Tips
Read this only after you have already read the Getting Started page on this site.
Budget Friendly Activities
- If you like to read do it free at the Gutenberg Project online. You can also upload them to your gadgets and have something to read at kids ball games and while standing in line at the store.
- Buy board games, they are cheap and fun and will save you a fortune on online gaming and trips out.
A Little Green goes a Long Way
- There are websites that give away free BPAfree bottles. Find one, have them send it to you, and use it! I mention one on this blog. Your throwaway water bottles from the grocery store are terrible for the environment and can be hazardous to your health.
- Plant a garden. I tend to kill things but even I can grow tomatos, peppers and carrots. It will get you away from the TV in the fresh air, it will teach your kids about nature, and it will save money on your grocery bill.
Waste Not, Want Not
- Keep your fridge and freezer full. If you have empty space fill a container with water, cover it and store it in the fridge or freezer. Otherwise the machine works harder to cool or freeze empty space. Just leave room for expansion.
Eating Out
- Don’t be so quick to suggest eating out with friends. Hosting a family-style dinner at your home will be more relaxed for kids and easier on your wallet.
- If you eat out (eating in all the time is impossible especially if you travel) search online for coupons. There are free coupons all over the internet you just need to look for them. If you haven’t heard about Restaurants.com yet then you are seriously missing out. I suggest you go there from the MrRebates website which will earn you 20% cash back.
Groceries/ Shopping
- Check out your local dollar stores and compare. Do they carry your favorite brands? What sorts of things do they discount. A little research can go a long way in saving money.
- Check grocery circulars in the paper or online before you do your weekly shopping if you can. Then you can organize coupons and have a plan of attack when you get to store. It’s the best way to maximize your money.
- Start a “store” at home. Set aside an area where you can stockpile deals on staples like deodorant and shampoo. That way you will be sure to use up what you have instead of having six open containers knocking around in danger of spillage.
- Make a list of the products your family uses beyond just fresh fruits and veggies and create a price list. Are any local stores more expensive then others? A sale doesn’t always mean a good buy. Make sure you’re aware of your numbers.
- Do you eat particular brands? Check their websites to see if they have monthly coupons. It will save you a fortune in the long run.
- Everything goes on sale even gourmet flavored coffee at the grocery store, Stock up on sales and freeze. Then buy a travel mug and you’re set for ages.
- Experiment with spices. They will jazz up your meals and allow you to be more creative with your leftovers.
A Penny Saved…
- Check your junk mail. With the economy as bad as it is stores are reaching out to people. I found a $5 off of a purchase of $50 or more coupon for my local grocery store in the junk circular that I never used to read. Sweet!
- Look into high yield online savings accounts.
Go Digital!
- I carry a digital camera in my purse at all times and take pictures of deals at stores, recipe ideas, etc.
- Buy a good but compact digital camera. I use mine for so many things it saves me a fortune.
- Use your digital camera to take pictures of receipts so you don’t have to scan them and waste time and electricity. And the picture will probably be clearer.
- Check out the gadgets you have, are there additional applications online for your blackberry, iphone or palm pilot that will save you from needing pens and paper, buying maps, or buying books?
Healthy and Wealthy
- Leave out the coffee creamer or try to wean yourself off you’ll save a fortune both with your health and in your wallet.
- Buy in bulk but don’t stockpile so much food that you don’t know what you have. Otherwise you keep loading the fridge and eventually you find stacks of rotten veggies in fridge drawers that you forgot were there. Search your fridge once a week.
- Shop only with coupons. And if you bought something within a return period and a coupon came out go back and get that credit. This is especially true for purchases like electronics. I’ll admit I’ve never been so on-the-ball as to try this with groceries.
- Hold a garage sale. And if you can’t hold one in front of your place find a community space or go in with a friend. We all have a ton of stuff we can get rid of for a better clutter-free life!
Home Style
- If you have a musty smell in your house (like in the basement). Don’t waste money on sprays, just put out a couple baggies of charcoal (the kind you use to BBQ). Charcoal absorbs odor and costs a fraction as much. Just be careful of kids and pets.
- Your birthday is a goldmine. Freebies galore on everything from ice cream to meals to free trips to Disneyland. Keep an eye out for things you have to register for and make sure you do!
- There are lots of ways to track spending. My favorite is to take a picture of my grocery receipts and save them in a file on my computer. That way I can see week to week where my money is going. It also cuts down on clutter.
