****Hello people of the page: I know this isn't like my normal posts, but, as an Underdog, I feel like we could use all the help we can get. Stay tuned for more conspiracy theories, and enjoy these tips.
I keep seeing all of these stories in magazines about how to save money. Some have great tips, but for the most part, they are written for people who have some money. Meaning that money they will be saving will be great to be put away for a rainy day. But that's not the situation that I am in, nor most Americans.
In fact, one out of every two Americans are living below the poverty line. Case in point, I live with my cousin/roommate/bestie. I live under the poverty line, and she is lucky to have a good job. In this day in age, a college degree, (or even two like me,) won't get you anywhere. You are lucky to have any type of job, let alone one that you like or pays you well. Since I don't have either,(I'm a part-time teller) I must make do with what little I have, and make it last. There are no savings accounts today. Only debt. But, there are ways to try to make that tiny dollar stretch out.
1. Brand Names mean almost nothing: Guess what, food is food. For the most part it doesn't matter what the name on the box says, it's the same food as the off brand. I understand that there are some situations where you have to buy a brand name. For example, my dog Indy has stomach trouble, and can only eat certain dog food. I save money by buying off brand items at the store so I can pay for the dog food. In that case, it is much cheaper to buy a $13.00 dog of bag food than to take him to the vet.
2. If you can, go to a grocery store like Aldies. Bring your own bags, and your quarter to get your shopping car. You get your quarter back when you return the cart. Your dollar goes so much futher there. What you would spend over a hundred dollars for at a normal grocery store, you could spend only $50 or $60 at Aldies.
3. Bring your own bags whenever possible. A lot of places now give you a 5 cent credit of each reusable bag that you use. There are not many places that do here in Waterloo, but Target does. Five cents is five cents.
4. Pay attention to the price when you are at the check out line. This actually saved me $50.00. There was a sale on my dog food for once at hyvee! I decided to stock up with 3 bags which would save me about $15.00 dollars in the long run. When I was at the check out, the price didn't ring up right. When I told the clerk, they went to check the price. It turnes out this was a promo price that was over the day before. They forgot to change the ticket back to the correct price. Since it was their mistake, it is their policy to make the product free. I was just looking for a price match, but ended up getting all 3 bags of dog food free!!! Pay attention to the screen, because if I wouldn't have, then I would have ended up paying more!!!
5. Coupons can be great, but you have to pay attention to them. Are they really the best deal? Look around, the off brand may be a better deal. It may not. And if you have to buy 3 or more products to get one dollar off, then it most likely isn't the best deal.
6. Look through your magazines. If you are like me, you have a small stack of magazines in your bathroom (hee hee) or in your bedroom. Save money by subscribing to a magazine instead of buying it off the newstand. You may be surprised what is in there. Today I found many good coupons, samples of make-up, lotion, and a panty liner. Hey, samples are samples and good for many things. (stay tuned for sample section)
Another tip for magazines: take those perfume samples they stuff in the pages and put them to use. You can put them in your car for a refreshing smell. (cheaper than an air freshener) You can also put them in your shelves, in your sock drawer, or in your bathroom. Also, you can actually use them. It is very hard to get a sample of perfume anymore because most companies will not make them. Use them and see if you like them instead of trying a bottle out.
7. Check out your local paper, or your local "Reader" to find cheap or free things to do. You can also go online and search your local city to find many options. For example, there are days where muesums are free, or there are cheap movies showing during the day time. It is no longer dorky to go see a free music concert in the park when you are poor. You can bring your own pinic lunch and enjoy the entertainment. Or at least the people watching. There are also many local coupons and offers that really are worth checking out.
8. Pay attention to commericals for free promo offers, then go get them on their websites. For this, I suggest you create a free email account just for these free promo offers. Many times, these free offers also will email you coupons. This way, you are not clogging your personal email. You can go to one place and select what you want. Free products, and coupons are awesome!
Free promo offers by mail can take some time, around 6 weeks, so have patients. There is a great website that I found online that I have been using called: MYFREEPRODUCTSAMPLES.COM. This is updated every day and have great offers. If you aren't comfortable clicking the offers on the website, then go to the brand's own website.
Now, why would you want all of these free samples? Should you only stick with food or beauty products. The anwer is, get all of them. You can always use free samples. Why would you get all these free samples for men, Lisa, when you don't have a boyfriend or a son? Oh, my friends, there are uses for them all!! For one thing, these samples make great stocking stuffers. I collect samples through out the year, and then put them in a stocking for my dad, and brother. I don't use make up, so those go to my mom, sister-in-law, and friends. What about some random stuff you have no idea what to do with? Keep your ears open. Sometimes these little free samples of a perfume that you don't like could make your co-workers day.
9. Now, this could be a hard investment, but it may be something you want to look into. Instead of paying for cable, make sure that you have a good internet connection. Then either pay for Netflix and Hulu and watch all the same TV shows you pay for on cable, online instead. Each of these services are 8.99 a month for unlimited use. Not bad compared to the price of cable or a dish. The other thing you could do is either invest in a internet TV, or something that will adapt the internert to the TV so you can watch these services on a TV instead of your laptop. The investment most of the time will still be a cheaper monthly rate than paying for cable or dish. DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!! If you are going to buy a high ticket item like a TV, then make sure you know what the heck you are getting into.
10. If you are a coffee drinker, invest in a good cup. A coffee machine, as long as it is working condition, is a good coffee machine. A good travel cup that you take to work every day will save you a lot of money instead of buying that daily cup of coffee. This also goes for bottled water, and soda. Buy a good reusable cup and fill er up. Also, pat yourself on the back when using your cup because you are not throwing away plastic or paper cups in landfills. Good job!!
11. But if you simply must have that cup of coffee consider doing the following. Go to places that will give you rewards, such as a free cup or a free treat. Buy that memebership at Barnes and Noble. That percent off adds up very quickly and you will pay for that memebership in no time, plus you can use it for books and snacks. Or, instead of hitting Starbucks drive-thru, go to Mcdonalds. It is cheaper, and they have a rewards program.
12. Buy gift cards for yourself. For example, I buy several gift cards for myself including Starbucks. I load the card and spend the money. When it's gone, it's gone.The money has already been spent and budgeted in so I don't have to think about coming up with money for my Starbucks fix. Also, you can register the cards online just in case they are lost or stolen you won't lose your investement. Plus, by signing up online and registering your gift card you get free items, offers, coupons, and a free drink on your birthday. I also use them at amazon.com, walmart, itunes, and best buy. Buying a few and stashing them away also is a great way to pay for Christmas or birthday gifts when you don't have money later.
13. Sign up for free things on your birthday: such as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Weber Grill, or other local resterants. You would be suprised what you can get on your birthday, plus it's nice. It's like getting another present.
14. Use your library. You can read for free, and check out DVDS for free.
15. Check out your local stores and drug stores for their memebership and rewards programs. Most of the time, they are free, and you can save money.
16. Feel like you want to buy that new cd or itune? Use Pandora.com. This is internet radio that you can set to your liking. This way, you can listen to the music that you want to without having to pay for that song or cd. Plus, you may find some great music that you would never have before. This is a very cheap alternative to satalite radio.
17. If you have the option, take public transportation. It is cheaper than filling up your gas tank, and again, pat yourself on the back for helping out the enviroment. If you don't have that option in your city, start a car pool with your co-workers.
18. Spend a little bit more money now to save in the long run on certain items. For example, get the better lightbulbs that last longer. It is cheaper on your bills, and cheaper than buying a new bulb ever few months. Buy rechargable batteries. Again, it saves you in the long run after your investment.
These are just a few tips that I can think of. I am open to more tips. Please feel free to comment on how to save more money. We are all in this mess, and we all could use some help. Thanks for reading this and have a great day!!!
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