With things seemingly getting more & more expensive, I wanted to create a spot on here for money saving tips in case anyone was looking. These are things my own family & I try to do as often as possible.
*things that are underlined are links*
FOOD RELATED TIPS
MEAL PLANNING – weekly or monthly. Plan meals in advance & only buy the ingredients needed. This helps with the day old question of “what’s for dinner.” We used to be really good at this when our kiddo was younger but once we started playing taxi going from one activity to the next during dinner hours, I’m not going to lie – it’s become more difficult but it’s still something we try to do when our schedules start to die down.
BUY IN BULK – for our family, this mostly applies to meat. I check the ads of multiple grocery stores on the regular & when chicken is $1.99/lb or less, we buy a ton to stockpile our basement freezer. Sometimes we also do this for snacks that go on sale & other regular staples. By buying in bulk, it creates less of a shopping list for later in the coming weeks/months.
BUY A COW – for meat eaters, seriously – look into buying beef directly from local farms to stockpile on. Tap HERE for a list! We have been buying a 1/2 steer since the pandemic started when there was a beef storage. It may seem expensive all at once (think over a grand or more) but to not have to buy beef at a grocery store or pay attention to sales, not only saves money but time as well. It’s nice to just skip over the beef section when looking at ads. It typically lasts us over a year.
GROCERY SHOP YOUR PANTRY & FREEZER – check what you actually have before grocery shopping on weeks that money may be tight. We like to have nights where dinner is “whatever you find in the fridge/freezer or pantry.” Not being picky once in a while helps the cause.
SIGN UP FOR LOYALTY PROGRAMS – Giant Eagle offers great savings for being a part of their loyalty programs. Points usually add up fast which equates to either money off a grocery purchase or gas. Heinen’s also has a program but I personally don’t shop there too often. I have found Giant Eagle & Walmart to be regularly cheaper. We also keep Meijer in our rotations as well. A lot of people like shopping at Aldi (though they don’t have a loyalty program.) I have found their prices to be similar to Walmart. Personally, I go there for specific items like their red bag chicken or other specialty items but I am unable to do an entire shopping there.
LIMIT FAST FOOD OR USE WISELY – We are constantly struggling with this. When we do give in & head to our favorite drive-thrus, I am consistently redeeming points for at least one free item or we try to order off the value menus. I have an app for our favorite spots which usually do great offers like BOGO sandwiches & more. Honestly, McDonald’s system is by far the most beneficial. Chick-fil-A sends free food offers quite often. On quick nights, we’d spend minimal due to redeeming free points or offers. We also buy fast food dupes to make it feel like we’re treating ourselves too. If you’re a fan of Chick-fil-A, the red bag chicken from Aldi is great & if you like Raising Cane’s, the famous chicken strips from Walmart are a household fave. They also just started doing filets & my husband & son are obsessed with the spicy version, they say it’s very similar to Chick-fil-A’s. Here’s the non-spicy version, too.
DINING OUT ON A BUDGET – everyone likes to take a night off from cooking! Luckily, there are SO MANY places that offer FREE (or cheap!) kids meals to help on the bill so be sure to check out the full list HERE!
SKIP THE FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES – we never use any of these services like Uber Eats or DoorDash. They tack on additional fees so much that if we’re not in the mood to make dinner, physically going out to pick up food ends up being cheaper than getting it delivered.
MAKE COFFEE AT HOME – I work from home so I’m well aware this is easier for me to say but skip the expensive drinks & make your coffee at home! Buy all the fancy syrups you like from the grocery store & recreate your faves before heading out for the day. My husband, who does not work from home, utilizes the free coffee that is available at work. When you do have the urge to treat yourself, definitely make sure you’re part of rewards programs to earn free drinks!
PACK LUNCHES – Like I previously mentioned, I work from home which means I also eat lunch at home. My husband packs a lunch every day for work. He usually takes leftovers in or easy items like pb&j sandwiches, Chef Boyardee cans, or other items like microwave meals we buy at grocery stores. His idea of a treat for lunch are 2 for $5 sandwiches from Burger King
GET FREEBIES ON YOUR BIRTHDAY – Talking about treating yourself, be sure to sign up for all the rewards programs to cash in on your big day! Check out the full list HERE!
NON FOOD RELATED SHOPPING TIPS
BUY USED – for clothes, furniture, decor, or kids gear! There are ton of thrift stores around the area to do this. I am also a regular Poshmark & Ebay user. Visit the DEALS section to save $10 on Poshmark! Facebook Marketplace is also another great resource. When my kiddo was younger & grew out of his clothes & toys, I’d then sell them to make some extra cash, too.
SHOP THE KIDS SECTION FOR SHOES – for size 8ish girlies, shop the kids section for shoes! They’re cheaper & sometimes you’ll find great deals in the clearance section, too!
DRIVE USED – we have never purchased a brand new car. With the way vehicles depreciate in value so quickly, this never made sense for us. We buy used & work at paying our cars off. Once it’s time to upgrade, we sell our cars by ourselves which gives us way more of a profit vs trading it in. Plus – used cars = cheaper insurance rates!
LIMIT SUBSCRIPTIONS – most go on sale around the holidays! We have quite a few streaming services but almost all of them are on a special deal so we are not paying full price for many of them. I also cancel when our terms are up & am often offered another discount to stay on. If that doesn’t happen, I’ll cancel & sign up again with a different email address.
SAVE WHILE SHOPPING ONLINE – every time I have to do an online purchase, I check for cash back opportunities using Rakuten or Mr. Rebates. Head to the DEALS page for my referral link to get money for signing up!
SKIP THE EXPENSIVE MAKEUP/SKINCARE – I don’t wear makeup on the regular or have a complicated skincare routine but your local Walmart &/or Target has plenty of budget friendly options vs going to Ulta or Sephora.
CUT YOUR OWN HAIR – This might be out of the ordinary for most but I have not been to a salon to get my hair cut in YEARS. I do the butterfly haircut from Brad Mondo. My husband also cuts his own hair & then I finish it up for him. Our son is the only one that gets it done but his haircuts are only $15 at our local barber shop.
DO YOUR OWN NAILS – I haven’t got a manicure since my wedding over 16 years ago. I’m a pretty low maintenance girly so this isn’t a priority for me but your local Walmart or Target sell so many supplies for you to do this on your own. Same goes for pedicures. For Christmas, my husband got me a foot bath & pedicure supplies. He gives me an at home pedicure every few weeks. It’s totally okay to do these things if that’s what you like but if you’re looking to skip a month, at home is the way to go.
SAVING ON ACTIVITIES TIPS
UTILIZE YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIES – libraries are an amazing resource to have & not only can you borrow books but there’s movies, video games, board games, & many other activities to take home. They also have fun play spaces to spend time in as well. All for free! Tap HERE for a full list!
VISIT A NATURE CENTER – another amazing resource to have in our community when you’re looking for something fun & FREE. Tap HERE for a full list of them!
FREE MUSEUMS – there are 10 free museums in Cleveland to check out, have you been to them all? Tap HERE for a full list!
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR MUSEUMS FOR ALL – this is a program for SNAP recipients where you can access museums for free or at a discounted rate. Tap HERE to learn more.
CHECK OUT THE 25+ FREE THINGS TO DO AROUND CLEVELAND GUIDE – we’re all about FREE things to do around Cleveland so to not be redundant on this list, be sure to check them all out HERE!
Have additional tips you want to share that your family does?
Comment below!
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