Top 10 Ways/Ideas/Coupons to Save Money RIGHT NOW

As a stay-at-home mommy, I have to get creative with our finances. I am always looking for a deal, shopping at second-hand stores and garage sales, and looking through online coupons to get the best bang for my buck. Anyone who knows me well knows I am FRUGAL! I have the hardest time spending top price for anything and if I think it is something I could make, own second-hand or just flat out don’t “need,”  there is no way it will get purchased. For example, I was at a Christmas craft fair with my mom a year or two back. Every booth I approached (homemade soaps, hand-painted signs, knitted afghans, Christmas decor, jewelry, etc.) I couldn’t help but think…Why would I buy this when I could make this for $3? I am a pretty crafty person and I feel like all crafty people might think this way (maybe I am wrong). So…I paid $5 to get into the craft fair just to walk out empty-handed with the thoughts that I can do all crafts (BTW I do NOT knit! LOL).

My dad brought it to my attention that not all people think this way (it is a slight obsession of mine). Some people find it more difficult to search for the best deal, make their own crafts, etc. than to just buy the item. So, I am going to make it easy on you and provide a list of the top money-saving techniques I use as a stay-at-home momma. That’s right…all the deals and quirky things I do to save moola in one spot for your convenience!

1. Grocery shop at Aldi’s

I have found that I can get all of my staple foods at Aldi’s Grocery Store. They provide many different gluten-free options along with many organic options. My grocery bill went from $200 a week from shopping at Meijer, Kroger and even Wal-Mart to just $90 a week (yes I said $90!!!) give or take $10.

2. Go to second-hand stores

If your kids are anything like mine, they LOVE to play and they LOVE to play without thinking of getting messy (rightfully so on most occasions). Unfortunately in our family, we are boy heavy and don’t get many hand-me-downs for my oldest daughter so I am on my own with her wardrobe. So I am sure you can imagine my frugal self is not going to go to Baby Gap and get “play clothes.” I shop our local garage sale sites, Once Upon a Child stores and, in the summer, go to garage sales throughout the community. Then, when it is time for her to look “put together,” I go to the kids’ stores I like (Baby Gap has GREAT sales) and buy clothing on sale. If it isn’t on sale or a good deal…like practically free (LOL), I pass it by.

3. Throw Parties for Multi-Level Marketing Friends

Want that Pampered Chef cookware? that Matilda Jane clothing for your daughter? that thirty-one cooler bag? those Norwex rags?, then throw a party and get most of your items for FREE! That’s right…I work hard at getting my party filled with people who love those brands, let them “shop” for their favorite items, and get the perks for hosting a party! I have gotten $1,000 worth of free Pampered Chef, 2 Matilda Jane outfits (worth probably closer to $200), and more Norwex rags than I know what to do with…all for FREE! (I told you I was frugal)

4. Use Groupon

 I have purchased many Groupons that have gone unused so I want to share how I have adapted to make sure that no longer happens. I don’t buy a Groupon unless I am physically in the store/ restaurant at the time of purchase and I use it right then and there. rarely do I have Groupons sit unused anymore. I have been able to save our family so much money when we are out to eat at a restaurant. I will also scan Groupons available for purchase before making a decision on where to eat as a family. We go where the deal is!

5. Use Kroger gift cards and get cheap gas

If you are making a large purchase of some sort, go to Kroger and buy a Visa gift card. You have the money to purchase the item you would like to buy and you get Kroger fuel points on top of it. Anytime I want to get someone a gift card for their birthday or holiday, I get it at Kroger.

6. Don’t spend big money entertaining your children

When it comes to entertaining my little ones, I look for FREE before anything else. They are so simply entertained at this age that I cannot imagine spending gobs of money just to keep them entertained when an empty over-sized box does the trick most days. Some of our go-to’s are the Art Museum, local library (they put together many different activities throughout the month that we attend such as magic shows, toddler yoga, family story-time, craft night, puppet shows, movie night, etc.), local metro parks,  play dates are always fun, etc. The thing I realized is that my girls want my time, not a bunch of stuff, and I’ll find money in my pocket and joy in my heart doing things this way.

 7. Master the 10-second rule

Whenever you pick up an item and add it to your cart or take it to the checkout, stop for 10 seconds and ask yourself why you’re buying it and whether you actually need it or not. If you can’t find a good answer, put the item back. This keeps me from making impulse buys on a regular basis.

8. Swap babysitting with neighbors

We usually ask family to watch our girls but in an instance where they are unable to help us out, we revert to a sitter. It amazes me how much babysitters cost these days. Some sitters make $12 an hour!

So, let me get this straight…if I go on a date with my husband to dinner and a fancy show, we are gone for about 5 hours. Let’s break this down…

Babysitter arrives 15 minutes early to get the low-down on how everything works…

So her fee would be around $63

We go to dinner = $35-$40

We go to a show = $25 x 2 = $50

Our date night costs us a WHOPPING $153!!!

If we swapped date nights with friends and FREE sitting where our kids could have fun with their friends all evening we would save $63…which for me is a lot of money…like more than half of my week’s grocery bill! If we eliminate the sitter, now our evening costs us $90 and I am okay with that once in a while.

9. Always ask for fees to be waived

Any time you sign up for a service of any kind and there are sign-up fees, ask for them to be waived. Sometimes (not always), they will be–and you save money just by being forthright about not wanting to pay excessive fees.

10. Cancel the cable or satellite channels you don’t watch

Many people with cable services often are paying for a premium package that they don’t really need. For the longest time, my hubby and I were paying an arm and a leg for cable and internet which we barely watched and used. Fast-forward several years and now we have eliminated our cable bill. We have basic cable (which we rarely watch), Apple TV, and pay for Netflix and Hulu. Our savings has been HUGE since we have done this.