Who says you can’t use old items to recreate new versions of old classics? I am going to tell you how to make an old game board new again. I’m not talking about dusting it off, I am talking about transforming it, turning it into something completely opposite of what it originally was; but excellent of course.

Find an old game board of Monopoly, Scrabble, just any game board that you no longer use that is in decent condition. Now you will want to get some of the Monopoly money or scrap paper, also felt can be used optionally. You will also need a ruler, a pencil, a utility knife (sharp), a hot-glue-gun, tape (optional), scissors, and white glue all ready to use as we go along. Take the game board, after wiping it clean, and place it face-down, with the hinges running horizontally, on a hard surface. You will use the ruler to measure, and mark, four lines that need to be parallel to the edges of the board: 3 ½” in from the left and right edges, 3 ½” up from the bottom edge, and 3 ½” up from the hinge. Now use the sharp utility knife to cut along the dotted section of each line, removing the shaded areas. Measure and mark four more lines parallel to your first set: 1/16” below the bottom marked line, and 1/16” to the inside of the left and right marked lines.

Now you need to score each line of the second set, and make sure not to cut all the way through. Be very careful as you peel away the resulting strips of cardboard one layer at a time, until each joint bends easily to a 90-degree angle. Run a bead of hot-glue along each joint and then fold the sides up. You need to hold the sides in place until the glue sets. Run more glue on the inside of each corner. Use the Monopoly money to cut a few ½”-wide strips and attach them to the outside of the box’s corners and lid with white glue. This will cover the raw edges. Use leftover board pieces to make your own dividers if you want.

The infamous “bundling” war is in full swing now. The phone and cable companies have the big guns out, firing triple deals at everyone. $100 and you’ve got it all. So depending on the company you already use you could possible save $50+ dollars each month by swapping your cable package, or downsizing your internet speed, for the sake of ‘bundling’. How much do you pay for all three services; home phone or cell phone, internet service, and cable or satellite? I bet it is more than $100!

Do you even need a home phone? This is a question that anyone on-the-go needs to consider, especially if they have a cell phone attached to their hip at all times. To be honest, what is the point? If you have a cell phone on your person all day long, then you talk more than anyone who owns a home phone throughout the daytime hours. Then, upon arrival at home, you still have access to the cell phone, plus the secondary home phone. Unless you have a system that entails giving people, that you do not like, your home phone number, then you really have no reason to be paying such an unnecessary bill.

Unlike the days of the pagers, the time of Calling Cards have not come and gone. These timeless treasures are the perfect accent for the flexible person. Roommates, college students, even people who just have lots of friends with long distant numbers can use these devices to save a ton of money. Pay as you go cell phones can cost anywhere from .20-.60 cents per minute where these handy cards can cost less than .02 cent per minute (depending on where you make your purchase). You can make your cell and home phone do all the work with these babies, just dial the 1-800# and talk to your hearts content.

The art of haggling has left the car dealerships and ran, full-speed, to the credit card companies, the communication, and entertainment companies. There is no better way to snag a deal than with a little convincing. The best times to negotiate is when your current company is offering an amazing deal on a cell phone, or cable service, that is meant for new customers. These deals can easily be transferred to your account just as if you were a new customer, but the manager/supervisors have to give an ok. Normally this goes unnoticed by current customers because they didn’t know that they had the right to ask…Well, You do! So go out there and snag a deal that is meant for a newbie. You, being a loyal customer, are a better commodity to their company than a new, “ify” customer. So play that hand in your favor and get a better rate with a little haggling.

There are also other tricks that can be used when dissatisfaction comes into play. If you have been with a telecommunication company for a while, and you notice that you are not receiving the best treatment possible there are a few ways that you can get some satisfaction without switching companies and paying an early termination fee. The point of these companies to satisfaction (hence all of the aggravating surveys); they want you to be satisfied so you don’t go running away to a competitor and telling all of your friends how terrible their service is. So in order to continue your full satisfaction, these companies have specific departments called “Save” or “Loss Prevention”. When you call ‘customer service’ with a complaint they are forced to deal with you in their own way until the moment that you say “I am thinking of switching companies”. At that time you then become an “at risk customer” and you must be transferred to the “save” department where the hidden treasures await. The ‘save’ and ‘loss prevention’ departments are authorized to offer you promotions, discounts, and hidden deals that no other area of the company can offer you. So when you find yourself upset and needing a little help, just remember the magic words!

We are warned that we may not receive any government assistance when it is time for our retirement; yet it seems impossible to save any substantial amount with such unpredictable inflation, gas prices, and rising costs at every turn. It is hard to consider giving up such a detrimental part of our, already meager, income; but to give it up now when life is young, short, and when we should be allowing ourselves to live fully. At a time when life seems so unstable for the financial institutions of the world; we are being asked to put our trust in their shaky hands. This is the time when we are asked to set aside our livelihood for a future that we are not even promised.

Why can’t we make the concept and entire experience of saving money easier? Not just that; how do we make it feel worthwhile for us now!? You have the power to create your own ideals and dreams around your long-term savings. The trick is finding the right savings plan, and figuring out a way to convince yourself NOT to spend this money too soon; before you are 62. Penalties can be a harsh motivator; but indeed it can work in such areas as a 401K. You must figure out a self-reward system for periodical savings, but also add, and use methods of saving that do not make withdrawal easy. You need to induce a moderate to severe level of difficulty so that you do not have the luxury of expelling you money without harsh penalty or without making the situation more problematic, and jeopardizing your own money. Make it difficult for yourself and you will not jump to your long-term savings for an easy rescue. People who make it too easy find themselves in a world of agony when retirement comes nosing around.

Drive Less

Simple, right? Maybe, but we could all use a little prodding to get out there on a bicycle, jump on a bus, or just walk on some of those shorter trips to the store or supermarket. But don’t just think about your wallet – leaving the car in the driveway can have some major benefits for your health as well, including a reduced risk of heart disease and obesity.

Also, consider combining your trips better – if you need to drop the kids somewhere, time it with another errand that’s waiting to be done. Think about the location of your home and your work – are they just too far apart? Are you able to move or change jobs in the near future to cut down on your travel times and gas costs? Can you access an office carpool system or begin one if it doesn’t yet exist?

Buy Wisely

The first thing you can do is to forget about loyalty to a particular gas station or brand. Pretty much all regular gas is created equally, so there’s no real quality advantage to chase. And although you might find the service at one station superior to others, is that really what you want to be spending your money on?

Next, figure out if you’re using the cheapest possible fuel type. Unless you have a high-performance engine in your car – if you don’t what that is, chances are you don’t have one – the extra few cents a gallon you may be paying for high-octane fuel is only leaving more carbon in your fuel system and driving up your maintenance costs.

In addition, consider applying for a credit card that has bonus points or discounts for fuel. If you do get one, set it apart mentally from your other credit cards and use it only for gas – and keep it paid up on time, every time, to avoid paying interest on your savings. You should also check for discount membership programs at certain gas stations. Just beware the trap of driving an extra five miles just to save $.20 a tank!

Maintain Your Car

There’s plenty to be saved with some simple car maintenance, such as keeping your engine tuned, changing the oil regularly, keeping tires at the maximum pressure listed on the tire skins, and using a fuel injector cleaner to maintain top fuel performance. These may cost you a little in the short term, but in the long term, they’ll pay for themselves many times over.

Drive Smarter

Surprisingly, how well you drive your car can impact your fuel consumption and spending almost as much as how much you drive it! The golden rule is to avoid idling, since any time you’re stationary, you’re burning fuel to absolutely no benefit. Remember that starting your car uses the equivalent of just 6 seconds idling, so in traffic jams, at the drive-through or while waiting for a parking space, it can be a lot smarter to switch the engine off for a second than to idle away the gallons and dollars!

Best of all, it’s easy to incorporate these habits into your daily routine. You’ll hardly notice them – but you’ll definitely notice the difference in your fuel costs each year.

Are you one of those people who come home every night with a handful, or pocketful, of loose change? Then there you have it. Convert that nagging change into your new savings plan. You’ll be amazed at the amount of cold hard cash-money that can accumulate from change, and with accumulation comes savings.

Open a simple, free savings account at your local bank branch and set up a “change savings” plan. No matter what happens in life, after a few short years of adding up your pocket change, you will have a small fortune to fall back on for emergencies (or you can leave it alone and watch it grow). You may not realize how quickly it can all add up. The average person spends no less than ten dollars of cash a day. With the change left over from ten dollars you could easily put back seventy-five cents or even a dollar. Putting back seventy-five cents per day you are looking at almost two hundred seventy-five dollars a year and that is effortless! A dollar a day is almost four hundred by the end of the year.

Being savvy with savings doesn’t mean you have to go without. Another small tip to keep you out of the financial doghouse is to watch your spending. Budget or no budget, you can still lose money by not being fully aware of what you are spending. With cash it is much easier to see your limits because there is a physical alert when you are almost out of money. When it comes to checking and savings accounts you can get carried away and like most unfortunate victims you can get caught in the overdraft trap. Over drafting can cost more than forty dollars per accident. With an average of one accidental overdraft per month that can cost you four hundred and eighty dollars a year. That is serious cash. Don’t fund the banks by being accident-prone. Keep cash-on-hand to spend and balance the check book once a week.

Let’s take a look at some of the common areas in which many people in modern society may actually be able to save a little more money while contributing to their physical well being in addition to the well being of their pocketbook.

Alcohol
It is one of the more expensive consumables that people commonly purchase on a daily or weekly basis. It is also, rather obviously, commonly used as a stress remedy by many people and so its expense is often justified regardless of income. It is really up to you if you feel you can handle giving up alcohol on a weekly basis in exchange for more money and possibly even a healthier body. While the effects of occasional and small doses of wine have shown benefits in certain studies, the good majority of those who drink on a regular basis likely exceed the recommended dosage even in such eclectic studies. In short, saving money on your liquid assets will likely lead to a much more pleasant financial outlook when sober. As an added bonus you may find yourself happier and more energetic, as well as more in control of your life. This is not to say that you should never drink alcohol, just be wary of its impact on your life when it is a regular habit rather than an occasional treat.

Cigarettes
Cigarettes make alcohol look like a proverbial drop in the bucket in terms of the possible impact on a smoker’s finances and personal fitness. Obviously the long term has been shown far less wise than even the short term. Cigarettes are, again, a drug used for stress relief and so many people also justify the expense regardless of their income. It is obviously rather ridiculous to have a relatively expensive method of stress relief if you are relieving stress brought on by the process of making money. Working hard to make money to relieve the stress of working hard simply makes no sense or cents.

Be wise and save on these possible excesses if it improves your health in the long run. You will likely be happy you did.

A goal is the result or achievement toward which effort is directed, the end. It is that simple. The goal is the end result that you desire and the devising of a goal is a way to figure the best and most efficient way of getting to that end. This is planning ahead, preparing, creating a direction to go and following through to get to where you want to be. It is a wonderful way to be creative and also a great way to learn how to use self rewards.

By sitting down for several minutes and considering the things in your financial life that you want to consider manipulating to your benefit, you can easily come up with five or more goals that you think you can accomplish. A good example would be to set the goal of saving two hundred dollars in three months time for a specific purpose. After your goal is set, begin considering sub-goals. These are little stepping stones on the way to the mountain. For this example a good sub-goal would be to put $2.20 each day into a savings envelope. Another good sub-goal would be to give yourself a scheduled, midway reward for staying on track; nothing big. A good idea would be a DVD that you have been wanting for a while.

Being persistent isn’t hard when you realize that goals do not have to be planned in big, bulk chunks. By setting the initial goal, and then breaking it down into smaller, more viable, pieces you will feel better about the whole situation and it will be easier to accomplish. The easier the goal ends up being the more apt you are to complete the task and feel good about it in the process. Goals are not self-torture devices. They are meant to assist you in reaching your desires; assistance is not meant to be painful. Try it out and see for yourself.

When dealing with food a dollar doesn’t go very far anymore, or does it? Try this trick. Use the juice from canned fruit to make popsicles by adding enough water to the juice to fill the Popsicle trays. Kids love em’. For super deals on groceries without coupons shop at your local bag-your-own-groceries store and you’ll find a savings on everything from meats to fresh fruits. The company saves so much money not having to pay for ‘bagger’ employees that you get the savings in the end.

The grocery bags used to carry your groceries home can be used as free garbage bags in your office, and bathroom, size trashcans. They are the perfect size for any personal size can. Plus you can squeeze about two to three in the bottom of the can for refills. When you buy cereal save the thick bags inside; they make excellent freezer bags for meat storage. They are said to be much better than plastic wrap and regular bags and will not allow freezer burn to seep through, just fold over and secure with a thick rubber band. They are also very easy to write on for labeling meats and dates.

For awesome hand soap, body wash, and kids bubble bath foam simply purchase three or more basic foaming hand wash or bubble bath foaming containers (usually there is a sale on foam-wash containers at all times). Purchase one basic bulk container of liquid soap and mix into foaming containers using one part liquid soap to four parts water. Then add a few drops of your favorite scent (perfume, fragrance oil, ect) and shake. The bulk liquid soap will last you for months.

Kick the pre-mixed kool-aid and sugar drink mix from the store and create your own frugal drink mix out of regular kool-aid packets (.20cents) and two cups of sugar. Pick your favorite flavor of kool-aid X2 packets and mix in a small container with two cups of sugar, and shake. It works the same as the kool-aid/sugar mix you buy from the store except it is almost two bucks cheaper. Turn regular H2O into kool-aid on the go.

Try one of the coolest treats you’ll find all summer. Homemade banana split cups are a sweet treat. Using six ounce cups spoon one tablespoon of strawberry topping in the bottom. Slice a banana in half and insert a kabob stick into the half; place banana into cup and freeze for one hour. Spoon around one quarter of a cup of strawberry ice-cream around the banana; add one tablespoon of crushed pineapple and freeze another fifteen minutes. Add one quarter cup of vanilla ice cream around the next portion of banana; two tablespoons of chocolate topping should be added then fill the remaining portion of the cup with chocolate ice-cream. Freeze overnight and then enjoy.

The simplest treat of all time is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Use this classic to create serving size creations with a twist. Toast four slices of the bread of your choice. Once toasted spread two slices with peanut butter and two slices with your choice of jelly. On both peanut butter slices sprinkle one teaspoon of cinnamon. Then make two individual PB & J sandwiches. On top of both sandwiches spread one with jelly and the other with peanut butter and sprinkle each with one half teaspoon of cinnamon and place them together. This will create a dual-sandwich. Slice the double sandwich with an X shape to create four wedges.

For the ultimate chocolate treat make several of these and serve at your child’s next birthday party. In a large bowl, mix two cups of chocolate pudding and one half cup of plain malted-milk powder and two cups of whipped topping, until blended. Using a muffin pan lined with ten paper muffin cups, pour Magic Shell hardening chocolate syrup to cover the bottom of each cup. Spoon the chocolate mixture evenly between the cups and place a popsicle stick in each cup. Freeze for three hours and as long as two weeks total. They’re amazing, cheap, and easy to make.