Staying away from the mall! I rarely shop at the mall. If I need an item, I shop around for the best deal online and only go into a store at the mall to buy the item I need. It saves me the most money not "window shopping" at the mall and not spending money on things I don't need.
Combining errands into single car trips can save money. For example, if the kids need to get shuttled somewhere, can other things get done on the same trip?
I enjoy repurposing household items. Example: saving toilet paper roll centers and lint from dryer to create fire starters for woodstove. I took an old baking sheet, painted it and used it with a old fire grate as legs to create a bird bath. Egg cartons made with paper are great to create seed starters. Shredded paper can be composted--those old records still have a use as well as junk mail. It can also be used as kitty litter in a pinch or packing for packages. There are tons of items we can reuse, repurpose, and recycle which can save tons of $$$ and our planet.
When the family is out for the day (day trip or other reasons), instead of stopping get lunch at a fast food place we pack our lunch with us. It has saved us a lot of money of the past few years with all the kids we have!!!
I'm a huge fan of well-chosen Groupons, which saves us money on local services and restaurants, gifts for family members in other cities, and travel throughout the U.S. We save a ton of money and are able to invest in experiences rather than more stuff, which is much more valuable to us in the long run!
Before I buy anything, I ask myself: "Do I LOVE this?" and "Do I NEED this?" If the answer to both those questions is no, I don't buy it, no matter how cheap the price or how big the discount. Distinguishing between needs and wants is huge, as is distinguishing between something being PERFECT versus just alright.
Also, just SAVE SAVE SAVE. Spend less than what you make. Avoid credit card debt.
My most used and has never failed me yet tip is to anticipate expenses and save for them each week. If my insurance is due once a year I put away 1/52 of the insurance amount from each of my paycheques.
When it comes time to pay it, the money is in my account and I have no worries trying to find the money. I do this for everything including saving for vacation and retirement. I don't overspend and find that I'm short because the money has been allocated elsewhere and I'm under no illusion that I have excess money to spend.
Inspiring story of the usefulness of debt snowballing--thank you! We plan to sell our home and move into a tiny home. Our goal is to be debt free when we move into Two Cup House!
My money saving tip is to stay home and only grocery shop once a week. I find that when I make little trips to pick things up during the week...I always spend and buy things that we really dont need. I try to shop once a week and get everything for the week! Its those little trips that get me and my pocket book!
I make all my purchases in store with a combination of store coupons and manufacturer coupons. I make all my purchases online with a combination of coupon codes, free shipping and money back from sites like ebates or shopathome. I prefer to shop online for that extra money back, but only if I get free shipping.
Cook! We had people over for pizza and salad this weekend (all homemade--dough, sauce, salad dressing) for less than a medium pizza from Domino's. When you make it yourself it almost always tastes better and costs less. Also, treat things like a game. I constant pay down my student loans by trying to keep them at an even multiple of 100. It doesn't feel like much but it adds up.
My favorite tip is the 30 day rule! If it's not a necessary purchase, hold off 30 days. Don't buy it if you forget about it or decide you wouldn't have used it in those thirty days!
I have a number of things I use weekly to help save $$:
1. Walmart - use Savings Catcher instead of price matching and add to my Bluebird card. Right now when you use your Bluebird card for the 1st time at retailers you can get $1 back up to $50 this month and start again in June.
2. CVS - I roll the Extra Care Bucks and use coupons to buy new product with ECB's
3. Walgreens - I buy products with points and do the daily health habits in the app to earn points.
4. Ibotta and Checkout 51
5. Target - love earning GC's while stacking coupons, using cartwheel and just applied for a redcard. Once I have it I will buy GC's and save 5%
When deciding whether to spend money on something, my favorite tip is to ask yourself the reverse question. "Should I spend $X to get Y?" becomes "What would I do if someone offered me $X to give up Y?" Mathematically it's the same exact problem but the opposite perspective makes the decision so much clearer in many cases.
Real life example: I was trying to decide if I should spent $80 to upgrade an airline seat for a 4.5 hour flight. I asked myself, "what if I was in the nicer seat and someone in my original seat offered me $80 to switch seats with him?" My immediate answer was that I would take the $80 and switch with him, no hesitation whatsoever. Looking at it from the opposite direction made the answer crystal clear.
These are some awesome ideas! Now that the weather is nice, it'll be great to do some DIY projects to update my backyard! Thanks for sharing!
Staying away from the mall! I rarely shop at the mall. If I need an item, I shop around for the best deal online and only go into a store at the mall to buy the item I need. It saves me the most money not "window shopping" at the mall and not spending money on things I don't need.
Combining errands into single car trips can save money. For example, if the kids need to get shuttled somewhere, can other things get done on the same trip?
I enjoy repurposing household items. Example: saving toilet paper roll centers and lint from dryer to create fire starters for woodstove. I took an old baking sheet, painted it and used it with a old fire grate as legs to create a bird bath. Egg cartons made with paper are great to create seed starters. Shredded paper can be composted--those old records still have a use as well as junk mail. It can also be used as kitty litter in a pinch or packing for packages. There are tons of items we can reuse, repurpose, and recycle which can save tons of $$$ and our planet.
When the family is out for the day (day trip or other reasons), instead of stopping get lunch at a fast food place we pack our lunch with us. It has saved us a lot of money of the past few years with all the kids we have!!!
Learn to cook and eat at home. We are eating better-for-us food. Cooking can be fun, too.
My tip is to make a list before going grocery shopping and make sure to look at weekly sale ads and match the coupons to the sale products.
I'm a huge fan of well-chosen Groupons, which saves us money on local services and restaurants, gifts for family members in other cities, and travel throughout the U.S. We save a ton of money and are able to invest in experiences rather than more stuff, which is much more valuable to us in the long run!
We love these ideas and always prefer to share with others for saving on gifts.
Before I buy anything, I ask myself: "Do I LOVE this?" and "Do I NEED this?" If the answer to both those questions is no, I don't buy it, no matter how cheap the price or how big the discount. Distinguishing between needs and wants is huge, as is distinguishing between something being PERFECT versus just alright.
Also, just SAVE SAVE SAVE. Spend less than what you make. Avoid credit card debt.
My tip is to not be afraid to shop around. Prices DO vary.
My most used and has never failed me yet tip is to anticipate expenses and save for them each week. If my insurance is due once a year I put away 1/52 of the insurance amount from each of my paycheques.
When it comes time to pay it, the money is in my account and I have no worries trying to find the money. I do this for everything including saving for vacation and retirement. I don't overspend and find that I'm short because the money has been allocated elsewhere and I'm under no illusion that I have excess money to spend.
Amex cards have great cash back opportunities - for example right now I get $20 back when spending $20 at Sam's Club = free money!
Definitely use coupons in store or online and I like to buy in bulk.
Inspiring story of the usefulness of debt snowballing--thank you! We plan to sell our home and move into a tiny home. Our goal is to be debt free when we move into Two Cup House!
My money saving tip is to stay home and only grocery shop once a week. I find that when I make little trips to pick things up during the week...I always spend and buy things that we really dont need. I try to shop once a week and get everything for the week! Its those little trips that get me and my pocket book!
While I'm shopping for groceries (after planning my list with the store sales flyer), I note meals I can make with the ingredients I'm buying.
When I get home, I post the list of meal ideas on the fridge to keep me from defaulting to carry-out because I can't think of what to make.
I make all my purchases in store with a combination of store coupons and manufacturer coupons. I make all my purchases online with a combination of coupon codes, free shipping and money back from sites like ebates or shopathome. I prefer to shop online for that extra money back, but only if I get free shipping.
Cook! We had people over for pizza and salad this weekend (all homemade--dough, sauce, salad dressing) for less than a medium pizza from Domino's. When you make it yourself it almost always tastes better and costs less. Also, treat things like a game. I constant pay down my student loans by trying to keep them at an even multiple of 100. It doesn't feel like much but it adds up.
My favorite tip is the 30 day rule! If it's not a necessary purchase, hold off 30 days. Don't buy it if you forget about it or decide you wouldn't have used it in those thirty days!
My favorite tip is to pair sales with coupons and to make a list before you go to the store to avoid impulse buying.
I have a number of things I use weekly to help save $$:
1. Walmart - use Savings Catcher instead of price matching and add to my Bluebird card. Right now when you use your Bluebird card for the 1st time at retailers you can get $1 back up to $50 this month and start again in June.
2. CVS - I roll the Extra Care Bucks and use coupons to buy new product with ECB's
3. Walgreens - I buy products with points and do the daily health habits in the app to earn points.
4. Ibotta and Checkout 51
5. Target - love earning GC's while stacking coupons, using cartwheel and just applied for a redcard. Once I have it I will buy GC's and save 5%
When deciding whether to spend money on something, my favorite tip is to ask yourself the reverse question. "Should I spend $X to get Y?" becomes "What would I do if someone offered me $X to give up Y?" Mathematically it's the same exact problem but the opposite perspective makes the decision so much clearer in many cases.
Real life example: I was trying to decide if I should spent $80 to upgrade an airline seat for a 4.5 hour flight. I asked myself, "what if I was in the nicer seat and someone in my original seat offered me $80 to switch seats with him?" My immediate answer was that I would take the $80 and switch with him, no hesitation whatsoever. Looking at it from the opposite direction made the answer crystal clear.
I totally disagree with that advice. The only person agreeing with this article is a ... debt collector. Enough said.
My favorite money-saving tip is when shopping online, use coupon codes to save an additional amount off your total.