the drive-thru and feed the family for $5. Just think about it, eat cheap now, and pay expensive medical bills later. Fast food is loaded with saturated fats that can contribute to obesity, high  cholesterol and diabetes. While splurging here and there won’t harm you, making that $1 menu a big part of your diet can be detrimental to your health.

Inexpensive healthy meal options are out there
- Buy frozen, canned or fresh vegetables and add some protein to the vegetable dish, such as cooked whole grain pasta.
- Eggs are and low-priced item that people tend to forget about. It’s low in calories, high in protein and really low in carbohydrates.
- More and more, smaller portions are being offered at restaurants. Not only are these choices lower in price, but they’re good for you too.

Don’t be afraid to bargain at the gym:
Always remember that you aren’t the only one hurting out there. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, the slow economy is a factor in the first nationwide drop in gym memberships in more than a decade. Here are some tips to getting a price break on your monthly gym memberships:

- More and more gyms are offering awesome deals because they want to keep their customers and take advantage of our desire to cut living costs (insert shameless plug here). Rather than have you walk away from your membership completely, they’ll likely offer you a break to keep you around. So, before you cancel, sit down with someone on the gym’s staff to see what could be arranged.

- This is also a good time to sign up for a gym membership if as long (as you’re really going to use it). Many gyms are waiving their enrollment fees and offering basic memberships for as little as $20 to $30 a month.

- Don’t forget to ask for free guest passes. You can get anywhere from a few days to 2 weeks of access.

- Of course, don’t forget to compare gym memberships before you sign up for anything! Comparison shopping is the way to go!

Check out some of the current gym membership special offers :

24 Hour Fitness
Bally Total Fitness

Stores like GameStop specialize in selling used video games in its stores at a lower price than the new video games. Or bid on games through auctions on eBay, where you can get the latest used games for less. eBay also offers new video games at “buy it now” options. The price may be a little higher than a used video game, but you sometimes get shipping for free or at a reduced price.

If you prefer to play titles, you can either rent video games from traditional Blockbuster stores or you can rent video games games online from GameFly.com (think of them as the Netflix of games). Another option for you to find some cheap used video games is Recycle Video Games Network. They sell and trade new and used video games and accessories.

Even if you want to keep buying new video games, you can avoid buyer’s remorse by taking advantage of the fact that many companies make short demos of their games available for free. Game demos for consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 can be downloaded directly to those systems’ hard drives.

With all the financial turmoil, many people are keeping their money out of the stock market and even their bank. Now don’t get us wrong. We at Cut Living Costs still believe in the financial strength of banks, but it’s no surprise that others are looking at other alternatives to protecting their money.

Keep in mind that if anything were to happen to your home and your money was somehow damaged, stolen or misplaced, you may not be insured for the loss. Make sure you check your insurance policy and applicable state laws to see how much of your money is protected.

Sometimes it might be a good idea to speak with an expert regarding the best way to handle your money saving woes. There are lots of places where you can get financial advice and speak with a personal financial advisor to help you work through all of your questions. 

When is the Best Time to Purchase Airline Tickets?

The best days to buy airline tickets are either Tuesday at midnight or early Wednesday morning in the time zone of your airline. Since most people search for discounts on the weekend (usually late Friday night), by early Monday the next week discount prices even out. Once someone puts a reduced fare on hold, they get 24 hours to purchase it. And that’s where Tuesday at midnight comes in. All of the discount airline tickets that were reserved, but not purchased, by 11:59 p.m. suddenly get canceled, and those fares come rushing back into airline computer systems as unsold seats – for a limited window of time… the perfect time for you to get some extremely cheap airline tickets.

Another Way to Get Very Cheap Airline Tickets

The departure city you choose can make a world of difference when it comes to getting cheap airline tickets. If you look at the top 10 most affordable airports, a good majority of them are smaller, secondary airports such as Burbank, California’s Bob Hope (instead of LAX), and New York’s Long Island MacArthur (in lieu of JFK, LaGuardia and Newark).

Other Helpful Tips on Cheap Ways to Have Fun:

Gas prices may have dropped, but that doesn’t mean you can’t practice conservation. By learning ways to improve gas mileage, it will be good for the environment and your wallet.

Start by driving efficiently: Save $0.02 – $0.64 per gallon

Keep your car in shape: $0.02 – $0.08 per gallon