Smart spending

How good are you with your finances?

Piggy savings bank
photo credit: alancleaver_2000

At this time it’s pretty easy to spend more money than expected on daily necessities. This article will give you great tips on saving money when you go out shopping for groceries, beauty products and clothes. Keep reading!

Stay healthy with these money saving tips:

A Bit More Balanced
photo credit: MiiiSH

– Limit eating take-out and tv dinners, doing this will save you a lot of money.

– Generic brands usually have the same ingredients as name brands and will cost you much less. Compare products price, ingredients, quality, quantity, and whether it’s the right one for you.

– Coupons! Go to couponmom.com for great savings that will literally cut your bill in half.

– Buy things that you use a lot in bulk like: toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies..

– Avoid buying food in bulk if you have a small household, otherwise food goes bad and you throw money away rather than saving it.

– Instead of spending money on a gym membership buy a treadmill or elliptical. Or use workout dvds,  swim, or go for a run.

– Check out sites like allfreesamples.com for free samples on beauty products and more.

– Make your own breakfast, Carnation instant breakfast  ( around $4.99 at local drugstores) is one of my favorite fast and yummy breakfast shakes when I’m short on time.  And of course, brown bag it to work!

Stay fashionable with these money saving tips:

Shopping - Despair
photo credit: David Blackwell (back to black)

– Shop with cash, this will make you think before you spend money you don’t have. Think about it, using credit cards or checks allows you the freedom to borrow and pay later, save that for things like groceries and gas. Using cash for clothes will make you get the best deals and keep track of your spending.

– Empty your closet of anything you haven’t worn and wont be wearing anytime soon, tell your friends to do the same and bring over their piles and have a garage sale. Afterwards, use your earnings to go shopping.

– Instead of spending a hiked up price for clothes, accessories and shoes check out discount chains like Ross, TJ Maxx, or Burlington. You’ll find cute and affordable findings at great values.  You’ll need is a couple hours, your best shopping buddy and some comfy shoes. Or consider shopping for clothes online! You will usually find better prices and similar return policies.

– Wait after new arrivals come in  to do your shopping, they lower the prices after. Don’t always trust a sale!

– Buy pieces you can match with items you already own to get various outfits. This is easier if you stick to neutral colors such as black, dark brown, gray and navy blue. Then buy a couple colorful accessories and pieces to make the outfits your own.

– Take care of your clothes by sewing when needed and following care tag instructions.

Being smart with your money can be hard with all the temptations tossed at us. Just remember, know how much you are spending and  avoid impulse buys.