Resources

Here are some of the resources I use to provide this blog and resources I use to help me save and manage my money. I hope these will be beneficial to you in your quest to get the most out of your budget.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase through that link. I only use affiliate links for items that I have used myself and think will be useful for you. 

---

Start Your Own Website or Blog

Whether you are looking to write about a hobby, advocate for a cause, or start a business, having your own website is the best way to get your message out to the masses. Having a self-hosted website is the best option if you plan to do so for the long haul. I use BlueHost to host this website using WordPress, the standard platform for blogging. They offer a great price with easy set-up and outstanding customer service. They offer a free domain for one year with the purchase of hosting. While I host this website through BlueHost, the BudgetMaxer.com domain is registered through GoDaddy, because they always have some coupon code to shave a few dollars off the cost of a domain. I’m the BudgetMaxer, right? 🙂

---

Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover

Dave Ramsey has the third most popular talk radio show in America. I actually stumbled across the former TV version of the show back in 2007 on Fox Business Network. The first time I heard someone give a “debt free scream,” I was inspired to make drastic changes in my own finances so that I could be debt free myself someday. The Total Money Makeover breaks down Ramsey’s “7 Baby Steps” to managing your finances. It’s easy to follow, and the principles do work.

---

Local and National Deals
Southern Savers is my go to site before any shopping trip at a grocery store or drug store. Jenny publishes deals from national retailers like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Target as well as deals from many of the popular grocery chains in the southeastern United States. She is able to publish the sales list a few days before they are released and shows which coupons you should use to save the most on each product on sale.

---

Desktop and Mobile Apps

Evernote:  This is my go-to app for organizing thoughts, notes, ideas, and any other thing I wish to remember. When it comes to budgeting, I use Evernote to store pictures of restaurant coupons, newspaper insert lists, and to store information about upcoming major purchases.  Everything that I store in Evernote is accessible on all of my devices, which is very useful when I am on the go. There are versions for Windows, Mac, iOS (iPhone/iPad), and Android devices.

iBotta: iBotta is an easy-to-use rebate app that allows you to earn rebates on everyday items at multiple retailers. Follow a few easy steps and once your account hits $5.00, you can deposit the funds into your PayPal account or receive it in the form of a gift card.

Checkout51: This service works similarly to iBotta. The difference is that you can submit rebates for its offers from any retailer and you have to build up $20 before you can cash out.