I recently posted at Pennies & Blessings to tell you how to save a few dollars when you ship! Stop over and tell me if you already take advantage of this!
Have a blessed day friends!
Image source: http://store.usps.com
Showing posts with label saving money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saving money. Show all posts
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Save On Shipping
Do you know this tip for saving money at the Post Office?
Image source: http://store.usps.com
Image source: http://store.usps.com
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Works-For-Me Wednesday: Thrift Stores
Here I go talking thrifty again (thrifty slowcooker recipes last week), but I did tell you that thriftiness is the new black!
I just love thrift stores. In fact, I limit how often I go because I would end up spending too much money! Maybe you are already a fan and take advantage of their great deals - good for you! But if you are somebody like I was just a few years ago, you don't really see the need as you find plenty of deals on the Target clearance rack and at the mall sales.
Well, some of my thrift store finds convinced me to change my ways. Things like: name brand clothing with the price tag still on, nicer brands of gently used clothing than I would ever buy brand new, super cheap prices, the thrill of the hunt, unopened Lego sets, beautiful teapots and teacups, cookbooks, an aluminum ladder, and much much more!
Mostly, I buy my son's clothes in thrift stores. If you have boys, you know how fast they wear out pants and jeans - they are brutal! I learned my lesson one day when I put a brand new pair of pants on my son and he fell on the sidewalk that day and tore a huge hole in one knee - bye-bye $20. My son now wears pants from the thrift stores - then I don't mind when he ruins them. And instead of discount store brands (which I still buy occasionally) he gets to wear Izod, Van Heusen, Polo, Gap, etc. I don't have to pay more than $3 for a pair of pants. And the lowest price I paid during a half-off sale was 18 cents for one pair!!
I also find lots of shirts and athletic clothes for my son. He likes to go with me so he can check for Lego and K'nex sets, science kits, board games, and books. If you have girls - you can find some modest clothing, and you can still afford to buy all kinds of things to use for dress-up.
Check out the thrift stores in your area. Good Will stores are always good, though each one is different and seems to have better selections of different categories at some. There are also many local thrift stores - my favorite is called Ecothrift. It's huge and offers half-off on certain items daily. Once you get used to shopping in them, you may find yourself in the middle of one questioning whether or not this shirt is really worth $4 ('cause you have paid as low as $1). It's quite amusing...
I do not have time to run around my house taking pics of all my great thrift store finds, but here are a few examples that were already stored in my computer:
Thrift store shopping works for me! Stop by Rocks In My Dryer for more great Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips!
I just love thrift stores. In fact, I limit how often I go because I would end up spending too much money! Maybe you are already a fan and take advantage of their great deals - good for you! But if you are somebody like I was just a few years ago, you don't really see the need as you find plenty of deals on the Target clearance rack and at the mall sales.
Well, some of my thrift store finds convinced me to change my ways. Things like: name brand clothing with the price tag still on, nicer brands of gently used clothing than I would ever buy brand new, super cheap prices, the thrill of the hunt, unopened Lego sets, beautiful teapots and teacups, cookbooks, an aluminum ladder, and much much more!
Mostly, I buy my son's clothes in thrift stores. If you have boys, you know how fast they wear out pants and jeans - they are brutal! I learned my lesson one day when I put a brand new pair of pants on my son and he fell on the sidewalk that day and tore a huge hole in one knee - bye-bye $20. My son now wears pants from the thrift stores - then I don't mind when he ruins them. And instead of discount store brands (which I still buy occasionally) he gets to wear Izod, Van Heusen, Polo, Gap, etc. I don't have to pay more than $3 for a pair of pants. And the lowest price I paid during a half-off sale was 18 cents for one pair!!
I also find lots of shirts and athletic clothes for my son. He likes to go with me so he can check for Lego and K'nex sets, science kits, board games, and books. If you have girls - you can find some modest clothing, and you can still afford to buy all kinds of things to use for dress-up.
Check out the thrift stores in your area. Good Will stores are always good, though each one is different and seems to have better selections of different categories at some. There are also many local thrift stores - my favorite is called Ecothrift. It's huge and offers half-off on certain items daily. Once you get used to shopping in them, you may find yourself in the middle of one questioning whether or not this shirt is really worth $4 ('cause you have paid as low as $1). It's quite amusing...
I do not have time to run around my house taking pics of all my great thrift store finds, but here are a few examples that were already stored in my computer:
Ralph Lauren Sweater........and........Rose Teapot
Pajamas........and........Bowl, Vase, Cake Stand, Leaf Candles
Teapot, Cups, Crate........and........K'Nex Roller Coaster
Have I tempted you to try out thrift stores? If you are already a thrift store shopper, what are your favorite finds?Thrift store shopping works for me! Stop by Rocks In My Dryer for more great Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thriftiness - It's The New Black ;)
Everybody can use some thrifty tips with the state of our economy right now. Try a little thriftiness - it looks good on anybody!
I had a lot more to say about this than I realized, so I decided to focus on one area. Several years ago, our budget was super tight and we cut back everywhere that we could - no cable, free internet service, lowest phone plan, etc. The one area where we saw the biggest opportunity to save money was food and groceries. So that is what I'm covering today. You may already be practicing all of these ideas, but hopefully you will find something you can use.
Groceries:
This is one area that you can make a huge difference in your budget. First of all - where are you shopping? If you just shop at the grocery store down the street out of convenience and because their produce section is"pretty" - you might be surprised at how much extra money you are spending.
I shop at the cheapest grocery store we have. It is not the prettiest and you bag your own groceries and it's always busy - but the money I save is huge (It's WinCo)! How do you know which one is cheapest? Compare the prices. I will say that if you have a Super Walmart - that is probably your cheapest or close to it. Also, they will honor sale prices from other grocery stores if cheaper than their price. In my area, WinCo still beats Walmart on many items - it depends on what you're buying.
Years ago, when our budget was REALLY tight, I made a list of all the items I bought during a couple of weekly grocery shopping trips. I wrote down the price of everything and checked a couple other grocery stores and wrote down prices of the same or comparable items. I found that WinCo was $30-$40 less for one shopping trip than the big name stores! And I even checked what I thought was another "cheap" grocery store, but WinCo still beat them by $15-$20 in one trip! That is an amazing difference!! Are you willing to pay an extra $100 a month for a "pretty" grocery store?
Also, try some generic items instead of name brand. You will save a lot that way, too. Now, through trial and error, I have discovered that I do prefer name brands in some items and some don't matter at all. Don't be afraid to try!
The last piece of advice I have for groceries is that you must look at price per ounce to get your best value. The bigger value packs and bagged cereals are not always the best deal! I was so surprised the first time that I discovered that a 4-pack of my favorite TP at the time was cheaper per roll than the 12-pack! Tricky! Always check price per item or per ounce that's listed on the store's price tag. By checking this, I have also found name brands on sale for less than the generic brand per ounce! And some things are cheaper at bulk stores like Costco and some are not - be careful to compare prices per item on those, too. Don't assume anything!
Meals:
Going back again to my really tight budget days, I came up with several meals and calculated the cost of them, only making the cheapest ones. Here were our regulars:
- Pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce made in the slow cooker with the extra frozen for another meal.
- Roasted whole chicken with vegetables- slow cooker or oven, then use the carcass to make homemade chicken noodle soup
- Tacoes
- Beef stew - slow cooker again!
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Poached chicken breasts with apples (probably one of the costlier - but a nice dinner for company and I usually had most of the ingredients on hand)
- Fettucine with chicken and peas
These things saved us a lot of money then and still save us money now. Other ways we save are by shopping at thrift stores and by making homemade gifts.
Have you tried a little thriftiness on with that outfit?
I had a lot more to say about this than I realized, so I decided to focus on one area. Several years ago, our budget was super tight and we cut back everywhere that we could - no cable, free internet service, lowest phone plan, etc. The one area where we saw the biggest opportunity to save money was food and groceries. So that is what I'm covering today. You may already be practicing all of these ideas, but hopefully you will find something you can use.
Groceries:
This is one area that you can make a huge difference in your budget. First of all - where are you shopping? If you just shop at the grocery store down the street out of convenience and because their produce section is"pretty" - you might be surprised at how much extra money you are spending.
I shop at the cheapest grocery store we have. It is not the prettiest and you bag your own groceries and it's always busy - but the money I save is huge (It's WinCo)! How do you know which one is cheapest? Compare the prices. I will say that if you have a Super Walmart - that is probably your cheapest or close to it. Also, they will honor sale prices from other grocery stores if cheaper than their price. In my area, WinCo still beats Walmart on many items - it depends on what you're buying.
Years ago, when our budget was REALLY tight, I made a list of all the items I bought during a couple of weekly grocery shopping trips. I wrote down the price of everything and checked a couple other grocery stores and wrote down prices of the same or comparable items. I found that WinCo was $30-$40 less for one shopping trip than the big name stores! And I even checked what I thought was another "cheap" grocery store, but WinCo still beat them by $15-$20 in one trip! That is an amazing difference!! Are you willing to pay an extra $100 a month for a "pretty" grocery store?
Also, try some generic items instead of name brand. You will save a lot that way, too. Now, through trial and error, I have discovered that I do prefer name brands in some items and some don't matter at all. Don't be afraid to try!
The last piece of advice I have for groceries is that you must look at price per ounce to get your best value. The bigger value packs and bagged cereals are not always the best deal! I was so surprised the first time that I discovered that a 4-pack of my favorite TP at the time was cheaper per roll than the 12-pack! Tricky! Always check price per item or per ounce that's listed on the store's price tag. By checking this, I have also found name brands on sale for less than the generic brand per ounce! And some things are cheaper at bulk stores like Costco and some are not - be careful to compare prices per item on those, too. Don't assume anything!
Meals:
Going back again to my really tight budget days, I came up with several meals and calculated the cost of them, only making the cheapest ones. Here were our regulars:
- Pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce made in the slow cooker with the extra frozen for another meal.
- Roasted whole chicken with vegetables- slow cooker or oven, then use the carcass to make homemade chicken noodle soup
- Tacoes
- Beef stew - slow cooker again!
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Poached chicken breasts with apples (probably one of the costlier - but a nice dinner for company and I usually had most of the ingredients on hand)
- Fettucine with chicken and peas
These things saved us a lot of money then and still save us money now. Other ways we save are by shopping at thrift stores and by making homemade gifts.
Have you tried a little thriftiness on with that outfit?
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