Money Saving Tips

[blueyedgirl5946]

How do you save money around the house, shopping, taking care of the car or pets. Give your tips here on what you do that helps save your family money.

I will start.

I keep a plastic carton in the freezer door and deposit all leftover vegetables for a pot of soup later.
Leftover food goes in the freezer for another meal.
I mark the sale ads with things I want before I go shopping.
I buy the local Sunday paper and save coupons.
I iron any tissue paper I get from shoe boxes, gifts, etc. and use it again.
I shop in thrift stores.

 

[betsygee]

I'm impressed!  I also re-use tissue paper, but I'm too lazy to iron it!  

  

 

[Primula]

Good thread!

Trouble is, I can't think of a single thing right now.

 

[muffy]

When something is on sale that I use I will buy a big supply of it. I also shop at BJ's Wholesale and Walmart to save money.

 

[Winchester]

I have to admit that I never thought about ironing tissue paper. That's a good one.

We have two large freezers. The upright is our meat freezer; the chest freezer stores leftovers, vegetables from the garden, pies, cupcakes, cookies, applesauce, pumpkin, etc. I cook a lot of soups, chilis, and such and will tuck them into the freezer to use on those busy nights when I have meetings or when Rick is bowling early. It sure beats running out for fast food and is often actually quicker than fast food! Certainly healthier for us. I also bake our own bread and rolls, simply because I like to do so. But even that comes in handy.

Having the freezers allow me to buy in bulk. When chicken parts are on sale for 79 cents a pound, I'll take advantage. Same with ground beef, pork chops, etc. Get it home and use the food saver to repackage the meat in portion sizes for Rick and me. 

That food saver has proven to be worth its weight in gold.

I also have my What's in the Freezers? list and I use it as much as I can. As soon as I use something, it gets crossed off. When I add packages of meats or what-have-you, they get added to the list immediately. I also try to keep track of when stuff goes into the freezer (and it's labelled!), so it gets used fairly promptly. For the most part, it works out well, although I have to say there have been times when I swear I took out chicken and found out it was pork. It happens.

Coupons help me. @blueyedgirl5946, you're the one who gave me some coupon sites and I do use them. Thank you for that.

Grocery lists. Do not go to the store without it. 

Know what you're going to making for dinner for a week, including your side dishes. Get Tuesday's meat out of the freezer on Monday night, so it's done. On Tuesday night, get something out of the freezer for Wednesday's dinner. And so on. When you're working on your grocery list, if you know you're having meatloaf with some kind of potatoes, well, then you know to put potatoes on your list.

It helps to start keeping some stuff on hand. If you have what you need to cook, chances are you're going to cook (if you like to cook, that is). I keep staples like my flours in the freezer. As soon as I open a bag of sugar, it goes on my grocery list. I date my baking powder and soda as soon as I open it. 

Obviously, my tricks are based on cooking. It's cheaper to cook supper than it is to go out all the time. Well, for us, it is. If it's just one of you, I don't know, maybe it's not.

 

[Kat0121]

I use coupons from Coupons.com and I get them through Swagbucks.com. I use SB as my home page and they reward you with "bucks" that you can use towards getting gift cards and merchandise. You can also get paid through Paypal if you choose. I have been a member for years and have gotten at least $500 in gift cards for Amazon, Wal Mart and Home Depot. This is how I got my chest freezer for FREE- yes FREE. It's a 5 cubic square foot Haier and we are in love with each other. Sophie loves to sit on top of it and supervise whatever it is I am doing. SB also gives you 10 bucks for every coupon you print and redeem in store. They also have surveys, random buck awards for searches, etc. I just gave DD a $50 Amazon GC for Christmas that I redeemed points for. i recommend them HIGHLY. 

I do online surveys for money through PineconeResearch.com and PaidViewpoint.com. I have been with PCR for many years. Possibly longer than SB. They pay $3 per survey that is credited to your account quickly. You can buy merchandise with it, get a check sent or have it sent to your Paypal which is what I do. They have NEVER not paid me. I currently have $270 on my account. These surveys often lead to products tests. I have gotten a lot of free full sized products. After the PT they send you another survey. They surveys are quick and painless. They do not offer membership all the time though and not everyone who tries to get in with them will. it's great if you do. I have made at least $1,000 since I have been with them and that's lowballing it

PaidViewPoint will take anyone but they don't pay as much. They DO pay though. I've been with them a few years and have made somewhere around $200 or so- maybe $250. Right now I have about $60.00 on my account. I let these accounts sit until an unexpected expense comes in and then I cash them out. They also use Paypal and send it right to your account. I have never not been paid by them. They pay .10 a survey but they are very quick and if you get into the survey quickly, it sometimes leads to a longer one that pays a bit more. Everything helps. 

I save money in clothing and such from Kohls by using their sales and the % off codes that they offer to Kohls cardholders. Pair that with Kohls cash when you have it and you can get some great deals. 

I get most magazine subscriptions for free through RewardSurvey. They send surveys that are quick and they "pay" usually $20 or so that you can use towards magazine subscriptions. They also often offer the Wall Street Journal which is great for lighting a BBQ or lining a bird cage 

 

You cannot get cash from them unfortunately. I wish. I have about $1300 on my account waiting for magazines to be added that I actually want. 

 

[Primula]

Wow Kate, that's really something all those things you do. And Pam too is super-organized.

I consider myself quite cheap, but still can't think of a single thing I do. It's only in the last month that I've registered my Dunkin Donuts card & I've been excited to get a couple of free coffees. Wonder why I didn't register it before. :doh3:

 

[neely]

How do you save money around the house, shopping, taking care of the car or pets. Give your tips here on what you do that helps save your family money.

I will start.

I keep a plastic carton in the freezer door and deposit all leftover vegetables for a pot of soup later.
Leftover food goes in the freezer for another meal.
I mark the sale ads with things I want before I go shopping.
I buy the local Sunday paper and save coupons.
I iron any tissue paper I get from shoe boxes, gifts, etc. and use it again.
I shop in thrift stores.

Great minds think alike!  I do 5 of the above 6 tips, the only one I don't do is plastic carton for freezing veggies for soup.  I recycle tissue paper and gift bags but had no idea the tissue can be ironed - thanks.  

I also shop for clothes at the end of the season or as you mentioned at thrift stores, my daughter and I love a good find.

  There is a dept. store chain in the midwest that has fantastic doorbuster sales after the holidays.  Yesterday I got a complete flannel sheet set, (flat sheet, fitted sheet & 2 pillowcases), which started out at $110.00 marked down 3 times and with coupon I paid $30.00.  

Ok, this may sound weird but I even check my mail for uncancelled stamps - you got it, if the stamp hasn't been cancelled I reuse it.  Heck, at the price of stamps, why not?

And I shop at a grocery store that doubles coupons on Wednesdays - if an item is already on sale and I have a coupon that gets doubled it really puts me in a good mood.

 

[Primula]

I always use stamps that haven't been cancelled.

 

[Willowy]

I always use stamps that haven't been cancelled.

Technically, if it's been through the mail. . .that's a federal crime! A stamp cannot be re-used. Now I doubt the inspectors go around arresting people who re-use a stamp now and then, that wouldn't be worth their time. But if they suspect your stamp is re-used they can mark your mailpiece as postage due.

I don't really DO anything that saves money, such as using coupons. More like what I don't do :lol3:. I don't shop at the big-box pet stores except for sales---they're expensive! I buy pet food from Costco or online, litter at Walmart or online. I do keep a grocery list, but mainly because I would totally forget what I needed if I didn't, lol. I look at the sales ads to see if anything I need is on sale and stock up. I buy in bulk and freeze it. A lot of that is more due to living 40 miles from a decent store, but it also saves money . I figure out price-per-unit with my cell phone calculator---sometimes the largest option isn't the cheapest. I don't have cable or home internet, but mainly because the rural options are ridiculously expensive.

 

[arouetta]

Coupons.com is definitely better than the Sunday paper.  It's free and it offers more variety in coupons.  I actually use the "print to pdf" option and save it instead of printing directly from the site so that I can reprint what I use over and over until the expiration date hits.

While some generics are ick, some are really good, so I buy a lot of generics and I use a calculator to figure out price per unit on the fly.  Most stores do list a price per unit, but it can be interesting when two different sizes of rice list two different units, like one listing per gram and one listing per ounce.  Also, sales affects price per unit, but the sale price sign rarely lists an adjusted price per unit.

I never shop while hungry.  The few times I have, the impulse buys are crazy.  The impulse buys are catastrophic if I go shopping thinking I'm not hungry but my blood sugar plummets to the point of needing glucose tablets mid-trip.  (However, I also never shop after a full meal as I can then talk myself out of needed stuff simply because I have no appetite.)

I also stop and evaluate everything in my cart at least once per grocery trip to see if impulse buys did sneak in.  Not just the obvious stuff, but did I buy too much rice-a-roni, or do I really need that much meat, or did the awesome sales on ingredients needed for meals I didn't have listed on the menu this week mean I bought too many meals for the week?

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

There are a lot of things we can do to save money if we just will think about it. I once had a recipe to make my own detergent for the washing machine. I did it for awhile, but I couldn't forget how good Fab liquid smells. I quit that and started buying my Fab again.

 

[Primula]

Technically, if it's been through the mail. . .that's a federal crime!

Lordy, break out the handcuffs!

 

[Kat0121]

Lordy, break out the handcuffs!

If they didn't want us to do that, they would not have invented Elmer's glue sticks.

I've done that too once or twice. I guess we'll be sharing a cell at Danbury- or maybe they will leave Gitmo open for us.

 

[Primula]

If they didn't want us to do that, they would not have invented Elmer's glue sticks.

I've done that too once or twice. I guess we'll be sharing a cell at Danbury- or maybe they will leave Gitmo open for us. :lol3:

I can't wear orange. Gonna have to be Pink is the New Black.

 

[betsygee]

There are a lot of things we can do to save money if we just will think about it. I once had a recipe to make my own detergent for the washing machine. I did it for awhile, but I couldn't forget how good Fab liquid smells. I quit that and started buying my Fab again.

I shop at thrift stores like you do.  I generally wear only casual jeans and tops so why pay full price for those kinds of things?  

I stocked up on laundry soap, hand lotions and chapstick through an online place I like when they had a 2-for-1 after Christmas sale.  They were getting rid of their holiday-themed items. What do I care if my soap and lotions have red and green Christmasy labels on them, they still work the same.  

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I have been to some after Christmas sales too. I have Christmas presents for three of my four grandchildren, all bought at clearance and sale prices. Then I have birthday presents for two of them already. I waited until the last minute in 2016 and spent more money than I wanted to trying to find it all. This year, I will have it all done ahead of time and save money by shopping early and throughout the year.

 

[AbbysMom]

I'm impressed!  I also re-use tissue paper, but I'm too lazy to iron it!  :lol3:   

I save all tissue paper, boxes and bags.

I shop at discount stores and outlets, including places like Marshall's and TJ Maxx for "better name" things. I have a ton of Coach bags, a Michael Kors and a Kate Spade. I've never paid anywhere close to full price for any of them.

I sign up for all reward and deals programs for places I frequently go. Savings Catcher at Walmart, Cartwheel at Target, etc. We gas up at Cumberland Farms and use Smart Pay to get 10 cents off a gallon. I have more of those "rewards cards" than a person should, but they do add up. I get plenty of extra coupons and free meals, etc and restaurants we often go to. I am a Kohls shopper with my Kohls cash, 30% off coupons, etc. If I see something I like in a store, I always pull my phone out and see if I can get it cheaper at Amazon before buying.

We eat leftovers. I know a lot of people don't. I often make large bathes of soup, etc for the freezer for days I don't' want to cook. I used to really overbuy at the supermarket, but now I go every few days just for the few things I need.

I will buy store brands on a lot of things.

I use groupon, etc.

 

[denice]

There are a lot of things we can do to save money if we just will think about it. I once had a recipe to make my own detergent for the washing machine. I did it for awhile, but I couldn't forget how good Fab liquid smells. I quit that and started buying my Fab again.

I didn't know that they still make Fab.  I don't think that the store I shop at has it.  I remember that was what my mother used.  That was many years ago before they started concentrating things.  She got the powder in a big box and used a cup for each load.  I remember the box was blue with their circle design on the front.

 

[Willowy]

Some things aren't necessary worth the savings. I read an article about that once, that pointed some things out. Like saving boxes, etc. may not be cost-effective if you have limited storage space (basically, if your space is worth more than what you would spend on a new box). And making your own laundry detergent is time-consuming and it doesn't have the nice scents or whitening agents like modern detergents. Most people do maybe 1 load a day, and even if you use the most expensive detergent, it might cost you $10 a month. Not worth it for most people. Only if you do 4+ loads a day and stain removal/whitening/nice scents aren't a priority. Someone who has little free time may not benefit from clipping coupons. Etc. It was an interesting article, wish I had saved it or could find it again.