I saw this idea on someone else's blog.
1. Use up your supplies to the last drop. I turn my laundry detergent bottles and dish detergent bottles upside down to drain into the lid. And then after I think I've squeezed the last bit out I fill the bottle with some water and give it a shake.
2. Don't be afraid of Generic Brands or store brands. You'll save anywhere from 25-50% off the top simply because of lack of advertising. And many store brand items come off of the same assembly lines as name brand products.
3. Use coupons. But, only use them for products you would like to try anyway or if you are getting the item dirt cheap. You don't always have to buy the Sunday paper to get the coupons either. You ask friends if they don't use the coupons. Download and print coupons from sites like Wow Coupons. You can also call companies to ask for their coupons to be sent to you. I did this with formula companies. Even the store brand formulas (like Wal-Mart) will send you coupons. And those coupons are frequently of a higher value than what's in the coupon supplement pages. And keep your coupons in your purse or your car for when you spot a good deal.
4. Go to the library. We frequently borrow dvds and books rather than buy them. You can always buy the book/movie later if you decide you have to have a copy. Our library even lets you borrow magazines that are a few months old.
5. Free entertainment. Check your local paper or online. We've been to two free outdoor concerts this summer. I also take our daughter to the library once a week for story time.
6. Check your prices/quotes. We shopped around until we got the rock bottom prices for our car insurance. Do this for house repairs, car repairs, etc.
7. Use the internet for coupon codes for your online purchases. Shop around first though because you can sometimes find a much better deal than the first one you see.
8. Make do with less. When you think about how much stuff you really need to live comfortably you could probably fit most of it into a small uhaul. If you do laundry frequently then you can probably get by with five or six outfits.
9. Forget the Joneses. Nowadays it's hard to tell who's doing well and who's got lots of debt. My daughter wears a Croc's knockoff from Payless and instead of the expensive Jibbitz I bought a pack of shoe decorations for one dollar at a dollar store. She looks just as cute for less than half the price.
10. Turn off your tv. Our 4 year old was starting to complain that we never have good cereal like Fruity Pebbles or Fruit Loops. I realized that she was getting this from commercials on cartoon channels. Ok, too much tv. Click.
11. Eat some beans. Dry beans are fifty cents a pound. Don't know how to cook beans? Learn how to here.
12. Buy real food for your kids snacks. Real fruit costs much less than fruit snacks with packaging that just goes into a landfill. Skip the bagged apple slices too and slice your own. Buy an apple slicer for a few dollars and you're done. Or just use a knife.
13. Skip the pop. Even kool-aid is cheaper than pop is if you need flavored drinks. If you add a little extra water too it's not that noticeable and it stretches your drinks. Water is dirt cheap too as long as it comes from your tap and not a bottle.
Restaurant pop is outrageously expensive too when you consider that you can get generic pop for .50 to .75 a two liter and name brand pop for 1.00. Drink water and skip dessert and you've saved calories and money.
14. Reuse stuff. Like those water bottles and margarine containers. Refill your clean water bottles and stick in the fridge for a quick portable drink. Margarine containers and cool whip containers can be used to pack your lunch. I keep twist ties from bread bags too so that I can reseal my frozen vegetable bags in the freezer to keep them fresh. You can always use an old margarine container for a holder.
15. Make old toys new again. I took a bunch of my daughters broken crayons and melted them in a muffin tin to make scribble cookies for her Christmas stocking. I got the instructions from The Complete Tightwad Gazette.
16. Freecycle. If you need something check here first. Plus, save yourself gas money on a delivery to the goodwill and list your own stuff. If it's worthwhile it usually has many takers.
17. If you can make it, don't buy it. I can't sew but I can bake so last Christmas I made all of our pies and cookies instead of buying them pre-made. They taste better and I think they are appreciated more too.
18. Think ahead. Consider your future needs when out shopping. Do you need a new tent for next summer even though it's November? Well, now is a good time to start shopping for one. I always buy one to two years ahead for my children's clothes. That keeps me from spending extra money on clothing gaps when there are no sales and the Goodwill doesn't have what I need.
19. Ask for what you need. I'm saying that you need to beg people for stuff. But, you just never know who's needs to get rid of something you'd like to have. Casual mentions are ok.
20. Stay home. If you aren't out then you can't shop.
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