I use sites such as My Points, Swagbucks, and Bing Rewards to earn points which I can then redeem for gift cards. I've used those gift cards to give as gifts to others, to donate to the Red Cross in times of crisis (Hurricane Sandy is one example), and to purchase items I need or want myself. These are free programs and it only takes a few minutes each day to earn some points. You're going to be online anyway, so why not get something in return that can help stretch your dollars?
Buy a used car with a good repair record, and then keep it. Repair it. Rebuild the engine, if needed, but don't trade it in because you think you'll save money--EVER. Because you won't.
If you trade it in, do it because you want a new car. It is extremely unlikely, however, that your old car will ever become more expensive than buying a newer one.
My tip is $10 buying fruits and vegetables at the farmers' market can feed a person for a 4-7 days whereas $10 at a fast food join will feed a person for one day. Not only that, by eating fresh fruits and veggies, you'll reap the added benefits of keeping your body healthy. And what's more important in life than that?
Wait for it and do your research to get the best deal! If it is just an impulse buy than the impulse will pass and you will have saved your money for something more important. I also never buy anything anymore without doing research on quality and to compare prices.
I like to try (and buy if pleased) generic or store brand products. Generics are often times just as good for groceries, health and beauty products, and medications
My favorite frugality tip is my Frugal Filter. Whenever I want to buy something I run the potential purchase through the filter:
--Do I really need it?
--Do I have something already that might suffice?
--If I really do need it, is there a way to get it cheaply (thrift store, yard sale) or free (Freecycle, borrowing it from someone)?
--If it's not available the cheap/free way, how else can I bring the price down (cash in some rewards points, use an online price comparison tool, order through a cash-back shopping site)?
This sounds unwieldy but it isn't. Takes only a minute or so, and can be done while looking closely at the item to be purchased.
My favorite frugal tip is to wait before making a major purchase to be sure that you still want it and are not caught up in buying at the spur of the moment.
I have a long list... 2 of my favorite frugality tips involve Amazon~ Research before you buy & get free books on the Kindle from Amazon (check out bookbub.com!) Another favorite is to have a cooling off period before buying anything, to determine if I REALLY need or want it.
I like to record my transactions into my smartphone's financial app- it makes me more thoughtful about where my money is going, plus I can see how much I've spent on what at the end of each month.
Plan your meals in advance before going food shopping. That way you'll spend less time in the store and less time making your meals, and you'll have everything you'll need for your meals during the week. No more wasting $ at the local fast food joint/
Oats in fresh-baked bread is my favorite form of oats! It's so hearty and homey. Even if a recipe doesn't call for oats, I toss some in anyway to replace some flour, then add more liquids so the bread won't come out dense and tough. (Thanks, trial and error!)
My favorite frugality tip is ALWAYS find a way somehow to pay for several items that are on sale if the product is something you are going to have to buy anyway in the next three to four months. Even if you think you cannot afford it. Buy them anyway and save yourself thirty to forty percent off on your grocery or household purchases over the next three months. And use the money you save then to take advantage of MORE bargains. You can really lower your overall cost of living if you simply always try to NEVER PAY RETAIL.
I save on laundry be using dryer sheets twice and using less soap per load. Still gets clean, but doesn't use as much as the manufacturer tries to insist!
I compare the price to how much I earned per hour and then get the ## of hours I would have to work
We eat "in" and at times invite friends (if we want company)
We refuse to pay full price for certain item and stock up on manager' specials and outdated items that are still safe to consume.
Shop your local grocery store sales. Though it may take time, it saves us a ton. Also, utilize other stores' price matching guarantees. I take advantage of this at our local Wal-Mart all the time.
Break the soda habit! I drink water to hydrate (which I always have with me in my mason jar water bottle), homemade coffee to wake up, and the occasional adult beverage. Not ever buying a beverage while out and about helps me save money.
Usually midwives screen you to make sure your a good match for a home-birth. When I used a midwife I was screened the whole 9 months for any problems that would make a home-birth not possible. The group of midwives I use call BirthCare near Washington DC does 25 births per month (they are a team of 5 nurse midwives) and I believe they have been doing it for over 20 years. As of the time I gave birth, the main reasons they transferred to the hospital during labor were non-emergency, failure to progress situations. My midwifes had a working relationship with the local hospital. I am surprised that the midwife in the above situation agreed to continue with the home-birth if the birth was high risk. It does not save money to have a high risk home-birth that is just going to end in a hospital in the end. I would not be surprised if you would end up paying a little more. Finances are not a good reason alone for a home-birth. But I also believe in women being able to have the freedom to choice how they want to birth, even when it seems unwise to others.
I bought a Nalgene bottle. Now I never buy water bottles....and I can use them for more than just water if I want! I have saved hundres of dollars after the purchase of that $10 water bottle. I love that!
Creating and sticking to a budget. This has helped me enormously to realize the areas I could cut back on spending and helped increase my savings.
I use sites such as My Points, Swagbucks, and Bing Rewards to earn points which I can then redeem for gift cards. I've used those gift cards to give as gifts to others, to donate to the Red Cross in times of crisis (Hurricane Sandy is one example), and to purchase items I need or want myself. These are free programs and it only takes a few minutes each day to earn some points. You're going to be online anyway, so why not get something in return that can help stretch your dollars?
Buy a used car with a good repair record, and then keep it. Repair it. Rebuild the engine, if needed, but don't trade it in because you think you'll save money--EVER. Because you won't.
If you trade it in, do it because you want a new car. It is extremely unlikely, however, that your old car will ever become more expensive than buying a newer one.
My tip is $10 buying fruits and vegetables at the farmers' market can feed a person for a 4-7 days whereas $10 at a fast food join will feed a person for one day. Not only that, by eating fresh fruits and veggies, you'll reap the added benefits of keeping your body healthy. And what's more important in life than that?
Keep a gratitude journal. If you are thankful for everything you already have you will find less need to buy excess items.
Wait for it and do your research to get the best deal! If it is just an impulse buy than the impulse will pass and you will have saved your money for something more important. I also never buy anything anymore without doing research on quality and to compare prices.
My favorite frugal tip is to clean and reuse the glass and plastic containers some items come in.
I like to try (and buy if pleased) generic or store brand products. Generics are often times just as good for groceries, health and beauty products, and medications
My favorite frugality tip is my Frugal Filter. Whenever I want to buy something I run the potential purchase through the filter:
--Do I really need it?
--Do I have something already that might suffice?
--If I really do need it, is there a way to get it cheaply (thrift store, yard sale) or free (Freecycle, borrowing it from someone)?
--If it's not available the cheap/free way, how else can I bring the price down (cash in some rewards points, use an online price comparison tool, order through a cash-back shopping site)?
This sounds unwieldy but it isn't. Takes only a minute or so, and can be done while looking closely at the item to be purchased.
My favorite frugal tip is to wait before making a major purchase to be sure that you still want it and are not caught up in buying at the spur of the moment.
I have a long list... 2 of my favorite frugality tips involve Amazon~ Research before you buy & get free books on the Kindle from Amazon (check out bookbub.com!) Another favorite is to have a cooling off period before buying anything, to determine if I REALLY need or want it.
I use coupons and shop on sales
My favortie tip is: Only buy it if it: increases your health, wealth, or life experiences!
I like to record my transactions into my smartphone's financial app- it makes me more thoughtful about where my money is going, plus I can see how much I've spent on what at the end of each month.
Plan your meals in advance before going food shopping. That way you'll spend less time in the store and less time making your meals, and you'll have everything you'll need for your meals during the week. No more wasting $ at the local fast food joint/
Oats in fresh-baked bread is my favorite form of oats! It's so hearty and homey. Even if a recipe doesn't call for oats, I toss some in anyway to replace some flour, then add more liquids so the bread won't come out dense and tough. (Thanks, trial and error!)
My favorite frugality tip is ALWAYS find a way somehow to pay for several items that are on sale if the product is something you are going to have to buy anyway in the next three to four months. Even if you think you cannot afford it. Buy them anyway and save yourself thirty to forty percent off on your grocery or household purchases over the next three months. And use the money you save then to take advantage of MORE bargains. You can really lower your overall cost of living if you simply always try to NEVER PAY RETAIL.
I save on laundry be using dryer sheets twice and using less soap per load. Still gets clean, but doesn't use as much as the manufacturer tries to insist!
I am not really a good gift giver. But when I have to buy a gift for someone I don't know that much, I usually bath and body products.
I compare the price to how much I earned per hour and then get the ## of hours I would have to work
We eat "in" and at times invite friends (if we want company)
We refuse to pay full price for certain item and stock up on manager' specials and outdated items that are still safe to consume.
These are great tips on how to make my kids eat oatmeals. They just simply hate it. But I haven't tried oats with bread.
Shop your local grocery store sales. Though it may take time, it saves us a ton. Also, utilize other stores' price matching guarantees. I take advantage of this at our local Wal-Mart all the time.
Break the soda habit! I drink water to hydrate (which I always have with me in my mason jar water bottle), homemade coffee to wake up, and the occasional adult beverage. Not ever buying a beverage while out and about helps me save money.
Usually midwives screen you to make sure your a good match for a home-birth. When I used a midwife I was screened the whole 9 months for any problems that would make a home-birth not possible. The group of midwives I use call BirthCare near Washington DC does 25 births per month (they are a team of 5 nurse midwives) and I believe they have been doing it for over 20 years. As of the time I gave birth, the main reasons they transferred to the hospital during labor were non-emergency, failure to progress situations. My midwifes had a working relationship with the local hospital. I am surprised that the midwife in the above situation agreed to continue with the home-birth if the birth was high risk. It does not save money to have a high risk home-birth that is just going to end in a hospital in the end. I would not be surprised if you would end up paying a little more. Finances are not a good reason alone for a home-birth. But I also believe in women being able to have the freedom to choice how they want to birth, even when it seems unwise to others.
I bought a Nalgene bottle. Now I never buy water bottles....and I can use them for more than just water if I want! I have saved hundres of dollars after the purchase of that $10 water bottle. I love that!