Here is a list of some of our most frequently asked questions:
I just found your site and I’m overwhelmed with debt. How do I start?
Start on our website. We have thousands of pages of information and our newsletter. Just start reading and pick one thing you can do today to save. Then tomorrow pick another and so on until you are out of debt!
If you would like to sign up for our newsletter you can do so by entering your email address on the top right of this page under “Free E-mail Newsletter”.
Do you really only spend $350 per month to feed your family without using coupons? How?
2008
Yes, we really do. I’ve been doing this a long time, so I have practice. Don’t expect to do the same if you have four teenage boys, 10 kids or special eating needs like allergies. The trick is to start doing the best you can. Try just cutting $25 a month and work your way down from there.
I have an article here that tells how we do it. If you’re curious, here are some of our menus. You can also check out our Groceries On A Dime ebooks for all the details.
If you’re vegetarian, on an organic diet, diabetic or have allergies, all the principles for saving on “normal” groceries apply. You will pay more if you want or need to eat special foods, but you can still save.
2015 Update
Now we are spending more on groceries. We have 5 kids, 4 teens and 3 boys. Our bill has gone up! To add to that we have one that has decided to be vegetarian and then I have to be on a special diet. Now we are spending around $100-$150 a week.
I want to earn money from home. How should I get started?
Working at home is just that– work. We have been working at our Internet business for over 20 years now. The first 8 years we made no money. Most of the quick and easy Internet businesses you see advertised with amazing incomes are just scams. If you want to make money, you will have to work at it and if you want to be successful, it won’t be when the kids are around. If you have to manage the kids, you will have to either get up very early or stay up late and work when the kids aren’t around because you won’t get anything done with a lot of distractions.
There are some things you can do to successfully earn money from home. We give you a few ideas in the article If You Want to Work at Home, Be Creative! and some of our other articles, as well as in some videos on our YouTube channel, so read through or watch these and see if there is anything that might work for your family.
Regarding Paper Plates
From a reader:
“I love to get your newsletters and read them and forward to all my friends. I didn’t like what you wrote about using paper plates and cups all the time. Everywhere you turn, people are trying to go GREEN and you are basically giving them permission not to. I understand people want an easy way out, but what would it hurt to wash a few dishes.”
I get this comment all the time and here’s what I think about using paper plates and cups. First, paper plates come from a renewable resource that is produced on agricultural farms and can be composted. For the 1 cent each it costs to buy paper plates, I would much rather have people use paper plates than eat out.
As for the cups we don’t use paper cups. Our kids each have their own color cup and they each use only that cup for the day.
“but what would it hurt to wash a few dishes.”
Sometimes it does hurt to do a few dishes. In my case, I am so worn out from my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia by the time dinner comes around that, if I get dinner on the table, it’s a miracle and doing the dishes is simply more than I can handle. I do have a husband and kids that do the dishes frequently for me, but there are times it’s just too much.
There are also working moms who are so tired and worn out that they would rather go through McD’s than have to look at another dish. (and imagine how much more packaging goes in the trash when a family does that.) So, yes, sometimes it is too much to do the dishes.
There is nothing wrong with using paper plates. This “green” thing has gotten way out of control. Yes, we need to be mindful and not wasteful but a lot of people, including Christians, are so focused on being “green” that it’s turning into a religion. Again, If you do EVERYTHING in moderation there isn’t a problem with any of these things.
-Tawra
Why did you delete my comment?
We moderate the comments on our website because we want it to be upbeat and encouraging. If we sense a comment is rude, critical or could start a fight unnecessarily, then we will delete it. We also will not post comments that advertise products that we aren’t familiar with or don’t recommend or include people’s personal information.
There are times when we accidentally delete a comment that was just fine. If so, it was an accident on our part. We have a lot of comments come through every day, so please don’t take offense if your comment was accidentally deleted.
Why is your grammar so bad?
We try our best to use good grammar and spelling but we are both chronically ill and have horrible brain fog most days. We will get words mixed up and misspelled or just leave them out altogether. If you see these things please just “bear” with us.
Can I copy posts from your blog and share them on my blog?
All text, original photographs, and content on LivingonADime.com are copyrighted. You may excerpt items from our site or include entire posts on your site/blog as long as you provide a link back to LivingonADime.com in your post. If you want to use more than five complete posts, please contact is for written permission first. Thanks so much!
Newsletter FAQ
How do I unsubscribe from your newsletter or change my subscribed email address?
It is very easy to unsubscribe from our newsletter or change your subscribed email address. You can unsubscribe clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email from us. For help unsubscribing or changing your email, please follow the instructions here.
I was subscribed to your newsletter and I suddenly stopped receiving it. What’s wrong?
We send the Living On A Dime Newsletter regularly, about twice a week, so generally if you don’t receive it, there is a problem.
The most common reason that someone stops receiving the Living On A Dime newsletter is that the newsletter is getting caught in a spam filter. If you have a spam or junk folder in your e-mail account, you can check to see if the message is in there.
Sometimes a reader accidentally marks the newsletter as spam if this happens, you’ll have to resubscribe or contact us to resubscribe you.
Sometimes a reader’s Internet Service Provider filters the newsletter before it can be delivered. This is a big problem with school district e-mail addresses because they use extremely tough filtering standards. To prevent this, you can add the following e-mail addresses to your white list or safe senders list:
editor@livingonadime.com
livingonadime@aweber.com
(If your address is a school address, you’ll probably have to have your school’s IT department whitelist us (or you can subscribe using a different e-mail address).
If we become aware of a problem which would cause a large number of users not to receive the newsletter, we will post information about it in this FAQ or on the front page of our site.
If you’re not receiving the newsletter, feel free to contact us for assistance. If we don’t reply, your server might be blocking all of our e-mail. In that case, please send your inquiry from a different e-mail address so we can respond to you.
E-book FAQ
What are e-books?
E-books are not physical paper books. Essentially, they are books that you can read on your computer or on an e-book reader. They are computer files in pdf format that can be read on a PC or a Mac with the free Adobe Reader. Because e-books are downloaded files, there is no shipping charge for e-books. If you like, you may print your e-book and put it in a binder. If you spill coffee on it, print the pages you need again!
If I order an e-book, will I receive something in the mail?
No. Because e-books are computer files, they are available to be downloaded immediately after the sale. If you place an order for e-books, you will be directed to a download page where you can then download the e-books you ordered. For your convenience, we also send a confirmation e-mail that includes the download link, but if you misplace the e-mail, you can contact us and we will look it up for you.
How much is the shipping for e-books?
There is no shipping charge for e-books since they are downloadable files.
How quickly will I receive my e-book order?
As soon as your order completes, you will be directed to your download page. If you have a fast Internet connection, you can be reading your e-books in seconds anywhere in the world.
I purchased an e-book, but I misplaced it or my computer crashed. How can I get my download link again?
We strongly recommend backing up your purchased e-books, as we are only able to re-send links for 30 days after your purchase. If you have trouble downloading please check our Download Help page here or if you need a link reset, contact us here and we will look it up for you within 30 days of your purchase.
Can I share my e-books with my friends or with people on the Internet?
No. You may not make copies of the e-books for people who have not purchased them. Our e-books are protected under international copyright laws and unauthorized distribution is a crime subject to prosecution. You may share a recipe or two with a friend. If you would like to excerpt one of the articles for a class or some other similar purpose, you may do so as long as you credit the source as LivingOnADime.com. If you are uncertain whether something is OK, please contact us here.
We have more than one computer. Can I view my e-book on another computer?
Yes, you may. As long as you’re not making copies for people who have not purchased it, feel free to view it wherever it is convenient to you.
E-book Downloading FAQ
If you have purchased our e-books and you’re having difficulty downloading your e-books, please visit our Download Help page, where the most common questions are answered. This is the fastest way to solve most download problems.