Site outages and unavailability will be a thing of the past as I’ve moved to a more reliable web host.

Look out for more tips and articles soon!

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How many credit cards do you have?

It’s just too easy to get a credit card these days. Walk into any shopping mall and there are sales people literally throwing credit cards at you.

Some banks even send pre-approved credit cards by mail. I can tell you that it is flattering to be pre-approved for a Platinum card!

Today’s tip for my frugal beagles is to watch out for credit card overload:

1. Just say no. Sometimes you may be tempted by free gifts or a promise of cash rebates, but watch out for the fine print. You never get something good without paying a price. For example, you may need to spend thousands of dollars for a 2% cash rebate to cover the annual fees.
2. Look out for the hidden costs. It may be a boost to your ego to hold a platinum credit card, but the annual fees may kill you financially.
3. Too many credit cards affect your credit score. Not paying attention to or Understanding credit score will come back to bite you the next time you apply for a loan. In our country we have a central credit rating system linked to all banks.
4. Out of sight, out of mind. I only carry around two credit cards with me, one I use for all my transactions and one more as a backup. If you carry fewer credit cards, you won’t find an excuse to use them

If you think about it, there is no reason for you to own more than one credit card.

So, how many credit cards do you own?

Photo Credits: Steve Woods

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Sometimes I never know how many potatoes to put in, how much rice to use or even how much fruit to prepare. I wonder the same thing when I have to prepare food for a party or social gathering.

I found this cool web utility called the Perfect Portions Planner that will calculate for you how many portions to prepare.

All you have to do is:

1) Select the food to measure

2) Enter how many people you are cooking for

3) Get your portion details

Simple! I’m going to use this the next time I have to prepare food.

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I came across an article in the Sydney Morning Herald blogs that shares over 25 tips for keeping a frugal kitchen.

I love the tips because we can apply most of them even here in Malaysia. Come to think of it, they are really common sens, but I never stopped to think about it.

My favourite tips are:

- “…you’re better off buying smaller amounts of leaner meat even if it’s pricier. It’s no saving if you have to cut chunks of fat off”

- “Keep pantry cupboards organized - if you know exactly what’s in stock you won’t buy more than you need.”

- “Vegetables and fruit produce a gas called ethylene which causes ripening. Apples, avocados, bananas, melons and pears produce a lot of ethylene, so it’s best to store them away from other vegetables and fruit”

Click here for the entire post.

Check the comments section in that post for even more tips.

Photo: Spencer Ritenour

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This week’s Frugal Friday tip is something I picked up from the Simple Dollar blog. Frugal Friday tips are quick and easy projects you can use for your weekend, and this tip is a perfect Frugal Friday tip.

Trent from The Simple Dollar has been trying to go through weekends without spending any money.

The rules are:

1. You are not allowed to spend any money on anything, no matter what.
2. You can use your utilities, but no extra expenses on these utilities.

Why don’t you give it a try this weekend?

To help you get started, read 100 Things to Do During a Money Free Weekend.

I have added the Simple Dollar to the Frugal Links at my sidebar for future reference.

Photo Credits: Mark Schweizer

Technorati Tags: Save Money

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The home computer at the beagle household has given us 5 years of faithful service, and it is time to look out for a bargain for a replacement computer. The current computer, a Dell Inspiron 5100 is showing signs of dying.

I read an article from Cash Money Life about 9 ways to save money when purchasing a computer. Among some of the helpful pointers are understanding your needs and not buying more than you need.

What I need is:

• A computer for browsing the web and storing photos.
• It should be powerful enough to run several applications at once.
• Quality and durability. I don’t want to spend money on repairs, at all.

What would be nice to have is:

• Hardware advanced enough to last five years, and I’m not the sort of person who will do minor upgrades for my computers
• Able to serve as a home media centre
• Able to play the latest games
• Something portable
• Minimal space footprint, to reduce clutter in my home

Based on this article and my previous experience, I have several options in mind.

1. A budget desktop

Medium range desktops come under RM2000 nowadays. By choosing this option I can get a computer to fit my immediate needs, and there is always the option for upgrading later.

The disadvantages I see are cheap desktops may need to be replaced after a couple of years and it’s going to take up more space.

2. A budget laptop

Budget range laptops can cost less than RM3000, and they are portable and take up minimum space.

However, the lack of upgrading options means that the budget laptop will soon feel obsolete and left behind. Getting a laptop with decent performance will cost much more.

3. A Mac Mini

The Mac Mini is a surprisingly cheap computer. It comes with excellent referrals in terms of usability and quality. Macs are said to be lower maintenance, last longer, and easier to use.

It takes up minimum space and costs below RM3000 minus a monitor. It costs more, but the total cost of ownership in the long run should be cheaper.

Conclusion

I have not come to a conclusion yet. Option 1 is the most probable choice, but I’m flirting with the Mac Mini option.

In any case, I will try to stick with my current computer for as long as I can.

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In supermarkets, you will find that pre-cut chickens cost more than a whole chicken, plus you don’t get to keep the bones for making stock or soup. Plus, you don’t know how clean it is.

This video shows you an easy way to cut a chicken into six pieces: two drumsticks, two wings, and two chicken breasts.

Technorati Tags: Cut Chicken

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Hello frugal beagles,

Today I want to highlight another blog I found (or found me) called My Smart Money Tips.

The blog is authored by Ms Money Penny, who writes about ways to spend and invest wisely in times of rising costs.

I like this blog because the focus and direction of the blog is very much in tune with the Frugal Beagle philosophy, to live a frugal lifestyle.

I found many useful tips like giving your wardrobe a makeover, and saving money shopping at hypermarkets.

I’ve added the blog to my list of Frugal Links in my sidebar for your future reference.

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If you have a baby, you will need to use a lot of cotton balls. Cotton balls come ready-made in stores, but it costs about two times less if you make them yourself.

Making Your Own Cotton Balls:

1. You will need a roll of cotton.

2. Pinch off a small portion of cotton, about the size of your thumb.

3. Roll the cotton into a ball by wrapping it around your finger.

4. Keep cotton balls in a container. You can do this as you’re watching TV or just sitting around.

Conclusion

Now you have plenty of cotton balls to use. The best part is knowing you saved money by making your own cotton balls.

Thanks Mrs Beagle for the demo!

Technorati Tags: DIY, Cotton Balls, Frugal Tips

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The 1 sen rounding mechanism has been implemented in Malaysia without any major issues. However, being a frugal beagle I can’t help but to highlight some problems that I have come across.

I know that a few sen is not worth much, but frugal beagles never let a cent go to waste.

Recently, fellow blogger Paris B fell victim to a petrol station in Jalan Ipoh, where the station allowed a faulty petrol pump to stay in operation, allegedly short changing each customer by1 sen.

But that’s not what I want to highlight today. I noticed problems that occur due to a misunderstanding of the new policy.

1. One Sen Coins Not Accepted

I was shopping at Giant hypermarket a few months back, and I wanted to use up my 1 sen coins. The cashier did not want to accept my coins.

Actually they cannot refuse, because 1 sen coins are still legal tender, according to Bank Negara guidelines. The Central Bank of Malaysia Act 1958 (1994) refers.

The purpose of the rounding mechanism was not to eliminate the 1 sen coin altogether, but to reduce demand so that Bank Negara won’t have to mint new coins anymore.

2. Bills Rounded For All Payment Methods

In my TNB bill, I noticed that the 1 sen coin rounding mechanism is applied, even though I pay via online banking.

Again this is not right, because the Internal Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) guidelines say that the rounding mechanism applies to over the counter cash payments only.

Conclusion

I know that there’s no point arguing over 1 sen. However, it’s sad to see how policies can cause disadvantage to some parties without clear guidelines and follow-up enforcement.

You should read my post 1 Sen Coin Myths and Facts You Must Know to familiarize yourself with this policy. 

Technorati Tags: Malaysia, 1 Sen, Coin

Photo: Dan Shirley

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