I was always that little kid who saved up their money they got from their birthday, or Christmas, or the tooth fairy (which by the way I only got 25 cents for my teeth, nowadays kids teeth seem to be made of gold!). I waited until I found something I really wanted before I spent my money. To an extent that frugality has stuck with me in my adult hood. But when I stop and think about it, there are so many opportunities for me to manage my money.
So I did what any average person would do and started looking for other people’s ideas and you lucky folks get to reap the benefits of my efforts!
- Coupons – Start using the coupons you get from stores like Target and Walgreens, keep a coupon file folder or have them in your wallet visible when you reach to pay for something. You can also cut out coupons from the newspaper (pick up a second newspaper if it has really good coupon deals). Look for online coupons that you can use from your smart phone or print off and use. It is amazing what a few coupons can save your budget.
- Watch free TV and Movies on Hulu - Cable is expensive, and depending on how often you watch TV, it may be more beneficial to cut out the cable bill and watch it for free online. If you don’t plan on getting rid of your internet to save money, this could be a good compromise without having to give up all the entertainment you enjoy.
- Stock-up on sale items – If your favorite brand on toilet paper or shampoo goes on sale, get a few and store them in your closet. If they are products you are going to buy more of eventually anyway, get them for less now so you don’t get stuck paying more later.
- Pay Bills Online- Paperless bills are getting more and more popular. If you send out 2 paper bills in a month at 46 cents per stamp equals $11.04/year multiply that by 10 years and it is $110.40. It may not seem like a lot in ten years but if you can find 10 different ways to save $100 that is $1,000 of savings.
- Make your own cleaning products- Not only will you tend to be more friendly to the environment, you will also know what is going into the products you are using around the house. eartheasy and thedailygreen have some great recipes for making your own cleaning products that work just as well as the store bought products.
- Wash your clothing in cold water- Unless you have badly stained or oiled clothing, cold water works just as well as warm and will save you some money on your water bill too! Bonus: Only wash full loads of laundry and wear your clothes more than once for even more savings.
- Collect rainwater for plants and grass- Nature provides you with savings of its own.
I found more penny savers in my search, but you’ll have to wait for those tips for next time.
What methods have you found that have saved you money?
Have you found cheaper alternatives that work better than their expensive counter-parts?