Tips and Tricks to Afford Life’s Luxuries:
Craving a luxe timepiece like the diamond Michele watch from yesterday? (I know I am!) Maybe a new Louis Vuitton bag? Or perhaps there’s a pair of shoes…
Courtesy: Stefo
The current economic environment doesn’t mean we suddenly stop wanting beautiful things. Solution? Save money on what you NEED to buy so you can afford what you WANT to buy.
Over the next 3 days we’ll highlight money saving ideas by category. Today we’ll start at the grocery store:
1st-Make Sure You’re Buying Food at the Grocery Store.
Are you eating out or doing take-out more than 2 nights a week? I was right there with you until recently. Once I added up the amount we spent monthly on food–I knew it was time for a change. By taking this first step we literally save hundreds of dollars each month.
Try the Store Brand.
Look up. Look down. Grocery bargains are not usually at eye level. I had always steered clear of store brands until one day my name brand choice was out of stock. I tried Target’s store brand–Archer Farms. Honestly I couldn’t tell the difference! I have since changed to Archer Farms for nearly everything. OK, full disclosure: I didn’t like their tomato soup. It wasn’t bad, but I prefer the old standby better. Other than that one item, I’m sold. And saving money every month!
Go Old School.
This one’s not for everyone–But if you really want to eat for cheap…take another look at Ramen Noodles. Nothing will bring back those dorm day memories faster. This time around, add some flair to the classic with ideas from a cookbook dedicated to these curly noodles: 101 Things to Do with Ramen Noodles
Buy in Bulk.
This one may require an empty closet or storage room. But if you have the extra space, listen up. Every once in a while something you use every day goes on sale. And sometimes the sale is amazing. Recently this happened with one of my products. Not only was the sale price great…but there was an extra promotion on top of that. For every package purchased, you received a 5$ store gift card! Needless to say I stocked up. And saved a bundle!
Find More Ways to Buy in Bulk.
Another opportunity to buy in bulk (sort of) is with magazines. How many impulse magazine purchases take place at grocery stores every day? This used to happen to me all of the time. As I stood in line, I’d see Angelina Jolie (or whoever) looking at me from the glossy cover. “Just a quick look,” I’d tell myself as I picked it up. Before I knew I’d paid for it and was on my way to the car. Let me tell you, single-purchase magazines are expensive. Sometimes 4 and 5$ each!
Since I had no intention of giving them up, I now subscribe to any magazine that interests me. Often subscriptions are available for 15$ or less per year. A huge savings compared to 4$ each! Now I save about 70% annually on magazines. Check the price of a subscription to your favorite magazine here.
There you have it. Ways to potentially save hundreds of dollars per month. Those savings go a long way towards an occasional splurge. And we’re not even done yet.
If you have money-saving ideas, send them in. We love to hear from you! And check back for tomorrow for part 2 of this series.
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