From the laundry detergent you use, to the gifts you wrap and place under the tree, here are 101 Ways To Save Money fast on Everyday Purchases! Sometimes it means doing a little bit of extra work, and other times it is as simple as printing a coupon. These easy tips will help you to always get the best deal, and still have the things you need and want.
Get discounts on appliances when they are dinged, dented or cosmetically damaged
Use social media to get discounts by tweeting, sharing or emailing
Become a loyal customer and receive rewards
Negotiate for service oriented things like automotive repairs, appliance service or even roofing on your home by getting estimates from several people and asking your choice to give you the same price as other bidders
Compare prices for home insurance to get the best price
Shop the manager's special deals for meat at your grocery store
Buy clearance produce in bulk then prep and freeze for later
Earn gift cards and rewards to pay for purchases through Swagbucks
Use your medical insurance to pay for a gym membership (many policies cover this, you simply have to ask) US only
Choose a Nurse Practitioner instead of an M.D. when paying out of pocket for quality treatment at a lower out of pocket price US only
Use the no name prescriptions instead of the brand name prescriptions to pay less
Ask to buy the display model of electronics and furniture for lower prices
Use Priceline, Expediaor Trivago when planning vacations to get the lowest prices on flights, hotels and rental cars
Shop drug stores like Shopper Drug Mart for makeup, cleaning products and household supplies using their rewards program to earn money toward future purchases
Rent items you will only use once or twice like formal dresses, tuxedos or even small tools and equipment for home improvement projects
Skip kids meals and order a la carte for lower priced food for kids
Watch YouTube videos to learn new dances, makeup techniques or even how to market your business instead of paying for pricey classes
Use conditioner as shave gel (cheap and works great!)
Stock up on select items during seasonal sales: Baking supplies during holiday events, turkey during Thanksgiving sales, hamburger and steaks during summer BBQ events, condiments during the summer and so on
Take advantage of free samples on new products, they often come with coupons. Check websites and social media for freebies
Email or snail mail to companies of brands you like to ask for free products or coupons (many will send you at least one coupon for a free item)
Use discount nights for local events, fairs or carnivals
Use CAA discounts for hotel rooms, rental cars, movie tickets, bookstores and even coffee houses
Shop the butcher counter right before store closing for deals on meats
Before placing an online order, shop through Rakutenfirst to earn cashback on your order
Shop the grocery store's clearance racks for deals on bread, produce, medicine, hair care and more
Go to matinées instead of later showings for cheaper movie ticket prices
Attend high school and college plays instead of professional productions for fun without the high cost
Change your own oil at home instead of taking to an oil change center
Become a mystery shopper to get reimbursed for eating out and auto maintenance
I'm sure there are many other ways to save that we could add to the list. What are your favorite ways to save?
These 101 ways to save on everyday purchases are all about thinking outside the box. Rather than accepting the price of everything, evaluate and see how you can save by making it yourself, doing without or waiting for a coupon or sale.
Not only is owning an Instant Pot going to save you money, you should know that some well-loved dinner classics are perfect for whipping up in a jiffy in the appliance. Not all Instant Pot recipes need to be fancy, in fact some of the best Instant Pot recipes are comfort food classics that will soon become family favorites. Look at these 6 dinner classics perfect for preparing in an Instant Pot, and be prepared to wow your family and their taste buds!
6 Dinner Classics Perfect For Preparing in an Instant Pot
1. Instant Pot Beef Stew.
What is more comforting than beef stew? Your Instant Pot is perfect for beef stew with all the fixings, including tender beef and fresh vegetables. You can even freeze your beef stew for later or keep it for several days worth of meals. No matter what time of year it is, Instant Pot beef stew can fit the bill when you need some savory and filling comfort food.
2. Instant Pot Spaghetti
Kids love spaghetti, and your Instant Pot can whip it up in no time. Consider using an assortment of fresh herbs, various pastas, and even fresh meat. With your Instant Pot you can experiment with ingredients to create your own unique spaghetti dish. Spaghetti will never be boring again, and you might just create a famous family recipe!
3. Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Swedish meatballs make the perfect side dish or appetizer. Having a party? Consider making Swedish Meatballs in your Instant Pot! You can whip up this comfort food classic fast, and in no time have an appetizer or side dish everyone will love. Just grab the toothpicks!
4. Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Ready for some Asian flare? Then Instant Pot Orange Chicken it is! Forget paying big bucks to get this dish via carry out. Instead, make your own in your Instant Pot. Orange Chicken can be whipped up quickly, and all you need to do is add a side of rice. Delish!
5. Instant Pot BBQ Ribs
Do you think you need to spend all afternoon at the grill to get yummy BBQ ribs? Not with an Instant Pot! You can make your own BBQ ribs in your Instant Pot in no time, using a savory, spicy, or sweet sauce of your choice to get the perfect rib flavor.
6. Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
What kid doesn’t like mac and cheese? There are hundreds of Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipes out there perfect for your evening meal. You can experiment with various kinds of pasta, and even use an assortment of cheeses for a rich, cheesy flavor.
Are you ready to get dinner on the table fast? Then consider these 6 dinner classics perfect for preparing in an Instant Pot and get a tasty dinner classic on the table fast. You will find that the internet is full of tried and true recipes (especially Pinterest!), perfect for a newbie or even the most experienced Instant Pot user to explore. So go ahead and grab an Instant Potand give these classics a try!
If you are considering purchasing an Instant Pot, or even if you already own one, you should know that your purchase can help save you money in the long run. Owning an Instant Pot doesn’t just save you time, but you will find that it can also help you keep a little more cash in your pocket. How? Look below at 6 ways owning an Instant Pot can save you money, and see if investing in one is for you!
6 Ways Owning an Instant Pot Can Save You Money
1. You avoid grabbing take out.
Since an Instant Pot can cook your meal so quickly, you might be less inclined to grab take out or go out to eat, which can be quite expensive! The convenience of the Instant Pot can be helpful after a long day, and prepare your meal just as quick if not quicker than ordering take out would.
2. You can try thrifty new recipes.
There are thousands of recipes on the internet for you to try out in your Instant Pot. You will find $5 dinners, thrifty dinners, and many other frugal living recipes. These recipes allow you to try out new meals even on the tightest of budgets.
3. You may be more inclined to menu plan.
Menu planning can save you some serious cash. When using an Instant Pot, you may be more inclined to menu plan. Find some recipes you wish to try in your Instant Pot and add them to your menu for the week. Preparing a plan ahead of time can help you avoid impulse purchases and takeout later.
4. An Instant Pot can help with freezer/batch cooking.
Do you love to freezer or batch cook? Then an Instant Pot can help. Create stews and pasta dishes in your Instant Pot then freeze them for enjoying later. Instant Pot can help you create these dishes quickly so you can create a stockpile of meals for later. In fact, in just one afternoon you can whip up as many as half a dozen meals, perfect for freezing and reheating later.
5. An Instant Pot doesn’t use a lot of electricity.
An Instant Pot is quick, easy, and doesn’t use a lot of electricity! This means you are free to pull the Instant Pot out whenever you wish without having to worry about those utility bills going up. It is a budget friendly appliance you can afford to use again and again.
6. Most recipes use ingredients you can buy in bulk.
Many Instant Pot recipes use ingredients you can buy in bulk such as noodles, rice, and beans. This means you can create meals for less, buy many of your ingredients in bulk, and create meals even on the tightest of budgets! How is that for frugal eating?
Did you ever think that owning an Instant Pot could help you save money? Consider these 6 ways owning an Instant Pot can save you money and help stretch your family budget while still enjoying wholesome and filling meals everyone will love.
With a little creativity and some smart shopping, it's possible to reduce food waste at home quite easily. If you find yourself throwing out rotten food on a regular basis, you're also throwing away the money you used to purchase the food. And that's not good for the grocery budget!
Create a Meal Plan
Creating a meal plan is a crucial step to help you spend less and waste less. When you know what you're going to eat every day of the week, you ideally will only purchase the foods you need at the grocery store.
Without a meal plan and a grocery list based on your plan, you'll most likely find yourself wandering the aisles grabbing whatever looks good to you. That's fun, but you'll most likely end up with not enough or not the right groceries for a week's worth of meals.
If you really struggle with menu planning, then try out $5 Meal Plan. It happens to be my favorite meal planning service. It’s just $5 a month (the first two weeks are free!), and you get menu plans sent straight to your email along with the exact shopping list you need in order to create the meals. Each meal costs around $2 per person or less. This service allows you to save time because you won’t have to meal plan anymore, and it will save you money as well! If you are interested in joining for free, click here.
Account for Leftovers
If you find you usually have quite a few leftovers, account for the leftovers in your meal plan. Maybe set aside one or two nights that you devote to eating up those leftovers. Or, turn those leftovers into another meal. Perhaps all that leftover spaghetti sauce will create a wonderful chili, as an example.
Buy Less
If your pantry and freezer are quite well stocked, start your "shopping" there. By using what you have on hand already, will ensure you don't buy more than you need and will help prevent food waste on the products you've already purchased.
Also, something I've learned about our family is, while buying a big package of celery (for example) may be cheaper in the long run than buying individual stalks, most of it goes to waste! We're not big celery eaters so purchasing individual stalks is actually cheaper for us because I only buy what we will use. This same principle can apply to many different items in the grocery store.
Buy What you Love
You may have had some moments where you think you should eat more quinoa/fish/whatever, as you're strolling through the grocery store. I've had plenty of those nutritional guilt trips, but this inevitably leads to unplanned purchases for items your family may not be too excited about yet. Focus on the foods your family enjoys, and add new ones gradually, after you've found recipes worth trying.
Buy Local
In all honesty, I never understood how buying local produce could save you money since the price I was looking at paying was more expensive than something I could purchase from a regular grocery store. But then I realized that local produce travels way less than anything purchased from most grocery stores. Because local produce travels less, you're paying for a fresher item that will have a much longer life span! Makes sense, right? An obvious reason to support our local farmers.
Take Smaller Portions
Before you dish out another big portion, ask yourself if you really will finish what's on your plate. Since it's not likely you'll save that little piece of chicken you couldn't finish, stick to smaller portions. You can always get seconds!
Freeze Leftovers
Rather than scraping your leftovers into the garbage or if you don't feel like eating them before they go to waste, put them in the freezer! This makes for a great way to reduce waste and creates an easy meal for a busy night.
Take some time to learn what "sell-by" or "use by" dates actually mean. The sell-by date is the last recommended day you should buy a product from the store, but you can still eat it several days to a week after. "Use-by" is the date through which the item will be top-quality. But, if stored properly, most foods will stay fresh a few days longer than the use-by date! Of course, if you note any weird odors, textures, or colors, throw it out.
Overlook Imperfections
Whether it's soft spots in apples, bruises on bananas or dark spots on potatoes, all produce will develop imperfections. With produce that is past its prime, simply cut around the "bad" parts before you eat or throw veggies into a stock pot for soup, or make a smoothie with the less pristine fruits. Just because something isn't in perfect condition doesn't mean it's inedible!
If you're dealing with mold, though, it's time for the garbage. Unless it's cheese. You can cut around the mold to salvage the rest.
Save it for the compost
Some food waste is unavoidable, so why not set up a compost bin for fruit and vegetable pieces and peelings? In a few months you'll end up with nutrient-rich compost for your garden!
Got a big, bare wall staring you in the face? Don’t rush off to the store or even the interior decorator just yet. You can make your own custom wall art that will fit your needs, satisfy your desires and cost next to nothing.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to be talented, crafty, or even coordinated. All you need are a few supplies, some time, and a little bit of creativity. We’re talking bare minimum creativity, and if you’re not confident that you can supply even the tiniest creative spark, borrow someone’s child for the day. One way or another, you’ll be able to make great wall art with a small amount of effort and an even smaller budget.
Project 1: Living Large in the Living Room
You need something to stare at besides the TV, right? Well, that demands a pretty big piece of wall art if it’s going to compete with today’s huge flat screens. Get ready to create your own painted canvas to display in your living room. Your friends and family will be impressed with your artistic talent and ingenuity, but all you have to do is follow these simple steps:
Buy a large artistic canvas, 2-3 colors of acrylic paint, painter’s tape, and a drop cloth or tarp if you don’t already have one. The expensive item here is going to be the canvas, but it’s still a lot less expensive than buying prefabricated art.
Decide which color you’d like to show underneath the tape – if it isn’t white, then paint your canvas all over and wait for it to dry. If you like white, skip to the next step.
Lay the painter’s tape across the canvas in diagonals, making sure that each piece of tape is long enough to extend past the edges of the canvas. You can create shapes between the pieces of tape – triangles are easy and make for a nice modern art appeal.
Once your tape is in place, decide which segments you’d like to paint in each color. Two contrasting colors create a stark and interesting effect, while colors from the same family soften this piece of art. Start painting and try not to get both colors in the same section, or you’ll lose the segmented effect.
Wait for the paint to dry, then peel off the tape and touch up any irregular spots. Hang your new wall art and enjoy the compliments from your family and friends.
Project 2: Kitchen Wallflowers
It can be difficult to decorate a kitchen, so many people just leave it as a functional room. Don’t fall into this rut – make your kitchen fabulous with simple but beautiful wall art.
Find or buy a large empty frame from an antique store.
Collect tin cans until you have four or five, then remove the labels by soaking the cans and using nail polish remover to get rid of any residue.
Hang the frame in your kitchen, then position the tin cans inside it and nail them to the wall in a neat line, leaving as much space above them as possible.
Fill your tin cans with fresh flowers in spring and summer, twigs and colorful leaves in the fall, and holly and berries in the winter.
Project 3: Entryway Showstopper
Make a place to hang your keys and show off your artistic side with this piece of wall art. Your friends and family will be amazed to see something you made with such lovely form and helpful function.
Snag an old window shutter from an antique store, thrift store or from your garage. You can also raid friends’ garages or hunt for one if you have a family farm.
Either decide that you like your shutter as is or paint it to go with your entryway décor.
Nail your shutter horizontally onto the wall, then add some nails on the bottom edge to hang your keys.
Insert favorite photos or postcards between the slats.
Appreciate your handiwork.
See how easy and affordable it is to create your own unique wall art? With just a few supplies in hand, you’ll be well on your way to solving your blank wall dilemmas.
I’d love to hear your ideas for decorating blank walls on a budget. Let me know in the comments!
We all know buying in bulk is a great way to save money for our families. When you buy larger quantities you pay less for each ounce, serving, or piece. Sadly sometimes our best intentions to save money by purchasing in bulk, costs us more money than we intended. The good news is, all of those great intentions can pay off and you can buy in bulk to save money with a little planning and know-how.
Use the tips below to help you learn how to buy in bulk to save money.
Decide if bulk is worth it for your family.
Smaller families do not need to buy everything in bulk because when food goes bad you are not truly saving anything. Some things like toilet paper and cleaning supplies are great to buy in bulk for everyone. They will never go bad and you can get your money's worth from a purchase like that. However, in most cases, a small family may find it challenging to go through large quantities of perishable items before they go bad.
Compare bulk price to the regular price.
Sometimes buying in bulk is not as good of a deal as may sound. Take the time to divide the price by ounces, servings, or pieces so that you can see how much you are really paying. When sales hit it can often be better to buy the smaller packages than to purchase the bulk one, not on sale.
Check expiration dates and rotate your stock.
It is really easy for things to be forgotten in the back of the pantry or freezer for a long period of time. Only to be discovered when it is too late. Grab a sharpie and put dates in large print on everything. Move new items to the back when putting your groceries away to avoid using the newest items before the old.
Store items well to make them last longer.
Airtight containers can keep your bulk supplies fresh longer. A vacuum sealer can keep that fresh meat you found a great deal on from being freezer burnt before you can use it, and storing produce like carrots in water will keep them fresh longer giving you time to use them.
Plan your menu to use up fresh items before they go bad.
Nothing can ruin a great deal like not using what you bought before it begins to rot. When purchasing produce in bulk you really want to be sure you have a plan to use it. When we find a really good deal we plan to use it in every meal and snack we can to be sure it gets used.
Compare prices and selections at your local wholesale clubs BEFORE buying a membership.
Often places like Costco will let you in to check out the selection before you buy a membership. Compare the prices of the top ten things your family will be buying in bulk and go with the club membership if that will give you the best deal on these items.
Look for bulk in unexpected places.
Often supermarkets will have bulk basics like flour in 25-pound sacks available. Your local farmer's market is a great place to find a deal on bulk produce from local farmers looking to clear out stock by the end of the day. You do not have to purchase a wholesale club membership to buy in bulk if you take the time to shop around helping you save a bit more money when buying in bulk.
Do you find buying in bulk is worth it for your family? What things do you most often buy in bulk? From where?
