Thrifty Hacks That Save Me A Lot Of $$

 

Over the years I’ve cultivated and fine tuned several things in my life, hacks if you will, that have saved me a ton of money over the years.  Many of these tried and true, time tested hacks are not only things I do, but many of you have shared that you do the same thing too.  I thought it would be nice to list some of these things in this post in hopes that you find some inspiration yourself.

 

Toiletries & Housekeeping Supplies 

I am rather minimal when it comes to toiletries.  I stick to one soap, one moisturizer, one shampoo and one conditioner, one deodorant, no makeup anymore, no hair styling products of any kind, a toothbrush, some floss and a tube of toothpaste, a comb, a hairbrush and a few ponytail holders and barrettes.  I dilute my shampoo and conditioner.  That is all I need to look absolutely gorgeous! 

For laundry I use homemade detergent, bleach and white vinegar.  To keep my house clean I use Comet cleanser, Barkeeper’s Friend cleanser, Sprayway glass cleaner, bleach, white vinegar, dish soap and diluted Fabuloso (3 parts water: 1 part Fabuloso) as my all purpose cleaner.  The glass cleaner is my one indulgence as I like the way it works, especially on the windshield of my vehicles.  I use shower gel I get from Bath & Body Works (FREE with a coupon) to make foaming hand soap solution to refill the dispensers I keep at each sink.

 

Groceries 

I keep a list, stick to a budget, only shop for items that are on sale, grow and forage what I can, buy REAL food, meal plan, meal prep, cook from scratch, eat my leftovers and avoid food waste at all costs.  Using up what I have on hand in the refrigerator first before I buy more helps me to make sure I keep any potential food waste minimal.  My beverages of choice are water and coffee.

 

Heating & Cooling 

In the winter I keep the thermostat pretty low, I dress in layers, wear slippers in the house and use a throw blanket when I’m sitting for any period of time.  I don’t turn the main heat on until I absolutely have to each year and off as soon as temperatures begin to warm again in the spring.  I have an electric fireplace in the living room that warms the house quite nicely and because heat rises I do not turn on any heat upstairs except in the bathroom when I shower. 

During the summer I use a box fan to bring in the cool morning air each day, then close up the house before the temperatures rise.  We do get hot here in the summers so I used two window A/C units to cool the upstairs level while the downstairs remains comfortable.  I typically install the A/C units on 4^th of July weekend (I check and clean the filters) and then remove them on Labor Day weekend which is really all the time I need to use air conditioning in my home.  Just two months a year.

 

Gifts 

I love to give edible gifts, items I have made in my own kitchen.  It may be a jar of preserves or something I’ve canned like soup, salsa or pasta sauce, or it may be something I have baked like a fresh loaf of bread or a batch of cookies. 

Useful gifts are another item I like to give such as gift cards, cash, even a coupon for a chore I can do for someone.  Something as simple as a dish or wash cloth, hand towel and bottle of Bath & Body Works hand soap (FREE or discounted with a coupon) is well received.  Any extra products I accumulate using coupon or rewards points offers are used to fill up my gift shelf in my linen closet. 

I reuse gift bags and tissue paper.  I buy gift wrapping supplies after the holidays when they are on clearance.  I am not opposed to wrapping a gift with a brown paper shopping bag and tying a ribbon from my sewing stash around it either.  I make my own greeting cards to give or send out.

 

Transportation 

I drive an older vehicle.  It is paid for (has been for a very long time) less expensive to license, insure and maintain.  I do routine maintenance so it keeps running and I’m able to do a lot of it myself.  I walk, ride the city busy and have a bicycle.  If I can utilize one of those resources instead of driving I do it as often as I possibly can.  Not only does it save me a lot of money, but I get also so get some really good exercise.

 

Clothing 

I keep a minimal all season wardrobe dressing in layers as the weather dictates.  I have one heavy winter coat, a jacket with a hood for rainy days, a light jacket and a few sweaters and hoodies.  I only keep what I wear on a regular basis plus one outfit for special occasions.  I buy solid good quality shoes for everyday use, especially as I walk a lot.  I keep a pair of sandals and a pair of flip flops on hand for summer use.  I have a pair of trail shoes and a pair of hiking boots for hiking in the foothill and the forests.  I also have a pair of winter boots for cold and snowy weather.  I also keep an older pair of flip flops and a pair of cross trainers as my yard shoes so I don’t ruin my good shoes doing “yucky” chores.  When I purchase clothing or shoes I try to get the best quality at the best price always and I use coupons whenever possible to lower the price even more.

 

Store Rewards, Programs & Credit Card Points 

I am big on any legitimate opportunity to earn additional funds.  I am signed up with two of my local supermarkets for their store rewards program as well as DSW and Bath & Body Works where I get some really good offers for reduced and FREE products on a regular basis. 

Earlier this year, when I started riding the bus, I signed up for a program that allows me to earn points for each time I ride the bus.  Rewards points can be redeemed for gift cards.  Last spring they did a promotion that allowed me to earn a gift card in addition to the regular points I was earning.  So far this year I’ve earned $30 in gift cards which I used to buy groceries at a Kroger store and I’m still accumulating points.  I also do online surveys that allow me to earn points toward gift cards as well, although this year I haven’t had a lot of time to do those, but it is still an option. 

I use my credit card to pay for everything I can including gasoline and groceries.  I pay off my card each month in full so I never accrue any interest charges.  In the process I rack up rewards points on my purchases which I will save up until they can be redeemed for gift cards I use either as gifts or for my own purchases.

 

This is just a handful of the things I do on a regular basis to make my hard earned dollars stretch and really work for me.  If this type of subject appeals to you, let me know in the comments.  I’ll be happy to share more of the things I do to save money.