Even for those who don’t make money online, it can be a frugal way to keep in touch with friends- saving phone bills and postage.

A few things to consider if your income is really, really minimal –

Did you get a tax refund this year? Have you had a baby in 2009? Adjust your withholding and bring home a bigger paycheck.

Did you pay someone to prepare your tax return? Please, if your income consists primarily of wages, don’t pay a tax preparer – do it for free online with any of the big software names (TurboTax, etc.) or look into free tax assistance. Here in San Antonio you can have your taxes done at no cost at Goodwill.

If you didn’t file a tax return for 2008, it’s not too late to do so, and you may be due a refund.

Get creative to bring in extra income. Yes, even a stay at home mom with young kids can do this. Can you babysit occasionally? How about giving music or voice lessons, or tutoring? Could your husband or son mow a couple of lawns or wash a couple of cars? Have you ever cashed in aluminum cans rather than throw them in the recycling bin for the city’s benefit? My husband and I take a plastic bag on our walks and pick up discarded aluminum cans for recycling – as an Army family we’ve lived all over the country and have always found a recycler willing to buy our cans.

Perhaps you could register with a temp agency and pick up an occasional weekend job (to save on child care.) Product demonstration comes to mind. . . .

One of my money-making schemes is opening bank accounts when a cash bonus is offered. Chase offers bonuses almost continually and will allow you to open one personal and one business account per year. I just opened one to get a $100 bonus which will go into my Christmas gift fund – the requirement for the bonus is an initial deposit of $100 and 5 debit transactions (no minimum amount) within 60 days. This scheme works well as long as you pay attention to account requirements and avoid all fees.

Have you ever searched for money being held on your behalf by the state? There’s a link for this service at http://www.stretcher.com. It’s quick and free and you might just discover a forgotten utility deposit or bank account; this year we received a $25 refund being held by the state of Kansas on my husband’s behalf.

In the past I was able to receive credit for a utility deposit we made when we moved into a different home. Once we were customers of the utility for one year, the deposit was available to offset our bill – but I had to ask for it.

Hope this helps!

Susan in San Antonio

angel food is similar:
http://www.angelfoodministries.com/

We didn’t find it cost effective for us, but my mother did for her- and then she found out that the same program isn’t the same in each town. In one town near us there is a lot of additional free food donated, including produce.

We make our own laundry soap, and, like Kim, I use cloth pads. I applaud her decision to start doing this with her girls- I didn’t when mine were younger and now they are too grossed out to try. Of course, now that they have jobs, they pay for their own pads so it’s gotten better.=)

I make a lot of our own cleaners- baking soda and vinegar are so much cheaper!

Learn to eat some weeds- some are edible and quite tasty. I really like stir fried day lilies and purslane.

Then, look on Freecycle (for it free), Craigslist (for really cheap or free) and ask. You don’t need to beg, but when someone asks me about the best thrift store, or cheapest office supplies, I give them my advice. But, I also ask what they are looking for to see if I have it and am willing to part with it. What goes around, comes around.

In my darkest days, I would want something like a Corningware set. The table/oven/fridge type with lids. Of course it was out of the question, even second hand. One day, my neighbor stopped by to ask about thrift stores. I gave my advice and asked her what she was looking for at the thrift stores. She wanted to donate her mother’s Corningware set!! Oh!! MY!! She could see I was excited and asked if I wanted it. YES!!

I had given her things over the years when she was looking for them and was delighted I wanted her mother’s oven ware. Poverty (I was sooo poor) doesn’t mean you can’t share things with other people. It usually comes back to you.

Amy Dacyczyn gives excellent advice here – always (ALWAYS) accept what is given to you. People give me weird things. If I cannot use them, I pass them on. If they are not usable, I throw them in my garbage can. But, I always thank them. If I use them, I tell who ever gave them to me all about how I use it. But I have gotten lots of things that tided me over rough times – a bag of boys clothes that I brought to the consignment shop. I got enough credit at the store to buy my daughter back-to-school clothes.

Now, for entertainment, we go to the library for books, audio books, movies and air conditioning. They have children’s activities and teen activities.

We go to the YMCA on the days that everyone can swim for $2 – in 100 degree heat, it is the one “optional” activity we have. There are movie theaters that have free shows in the morning for the kids. They are second run movies, but fun!

But, I think some of the best advice is to stay out of the stores and off the road. No money gets spent that way.