These days everyone’s jumping on the budget bandwagon and John and I are no exception. We’ve always been pretty cheap- er, thrifty (often sharing one appetizer and one entree at a fancy restaurant or being sure to dig out our $5 off coupon every time we get the oil changed) but these days it’s more important than ever to save a buck or two so we thought we’d throw together a little post about all the penny pinching habit’s that we’ve honed over the years:
1. I cut John’s hair. I started this ritual years ago when we started dating (in fact I used to cut his roomate’s hair before we began going out, which caused John to think I was into his weird roomie when I only had eyes for him). I don’t know where I picked up this skill, but it’s fun and I do everything with a cheapie hair cutting scissors from CVS (no electric razor necessary) and John never ceases to get hair cutting complements which keeps me grinning like a fool (and keeps John coming back to my barber’s chair in the den). Our approximate annual savings: $140 UPDATE: You can read how I cut John’s hair here.
2. We only have one car. I know this set-up might not work for everyone, but thanks to the fact that I work at home (and haven’t driven a car since I was in high school since I lived in NYC for almost a decade) we have saved out the wazoo because we only have one car to gas up, insure, maintain, etc. We even purchased our used Maxima outright (with cash) so we don’t have a monthly car payment to worry about, which makes it even easier to save. Our approximate annual savings: around $1000-$2000+
3. We Netflix with a vengeance. Although we usually go to the movies about once a month, we save considerable cash on the other three weekends thanks to the fact that we always have two flicks to pop into the DVD player for instant entertainment. Especially moving into the colder months, it’s not uncommon for us to enjoy a movie on Friday AND Saturday night as opposed to hitting the town for pricier forms of entertainment. And another great money saving Netflix tip is to rent entire seasons of shows on the premium channels (we’ve watched everything from Six Feet Under to Dexter this way) so we never have to pay for HBO or Cinemax but still get to enjoy their award winning programming. We also rent yoga videos that we do together at home (3x a week these days- I’m so proud of us!) which is definitely a lot less expensive than hitting the yoga studio that often. Our approximate annual savings: at least $300
4. We buy plants that are guaranteed. 95% of the time we purchase our bushes, perennials, shrubs and even house plants from Lowe’s and Home Depot, which both guarantee their greenery for up to a year. So if that finicky fern is brown two weeks later, back it goes and we don’t lose a dime. Our approximate annual savings: around $80 (we buy lots and lots of plants, but around one in ten will inexplicably kick the bucket).
5. We pay every single bill online. Which not only makes identity theft less of a worry (many crooks steal outgoing mail from your mailbox with your info on it) it also saves us quite a few stamps over the course of the year (and loads of paper, too). Our approximate annual savings: around $40 a year in stamps alone.
6. We maintain a zero balance. With the exception of our mortgage, we carry absolutely no debt from month to month, which means we pay off our credit card in full each month, and never pay a dime in interest. And it’s not because we’re rich. Far from it. It’s because we’re cheap and we hate the idea of paying those greedy credit card companies! Our approximate annual savings: anywhere from $300 up (the average American has an annual interest rate of 18% and carries $8000 in debt… which means they’re paying $1440 a year in interest alone!)
7. We rarely pay full price on home decor. If you look around our house, it’s full of classic neutral pieces that should last us a while. And although everything looks pretty pulled together, we have scored almost every item on sale (and many with free shipping to boot). With the exception of our Pottery Barn sofa in the den (the PB Basic, their cheapest sofa at $1300, but still a splurge to us) most of our pieces hail from places like Target (our TV stand, our den ottomans, our dining table and chairs), HomeGoods (almost all of our accessories), West Elm (where we got our duvet on sale and our bedroom mirror on clearance), JC Penney (our guest bedroom rug), Ikea (our sunroom side tables and chairs, almost all of our frames, our sheepskins, our welcome mats), Lowe’s (our bedroom floor lamp, our den rug), thrift stores (our sunroom table, our living room coffee table, our armchair in the den) and garage sales (our fireplace screen, our guest bedroom mirror, a few frames in the third bedroom). Many other things are hand me downs (our mattress, the bed in the guest bedroom, our den side table, our sunroom pillows). Our approximate annual savings: $1000+
8. And when it comes to our clothing we’re the same way. John loves J Crew, Banana Republic and even Kenneth Cole, but it’s always from the sale rack or even Marshall’s (which is full of treasures, you just have to dig a little). Likewise, I buy my Nine West shoes at DSW, my BCBG dresses at Marshall’s and my everyday staples on the sale rack at The Limited, Old Navy, or even Target. My best shoe score ever? Some gorge green Roberto Cavalli sandalls for 50 bucks at DSW. Our approximate annual savings: $300+
9. We bring fabric eco bags to the grocery store. And since our store is nice, they offer a 5 cent credit per bag (we usually bring in about four). Over a year of shopping, that’s only $5, but it’s great for reducing the amount of trash that we toss (and recycle) and there are a bunch of other ways we save loot when it comes to grocery shopping…
10. We buy the basics at Costco. We march in there and snag five huge double boxes of cereal and a giant box of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest spaghetti which lasts us well over two months (and allows us to snag two boxes of cereal for around $5 as opposed to one box for $3.50). That alone saves us $96 bucks a year, and when you factor in the spaghetti savings thanks to our bulk purchasing, our approximate annual savings is: $125 or so. Plus we get a discount annual membership for just $15 through John’s office, so we never think twice about paying our yearly fee.
11. We also go food shopping less. We actually go as infrequently as we can get away with (usually two times a month or less) since we’ve learned that each time people go food shopping there are a few impulse purchases that aren’t necessary (and usually aren’t even that good or good for you) so cutting down the amount of shopping trips a month cuts down the impulse buys as well. And it really helps us to cook the food that we have instead of ending up with a bunch of errant cans and ingredients in the back of the shelves that we never use because we’re always picking up new stuff. Our approximate annual savings: $200
12. We host an annual garage sale. Not only is it the ultimate form of recycling, we usually make some pretty good bank. Last year we made around $425, which is not a bad annual yield for something that only takes one morning a year. Our approximate annual savings earnings: $425
13. We’re thermostat freaks. In the winter we keep our house at 69 degrees when we’re around and at 63 degrees when we’re not and when we’re sleeping. In the summer we keep it at 74 during the day and 79 when we’re gone or asleep. Sure for the second or two that Burger wakes us up in the middle of the night once a month it can be a little uncomfortable, but for the rest of the year that we sleep soundly through the super warm or super cold part, we’re saving tons of money on our heating and cooling bills each year. And thanks to the fact that it’s programmable, in the morning everything’s perfectly comfortable by the time we wake up, and we even have a gas fireplace that we fire up in the den on cold nights when we’re yearning for a little extra heat (and a big fluffy blanket). Our approximate annual savings: $200
13. Me and my girls do a magazine swap. I could easily subscribe to about thirty magazines, but instead my friends and I subscribe to around three each and we all swap until everyone has read each one. It’s a great way to save money (and save trees) and then when we’re all finally done with ’em I drop a big stack of glossy mags off at a local bookstore that gives them away for free to their customers. Gotta love a magazine that gets around. John and I also regularly use our library cards for free lit as opposed to buying something we’ll only read once, and we also relax for a few hours a week at Barnes & Noble where we can leaf through books and mags for free while enjoying a big sprinkle cookie (our only splurge at $2) and some complementary water with lemon. Our approximate annual savings: $80
14. We’re just generally frugal individuals. Maybe it explains why we’re always suggesting sale items in every mood board (regardless of our client’s budget). And why we’re always trying to come up with cheap DIY solutions instead of springing for costlier home decor. It probably even explains why we’re always digging up coupon codes, making our own chai tea at home instead of relying on Starbucks, hitting up Craigslist and Freecycle like it’s our job, and stockpiling those Bed Bath & Beyond 10% off coupons like they’re going out of style. We’re happy that both of our families raised us to be so frugal (John’s dad’s nickname is “El Cheapo” while my dad’s known as “The Dollar General”) and even in times when it wasn’t always cool to pinch pennies, we stuck to our guns (and split an entree in front of our high-rolling friends). Our approximate annual savings: $100
John and I are actually hyper aware of how lucky we are to be on the same page about money. And we truly believe that a penny saved is a penny earned. After all, if you tally up all of our annual savings above it’s a total annual savings of $4,793. And that, my friends, is nothing to sneaze at. In fact, it’s sort of like we gave ourselves a tax free 5K raise this year, which is one of the major reasons that we can afford for me to run the blog full time. Thank goodness for smart saving!
How about you guys? Do you have any tips and tricks for saving a little dough? Do tell!
Be sure to check out Decor8’s fabulous post about how she saves money here. Inspiring!
Sarah says
Great tips! I cut my husbands hair too, and I even learned how to cut my own (got some great thinning shears off ebay!). That alone offers some serious savings!
haverwench says
How, how? I tried cutting my husband’s hair once, using a set of instructions I found online, and it came out looking awful! What’s the trick?
YoungHouseLove says
I should make a hair cutting video one of these days. I just pinch my fingers and cut all the hair that comes out past them. Vertically (so it’s blended). Makes no sense. Will have to make a video.
xo
s
Barbara says
Since you aren’t making a car payment, take that money and put it in the bank, accumulating a hefty fund for the inevitable time when you will need a new car.
Use your library for movies. You can’t beat the cost.
Buy grocery items that you frequently use on sale. Shop your cupboards when preparing meals.
It is a pleasure to read about a young couple who don’t feel entitled and yet still have fun. Your home is charming and filled with great ideas worthy of copying. I wish I had known as much when I was in my twenties.
christine says
Sherry, thank u for sharing your savings tips! I’m also one of those frugal girls who my friends would even tease about it, btw. Now that the economy is struggling, some of them are turning to me for tips, lol. I loved seeing that some of your saving strategies are mine also (one car, buying all home decor and clothing on sale, netflix, etc). Now I just need to get rid of the credit card debt, which isn’t much compared to the people around us. Keep sharing this kind of info with us, I love it!
bungalowbliss says
Great ideas! I’m installing my programmable thermostat tonight. If you’d like to save even more on clothes, I’ve been able to find some really nice things at Goodwill–quality brands in really good shape, sometimes even with the tags on! The only downside is that it can take some digging since clothes are sorted by color instead of size (though this can be helpful, too). Excellent post!
Lauren says
Great ideas! Speaking of deals, the Moorish Tile Rug at PotteryBarn.com just went on sale. I snagged one in Espresso.
Amy A. says
I love this post!
I’m on the frugal side too (but like to splurge on special items sometimes). I have been known to get teased about my frugality every once in a while…but now a few of my friends with big mortages are trying to copy some of my frugal ways!
P.S. We have kids that are growing like weeds…I buy LOTS of their pants at thrifts shops and yard sales (name brands for about $2-$3 each) and get their shirts on sale at places like Gap and they’re stylin’ without breaking mom and dad’s bank!
Kimberly says
What a cool post. Thanks, Sherry!
MaryAZ says
I love the tips! Sometimes we have “date night”
at B&N! We try to swap baby-sitting with friends, that way it is almost a free night! I have 2 young boys & love to hit the re-sale shop about once a month…great play clothes for $2-$5(sometimes cheaper!) Our biggest savings is at the grocery store. I do CouponSense (.com) which helps organize coupons & find deals in the stores around my area (Phoenix). This AM I bought $95.57 worth of groceries for $12.25. (as a coincidence: that included 6 boxes of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest spaghetti for free!) And I would have saved even more if I had coupons for the TP & the milk I forgot we desperately needed!
DC says
How do you go grocery shopping only 1-2 times a month? What do you do for fruits & veggies, etc.?
jbhat says
I wonder about you do your fruits and veggies too, Youngsters.
My tip is to get up that few extra minutes earlier in the mornings and pack a lunch to take to work, if you work outside the home. I feel rich AND virtuous when I don’t succumb to the temptation to eat out at lunch, and it’s a great way of dealing with leftovers from the night before.
Jenn says
Instead of buying gifts to exchange at each holiday, we like to get something that we both want. By deciding together, we get something that we know we’ll enjoy and we don’t have to spend twice as much. (Plus, there’s less stressing about what to get.) We love using Valentine’s Day to buy theater tickets. We make a single splurge between us AND get a fun night out!
Also, we’re in the habit of freezing things that we buy in bulk (like bread, falafel, meatballs, etc.) so they’re still good when we’re ready to use them. And we reuse any shopping bags (especially ones without the recycle symbol) as trash liners around the house. We try to remember to bring our reusable bags whenever we go out. Don’t forget, they’re useful at almost ANY store, not just for groceries.
Courtney says
Can I ask how you make your own chai tea? I need to rid myself of the horrible Starbucks addiction! Thanks!
Kristy says
I too would like that Chai Tea recipe. :-) Please?
Additionally I would like to thank you for this post. I think that when you live like this, you are better prepared for a financial crunch if ever the economy dives.
Much of what you describe equates to the same things that my husband I do. Not because we’re forced but rather because it’s the smarter way to go. Living debt free is a wonderful way to live. Money stresses are horrible and easier to avoid if you ask me.
linda@LimeintheCoconut says
We do many of the same things you do. I cut the kids and DH’s hair. Everything in the house is either thrift store find or on sale…just about every big pot in the garden has a crack somewhere in it (% off). Some of the kids bike to school. When remodeling we do our own work (include kids and their friends for much of it!)
What we WANT to do: Rain barrel for garden watering,Automatic thermostat for AC.
Great post.
Lauren says
Great tips! Since you spend so much time looking at great pieces for the design dilemma’s, I am curious to know how you resist the temptation to buy the “perfect” piece at full or a higher price. Are you always able to find an equivalent piece on sale or for a lower price?
YoungHouseLove says
What great tips you guys! We can’t wait to work more into our rotation and we’re so glad you’re enjoying our post. We can’t believe we forgot to factor making John’s lunches into our annual savings- it’s such an easy way to save over $1200 a year! As for our fruits and veggies, we buy a lot of produce that lasts a while and store everything in our produce drawer in the fridge which helps things like cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, onions, garlic, and carrots last well over two weeks. As for fruits we also go with things that last a while like green apples, bananas (we get them extra green) and things that rarely spoil like raisins and canned fruits or frozen berries. Sometimes we break down and I’ll run into the grocery store for some more lettuce, bananas or blueberries, but I just make a beeline to produce and check out in the express lane to avoid any impulse buys. But more often than not we can actually stretch our produce for two weeks or more just by getting things that last (as well as things that don’t like avocados, artichokes, asparagus, and blueberries- which we’re sure to eat first). Hope that helps!
Oh and as for the chai tea secret, we shop at Trader Joe’s (one of the best ways to get more bang for your buck- we can eat for two weeks straight on less than $80 worth of groceries which includes John’s lunches!) and we pick up their Oregon Chai, Chai Tea Latte Concentrate. It’s super easy to make (just add milk) and a concentrated box is only $3 and it makes at least 7 servings. Gotta love that it’s cheaper than one cup of chai at Starbucks… and tastes just as good, I swear!!! We’ve also seen this exact brand at Walmart for just as cheap in case you don’t have a Trader Joe’s around. Happy chai hunting!
As for how we resist the urge to buy pieces at full price, I think since John and I were both raised to be frugal we just can’t help but balk at a hefty price tag for something that we know we can do without. It’s not necessarily that we know we’ll find the cheaper equivalent that very day, but we’re confident that if we hold out we’ll find something just as lovely for a fraction of the price (which has always been the case- I guess patience pays off). Plus the fact that we’re always digging up sale items for everyone else keeps us up on what’s out there and reminds us that good design doesn’t have to be expensive!
xoxo,
Sherry
Patsy says
Oh I loooved this post! Please do update it in the future when you think of more thrifty things to do – even if you guys don’t do it personally, like trimming your dog yourself and such :)
Tip: to trap heat in the house you might wanna pull the curtains at dusk! it totally makes a difference, especially if your windows are not up to date.
Kirsten says
I stock up when our faves are on sale…movies and magazines from the library (I read alot of magazines for free), garbage day for free stuff and thrift stores for everything else. I gotta say the library is probably our #1 source for free (or cheap with my occasional overdue fines) entertainment. They have free kids programs too! OH, and I tally my receipts at the grocery store because, low and behold, they do sometimes make mistakes and bill you the wrong price. You gotta watch that…
Darlene says
You two sound just like my hubby & I! We do just about everything you said, except we have 2 cars and I don’t cut hubby’s hair…I tried once yrs ago and he won’t let me try ever again. LOL
Jonathan says
Sherry, you’ve hinted at another way to save money in your helpful suggestion to minimize supermarket visits and your aside about splitting an entree: Avoiding food waste. Not squandering food, both at home and restaurants, can really help your bottom line.
I limit my food waste by following a few steps:
1. Plan meals and check the inventory of your pantry and fridge before shopping.
2. Make a svelte grocery list and stick to it (avoiding those impulse buys you mentioned)
3. Serve reasonable portions–you can always take seconds.
4. Save leftovers.
5. Eat said leftovers! They make great lunches and a few nights’ remains make a great leftover night.
At restaurants, it’s important to recognize how hungry you are and to determine how large the portions are–huge or gigantic. And don’t feel pressure to order more than you want. If you’re in the mood for an appetizer and a main, great. Maybe just splitting an entree. Or my favorite–two apps.
For those interested in the topic, I write about food waste and how to avoid it at http://www.WastedFood.com
Christy says
I do almost all of the things you mentioned. I too am known to ne overly frugal I used to shop the thrift stores with my grandma as a child, brown bag days! I loved it. I love the idea of the magazine swap, very cool. I limit myself to one or two mags. My grocer also gives bag discounts. Too scared to cut my little guys hair, but we use coupons & try to make the cuts last long in between.
I also have the programable thermo, I LOVE IT! My electric co. also does what they call the 9 to 9 plan. On the plan, all electricity between 9p-9a is less $$ than other times & the weekend is a free for all. Therfore I only do laundry, wash dishes, etc. on the weekends OR after 9pm. Saves me a lot, I am also on theire equalizer plan (same w/the gas co.) & I know what my bills are all year long. It’s like a game to me to try & reduce for the next year. :)
My next plans are to compost, plant veggies & buy at the farmers market more.
I love thrifting, junque stores & discount shops, I rarely pay full price for stuff. I also time shopping around sales, being patient pays off a lot.
Oh & one more thing EBATES! I heart ebates. I have received over $65 in rebates for stuff I was buying online anyway. Stores like west Elm, Target, Wal Mart are on there.
Gràcia says
We spoke about this recently over at our blog. We have the exact same temp settings in our home!
And we did our monthly shopping last Saturday. The only thing we’ll have to go back and buy again before december is some fresh fruit and veggies and bread. Period. That saves us sooo much money!
And since we got rid of my car last month we’ve realized it wasn’t that hard to combine trips or walk to many places. I guess we were just very lazy!
I’m very into photography, though, and have the opportunity of snatching a really good deal compared to mine but still it’s a lot of money… how do you know when a good deal is a good one and you’re not wasting money?
Carrie says
Always bummed that John got the frugal genes and I got the spending ones…
Thanks for the great tips!
Fittingbackin says
I LOVE this post. Me and my husband started really focusing on our saving/spending a few months ago to buy a house (which was when I stumbled across your site – inspiration city). Anyway, I didn’t expect to get great tips here for the house AND the saving – love it. For saving right now we (please note – some are kind of weird!):
1. Started a blog where each day we go in and list how much we spent that day (outside of regular stuff like rent). It helped because i’ll think about buying something random and won’t want to report it on the blog. hehe In the last 8 days i’ve spent $56.50 outside of the plan!
2. Started drinking liquor not beer – pay more up front; drink less to have a good time.
3. All of the grocery ideas above – we’ve just been focusing like you said on eating what we have first before going – and keeping better inventory of what we have/need. I just HATE throwing out food so i’ve been ‘prioritizing’ food that goes bad – we HAVE to have salads tonight kind of thinking. ha.
4. Buying in bulk.
5. Bringing our lunches to work – cooking breakfast and dinner every day. A toughie but it’s working – and it helped us lose weight! (him 25 pounds; me 15 – since Sept. 1…)
6. #5 goes hand in hand with not eating out. We never really liked to and now we just don’t do it. If friends want to eat out we’ll eat at home and then meet them and have a drink. We’re just not into it!
That’s it for now – but I LOVE these tips so I can implement a new one every couple of weeks – THANKS!
sceniclady says
This is another fantastic post with a lot of great tips.
Sherry, that is a superb idea about the magazine swap, my friend must subscribe to like 10 magazines and I only subscribe to 2. I luck out:)
I absolutely love chai tea. After spending lots of money at local coffee shops, last year I started making my own from this recipe to save money http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chai-Tea-Mix/Detail.aspx
It makes a huge batch,read the reviews of it for further suggestions but these are changes I made to said recipe…. I make a caf and decaf version, I cut the sugar to 1 3/4C and still mix it with half water half skim milk.
Oh, and a way to save some more money,I buy the cardamom at Cost Plus World Market in the bagged spice section for $3 vs. $10 for the jar at my local grocery store.
Lauren says
My favorite tip is to grow your own herbs! This summer I had basil, chives, and parsley growing in several containers, all from a dollar packet of seeds from Target! My basil was growing until last week, when it finally got chilly. I probably saved at least $60 from not buying the $4 packets of fresh herbs at places like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I even had enough basil to make a big batch of pesto.
My second favorite tip is to watch the sales on meat and then make a lot of freezer meals with whatever is on special. If ground beef is up, I’ll make lasagna, meat balls, and mini meat loaves for us. I make them in servings for two people, so we cut down on leftover waste. I even (I’m ashamed to admit this…) re-use the foil pans I bake the lasagna and meatloaf in.
I’m so glad there are other people out there that are ‘naturally’ frugal!
Carol says
I love the library for the free books and movie rentals. We’ve always taken our own lunches to work. One car and my husband’s commute by public transportation is reimbursed by his employer, a savings of $600+ a year! We’ve also chosen to live in a community where we can walk to parks, some shopping, schools, and the library. Trader Joe’s has great prices and good food and our Super Target has fantastic prices on most staples (I have to drive to both of these stores, but the savings are worth it). And our young children have learned early on that we don’t make impulse purchases! If they want something it can go on there birthday/Christmas list, and even then there is no guarantee they’ll get it.
Laura says
Great tips! Here are some things I do to save:
– Blogs – I subscribe to a variety of personal finance blogs that are always alerting me to free samples, sales, new savings rates, etc.
– High interest savings accounts – There are a lot of great sources out there to maximize interest on your savings beyond the paltry percentage the average bank pays.
– Credit cards rewards programs – We pay off our balance in full every month, too. We put everything on cards though for cash back rewards and to better track spending. (I signed up for one last year that gave an introductory 5% cash back, which I was able to put almost all of my wedding expenses on, which was HUGE savings!)
– Drugstore free after rebate items – Drugstores like Walgreens usually offer several items each month that are free after rebate. The online rebate submission is super easy, and if you opt for a Walgreens gift card, you get an additional 10% back. I almost never pay for things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.
– Library – I love it! It’s so much fun to go online and reserve the books you want and have them ready for you to pick up. I need to start trying movies as well!
I’m starting to clip coupons and get better at shopping food sales, and I’m currently contacting car insurance and cable companies, etc., for better rates.
Love your blog!
Alysia says
Great ideas! We also do some of the same.
1) Husband shaves his head (no hair cuts needed!) and uses less shampoo
2) Only have one car (no payments) and husband carpools when he can.
3) I ride my bike and use the public transit to go to work (Work provides a deeply discounted price)
4) Use Ebates and scour the internet for discount codes at Retailmenot when I do online shopping.
5) We automatically deposit money into our savings account.
6) We save for our future, by maxing out our retirement 403b, which our work does a 100% match and give to our ROTH IRA monthly (yes we are young, but you can never start too early)
7) We use recycled bags for all shopping trips (and get cents off at New Seasons, Trader Joes & Safeway)
8) Have potlucks when we are tired of our food.
9) We use restaurants gift certificates when they are on sale, so we can go out and spend half as much.
10) Do gift exchanges during the holidays instead of buying a gift for everyone (using elfster.com)
11) Bought energy efficient washer & dryer (big ticket item at first, but will help us in the long run).
Plus the ones that you and others have mentioned (ie taking lunch to work, buying in bulk etc). Keep the good ideas coming!
YoungHouseLove says
Sweetness! Thanks so much for all the thrifty tips and tricks. You guys rock our world, and we’re planning a few more money-saving posts in the near future so stay tuned…
xoxo,
Sherry
The Scour Team says
Any way to save money is always helpful, thanks for the tips! I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Scour.com, but it’s a new search site that you can actually earn money just by searching. You give feedback on search results and they give you points which turns into $25 VISA gift cards! I definitely recommend checking it out, maybe make some money for stocking stuffers this holiday season…
decor8 Holly says
I wrote a post on this exact topic October 23rd. Your readers may enjoy reading it as it’s based on my own personal experience:
http://decor8blog.com/2008/10/23/decorating-on-a-budget/
Best,
Holly
Beth says
Hi! I love your blog. Just wanted to add to the list.
1. My friends and I have regular clothes swaps — 2x/yr. we clean out our closet and have a private yard sale amongst ourselves. We bring more than just clothes too. My favorite part of the evening is after we’ve gone through everything, we choose things we think someone should grab and we “sell” them to the group– giving a testimony as to why it’s a great find.
2. Best credit card rewards program I’ve found it American Express Blue cash. 1.5% on all purchases and after $6,500 in purchases, 5% on Gas, Groceries, and Drug store. I got $1011 back last year. http://www201.americanexpress.com/getthecard/learn-about/BlueCash
Courtney says
I know you said that you and your girls do a magazine swap… we’ll me and some of my girlfriends get together every-other-month or so and do a swap also. The only difference is… we swap EVERYTHING. From clothes, shoes and purses to make-up and household things. Why throw it away? When a good friend can get good use out of it? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great idea! I love it. I only wish more of my friends were short and tiny-footed like me. Here’s to making more 5’3″ friends!
xo,
Sherry
Victoria says
Love the ideas! And by the way, I’m short and tiny-footed (size 6-6 1/2) so Sherry you can send all your clothes, shoes, and purses my way! Thanks in advance! :) Love your blog!
Rebekah says
We do a lot of these things too! I can’t bring myself to do the haircuts though. My husband recently quit his full time job to freelance, so we canceled Netflix (among other cost saving measures) and now go to the library. It’s one block from our house and they have a TON of movies. We also read the magazines there. And use the free internet. It’s a small price to pay to have him home and doing what he loves.
Vanessa says
Love this post! Great ideas. Here are some things we do:
Got a pellet stove. We invested in this when oil was sky high and got a great deal on pellets. Warms the whole house and we rarely use the oil in the winter.
Stock-up on basics: Mac and cheese, soup, tuna, chicken salad, etc. I make us brownies each weekend and have started making pudding like my mom did when I was younger – 82 cents a box! Can’t beat it.
By store brands. I purchase pasta, sauce, cake, mix, pancake mix etc, from the Market Pantry brand at Target. Saves a lot in the end.
Cut my hair once a year. I let my hair grow all year long. Come summer time I cut it shoulder length and donate my “extra” hair to Pantene’s hair drive which uses it to make wigs for women and children with cancer. It’s a win win for me. Short hair in the summer and helping people out.
Magazines for miles. I used to fly a lot now I use the miles I collected to get free subscriptions to magazines like Martha Stewart and Travel and Leisure. When I’m done I leave them in the work lunch room or bring them to the local hospital for the waiting room.
I can’t get enough of our local library. I even get games for the Wii (a gift) there. Plus I donate old books to their annual sale and get a tax write off.
Friends give me clippings of plants which is good since I usually kill them anyway.
Thanks for all the great tips!
Catherine Franz says
I really liked learning about more says to save. Thank you. I’ve also added one I use that’s saved me thousands of dollars along with this link to your posts:
http://abundance.blogs.com/intothelight/2009/04/save-thousands-on-grocery-shopping.html
Aislinn says
Hey guys, I’m not sure you’re ever going to get a chance to read this since your comments are so long. But I really wanted to say thank you for your tips and for being willing to speak out and not be ashamed of being frugal. I was not raised frugally, my mother fully believes that a persons love and what they spend go hand in hand.
That said, I’m 21 and my mother no longer helps me with any form of bill, rent, tuition, etc. My boyfriend owns a new restaurant and we live in a big city so we’ve had to learn how to be painfully, desperately frugal. Having been dirt poor since I moved out at 18 I was able to teach him a bit but it’s nice to see a young couple who is comfortable and stylish but still thifty in their spending.
Now that the economy is so bad I’m damn proud to be referred to as The Thrifting Princess by my friends and family. We will certainly put these tips to use, once again, thanks so much.
Vanessa says
I noticed your comment about making chai lattes at home so you can skip the trip to starbucks. I have tried to do this but havent found a good one to make at home. What do you use, and do you have the tool to steam the milk? Little bit of a crazy question I know, but if I could find something I like as much, I too would skip the starbucks.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Vanessa,
We shop at Trader Joe’s (one of the best ways to get more bang for your buck- we can eat for two weeks straight on less than $80 worth of groceries which includes John’s lunches!) and we pick up their Oregon Chai, Chai Tea Latte Concentrate. It’s super easy to make (just add milk) and a concentrated box is only $3 and it makes at least 7 servings. Gotta love that it’s cheaper than one cup of chai at Starbucks… and tastes just as good, I swear!!! We’ve also seen this exact brand at Walmart for just as cheap in case you don’t have a Trader Joe’s around. Happy chai hunting!
xo,
Sherry
The Lil Bee says
Hi Sherry & John,
I love all these ideas…I’ve been devouring them for the last two hours! I’m posting a bunch of furniture on Craigs List tomorrow, and we’re planning a tag sale for sometime this summer:)
So, I have a question for you. When we first moved in, we made a couple of paint mistakes. We bought a few gallons of a color that I was SURE I’d use and, guess what, I changed my mind. I was wondering if you’ve ever come across a service that lets you donate unused/partially used paint? If not, no worries…I figure I’ll try for Craigs List on that, too! Thanks:)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey The Lil Bee,
We’re no strangers to changing our mind on paint. Some stores, like Home Depot, can be convinced to take the paint back (and they resell it as already-mixed “oops paint”). But if you’re looking to donate it, we’ve found that our Habitat for Humanity ReStore will take partially used paint cans. If not, I bet you could find some takers (or other suggestions) on craigslist.
-John
Megan says
Hey John and Sherry,
Love so many of your ideas…one of my favorite new websites is http://www.mint.com, a free budgeting website that takes all your bank info and puts it together in pie chart form (great for visual people like me). Now we see exactly where all our money is going, from debt to income, savings, etc. And if we have a bad impulse buy, we tell ourselves “we’re going to have to look at that later on the graph!”
M says
Hi, Sherry & John!
What a great saving ideas!
I have started some of ideas you posted on here – except paying bills online.
I know it will save money for stamps… but my husband is working at postoffice and I need to support his job you know! If he looses his job….. oh I don’t want to think about it!!
I do save money as much as possible for other stuff but not for stamps!
Amanda says
Have you guys heard of the Millionaire Next Door? You might enjoy it. My sister and her husband are super frugal, and one of my favorite things that they say is, “Be frugal with yourself, and generous with others.” It’s so true. They do the whole share-an-entree thing, but they tip as if they’d bought two (or maybe somewhere between). They enjoy life, but they do it on the cheap, and are still generous with others, charity, etc. and their lives are so much more peaceful because of it!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amanda,
Thanks for the suggestion! We’ll definitely check it out.
xo,
s
Katie says
Great post! My hubby and I are also very frugal…. Netflix is our go-to date night as well!
One “splurge” we’ve appreciated is buying a roku -A $95 purchase helped us kick the cable habit completely, and the gym membership. We now watch movies and tv shows, as well as workout videos on demand from Netflix when we can’t get outside for a run or bike ride. We also reduced our netflix “subscription” down to 1 video saving an additional $5/month!
gail says
*If your employer offers a FSA (Flex Spending Account) use it. Tax free money for all health related expenses…from Tylenol and Zyrtec (the OTC part of the plan will expire on 12/31/10 so stock up!) to eye glasses and co-pays. As a single person I planned for $600 a year, which sounds like a lot but really, my copay for an ER visit is $150, eye glasses are $300 and visits to the dentist are $50+ I burned through it quite fast.
*we plan our meals. love the planning, we even plan splurging. M-W I cook meals at home. Thursday my husband and I have date night at Whole Foods and we do dinner + grocery shopping. Friday is our “Fish Friday” where we buy a pricier fish (or other piece of meat) and make something yummy (not that M-W foods aren’t yummy, they just tend to be “cheaper” aka spaghetti and meatballs, homemade chicken pot pie…). Saturday and Sunday are up in the air depending on Social events but for at least one meal we rock a homemade pizza pie ;) yummmm.
Jessa says
Hey John & Sherry!
I have been going through your old posts as I’m a new reader and am loving all your tips and ideas!
As a new mama going into winter with a 3 month old, I have been struggling with our indoor temps. We too try to regulate our thermostat and don’t mind being a little chilly in the winter, but now I am concerned that my little one will be too cold as it’s not recommended to put them with anything too fluffy or loose in the crib.
Any special way you keep your own baby bean toasty at night and still keep your energy bills low?
Thanks :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessa,
For some reason Clara is a hot little baby! After a cold night I always expect her nose or her hands to be icy cold but she’s like a little furnace (and since the nurses recommended using her nose or her head as a gage for if she’s getting too cold we take it as a sign that she’s perfectly happy). Oh and the other sign is that she sleeps like a champ! We just put her to bed in a sleeper (footy pajamas with long sleeves) and we do try to keep the house a smidge warmer for her sake, but it hasn’t been anything that we noticed when it comes to our heating bill. Perhaps you can invest in a sleep sack (we’ve heard great things about them, and apparently they’re a lot safer than blankets). Maybe layering one over a sleeper would add a layer of warmth if you baby is feeling a bit cold in the nose or the head. Good luck!
xo,
s
Christy says
Yes, we swear by our sleep sacks! We got a few as hand-me-downs when our little one was born, and they make all the difference, as we keep our house cool, too. She’s bigger now, but we ordered a new sleep sack to fit her for the next year or so from target.com. It even has little footy holes so that, as she is learning to walk, she can still be mobile while staying toasty. Try it… you won’t regret it! Good luck :)
Naomi says
We keep our house at 64F when we’re sleeping and our daughter wears a sleeper and a Grobag and she is a super sleeper. Apparently sleeping in cooler temps is safer for babe than warmer as well, so that’s an added bonus!
Leslie says
Love Love Love all the tips! Its so nice to see another young couple as frugal as my husband and myself!!!!
The one thing I struggle with is gift giving- babyshowers, birthday etc, I always have a few things on hand for last minute gifts, but how do you deal with gift giving, and trying to keep it affroable??
YoungHouseLove says
Our family is big on going in on experiences as gifts. So instead of exchanging tons of Christmas gifts we all go in on a ski trip at a lodge (for twelve people which can break down to just $60 a person – which is way cheaper than getting eleven gifts for all those relatives). We also try to use coupons or rewards when we can (if I have a leftover credit or gift card to Gap I’ll get a cute birthday scarf or necklace for a friend). And we always use our Target credit card to save 5% there. Hope it helps!
xo,
s