Tips for Saving Money, Cutting Expenses, etc. - Page 3

bluefish81 · #31 06-15-2009, 11:49 PM

Target will take a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon for the same item, which can help make it cheaper than your local grocery store or Wal-Mart. My grocery store will do this too.
You can find Target coupons on their website, or sometimes they randomly mail out booklets to people in the mail. There's no real rhyme or reason to who gets the store coupons.
I've also found that I'm able to get a lot of my toiletries at Walgreens for really cheap because you can use the coupons in their ads and stack manufacturer coupons there too. I don't have a lot of time to line up these deals but the people on sites like www.hotcouponworld.com and www.slickdeals.net are able to find those deals. They also have threads dedicated to lots of grocery stores on HCW. There's no cost for either site.
If I had a family, I'd probably be all about buying in bulk, especially since I could practically walk to Cost-Co, but I'd never get everything used in time, nor do I have the space.

whiteandblack · #32 09-26-2009, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojapeach

You beat me to it! But I have a "compromise" for sensitive types like me.

I tried the water filter for a while in '03 or '04 after I decided traveling to a special co-op in Atlanta for filtered water from a machine that include radiation, etc. was getting too expensive, ie price & gasoline. The filtered water did not agree with my skin and broke me out terribly, even when I poured it into the Brita pitcher 3 times before drinking.

Fast forward, and the cost of the filtered machines have gone down, and the machines are in more places, ie Publix, Kroger, meaning less gas. This water is delicious and will satisfy. The cost is usually $0.30 - $0.35 per gallon instead of paying much more for bottled water. (I've bought gallons of Publix/Kroger water, then re-used the bottles.)

PS I recommend Glacier machines over others. I don't know why there's a difference, but there clearly is.

I have a question about the Brita pitchers. when you put tap water in the pitcher is fresh water immediate? or does it have to sit a while... btw I love this thread. great information.

AlphaFrog · #33 09-26-2009, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteandblack

I have a question about the Brita pitchers. when you put tap water in the pitcher is fresh water immediate? or does it have to sit a while... btw I love this thread. great information.

It's immediate. It goes through a filter, and what is in the bottom of the pitcher is ready. We love ours!

amanda6035 · #34 10-10-2009, 12:41 PM

try e-mealz.com

honeychile · #35 10-10-2009, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jen

I always try and get gas at night. The gas prices here drop about 5 cents a litre at night.

The best times to get gas are in the early morning or late evening, when it isn't as hot (obviously, this works better during the summer). The gas doesn't evaporate as quickly so you're not paying for fumes.

I took a good, hard look at my family's medical history, and started to seriously cut back on foods that are empty calories or tend to lead to one disease or another. I may love sweet tea, but it's now a treat, not an everyday drink. I can't remember how long it's been since I've willingly bought Coke (of any sort), or even drank it - the "experts" are saying that even diet pop causes problems. Using a teabag squeezer (mine's from Tupperware) allows you to get several cups of tea out of one bag, without the mess. Remember how one packet of sugar was 1 teaspoon? Read the packet - it's now just under a teaspoon. If you can do without the full teaspoon at a restaurant, you can do without it at home.

Our local big grocery store offers fuel perks; you save $.10 a gallon for every $50 increment you spend - and they don't run out at the end of the month. I drove to Nashville on $13.20 worth of gas!

They also sell gift cards, so if we're going to a restaurant or to a certain store, we get the gift cards first. My mother bought a stove and got an $.80 discount per gallon on gas!

My credit cards all have either miles or points to purchase gift cards - and none of them have fees. The boy always writes out a check for each time he uses his, so it doesn't get out of control.

Most skin care items are as effective in generic as in the high priced ones, although you need to check the ingredients if you have allergies. A dab of white toothpaste from a dollar store actually works better for the occasional zit than the expense creams. I also try not to buy scented liquid soap, so I can mix those litte bits that won't pump out. Okay, one scent isn't bad!

Do some serious bank shopping! My bank was just sold, so while my funds are at the new bank, I'm checking out which can give me more bang for my buck. I also empty my wallet of change every day for one special fund.

Good to see other frugalites!

PS: Who are these experts, anyhow?

AGDee · #36 10-10-2009, 05:27 PM

Now that my ex-husband is unemployed, I've been trying to give him tips like these. He's just dense and doesn't get it. My son told him "Stop buying Oreos, you can buy lots of pears for the cost of a bag of Oreos". LOL. It was hilarious, to hear a 13 year old boy telling his dad to buy fruit instead of packaged cookies!

christiangirl · #37 10-11-2009, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeychile

Most skin care items are as effective in generic as in the high priced ones, although you need to check the ingredients if you have allergies.

I've started buying generic shampoo and it's actually just as good (the one my hairdresser told me to use was expensive).

Benzgirl · #38 10-11-2009, 11:31 AM

I ask doctors for samples. My cousin is a doctor -- if he has what I need, he will send them.

ThetaPrincess24 · #39 10-11-2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeychile

I took a good, hard look at my family's medical history, and started to seriously cut back on foods that are empty calories or tend to lead to one disease or another. I may love sweet tea, but it's now a treat, not an everyday drink. I can't remember how long it's been since I've willingly bought Coke (of any sort), or even drank it - the "experts" are saying that even diet pop causes problems. Using a teabag squeezer (mine's from Tupperware) allows you to get several cups of tea out of one bag, without the mess. Remember how one packet of sugar was 1 teaspoon? Read the packet - it's now just under a teaspoon. If you can do without the full teaspoon at a restaurant, you can do without it at home.

I recently changed my diet for health issues and in the process it has saved me money. I went became a mostly vegan vegetarian in July. Not only have I lost 12 pounds, but my cholesterol has gone way down (saving me money from having to be placed on an expensive medication), my thyroid numbers are going up and becoming more stable, saving me money from thyroid medication, AND the diet changes have also boosted my overall mental health to where I am proud to say I am off both anti-depressants and off the Ambien to sleep. My migraines are much less frequent and severe too (saving money there from other medications). I cut out caffiene and soft drinks, in addition to coffee so my daily starbucks habit is no more. We no longer buy fruit juice here. We got out the ole Juiceman Juicer and now make our own juices, fresh with no added sugar or preservatives.

Here recently with the weather being so nice, we've turned off the a/c and opened windows.

ThetaPrincess24 · #40 10-11-2009, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christiangirl

I've started buying generic shampoo and it's actually just as good (the one my hairdresser told me to use was expensive).

I started buying my shampoo and conditioners at walmart, rather than the salon or at Ulta/Sephora. That cut my shampoo/conditioner costs in half.

33girl · #41 10-11-2009, 01:44 PM

Be careful if you're buying salon brands of hair products at discount or drug stores though - they might be expired which means the ingredients won't work as they should, and not only that, sometimes the prices are actually HIGHER than at Ulta or your hair salon.

I won't comment on the "deals" at Walmart as I feel the ultimate price to the community is not worth the $1.17 you save on a bottle of ibuprofen.

texas*princess · #42 10-11-2009, 03:37 PM

If you regularly take vitamins, check out your local Walgreens. Often times they have a Buy One Get one Free deal on their store-branded vitamins which have the same exact stuff as the other branded ones

Benzgirl · #43 10-11-2009, 04:04 PM

I pay all of my bills online. Except at holiday time, I now only buy stamps once every 3 months.

AGDee · #44 10-11-2009, 04:34 PM

I think the last time I bought stamps was last Christmas. I pay them all online also. I had bought a book of forever stamps right before they went up two rate changes ago and still have two of them!

ThetaPrincess24 · #45 10-11-2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Be careful if you're buying salon brands of hair products at discount or drug stores though - they might be expired which means the ingredients won't work as they should, and not only that, sometimes the prices are actually HIGHER than at Ulta or your hair salon.

I won't comment on the "deals" at Walmart as I feel the ultimate price to the community is not worth the $1.17 you save on a bottle of ibuprofen.

I would beware of "clearance" items at walmart. Often times they are not a clearance price. For example, earlier this week my husband and I were there buying stuff, and we saw a sonicare toothbrush/system marked clearance. Knowing this is around $130 bucks I decided to see what they were selling it for....original price" $136.95, sale price, $136....I'm sorry but 95 cents off is NOT clearance...