how not to crack the piggy: my eight ways to save a buck!
Lately, I’ve been in serious debt reduction mode. We’re talking a no-frills lifestyle. We’re talking PB & J for lunch. Last week you might have spied me on Fox Business News blathering on about how to pinch pennies in these precarious economic times. However, I wasn’t able to fully cover all the ways in which I’m trying to save money without dumpster diving. After the jump I’ve listed my top saving tips. What are yours? Please, by god, don’t keep this to yourself. Share with the rest of us credit card loving heathens. Update! Free Book Alert! I’ve decided to support my peeps Lauren & Emira, and I will give one lucky winner a copy of their new book, The Boss of You. So submit your cool $$ saving ideas and I’ll randomly select a winner by Monday, 5/5.
1. View your day job as a freebie-filled mecca: From those mind-numbing 401K free lunches to the decaying coffee pot in the communal kitchen, your workplace is crawling with cost-saving opportunities. Don’t like the coffee your company brews? Split huge bags or whole-sale bags of coffee with your coworkers and make your own brew at work. Make nice with the key assistants who can clue you into the leftover lunches from the litany of meetings (trust me, there is a meeting occurring somewhere), attend as many “info” sessions as you can bear, and put out a candy till so you can have your 3pm fix satisfied at a low cost.
2. If you own it, odds are you can swap it: I’m an evangelist for the clothing/accessories/home items/book/cd/dvd swap. If it’s in fab condition and you are great at shopping your closet, consider hosting a swap in your home, or check out participating in large-scale affairs. Remember, set friendly ground rules of what kinds of items can be accepted and ensure (if you’re swapping clothing) that all sizes are accommodated. Nothing is more horrifying than my J Lo ass amidst the skinny set. Get your friends to chip in for goodies and you have a bonding, fab affair.
3. Buy in season produce/veggies: I’ve been preaching the buy local game for quite some time. Rather than buying $6 strawberries in December, consider $3 at the farmer’s market, in season. I shop for most of my produce at the farmer’s market. Additionally, consider splitting a CSA membership with friends/neighbors, so you can snap affordable produce (and possibly poultry) at rock-bottom prices.
4. Leave the credit/debit cards at home: Want to bludgeon your coworker with a stapler and your only solace is your lunch hour and retail therapy, reconsider. Leave the cards at home (I take out a set amount of cash/week and only bring out the cards when I KNOW I have a shopping trip planned or I’m traveling) because it’s mostly the case that you’ll be sucked in by impulse buys. Also, give it the 24-hr test. If you’re debating a purchase, wait 24 hours. Odds are, the craving will dissipate.
5. Don’t be afraid to negotiate or ask for a lower price: I’ve priced trips out online and haggled with store clerks. Leave a little pride at the door and be willing to ask for a bargain. The worse they can do is say no.
6. Freebies galore!: I score tons of freebies by dressing in a fox outfit, hitting the department store/speciality circuit and asking for freebies/samples. Over the course of a day I can secure enough free products to last me a few months.
7. Blog your way to free goods: Of course you shouldn’t be a walking advertisement or a rotten product placement whore, however, if you blog passionately and authentically about what you love (books, cosmetics, cat food) and your blog garners a fair amount of traffic or loyal readership, don’t be afraid to ask for review discounts (I’ve scored loads with salons/spas/restaurants) or free items to sample/keep.
8. Nix the single item purchase: Because, by god, you never just walk out of the store with a jar of peanut butter. I have scheduled shopping trips and I buy on sale, in bulk. And I’m a freezer evangelist. Check out this on what you can/no way in hell freeze. And please, please do not buy household/beauty products from the supermarket. Snag them from big-box stores or pharmacies where they are infinitely cheaper.
What are your penny pinching methods? Talk to me!
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April 29th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
1. Stick to the list at the grocery store.
2. Buy the “inside aisle” stuff in bulk at Costco.
3. Also costco - gas and 5 gal of milk per week.
4. Only use the debit card. Keep one credit card for online purchases or large purchases where you might need consumer protection.
5. Drive your car til it dies.
6. Skip the carwash and pretend the white minivan is gray (streaked with yellow– pollen season)
7. Get with another family of boys and hand Sunday school clothes down back and forth. Agree not to buy anything white that stains.
8. “Forget” to pay the kids their allowance.
9. No starbux.
10. Take your lunch to work.
April 29th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
1) Cook for yourself (which not only saves money, but is probably healthier too).
2) Instead of going out to restaurants to meet friends, have people over for dinner, or pot-luck, or do a progressive dinner party where you and your friends travel from house to house throughout the evening.
3) Take advantage of the all the fun free cultural stuff going on, especially in the spring and summer.
4) Take a walk, or a hike, or a bike ride.
5) Invest enough in your 401(k) that you get the full employer match. It’s free money, people.
6) Limit yourself to one ATM visit per week.
7) Take advantage of your local library, for books, DVDs and even CDs if you’re feeling nostalgic.
8) Visit your local farmer’s market (this fits in with the seasonal produce tip from Felicia).
April 30th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Travel Tips for saving money:
Be loyal to one hotel brand and you will get perks, like free breakfast.I usually eat a bigger breakfast early (for free) and try to grab a yogurt or something to toss in my fridge in the room for a snack in the evenings. And when I eat a bit more at breakfast, I’m less likely to want to go out for much at lunch.
Plan ahead on airfare. There is a huge discount with most air carriers for 14 and 7 day advance fares.
Keep track of all your receipts when you are traveling if your company / client reimburses you. When I did my taxes, I found hundreds of dollars of expenses I never filed with my clients…because I had lost my receipts.
April 30th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
These are AMAZING tips!! Thanks, guys!
April 30th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
1. Volunteer- you get to help out, meet fun people AND get free stuff.
2. Cook lotsa food and freeze it…make sure it tastes good the first time, though.
3. Find cost-effective means of stress relief. Instead of buying a candy bar, go outside and breathe some fresh air. In the city? Buy a plant, do breathing exercises, buy a punching bag- a life investment, really…haha
4. Patch your pants…call it a decoration, embellishment, etc.
5. Make friends with someone with lotsa money who doesn’t mind sharing (but only if you really like them, otherwise that’s not too nice, eh? ). I’m kidding.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:02 am
1. Use your store discount cards everytime you DO shop. Not only do you save money, but you usually will get a rewards bonus or coupons.
2. Have game nights with friends instead of going out. Everyone has just as much fun (if not more) and you get to really connect with your friends.
3. Bring your lunch to work. I wish I could remember to do this all the time. I can’t believe the amount of money I spend on food during my workday.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:38 am
join your local freecycle. ask for items you need and get rid of your clutter at the same time and meanwhile keep useful stuff out of landfills.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Shop clearance at stores like TJMaxx, Marshalls, etc… don’t even look at the full price. Educate yourself on the thrifts in your area or where you may be visiting. In any given area there are several thrifts, usually they ’specialize’ in one thing or another.
If I’m looking for a brand new suit for my husband and am willing to pay $70 there is a thrift that gets brand new suits ALL the time so I got there. If I want kid junk that is big I got to the tiniest thrift in the area, they are usually very eager to get big stuff out and give it away. If I want books I have one Salvation Army that just puts them out straight from the donation, absolutely no triage, 4/$1… I’ve snagged some very valuable books that way.
I also ask if they have a military discount, many times they do or they give me their employee discount sometimes. AAA is also a GREAT discount card, it more than pays for itself with discounts. Many Burger Kings will take 10% off your tab not to mention New York & CO and other stores and outlets, go to AAA.com to check the region you’re in or visiting.