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There is at least one app you can really justify buying and that’s the iPhone Shopper or BlackBerry’s Smart Shopper. For a mere $1 to $3, depending on which app you buy, you could have a nifty tool that will help you track your spending on groceries. Playing on your phone just got a lot more conducive to frugal living! With these applications, you can load your list and then check the items off as you go. As you add them to the cart, plug in the price of each item so that you can see a running total. If it looks like you’re going over budget, you may want to consider putting an item or two back or opting for a less expensive version of some

Despite your best efforts to hide them, your child found a package of permanent markers and proceeded to ‘decorate’ your wood flooring or kitchen table. While they might be the next Picasso, you may not want their art work permanently displayed on these surfaces. The good news is that there are frugal living friendly ways to remove the marker. Simply apply some rubbing alcohol to a clean cloth or cotton ball and dab at the marker stain. The marker should start to lift off onto the cloth. Then, wipe the surface down with a dry, clean cloth. By learning how to clean and remove permanent marker yourself, using ingredients already in your home, you could save yourself a bundle. *Photo from Flickr, courtesy of Crystal

The great weather may have you in the mood to finally replace your old clunker but, if you can, resist the urge to buy now and wait until the fall or, for a really great deal, the winter. You see, you’re not the only one that feels like spending money when the weather is nice and dealerships know this. With more people shopping for cars in the summer, dealerships can get away with charging more for their vehicles. By waiting even a couple of months, you could take advantage of dealership markdowns and sales, saving hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars. So, take a little more time to shop around and wait until the weather is more conducive to big savings. Be patient, for frugal living’s sake.