Posts tagged "100 Ways to Save Money ebook"

Store Savings: Store Savings Cards

(This post is the first of the original “Store Savings”” section of the 100 Ways to Save Money ebook. Read other sections: )

Does your store have a savings card that is scanned before each of your purchases? If so, sign up for it and carry it with you at all times. (Most will go on your key ring.) I am shocked by the number of people who either don’t sign up for these programs or don’t bring their cards with them.

For stores with savings cards, the sales prices listed in the circulars are almost always for people who scan their card with the transaction. A lot of times, the “regular” price for those who do not use their card is an inflated price and the “special” price for those who do use their card is the normal price. If you don’t use your card, you’ll end up spending much more money.

If you have a card and forget to bring it along, the store will often let you use a “courtesy card” to get the sales price. However, this is not something you want to do frequently as many cards reward you for your purchases.

Filed Under: Ways to Save Money

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Money Saving 101: Stockpile, Stockpile, Stockpile!

(This post is the fifth of the original “Money Saving 101″ section of the 100 Ways to Save Money ebook. Read other sections: Part I: Make a List, Part II: Be Aware of Sales Cycles, Part III: Keep a Price Book, Part IV: Check Per Unit Pricing.)

Stockpiling is a fantastic way to save money because you’ll have many products you need readily available to you.

“I don’t have any extra room,” you might say. If you have any free space in your home whatsoever, you have room. You can tuck stockpiled items under beds or furniture, high up in cabinets, or in that dusty little corner of the garage (after you remove the dust, of course!).

It also helps to remove items from their packages, if possible. Ten boxes of aspirin take up a lot more room than ten bottles. (You can go even further by opening the bottles and consolidating the contents – you can usually fit two or three bottles of aspirin into only one after you take out all of the cotton.)

In addition, don’t discount the idea of outdoor storage. I have a great deck box out on my balcony that I use to store toilet paper, paper towels, muffin mix, razors, and more. It easily keeps out the elements, plus I make sure to keep everything safely tucked away inside plastic bags. I’ve never had a problem yet and it helps lighten the stockpile load inside of my home.

“My friends or family might think it’s tacky” is something else I hear people say.

First – trust me, they won’t think it’s tacky once you tell them that you got it all for free (or close to it). And if they do, offer them some of your extras every once in awhile. People quickly shut their mouths when offered freebies they’re usually wasting their money on!

Second – there are easy ways to hide your stockpile if you’re worried about people’s comments. If you put your stockpile items in boxes and store them in the garage, who’s going to know what they are? You can also stack items and cover them with decorative fabric or hide them under furniture (just don’t have the relatives around when you’re pulling toothpaste out from under your couch.)

If you have the space and you don’t care about people seeing it (you shouldn’t!), consider setting up a shelving unit. You can get inexpensive metal shelves from Target or Walmart that will hold a lot of your stockpile. These go great in the garage, laundry room, or closet.

If you don’t have the space for standing shelves, consider shelving that you can attach to your ceiling. These work well in places where you don’t have the floor room to stack your stockpile, but do have some extra room on the ceiling.

Over-the-door shoe holders work well for holding small stockpile items. They usually have around 20 plastic sleeves that will hold plenty of toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, shaving cream, and more. They only cost a few dollars and I’ve frequently found them on clearance. Think of all of the doors you have in your house – that’s a lot of storage room!

Plastic containers in all shapes and sizes are helpful to group similar items and to keep things tidy.

Remember to always rotate your stockpile. Even things like toothpaste and medicine expire, so it’s a good idea to keep items expiring soonest near the top (or front) of your stockpile. I like to check everything out once every month to make sure I’m using the items expiring soonest.

If you are stockpiling a lot of food products, you might want to look into a second freezer if you have the room. Here is a link to Food Storage Guidelines for Consumers on the Virginia Tech website: http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/foods/348-960/348-960.html. It lists many common products along with their pantry, refrigerator, and freezer storage times.

I also recommend keeping an inventory of your stockpile. You can easily set up a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (or a free alternative at http://www.openoffice.org.) that lists the product’s category, name, quantity, and expiration date. You can also add the location if you stockpile in multiple places. Update your sheet whenever you bring home new items. This will keep you from scrambling to find the last bottle of your Nexxus shampoo or the refills for your Venus razor.

Filed Under: Ways to Save Money

Ways to Save Money – Join the Discussion!

Do you stockpile items?  What’s your biggest stockpile?  Share it with us in the comments below: