I’m all about easy ways to save money. Nothing fancy, complicated or time-consuming here. Well, not too complicated or time-consuming.
1. I hit up Sam’s Club for nonperishables and meat. We were at the beach over the summer and didn’t have a Sam’s and I had forgotten how much I actually save on things like ground beef. I can get a pound of 90/10 ground beef for under four dollars. At a regular grocery store I think it’s around $6. I always buy the meat in four to five pound increments, divide it into one-pounders and freeze it in ziplock baggies. A few other things I buy at Sam’s: shredded cheese {and freeze it}, frozen chicken, potato chips and other snacks, beer, breakfast bars, aluminum foil, paper plates and paper towels. It always sucks to drop $100-$200 in one day but it’s worth it in the long run.
2. Wal-Mart is my go-to for beauty products. I buy almost all of my beauty products at Wal-Mart because I noticed how much I was saving. I’ve never really been a fan of expensive cosmetics but I can save so much at Wal-Mart vs. CVS or another drug store. This list usually includes hairspray, shampoo and conditioner, makeup, dry shampoo and nail polish. Every once in a while I do like to splurge at Ulta or Sephora but those really are the exception, not the rule.
3. I try to buy most clothes, accessories and shoes on clearance. Sometimes that means shopping out of season. Sometimes that means refusing to pay full price and going straight for clearance racks. Some places I’ve gotten good deals recently are Target, Belk, Ross and White House Black Market. I’ve also noticed that this means you have to be willing to shop and sometimes buy when you don’t NEED something or go looking specifically for it. Kohl’s is known for their clearance section and this summer I found a chunky grey sweater for $5. I didn’t exactly go looking for it in the dead of the miserable summer weather but I know that I’ll wear it out come November, December and January. I guarantee if I had waited until November to start looking for it, I would have NEVER found it. Well, at least not for that price.
4. I cut David’s hair. When we were first dating, I was doing my student teaching as a senior in college at High Point University and David was working for the athletic department at Carolina. Somehow it came up in conversation that he was paying $20 for someone to run clippers through his hair twice a month. I told him we could buy some clippers from Target {I think we paid $40} and I could do it when I saw him on the weekends. We bought them that day and I haven’t stopped since. This isn’t necessarily something I enjoy doing but thinking of all money we’ve saved over the years makes it worth it.
5. We Redbox it. I think this has to be one of the greatest inventions in the last… how long has Redbox been around? 5 years? 10 years? Redbox is so much better than the Blockbusters and Hollywood Videos of my childhood. But back to Redbox… anytime we want to see a movie, that’s our go-to. David even gets codes for free DVD rentals all the time… and you know that’s helpful since I never make it through a movie in one night.
6. Homemade laundry detergent. For the last year or so, I’ve made my own laundry detergent. It’s actually never something I never thought I would do because I’m not… into making life difficult just to save a buck. Most of my money saving tips are super easy {obviously}. But this one is so easy too! {I’ll give you the deets on this one soon !}
7. Not going out for lunch. Because we both work in the school system, we don’t really have the option of going out for lunch… so that makes our decision easier. But it’s also a great way to save money! I usually take leftovers or a caesar salad with grilled chicken. David usually buys school lunch but it’s nowhere near the cost of eating out at a restaurant.
What do you do to save money? I would love to hear some new ways I can add to my routine.
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