Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 10, 2011

According to research, the average family throws away as much as $100 worth of food every month. As well as being incredibly wasteful, this is also money that most of us can’t afford to lose. Here are some tips for minimising your food wastage so that you’re not literally throwing money in the bin. Meal planning. If you can get yourself into the habit of planning your meals in advance, you’ll waste a lot less food.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

AUGUST 2, 2011

If you’re used to being spontaneous with your choice of meals, the idea of planning your meals for the week in advance might seem tedious and unappealing, but there are some definite advantages involved. Over a year ago, my husband and I got into meal planning and I must admit it rocks. Today, I want to convince you why it rocks. Here are 6 reasons why meal planning is a good idea: 1.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 30, 2011

Exercise can help you to improve both your mental and physical health but for many people, affording a gym membership is out of the question financially. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up on the idea of exercising full stop though – there is the option of working out at home instead. Not sure which is the better choice? Here are some of the pros and cons for each.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 17, 2011

We seem to be living in the midst of a ‘ME’ generation where all thoughts are for what is in it for oneself. Children are constantly being bombarded by advertising for the newest and latest ‘thing’ and are being swept along by the aggressive consumerism of our times. Children are naturally competitive and this lends itself even more to the idea that they are the only important person around.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Living your dream life debt free requires a simply task of going back to Grade 1 math lessons and applying the concepts. Recall how your teacher taught you how to add and subtract. Two very important points to remember are: 1+1 = 2 and 10 – 1. You might be giggling at this in that it is so simple but keep reading. Interestingly, as simple as it is, not everyone applies this math in real life situations.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

DECEMBER 1, 2011

There has been a lot of focus over the last couple years on why we should be changing our homes to be more eco-friendly. This focus and push is well justified if you ask me. Being eco-friendly is necessary to keep our environment healthy. We have already done so much damage. Without some serious changes to how we live, we might not be living as long as we think.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

As November begins to wind down, we are officially in the holiday season. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and breaks for school and work calls for a lot of overeating. In my family, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the biggest holidays as far as cooking. If you add the bounty of food that magically appears on our tables with cold and wet weather, you can find yourself packing on the pounds and picking up bad habits.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

JUNE 21, 2011

This post was written by Marie. What makes millionaires different from the merely affluent or the middle-class? The Spectrum Group set out to understand this by sifting through their ongoing quarterly research. The Spectrum Group publishes reports about the affluent and the retirement markets. They conduct survey based research each quarter with thousands of wealthy households – targeted to networth levels of: the mass affluent ($100,000 to $1 million networth households ); the millionaire

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

AUGUST 22, 2011

Big energy bills can bleed your budget dry, not to mention the potential impact on the environment. Cutting back on your energy consumption will help you become more ‘green’ as well as putting a bit more money back in your pocket. Here are some ways you can reduce your energy bills. Cutting Your Heating Bills. Get your meter read regularly. You could be paying over the odds if your bill is based on estimated readings.

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Bills Appliances Home and Garden Green 224

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

JULY 12, 2011

Guest Post Author Bio: Kylie Ofiu is the author of 365 Ways to Make Money. She blogs about ways to make and save money as well as what she is up to at her blog www.kylieofiu.com. A lot of people think being environmentally friendly costs a lot. If you get the big things like solar panels and water tanks, they do cost initially, but if you are staying in your home for a long period they are worth it.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

DECEMBER 11, 2011

If you work out how much you’re spending on work lunches in the average work week, you might be surprised to know just how much money is being frittered away. You can save money by taking your own lunches to work and depending on what you’ve previously been grabbing in your lunch break, it might be a lot healthier too. Here are some tips on making it work for you.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

FEBRUARY 28, 2011

Intrigued by Inception? You can explore the bizarre world of dreams in the brand-new play by local artist and playwright Evelyn Stettin. And, tickets are being offered at a special price just for RentFoodBroke readers. At the door, say RentFoodBroke sent you to receive $5 off. That's only $10 per ticket for a great play and a night of live music afterward.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Learning how to make your own clothes is a pastime that will not only save you some money, it is skill that can evolve into a hobby that you love. With some practice, patience, and some sewing know-how, you’ll be on your way to making your own clothing before you know it. Here are some helpful tips to get you going. Getting Started. If you have never attempted to make your own clothes before, or if you have little or no sewing skills, finding some good reference materials is a great place

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

Earlier in the year, I wrote a post called Skip the Gym, Sweat at Home that shared one of the workouts that my hubby and I do at home. The article went viral online. It got over 20 thousand stumbles alone. This kind of response got me thinking that there are other people out there like me who value their health and want to do what they can to keep it as optimal as possible and not pay a fortune to do so.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

AUGUST 29, 2011

Defining the two major terms in our discussion will keep us in track with the issues involved because at first glance, globalization and environment appears to be unrelated. How can enhanced global trading be hazardous to the environment? What is Globalization? Simply defined it is the process where constraints of distance and nation are minimized, allowing greater interaction between and among countries or its constituents to promote trade or business endeavors.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

Guest Post Author Bio: Corey is the author and creator of 20′s Finances. His personal finance blog offers great ways to save money as well as tips to plan for the future. With the movement of environmental concern, the world is in flux. My grandparents’ era of sitting around the breakfast table reading the newspaper is long gone. We now get news on our IPAD’s or smart phones and news comes to us so much faster.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 29, 2011

We’re always hearing how expensive it is to bring up a baby but this doesn’t have to be the case. If you’re thrifty and willing to compromise, there’s no need to blow the budget when your new arrival joins the family. Here are some tips on how to save money on baby items. 1. How vital is the item? The average list of baby-related must-haves is pretty scary but not all of them are vital essentials.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

Hanging out with friends doesn’t need to be expensive, and you can still have a good deal of fun on the cheap. If you’ve previously been feeling that you need to decline social invitations because you don’t have the cash to fritter away, stop hiding away! Here are some tips for spending time with friends that don’t need to cost a small fortune. Meet at a cheaper time.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 11, 2011

This post was written by Marie. . Do you dream of retiring some day? Maybe you are ready to retire financially but have other concerns. Perhaps you are socking away go-goobs of money for a far off retirement date and are wondering if it is worthwhile to forego all those ‘along the way’ life treats in order to be prepared for retirement. I’m retired!

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Real Estate Money Recession Work 207

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

When you practise sustainability, you adopt a lifestyle that is termed sustainable living. This means that you incorporate strategies into your lifestyle that support the ideals of sustainability. There are many ways of describing this process and the terminology can be confusing, so let’s begin with a few definitions. . Definitions . According to Wikipedia, “sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s or society’s use of the earth’s

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

AUGUST 8, 2011

With food costs seeming to rise all the time, your weekly trip to the supermarket can take a big chunk out of your budget. If you’re sick of paying over the odds, think about producing your own fruit and vegetables. Not convinced? Here are five reasons why you should think seriously consider it. Save money on food costs. Rising grocery costs have encouraged more people to grow their own food.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

AUGUST 9, 2011

This post was written by Marie. . If you pay full price, you are probably being taken. Americans historically have not haggled for better prices on most items. We go to the nice clean supermarket where the prices are individually marked and pay that price. We get the satellite bill and pay the price on the statement. We shop for a new mattress and don’t even try to get the price lowered.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

JULY 21, 2011

This post was written by Derek. . What are your current views on investing? Do you consider yourself to be a conservative investor or somewhat of a risk-taker? Do you track your investments often or do you visit your investments once a year with your broker? What is it that makes your practices any better than a homeless man that clutches a lottery ticket?

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

DECEMBER 29, 2011

When the holidays are over, when the toys are old and tossed aside, when the wind and snow are howling outside, and the kids are wailing “ I’m bored” what can you do to entertain and educate them? Here are five – no or low cost examples of things to do that actively involve you and your child in learning and bonding experiences. 1. Make your own play dough (puzzle, website, puppets).

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Entertainment Budgeting Budget At Home 201

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

A side hustle is an important tool for growing wealth. A side hustle is anything you do to make money that’s outside of your normal job. Side hustles are important for two reasons. The first is obvious, extra income. Clearly extra income will help you on your journey to wealth, assuming you use that extra income to build wealth and not increase your lifestyle.

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Money At&T Building Hobby 201

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

DECEMBER 12, 2011

Negotiation is certainly a tricky game, and a lot of it can depend upon the emotions of the negotiating party. In a way, it can be comparable to a good game of poker, you don’t really know the hand of the other player, and you just raise your bet depending on what you have, and what you think your “opponent” doesn’t have. Negotiating can be done in almost any area of our life.

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Communications Garage Sale Tools Better Life 200

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 5, 2011

Guest Post Author Bio: Kylie Ofiu is the author of 365 Ways to Make Money. She blogs about ways to make and save money as well as what she is up to at her blog www.kylieofiu.com. This past year my husband and I went through a period of unemployment which was tricky and when we did have employment is was casual. It was our hardest year financially , but there were many things we did, which you can do to help if you become or are unemployed. 1.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 15, 2011

Welcome to this week’s Yakezie Carnival. This week I as your host have chosen the theme of “Growth” and here is why. The original Yakezie Carnival was first hosted on February 28, 2010 and was called the Yakezie Challenge Carnival. This was the first opportunity to highlight articles from the newly formed Yakezie network. At this time, there were 44 members of the group.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

DECEMBER 25, 2011

I remember when I started my first business, circa 1992. Before I officially set up shop, I made sure I had two important things: a beautifully crafted, market-tested sign and the drive to make millions. My lemonade stand crushed it that summer. The sign – which consisted of glitter, glue and notebook paper (not even the kind with the smooth edge) – sent many a thirsty customer to my front yard.

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Video Games Money Saving Saving Money 199

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

DECEMBER 13, 2011

If you’re looking to lose a few pounds, hands up if your first move is to go on the mother of all diets in preparation? Don’t do it! Significantly reducing your calorie intake through a crash diet may well help you to lose weight initially but it’s not a healthy way to go about things. Adopting a more controlled approach to losing weight is a better approach and means that you’re more likely to keep the weight off afterwards.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 13, 2011

Energy is as essential to human existence as water, air and food but the challenge for mankind in the 21 st century, is to find energy sources that are eco-friendly and don’t continue to deplete the earth’s non-renewable resources. The pace of research into alternative and sustainable energy sources has increased considerably over the past ten years, creating new and exciting possibilities.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 29, 2011

Stay within budget this holiday season with up-cycled Christmas gifts. Take an afternoon and clean out all your closets, search the corners of your basement and attic for new, nearly new or usable, unwanted items. Leave no stone unturned and do not assume anything is trash. Think outside the gift giving box this season; look at old unused items that may have parts that can be reused for other interesting and unique gifts.

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Cycle Budgeting Budget Christmas 199

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 24, 2011

Are your shopping habits saving you money? If not, it’s time to learn some tricks on how to become a more frugal shopper! Stick to a list. It sounds incredibly obvious but you’d be surprised how many people go shopping without making a list first. As well as increasing the chances that you’ll let your guard slip and pick up things that you don’t really need, not having a list usually means that there’s less structure to your shopping trip and you’ll probably find yourself wandering around from a

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Have you been watching the markets lately? If you are getting into investing then you should be keeping up with how the stock market is doing each day or at least week to week. For those of us that are buy and hold investors, checking in on the market’s performance on a month to month basis is usually good enough. However, you should be informed of big economic movements like what is happening in Europe right now with Greece and the PIGS.

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Taxes Real Estate Europe Economical 198

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 27, 2011

Every morning, millions of workers across the world commute to their place of employment. Whether by bus, trolley, train or auto, the need to get to work hits everyone hard in a depressed economy. Join us in exploring ways to implement eco-friendly work from home tips, or to become more cost-effective working outside the home. Smart Commute. According to the Bureau of labor Statistics, U.S. fuel prices rose 1.9 percent in August 2011, after a 4.7 percent increase the previous month.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 4, 2011

This post was written by Marie. . With the advent of the Great Recession, today’s populations are re-learning frugality and expense reduction. Through the harsh reality of real scarcity in our own personal financial situation, we learned those lessons over 40 years ago. We were so poor that we re-used coffee grounds to make more coffee! Out of necessity, my spouse and I integrated multiple strategies to get by on the income we had.

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Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 16, 2011

Since 1986, I have exercised in the morning with astounding (to me) regularity. I started when I went back to work after staying home with the kids for a decade and kept it up through 23 years in a career and now through almost 2 years in retirement. You can do it too, it’s not hard and takes less time than going to the gym. Wake Up Your Body.

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