Tips For Living Frugally

[blackcauldron85]

I'm a person who gets a thrill from seeing how much money I save at the store. I use coupons and buy what's on sale (if it's something I'll use), and I like using mail-in-rebates and ordering free samples. My dad always has been frugal, and I guess I inherited the frugalness gene from him. A lot of my clothes are even used clothes, either bought used or inherited from friends who no longer wanted the clothes, and I share my clothes with friends and donate them when I'm done with them, too.

Here's a copy of 2 emails I sent to my friends with some helpful tips and links to websites that offer everything from free samples to cheap recipes, to other cheap living tips!

If anyone has any tips or websites to offer, please share!

For the past month or so, I've been going on free sample websites, and I've ordered things like bathroom products and coupons for free dog food, and cereal and Chex Mix bars, and things like that. I figured that I'd share the website links with you. Certain bathroom products, like shampoo, often have free sample offers, so you could potentially save a lot of money on certain items, if you get enough free samples of them. Every day, new items are listed, so if you're interested, I'd suggest visiting the sites every day or two. The sites I'm providing links to are legit sites, but always double-check the terms and conditions of the offers (since the websites only provide links to the offers- they aren't the providers of the offers)...I, for example, won't give out my phone number for a free sample (generally- there may be times when I might). Some of these websites (some of the last ones I posted) aren't just for free samples, but also have tips on getting free or almost-free things at places such as Walgreens and CVS, and other tips on how to be frugal. I hope that some of these websites will help your wallets out a little bit!

http://www.freegrabber.com/
http://freesampleforager.com/
http://walmart.triaddigital.com/In-Stor ... rials.aspx
http://www.freestufftimes.com/
http://www.sweetfreestuff.com/
http://freebies4mom.blogspot.com/search/label/Freebies
http://freebies4mom.blogspot.com/
http://forums.budget101.com/freebies/
http://alotofsavings.blogspot.com/
http://thefreebieblogger.com/
http://www.dealseekingmom.com/
http://www.momsbyheart.net/
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/
http://www.budgethelpers.blogspot.com/
http://www.thethriftymama.com/
http://littlemissfrugal.blogspot.com/
http://athriftymom.com/
http://www.survivingthestores.com/


Possible free baby pajamas at Walmart: http://www.dealseekingmom.com/walmart-p ... /#comments


I found this through "The Freebie Blogger" (site listed above), but I thought that it was a great offer for those of you with little ones: It's for a free baby blanket and a free stuffed animal. http://www.babiesonestep.com/feb_giveaway.html


This website is for "mail-in rebates", which I have been using a bit lately:
http://freebates.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow (Fri. Feb. 20), Hardee's is giving away free potatoes: info here: http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/200 ... atoes-day/

And, on Tue. Feb. 24, from 7am-10am, IHOP is giving away free short-stacks of pancakes (they would ideally like you to make a donation to whatever foundation it is...I received an email about this...to avoid what happened with Denny's, maybe already being at IHOP at 7am would be beneficial! Would anyone care to join me?) (info here: http://www.ihoppancakeday.com/index.html )


This link is a mixture of a food blog and cheap-living blog: http://www.cheaplander.com/

And, I like to look at Food Blogs. Some have tips on frugal eating (like recipes you can make for cheap), and some have food reviews. If you have any interest, it might be worth a browse. I'll just post some links, and you can rummage around. My favorite is the one on top:

http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/
http://www.cheapcooking.com/
http://davescupboard.blogspot.com/
http://erincooks.com/
http://www.frozenfoodjournal.com/
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index1.htm
http://brokeassgourmet.com/
http://www.5dollardinners.com/

Hi again! This email won't be long or full of links, I promise!

Just a thought I had that I figured I'd share with you all.

When there is a buy-one-get-one-free sale at a store, usually you can use 2 coupons (or a coupon that says you need to buy 2 products). Let's say that Cocoa Pebbles is on sale buy-one-get-one free. If you have a coupn for $1.00 off 2 boxes, you can use that coupon. Or, if you have 2 $1.00-off coupons, you can use both of those. I don't have problems, but I know that sometimes, some cashiers (or some registers) may have problems with something like that.

Also, there is a difference between a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon. Let's say you get a coupon flier at Publix (one of the green ones that has sale prices and coupons for bathroom products), and let's say that there is a coupon for $1.00 off Dove soap. That is a Publix (store) coupon. Let's also say that you cut out a 50 cent coupon for Dove soap from the Sunday paper coupon insert. You can use both coupons, since one is a manufacturer coupon, and one is a store coupon, and you will save $1.50 on your soap!

Just FYI!

[dvdjunkie]

Let's face it, you are just cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!.....................................LOL!!!

These are neat ideas, but way too much work. If you don't have a job, then it gives you free time to do all this. If I run across a deal while I am shopping I pick it up if I need it. I don't waste time sitting on a stupid computer looking for things.

The best way is to look around when you are out shopping, and you usually find more 'unadvertised' specials than you will ever find in a newspaper ad or a flier from a store.

Plus I don't eat fast food, so IHOP, Denny's, Hardee's, McDonald's, Burger King, and the like don't get my business any way. It is much cheaper to cook and eat at home. I also stay away from 'all-you-can-eat' buffets if the restaurant doesn't have a listing of all the ingredients used available. I want to eat healthy at all times.

If I want all you can eat, it usually at Asian food restaurants such as HuHot Mongolian Grill, or Genghis Grill, or Golden Bowls Mongolian Barbecue, or place such as that. Those foods that have no MSG added to them are better for you, and are less fattening, and very pleasing.

Clothes shopping is a different story. We travel about 18 miles to a great Factory Outlet mall where we can get many of clothes we wear for a fraction of the cost of the same product at Target, Wal-Mart, Burlington Coat Factory or any of the major clothing stores. An example: I bought a nice dress suit with two pairs of pants, had them fitted and cuffed, all for less than $100. I stay away from stores who advertise constantly, because we as consumers end up helping pay for those advertisements.

Just a side note, I am a shopper when it comes to my habit of DVD's. I never buy titles that I can wait for to get used at Hollywood Video, or at one of the local used DVD stores. I stay away from GameStop, Electronic Boutique, FYE, Border's Books, Barnes & Noble, and only buy the day the new one's come out at their sale price from Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart or K-Mart. And I am picky about the quality of my DVD's when I buy them, they get a real going over, but I would defy anyone to look at my collection and be able to tell what I bought new and what I bought used.

Being frugal is nice, but don't let it run your life. You can live very inexpensively without wasting your time and living your life.

And I am happy to say that I am on "the Jared" diet, right now. With $5 footlongs at Subway I am now eating there twice a day until that special goes away, and then I will adjust the budget to accomodate my diet accordingly. Taking care of myself is as important as taking care of my money.

[blackcauldron85]

Lol, you are right, I am cheap! I don't have a job right now, but even when I did work and was in school (and when I lived close to 4 different grocery stores), I would cut coupons and check all the weekly ads to see what was on sale that I could use. Now I just shop at one grocery store, since it's so close, and I'll go to Walmart to pick up things that I ran out of that are a lot cheaper there (like drink mixes and some bathroom supplies).

I agree- it definitely is much cheaper to cook and eat at home, and that's what I do 99% of the time, but I just wanted to make people aware of the free pancake offer at IHOP and the free potatoes offer at Hardee's. I don't live near a Hardee's, so I won't be doing that, and I was invited to go with a couple friends to the Denny's free Grand Slam deal the other week, but one friend went to check things out, and they were just giving out rain checks at that point...I wouldn't have minded getting a rain check, but the friend who was already over my house and I didn't bother driving to Denny's to get one.

Some Chinese food restaurants do have great deals on all-you-can-eat buffets. I love Chinese food, but I don't eat it too often, a few times a year, but you do get your money's worth on those, because some have deals as low as $6.99 for supper buffets.

The last time I bought new clothes was last year after I got some graduation money from my parents...I treated myself. But as long as you examine used clothes, there's nothing wrong with them, and you can find some cute things that you can't find in new-clothing stores!

Are all footlong subs $5 now at Subway, or is it still only a few? I haven't been in a while. The tuna one is my favorite, and I know that that was one of the $5 ones, but I'm just curious!

I think that, especially for the free samples, it can be worth your while...there is no shortage of free shampoo samples, for example, so if you find enough offers, you won't have to buy shampoo for a very long time, if ever again! Especially if you add mail-in-rebates, then you may never need to buy certain products again! I just bought 2 shampoos (one for $7.99, one for $6.99- I never would buy expensive shampoo without a mail-in-rebate for getting it free), and I sent away the rebate forms. The only thing with mail-in-rebates is that you need to be able to buy the product...it's not like a free coupon; if the item costs $5, you need to have the $5 to pay the cashier, but you'll receive a check in the mail. I was reading online last night on a website or two about mail-in-rebates, and I guess sometimes people have trouble getting their rebate. One website (or both) mentioned making photocopies or scanning all the receipts and forms you send in, and contact either the store you purchased the item at or the company itself (not the rebate company), and let them know that you still haven't received the rebate. I filled out everything properly and circled everything that I was supposed to, but I didn't photocopy anything, but I haven't had problems in the past getting rebates...

[Jack Skellington]

I think that collecting coupons doesn't make anybody cheap, I think it's a smart thing to do.

We don't get coupons and stuff, where I'm from, but if I did get a chance to collect some, I would.
Think about it, the average person spends most of his/her money at the grocery store, and I think saving money is the most logical thing to do in this crisis !

[Chernabog_Rocks]

We use coupons for a lot of things, food and for fast food for dinner on the weekends. Mainly Wendys and A&W, I prefer avoiding McDonalds at all costs.

Anyways, personally I do my best to save money since I have so little of it and no job. I buy my dvds cheap as possible and I often have my Dad pick them up since he gets an employee discount if he gets them from his store. Also, I avoid buying larger season sets that are more expensive and instead put them on birthday and christmas lists.

Of course when it comes to clothes I like to splurge, I never buy second hand and I generally shop from stores like Warehouse One. Though sometimes I do visit Superstore, Zellers or Wal-Mart to see if they have anything decent (plus you can get plain shirts for a fairly good price there compared to Warehouse One..unless there's a sale).

As Cordelia Chase said: It's like when I go shopping. I have to have the most expensive thing. Not because it's expensive, but because it costs more (This isn't my actual opinion just a random reference)

[drfsupercenter]

I still live with my parents so I'm not paying for things like food and clothing, electricity etc.

But I do have to buy any sort of "extras" myself - including movies, music, electronics, you name it.

And the easiest thing I figured out is: buy as much stuff online as possible. If you look at a typical DVD movie, it's gonna be less at Amazon.com or Buy.com than at a brick-and-mortar store, and you can get free shipping a lot of times if you combine orders. I also do a bit of Internet bargain-hunting... there are some nice sites like www.pricegrabber.com for that purpose. And of course, I'm buying more and more stuff on eBay now

[Bek'sNewGroove]

One thing with ebay and other online things, make sure you don't get caught out on postage and end up paying more or as much as you would in a store. But I agree, online shopping can be great.

Shop around. I used to buy DVDs and CDs on sale at the music store, until I found that Target, KMart, more often than not, will still beat the sale price with their general price. Example, new album by The Fray, $21.99 as a special price at the music store, $18.75 at Target.

Looking for great deals is important I think. My current phone plan costs me $30 each month, and for that I get $170 credit.

Also, I think it pays to be aware of quality. I would prefer to spend more on an item of better quality than buy a cheap version and be replacing it more often. I think that sometimes spending more can actually save you money in the long run. And think of future costs too. Example, printers. Sometimes it pays to spend more on the printer because it's more economic in it's use of ink cartridges and you may not have to replace the cartridge as often.

And it never hurts to be aware of competitions either, as long as they aren't expensive to enter. I won an iPod by recharging my credit, which saved me plenty. Not that anyone actually needs an iPod but you know what I mean.

I don't pay for clothing alterations either. It helps to know someone who can sew. My mum does mine.

If you're spending a lot of money on things like dance classes etc, it might also be worth asking if you can assist with classes in exchange for a discount on your class fees. This way you are getting great experience and saving money too.

And for students, there is nothing wrong with secondhand textbooks! You only use them for such a limited time anyway. And for recreational reading books, if you know you spend a lot on them and then they sit taking up space and gathering dust, it might be worth joining a library or raiding family and friends bookshelves.

[pap64]

The basic type of savings we use at our house are conserving resources, paying minimum and buying the best type of products.

For example, since my sister and her family moved out of the house we now conserve energy and our power bill has significantly lowered. Instead of buying a small bag of cat food we bought a big sack. While we paid 15 bucks for it it saved us a lot of money because we would pay 4 bucks nearly every week for just one game. The sack could last us up to two months, saving us a lot of money.

We also look for the best deals at the supermarket so we spend less and get as much as possible.

Right now we are working on eliminating credit card debt and destroying the cards so we only have one and our bills are balanced.

We cut whatever isn't needed and thanks to that we are doing better despite the rough climate. In February alone we didn't lack any food and had left over money for small groceries.

As for being cheap, can you blame ANYONE for being cheap, especially with the economy being bad?

I admit that I am a big money spender, hence why I am always broke. But I have decided to open a savings account for emergencies only once I get a permanent job. My parents never had any savings and it has affected them greatly.

[ajmrowland]

I think I have the biggest footprint here. We usually try to conserve water by bottling it.

I still live with my parents, and I have no job, so shopping online has never been considered in my household.

We do use coupons and membership discounts.

Also, rewards points are usually worth it, especially if you have a business credit card. That's how we got our tv, which saved us about $2,000 at the time. If you have an American express rewards card, and go back to your account a few months later, you see a difference.

I usually prefer to buy my DVDs day one, but if I feel I can wait, I just netflix them. If you regulate at most an average of two weeks per movie, you can get about 6-8 movies for $18 a month, and keep them long enough to watch them a decent number of times before sending them back. And there are other services that can be cheaper, as well.

I also got a Student savings account, which meant that for the first $100 deposited, the bank puts in an extra $125.

[blackcauldron85]

Tues., Feb. 9, 6am-2pm, Denny's: Free Grand Slam

Tues., Feb. 23, 7am-10pm, IHOP: Free pancakes (but ideally they want you to make a donation)

I know that a friend went to Denny's last year and ended up getting a rain check, so make sure if you're going to go, that you go early- these are popular events!

More info: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/malled/2 ... st-promos/

[Miss Jo]

This was a great idea for a thread, Amy! I realize you started it a year ago, but I just wanted to say I have the exact same mindset as you when it comes to living frugally. I also get a thrill out of finding a really good deal, and every week I check the flyers for every single grocery store within about an hour of my apartment. Then I go to every single store that has a good sale. Milk is pretty much the only thing I ever buy when it’s not on sale (because milk never goes on sale, but I have to buy it!). I also spend a lot of time ordering free samples and coupons online. I have an enormous stack of coupons sitting on my dresser right now LOL. I actually finding saving money to be fun! (Rich people don't know what they're missing. )

I live in Canada, so every day I go to www.smartcanucks.ca, which is a freebie and deal website for Canadians. I also check www.save.ca every day, which is a website where you can order free Canadian coupons.

So yeah, I’m a kindred spirit! Just wanted to say that.

[blackcauldron85]

Yay for kindred spirits! You're even more dedicated than I am with the groceries- within an hour of where you live?!? That's quite awesome if you have the time to do so! When I used to live in a different part of Orlando, I did drive to about 4 different stores at times, but now I live close to 2 and normally shop at one, unless the other has some great sales, and I'll go to Super Walmart to stock up...and I'm blabbing now. But I'm proud of you, Jo!

[Miss Jo]

Well, I'm a university student, and we get to ride the bus for free when we show the driver our student card, so it doesn't cost me anything to travel all over the place. And sometimes I even get some reading done while I'm sitting on the bus. But yeah, I have a lot of time on my hands. I don't shop too often at stores that are really far away, but sometimes there's a sale that I just can't pass up.