In a world of consumerism, we live life searching for the next best thing, the most expensive labels and making sure we are getting the best of the best, even if we can't afford it. We may think 'It's only five dollars' or 'It's for the kids' or maybe even 'Boy, this would sure make my life a lot easier'. I can't even tell you the number of times I have thought those exact things. Most of the time we think (or say) these things because deep down, we know that we don't need to purchase that item and we are probably feeling a little bit guilty about spending money on it.
As a stay at home mother of two young children who are different genders and several years apart, I have been constantly trying to find great ways to make sure we are able to afford the things that we need, all while learning techniques of saving money and putting it away for a rainy day. I now have a handful of things I do on a regular basis to help keep more money in the savings all while putting more food and other necessities on my shelves. I am by no means a pro, but I would like to share with you a little of what I do.
Couponing: I tried to start couponing a while back and was saving a few dollars here and there, which is great, but it definitely wasn't the savings I was expecting. Turns out I was going about it the completely wrong way. Some people may find it a tad tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it you will be couponing like a pro in no time.
Non-couponers sometimes have a hard time grasping the concept of saving big money using coupons because they have this idea in their head that you are only buying that product because you have a coupon. I have been doing it for only a few weeks now and I have already saved hundreds of dollars on things I use regularly; Laundry detergent, dish soap, toothpaste, razors, make-up, toilet paper, paper towels, feminine products, body wash, bar soap, deodorant, mouth wash, toothbrushes, floss, first aid products, cereal, dishwasher detergent, fabric softener, household cleaners and over the counter medicine, just to name a few.
I haven't done tons of shopping for food products and snacks but I will be focusing my couponing on those kinds of things in the next few weeks. There isn't one specific secret to getting great saving with coupons, you just kind of have to learn it.
Here are a few of the things that I do:
1) Get the Sunday paper- The Sunday paper is pretty important. If you can have it delivered, great, if not you'll have to find somewhere that sells them. Most grocery stores will have them. They have the coupon inserts in them and they also usually have the local ads. I get mine on Fridays with all the ads and usually get at least one of the inserts, but then I still have to go get the paper so that I can get the rest of the coupons. I usually don't clip any coupons out until I have done all my planing.
2) Try and find somewhere around where you live that you can get multiple copies of each insert, this way you'll be prepared when certain items go on sale. I get the from someone I met on a couponing page for my town. She gives me about 25 of each insert and I share 10 of each with a friend who coupons with me.
3) Plan- I like to take a little bit of time on Sunday evenings to plan out a few shopping trips to different places for the week. I look at the ads, the new coupons, and then I flip through some of my older coupons as well. Once you start doing it, you'll kind of already have an idea of what coupons you already have and you'll just have to find them. I put the coupons I will be using in envelopes with each stores names on it and staple it to a detailed list of what I'm getting, how much it costs, and what coupon I'm using.
4) Sometimes I go into certain stores just to look at their clearance items. I have found some killer deals doing this and then using a coupon on top of the clearance price.
5) Get familiar with the stores and print out a coupon policy for each one that you are planning to coupon at.
6) Get something to organize your coupons. I use a zip up binder with a strap on it and tons of pockets and I found coupon sheet protectors at Walmart.
7) Print off online coupons- You will probably only be able to print off about 2-4 of those each but it's totally worth it.
The trick is to try and match up store sales with coupons, stack manufactures coupons onto store coupons, and also look for items you will be getting RR or BR (Register Reward and Balance Rewards from Walgreens) Extra care bucks from CVS and using the Safeway 'just for you' coupons. It seems so overwhelming when you first start, but it gets easier I promise. Not only does it get easier, but you may end up finding you have become somewhat addicted.
If you want more information on couponing, this site is one I go to daily. It has a lot of useful information on it.
www.krazycouponlady.com
Making meals at home: You may not realize it, but you can save hundreds of dollars by preparing meals at home instead of eating out. (Especially if your eating foods you bought using coupons.) For my family, when we go out to eat, it costs us anywhere from $5 (fast food/dollar menus)-$50 (sit down restaurants/pizza) for the whole family. I can usually cook a meal for my whole family for about $2.00 or less. If you go out to eat, even just three times a week and it costs about $20 each time, that's about $260 a month or over $3000/year. That's quite a chunk of money.
Even if you make enough that it wont break the bank to spend that much eating out, a good suggestion could be putting the money you would have spent at a restaurant in an envelope or a separate account and use it later on towards a vacation or something fun for the family. For some of us, that $3000 dollars could be there to help with the purchase of a more reliable vehicle, or go towards car repairs. Either way, that's a bunch of money you could save just by cooking your meals at home. Most of the time, eating home cooked meals is so much healthier as well so that's another good reason to break out the cookbook.
Thrift stores: I love, love, love, love and did I say LOVE going to the thrift store. I almost always find the things I went in looking for, and sometimes get a few things I wasn't looking for all for a fraction of the price I would have paid at a retail store. There are so many things that we end up needing or wanting and don't have coupons for them. For instance furniture, dishes, clothes, baby and kids toys, picture frames, garden tools, books, movies, shoes...oh the list could go on and on. Usually the stuff they get is donated which allows them to price things super low.
When I think I need something (besides grocery, toiletries, personal hygiene and beauty products) I usually check all the thrift stores in my area before I even think about buying it at a store, and even then it's usually something I can wait to buy. I love being able to go into a thrift store week after week and they have different stuff every time I go in. I don't always get something,: but I'm always checking.
One other great benefits from buying at a thrift store is that you are basically recycling, so not only are you getting things you need for dirt cheap, but you are also helping the planet.
Kids and baby items swap: Some neighborhoods and towns will put on swap meets, or events where you can bring things to donate and then you "go shopping" for stuff that other people may have donated. It's a great way to be able to give and get at the same time. All of us who have young children know how fast they grow out of clothes, or sometimes need a change of scenery with their toys. If you don't have something like this in your area, I would check around facebook or with other people you know nearby to see if anyone would be interested in starting something like this.
Cloth diapering: Ok, so I just ordered cloth diapers this week and should be getting them shortly. (I'll definitely be writing a blog post about how it's going after I start, so stay tuned.) If you have a child in diapers, especially if they are still only a few months old, or if you are pregnant, I would highly suggest at least looking into doing cloth diapering. There are so many more options out there than there has been in the past. My son is almost a year old, and as long as he is in diapers for another six months to a year, it will be cost effective. Each disposable diaper costs about 25 cents, if you average out about 10 diapers a day, that ends up being about $1,800 if they use diapers till they are two, or about $2,700 if they use diapers till they are three. Depending on what kind of cloth diaper system you choose, it usually costs anywhere from $50-$500 for a good cloth diaper supply and accessories you need. That's the total amount from birth to 3 years. Huge savings!!! If you plan on having any more kids (and using cloth diapers with them) the savings will be even bigger because you can use those same cloth diapers for the next one as long as they were well taken care of. Another option, if you decide you don't want to continue cloth diapering, or you aren't having anymore kids, is to re-sell the diapers. They seriously go like hot cakes as long as you price them well and they are still in good condition.
It's not for everyone, and some people would definitely rather pay more money so they don't have to deal with cleaning out and washing cloth diapers, but I urge you to at least look into it and do some research.
Oh yeah, and if you choose to go the cloth diaper route, think of all that waste you'll be eliminating from a landfill!!!
Plant a garden: I haven't planted a garden where I live, but if I am able to, I would like to plant at least a few things. I have to check with our housing office that it's ok to plant a garden in the back. Planting your own garden, whether big or small has many benefits. You will get fresh produce that you worked hard for and it wont have added pesticides. If you are able to plant a large garden, you will also be able to can things for future times when you no longer have fresh produce. If you're not sure you would be able to keep up with it, start out small with things that are simpler to grow and then maybe next year you could make it bigger.
Here are some more smaller things you can do to keep costs down, while also doing a little bit for our environment as well:
-Turn off lights, heat, and other electrical stuff you aren't using. Even if you live somewhere that you don't pay an electric bill or gas bill, getting into the habit of saving electricity for when you do end up somewhere that you are paying is a good idea.
-Buy your meat from a local butcher. Most of the time it is cheaper, and it is also more fresh.
-Try to do all your errands at once so you can save on gas.
- Eat before you go shopping or bring a snack with you, it will help you not spend as much on food items and it reduces the temptation to go through a drive through on the way home.
-Do things yourself, instead of paying for them to get done, ex- nails, car washed, carpets cleaned and lawn/yard care.
-Take the kids to the playground instead of somewhere you have you pay for them to get in. They will probably have more fun at the playground anyways.
As you can see, there are so many things you can do to save yourself some money. Most of them require time, dedication and an honest effort, but if you are up to the challenge then you could save yourself thousands of dollars a year. To me it is definitely worth the time and hard work because not only am I helping to save my family money, but I am teaching my kids how to live frugally and how to work hard.
It's not just about saving money, it's about not wasting money. Once you start looking at things and paying attention to how much things cost, it will start getting easier for you to walk away from things and say,"I don't need that." You will feel more self reliant, and you will start being proud of yourself. A penny saved really can be a penny earned.
By: Deanna Coleman
