This is going to be a fun post! I’m going to share tips on how to save money using ways you may not have heard of before.
Podcast Version
Below is the podcast version of this article. The podcast explains things so much better than a blog post. I invite you to listen and also hear some examples and enjoy some laughs! You can subscribe to the Podcast by opening your favorite podcast app and typing “Balanced Working Moms” into the search or click here for a link to the podcast on iTunes.
Online Shopping Coupons
I learned this tip from the most frugal person I’ve ever met. This one tip has literally saved me hundreds over the years. It’s so simple.
Here’s what you do. Every time before you buy something online, you do a quick search of the name of the store and the word “coupon.”
For example, let’s say you’re buying from the craft store, Michael’s. You’ve got all your items in your cart, you’re ready to go.
Before you check out, open another tab and type Michael’s coupon. You’ll see lots of links to coupons. Try them and see what works.
I’ve been doing this for at least 10 years and this way, I don’t have to be on mailing lists to get coupons. It’s rare that a website doesn’t have a coupon.
Online Shopping Rebates
Here’s another tip I learned also about 10 years ago. I get rebates from a site called Mr. Rebates.
The way it works is before you go to the website, ex. Chewy.com, you first go to Mr. Rebates site. You then get a percentage back on however much you spend. For Chewy, as of the day I’m writing this, you get back 4%. That’s a lot of money – and it adds up quickly!
I have a special affiliate link for you. Sign up via this link and you’ll get $5 on your first purchase.
Audio Books
I used to spend over $100 a year to subscribe to an audiobook service. I know I could have used the library, but waiting for books is annoying and inconvenient.
Recently I found out that my library has a service called Hoopla. You can borrow books instantly! Total game changer. I immediately dropped my audiobook subscription and now I get it for free. They also have movies on hoopla — see if your library has this — you’ll save so much money!
Canceling “Free” Subscriptions
How often do you subscribe for a service and the first month is “free” and then you forget to unsubscribe? 6 months later, you check your credit card statement and you’re still getting charged, perhaps for something you don’t even use. Sure, it may only be $8 a month, but it adds up.
My trick — put it on your calendar at least a week before you need to unsubscribe. Then set up a few email notifications on that calendar item. Hopefully, you’ll get annoyed enough by the multiple notifications to stop that subscription before you’re charged! 🙂
DIY Indulences
I asked in our Facebook group for people’s top saving tips. This tip kept coming up.
Lots of members in our group love fancy coffee. Others, like me, enjoy kombucha. Some enjoy manicures.
Whatever your indulgence, the recommendation from the group is to learn to do it yourself! DIY!
Moms in our group have learned to be incredible baristas.
I’ve learned to brew my own kombucha. It seemed so hard at first, I thought I’d never learn! I invested a few hundred dollars getting started, I bought a large 2-gallon ceramic jug, heater, starter (called a SCOBY), organic tea, etc. But in the long term, I save a ton of money! Where I live, each 16oz bottle of Kombucha costs at least $3.
If you have something you love, try doing it yourself, even if it feels hard at first. The savings will be worth it.
Stop Buying Disposable Products
Avoiding disposables is my favorite way to save money because it’s win-win. I save money and I’m kind to the environment.
It’s also fun because you get to spend a little money to save money.
Instead of disposable products, you can invest in pretty re-usable items. I ADORE my glass water bottle. And if I leave it in the car, the water won’t taste plastic-y.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve saved over the years by not purchasing disposables.
Think about how much you spend on disposable products a year. Things you literally put right in the trash after using them for only a few minutes.
It’s an Adventure
I hope you learned some tips you can use right away.
The biggest take-away I hope you come away with is that saving money is FUN!
Sure, I could pay $21 each week for my daily kombucha. But instead, I DELIGHT in finding a solution where I can enjoy as much kombucha as I want without having to spend my life’s savings….
Have fun with it! Pick just one thing you’ll do from this list and enjoy the savings.
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