8 Things a Frugal Woman Should Always Carry

Sarah Winfrey — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 10:00:09 +0000

Sometimes it's hard to be frugal. I know this from my own experience, and from years of observing and talking to other people about how they spend. It's easy to have frugal intentions but it can be incredibly difficult to stick to them.

One of the best ways I've found for sticking to my frugal goals is to make it as easy as possible. If it's harder to spend money than not to, I'm more likely to keep the cash in my bank account.

I avoid spending by making sure that I have a few things with me whenever I leave the house. Here is my list of helpful frugal tools I always keep with me. (Note: Many of these items would be great for frugal men, too!)

1. Hair Tie

If you're like me, when you want your hair up, it simply has to go up. I can't tell you how many times I've run into Target for hair ties because I forgot one, and ended up buying so much more than just the hair ties (because, Target!). Now, I hook a tie or two onto my keychain, so I've always got one with me.

2. Gift Cards

It's easy for me to tell myself that I'll only spend so much every week at Starbucks and Chik-fil-A (because I have small children), but it's hard to stick to that. I've started carrying gift cards around instead of using the apps on my phone. I put a certain amount on the cards at the beginning of each week or month, and that's all I have. And because it's tougher to reload a physical card than it is on an app, I'm way more likely to stick to my budget.

3. Cash

Similarly, I give myself a cash allowance every week. I look at what I need and want, I look at my budget, and then I decide how much I get to spend on me and put that amount, in cash, into my purse. While I still carry a credit card for emergencies, it's a lot easier not to use it when I have an amount, in cash, that realistically represents my spending needs. My husband does the same thing, and we offer each other accountability when we look over the credit card bills at the end of each month.

4. Coupons for Favorite Items

Couponing is not a huge part of my life, but I always keep an eye out for discounts offered on items that I like or usually buy. When I see these, I put them straight into my purse. That way, when I'm shopping, I don't have to do anything except pull out my coupon bag and flip through it quickly. I save money and it's almost effortless.

5. Healthy Snacks

I can't tell you how many times I've spent money on food simply because I got hungry. I'm someone, who, when I'm hungry, I have to eat now, and my kids are the same way. That has gotten me into trouble more times than I can count! Now, I keep a stash of healthy snacks in my purse and another in the car. That way, there's always something around that I feel good about eating, and I don't have to spend a dime.

6. Safety Pins

At first glance, it might seem strange to carry safety pins. But just wait until the day when your bra strap breaks, or you get an awkward rip in some part of your outfit. Without safety pins, you'd have to go out and buy a new item wherever you could find it, at whatever price. But with them, you can rig a fix until you can get home. Then you can fix the problem or find a frugal replacement.

7. Painkillers

Ever get a headache in the middle of the day? Buying single-serve packets of painkillers from a convenience store is super expensive. Instead, carry just a few pills with you. It's cheaper, and you get to use a painkiller that you choose, rather than whatever they have on the shelf.

8. Stain Eraser Pen

Many stains will set unless treated right away, which means you'll have to replace the dirty item... unless you have a stain pen with you. Treat the stain as soon as you notice it, and chances are that you'll be able to salvage your clothes. This saves you money because you won't have to replace things nearly as often.

What do you carry at all times to help you save money? Share with us in the comments!

This article is from Sarah Winfrey of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

9 Ways to Snag a Bag (For Free!)

Linsey Knerl — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:25:34 +0000

Reusable shopping bags are growing in popularity, and while they are a super way to save on plastic, they can be pricey for those of us who lug home two full carts of groceries every other week. Here are the best ways to score free reusable shopping bags from your favorite retailers! (But hurry! Several end today.)

Home Depot – It’s not too late to get in on the free tote bags given away at participating Home Depot Stores nationwide. They are handing them out on Earth Day and until they are all gone. Call your local store to see if they have any left!

Earthbound Farm Organic – Put your thinking caps on, and take a quiz to see how well you know your conservation facts. If you score a 9 or better (easy to do if you check the site a bit), they will send you a free tote! Offer expires April 30th.

L.A. Neighborhood Grocers – Get in on this last opportunity to score a free bag from local grocers in the Los Angeles area. Participating stores are listed here, and it ends today!

H-E-B – This store chain will give you a coupon for a free reusable shopping bag when you drop at least 5 plastic bags into the recycling bin at participating stores. This offer is for today only, until 7 p.m.!

Wescoe Beach, Kansas – OK, so I’m not headed there anytime soon, but check out the cool promotion going on this Thursday and Friday at Wescoe Beach! Four companies got together and decided to hand out 755 free tote bags as part of an initiative to cut back on plastics. The best part? Bringing the bag to any of the four participating retailers entitles you to special discounts and promotions. See all the details HERE.

SoCal Honda Dealers – Car dealers are hoping to get your green business by offering free bags and even planting a tree in your name, from now until the end of April. All the details can be found at SoCalHonda.com and AutoBlogGreen.

An old t-shirt – That’s right. No Impact Man’s no-frills instructions for making your own tote bag from that Hard Rock Café shirt you’ve been saving since High School is relevant to anyone with a sewing machine or a simple whip stitch.

Garage Sales – It’s not uncommon to find all kinds of canvas totes and reusable shopping bags stuffed into the FREE bins or boxes at local yard sales. If you see some that are unmarked, offer to take them off of the seller’s hands for free when you purchase something else you need!

Local Food Events – We recently attended some local organic grower events, food fairs, and green events where the free reusable bags were flowing like honey. Check out local events coming up in your area, and don’t forget to bring a reusable bag to stash all those NEW reusable bags in for the trip home!

Any other ideas for free bags? Let us know. We love free stuff!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: