Your Most Creative $$$ saving Ideas

[WaltsMartini]

We are pretty good budgeters. We do all the stuff most people mention - use reward credit cards, save change to cash in, eat in rather than out, cars are paid off, coupon clip for groceries, have yard sales each summer, sell bigger stuff on eBay - we've got all that down.

However, my mother and I just decided to do EEC next May, so there will be a 4 day WDW trip, but I had also been planning on hitting up the Expo in August. I need something creative ideas to start saving money for these events - because I know I need to start saving now!

So - lay it on me - what are your most creative money saving ideas?

 

[JLa01844]

I wouldn't say it's the most creative but it's really simple and easy to do, and it works for us. My husband and I are both "trades people"...he is a mechanic and I am a graphic designer. We both work and get our standard paychecks weekly however....there is always somebody that needs their car looked at, or oil changed, or a logo, or a flyer...every month. So we don't budget this money becuase a) we can't count on it and b) it can fluctuate from one extreme to the other. So we put all our extra, not counted on earnings in our disney jar...or "whatever jar" we are working on. It's amazing how much we can save without actually dipping into our regular money. It wouldn't work for everyone but, a fair amount of people it may.

We also add our change and any giftcards to the jar as we come across them.

 

[MrsPete]

We are pretty good budgeters. We do all the stuff most people mention - use reward credit cards, save change to cash in, eat in rather than out, cars are paid off, coupon clip for groceries, have yard sales each summer, sell bigger stuff on eBay - we've got all that down.

However, my mother and I just decided to do EEC next May, so there will be a 4 day WDW trip, but I had also been planning on hitting up the Expo in August. I need something creative ideas to start saving money for these events - because I know I need to start saving now!

So - lay it on me - what are your most creative money saving ideas?

Things I've done today to save money that might not be all that ordinary:

1. When I came home from school today I made liquid soap and candles.

Grate up one large bar of good-smelling soap (use a cheese grater -- very easy) and add 1 Tbsp glycerine and 10 cups water. Bring it to a boil, then after it cools pour it into squirt bottles (we use the SoftSoap size). This takes about 15 minutes and makes six bottles of liquid soap at a cost of about $1. Of course, first you have to save up six plastic bottles, but once you have them they'll last for years.

We save up the little bit of candles that won't burn, and when we have a enough we chop them up, melt them and pour them back into the glass jars (obviously I'm talking about candles in jars) with a new wick. When the kids were little, we used to throw in broken crayons too. Small candles are much easier than large ones; with large ones you have the problem of the wax shrinking in the middle as it cools. You can buy new wax, but this time we just made a couple candles, so we only reused "candle butts". We already had the wicks, so this time it was genuinely free. Time allotted: Only about 15 minutes -- not including cooling time.

I like these two chores. They're very easy, and they make me feel industrious and frugal.

2. We went out to the movies. Instead of buying tickets, which are expensive, my husband buys passes from the rec association at his office. They cost $5 each, and we don't have to concern ourselves with 4:30 movies being $5 and 5:00 movies being $7.50 -- it's all just the same price. He buys a handful at a time, and we keep them around so that we're ready when the urge to see a movie strikes.

We did splurge on popcorn and sodas, which wasn't really necessary. We shared one large drink, which was an outrageous $5.50 -- but two smalls would've been $4.50 each, and the larges give a free refill. Ditto for the popcorn. We ate one popcorn at the theater and brought the free refill home.

3. I had leftovers for lunch. Last night's dinner was cooked using beef bought from a local co-op and vegetables bought from the farmer's market. The supermarket (even with coupons) is the most expensive place to buy food -- look around for your other options, and you'll be surprised how much you can save.

While we're talking about saving on food, we all carry a refillable water bottle to school and work each day. Cheaper than bottled water and better for the environment.

4. I washed a load of dishes in the dishwasher. I used dishwashing powder only in the main soap spot (not in the smaller one). The smaller one is soap that goes only into the pre-rinse, and unless you have a really dirty casserole dish, it's not necessary. This cuts the dishwashing powder use by about 1/3.


If you're looking for ways to be more frugal, just question yourself about things you've "always done". Consider whether there's a cheaper option for this or that activity. Often you'll find that a cheaper option exists.

I can give you one suggestion based upon your post: If you can have a yard sale every summer, you have a lot of new stuff moving through your house. Remember that you don't earn money at a yard sale; you just recoup a portion of what you paid for the items. Could you save more by buying less in the first place? Even when my kids were small and outgrew their clothes and toys quickly, I didn't have "enough" to have a good yard sale more than every third year or so.

 

[pigletto]

This is a good topic for me. We are back in budget mode for a second trip to Disney this year. How much we eat in restaurants, and what we spend in mad money will be determined by how well I can stay on task until the end of the summer. I like these kinds of challenges rather than sticking it all on a credit card and paying off after we come home.

My ideas aren't too creative (yet!) but easy to do and I always scale back before trip time.

Eat at home!! Plan your menus ahead of time so you can avoid going out at the end of the day when you are too tired to cook. This one is huge for us. We can blow our grocery budget for the week if we fail to plan and end up eating out twice in a week.

Like the previous poster, I've saved up quite a few movie passes and 2 for 1 coupons. It will be a fun treat to go to the movies in the summer and have it already paid for. And also like the previous poster, we split a huge drink and a popcorn. Anymore than that and we end up not eating it anyway.
We also have a drive-in movie theatre in our town! Everyone gets in their jammies or comfy clothes and we head to the movies. Kids under 10 are $3.00 for TWO movies. Or it's 20 for a "carload" one night per week. That covers all four of us for a night out and it's so much fun!!

Summer is my favourite time for activities on the cheap. Swimming, picnics, hikes, bike rides, movie nights, library trips, visiting the market, board games, camp outs.. there is so much to do that costs very little and keeps us all busy.

Plan to splurge once in awhile. Build a few days into the menu for example where you can grab a pizza or go get burgers. It's not too costly and you won't feel completely deprived.

If you are a coffee/tea/iced coffee drinker.. make it at home! We spend a stupid amount of money grabbing a coffee while we are out and it's free to bring from home.

Hit up your library for books and movies. We've dropped to the lowest cable package and to be honest, I don't even think we need that for the summer. It barely gets watched.

Don't even follow the links for sales you get in your email or see online. I love buying my kids clothes but to be honest they don't NEED anything at all right now. If I don't even look I don't buy anything and that's way cheaper than a sale

Now, all of this is stuff I haven't been doing consistently or at all lately. Now that there is an end of summer trip coming up I have 3 months to fill the change jar and double my efforts. I like a challenge

 

[shortbun]

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

 

[Nayan]

The best way to save money is to not spend it. Don't buy stuff you don't need. Like a PP said if you're having sales or selling stuff often then you're only getting back some of what you spent.

We saved quite a bit by changing our diet. We don't eat meat or chicken anymore but we do eat fish and beans. We shop at a local store instead of a chain and save a huge amount on fresh veggies and fruit. We don't buy any prepackaged junk (no Hamburger Helper or boxed Mac and Cheese) and by doing this we've knocked about $40 off our bill each week.

 

[ah1126]

One thing I have started doing, is when I enter my purchases in my check register, I round up to the nearest dollar. So if my purchase was $5.25, I enter $6.00. The change has really started to add up and since it is a small amount each time, we don't miss it!

 

[WaltsMartini]

One thing I have started doing, is when I enter my purchases in my check register, I round up to the nearest dollar. So if my purchase was $5.25, I enter $6.00. The change has really started to add up and since it is a small amount each time, we don't miss it!

All great ideas - and I will definitely start rounding up and automatically put the change into savings - great idea!

One thing we did that is working out well is buying a CSA - community share agriculture. It was $300 up front - a bit steep, but our grocery bills have fallen by about $15-$20 each week. And we aren't grocery shopping as much. I figure that besides the health bonus, we may save around $600 between now and October when the shares end - so with cost of CSA taken out, probably save around $300.

Only catch is you HAVE to use it all - I can't tell you how many frozen casseroles and quiches I have now! But they're great for nights when I don't want to cook and would have otherwise fallen into the sub and pizza trap

 

[WaltsMartini]

I wouldn't say it's the most creative but it's really simple and easy to do, and it works for us. My husband and I are both "trades people"...he is a mechanic and I am a graphic designer. We both work and get our standard paychecks weekly however....there is always somebody that needs their car looked at, or oil changed, or a logo, or a flyer...every month. So we don't budget this money becuase a) we can't count on it and b) it can fluctuate from one extreme to the other. So we put all our extra, not counted on earnings in our disney jar...or "whatever jar" we are working on. It's amazing how much we can save without actually dipping into our regular money. It wouldn't work for everyone but, a fair amount of people it may.

We also add our change and any giftcards to the jar as we come across them.

I unfortunately don't have a trade - I'm a state "bureaucrat" (every little girl's dream!), but I did spend a lot of time babysitting as a teenager. I've been thinking about looking for some evening babysitting jobs - I do have several friends in the mommy set who know people that are always looking for sitters. Has anyone done anything like that - and was it worth the aggravation of dealing with other people's kids?

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I use rewards sites to earn gift cards for places we use alot like Walmart and Amazon. I don't put as much work into it as alot of other people on the disboards do, but I still get a few gift cards a year, it helps.

I watch Groupon and Livingsocial for deals to places I know my kids are probably going to ask to go or might want to spend a birthday. But know your prices, our local bowling alley frequently offers Groupons and they can be a good deal, but not for our family because we don't rent shoes (have our own) and we already get half price bowling there because we're in leagues. On the other hand, I got a great deal on an amusement place (go-karts, mini-golf,laser tag) which was perfect for my 8 year old's birthday.

I stopped buying paper towels. I keep a roll around for times when I absolutely feel I need it, but it generally lasts me months for one roll. Instead I use cloth napkins and rags.

If you belong to something like AAA or AARP or are military don't be afraid to ask for discounts. At first I was uncomfortable doing so, but I have saved quite a bit so now if I think it's a possibility I just remind myself the worst they can say is no.

Do it yourself wherever possible. Mow your own lawn, clean your own house, bathe your own dog, change your own oil, cut your own fruits and veggies, etc.

Don't be late. Return movies and books on time and pay your bills on time to avoid late fees.

 

[bearloch]

my trick is to really need something and to search for it! I go to local thrift shops at least 1x a week there I can sually get something off my list of needs. I have a ongoing one of sizes an colorswe need also kitchen and furniture deals there as well!! Actually have gotten som really nice disney pic frames for under 2 bucks!!

good luck!!

 

[Lemurone]

They just opened an ALDI near me, and I was amazed at how much food I got for $60. That $60 was my entire grocery list for the week, plus some extras for our Memorial Day mountain trip (3 green bell peppers for .49!). I always try to plan out meals for the week over the weekend and go do my shopping--I find that if we wait until last minute to decide dinner or run to the store after work we will spend more. I try to match coupons to Publix BOGO sales, but other than that I found couponing was just making me buy things I wouldn't have otherwise because it was a good deal.
I take batches of clothes and toys to consignment, and if they don't buy it I save it to take later. Maybe they had too many denim skirts in stock or something but in a few months, they might be more in demand. I don't think they're on to me yet My consignment store also guarantees they will buy kids' books, so that's an easy few dollars if you clean out your shelves.
I'm realizing these are not that creative
I do my printing at work--the big machines here can handle it and I refuse to buy ink at home
We don't have cable, and use Netflix or Hulu. That bill went from $100 a month to $16 a month. We just refinanced our car loan to save $130 a month. My son takes his lunch every day to school and oftentimes it's just a bunch of snacks and not a "meal." Strawberries when they are on sale, blueberries, canned (no sugar added) fruits, cheese crackers, pb crackers, chunks of cheddar, yogurt, mixed nuts or dried fruit...we use cloth baggies and reusable containers.

 

[weezyree]

We also put ourselves on a budget two years ago and it has helped tremendously.

We have our expenses written on paper right down to how much gas is budgeted for the month as well as vet expenses when it's time of the year for vaccines.

There is a really good book you can find a the library called, "Be Centsable" and they also run an awesome website. www.becentsable.org

The book is full of great ideas from weatherizing your home to getting better gas mileage and couponing. The website keeps track of chain store like Walgreens and CVS for sales. They take all the work out of it and I stock up on hygiene products at next to nothing prices.

I also make my own homemade laundry detergent that averages one cent per load. I use it for every thing except whites, bedding and bath towels. I also wash every thing except those items on cold. I double the batch (the recipe can be found in that book or online) and it lasts three months.

You can also buy Borax and Washing Soda (all found in the soap aisle) for next to nothing and mix it half and half for dishwasher detergent. I TBS per load and less if it's not full. It doesnt' leave a film on my glasses and we don't have hard water. I'm not sure how well it would work with hardwater, but the washing soda is suppose to help boost washing power in hard water, so I really don't know. I keep the mixture under my sink in an empty coffe container with an old TBS to scoop it out.

We do most of what others on here do and hit the thrift stores for our youngest daughter's clothes since she like to mix and match. She's into fashion design and doesn't want to 'be' or 'look' like anyone else. Bonus for us!!

Have fun and be creative!!

 

[Crazy Mother of Two]

There is a really good book you can find a the library called, "Be Centsable" and they also run an awesome website. www.becentsable.org

The book is full of great ideas from weatherizing your home to getting better gas mileage and couponing. The website keeps track of chain store like Walgreens and CVS for sales. They take all the work out of it and I stock up on hygiene products at next to nothing prices.

just a correction....the website is www.becentsable.net

 

[WaltsMartini]

Love the becentsable! I will be checking that out soon.

Here's a question for all of you - how do you handle gifts? We're at a time in our lives where everyone is either getting married or having babies, and it's pretty much expected to give gifts, if not generous gifts. Just in the past two months we had two weddings (actually didn't go to one that was farther away and just sent a gift) and two of our friends had babies.

I know I should want to be more generous, but between the showers, weddings, and babies I feel as if I'm always writing checks. Any creative ideas???

 

[reginaastralis]

I unfortunately don't have a trade - I'm a state "bureaucrat" (every little girl's dream!), but I did spend a lot of time babysitting as a teenager. I've been thinking about looking for some evening babysitting jobs - I do have several friends in the mommy set who know people that are always looking for sitters. Has anyone done anything like that - and was it worth the aggravation of dealing with other people's kids?

I do something similar to this. It started as an offering to help a friend, but it's turning into a full time job. This wasn't quite the plan, but I'll take it. Over the summer, I'm helping three mommy friends with childcare. The money isn't much (I'm not charging them a liveable wage, honestly, but as a single mom I know what it's like to not be able to afford $130/week in daycare cost). Since our bills are paid for by my boyfriend's job, and I was going to just be sitting around the house all summer, this extra money is going into our Disney/home improvement fund. I'm pretty excited about it, honestly, lol. I'm not having to find complete entertainment for my daughter all summer, so I'm hoping that it cuts down on the "I'm bored!" comments as well.