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50 Ways to Save on Everything
by
Pamela Kramer
Woman's Day, July 6, 2004
Lately money has been
flying out of my wallet. It seems as if my husband
and I can’t make it fast enough—or hold on to it
long enough—to keep up with the ever-expanding
expenses for our family of four. From groceries to
doctor visits to movies, you name it, we spend money
on it.
Recently I decided to get serious about stemming the
flow of cash. I began searching for ways to cut back
and spend less without giving up the things my
family needs and wants. This collection of 50
virtually painless suggestions will help you save on
practically everything.
While You’re Cutting Corners
1. Love the taste of gourmet coffee but hate the
expense? Combine one part of your favorite ground
coffee with one part of the store brand.
2. Budget how much you can afford to spend at your
favorite coffee shop each month and buy yourself a
gift card in that amount. When the card runs out,
you’ll know you’ve reached your limit.
3. Buy coffee, tea, hot chocolate, creamer and
packets of sugar at a large discount office supply
store.
4. Instead of ordering dessert after your meal, pick
up a treat from the bakery on your way home. “You’ll
get a lot more for your money,” says Nancy Twigg,
author of Celebrate Simply and owner of
CountingTheCost.com.
5. Do grocery shopping late in the evening for
discounts on bakery products, deli items and
prepared foods.
6. Keep your eye on the register to make sure your
purchases ring up at the correct price. Some stores
will give you the item if they charge you an
incorrect amount. Ellie Kay, author of A Woman’s
Guide to Family Finances, got a $16 double bag of
diapers for free when a local grocer overcharged
her.
7. Have your children pack a lunch for school two to
three days a week instead of buying a hot lunch
every day. (Ditto for Mom and Dad.) Increase their
allowance by $1 as a reward for saving money.
8. If your pet is on a special prescription diet,
ask a large discount pet store if it can order the
products for you for less than what your vet
charges.
While You’re Getting Gorgeous
9. For an inexpensive concealer, use the foundation
that has settled into the cap. “It has a thicker
consistency and is the perfect color match,” says
Diane Irons, author of Bargain Beauty Secrets.
10. Wash your hair with a color-enhancing shampoo to
go longer between touchups, she adds.
11. Schedule haircuts at the end of the day. “Skip
the blow-dry and do it yourself when you get home,”
says Joyce Cavanagh, Ph.D., an expert in family and
consumer economics in College Station, Texas.
12. Make your own hair detangler by mixing one part
regular conditioner to five parts water. Spray
directly on wet hair before combing.
13. Transfer shampoo and conditioner into large pump
bottles to avoid pouring out more product than you
need, suggests Twigg.
14. Refill your foaming soap dispenser with one part
hand soap and three parts water. You’ll get a thick
foam that cleans just as well as the full
concentration.
While You’re Bargain Hunting
15. After the holidays, look for sales on wrapping
paper. Choose solid colors or patterns that can
double as all-season wrap.
16. Shop the dollar store for the best prices on
ribbons and bows for birthday presents and gift
bags, dog and cat treats, and trinkets and toys for
kids.
17. You know your children are going to have school
projects that require supplies, such as posterboard,
graph paper and colored pencils, so stock up on
these items during back-to-school sales.
18. Select greeting cards from the lowest two or
three rows on the rack, or purchase a box of
all-occasion cards from a discount retailer or
stationery store.
19. Quit driving all over town looking for the
lowest price on the latest DVD or new cordless
phone. Use price-comparison web sites, such as
Shopping.com, to find the best deals.
20. Now you can purchase used books, movies and CDs
from Internet retailers, such as eBay.com or
Amazon.com, or at some local music or video stores.
21. Borrow unlimited paperbacks for $7.99 a month or
books on CD for $24.99 at Booksfree.com.
22. Can’t wait to get the latest bestsellers from
the library? Split the cost with a friend and take
turns being first to read each one.
23. Buy and sell used college textbooks at Half.com
or eCampus.com. Ask instructors if an older edition
textbook can be substituted for the latest one.
24. Find out if your
local newspaper offers a discount if you pay your
subscription for a full year in advance. Or simply
read the newspaper online for free.
25. Need a gift for a child? Order a fan mail
package from his favorite sports team. It’s
inexpensive and often contains decals, caps, team
photos and more.
26. To send flowers to an out-of-town friend or
relative, skip the expensive floral services and
call a local florist yourself. You can find one by
visiting Locate-A-Flower-Shop.com.
27. Get low-cost scratch pads and free calendars
from some local copy shops. You can also get free
calendars at some banks, insurance agencies or local
stationery stores or card shops.
28. Take your pet to a local animal shelter or
veterinary college to save on vaccinations and
procedures such as neutering.
While You’re On the Road
29. Visit GasBuddy.com to find the gas stations with
the lowest prices located near you.
30. Fill up on Wednesdays or Thursdays. “Many gas
stations raise their prices for the weekend, when
demand is greatest,” explains Geoff Sundstrom,
spokesman for AAA.
31. Whenever possible, steer clear of lone gas
stations located along the interstate and look for
ones at busy intersections where multiple outlets
are competing for your business, says Sundstrom.
32. Take advantage of free or reduced-price car
washes when you fill up, suggests Kay.
33. Find a lube center that offers a multi-car or
early-bird discount. “I get my oil changed before 10
a.m. for $19.99 and receive a coupon for free
bagels,” says Rebecca Huff of St. Paul, Minnesota.
While You’re Out
34. Keep coupons for takeout and fast-food
restaurants in the car so you’re more likely to use
them.
35. Rather than ordering the usual large popcorn and
soda at the movies, opt for a kid’s tray. “You get a
small soda, enough popcorn to avoid damaging your
waistline and candy for half the price,” says Pam
Little, editor at WomensWallStreet.com.
36. Form a babysitting co-op with other parents in
your neighborhood. “We haven’t paid a sitter in
years,” says Elizabeth Johnson of Lansing, Michigan.
37. When booking a hotel room, try asking for a
discount. Some places will give you a special rate,
even if you aren’t a member of an automobile club
such as AAA, or if you’re willing to pay for your
room in advance.
38. Check out warehouse club web sites, such as
Costco.com, for deals on cruises, vacation packages
and car rentals.
39. Print coupons for long-term airport parking by
going to LongTermParking.com and clicking on the
state you’re departing from.
While You’re at Home
40. Instead of using disposable dusting cloths, buy
a lambswool duster, which contains lanolin that
attracts and traps dirt, and only costs about $10,
says cleaning expert Linda Cobb, author of Talking
Dirty with the Queen of Clean: New and Improved.
41. For a sluggish drain, pour 2 cups of baking soda
and 2 cups of salt down the drain, and follow with a
teakettle full of boiling water. Let sit for 30
minutes. Flush with cool water.
42. Why spend $3 to $4 on a bottle of dishwasher
rinse aid? Simply pour white vinegar into the
dispenser. Your dishes will sparkle like new.
43. Make your own reusable ice pack: Mix one part
rubbing alcohol and two parts water in a ziptop
plastic bag. Store in the freezer until needed.
44. If possible, buy the same white socks for all
your children. “If one sock gets lost, there are
others to match it,” says Vicky Mlyniec of Los
Gatos, California.
45. Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs, which
provide as much light as incandescent bulbs but use
about one-fourth the energy and last up to 10 times
longer, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
46. Plant bulbs and perennials that bloom once
during the spring or summer instead of buying
annuals year after year.
47. Set your printer to the draft or the lowest
quality setting to extend the life of your ink or
toner cartridge.
48. Buy a prepaid card for cell phone use. “If I go
for 30 days without buying more minutes, the local
service provider for Verizon sends me a ‘buy 1, get
1 free’ coupon,” says Linda Sherwood of Merritt,
Michigan.
49. Use e-mail instead of phone or fax for
long-distance communication.
50. Want business cards? Log on to VistaPrint.com to
order a box of 250 for free (you pay as little as
$5.25 for shipping and handling). Choose from 30
designs.
Get Something for Nothing
Sign up at Ebates.com and earn cash rebates when you
shop online at a variety of merchants, such as
Barnes & Noble and Office Depot.
Join PhoneHog.com and earn long-distance minutes you
can use anytime, anywhere, simply by surfing certain
web sites.
Register at Upromise.com to get back up to 10
percent of your spending at participating retailers
for college.
Sign up at MovieWatcher.com and earn points good
toward free concessions and admissions when you buy
tickets at AMC Theatres
Visit BankRate.com to find a credit card that offers
cash rebates or points that can be redeemed for air
travel, gas, merchandise, you name it.
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