Just to encourage each other how about we each share FIVE things that we do to save money? Maybe we can find a new way to save or revisit an old idea we forgot about. Leave your five suggestions in the comments or make your own post. I'll go first.
- Cut kid's (and dh's) hair at home.
- Make "homemade maple syrup". (Don't worry, I don't tap trees!)
- Wash and reuse ziploc bags when I can (unless they had meat or something sticky in them).
- Make some of my own cleaning products (just started this recently!).
- Grow the herbs I use most fresh (chives, cilantro, etc.)
Bonus #2: Get free gift cards through MyPoints.
Bonus #3: Sign up for freebies from Freebies 4 Mom.
Bonus #4: Save the liners from cereal boxes to use as wax paper.
Okay, I guess I should have made it TEN because I could keep going, but I'll stop there. Now it's your turn!
3 comments:
In addition to doing lots of those same things Shelly, like cutting hair and washing out zip lock bags - here are a few more:
* Buy most children's clothes at thrift stores, resales, etc (my 2 girls, 19 and 17, don't even think about going anywhere else to shop- they just say "let's go to Goodwill" or any other thrift store)
* Stay out of the store! Learned this one during our current 9 mo of unemployment - if you don't ever go in, you can't come out with anything!
* Plant a garden, make sure you harvest it and use it (you get the point here, right?) and buy perennial flowers/shrubs when on sale - annuals can be costly each year - perennials just keep coming back (unless you kill them!)
* If you want/need to have fast food, such as McDonalds, pack chips and water/juice/soda and just buy each person a $1 sandwich - saves a TON of money and you at least feel like you kind of ate out :)
* Reuse aluminum foil - a lot of times your foil doesn't get dirty when you cover something; I just fold it up and put it in the drawer where the foil is kept.
It's after midnight - and my brain isn't thinking really well - I know there are lots of other ways I save money. Thanks Shelly for getting us inspired. I have been thinking, too, about how quiet it has been here and wondered if it was because everyone is disappointed in the lack of deals (as you pointed out) or if many of us are just really stocked up and don't even bother to look at the ads or make it to the store (that's me at the moment) - but as I type this I just remembered that I let some ECB's expire 2 days ago b/c I forgot to go - that's a crime!!!!!!! Fortunately I don't think it was more than $5 but ....I better not check before bed or I may lie awake feeling sick :(
Vivian,
Head over to CVS TODAY and ask if they will let you use those ECBs. I did the same thing a week or so ago (I know shame on me but the deals have been so scarce lately I hardly go over there anymore!). Anyway, I called first to ask and the lady I talked to on the phone said it was up to the manager. So I headed to CVS (with the baby for a sympathy factor :) ha, ha!) and asked to speak to the manager. She looked at them and said sure. I was so relieved!
No guarantee the manager at your store would do the same thing but it's worth a try. If the manager says no then call the 1-800 number. I have heard they will re-issue them sometimes. Again, it probably depends on the person who answers the phone.
1. Comparing store ads and shopping two grocery stores to get the best deals each week.
2. Buying kids' clothes on clearance, stockpiling future sizes in advance at end of season when they're really cheap.
3. I'm growing basil and tomatoes for the first time in pots on my deck. So far, they're doing great, so if we get a good crop, I'll look into adding more veggies next year!
4. On a recent vacation, we saved a ton by NOT booking a room in advance. Ended up finding a 2 king suite w/ balcony, fireplace, jacuzzi for $79/night!
5. Combining trips/errands to save on gas.
Also earning gift cards on MyPoints, Lightspeed Panel and Ipsos I-Say. Slow going, but a nice little treat when I can cash out points.
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