Money Saving Tip #168: Start Christmas Shopping in the Summer and Fall

If you are like most people, you wait to shop for Christmas gifts until the last few weeks before the holidays.  I am guilty of this.  I have taken a new approach to Christmas shopping that will reduce my stress and keep more money in my wallet.

I have already started Christmas shopping, and it's still September.  Whenever I visit the grocery store (Target), I start my shopping in the toy section.  I look for the toys on clearance and the ones in the end-cap.  This past weekend, I bought my daughter a toy in the clearance section for $5.00.  The regular price for that item was more than $20.00. 

If you do your shopping early, you won't miss out on seasonal purchases that your child may want for Christmas.  If your child wants a squirt gun (Super Soaker) for Christmas, you will not be able to find it at the toy store.  Because it is a spring and summer item, it will be out of stock.  Buy seasonal items at the end of the season, and it may be significantly reduced.  Target had summer items on sale 2 weeks ago for 75% off.  I stocked up on stuff my kids love.   

When you get home, make sure you find a good hiding place for your gifts.  I recommend hiding everything in one location, so all your purchases don't get lost or forgotten about. 

Money Saving Tip #167: Re-Usable Water Bottles

I highly encourage you to purchase a re-usable water bottle rather than drinking a new bottle of water every time.  When you go to purchase a re-usable water bottle, follow my personal suggestions. 

To begin with, I recommend the aluminum varities.  They hold the cold temperatures better than the plastic ones.  The drawback is that you cannot put hot liquids into aluminum containers. 

When you go to search for one, make sure that it is dishwasher safe.  When aluminum water bottles were first made, many of them were not dishwasher safe.  If you wash one in the dishwasher that is not dishwasher safe, your logo, pictures, or color will start to chip away from the bottle.  You don't want the paint getting onto other dishes.

My other recommendation is to find one that does not have a straw.  I suggest purchasing a water bottle that has a simple screw top.  In the past, I have purchased the re-usable water bottles with a straw for convenience.  What I found was that the tops were very difficult to get clean and dry.  If the components cannot get clean and dry, you could get mold to form in the top.  When this happens, you will probably have to toss it in the trash.  That is a waste.  Purchasing a water bottle without the fancy tops is easier for your dishwasher to clean. 

Money Saving Tip #166: Don't Warm Up Your Car

If your vehicle was manufactured after 1992, you do not need to warm up your car.  Don't waste the fuel in having your vehicle run unnecessarily.  In the winter, don't waste fuel by trying to get the interior of your car warm before you get in.  It will warm faster if the vehicle is actually driving than staying stationary in your driveway. 

Money Saving Tip #165: Alternate Fabric Softener

If you use liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets, you may want to consider a chaper alternate.  Most everyone has white vinegar in their pantry.  Use it instead of pricey fabric softener.  Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to get your clothes soft and static free.  You can do this for both standard top loaders and front loader washing machines.

Money Saving Tip #164: Negotiate your Vacation Rentals

Recently, my family and I went on a beach vacation to Destin. Rather than going through a management company to rent a condo, we visited a website where individual owners rent ther own units. The reason we did this was to avoid extra fees from the management company, and because we wanted to have the ability to negotiate for the best deal. I emailed about 20 different condo owners. Within a few hours, we had several owners who were willing to discount their condos. We found an owner who was willing to give us a great discount.

Because we used this website and negotiated, we saved about $350.00.

The website we used is vrbo.com. This site rents vacation units in the entire world. You can rent here in the USA or other international countries. They rent units in all landscapes. They rent in mountains and other tourist locations. Check it out!

Money Saving Tip #163: Make your own Lip Gloss

When you are down to your last bit of lipstick, don't just throw it out. Make your own lip gloss. Use a toothpick and dig out the remaining lipstick at the bottom of the tube. Combine the lipstick with about a teaspoon of petroleum jelly, vaseline, or Aquaphor. Store in an airtight container like a contact lens case. Use a different color on each side. Enjoy!

Money Saving Tip #162: Homemade Glass Cleaner

Here's another recipe from Shift Your Habit for homemade glass cleaner:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1-2 drops essential oil (any scent you like)(optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Spray on windows and mirrors.

Remember: Use old newspapers to clean windows and mirrors instead of paper towels.

Money Saving Tip #161: Sort your Laundry

Up until my husband and I got married, he washed all his clothes and linens together.  He didn't think twice about washing a maroon shirt with a white shirt.  If you don't sort your dirty laundry into separate loads, you are risking ruining some of your clothing.  When he washed his reds with his whites, the white items turned pink, and he never wore them.  Sort your clothing and linens and wash them separately so you get more use out of each item. 

At the very least, sort your laundry into 2 types: lights (whites) and darks (blue, black, green, etc).

Money Saving Tip #160: Shop Around for Big Purchases

My daughter's 8th birthday was in June.  For her birthday, I wanted to get her a 10-speed bicycle.  Rather than just buying the first one I found, I shopped around for the best prices.  First, I went to Target and Walmart.  Neigher store sold a 10-speed bicycle for her size.  I could have taken the easy approach and just bought a 1-speed, but I didn't settle for what was in front of me.

Fearing that it would be difficult to find a child's 10-speed bike, I went to a professional bike shop.  They had some there, but they wanted over $300 for each bike.  My budget was $150 or less.  So, I went to the internet.  With her birthday fast approaching, I checked out websites belonging to sporting goods stores.  To my delight, I found a 10-speed bike for her at Dick's Sporting Goods.  The price was less than my budgeted amount.  Plus, they did the inital service to the bike making sure all the gears worked properly and inflated the tires.  The bonus was that the store was 1 mile from my home. 

My point here is this:  Don't settle with what's in front of you and look to different stores to find what you want at the price you want to pay. 

Money Saving Tip #159: Buy Consignment Clothing

Not only are there consignment stores for kids and baby stuff and clothes, there are consignment stores for adult clothing too.  Yesterday, I visited a local consignment store that sells women's clothing.  I was pleased to find an Ann Taylor Loft sweater and a beautiful teal tunic.  The price of the sweater was $0.25, and the tunic was $1.00.  They were both in terrific condition.  The reason they were so cheap was because they were on the discount rack. 

When I went to the non-discount section, I found that most of the clothing was $5-6.00.  These are terrific prices for quality pieces, if you are willing to search for them.  I suggest checking the label to see the brand of the item.  Not all the clothing is a great deal.  Look at each item.  Inspect it for holes, fading, pilling, and stains.  You can save a lot of money. 

Money Saving Tip #158: Turn off your TV

Many people will have their televisions on even when they are not watching TV.  Some people just enjoy the background noise.  Our televisions and refrigerators use some of the most energy in our homes.  Try turning off your television more often.  You might be surprised to find that you can get a lot done if you turn off the boob-tube.  This is especially true if you have kids.  They can get distracted very easily. 

If you think you need background noise, use a small radio instead.  It will use far less energy than a television. 

Money Saving Tip #157: Piggy Banks for Kids

Kids need to learn about saving money.  But, if they can't see what they are saving, it becomes pointless.  My daughter loves to see her bank filling.  She would rather see it full of coins than bills, because of the quantity.  Instead of buying the latest, cutest piggy bank for your child, use an empty clear jar or container from your pantry or refrigerator. 

I used to have a Hello Kitty piggy bank for my daughter.  Problem was, anytime she wanted to get her money out, it became a chore to get that annoying tab off the bottom.  Plus, the bank was ceramic and multiple colors.  I transferred all her money to an empty parmesan cheese container.  Most everyone has one in their refrigerator.  After we consumed all the cheese for our pasta dishes, we cleaned it out and put all her money (coins) inside it.  Now, she can see all her money.  This makes her want to fill it to the top.  Plus, if we need to take any money out, either because she wants to buy something or to count it all, all we have to do is pop the lid.  No fuss!

Money Saving Tip #156: Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

If I told you that you could make your own cleaning products for about 5% of the cost of the national brand products, would you try it? Surprisingly, most of the ingredients can already be found in your home. According to Shift Your Habit, it only takes 3 products to make your own all-purpose cleaner. Though you can find hundreds of recipes on the internet, here is the recipe published in their book.

Ingredients:
8 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and put into a spray bottle. Save the extra for refills. This is even good for hard water stains. Be sure to shake well before use.

Money Saving Tip #155: Don't Leave Clean Clothes in the Washer

When you are in the process of doing your laundry, don't forget and leave your freshly cleaned clothes or linens in the washing machine.  If you leave your clean, wet items in the washer for several hours or a day, the items will become moldy, and you will have to rewash them.  You know when they need to be re-washed when you open your washer, and the items smell bad.  Re-washing them forces you to use more water, energy, laundry soap, and fabric softener.  

Money Saving Tip #154: Yogurt

When buying yogurt, don't buy the individual 6 oz. containers. Go for the larger 32 oz. container, and divide it up. The smaller portions can cost about $0.60 each. If you divide it up yourself, you will only be spending about $0.38 per 6 oz. The larger size still comes in a few flavor choices, not just vanilla.

When I make my daughter's lunch for school, I buy the bigger size and divide it up into 4 oz. portions.

Money Saving Tip #153: Grocery Shopping with Children

To begin with, I always recommend grocery shopping without your children or your spouse.  But, this is in an ideal perfect situation.  Some people are single parents, and some people have a spouse that works odd hours making shopping alone impossible. 

If you have to take your children on your grocery trip, allow your child to bring one or two small toys with them.  These toys can be a huge asset to help keep your child entertained as you do your shopping.

My 4-year old son loves to bring his transformers and hot wheels everywhere he goes.  They are usually small enough that he can carry himself or put in his pockets, plus he doesn't pester me to hurry up. 

Money Saving Tip #152: Grocery Shopping Isles

When you do your weekly grocery shopping, don't travel down every isle at the grocery store.  Only go down the isles that you need to visit in order to get something off your grocery list.  If you don't have chips on your grocery list, don't go down the chip isle.  Impulse purchases can add a lot of money to your grocery bill. 

Money Saving Tip #151: ATM Visits

ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) are a terrific tool if you need access to cash in your bank account.  In most cases, using the ATM at your bank is free.  However, using an ATM at a bank that you don't have an account with can cost you quite a bit of money.  The fees for most non-members is going to range between $2-4 per withdrawal.  Then, you will get charged by your bank another $2-4 for using someone else's ATM.  So your $20 withdrawal can cost you $24-$28. 

These fees tend to be the highest at airports and gas stations.  Save the money and avoid using the ATM anywhere aside from your own bank. 

Money Saving Tip #150: Hand-me-Down Childrens Clothing

Because I have three children, I have lots of children's clothing at my house.  My 1 year old is wearing clothing from his brother.  I have saved almost every piece of clothing from all my children for any future children.  Because of my stockpile of kids clothing, I have not had to purchase a single piece of clothing for my baby.  He is wearing all hand-me-down clothing.

My stockpile didn't start with my older kids.  I am lucky, because my children have older cousins in the family.  We are extremely fortunate to have hand-me-downs from my two sisters-in-law's children. 

If you know of someone who has a child older than yours, ask them to save their kids clothing so that it can be passed down to you.  I encourage you to offer some money for the clothing.  Whenever my sister-in-law drops off several bags of clothing from her three children, we always give her some money for the clothes.  The money we give her is far less than the money we would have to spend for the cost of these clothes at full-price.

Money Saving Tip #149: Get "Bumped"

If you are planning an airline trip, offer to get "bumped."  Getting "bumped" means that you will offer your seat to another passenger in exchange for a voucher for a free flight for your next travel.  Many airlines will overbook flights, so this option is definitely a possibility.  You can use your free voucher for another vacation. 

If you are traveling with small children or multiple people, this may not be a good option for you.  Also, if you are limited on time at your destination, you may not be able to get bumped. 

Money Saving Tip #148: Make a Weekly Menu

Before you go grocery shopping, plan ahead.  Make a dinner menu for each night of the week.  Then do your grocery shopping based on the items on your menu.  If none of my dinner choices include potatoes, there is no need to even buy this item at the store.  Only buy items you will need to complete your menu. 

If you plan on making spaghetti one night, you should only have to buy noodles, sauce, and garlic bread (optional) for that dinner option.  Don't buy "extra" food that is not on your menu, unless it's on sale and you plan to freeze it. 

Money Saving Tip #147: Take a Defensive Driving Course

Many vehicle insurance companies offer up to a 10% discount if the policy holder successfully completes a Defensive Driving Course.  The company I work for offers this course to employees at no fee.  Search on the internet for a business that offers this course.  You may have to take it at a local DUI School, but the savings could be very worth it. 

Money Saving Tip #146: Flu Shots

Taking time off work due to the flu can cost you. Reduce the liklihood that you and your kids contract the flu by getting a seasonal flu shot. Most insurance companies cover the cost with little or no co-pay.

My children's doctor office offers flu vaccines on specific Saturdays for the next couple of months, so I don't have to take any time off work to get them vaccinated.

My employer gives them to employees at no cost to us and our dependents. A healthy employee doesn't need to take time off work for themselves or their children.

If you don't have insurance, many local pharmacies offer the vaccines for $25-30. Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, and many others don't even require an appointment.

Money Saving Tip #145: Don't Rush to the Red Light

Whenever your foot is depressing the gas pedal, you are burning fuel. When you see a red light up ahead, take your foot off the gas, and coast. What's the point of rushing just so you can stop? Sure, we all want to be the first in line and we don't want anyone to cut in (think 1st grade), but doing so wastes money. You never know, the light may turn green by the time you get there and then you are already ahead of the game.

Money Saving Tip #144: Use Newspaper to Wrap

Because I subscribe to my local newspaper every Sunday, I always have the comics section on hand waiting to be recycled. Instead of buying gift wrap to wrap gifts, use the comics section instead. You can even stockpile this section so that you always have it on hand.

Money Saving Tip #143: Subscription Magazines

If you are a magazine junkie, consider getting a subscription instead of buying it off the news stand. I crave my People magazine every week. If I were to buy it every week at the grocery store, I would probably be spendng 3 times as much.

When you do subscribe, most magazine companies will even further discount if you sign up for several years, rather than one year.

Money Saving Tip #142: Don't Mail Invitations

When it comes time to host a party or get-together, don't mail the invitations through the postal service. The cost of the invitation plus the stamp for each one can be quite costly. Opt for the internet, email, social networking, text messages, and phone calls to get the word out. There are even websites out there to send an electronic invitation such as evite.com.

When my husband and I were planning our wedding, we invited people to our event through email. We got married in a small ceremony in a family member's backyard. Purchasing invitations and stamps to send the message out was a cost that was unnecessary.