As the title says, if you have worn out jeans, or other clothes, dye them instead of buying new clothes.This works best for cotton, but read the label on your clothes, as well as the instructions on the fabric dye to be sure if it would work on each garment.I do this once every few years when I gather enough clothes that got faded colours and no longer look their best, I throw them in a pail with the dye, and the result is clothes that look as good as new.I usually go with black, so I can save the most money by dying all in one batch.
Grocery stores often have things in multiple places in the store. It doesn't hurt to search around to find the best priceI was in the grocery store the other day looking for coconut milk. This can be quiet expensive if you don't look around. In the health food section they had some for $4. I went to the international foods section, there was a couple cans that were priced at $3 per can. I checked the baking aisle and low and behold they had some on sale for $0.99!This happened to me with curry spices too! I looked in the regular spice section and a small bag of curry spice was $3. I searched in the Indian food section and a huge bag was $3. I got so much more for the same price!
This is when the close-dated meats are usually marked down. Buy up all the discounted meat and pop it in the freezer for another day.
Our phone line was dead yesterday. It turned out it was a regional problem, and while on the phone with the company, I asked if there was any compensation. Yes, the customer service agent said, we can credit your account for a day. I would not have gotten the credit automatically, and I am not sure if all companies do this. But it is worth a try!
Most coupons can be used right from your phone. What else are you going to do while waiting in line? It might save you a buck or two!
Annual fees, monthly fees, renewals etc. Something many of the seasoned frugalers have been doing forever but might help someone just getting started.
Most ecommerce websites have automated systems to try and capture as many customers as possible, and to get customers to come back after abandoning their cart. Once you get through to the last step of checkout and the store has your email address, just close the browser and wait a few days. There's a big chance that their email system will send out an automated "abandoned cart" reminder that includes a coupon if you complete your purchase. This also gives you time to reflect on the necessity of the purchase if you were being impulsive.
The morning cup of coffee is something many people cannot give up. I understand. Office coffee can be nasty so stopping at Starbucks along the way has become a routine. At 5 bucks a cup (price depends on geographic location) that adds up over a year. You can have coffee equal in quality or better with the right coffee machine and coffee beans. Many years ago I wrote a series of short articles on getting a really good cup (or pot) of coffee for a fraction of the price at a coffee house. Fill your coffee mug before you head out the door and you keep $1,825 in your pocket each year, assuming you only imbibe with one cup per day. Here is the list of articles I published on coffee: Gourmet Coffee for Less Kona Coffee: The Drink of Heaven The Best Coffee Machines Choosing the Best Brew Coffee Machine
I never saw the movie, but the title is catchy. This tip is a biggie. So big that it can single handedly make you rich! I know, I know. There are bloggers that say you should never drive. Bike and walk everywhere. Awesome idea, but not for everyone. Your car can drain your finances more than any other purchase! It is a depreciating asset. The speed at which it travels to zero is determined by make, model and condition. But make no mistake; it will end up in the scrapyard like every other vehicle ever made. People all too often focus on the depreciation of an automobile. There is another vehicle cost that digs nearly as deep: transaction costs. I have only owned 3 cars in my life and I’m on the wrong side of 50. I tend to buy used vehicles and keep them for 20 years. (Most vehicles come to their natural life expectancy around 20 years.) Depreciation still hurts. Fortunately, I don’t have that accelerated depreciation newer vehicles suffer. The best news is that I have few transaction costs because I don’t do a lot of transacting. Every time you buy a car the state wants a piece of the action. With the exception of 5 states (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon) you will also pay a sales tax. Used car prices are out of line as I write this. I probably would buy a new car if I was in the market at this time. Regardless, I buy a vehicle when my current vehicle is close to the grave and then keep it for a really long time. This one tip can save you enough to fund your retirement account if you funneled all those payments you didn’t have to make. And you would trade title, transfer and sales taxes for a tax deduction! Easy choice, I think.