The first thing to do is to think about what type of style you are going for and what windows you need covered. Obviously, this is pretty easy to do, just make a list of what windows you have that need covered!

Once you have an idea of what windows you have that need covered, and what type of style you’re looking for, you’ve got a lot of various options:

Sew Your Own: There is nothing easier than to sew your own curtains, even if you’re completely inexperienced at sewing and terrified of using a sewing machine. Sure, yours might not look like Martha Stewart’s, but they’ll probably still be pretty decent! You can usually get the fabric you will need for much less than you would pay for pre-made curtains and can simply hem them and then sew where the rod can go through.

Shop Thrift Stores: You can often find inexpensive fabric and often times curtains at thrift stores that will work nicely.

Use Hanging Wire: Rather than buying expensive poles or hooks, hanging wire can often work just as well, you simply need to attach it to the ceiling and then the curtain to the wire.

Use a Dowel Rod and Hooks: Something I did in an old apartment that looked great was I attached two small removable hooks to the wall, and then placed a dowel rod through these two hooks with some flea market curtains I had purchased. You couldn’t tell that they were attached that way and they still looked really nice!

Hire Someone Locally: If you go to a curtain or blind shop, you’re going to spend A LOT of money on getting custom window treatments. However, if you check sites like Craigslist, and even post your own ad there, it’s quite likely you’ll find a really nice and talented person nearby who can sew your curtains and is happy to do it for you for a fraction of the price of what you would pay through an actual window treatment company.

Use a Tension Rod: If your windows are recessed like mine are, you can easily place a tension rod and then place your curtains that way.

Who Says You Have to Use Fabric? You don’t have to use fabric to make curtains or window treatments. You can choose cheaper materials such as lace or ribbon, or even paper! I actually made a set of curtains out of collaged paper once, which turned out pretty neat. They added the decorative look, though they did not have the usefulness of curtains you could actually open and close.

Use Shower Curtains: Sometimes shower curtains are cheaper and just as nice looking if you can find them in the store. You can also usually get some nice $5 metal hooks to use to make putting up your curtains a breeze. If you buy two shower curtains as panels and $5 for the hooks, you can spend about $15-25 per window, which is still less than what you would pay per curtain panel.

Try Iron Fusing Tape: Another easy thing to do instead of sewing your own fabric is to use Iron-on Fusing Tape. You can usually find this at fabric and craft stores for just a few dollars.

There are a number of different ways to save money on curtains – learning how to make your own with a few easy short cuts or searching online for them at discounts or even buying them used from sites like Craigslist can be helpful as well.

Have any tips on how to save money on curtains and window treatments? Share your ideas in the comments below!

If you want to know how to save money at Walt Disney World (or Disneyland!), here are some ways to do it:

Plan Early: Often if you plan your trip early, you’ll be able to take advantage of the extra time to comparison shop and hunt for bargain packages and deals. Waiting for the last minute unfortunately means you will likely pay full price for just about everything!

Comparison Shop: Visit a number of travel agencies near you, and don’t forget to also look online as well for various packages available for your vacation. The more you look and research, the better deals you’ll be able to uncover and find.

Bring Your Own Drinks and Snacks: Bringing your own drinks and snacks can be well worth it, especially if you place the items in a cooler and keep the cooler in a locker during your trip. Park drinks are very expensive, so it really helps to have your own!

Bring Your Own Fun Toys: Kids always seem to want the glow in the dark toys or a stuffed animal or something of that nature. A way to get around this is to find it cheaper before you go on your trip, then pack them in a special bag that you can keep out of sight. That way, when the kids are ready for the stuff and start asking for it, you’re prepared.

Wear Sunscreen: Even if the weather isn’t hot and sunny, it helps to wear sunscreen in order to avoid burning. This is especially important for kids, because you don’t want the extra expense of having to go to a doctor or having to miss out on the fun of your trip!

Factor Everything: Anytime my husband and I go on a trip, we always make sure we think throughout the whole entire day for every day of the trip to think of what we might need and bring it with us. You can easily spend a lot more money than you expected if you don’t plan for this! We bring everything from laundry detergent to even aluminum foil because you just never know!

Check Hotel Rates: Sometimes it is cheaper to get a package where you stay in one of their resort hotels, other times you may find it much less expensive to stay in another hotel a half an hour away if you’ll have  a car.

Remember Packages Aren’t Always Cheaper: Packages and bundles can often save money, but not always, since they are mostly a matter of convenience. Before booking a package, see what the price will be if you purchase your airfare, hotels, and everything else individually first.

Souvenir Shop Elsewhere: Souvenirs are expensive, and usually not even that high of quality of an item. If you have kids, explain to them that the next day or later that night or whenever during the trip that you will be taking them to the best store in the world where they can get twice as many things for the same price. If you shop around, there are a number of bargain and discount souvenir shops in the general vicinity of the area.

Be Watchful of Scams: There are a number of scams and various fraudulent things where people will promise you a free trip to Disney World, or sell you fake tickets at a very cheap cost. Not only does this put you at risk of getting in trouble, but it can also end up causing you to give your hard earned money to a con artist instead of spending it on the trip! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Go Off Season: If you go during the off season, it can be much more fun than when the place is crowded and busy, and it will also save you money. I’ve gone to Disney twice in May and while that is a little busier than the winter months, it’s not nearly as crazy as it is in the summer time!

Plan an Itinerary: Having an itinerary and knowing exactly what you’ll be doing and when is a great way to make sure you have time to do everything as planned, as well as ensure you have factored in enough down time and meal times. Having an itinerary makes it much easier and you won’t overpay for things you won’t use or not be prepared to do the fun things you hoped to do.

Eat Away From the Park: Getting meals at restaurants outside of the park, or even cooking your own food at a campground or in a suite is much less expensive and will help you save money at Disney World.

Get a Group: You can sometimes qualify for group rates if you ask them about it and plan on bringing a lot of people.  Partner up with coworkers, people at your local church, family, friends, or other groups and clubs and you might be able to get some very good deals that way as well!

Have any tips for saving money at Walt Disney World? Share them in the comments section below!

Photo by Focal Garden

If you’re looking for ways on how to save money on car payments, you’re not alone. Each year, millions of people pay several thousands of dollars toward their debt on their car, which not only means less money saved and more monthly income needed, but also doesn’t really gain you very much, since cars are considered to be depreciating assets. (You’re not going to be able to sell your car for more money in five to ten years like you would a house – you’ll be lucky to sell it for scrap metal) If you want to reduce your monthly car payment, here are some tips to lower your car payment.

The first mistake most of us make is getting that car payment in the first place. Auto dealers and car dealerships make it all too easy with their instant financing and everything else. I remember the first car I bought. I paid good hard cold cash, $800 for a 1989 Pontiac Sunbird. I was sixteen years old, working a lousy cashier job at a now bankrupt retail store. But, that car symbolized so much more – that was freedom!

Well, being that I bought an $800 car that was quite old with quite a lot of problems, eventually it died and it was at the point where it would cost more money to fix it than I paid for it! So, it was time to start looking at other alternatives. And that is how I got stuck in that trap of having a car payment.

From now on, I want you to make a promise to yourself to never get another car payment. Whether you lease a car or get a loan, that is several hundred dollars every month you are dedicating to your car, not to mention thousands of dollars you are wasting on interest.

If you’re buying a car and I can’t convince you to avoid a loan at all costs, here are some things to do:

Buy a Used Car: Slightly used cars, ones that only have 20,000 miles on them and are still under the manufacturer warranty, typically are several thousands of dollars less, but still pretty close to new. With the manufacturer warranty, if the car does need repairs, they’ll likely be covered. My $800 first car was very used, but it still did it’s purpose of getting me from Point A to Point B – and I wasn’t spending hundreds of dollars a month. Yes, it needed fixed quite often, but spending a few hundred hear or there every 6 months was a lot better than spending that every month.

Put up the largest down payment as possible: The larger your down payment, the less money you will be borrowing, and this means a lower car payment as well as less interest you will be paying. Say the car you want costs $9000. If you put down $3000 in cash, your car payment will be much, much less.

Choose the Shortest Borrowing Time Available: The shorter your borrowing time of course will likely mean a higher payment – but you’ll be saving quite a bit more on interest and more money in the long run.

Shop Around for a Loan: You don’t have to use the car dealership’s recommended finance agancy to get a loan. Check with multiple banks to shop for the best interest rate. If you are worried about many people checking your credit, you can always order your own credit report and then give it to anyone you are looking to get a quote from.

Speaking of Credit: The better your credit, the better interest rates you will usually be able to get. So keep your credit in top shape, and make sure you know how it is before you apply for a loan. If your credit is bad, then you will likely want to wait anywhere from 6 months to a year.

Do You Even Need a Car? Everybody thinks they need a car, and I will agree it can be useful to have one. But if your family already has one car, could you get rid of a second one? Could you survive by taking a bus or riding a bike? One of the many perks of living in the city as opposed to the suburbs is that a car is just not necessary. At my first apartment I could walk to the grocery store, bank, and post office! If you already have a car, would it make more sense to spend the money to fix it and get a few more years out of it while you save up for a new car? In hindsight, this is what I should have done as a teenager with my first car – but I didn’t know any better.

What about for those of you who already have a car payment and you want to save money?

Well, the only advice I can give to you is pay off more than the minimum payment each and every month. If your car payment is $200 and you pay $300, it’s going to save you quite a bit later down the road. The sooner you pay it off, the less interest you will have, and you won’t have to be worried about always having that extra money available each month to make that monthly payment – and instead could even put that money in a fund for when you decide to buy your next car!

You can save money on your car payment, but it’s not always easy. If you follow these tips, you’ll be able to pay off that loan in no time, and then make the vow to yourself to never get in a loan or lease again!

Because these foods can cost several dollars more per pound than other foods or need to be specially ordered or are only available in select stores, it can seem like it is more expensice at first glance. However, there are many health benefits of buying organic foods and better nutrition can save you in the long run instead of spending money on increased health premiums, doctors visits, vitamins, weight loss programs or even help you avoid spending your money on junk food like potato chips or cookies. Since I switched to buying only organic foods, I was quite surprised to see my grocery bill actually decrease instead of increase.

If you want to save money shopping for organic food, here are some helpful tips:

1. Plan Your Meals: Meal planning takes a lot to get used to. At first it seems like a complete chore to think about what you will eat for each day of the week. If you have a large household with many people living together it can be even more difficult, especially if everyone has different tastes and preferences. However, it’s critical to start planning your meals if you want to save money on groceries successfully. When you plan accordingly, it is much easier to make sure you have all of the necessary ingredients – and most importantly nothing goes to waste.

2. Choose the Right Stores:
There are many different places where you can buy the foods you want. Many grocery stores even have special sections for organic foods. However, many times you will pay extra for this compared to the usual standard pre-packaged things. Finding a store that offers good values and good products is critical. In general it is usually best to buy as much as possible at one store rather than going to several stores – but if you calculate the value of your time and the cost of gas and it will still save you significantly to go to different places then you may want to do it.

I have found that my local grocery store is good for some things, while the organic store farther away is better for other things. What I do is make a plan to shop at the one store near me for the things they have the best value for, then schedule a once a month trip to the other store for the other things that are a better value. I also really enjoy going to the farther away store, so it also provides some entertainment value as well!

3. Buy Bulk Wisely:  There are many different options available online, but the shipping costs are typically only worthwhile if you are able to buy in bulk to receive a discounted price. You will likely need to spend some time researching online to find out where to get the best deals, but it can save you significantly over time. There are also many stores that offer bulk sizes on many items.  Be sure that whatever items you decide to purchase in bulk that they are something you use often, regularly, and won’t sit on a shelf collecting dust. Buying something in bulk if you will not use that much within a reasonable period of time does not make any sense savings wise, because usually when you are buying a larger quantity it also means the price is higher too.  If you have a friend or family member you can buy bulk with and share the savings it can be even better.

4. Clip Your Coupons: Coupon clipping is another way to save on some of these products. You can often find coupons online that you can print out, though this is only smart if the savings is greater than the cost of printing them. (Inkjet printer owners – take caution! The price of ink is outrageous if you are printing a lot!!) You may also want to check out different newspapers or magazines that are free and cater to the local area or organic shoppers – often advertisers will include a special offer or coupon within their ad.

5. Sign Up For Mailing Lists: Do you have a product that you love? A company you think is wonderful? Signing up for their mailing list can help you get coupons, special offers, free product samples, and other incentives sent to your home. The only drawback to this is that you will likely get a little more mail than usual, especially if you sign up for multiple different offers. I’ve found that fanning certain companies on Facebook or following them on Twitter can also help you get some special deals from time to time.

6. Read the Nutrition Labels Carefully: There are a lot of manufacturers who claim to be nutritious or organic but then when you read their labels you’ll find a lot of refined grains or even chemicals and additives used as preservatives. Even on many Whole Foods items I have noticed this – so be careful. There’s no sense in paying a higher price for something that has relatively little better nutritional value for you.

7. Eat in Season: Some fruits and vegetables are cheaper during different times of the year. For example, right now it is winter, and so I was able to get oranges, kale, and a few other foods much cheaper than usual, while others were much more expensive. In the summer we’ll be able to enjoy all our favorites for a fraction of the cost than trying to buy them now in the winter months. You can also try freezing or canning foods your self to have them in the winter when less foods are in season.

8. Skip the Convenience: My kids love the organic gluten free chicken tenders I was buying. Unfortunately, they also cost like $8 for one box that only fed them for one meal. I found at my local grocery store I could get organic chicken for $9 for twice as much chicken and then bread and cook it myself for maybe just a couple of dollars more. Cooking from scratch isn’t as hard as you think!

Have any other tips on how to save on buying organic groceries and food? Share them in the comments section below!

Think about all the things you spend money on that is winter/cold weather related:

Clothing: Sweaters, Boots, Hats, Scarves, Gloves, Socks and More are all needed to protect your body from cold temperatures. Not to mention, gloves often get easily misplaced and then you are buying more constantly.

Heating Bills: Whether you heat your home with gas or electric, heating bills can quickly add up to several hundred dollars. Weather proofing your home also has its costs – insulation, weather stripping, plastic wrap for windows, outlet covers – this all will cost you quite a good sum. While you think weather proofing is something you only do once, you often need to replace things every year.

Snow Removal: If you live in a cold climate, it’s quite likely you’ll also have snow and ice to get rid of, which also costs money. Rock salt usually runs anywhere from $5-$7 a bag, and if you want stuff that won’t damage your concrete or hurt your pets, then you’re looking at $15 a bag or more. If you need your driveway plowed or shoveled, you’ll need to buy everything from shovels to a garden tractor. Maybe you can’t shovel the snow yourself, so you need to hire someone. If you pay $50 every time you need something shoveled or plowed, that can still be quite a lot.

Health Care: Colder weather can cause a ton of different health ailments. Because we’re trapped inside with other people, it’s more likely you’ll be exposed to germs that make you sick. Some people find that cold weather aggravates other conditions, which also leads to more doctor visits and remedies to making you feel better.

Obviously, there will be some initial costs to moving to a warmer climate. You will have to consider where you will live and those types of things. Many people might think this initial expense of moving is not worth saving several thousand dollars each and every year by living somewhere warm – and especially if they like where they live.

But if you’re not particularly attached to your current home or thinking about moving anyways, moving somewhere warmer might just help you save some money.

Late fees can end up costing you quite a lot of money if you’re not careful and make it even more difficult to get ahead. Almost all companies charge a late fee when you do not pay them on time, and this can often range anywhere from $20 to $100. If you have high interest credit cards, a missed payment or not paying your debt in full can start a terrible cycle of owing 16% or more of your latest balance.

There are a wide variety of different free reminder services out there that can help you make sure that you stay on track. While some people prefer auto bill pay, even this can sometimes cause problems, such as a card expiring or not having enough available funds to cover the balance. Having something that automatically emails you or texts you is certainly a good thing to have if you tend to be forgetful.

The truth is this: most of us are way too busy to worry about paying multiple bills. If you’re like most people you have everything from a house payment to your utility bills to your phone and cable internet bills to things like car payments or credit card payments. If you consider how many things you pay for regularly each month, you may have anywhere from 10-12 bills to pay! And probably more!

So what can you use to help you remember when everything is due? Well, if you use outlook or other similiar email program everyday that works out pretty well – but you have to check your email every day in order to get the notification.

Reminder Fox is a firefox add on that you install on your browser if you are running Firefox as your web browser. You can add the add-on here. It is relatively easy to use and helps you keep track of important dates, such as paying the bills or even a birthday or dentist appointment.

Another interesting thing you can use is a service called Remindd. Their service sends you both email reminders and text messages, which is helpful if you’re one of those people who always has your phone but not always checking online for much.

Anyways, with these two tools it is entirely possible to save money by never missing another bill payment again. Now you just need a free reminder service to remind you to use the reminders

It was kind of tempting, all these great sales and all. But you have to be realistic: You’re not going to get many of those sales. Oh sure, if you get there you might be lucky enough to get a $4 blender or something…but for the big ticket items you either need to be prepared to be the first person in the store and hopefully not get trampled or shot at (it has happened in the past)…otherwise you’re not going to get it. I get mad at all of this because really it pretty much is “bait and switch” – they get you in the store because of their sales, and then you get there and they don’t have them. I understand their whole supply/demand/etc. thing…but why not charge like $40 more and have more available to people? I’d still buy a $400 laptop for $250.

My hubby and I last night looked carefully at the stuff that was on sale, and we decided we’d rather spend the day working today and make more $$$ than what the potential savings would be.

This will likely even save us even more money because rather than spending $250 on a tv we don’t really need, maybe I’ll instead get snow tires for the car, which we do need. And there won’t be any impulsive spending moments in the store either, so that will likely save us a good bit also.

Yes, I will have to finish up my Christmas shopping eventually. I already got a few gifts from Amazon.com – and if you do want something that happens to be on sale today I definitely recommend you get it online. Not only does it save you the hassle and the stress and the exposure to germs everywhere (which would result in you buying cold medicine, caffeinated beverages, etc.) you will also save around $10-$20 in gas and another $25 for breakfast or lunch. (Hey, all that shopping makes you hungry!)

Hope you all have a safe, happy, and money saving Black Friday at Home!

Here are some examples:

You’re stressed out while you’re grocery shopping. Maybe you just want to get in and out, so you don’t take the time to really compare prices or look for the best deal. You’re also more likely to overeat if you’re stressed out, which can make groceries even more expensive.

You feel stressed out and so to compensate and to make yourself feel better you buy stuff you don’t really need, such as a triple chocolate cheesecake and maybe some new clothes.

When you’re stressed out you become forgetful, completely losing track of time and missing your bill payments – and now you have late charges.

Many couples fight over money and finances, which can lead to expensive marriage counseling sessions and possibly even divorce.

You might start experiencing stress related health problems, like not being able to sleep and getting sick. Now you’re spending money on sleeping pills or visiting the doctors.

You need more money so decide to work a second job that you hate which leaves you tired and irritable – and performance at your first job is starting to suffer.

Stress effects everything – and it can easily cause people to spend money each month that they didn’t really have to or want to spend – which for some may even result in more stress!

There’s no denying it: money causes stress – and stress costs money.

So what can you do? How can you reduce stress? Here’s some ideas:

1. Stick to a Routine: Routines might be boring and predictable, but they’re also a great way to alleviate a lot of unneccessary stress. For example, it’s our routine to have everything ready for the next day the night before. This makes it way easier for all of us to get ready in the morning and starts the day off with a lot less stress than we would have if we were running around the house looking for shoes, coats, and trying to pack lunches. My six year old has ADHD – the routine and a set schedule is critical for him just to function, and it makes life much easier for all of us.

2. Get Organized: Not knowing where everything is and tripping over stuff usually causes more stress for most people. Getting organized takes some time and effort, but if you find a system that works for you, you’re going to see amazing results pretty quickly. For example, I decided to organize all of our pens and paper in the kitchen. This took me all of five to ten minutes to do. It saves me a ton of frustration now every time I need to write a school excuse note or a shopping list. I also organized all of our clothes in a way so that putting them away and doing laundry now takes much less time – and we’re never searching for clothes to wear. Start off small and you’re going to see big differences to help keep motivating you to organize more.

3. Eat Right & Exercise: You’d be amazed how much a good diet can instantly improve your mood and give you more energy. Try cutting out sugary foods and swap refined grains with whole ones. Eat more protein and more veggies and you might just feel like a new person. Don’t worry about healthy foods costing more – you’ll soon find it saves you a lot of money when you stop buying junk food and processed meals. Don’t forget to exercise – it helps you workout a lot of pent up frustration and anger you might be bottling up.

4. Make Bill Paying Simple: I’ve signed up for auto billing with just about all of our regular monthly expenses where they just deduct it from the checking account or charge our credit card. This helps me make sure they are always paid on time. Rather that worrying about when the phone bill or insurance is due, it all gets automatically billed to one source. This saves not only a lot of time and frustration, but everything is always paid on time which means no late fees. The only thing I have to make sure each month is that there is enough money in the account.

5. Start Saving: I don’t know why, but it just feels good to know you’ve saved some money somewhere. Whether you’ve got a stash of pennies and quarters in a jar or a separate bank account with saved money it makes a difference. It’s like walking a tight rope and knowing there is a net below you in case you fall.

6. Stay Out of Debt: Chances are if you are like most people you have some debt. Some of us have a little debt, some of us have a lot of debt. The best thing to do is to stop going into debt. Don’t be tempted by that 18 months no financing charge card, don’t get a loan on a car you don’t really need, etc. etc. To start paying off your debt, start with the easy to pay ones first and knock them off little by little. You can also try paying an extra $30-$50 a month (or more if you can afford to) to help knock that down a little bit faster.

7. Schedule Time to Relax: Relaxation time should be as important as a meeting or doctor’s appointment. Make it part of your routine and give yourself at least 10 minutes of it each day with a longer 30 minutes to 1 hour time at least once a week. Life is always busy and crazy and taking just a short time out to do nothing or something you just enjoy doing will definitely make a huge impact on how well you do and deal with everything else.

8. Evaluate Your Job: Jobs can create a lot of stress for people, whether you’ve got deadlines and pressure from your boss or chasing your tail trying to please a customer. While changing jobs is a huge stress at first, it may end up saving you a lot of stress later down the road. Consider if you could find a similar one with your skills and experience that pays more or find a job that is truly something you enjoy. My husband, stressed out from his job that has him working over 60 hours a week last year decided to quit his job and deliver pizzas while starting our own business. People thought we were insane to say the least, but now we are making even more than he did at his old job – and working about a fraction of the time. Sure, there was some stress in the beginning, but now we’ve managed to reduce that stress dramatically.

9. Figure Out Your Spending Habits: Something interesting to do is to track your expenses and see where and how you are spending money. A lot of spending is habitual and can be changed. Maybe you are buying drinks at work out of a vending machine or at the gas station or every time you check out at a store for example. An easy way to save money is instead fill a reusable water bottle with water or tea, or try buying the drinks you like in a bulk quantity and keeping them in the car. Little changes do add up, even if you don’t see a difference right away. When you have some ideas on how to save more money you can definitely reduce stress.

10. Don’t Fight About Money: Whether you’re married with kids or living with a room mate, most of us are going to have people to fight with about money. Take some time and think about what problems are causing the most stress and what can be done to resolve these problems. If you share your money with someone, such as your spouse, it’s important you each have a clear idea of how its okay to spend money and how it’s not. If you each are on the same page with spending and saving goals it is considerably easier to stay on track, fight less, and as a result see less stress.

You don’t have to stress about money, and stress doesn’t have to keep you back from being able to save and get out of debt. Doing just a few simple things to make your life a little more simple will make all the difference!

There’ a ton of jobs for 16 year olds and sadly, most of them suck. But there are a few good ones out there, if you get off to the right start. Now, you might be thinking, why the heck am I writing about jobs for sixteen year olds? What does this have to do with anything about saving money? Well, if you like me got your first “real” job in coorporate America at the age 16 like I did, there’s quite a lot of importance to it and how you save money actually.

At sixteen, nobody really takes you seriously.  You don’t have experience, you probably don’t have much of a work ethic, and you being a minor are likely limited to how many hours you can work without needing a break and how late you can work. When the only places that hire teenagers are fast food joints and retail stores, this can make it tricky to really do what you want to do.

But, at the same time, when you turn 16 that’s the first time you really need money, too. Maybe you want to go to a movie with your friends, maybe you want to buy a car, get some designer jeans your mom won’t let you buy because they cost you too much. If you remember being 16, I’m sure you remember what those things you so desperately wanted money for.

And this is where a lot of us got started on the wrong path to becoming independently wealthy. It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago I thought it was okay to waste 30 hours of my life a week “working for the man” just to bring home a measly $300 paycheck every two weeks. These days I have a completely different train of thought, and i I can catch a few teens who are thinking about ways to make money – and what to spend it on now, there’s a lot of good that can come of that – hopefully you can avoid all the mistakes we made where we basically just wasted all of our time in the hopes of having a couple of bucks.

It’s really hard to get out of the train of thought of working by the hour once you get stuck into it. Even those who get paid by salary can get stuck in thinking their salary is worth all the bull you have to go through with the hopes of making money. You don’t really save any money that way, especially not right away since nobody lands a job that pays six figures without a high school diploma, a college degree, and a boat load of experience.

So, with all that being said, I think it’s important to instead of looking for a job, look for money making opportunities. Because you’ll always do better with opportunities to make money than you would if you instead decided to go flip burgers or make tacos or run a cash register. You’ll also avoid thoughts of suicide while standing there.

Even if you’re not 16, you might find some of these jobs are more promising that the ones you have now. You never know

Work Opportunities for 16 Year Olds

1. Babysitting Business: When I was a kid my favorite books were in the series The Babysitter’s Club by Ann M. Martin. Now I personally hate babysitting, but there was something intriguing about what those girls in that book did – they started a babysitting business. Not just watching kids for a few hours a week but making it so that someone could call them up and get one of the sitters. Another alternative could be to be available from say 4:00 to 7:00 after school and watch a group of kids after school. Don’t look for a babysitting job – think about how you could start a babysitting business. Obviously, you’ve got to like kids, have experience in that type of thing and being certified in CPR first aid and making sure you’re not breaking any laws in your state.  You’ll also have to do some basic marketing, but think how much better “started own babysitting business generating $2000 in gross revenue a month” looks on a resume than “Washed dishes all night long”.

2. Delivery Service: If you’re old enough to drive or live in a place where you could get by on a bike with a wagon, starting your own delivery service is another option. You could deliver meals from restaurants that don’t offer delivery or you could even go get groceries for people. Again, this is going to take a little marketing and planning, but you’ll be your own boss.

3. Offer Landscaping Services: If you can rake leaves and mow the grass, this is a great job. Find out what local landscapers are charging and charge about $5-$10 less. You’ll make more money by finding your own customers than you would by settling for minimum wage from landscape companies.

4. Start an Online Business: Think online businesses are all scams and you never make money? I did too, until I started replacing my full time salary with the money I earn online. Whether you create a website and sell products off of it or advertising space, there’s a lot of money to be made. Alternatively, you could think of something fantastically great and launch the next Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. The internet is never going to go away  anytime soon, and you can start working now on something that will provide you with residual income all the way through college and while you go and pursue your other dreams.

5. Make and Sell Crafts: Do you love art? Like making stuff? You can make and sell stuff to your hearts content, whether you sell at local craft fairs and consignment shops or if you decide to instead sell it online at shops like Etsy and others.

7. Sell Music/Videos: Ah, yes, when I was in high school I dreamed of being a rock star. Of course, Geffen never did discover me. But these days you don’t need a record label, you don’t even need a recording studio to make decent sound tracks. There’s a lot of inexpensive and even free audio recording software out there. You could also try to land some small paid gigs at coffee shops or other places. (Think $50 for a 4 hour show – that’s still more than you’d make with a real job)- Then all you need is a website and a following and start selling a few tracks. This is probably the hardest of everything I’ve listed here, but if you want to make money by making music, this is a good start.

8. Dog Walking: Dog walking, pet sitting, all other good ideas for a business you can start as a teenager, or any age for that matter. All you need is to like dogs and find some people who need to have their dogs walked while they’re at work all day.

The point of this post is it doesn’t matter what you do to make money – but don’t get a job. Start a business. Find money making opportunities. And once you start making money, don’t blow it all on stupid crap like going to the movies or buying those pants just cause they look cool. Save it. If you start saving just $200 a month now (while your parents still cover most of your living expenses), you’ll have $7200 saved up in three years.

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One simple way to help you save money is to start using less.

Liquid soaps and shampoos are a good example, especially if you have small kids who are in charge of administering how much soap they should use. For awhile there it seemed like I was refilling the bathroom soap almost daily. I couldn’t figure it out until I realized my son was using waaaaaaaaaaay too much soap each time he washed his hands. Washing your hands is important. I’m glad he does it. But you only need a small little dab of soap really…you don’t need half the bottle.

There are other things you can get away with using less of. Yesterday morning I made banana muffins. Instead of 3 bananas, I used 2. Instead of a half cup of butter I used a third. Instead of using up the last of my flour that I had, I decided instead to use a cup of oatmeal, which I have a whole container of. And I left out the egg completely. Guess what? They tasted fine and I still got the normal 12 muffins either way. And, because I found something else for the flour, I still have the flour to last a few more weeks for cooking other things without having to buy it.

It’s quite simple really: the less you use, the less you need to buy. And that saves you money without you even thinking or realizing about it.
Here are some things you can start using less of to see little differences:

Kitchen Spices: Things like Flour, Salt, Pepper, Seasonings, and other spices are usually best in moderation. I only use a tiny bit, then taste it first to determine if more is actually needed. Most of my spices last far longer this way and the food tastes just as good, sometimes better.

Butter, Oil: Not only is this healthier for you, but again you won’t likely notice much difference in taste.

Paper products: Things such as TP, Paper Towels, Tissues can run out really quickly, so I tend to just use a very small amount. Sometimes cutting paper towels in advance can help you use less. I also cut my new kitchen sponges into four pieces so I can regularly use a “new one” but make it last four times as long.

Plastic Wrap & Foil: I’ve found I could probably use a whole roll of these items if I’m not careful. Getting reusable leak proof containers or using baking dishes with washable lids may end up being a better investment all together.

Dish Soap: Especially if using a dishwasher – about 1/3 the amount is only actually needed. If washing dishes by hand, try squirting a little into the water to make bubbles and only add more if absolutely necessary.

Laundry Detergent: Most laundry soaps are pretty watered down, though more and more have started to sell you smaller, more concentrated bottles. I’ve found that if I pre-treat stains correctly, I only need about a half a capful to get the clothes smelling fresh and clean.

Toothpaste: If you ever read the directions, they actually say to use a pea sized amount – that’s a lot less than most people use and what you see on commercials or on boxes.

Drive Less: Whenever I have errands to run, I always think about the best way to drive less and make sure that I don’t drive any more than need be to get somewhere to use less gas.

Cigarettes: While it would probably be far better for you to quit entirely, I have seen many smokers buy the 100′s or extra long cigarettes and only smoke half at a time. This can drastically make a pack of smokes last longer.

Cut Down on Utilities: You don’t need every light and television on all the time, neither do you need to have the heat on all the time. You can also save water by taking faster showers. There’s plenty of ways to save on your utility bills.

Shampoo and Conditioner: Work the lather up in your hands, and then into your hair. For things like conditioner, you only need to apply it from your ears down to the tips of your hair. On average a bottle of shampoo and conditioner will last me about 6 months, sometimes longer. You only need a tiny amount, so try to start with less and only add more if needed.

Watch Less TV: Do you really need to watch TV? Could you do without some of the premium channels? Not only will this save you on your cable bill if you reduce your package, but it can also save you electricity as well.

The less you use, the more you save. While these savings aren’t going to be apparent immediately, they can save you several hundred dollars over the course of the year.

What can you do with the savings? You can enjoy higher quality products if you would rather do that, or you can set the money aside into a savings account or keep it for something else you’d rather buy. These little savings can make a huge difference over time, and are definitely worth it.

What are some things you can use less of to save money? Share your ideas in the comments section below.