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Ever since we’ve been able to search the Internet, we’ve probably all seen lists of money-saving tips. There is no shortage of those kinds of posts, and sometimes I write them myself! But today I wanted to share what following those money-saving tips actually looked like in real life for our family.
7 Practical Money-Saving Tips We Used Last Week
Skipped take-out
Instead of eating out on a crazy evening, I pulled some frozen chicken nuggets and french fries out of the freezer. It wasn’t any more nutritious than Chick-fil-a, but it didn’t cost anything more than what I had already spent. Now, we do sometimes still opt for take-out, but I prefer to save our eating out budget for last-minute emergencies instead of doing it on a night when just a little bit of thinking would solve the problem.
Altered some clothes
There are so many things you can learn to do yourself that will save money in the long-term. My example from last week was that I hemmed some pants for my daughter. We were struggling to find a style she liked, and when we did, the sizing was strange. This meant the pants fit great around the waist, but they were way too long. I learned how to hem pants years ago and still use that skill!
Shopped at Walmart
Now, we all know that when it comes to groceries, Walmart is not the cheapest. But this was a frugal option for me last week because I shopped for items for a gift basket at Walmart instead of somewhere more expensive. It’s definitely more fun to walk around a place like HomeGoods or Marshall’s, but I was able to fill an entire basket (also bought at Walmart) for about $30. It included candy, two different kinds of cookies, toys for my friend’s kids, a candle, face masks, chapstick, and several other items. (Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the completed basket!).
Went to the library
This might seem boring, but using the library is an eternal money-saving tip, and sometimes people I know seem to have forgotten it’s an option. Not only did we check out two bags full of free books, but the library was hosting a monthly “LEGO Club,” so we also got an hour of free entertainment inside on a cold and yucky day.
Packed a lunch, snack, and drink
I knew I was going to be out for several hours that were going to span lunch. I didn’t want to have to eat out, so I made myself a wrap and also stashed a protein bar in my bag. Along with a full water bottle, this kept me from having to spend any money on food or drinks while I was out!
Another pro-tip in this category is to pack a special drink from home. If I feel like I’ll be temped to spend money by buying something more exciting, I will put a can of soda (I like Coke Zero) in my little cooler bag.
Used what I had at home
Someone I know recently lost a family member, and when I was at the store I looked for a sympathy card. None of them seemed right. Many of them were extremely cheesy. Also, each of them cost about $5! Instead of buying an expensive greeting card, I used stationery I already had to write a note to a friend. While it wasn’t specifically a sympathy card, the fact that my card was blank meant I could express exactly what I wanted to in my own words.
Shopped at two different grocery stores (with a list!)
This is a money-saving tip because the stores were very close together and some had sales on items that were already on my list. I made a list of what I needed and checked both stores to see which had the better deal. Then I went to both, while also stocking up on other sale items at Publix!
What’s a money-saving tip you used last week? Let us know in the comments!
