6 Quirky Ways to Save Money

I've seen them & I always read them - lists of ways to save money. While making an effort to make our dollars stretch a little further, I've come up with a list of my own. Hopefully, my items will be different than the ones you are used to seeing & hopefully they will be helpful - in their own quirky way!

1 - Buy clothing at the thrift store. This one may not be a surprise, but if you don't shop thrift stores, it may shock you what you can find there. In the photo above, my little cupcake is head-to-toe dressed in thrifted clothes. Her boots - Janie & Jack, her top - Baby Lulu, her sweater - Baby Gap. One time I found a designer dress for myself at D.I. When I wore it to a wedding, my friend's hubby complimented me on it & he just could not believe I got it for $6. It's very common to find fabulous clothes at thrift stores!

2 - Stop buying greeting cards. Well, almost anyway. I don't know if they've always been expensive, or if I just started paying attention. Sometimes those suckers are $4, $5, or $6! That really adds up. I especially don't give expensive greeting cards to children because it seems most of them don't care that much. If I'm giving a gift to a friend, I often use something similar to the blank note cards in the photo below. These Target cards come out to be about 19¢ each. I've found similar sets at TJ Maxx for even less. When I do buy greeting cards, I look for the 99¢ Hallmark line. I buy quite a few of the 99¢ wedding cards at a time & keep them on hand. {I'd rather put the money into the actual gift or gift card.}. Of course, the exception is a special occasion where the card will be cherished & saved. 

3 - Take Advantage of Loyalty Programs & Coupons. I'm not that girl who runs from store to store buying whatever is on sale, but I do  stay pretty loyal to one grocery store. I try to buy all my gift cards at Smiths & I get extra points toward fuel rewards when I do. {Sometimes there are 4X the points promotions on gift cards.} I also buy my prescriptions there {after asking them to price-match Costco} - more fuel points! I often save $20 off on gas when I fill up. Not bad! Also, I am mediocre at couponing - EXCEPT when it comes to big coupons. When Shopko sends me a $10 off a $40 purchase, I always take them up on it. Whenever I can, I put big purchases on my skymiles card & then pay them off right away. Score on skymiles! If I order something on-line, I always google "promo code" & the store I'm using. About half the time I get lucky by finding a code that works & I save money on my purchase. 

4 - Save on Toiletries. This is another area where money seemingly evaporates at our house. My grocery store almost always has a clearance section where they put their misc sale toiletries. I don't usually care what kind of shampoo I use, so if they have this kind of thing on sale, I buy it there & regularly save about 75%. I have also made a new effort to use every little bit! Used to be, if we seemed "out" of soap, etc. - I just tossed the bottle. Now I make an effort to use every bit. {See photo below.} I always surprised how many more times I can wash my hands, brush my teeth, etc. 

5 - Cut Back on Beauty Regimens. I figured out how to touch up my own hair color in between treatments & it has helped me space out my hair appointments a bit more. I save about $300 - $400 a year by doing this. I also do my own pedicures in the winter time when no one sees my toes anyway! 

6 - Save on Car Washes. I realize that having my car washed is a splurge, but I'm a bit of a tree hugger & I like that they recycle the water at the car wash. My car wash offers a 4-day guarantee. If my car gets dirty for any reason, I can come back within four days to get a re-wash. I always try to do this & I get two washes for the price of one. Of course, I always buy the cheapest wash & do my own vacuuming. 

Ok - those are my quirky ideas. Feel free to leave comment & share your favorite item that's not on the usual lists!