Coupon Sharing

This next tip comes from Amber K. I recently forwarded a Walgreens coupon for $10 off a $40 purchase. As much as she thinks Walgreen's has some great stuff, she feels like spending $40 would be force-buying (or buying stuff just to use a coupon, that you otherwise wouldn't buy). So she and her mom are going to split the coupon. Each spends $20, and they each get $5 in savings. That's a 25% discount any way you slice it!

Free Gas Money!

This is a great tip I picked up from Everyday Cheapskate. While it involves giving up a little bit of convenience (which I can see being a deterrent for many of my friends), it's really no more complicated than clipping a coupon (at least the first part of it).

GAS SAVINGS. We have found a way to save money at the gas pump. It takes an extra step, but it's worth it to us. At Marathon gas stations in eastern states, you can buy a $50 gift card and they'll add $2 to it immediately for buying it. We do this in the store, buying it with a credit card that gives us 3 to 5 percent back on gas. Then we use the gift card to pay for our gas purchase. Having this gift card also classifies us as using "cash" and so we get the lower price when that is available too.

My parents were actually doing this for a while at Shell- the part about buying the gift card. I've found gas stations that will give you a discount on gas if you buy a car wash (which I would do anyways). It's a win-win!

10 Thrifty ways to Save Money on Pets

This article comes to Recession Resolution from ThriftyMommy.com:

It doesn’t take long for pet owners to figure out just how expensive animals can be. Sometimes it’s like owning a child. Some of the expenses you may incur are shots, neutering or spaying, an invisible fence, litter box, cat litter, food, leashes, toys, chew toys, cage or home, travel carrier, and more. Although these things can be expensive, there are some ways to help you save.

1) Sign up for a freecycle account. Just last week I gave away a 3-tier cage. There are others giving away pet accessories and some freecycle groups will allow pet listings.

2) Consider adopting an animal from a rescue organization. A few years ago, we adopted a cat for $80. She was spayed, declawed, and had all of her shots. The $80 adoption fee was much less expensive than paying the vet bills for a kitten.

3) Find an older veterinarian. When I was growing up, my family always took our animals to an older veterinarian because he was less expensive. He had been out of school for years and he did not have the expenses that younger vets have so he was able to offer cheaper rates. I was fortunate to find an older veterinarian where we live now which is good because we adopted a kitten last year. The vet that we use does not charge for office visits. He only charges for the cost of his supplies. I was able to save over $60 on my kitten’s first round of shots. (Some people may not agree with going to older veterinarians. I am trying to save money. It is not my goal to put someone else through college.)

4) Consider using a veterinary school for care. Some veterinary schools offer services to the public. Of course, you’re not seeing someone with experience, but these students are supervised by their instructor. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you may just consider using their services for basic needs such as vaccinations.

5) Groom your pet at home. Trim their nails, wash them, give them flea treatments, and cut their hair. All of these expenses can really add up quickly.

6) Keep your dog in a fenced-in yard and keep your cat inside. When animals leave your yard, they are more susceptible to parasites, injury, and other dangers.

7) Research, research, research. If you’re thinking about getting a new pet, then I strongly urge you to research price of the pet and the needs that they have. Because of our research, we have kept ourselves from purchasing a chinchilla, a hedgehog, and I’m sure some other critters as well. We simply found that these pets were not for us.

8) Research the different brands of food. Most expensive doesn’t always mean best. For a while, we were able to buy an equivalent generic of the brand we wanted to use.

9) If you are brand loyal to the pet food you purchase, then visit the company’s website. Sign up for their newsletter and special promotions. Many companies will email you coupons and special offers.

10) Check your local veterinarian’s bulletin board. I can’t tell you the number of animal postings I’ve seen on vet’s bulletin boards. I guess if you have an animal that needs a home, a vet’s office would be the place to post the ad because those people are likely to care about animals. Many people will give their animals away if they know they’re going to a good home.

Well, that’s my list of 10 ways to save money with pets and animals. I can think of a few more ways, but I want to hear from you too. Can you add something to this list?

Resolution number 1,234: Heard from a lady sitting behind me on a plane, "I refuse to spend more than $1 on [greeting] cards anymore."

Library Card Resolution

From FB:

Library card. First time I've had one since I was a wee child, I think. Also got more diligent about lunch place "10th sandwich free" punch cards (I think I used to think carrying the card around wasn't worth the offer).

Also working near where I live - not an option for everyone, but I committed all the way and turned down offers with higher salaries that would be driving distance. More money might have covered the fuel costs, but now instead of traffic-stress I start and end the day walking past squirrels and rivers. To say nothing of carbon footprint...

Recession Resolution

Call it a recession, call it hard times, call it whatever you want, but I'm shorter on cash than I used to be, despite making more than double what I was 5 years ago. With that, I decided I needed a recession resolution. It's similar to a New Year's Resolution- it's a set of goals or rules to live by until finances look up.

It all started with a Lucky magazine. If you are familiar, you know that it's all about shopping. They find the best things you MUST have, and price is rarely a determinant to whether you MUST have it or not. It's also the magazine with stickers included so you can stick the pages where you've found something awesome. Well, I found myself sticking clothing and cosmetics clearing the $100 mark. Now, I would never spend more than like $60 on a single item of clothing, and probably not more than $30 for anything cosmetic, but somehow seeing the $100 price, I'm tricked into thinking that $30 is a good deal.

So, my first resolution was this: I resolute not to spend more than $10 on a cosmetic item with two small exceptions. The first is bulk items - you know the $15 bottle of Pantene at Costco that's larger than your thigh. The second is skin care. This only includes face wash, moisturizer and eye cream. Period. I just don't feel you get a quality item at all for under $10 (in most cases).

I posed the same challenge to my friends and family and the responses were all great. Some people went further than others, but all enjoyed reading the responses of others. And so here is the list so far. Such great stuff!

BC: When eating out never order soft drinks, tea, or bottled water. Always order ice water only. It's better for you and can save about $2.00 every time.

LQ has three: "First of all: I am putting $100 per month in an envelope and that is now my "lunch money" for the month (previously I ate out every day, usually for $8-$10 per day = $150-$200/month). Second: No purchases of bottled water. I travel a lot but I can carry an empty water bottle when traveling and find a place to fill it. Third: No book purchases except on REALLY special occasions (I just couldn't resist "The World Without Us" this week). I have at least 50 great books at home that I haven't read, and many friends who would lend me books. Any book I do purchase and read immediately goes into someone elses hands so THEY don't have to buy a book."

SM is avoiding financing ANYTHING, even at 0% so as not to get bogged down with required payments. The only thing she's financing at the moment is their house.

TW has a few ideas: Buying clothing only when it's on sale (unless it's unavoidable), using a cleaning product until it's gone before replacing it (even if she doesn't like it very much), and fewer trips to the grocery store by being creative in the kitchen - using items already at home (usually found in the freezer). Also, she's eating out less and using coupons whenever possible.

JW takes a more spiritual approach by tithing 10% of his income. Here are his words "Because since I've started doing that I've had no impact of recession in my life…only the opposite. I would recommend this to anyone….give back what he has given you…in faith, and it will be returned…and in my case more than I ever would have imagined."

NG, a new mom, registered for cloth diapers, and will use diaper liners ($.06 a piece) once baby Jane is on formula. She's also saving a ton by breastfeeding and pumping extra to use once she goes to back work. Lastly, her husband is packing work lunches.

Every time PG is about to make a purchase, she asks herself, "Do I really need this?" Usually, the answer is "No". If she gets home and continues to think about the item, then she might consider going back for it, but usually, she gets home and completely forgets about it. As a teacher, she would see teachers at school going out to nice lunches every day during in-service week. This gets really expensive! Usually, after the second day, she would either take her lunch, or go to the nearby Wendy's and order from the dollar menu.

AE's excellent plan is going out less and cooking more.

PP is using discount laundry detergent, and a shorter laundry wash cycle. Also, once she gets home for the night, she doesn't go back out. As a very giving person, I'm sure these next two are hard but no more buying extravagant gifts for others and no buying drinks or dinners for other people unless it's their birthday or a special occasion.

KC (that's me) will not buy any cosmetics (makeup, haircare, etc) that costs over $10. My two exceptions are skin care (moisturizer, face wash, eye cream, etc) and bulk items (like the gallon size of Pantene).

LS will not drive her gas guzzling mini-van in town so long as it's just her and her daughter. She will opt for her fuel efficient Ford Focus.

JC resolves to only venture out for lunch once a week.

TO was ahead of me on this and has a list: No more Starbucks. No more dollar bin items at Target unless they are really useful (it's just crap and gets thrown out sooner or later). She'll only order water when she's dining out, and no more "additional charge" add-ons for food (cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc). She's only buying paper goods and staple items when they are on sale, and even then, she's going to stock up. Lastly, no more unnecessary purchases, particularly clothes!