Live Flight Tracker: Flightlite

Flightlite is a live flight tracker that allows you to track in the air flights around the world. This is a very useful website to find out whether a flight you are waiting for, has taken off and en route as scheduled. All you need to do is enter the flight number or airline name into the search box and flightlite will either track the specific flight you entered or show you a list of the flights you can track if you enter the name of the airline.

Link: Flightlite

Selling Your Used Electronics For Cash

Do you have old electronic gadgets that are gathering dust in your closet?

Don't want the hassle of selling these old gadgets on eBay or Craigslist?

Several websites have sprung up, offering the convenience of buying your old electronics for cash:

• Gazelle.com
  
  
• Nextworth.com
  
  
• Buymytronics.com
  

Check with all three sites for quotes before deciding as pricing do vary between sites.

In addition, do visit WorthMonkey.com to find out the street value of your old electronics, so that you have an idea whether you are getting a good price for your old electronics.

If your electronics are too old, consider recycling or freecycling it instead of dumping it.

My Frugal Living Tip #14: Make Your Own Seasonings & Spice Mixes

One way I save money is to make my own prepared seasonings and spice mixes. Rather than buying branded seasoning and spice mixes such as McCormick, I spend anywhere from a quarter to a third of the price of prepared mixes by buying the ingredients and mixing my own. There is also the added advantage of fresher mixes.

The internet is filled with many recipes for do-it-yourself mixes. If you don't have the patience to hunt down individual recipes, Cheap Healthy Good Blog has compiled an extensive collection of recipes: Save Money On Seasoning: MYOM (Make Your Own Mix).

Link: Save Money On Seasoning: MYOM (Make Your Own Mix).

Like this article? Read the other entries in my Frugal Living Tips Series.

Shelf Life & Expiry Dates

How long can you keep milk in the refrigerator? Is it still drinkable or do you have to throw out that milk carton? Can you save money by using products that are past their expiry dates? What do terms such as "sell by," "use by," "best by," really mean? What does a frugal person do with products that happen to be past the "used by," "best by," etc. dates?

Here is a roundup of useful resources to explain the confusing jargon that manufacturers use and the expiry dates of most products:

• Shelf Life Advice
  A very useful site to find out the shelf life of a particular product. Enter product in search box to find out its shelf life and storage information.
  
  
• Food Expiration Dates: What Do They Really Mean? (Yahoo Green)
  
  
• Expiration Dates (OrganizeYourLife.org).
  A near-exhaustive and very useful list of how long you can keep food, household, beauty and cosmetic products.
  


• Do Food Expiry Dates Really Matter? (WebMD.com)
  An informative discussion about the confusing mix of terms used by manufacturers on their products.
  


• The Secret Code of Beer Expiration Dates (Consumerist.com).
  How to decode the mysterious codes that breweries use on to indicate how old your beer is.

My Frugal Living Tip #12: Freezing Your Food

One easy way to extend the lifespan of the food I buy or cook is to freeze them. Freezing is an easy way to keep food for months until you need them. How long should you freeze stuff? Here's a handy checklist from the folks at Real Simple that sets out practical guidelines and time frames for freezing: How Long Will Food Last In The Freezer?

Link: How Long Will Food Last In The Freezer?

Like this article? Read the other entries in my Frugal Living Tips Series.
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Outsourcing on the Cheap: Fiverr.com

One of the more intriguing things that I came across in my websurfing is Fiverr.com, where freelancers offer all kinds of services for $5.00. You got it, just $5.00. Anything from technology gigs, writing and translating to business and social marketing, and even crazy and bizarre stuff to goofy stuff.

Many of the services are clearly worth more than $5.00. As I see it, it's a win-win situation: I get something done on a shoe string budget and the service provider gets publicity and experience, as well as cash to tide things over.

Link: Fiverr.com

My Frugal Living Tip #10: Selling or Recycling Your Electronic Gadgets for Cash While Saving the Earth

In celebration of Earth Day today (22 April 2010), more and more people are looking to recycle or sell their electronic gadgets instead of mindlessly throwing them into the trash.

Do you know you can earn a bit of cash while selling or recycling your old electronics gadgets? Besides doing a good deed, you can also earn some cash in doing so.

Gazelle.com buys your old electronic gadgets, pays for shipping and sends you a box to send your stuff in. This new site has garnered favorable reviews in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Wired.com.

Main Site: Gazelle.com

Reviews:
Wall Street Journal: Where Old Gadgets Go To Breathe New Life
New York Times: Used Tech Dealers Do Booming Business in iPhones 3Gs
Wired.com: How to Avoid Paying the iPhone 3GS Upgrade Tax

Liked this article? Read the other entries in my Frugal Living Tips Series.
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My Frugal Living Tip #9: Make Your Stuff Last Longer

When people ask me what is my one overriding tip for saving money, I tell them that I try to make my things last as long as possible. When I don't have to spend money replacing broken or worn out stuff, that's money that can be saved or invested.

The challenge that many of us face is how to make stuff last as long as possible. Lifehacker's Top 10 Trips and Tricks For Making Your Stuff Last Longer is a good place to start.

Read the other entries in my Frugal Living Tips Series.

Useful Real Estate Resources

Roundup of useful real estate resources:

Searches:

• Neighborhood Scout (good place to start for researching neighborhoods. Limited free service. Crime stats, etc are only available in the premium service).
  
• Trulia.com (useful free site to search for listings, comps, etc)

Advice:

• Set the stage for a top-dollar sale (Kiplinger)
• 10 things your architect won't tell you (Smart Money)
• The other real estate boom: scams (Money Magazine)

See also my previous blog postings:

• Seven New Rules For The First Time House Buyers

Resources For Monetizing Your Websites & Blogs

Roundup of resources for monetizing your websites and blogs:

• Using Google AdSense (MoolaDays.com)
  


• 9 great alternatives to Google AdSense (MoolaDays.com)
  


• Monetize Your Blog (MommySnacks.net)


• Seven Ways I Earn Money While Blogging (SingleMa)


• Monday Money (MyGoodCents.net)
  

My Frugal Living Tip #8: Useful Resources for the Frugal Consumer

Roundup of useful resources for the frugal consumer:

• Amazon.com's Textbooks Trade-In
  No-hassle way of unloading unwanted textbooks and getting some money for it.


• Freecycle.org
  The granddaddy of recycling stuff you no longer need by giving them away to others within your community. Read my earlier blog post about Freecycling.
  


• Kashless.org
  Takes the Freecycle idea one step further to provide a one-stop site for getting free stuff. Besides member submitted offerings, it also aggregates postings from the "free stuff" section of Craigslist and also partners with Recycle Bank to offer a rewards program.
  


• Measy.com
  Excellent one-stop online search tool for researching products before you buy. Allows you to limit by price, brands, needs, etc.
  


• Toolzdo.com
  Allows you to swap, exchange or give away stuff with other folks in your community.
  


• Groupon.com
  Social networking meets bargain hunting. Lets you hunt for deals with a twist: you must find enough friends/strangers to join you in order to meet the deal's minimum number of folks who sign up for it. Great way to make friends, renew friendship and save money in the process.
  

Read the other entries in my Frugal Living Tips Series.

Roundup: Interesting Financial Planning Articles

Roundup of interesting financial planning articles:

• Checking Your Free Consumer & Credit Reports (My Money Blog)
  


• Budget For Real Life (Money Magazine)
  


• 10 Things Your Funeral Director Won't Tell You (Smart Money)

How to Save Money When Buying College Textbooks

It's that time of the year again when college begins and there is a mad scramble to buy textbooks for courses. Suffering from first time sticker shock when you look at the astronomical textbooks, whether as a parent of a freshman or a neophyte freshman wandering into the college bookstore for the first time? You're not alone.

Cosumerist has two recent blog postings that you might be interested in. The first post warns you about how textbook publishers are fighting the used book market by pushing high-priced "textbook packets." The second post, College Textbooks: Shop Around, Ask Yor Professor, And Save offers tips and strategies on saving money when buying college textbooks.

Here are my tips for saving money on textbooks, from my own experiences many years ago as a perpetually broke graduate student:

1. If you're on campus, head over to the campus bookstore, look up the textbooks assigned for your courses, take note of the ISBNs, and then hit the web (Amazon, etc) to see whether you can find a used edition at a lower price. In particular, Amazon Marketplace is filled with students flooding the market with textbooks they don't want to keep.
   


2. If it is a bundled package, try e-mailing your professor or TA to find out what exactly is in the bundle, and what you really need for the course.


3. If the current edition is too expensive, you could buy an older edition but check with your professor or TA before doing so. I doubt that there are major changes in Philosophy or Literature textbooks, but you might need the latest information for your engineering or psychology courses.


4. Look up your college bulletin boards, textbook exchanges, etc. There might be students who are looking to sell off their previously used textbooks.

Cleaning Your House The Frugal & Healthy Way

Tired of using strong chemical cleaners that not only make you nauseous but also take a bite out of your pocketbook? Looking for frugal, sensible, natural or homemade alternatives to keeping your house clean? Here are some resources to get you started:

• 7 Ways to Clean With Baking Soda
  


• Household Cleaning Hacks That Save You Money
  


• 30 Household Products Vinegar Can Replace


• Put Citrus Fruit to Work As Household Cleaners
  


• 27 Household Uses For Citrus Fruits
  


• How Baking Soda Took My Bathroom From "Yuck" to Yes!


• Multipurpose Uses for Old Coffee Grounds
  

Happy frugal cleaning!

6 Simple Ways for Freelancers to Increase Productivity

In this dismal economy, many folks are turning to freelancing, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. If you are freelancing, you might be interested in Smashing Magazine's 6 Simple Ways For Freelancers To Increase Productivity. Here you'll find good tips and suggestions that might help you be more productive.

Choosing Affordable yet Safe Baby Products

Buying baby products isn't for the faint hearted. One gets bombarded with ads for all kinds of gizmos and contraceptions with often unproven claims. Not only that, these gizmos can such the cash from your wallets if you aren't watching. The Consumerist Blog has come out with their latest Guides For Choosing Safe, Affordable Baby Products that you would want to consult before parting with your hard earned cash on baby stuff.

Five Best Apartment Search Tools

Looking for an apartment online? Bewildered by all the options and advertisements from commercial agents? Head right over to Lifehacker's Five Best Apartment Search Tools, which highlights the five best online tools for your apartment search.

Happy apartment hunting!

How to Avoid Being Fleeced When Buying A Car

Since the legislation for the "Car Allowance Rebate System" (CARS), popularly known as the "cash for clunkers" rebate program was passed, car dealers are now waiting for the hordes of potential new car buyers heading their way to sign the dotted line for a new vehicle. If you are one of those potential new car buyers, below is a round-up of resources to find out whether you qualify, what your "clunker" is worth, and how to avoid being fleeced by car dealers:

• In The Market For A New Vehicle? Here Are The Details Of The New CARS Credit Program. The Consumerist has compiled a list of helpful information that you need to know to determine whether it is worth your while to trade in your old car for a new car, and how to protect yourself from scammers.


• "Beware 'Cash for Clunkers' scams" A timely reminder from CNN about the usual scammers out to make you part with your hard earn money.
  


• www.cars.gov. Get the facts from the official government site.
  


• "Edmunds.com Provides List of Vehicles Eligible for "Cash for Clunkers" Rebate". Edmunds.com has compiled a helpful list of vehicles that are eligible for the "cash for clunkers" rebate. Check here to see whether your old car qualifies.
  


• Car Dealers' Tricks To Watch For. This article by Car and Driver is a must-read, to prep for the hardball tactics that many dealerships prey on unsuspecting buyers.
  

Top Ten How-to Cooking Videos

In this deepening recession, many folks are rediscovering the "joys" of cooking, except that having eaten out for ages, cooking seems to be a lost art for many. Are you one of those looking to save money by eating home cooked meals, but find yourself somewhat limited by your cooking skills? All is not lost. The folks at Lifehacker have compiled this list of Top Ten How-to Cooking Videos to help you out. Enjoy!