How to Save Money

By Bonnie Owens on March 12th, 2009

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As a stay at home mom I am used to pinching pennies.  I see it as a sacrifice I am willing to make to be at home with my kids.  In today’s economy it has become essential to many more moms, whether they stay at home or not.  Stretching my dollar has become almost instinctual over time.  Most people know the basic money saving rules like clipping coupons and shopping at a warehouse club.  Here are a few ways to get more bang for your buck that you may not have considered.

The internet has exponentially enhanced the consumer’s shopping experience.  It has created a virtually endless array of options.  And with those options come fantastic opportunities to save money.  There are sites like Overstock.com and Amazon.com that offer free or almost free shipping and deep discounts that you probably wouldn’t find locally.  Also, many of your favorite stores have exclusive online sales to liquidate their overstock.  Add to that the plethora of online coupon code websites and you have little reason to leave the house for your next shopping trip.  If you sign up for your favorite stores’ email lists, they will notify you when they are having an online sale.  When I find a really good sale, I load up my cart and then google around for any coupon codes for that store.  It is a little time consuming, but once you do it a few times, the process becomes streamlined.  I have found codes for as much as an extra 40% off, saving me a good $50-60 from 10 minutes of searching.  In addition to traditional online shopping, there is person to person sales.  If you are a garage sale type of person then you will find a new best friend in craigslist.org.  It is a website where people in your city can advertise things for sale.  It is free to the poster and the buyer.  I probably wouldn’t buy my clothes here, but it is great for larger items and especially for baby items.  You will usually find listings for duplicate baby shower gifts or items like strollers that weren’t what they wanted but are too much of a hassle to return.  The benefit of craigslist over other sites like Ebay is that you usually pick the product up in person.  So if it is not what you wanted or expected then you can just choose not to buy it.

There are many people who need to see what they are buying in person.  If you are one of them, your opportunity for savings isn’t lost.  You just have to know when to shop and what to buy.  Your best bet is to shop out of season.  This means buying winter gear in February, bathing suits in September and so on.  For an adult wardrobe, this may not work well because you will be a year behind the trends.  But it is perfect for your little ones since their style doesn’t really change.  I usually find out when my favorite kids’ stores are clearing out this season’s line.  Then I will stock up in clothes one size larger than what my boys are currently wearing.  If you have the storage space, this method of shopping works exceptionally well for toys and holiday decor as well.  You can stock up on toys right after Christmas for upcoming birthdays and next Christmas.  Stores like Walmart and Target are practically giving many items away in January.  For holiday supplies, the general rule of thumb is to shop 1-4 weeks after the actual holiday for the deepest discount.  The bigger the holiday the longer you should wait.  You might not get the largest selection, but if you are just looking to pick up a few things at a great price this is your best bet.  Many places will go as low as 90% off to clear out old decorations.  This means you can get $100 worth of goods for $10!

Raising a family is expensive.  I hope that these tips can help your family save a little extra money buying the things you need.  So that you will have more for the things you want.

(Photo By: R Z)