There are so many awesome Freebies2Deals readers- and everyone is so helpful. So I thought if we all combined ways to stretch dollars, a lot of us would have new ideas to try. There are lots of ways to make your paycheck go further and pay for more things!!
If you have a great way to share, just leave a comment below. How do YOU stretch your dollar?
**If you are reading this in your RSS reader, or in your email, you can head here to see all of the comments!
Hanna
The main reason that we can afford for me to be a stay at home mom is because we buy almost everything secondhand. You would not believe the amazing deals and finds that fill our home! All of our kids clothes, baby gear, toys, our clothes, furniture, etc. Craigslist, yard sales and thrift stores are my best bets. It takes a lot of work and persistance, but each summer I find things for Christmas gifts and clothes for the next school year.
Hanna
P.S. Shopping used doesn’t mean that it will LOOK like you buy secondhand! All of our wardrobes are name brand and very, very gently used!
Amy
Amen, sista! I just love when people ask me how I can afford to dress my kids so trendy;)
Carissa
Yes yard sales are huge for me! Able to buy so much used stuff that is still nice for cheap, also I buy clothes when on clearance and not clearance like 30% off I wait till at least 70% off I usually shop a year in advance, like now I will start looking for next winter clothes. You can find really good deals on brand new clothes!
Emily
We are on a really tight budget right now since my husband is in dental school. One of the biggest tips is to simply STAY OUT of the store if you can. When you do need to go to the store, make a list and stick to it! Even if it’s on sale and you don’t need it, the best way to save money is to not buy it!
Amy
GREAT comment! Even if I need one thing it’s hard to get out of the store without buying a few extras and that really adds up!
Emily C.
We limit eating out by planning and cooking meals in advance. If we go to the movies, it is only matinee movies, otherwise we use Redbox. I always shop off season for clothing and always use coupons.
Dalesse
I agree. Planning ahead makes it easier to eat most of our meals at home. I also try to plan the meals based on what meats and/or produce are on sale that week, stretching the money even further. And our movie going strategy is also the same. We also try to go to the FIRST matinee of the day. At Cinemark theaters that is an additional 50 cents cheaper per ticket, and when you are buying 6 tickets that adds up.
Chelsea
We cut our meat portions in half. If the recipe calls for 2 lbs, we only use 1, etc. Grated or chopped veggies make great fillers for recipes without sacrificing taste. I also price compare any major purchases, and don’t buy things that aren’t essential. We also borrow or swap things from friends instead of purchasing our own…think gardening tools, outgrown kids clothes, kitchen appliances (like that bundt pan you only use once a year). I also like to buy in bulk and split it with friends. You’d be surprised how willing people are to do it if you just ask!
Hanna
Those are some great ideas! They all are so far, I can’t wait to hear more!
Laura Hayes
I’ve started a strict budget for my grocery shopping. I planned a month of meals ahead of time and then make my “buying list” from what I will be cooking for that month (and for daily lunch essentials, etc…). Then I only buy what is on the list – no exceptions!! And no “quick run-ins” throughout the month for 1 or 2 things that I think I “need” – I have to use what I have for the month! I was shocked at how little I could spend on a month’s groceries (it was actually less than my weekly trips that I was taking for what I “needed”….a lot of that stuff ended up being stuff I didn’t really “need”…. it was mostly impulse stuff!).
I also realized that even on my monthly meal planning, there were some days that I had planned to cook something but we ended up cleaning out the leftovers in the fridge or eating with my in-laws (who have us over for supper every now and then). So I’ll end up having meals that are planned that can roll to next month, and if the ingredients are already bought and stored safely, that can be less that I have to spend the next month!
I shop CVS for all of our paper goods and diapers – but I still have a strict monthly budget for it too!
And I shop for our weekly produce – like milk, bread, cheese, and fresh fruit – at Aldi and it saves a ton! But of course, I have a strict budget for that buying, too.
Monica
I agree this would save money but, how do you store your milk and fresh veggies/fruit?
Laura Hayes
I shop for milk and fresh stuff every week at a different, cheaper produce store. I don’t buy a month’s worth or milk at a time! Just weekly…..
Natassja
This may not be an option for everyone depending on where you live, but we own cows. They’re not dairy cows, but we use them for meat. We can split a cow with one or two other families and have hamburger for a year or more. You can get steaks too. The meat is really lean and it tastes A LOT better than store bought hamburger. We breed all the cows that we can and then when we have new ones, we can either kill one for meat or sell it at the auction and make the money back to buy more. I know it doesn’t sound pretty but if you’re not a vegetarian you probably eat meat anyways!! 🙂
Anna
Do you have the land to keep the cows, or do you lease space at a ranch or something?
Kiescha
When my kids have outgrown their clothes I take them to a consignment shop FIRST…If you can get money for your old clothes, why not? Whatever they don’t buy I put in the donation bin. The money that I get is used for my kids…PERIOD! I may buy more clothing, take them to have a little fun or put it in their savings account.
Donna
I shop for groceries once every 2 months, I use a menu from 2010 that was from a service that plans out menus and gives a shopping list. I was a member of the service for a year, so I still use the menus. We have never had the same meal more than 3 times in 3 years!!!! It’s nice having those cheap meals planned out in that way.I’m a stay at home wife with grown kids so I can afford the time to shop the sales, as well. In December my grocery bill was 752.00,or 95.00 for a week if you break it down.
We also live within our means, pay cash for everything, and if we don’t have the money we don’t get it. We did Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University in 2007 and it totally changed the way we live financially.
Amanda Bogart
What service did you use?
Regina Edwards
When I go to the doctor I take the list of meds. from the four dollar list at Sam’s or Walmart. I asked him to pick from the list. I have saved lots and lots of money. My Doctor did not know about the list until I showed him. He now uses for his other paients.
Penny
We do the standard things many have already mentioned here – shopping thrifts shops, swapping clothing/household items with a neighbor/family/friend, using coupons, etc. Like many of you, I try to stock-up when an item is on sale and I have coupons. I also try to maximize coupons with shopping stores that double coupons, have cash-back, catalina, and other such offers, stack manufacturer coupons with store coupons, and use programs like iBotta and Savings Star. I have a college-aged daughter(living at home) and boy/girl twin teenagers. None of my kids have cell phones – we just communicate well and plan ahead before dropping anyone off or picking anyone up. None of my kids are clothes horses, so we make sure they have clothing they really like and will actually wear in their closets. They usually wear them until they either wear out or they outgrow them. Like those of you with younger children who shop ahead, when mine were younger I keep Rubbermaid containers filled with the season ahead. My kids didn’t grow up going to the mall. We got a bin out when we needed the next size up. They used to get SO excited, LOL! When my oldest needs textbooks for college, I hit all the area Goodwill store first, then friends who’ve already had the class, then I use http://www.cheaptextbooks.com where I can compare all online prices before purchasing. I have tons of store loyalty cards and use those whenever possible. I check the websites of online universities for free cultural/educational events like student musical recitals, guest lectures, etc. We use the library for DVDs, CDs, and books, of course. We also take advantage of free classes on a variety of topics at our library. When we do go out to eat, we use our entertainment guide coupons, groupons, etc., eat during lunch vs dinner and usually eat only half and bring the rest home for another meal. Rather than buying individual snack-sized packages, I buy a larger package and split it up as required. When we are going to be out any length of time during the day, I make sure we have snacks from home and water bottles. I usually buy some items like cleaning products and paper products at office supply stores like Office Depot and Staples, price-matching, and stacking store coupons and sales with manufacturer coupons. That earns rewards bucks which I can in turn use on other products we need. We have learned to be less brand-dependent buying more store brands for a fraction of the cost of name-brand items. I am a terrible packrat, so before throwing anything away, I try to think outside-the-box to see if I can think of a way to reuse it. We try to keep up with healthy habits – kids brushing teeth regularly, flossing, exercise, eat healthy, etc. to try to prevent as many medical visits as possible. Keeping your weight down can also lower your health and life insurance premiums. Likewise, we try to keep big tickets items like our cars, appliances, etc. regularly maintained. Like someone else mentioned, we cut meat in recipes to half. I must admit to being a bit extreme cheapskate in some ways – carefully rolling the tube of toothpaste to squeeze it all out and then cutting it in half to scrape out that last bit. Not much new, but hopefully, something will help someone or give you a new idea.
Amy
Nice!!! These are great tips, thanks for sharing. I will start doing some of these.
Janice
I am also a big fan of craigslist and ebay and love repurposing items. If I have to buy something new I always do internet search for the best price. Then use Mr rebates, ebates and my capital one to double up all my rewards if a store has rewards program that’s another bonus.
Also every six months check out my ins. Plans phone cable and internet for better pricing if possible.
Hope
another tip—shop the after holiday sales for gifts for upcoming events—when the little girl mani/pedi sets are on sale for 75% to 90% I buy several—great for when my daughter is invited to a friend’s birthday party.
Tiffany C
The only way the 4 of us can go on family vacations 1 x a year, is if kids eat & stay free. Right now Cancun is selling all kinds. We look online all year for kids ages 0-12 yrs. all inclusive resorts and hotels w/breakfast where kids are FREE!! If we drive to our vacation by car, we print out and google all the restaurants where kids eat free like Denny’s, Ihop, Chili’s etc. We also go to the D.I. and purchase second hand T-shirts for that vacation prior to going. So if we go to New York, we buy and look at garage sales for statues, memorobealia from New York, hats etc prior to trip. We go to Disneyland, I buy at D.I. Disney sweatshirts, shorts, bathing suits, stuffed Mickey Mouse & Friend, Princess toys etc. for kids and we hand them out as we are on our trip so we don’t spend a ton in the gift shops. My kids don’t know it’s second hand and they are thrilled to get a nemo bathing suite! Mom is thrilled to have paid $2.00 @ thrift store when they are $15.00 in the Disney store!! Plus, mom gets to have fun being a scavenger hunter for the items to go on vacation!! ALSO ASK FOR FREE UPGRADES IN HOTELS AND ALL INCLUSIVE RESORTS, I GET THEM EACH AND EVERY TIME!!!
Faith
I grew up with the saying ‘break it in, wear it out, make it do or do without’. It is amazing the things that we can do without, or that by being patient and willing to do without it for a while we can find the best deals. We got a cherry wood hutch for $40, a solid wood child’s kitchen for $5, and tons of similar deals just by being willing to wait and not buy what we wanted until we found exactly what we wanted at a price we could really afford. On a student budget things are tight, but our home looks nice- and not like we got everything the cheapest quality. We just had to be willing to have an ugly desk we got for free be our computer stand for a few years before we found the right piece. And we shop for things before we need them, thinking in advance what we’ll want to have. We gave our daughter the kitchen for Christmas, but we bought it last April, and we’ve been looking for one for two years before that. Now, with the quality of the kitchen and the way we have taught her to take care of her toys, there is no reason that this kitchen won’t last ’till we have grandkids!
Anna
I also try to grocery shop once per month. Here’s what I do for dairy and produce:
The extra freezer helps with this! Homogenized milk freezes well, though give at least two or three days to thaw in the fridge. Cheeses and yogurt will last all month.
We eat the more perishable fruits and veggies at the beginning of the month like bananas, salads, cucumber, berries and peppers. Oranges will usually last longer than a week- sometimes more than two. But Apples, carrots, potatoes, squash and broccoli stored with a wet paper towel will last til the end, as well as avocados, tomatoes and melons if you purchase them unripe and leave them on the counter two or three days before eating to ripen. We also keep canned peaches and pineapple in our food storage, so in a pinch we can eat that or frozen veggies if our fresh are getting low.
Kim
We may lists of free activities to do in the community. If there is nothing going on we have a pretend night out. Our house can become a movie theater or restaurant. We even make menus and give the kids two or three simple choices of food. They love this. We get to have fun with the family but not spend anything extra.