5 Ways to Spend Less and Save More Money

Cutting down my spending because a requirement recently. As such, I really started trying new and old ways to cut down on how much I spend every month.

My spending behavior was already frugal, I thought.  That is until I started really looking into ways to cut my expenses further and not compromise my family’s needs and lifestyle.   At first it was tough.  Then I really started getting into the groove of finding new ways to buy for less.  With the help and advise from my friends and a little research I found new ways to buy what we need – FOR LESS.

1. RESALE STORES –  Growing up most resale shops were dirty, dusty and disorganized.  Things have changed.  My favorites in my community are GOODWILL and SAVERS.  Both are well organizes and offer many amazing deals if you are willing to invest an hour at the store once in awhile.  It is not uncommon for me to find brands like Nike, UnderArmour, Gap Kids, and Land End for my children if I really keep my eyes open.  Searching is definitely part of the experience. However it is fun to see what treasures you can find. Last week I found a pair of almost new leather Cole Haan stiletos for $7.50!  Since I started shopping at resale shops I have cut my kids clothing bill in half.  Chain-like resale shops such as Savers will also give you coupons you can use when ever you donate bags of items to their store.  Just another ways to save even more money!
2. EBATES.COM –  I’m sure I mentioned EBATES.COM to my readers before, but please, please consider signing up.  Ebates.com allows you to search for your favorite store websites and see what type of rebate you can get from that store before you buy.  Use Ebates.com to get to your favorite websites and you can save an average of 3-9% per order you place.  Ebates.com even offers double rebates occasionally, so you ALWAYS want to check Ebates.com before shopping online.  After so many months Ebates.com will send you a “Big Fat Check” (that is what they call it) in the mail so that you can cash in your rebate dollars.  This site is fantastic for your purchases on Amazon, clothing shops, home goods, and much much more.
3. THE DOLLAR STORES – Depending on where you live you will have different types of dollar stores.  You might think “cheap” when you think of these types of stores.  Some of there items certainly are. Many are not. If you have not been in a dollar store recently, PLEASE check it out.  DOLLAR TREE is the most common dollar store in my community.  Now all my gift wrap and party supplies (including inflated balloons) come from Dollar Tree.  Dollar stores also supply a great selection of dinnerware, cleaning supplies, cards, school supplies, small toys, paper products and so much more.  Over the last year I am sure I have saved $100 alone on wrapping paper and greeting cards by shopping at Dollar Tree.
4. DISCOUNT STORES – These type of stores a different then the dollar store.  In our community we have many to choose from such as TJ MAXX, MARSHALL’S and HOMEGOODS.  Discount stores provide such a variety of products because they often get their merchandise from other department stores that sold off there clearance merchandise.  I am very fortunate to have a TJ Maxx and HomeGoods in my neighborhood and I stop in frequently with a long list of items I need and my find there.  When we purchase our new smart televistion a few months ago, we needed a new console.  Pier One has many beautiful options that were about $500 each.  I walked over to HomeGoods which is in the same strip mall and found a incredible Basset Furniture console, with a damage on the side for an “as is” price of $99.  I purchased it immediately and was able to repair the damage with paint I already had in the house.
5. LOW COST FOOD STORES – This is where I sound like a broken record.  My favorite grocery store is Wholefoods and my second favorite food store is ALDI, I am not kidding.  ALDI provides so much nowaday.  If you are into organic you can find all your essentials like Organic milk, eggs, apples, vegetables, and more.  So if you are an organic loyalist, or not you are guaranteed to walk out of the store with a smile on your face and more cash in your bank account.   A couple months ago I took a picture of my ALDI’s cart FULL of food and texted it to my sister in law with the comment “All under $100.”   Your neighborhood most likely has a discount food store, it might be a family-owned produce shop, or Walmart, but you need to start going there if you don’t already.

Savings money on your bills everyone can be fun too.  Text a friend and see they want to join you on your next trip to the resale shop.  Let your friends know about your ways on saving money every month.  There is no reason not to share your wealth of cost savings tips!