Hands up, who wants more money in their pocket? Unless you are that baby from that popular commercial who doesn't I am going to assume your hand is raised high. A blog post about how to save money, how original. I'm not going to argue with you about the originality of the idea. I just want to offer some simple ways that I save money. These are my No-Brainer tips for saving money. These don't just apply to holidays, I like to save money year round not just November to December.
1. Gift shop year round. This saves not only money, but time and sanity. Have you ever been out on black Friday or midnight madness? The people are rude and I don't know about you but it is not worth me having to fight some deranged stranger for a $10 toy. I keep a mental checklist of who and what I need presents for throughout the year. The clearance section of Target is amazing for this purpose. I make it a point to visit it each time I shop. Tip 1: For toys, stores clearance winter toys in January (or some even right after Christmas). They clearance summer toys in July/August. I knock out my toy shopping for the year during both times.
2. Make your own kitchen staples. Not only is it cheaper it is healthier. I spend one afternoon every 2 months or so and I make a huge pot of sauce (tomato sauce). Prep work takes maybe 20minutes and then it slow cooks for hours. We then jar and freeze it. One pot usually yields 8 big mason jars worth. Price: under $10. I also make my own seasonings and bread crumbs. Pinterest is a great resource if you have no idea where or how to start. Tip 2: When you make your own, you can and should make extra. This means when you are in a pinch and it is dinner time, chances are you have something in the pantry/freezer and you can throw a meal together in time to save the day.
3. Do your taxes as early as possible. Why wait to get what is owed to you? We file ours as soon as we have all the paperwork. Generally, the earlier you file, the quicker the return gets to you. So many people wait until the last minute and then they have to wait forever because of the backup. We use Turbo Tax efile to submit ours. They make it easy to file, finding all the deductions and credits you can use. And if you are like me and get a little flustered when working on taxes Turbo Tax efile is there to keep us from losing it. They offer live help and double check for any errors. The latest 2012 software is available for pre-order today.
4. Keep an eye out for free samples. My favorite thing about samples aside from getting to try out products for free, is that they usually come with higher value coupons then the ones you find in the paper. There are a ton of coupon and freebie sites that list out every free sample and crazy coupon deal that ever was. Tip 3: This could be overwhelming or you can do what I do: I “like” them on Facebook and if I happen to see something that is relevant to me I will signup. Or bookmark your favorites and check them out once a day as time permits.
5. Natural Remedies. How much money do you spend on medication in a year? Natural remedies are cheaper, more effective, and safer then their pharmacy counterparts. Chances are you already have some of them in your house like basil, lemons, and honey. A little goes a long way with these guys and most of them have more then one use. For example, 100% Raw Local Buckwheat Honey is great for colds as it is high in antioxidants, soothing sore throats, and you can use it as an allergy medicine. Tip 4: I wrote a post about several different remedies. Natural Remedies
What are your go-to ideas for saving money? I would love to hear them!
*This post includes a sponsored link. I received monetary compensation for placing it. Opinions as always are my own.
