65 Money Saving Tips
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- Bed, Bath & Beyond owns Harmon and Buy Buy Baby. Can use BBB coupons there.
- You can use a BBB coupon AND a manufacturer coupon on one item!
- If there is a specific coupon in the Sunday paper that I use more of, buy a lot from eBay for $1.00.
- Buy gift cards/store credit from eBay and save loads of money (especially on large projects like remodeling a kitchen). Call first before you purchase to make sure the amount is really on the card.
- www.travelzoo.com- the internet's most popular list of the best travel deals of the week.
- www.dealseekingmom.com- Mother of 5 kids who find the most exclusive deals, discounts and good free stuff and lets you know about them. Sign up for emails.
- Sign up for favorite stores (email) and restaurants to receive coupons and be the first to know about sales.
- Make your own coffee.
- Brown bag lunch at least a few days a week.
- Use grocery store bags to line trash bags (for small garbage cans of course).
- Tips for saving money at the grocery store: Go shopping alone.
- Have a budget and stick to it.
- Make fewer, larger trips.
- Don’t shop hungry.
- Plan your meals in advance for the week.
- Scan your cupboards, pantry, and fridge before leaving.
- Keep a running list of items you need on your fridge.
- Plan your trip through the store to minimize wandering the aisles.
- Don’t be afraid of store brands.
- Double check your receipt. How many times have you gotten home only to find a mistake on your receipt? And how many times have those mistakes resulted in you overpaying? Occasionally items are scanned incorrectly, or don’t come up with the sale price, or are even scanned twice. It can be easy to miss these pricing mistakes thanks to the numerous checkout distractions. There’s a reason the screen is right in front of you. Don’t talk on the phone or get distracted by the tabloid headlines! Watch as each item is scanned. If you think something is rung up incorrectly, ASK the cashier.
- Subscribe to the Sunday paper (coupons are FREE money)
- Keep an eye on the weekly store circular
- Clip (and use!) coupons for name brand items, most grocery stores double coupons, sometimes triple coupons.
- Check the store’s website for printable coupons.
- Stock up (within reason) when things are on sale.
- Bring your own reusable bags.
- Get rain checks when sale items are out of stock.
- Visit multiple stores to get the best deals, or…
- Joins the store’s affinity program and flash your savings card.
- Cook large batches and freeze for later.
- Don’t waste leftovers.
- Eat less – seriously, many people eat way more than necessary. (yes, me)
- Hit the local farmer’s market.
- Drink more water, fewer costly beverages.
- Be on the lookout for pricing errors at the register.
- Always fill out and send your rebates.
- Disconnect landlines if possible. Unless you have small kids in the house or older people to take care of, it is more than likely that you will be able to survive with only the mobile phones and can get rid of the land line.
- Credit cards should be used as the cash-management tool they are, not a borrowing tool. We're spending tomorrow's money when we put things on a credit card. You keep locking yourself up and losing your freedom. My bottom line on financial health? Stop spending.
- Call credit card companies and tell them you are not satisfied with your interest rate. They do not want to lose you, so that means you have the power. You may run into some resistance at the start of the conversation, but if you remind them how reliable a customer you have been and that you have no problem walking away, you may get what you want.
- Anytime you are about to eat or shop, Google the place you are headed to. For example, I recently had to go to Sports Authority to buy camping supplies. I googled "Sports Authority coupons" and many legit websites come up that have printable coupons. I printed out a coupon that saved me $25.00 off a purchase of $100.00. Another example, I knew I was going to Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner one night, and before I went, I googled: "Longhorn Steakhouse coupons" and printed out a free appetizer coupon.
- Eat out less.
- If someone likes to shop online, tell them to go to www.retailmenot.com. It's a website that has coupon codes for nearly every store we shop at.
- For car repairs or maintenance, go to the car repair shop's website before getting the work done because most of the websites offer coupons you can print out and bring with you to the car place. Sometimes they have a frequent oil change card.
- If you have "AAA", check online to see what discounts they offer.
- Replace regular light bulbs with "Compact Fluorescent Lamps" (CFL's). You'll use 66% less energy.
- If takes a lot of discipline, but consider unplugging every appliance in your home (except the fridge). Keeping items plugged in, consumes so much energy- even if they're not in use.
- Computers are energy hogs so don't leave yours running when it's not being used. Set your computer to enter "sleep" mode when not in use for 20-30 minutes. If your computer is less than five years old, it uses 95% less power in sleep mode.
- If you cannot afford to purchase brand new windows (to save money on heating and cooling), buy energy efficient window drapes. They will reduce your heating and cooling bills, while making a fashionable statement.
- For ladies who use eye make-up remover, use baby oil. It's very inexpensive and lasts for a long time.
- Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to think that the house temperature is hotter and cause it to run longer than necessary.
- Move furniture away from air vents. You'll improve airflow and help your heating/cooling system work better. Save an easy $20 a year.
- Unused refrigerators and freezers cost about $130/year to keep running. If you don't absolutely need that second fridge, unplug it.
- Use glass/ceramic pans in the oven. Glass and ceramic heat faster than metal pans which means, according to the American Council for Energy Efficiency, that you can cook your meals at a temperature 25 degrees lower in the same amount of time.
- NO peeking! Every time you open the oven door to check on what you are cooking, the oven temperature drops by 25°F to 75°F (and has to heat back up again). Use a timer if the oven door does not have a window.
- You can lower your shopping gas bill with gasbuddy.com and fuelmeup.com.
- Join NetFlix. If you regularly rent movies from the video store or go to the theater, joining Netflix could save you a hefty sum. If you REALLY like going to the movie theater, go before 6:00 p.m.
- Use your own bank's ATM! Last year consumers spent nearly 4.5 BILLION on ATM fees.
- Sell your gift cards. How many times have you been given a certificate or gift card to a store where you don’t shop or that’s nowhere close to your home? Don’t let that card take up space in your wallet- sell it! You can turn those gift cards into cash by selling them on eBay or www.plasticjungle.com (a secure website where you can buy, sell or trade unwanted or unused gift cards).
- For college textbooks, the bookstore can cost you an arm and a leg. I never bought books from my college bookstore. I bought it from www.half.com, or eBay, or Amazon.
- Consider the library for books, music and movies. It is FREE.
- Eat out less often.
- Price check. If you have your eye on ANY product, including specific model appliances, visit www.pricegrabber.com or www.smarter.com and compare prices from both online and offline retailers.
- Hold the mother of all garage sales. If you haven't used it in six months, chances are you can do without.
- No pet pampering. Does your dog need those pricey snacks? Does your cat need acupuncture? I don't think so.
- Never pay full price. If you must shop, discover the online world of discount Web sites. EBay, half.com and craigslist.org are excellent sources of "lightly used" goods-everything from books to cars to clothes to office furniture.
(Adopted from an email that a friend of mine sent me today! Thanks, Marjorie Findlay! Good work!)