Saturday, September 26, 2009

10 Ways to Save Money

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First of all, I'd like to say thank you you to all of you who visit here regularly! I truly appreciate each and everyone of you! Since there seem to be some new readers, I wanted to let them know that on Saturdays I like to do posts about simple living, ways to save money, simple pleasures, gardening or great ideas or posts I've seen that fit in with these ideas. I like decorating, but I have other interests in life as well and actually making the most of my husband's paycheck is one of my main jobs! A lot of times these posts are more for me than for you! They're a way to keep myself on track.




1. Use technology to help you save money! Before I go to Target, CVS, Walgreens or grocery shopping I check the blogs I have listed under Frugal/Freebie Deals Blogs on my sidebar. They will tell you what good deals are available at your grocery store, what coupons to use, even where to go to print out specific coupons, what items you can get free with a coupon, what the free item at Publix is this week etc. Go have a look! I always look for coupon codes before purchasing anything online. Lots of times I find ones for at least free shipping if not $$off the price or some other add on. If you have a good site you always use, let me know and I'll add it to the list.



2. Use it up or make do. That includes food! I've really been trying to make sure that I either freeze my leftovers or use them up so I don't have any waste. Be resourceful! We try to repair or think outside the box if something is broken so that we don't necessarily have run out and buy a replacement. Sometimes you find you can just do with out!


3. Make a menu. Planning your meals really is a money saver and in the long run a time saver. You don't have wonder what to eat, you're not as tempted to go out to eat, and you can buy what's on sale and plan your meals around that or your pantry.

4. If you want to eat out, go out for lunch. The portions are smaller which is good for your health and the prices are smaller too. Order water instead of a soda, it's better for you and will save you money. Alcohol and drinks in general are a profit maker for restaurants. Go to Restaurant.com to see if any restaurants you go to are listed. They often have coupon codes where you can get a $25 gift certificate for $5-10 (but always read all the fine print some restrictions apply).

5. Maintain your home, car, appliances, clothes, etc. Doing preventive maintenance will save you huge repair bills in the future. Little things like removing the lint from your dyer vent, clearing out your gutters, taking care of a small faucet leak before it turns into a larger one, change your oil and air filters on your car when needed, and getting your tuneups will help you avoid larger bills.

6. Use half the amount of lotions, dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste. I always try half the amount and then I up it incrementally until I'm happy. You'll be surprised at how effective the lesser amounts will be. Look inside the cup that comes with your laundry detergent - you'll be surprised by where the line is. It's never to the top of the cap!

7. Enjoy being at home! You don't have to go somewhere to have a good time. You and your family can just enjoy being at home. Have a movie night. We have movie night every Friday night. We rent a DVD from Netflix,the library or Redbox(now that it's more readily available), eat on TV trays (we always eat dinner together in the dining room every night so this makes it "different") and I always make something that goes with fries or I make pizza (usually we try to eat healthy). When my daughter was little we'd have game night and we still do that occasionally.


8.Don't buy it if you can't afford it! The fun of getting that big screen TV on a credit card fades once you get the bill! Wait until you have the cash. People used to always wait and save up...it can be done!


9. Make a holiday budget and stick to it. With Christmas just a few months away, it's time to start thinking about gifts. Give something you made (people usually love home baked goods), give your time, give something small but indulgent (a really good bottle of olive oil if they cook, a small jar of really good honey, a bag of really good coffee, a bar of handmade soap...you get the idea).


10. Focus on all that you have! There will always be people that are richer than you...there are also people that have less than you have. Focus on appreciating what you have and don't let advertisers, blogs, magazines or TV shows influence you into buying things you can't afford and most likely don't really need anyway! You are not what you own or don't own!


Like I said, sometimes these posts are more for me than they are for anyone else! But hopefully some of you will find this helpful as well. Have a great weekend! (it's another wet one here in Georgia).





*all images are from Allposters.com or Google Images

33 comments:

Sandy said...

Excellent advice!! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Great post Manuela! You said it well!

Jane

Rhondi said...

Hi Manuela
I always enjoy your money saving tips because I am all about trying to live wisely too. We eat dinner at the dining room table every night also so it's a treat when we get a movie and eat our meal on our laps!
Hope you're having a good Saturday.
Hugs, Rhondi

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Good tips, Manuela. This year we discontinued having someone come cut our lawn. It was about $900.00 for the season, but we bought a lawn mower {around $240.00} and my hubby mows the front and I mow the back. Every year I start buying Christmas gifts early so I'm not feeling pressure in December or January {when the bills come} and this year I'm getting back to making things. Most of my gifts will be made by me this year.

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Great post. Thanks for sharing.
We have actually had some sunshine today. It started out cloudy and threatening, but when the sun came out, I went out the door.

Kathleen Grace said...

Great post Manuela, I find that controlling waste is a huge money saver, as is not shopping unless I really need something!

Love the Decor! said...

Wonderful advice! Thanks for the encouragement to be doing what we all know we should be doing anyway
have a blessed weekend

Beth said...

Great post! And some very good advice.

Unknown said...

This was a really good post! You should post it on your sidebar! ;D

Stacey said...

Manuela, I love your money saving posts! We have been fortunate in our marriage to not have to struggle. Still, we are careful with our money. The world seems fragile to me and you never know what could happen. Your posts always make me think of something new or reinforce what we are doing. I appreciate you very much!

Anonymous said...

Manuela, hello and I hope you are well. :)

I'm glad to read today's post. I so enjoy your frugal living thoughts.

Is it just me as I'm finding that our tight budget is getting harder to stretch? I consider myself pretty good when it comes to thriftiness, but am finding it more challenging planning for the upcoming colder months and holiday season.

Ally's Corner said...

I'm getting ready to do a post on saving money, I just need to get it together. Since it's raining again today I'm painting some of my pumpkins. Taking one of your ideas I'll link back to you if I post it.

Ally

Scrappy quilter said...

Excellant advice. No. 8 is the absolutel best advice that can be given to everybody. I really liked this post.

horse loving lineman's wife said...

Thanks for all the GREAT ideas!

Happy@Home said...

These are all great tips, Manuela.
I grew up with a lot of these ideas drilled into me as my parents grew up in rather poor homes during the depression. My husband and I have always been pretty good at saving and I am thankful to my parents for raising me that way. It is a lot easier than trying to dig your way out of deep debt.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Vicki said...

Hi, Manuela,
You are a very wise lady! I need to print these tips off and stick them to my refrigerator. Thanks for sharing these frugal ideas. Also, thank you for stopping by Bunny Cottage today and leaving a kind comment. Come back every chance you get. Vicki p.s. I love all the ideas you gave for the pumpkins.

Angie said...

Great tips as always, Manuela! I enjoy these posts!

Sue said...

Your the Queen of Frugal!! I love it...you always offer such good sensible advise....My favorite and I think of you everytime I do it...
Wash your hands....you'll stay healthy...

The Creative Bohemian said...

Some great ideas Manuela. We all need to save our pennies. This rainy day here in the US isn't over yet!

Anonymous said...

You're a treasure, Manuela! A treasure! Destiny

Tracy Watier said...

Great tips, Manuela! A friend and I were just talking about this today... how this recession, as awful as it has been for a lot of people, has forced many to change their priorities and scale back to the things that are really important to spend their money and time on. That's not such a bad thing at all.

Paula@SweetPea said...

Great tips! Planning ahead seems to be the key to all of them.

matty said...

Amen! Much wisdom, Manuela! Thanks!

Little Penpen said...

Thanks for another great post... it helps to rethink these things from time to time. :o)

Tracey McBride ~ Frugal Luxuries® said...

Manuela, thank you so much for the reminders. It is such a comfort to have kindred spirits like you (and other like-minded bloggers). Posts such as these help to keep my focus on the things that really matter--while reminding me to use well and wisely the "coin of the realm".

I know I've said it many times before, but I appreciate your blog very much. Thank you for being so generous with your time and ideas.
Love from your friend,
Traceyxox.

Barb said...

Manuela, these are great. One of the things I usually do is bring home half of my dinner out for lunch the next day or so. The portions are soooo large...there is no way I can eat all that stuff so this works great.

Barb

Salmagundi said...

You always have excellent reminders for all of us. I am good at some things for awhile, then fall back to old ways. You nudge me back on track! Sally

Anonymous said...

Loved this post, especailly the last part about appreciating what you have. I hear people complain all the time about what they don't have, and I used to complain more than I do now, I think sometimes we need to distance ourselves from complainers a bit so that we can focus on the positives in our lives. Its easy to get roped up in what you don't have when you always here other people complaining. The key is to enjoy wherever and whatever you have, because the most precious gift you have is time and health. If we waste it wishing for something other than what we have we will soon look back and wish we had treasured it. I like your posts on Money because I think its important to put things into perspective.

Carol B said...

this is excellently put. I'm naturally frugal, but find it exhausting trying to get my family to be the same.....your post has boosted my resolve :-)

Anonymous said...

Great post! I'm so glad you listed those coupon sites! I only had heard of WOW Coupons. I used a few coupons this weekend and saved my mom $40 on the stuff she bought at Macy's.

Camille said...

I love your "money saving" posts...great ideas! We as a society are so wasteful and it is good to take stock of our spending and throwing away habits!

Thanks for sharing!
Camille

janet said...

Just wanted to say I have been reading your blog and it is the BEST! Love it and I can relate to it.Thank you

Lisa said...

I can't stop reading your blog! I've gone backward through Valentine's Day, Christmas, Fall and I just can't stop. :) Thanks for all the great money-saving advice. I am not a shopper and we really don't spend a lot of extra money so sometimes it's difficult to see another way to stretch the dollar any further but you've given me some new ideas. Thanks!