Wednesday, June 22, 2011

11 Frugal Tips to save you big bucks!

11 Frugal Living Tips That Can Save You LOT$ !

Did you know…?

1. Rotisserie Chickens at the grocery store are half price after 7:30, so it’s the perfect time to stock-up, chop-up & freeze! (Reidsville folks, just leave me some please!)

2. Mix your mouthwash with peroxide (50/50) for an inexpensive teeth whitening rinse!

4. Add 1 cup of white vinegar to your load of laundry along with your regular detergent to brighten colors & whiten whites without bleach (ie. Disgusting chemicals!). I promise, they won’t smell like vinegar…they’ll smell fresh and clean!

5. Add ½ cup of white vinegar during the rinse cycle for reducing static cling and softening without making your towels less absorbent (which happens with regular fabric softeners) Can you tell I’m all about the white vinegar & cleaning? :)

6. E-bates - This is likely the easiest way to save money! Whenever you’re shopping on line, search for your store through the E-bates site, make your purchase and earn cash back!

Last week I got over 50% back (over $23!) on an already discounted magazine subscription for my husband for Father’s Day! Ebates really does seem to good to be true, but they are simply sharing a portion of the commission they receive from the retailers for sending them customers. Click here to sign up.

7. Slow Down, Save Gas – Driving 65 m.p.h. uses 15% more gas than driving 55 m.p.h…that’s like paying 40¢ more per gallon! Not to mention saving on speeding ticket charges and increases in insurance when you get one. (which I will admit I – I got one last year – ouch) :(

8. Save on Prescriptions Avoid medications known as “Combo Pills.” These medications combine more than one medication into a single pill. For example, Lotrel is a blood pressure combo pill that costs $70 a month (generic). However, if you get a prescription for each component, you’ll save a huge amount of money. The 30-day prescriptions of the two elements that make up Lotreal – Amlodipine and Benazepril – are only $6 each – saving $64 a month!

Ask your doctor if your prescriptions are for these “combo pills”, and if so ask him/her to write a script for the components instead. Then ask your pharmacy if any of your prescriptions are on their Discounted Generics List – which costs only $4.00 at most stores!

9. Affordable Travel – Have a friend that lives out of town/state? Say, at the beach or in the mountains? Organize a house-swap instead of paying for a hotel or cabin when you go on vacation! Coordinate your vacation schedules and let them use your place, and you use theirs. Even if neither of you live in a touristy area, a getaway from the everyday is always nice now & then.

10. Fix it yourself before calling the pros! The internet is an amazing resource, and there’s a video tutorial out there that will teach you just about anything! Want to save money by fixing your own toilet…want to recover an old chair instead of putting it on the curb? There’s a You Tube video for that and just about anything else you can think of learning!

11. Repurpose finding a new use for something old! Have an old frame? Spray paint it in your color of choice, Get a cheap piece of corkboard or whiteboard (which you may already have at home, as well and if not you can get at Dollar Tree for a buck), cut it to fit. You just saved $10 or more at a store by making your own, personalize corkboard with style! Use leftover buttons or scraps of ribbon/fabric to add even more pizzazz! Last year, I repurposed a coffee canister into a cute clothes pin holder that hangs on my clothesline – you can see how I did it here.

Have any more UNCOMMON frugal tips? Leave a comment & share your ideas!


1 comments:

wellmom9 said...

Melinda!!! Wow!! Thank you for the tips! I had no idea I could use vinegar in my laundry! How wonderful!