Economizing Tips – Overall Concepts

Dear TEAMS,

Here is the first installment of practical tips that will help you economize financially by saving you money, mentally (by saving you stress and time), physically (by improving the quality of your life), and/or spiritually (because it will help you with other more important disciplines).

To see the story that inspired this series (Peeing on Your Toothpaste), go here.

1. Run a small amount of water into what’s left of the contents of soup cans, ketchup bottles, shampoo bottles after they are emptied to give a few extra uses.  I even do this with my cosmetics.
2. Buy brand names for stuff that is critical, but with all else, buy generic or store brand.  Seethis post for what I did.
3. Read The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn.  There are times it seems legalistic and that she is serving the tightwad god and not the other way around, but you will see plenteous good tips.
4. Gadgets meant to squeeze every last speck out of toothpaste tubes or extend the life of something probably pay for themselves over time, but only if you actually use them and you probably only recoup the amount you paid for them.  Use the side of your toothbrush and slide it up the tube while holding it down on the counter.
5. If you get to the end of a plastic tube or any other plastic container, cutting off the straight end  or cutting down to the bottom of the container with a blade will give you access to about 5 more uses.
6. Some of my most favorite items have come from garage/yard/estate sales and auctions.  Don’t judge an item by where it came from, because people might do the same about you!  ;^)
7. Every $100 you pay ahead against the principal of your mortgage is like paying $300 against the total loan.
8. Choose whole foods where possible.  It’s cheaper in the long-term health benefits vs. medical bills and drugs.
9. Birds tell you more about Spring and Autumn’s arrival than the calendar.  This year in January, I was driving along and saw a flock of geese sitting in a field, even though the temperatures were cold.  I knew then and there that we would have a warm, early spring, which we did, and was able to plan to get the garden out earlier, prepare for Spring events ahead of the game, etc.
10. Know the consumable stuff you usually buy, and know the one place that it’s cheapest and just go there to get it.  For instance, we use the Cascade brand dishwasher detergent and for some reason, it is cheaper to buy it at the grocery store over the Kmart.  So I always buy it there, which saves me time running around to comparision shop.  You can do this with food items as well if your town has more than one grocery store.  We know to always buy most food at the Giant, but we know that cheese will always be cheaper at The Country Store, so we have a separate list for Country Store items.
11. If something is a high price item but you regularly buy it, be sure you check to see if it’s on sale when you visit the store and you don’t need it.  For instance, as I was making up these posts, Daddy called.  He was at the grocery store and noticed a certain type of frozen fish was on sale.  It wasn’t the week to buy the fish, but since he knew we’d need it in a week or so (and it is a higher price point item), he went ahead and bought it now.  Then, we’ll just remember we don’t need it the next time we shop and it’s on the list.
12. Always schedule an extra day off after your vacation as a “work day” to catch up on laundry, email, or any other work created by not being home.  It will help you relax during your time off, knowing you have a day to tend to whatever you remember while gone, and it will help the re-entry into normal life after your rest to not be so overwhelming.

In that I’ve noticed my readership has gone up, I am opening comments for other people to contribute helpful hints they’ve adopted.  Please let these comments be related to Overall Economizing Tips.  The next 5 posts will be on General Household, Laundry, Kitchen, and Personal Hygiene/Body.

Love,