We’re back with our third installment of cash conscious ideas, so lets-save-some-moolah-people! For our first post about all the ways we keep our wallets in check, check out Save It: Part 1. And for a slew of other money saving suggestions, see our more recent post Save It: Part 2. Who would’ve thought after 21 tips we’d be back with more… but desperate times call for even more penny pinching, so we’re here to spill the beans (and hopefully save some too).
Cheapola Tip #1- Point Taken. In tight times like these, it’s nice to use our extra credit card “points” strategically. So instead of cashing them in for something that’s not entirely necessary (like a Bose stereo or a hotel reservation), we like to put them towards something we ordinarily would have spent our hard earned money on anyway (like a gift card to Home Depot to cover a year’s worth of air filters for our HVAC or even a grocery store gift card for food and other monthly expenses). There’s nothing like an indulgence in good times, but it’s super fun to think that Visa is paying for garbage bags and other household staples so we can bank a bit more dough these days.
Cheapola Tip #2- Waste Not, Pay Not. We realized that thanks to composting and recycling, our garbage bin only fills up every two weeks instead of having to be dragged to the curb every 7 days. Thankfully there are trash services that offer bi-monthly pick-ups (for less!) which work perfectly for our reduced trash load, so we’re planning to switch over and save some green.
Cheapola Tip #3- Second Chance. Purely on a whim, I decided to take a big bag of old clothes destined for Goodwill to a local consignment shop- just to see what would happen. The verdict? I’m a consignment convert. I walked in with a bulging bag of clothes and walked out with $44 in my pocket (and still had a few things in the bag for Goodwill!). They certainly won’t take everything (color and season along with size and the trends come into play) but for two pair of jeans, some red flats that never fit right, and an old dress that I’ll never wear again, I made close to $50. Not bad for offering up closet castoffs and twenty minutes of my time.
Cheapola Tip #4- Seize The Birthday. Much like tip number one, resisting the urge to ask for off the wall “would be nice” gifts and instead requesting something you would actually spend money on might feel a tad less exciting but your wallet will thank you. And it doesn’t always have to be something boring like razors and toilet paper. I had been eying some candle sconces from ZGallerie for a while, so adding them to my birthday list ensured that I’d get them without having to enter my credit card number. Happy birthday to me!
Cheapola Tip #5- Go The Long Haul. We actually went all of March without “major food shopping” at all. Not once! Other than stopping in two times pick up some eggs, milk and produce (which came in under $25 each time), we didn’t do any grocery shopping for the entire 31 days of March! And no we didn’t stock up on $300 worth of food on February 28th or go on vacation for three weeks of the month. We just set one goal: no food shopping until we eat everything that we already have. Like most people we had random cans of beans, forgotten boxes of brown rice, and tons of frozen salmon that we avoided since frozen pizza is easier (so off to the store we went to buy more instead of eating what we had). By vowing to finish the rest of our oatmeal and veggie burgers, we thought we’d save a bit, but we had no idea we’d save hundreds of dollars that we usually spend on food for the month. Bonus: now our cabinets are cleared out and we know what we never really ate (so we can avoid it and save even more loot).
Cheapola Tip #6- Work The Land. Thanks to a super simple compost bin and an inexpensive rain barrel, Mother Nature’s doing the work for us and we’re getting free organic soil and water- just in time for planting season. And thanks to a fruit and vegetable garden that we’re in the process of establishing, we’re looking forward to gaining even more good stuff without spending much green.
Cheapola Tip #7- Order In. John’s a big runner, and he’s had knee problems in the past, so shoes with adequate support are imperative. That means he can’t exactly wear his Asics into the ground (since they’re only good for about 6 months and then they start compromising his knee-health). But all that shoe-replacing can get expensive. Of course he would never blindly order a running shoe online (he likes to try them on and trot around in them) but he knows that there are online retailers who sell the very same shoes he could buy at a big chain nearby for $20-$30 cheaper (with free shipping). So he has taken to trying shoes on in the store and memorizing the name and model number so he can find the exact same sneakers online for a lot less. He even researches coupon codes for additional savings. Gotta love shoes that go the distance and come right to your door.
Cheapola Tip #8- Take The Subway. Now that every single Subway footlong is $5, we can easily have lunch or dinner on the go for $2.50 a person. By splitting a sub (they’re happy to put different toppings on each half) we feel better than noshing on artery clogging Big Macs, and it’s a lot easier to save cash (and avoid a side of fries). Although we still prefer to eat at home, for those long afternoons of running errands on the weekends, Subway is often a much needed pick-me-up along the way.
Cheapola Tip #9- Refinance, Baby. We already did a post about this (and how it’s saving us some serious bank) but it’s worth mentioning in this round-up of ideas for anyone looking to own their home for a bit less in the long-term. It’s a great time to drop your interest rate substantially.
Now it’s your turn! Tell us all of you penny pinching tips and tricks. Share and share alike!
For more great money saving strategies check out this post over at My Sweet Savannah.
Lisa says
We live in Manhattan and I am always putting stuff on Craigslist when we no longer need it… not everything sells but I would say about 75% of my items do, given enough time… even the ugly, 15-lb., recycled glass leaf platter that relatives spent $20+ to send as a bridal shower gift! I wish we had the option of a consignment store/franchise here. Hmm, maybe that’s an opportunity…
I’ve also signed up for word of mouth marketing organizations such as http://www.bzzagent.com, Psst from General Mills and First Taste from Kraft (Google to find their Web sites). Every so often they send me coupons and/or new products to try and give feedback on, which is fun.
And I’m a huge fan of reusable grocery bags (http://www.rumebags.com) and CFL bulbs, especially the new ones that enclose the coil in a frosted glass globe so they look more aesthetically pleasing. Thanks for all of your tips and ideas!
Nic says
Hey everyone,
I saw the article about money saving tips and think they are all great. I love the fact that lots of people are sharing their ideas like this, it means we can try and save money. I think with all the financial worries going around at the moment, we all need to be more aware of our spending. I thought I would share my new tip with you, I have now recently become a bit of a fan of electronic greetings cards. I have spent ages on the internet and have found a really cool free eCard greetings site. I think this is such a great idea as a money saving technique! I dread to link how money I have spent over the years on papers cards, and postage! I like this particular site because it always seems to have new designs to choose from, so I have never become bored. They also have a great application called ‘Face It’ where you can upload your own photos to add that extra personal touch, which is a great idea. I hope this piece of information helps, let me know!
Envelope Printing says
Consignment shops are great! You never know, your stuff may be another person’s treasure find! It’s always great to help out and give some stuff to charity too.
Elizabeth says
Hi Sherry and John-
Love your website! You have so many great tips and ideas! Talking about trash pick-up, I don’t know if you are willing to bring your trash to the “dump”, but it would save lots of money! I think drop off is between $5 and $10 per visit, no matter how much you have. It is located off of Genito Road.
Looking forward to more great tips!
Lilly says
Some awesome ideas on this site, thanks for sharing everyone, I too have been known to send the odd batch of online greeting cards every once in a while. I also agree with what lisa said about grocery bags, I have invested a lovely ‘shopper’ so I don’t need plastic bags from the store now, a great greener way to shop and live.
Sarah says
Great tips. I can relate to the shopping/food issue. I don’t know how many times I’ve cleaned out a kitchen cabinet to find things I purchased months ago but haven’t eaten yet. I plan to copy you and make myself eat everything in my cupboard.
I’m single and cooking is sometimes hard, but one thing I do is make big batches of chili and soup and then freeze it in individual containers. This weekend I made butternut squash soup and tonight I’m making the chili. Very easy to take to work for lunch or heat up for dinner when I don’t want to cook.
Each year, my family and I go in on purchasing a cow from my cousins. You can do this with a lot of farmers, actually. My share was about $200, but that was over 70 pounds of ground beef, steaks, ribs, roasts and stew meat. $2.85/pound for organic beef is nothing to sneeze at and I’m pretty much set for most of the year.
This summer I started doing all my shopping for produce at Eastern Market in Detroit. It’s a huge farmer’s market and there’s always great produce for good prices. Plus, it actually tastes how it’s supposed to, unlike the stuff in grocery stores that is picked way too early and shipped across the country. It’s a fun way to spend a Saturday morning.
I’ve also been perusing DIY blogs for decor ideas. I recently made a really cool starburst mirror out of wooden skewers, a floral ring, and a plain mirror. Total cost, including paint, was about $10, but it looks much more expensive. I also scored a gallon of paint for my bathroom at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $2.78 (brand new, it was donated to the ReStore only because someone accidentally mixed the wrong color), plus rollers, brushes, and paint guides for pennies on the dollar. Craigslist is a good friend of mine too, since I just got a cute barrel chair – in perfect condition – with cane sides for $20.
Lastly, I sign up for e-mailing lists with the ReStores in my area so I get alerts on new items and special sales. I also signed up for birthday clubs at area restaurants because they send you coupons for discounts and free items. I think I signed up at http://www.freebirthdaystuff.com.
Paige says
I know this is an old post, but your new layout on the “Projects” page has me discovering a lot of old posts. I used to work at Academy Sports + Outdoors, and they will take back anything with a receipt. Rusted bicycle and worn out tennis shoe alike. You can literally buy one pair of tennis shoes and just keep returning them for store credit over and over again. A lifetime of shoes for the price of one. There are so many of the stores scattered across the South, I thought it was worth mentioning.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo,
s