Cutting Costs on Everyday Items
Everything is expensive these days. Gas is around $4.00 a gallon, milk isn’t much cheaper than that, and all food seems to have gone up in price.
It makes stretching your budget harder and harder every day. So how do you make a dollar go further these days?
Buy generic – Most generic foods are just as good as name brand. There are a few things you may draw the line on, but for the most part you can save money simply by switching brands. Be sure to check your price per ounce or unit to make sure you’re getting the best bargain.
Shop Warehouse Stores – You may think your family is not big enough to shop at warehouse stores, but they have good deals on some things. Produce can be a great buy, but be sure you’re going to use it before it goes bad, or you won’t have saved any money. Things like paper towels, dish detergent and soda can be a great deal at the warehouse stores. You’re going to need them anyway.
Shop the Sales – It used to be that you could just make a grocery list and know about what your food budget was going to be. Those days are behind us. Now you should check the sale flyers before making your list. If pork is on sale, plan more pork meals than chicken. Look for things like buy one, get on free or other sales, but don’t forget to check your price per ounce or unit again to make sure you are getting the best deal. Don’t forget to bring your coupons along too.
Shop at Thrift Stores or Garage Sales – This is a great place to find things for kids, or for your home. So many kids outgrow their clothes and they don’t get worn out. You can find perfectly good clothes for a fraction of the price. If you don’t want to buy “good clothes” here, think of getting “play” clothes at sales. Other things like kids books and toys are usually readily available.
Freecycle – Freecycle is like an on-line swap meet. People who have items that they no longer need post to the group, and if a member is interested, they e-mail the poster to express their interest. The poster then chooses a recipient from the responses. There are many things available in a wide range of needs. You can find everything from home décor to kids items to appliances and vehicles. If there is something you are in need of, you may post a request as well. You register based on location so you don’t spend a lot of money in gas going to pick up your new treasures. Only things that are going to be given for free should be posted. There is no charge for the service.
Freebies and Samples– If there is something new that you want to try but you’re not sure if you want to spend the money, check with the company to see if you can get a sample. Many food companies have samples of their popular or new items. Check with the company’s website to see what you might be able to try. You may discover you love the product, but if you don’t like it, you will have saved yourself money. Other websites specialize in giving free samples. Sites like Start Sampling allow you to register and receive samples on products you choose. There are ways to cut costs and in the coming months it’s probably going to be even more crucial to the average family to trim expenses where you can.
If you have money saving tips that haven’t been covered here, please share them.
by Kelly Killian
