13 Ways to Stretch Your Dollar Further
Times are tight so you want to find ways to stretch your dollar farther. Coupons are great - so is buying when things are on sale. Here are some other great ways to stretch your dollar further in 2014 and beyond.
Baby It's Cold Outside!
Save on heating you home this winter with some great tips from US News. Things like the obvious (Bundling Up) to the not so obvious (Get a Humidifier) will help you save on heating fuel. In addition, turn the thermostat down. Your body will aclimate to the temperature and a lower temperature will start to feel normal. If you don't believe me, ask anyone in Florida what cold is ;-). We keep our heat at 64 during the day and 50 at night. I don't recommend starting that low but you can work your way down a few degrees and watch your body adjust.
Open for Business!
Start a business and keep more of what you earn. Start a home-based business and you don't need to lay out a huge sum to launch. Did you know that if you are an employee, you get paid last? First the government takes their piece (social security, etc), then you get your share. Typically you are spending up to 5 months of your income on these taxes and so you are really working 1/2 your year to support the government (and that's before you pay your property taxes or the taxes built into your local gas station's price. Start a business and keep more of your income. Not only will you be able to write off a lot of things you currently consider "cost of living" expenses, but you will pay the GOVERNMENT last. It can also allow you to get back a good portion of the money withheld from your paycheck. Be warned though - you need to be making money in that business within 5 years or the deductions go away because the IRS considers it a hobby not a business.
Get Paid Back with Every Purchase
Do you get cash back when you make your every day purchases? When you shop online, you have the benefit of saving time and money. You will also be able to find the best prices and often a coupon to save you even more. Most people are doing part of their shopping online and about 100,000 more join this trend each day. Make sure your online shopping pays you back. You can use your cash back credit card and there are many cash-back shopping sites online. My favorite is ShopAllThat.com. It has the comparison shopping, access to my favorite stores (Kohls, Staples, Macys, Drugstore.com, Itunes, Audible.com) and my husband's favorite stores (Home Depot, TigerDirect.com, NewEgg.com, 123Ink.com). In addition, we get up to 50% cash back with our purchases.
Cutting Coupons Cuts Costs
Online or in the store there is no reason to pay full price most of the time. If you're like me and you get coupon-crazy cutting them out and then promptly forget you have them you may end up with a bunch of coupons that are forgotten, expire and become trash. :-/ But online, I'm great at it. I allow my favorite stores to send me promotions (to a different email address than my primary), I use Shop Buddy to make sure wherever I am shopping online I'll get the coupons the store is offering and I keep my eye out for great deals my friends uncover online. I even got a few of those deals you hear about over the holidays - 70-80% off a pair of shoes or beautiful piece of jewelry. Diligence, patience and keeping your eyes open for deals is the key.
Is it Better Because Your Mother Used It?
Just because your mom used it and advertising tells you it's the best - does that mean it's the best choice for you right now? Sometimes by looking at things differently (Think Different. ~Apple), you can do better with price and quality than you think. Do you use Tide because "If it’s gotta be clean, it’s gotta be Tide."? When you need to replace your garbage bags do you think "Don’t get mad. Get GLAD."? If you need a boost do you go "Unleash the beast" ~Monster Energy OR get wings (Red Bull gives you wings ~Red Bull). By taking a few minutes with the ShopAllThat.com Home Advisor you may find alternative products that are better quality and save you a LOT of money .. and don't forget about the cash back.
Get After-Holiday Sale Prices By Planning (a year) Ahead
I stocked up on Holiday Cards the first week of January. I got some lovely scented candles and an angel votive holder that same week. Calendars, ornaments, candy, gifts and more are on super clearance when a store has to clear the shelves for the next promoted holiday. If you have the storage room, it's worth getting everything the year before so you can get it at a small fraction of the price you will pay if you wait until the last minute...which in this case is the actual shopping season the holiday falls in. Tip - don't give our year-old candy for Halloween! But post-Halloween candy is a great snack for the office desk or to put out at parties.
Master the 30 Day Rule
In a blog titled "Little Steps: 100 Great Tips For Saving Money For Those Just Getting Started", there is a LOT of great stuff here. My favorite is the 30 day rule. It goes like this:
"Whenever you’re considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item. Quite often, you’ll find that the urge to buy has passed and you’ll have saved yourself some money by simply waiting. If you want, you can even keep a “thirty day list” where you write down the item and the day you’ll reconsider it, but I prefer just to keep this one in my head – that way, I often just forget about the unimportant things." To see all 100 items, read the full article here.
Game Night - the New Night Out
The same blog article had another awesome idea that we have done as a family for years - GAME NIGHT! There was a commercial series years ago from a large game company who's theme was about having family night IN. It's a great way to save money because you can get the game online and often on sale. And for $20-$30 you have a fun night with family and/or friends. Compared to $50-100 for a movie (even more if you get dinner first), that's a great deal. Some of my favorite board games include" Pictionary, Apples to Apples, Monopoly. Texas Hold Em is another fun night at home. Splurge on the clay chips and you will really feel like a night at the Vegas Poker table!
Turn Your Heat Down and Your AC Up
It's winter, so this is probably a hard one for you to swallow. But turning down your heat is a great way to save money. Oil/gas is expensive and it doesn't go very far on those cold winter days. But your body will actually adjust to lower (and higher) temperatures in a short time. This is easiest to do with a timed thermostat so you don't have to wake up to freezing temps. We keep our house at 64 in the winter. WHILE WE ARE HOME. It's 50 degrees at night and when we aren't home. We splurge and boost it to 68 degrees if we know friends are coming over. If you have children, you want to keep it a bit less extreme but keeping a house at 70 degrees or higher is just not necessary and I promise you will adjust. Also - put on a sweater! Similarly, turning the temperature UP during the summer will keep the AC off longer, saving greatly on your electric bill. We generally use the AC as a humidity breaker. It works well. And when I'm home, I dress according to my environment.
Use What's In Your Fridge
Eating out is very expensive. So is throwing away food. So make your refridgerator contents go farther by USING UP what you have. That's hard though, right? If you have a weird combination of ingredients and aren't a professional chef on a competitive cooking show, dinner options may elude you. A clever guy named Nick came up with a great solution - MyFridgeFood.com - just put in the contents of your fridge and - VOILA! - back spits a recipe using those ingredients. Try it! I put in the contents of my fridge and got some fun recipes including - Quesadilla, Honey Garlic Pork Chops, Scrambled Egg Cups, Apple Rings and more. What recipes did you get when you tried MyFridgeFood.com?
Cancel Your Gym Membership
Yea, yea I know. You just JOINED the gym as part of your new years resolution. Problem is, if you're not going you're not going. So why are you paying for it??? If every gym member SHOWED UP to work out, you would never be able to get access to the equipment because of the number of people working out at the same time you are. Why are you helping pay Gym bills (rent, equipment repair, lights, salaries, etc.) if you are not using their services? I think that money would be better off in your pocket. If you can't bear to do it then at least go get on that treadmill for 30 minutes so you can justify the cost.
Take Snacks on the Road
If you are on the road as much as I am, you definitely get hungry at various times during the day. Instead of having to stop at a gas station or a fast food joint, bring snacks along. They will not only be healthier choices in most cases, but you won't pay the convenience tax of getting it on the run. Great on the go snacks include - raw veggies cut up; hard boiled eggs; hummus/pretzel combos; mixed nuts. What are some on-the-go snacks you like to have with you?
I hope you will try these cost-cutting, money saving tips. Do you have tricks that help you keep costs. down? Please share them in the comments below.
Baby It's Cold Outside!
Save on heating you home this winter with some great tips from US News. Things like the obvious (Bundling Up) to the not so obvious (Get a Humidifier) will help you save on heating fuel. In addition, turn the thermostat down. Your body will aclimate to the temperature and a lower temperature will start to feel normal. If you don't believe me, ask anyone in Florida what cold is ;-). We keep our heat at 64 during the day and 50 at night. I don't recommend starting that low but you can work your way down a few degrees and watch your body adjust.
Open for Business!
Start a business and keep more of what you earn. Start a home-based business and you don't need to lay out a huge sum to launch. Did you know that if you are an employee, you get paid last? First the government takes their piece (social security, etc), then you get your share. Typically you are spending up to 5 months of your income on these taxes and so you are really working 1/2 your year to support the government (and that's before you pay your property taxes or the taxes built into your local gas station's price. Start a business and keep more of your income. Not only will you be able to write off a lot of things you currently consider "cost of living" expenses, but you will pay the GOVERNMENT last. It can also allow you to get back a good portion of the money withheld from your paycheck. Be warned though - you need to be making money in that business within 5 years or the deductions go away because the IRS considers it a hobby not a business.
Get Paid Back with Every Purchase
Do you get cash back when you make your every day purchases? When you shop online, you have the benefit of saving time and money. You will also be able to find the best prices and often a coupon to save you even more. Most people are doing part of their shopping online and about 100,000 more join this trend each day. Make sure your online shopping pays you back. You can use your cash back credit card and there are many cash-back shopping sites online. My favorite is ShopAllThat.com. It has the comparison shopping, access to my favorite stores (Kohls, Staples, Macys, Drugstore.com, Itunes, Audible.com) and my husband's favorite stores (Home Depot, TigerDirect.com, NewEgg.com, 123Ink.com). In addition, we get up to 50% cash back with our purchases.
Cutting Coupons Cuts Costs
Online or in the store there is no reason to pay full price most of the time. If you're like me and you get coupon-crazy cutting them out and then promptly forget you have them you may end up with a bunch of coupons that are forgotten, expire and become trash. :-/ But online, I'm great at it. I allow my favorite stores to send me promotions (to a different email address than my primary), I use Shop Buddy to make sure wherever I am shopping online I'll get the coupons the store is offering and I keep my eye out for great deals my friends uncover online. I even got a few of those deals you hear about over the holidays - 70-80% off a pair of shoes or beautiful piece of jewelry. Diligence, patience and keeping your eyes open for deals is the key.
Is it Better Because Your Mother Used It?
Just because your mom used it and advertising tells you it's the best - does that mean it's the best choice for you right now? Sometimes by looking at things differently (Think Different. ~Apple), you can do better with price and quality than you think. Do you use Tide because "If it’s gotta be clean, it’s gotta be Tide."? When you need to replace your garbage bags do you think "Don’t get mad. Get GLAD."? If you need a boost do you go "Unleash the beast" ~Monster Energy OR get wings (Red Bull gives you wings ~Red Bull). By taking a few minutes with the ShopAllThat.com Home Advisor you may find alternative products that are better quality and save you a LOT of money .. and don't forget about the cash back.
Get After-Holiday Sale Prices By Planning (a year) Ahead
I stocked up on Holiday Cards the first week of January. I got some lovely scented candles and an angel votive holder that same week. Calendars, ornaments, candy, gifts and more are on super clearance when a store has to clear the shelves for the next promoted holiday. If you have the storage room, it's worth getting everything the year before so you can get it at a small fraction of the price you will pay if you wait until the last minute...which in this case is the actual shopping season the holiday falls in. Tip - don't give our year-old candy for Halloween! But post-Halloween candy is a great snack for the office desk or to put out at parties.
Master the 30 Day Rule
In a blog titled "Little Steps: 100 Great Tips For Saving Money For Those Just Getting Started", there is a LOT of great stuff here. My favorite is the 30 day rule. It goes like this:
"Whenever you’re considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item. Quite often, you’ll find that the urge to buy has passed and you’ll have saved yourself some money by simply waiting. If you want, you can even keep a “thirty day list” where you write down the item and the day you’ll reconsider it, but I prefer just to keep this one in my head – that way, I often just forget about the unimportant things." To see all 100 items, read the full article here.
Game Night - the New Night Out
The same blog article had another awesome idea that we have done as a family for years - GAME NIGHT! There was a commercial series years ago from a large game company who's theme was about having family night IN. It's a great way to save money because you can get the game online and often on sale. And for $20-$30 you have a fun night with family and/or friends. Compared to $50-100 for a movie (even more if you get dinner first), that's a great deal. Some of my favorite board games include" Pictionary, Apples to Apples, Monopoly. Texas Hold Em is another fun night at home. Splurge on the clay chips and you will really feel like a night at the Vegas Poker table!
Turn Your Heat Down and Your AC Up
It's winter, so this is probably a hard one for you to swallow. But turning down your heat is a great way to save money. Oil/gas is expensive and it doesn't go very far on those cold winter days. But your body will actually adjust to lower (and higher) temperatures in a short time. This is easiest to do with a timed thermostat so you don't have to wake up to freezing temps. We keep our house at 64 in the winter. WHILE WE ARE HOME. It's 50 degrees at night and when we aren't home. We splurge and boost it to 68 degrees if we know friends are coming over. If you have children, you want to keep it a bit less extreme but keeping a house at 70 degrees or higher is just not necessary and I promise you will adjust. Also - put on a sweater! Similarly, turning the temperature UP during the summer will keep the AC off longer, saving greatly on your electric bill. We generally use the AC as a humidity breaker. It works well. And when I'm home, I dress according to my environment.
Use What's In Your Fridge
Eating out is very expensive. So is throwing away food. So make your refridgerator contents go farther by USING UP what you have. That's hard though, right? If you have a weird combination of ingredients and aren't a professional chef on a competitive cooking show, dinner options may elude you. A clever guy named Nick came up with a great solution - MyFridgeFood.com - just put in the contents of your fridge and - VOILA! - back spits a recipe using those ingredients. Try it! I put in the contents of my fridge and got some fun recipes including - Quesadilla, Honey Garlic Pork Chops, Scrambled Egg Cups, Apple Rings and more. What recipes did you get when you tried MyFridgeFood.com?
Cancel Your Gym Membership
Yea, yea I know. You just JOINED the gym as part of your new years resolution. Problem is, if you're not going you're not going. So why are you paying for it??? If every gym member SHOWED UP to work out, you would never be able to get access to the equipment because of the number of people working out at the same time you are. Why are you helping pay Gym bills (rent, equipment repair, lights, salaries, etc.) if you are not using their services? I think that money would be better off in your pocket. If you can't bear to do it then at least go get on that treadmill for 30 minutes so you can justify the cost.
Take Snacks on the Road
If you are on the road as much as I am, you definitely get hungry at various times during the day. Instead of having to stop at a gas station or a fast food joint, bring snacks along. They will not only be healthier choices in most cases, but you won't pay the convenience tax of getting it on the run. Great on the go snacks include - raw veggies cut up; hard boiled eggs; hummus/pretzel combos; mixed nuts. What are some on-the-go snacks you like to have with you?
I hope you will try these cost-cutting, money saving tips. Do you have tricks that help you keep costs. down? Please share them in the comments below.
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