Money Saving Tips

[The Budget Man]

We always purchase plane tickets and accomodation on the internet. Good deals are easy to find.

[Ima saver]

I never pay for a drink out. We either brown bag it or drink water.

[rob62521]

I cook from scratch, make a grocery list and use coupons if appropriate. I shop at Aldi and use my grocery card. I try to use "leftovers" for other meals as well.

I'm with those of you who said don't go to stores so you aren't tempted to buy. Amen! It's so easy to pluck it from the shelf when you are there.

We have different accounts for things -- Christmas Club, Vacation, besides a money market savings account. We save up for things and either pay cash or if we put it on the credit card, pay it off when the bill comes. It seems to make us think harder if we really want or need something than to finance it.

[mom-from-missouri]

My parents and one of my sister in laws make all their own greeting cards. My sister in law is creative and uses things like material scraps and buttons to make a flower on the front, where as my parents use a free card maker from the internet.
The last time I bought a greeting card I spent over $1, so if you send several, making your own would save a lot over time.

[mom-from-missouri]

I reuse gift bags, or make my own.
To make my own for larger items, I use odd pillow cases (or make one from left over fabric). Sometimes I get them at flea markets or garage sales. Dye them and add a draw string. I've done this for several years at family Christmas get to gathers. Its fun to watch how they go to family to family each year and sometimes I get them back a few years later.

Also, I make my own out of paper grocery bags. I take the bag apart, turn the bags inside out, fold down the top and before folding it down the final time, I add handles (baling twin-used of course), glue them in. Re glue the bag. Let it dry, then use fabric cut outs to attach my "pretty" to the front. To make my "pretty" I trace an item from a coloring book onto fabric and glue it on. It may be an angle (using white scraps of fabric) or santa, or even cut outs from old greeting cards or magazines.
This really saves money at Christmas time.
If your grocery store bags don't have huge ads or logos on the front of the bags, then you don't need to turn them inside out. Just fold down, attach handles, fold one more time and go from there.