101 Tips for Saving Money

Sometimes it’s 101 little things that can equal up to one giant savings. Take these tips from “Save You Fool!” and find out how you can shave off a little spare cash throughout the year. I’ve posted the top five to get you started on your way to savings!

Switched to bi-weekly mortgage payments
Switched to store brands
Drove less
Packed lunch
Said “no” to the daily Starbucks
Switched lights off in unoccupied rooms

Don’t Pay For What You Can Do Yourself

A lot of people needlessly pay “professionals” to do things they could do themselves for free. In today’s shaky economy, wasting money in this way is foolish and impractical. When you come across a situation in life that you think you need to call someone to “fix” for you, do a little research to see if it’s something you would feel comfortable doing yourself. Examples of things you can do yourself at no cost are haircuts and color, housecleaning, oil changes, yard work and landscaping, pest extermination, minor home repairs and improvements, and home decorating. You can also commit to learn valuable skills that can help you cut costs like sewing, light carpentry, cooking, baking, auto care, and computer repair. If you don’t have these skills and have no desire or time to learn them, ask around to see if any of your friends or family members do possess them. Offer to do a favor for him or her in exchange for them helping you out. While it’s great to trust yourself to do some things on your own, there are certain situations where a professional should be contacted. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, medical problems, etc are all best left to the experts.

Save Money On Haircuts

Professional haircuts can get expensive…especially if you have a large family. There are many ways to save money on haircuts. You can go to the inexpensive ubiquitous chain salons that are on every corner. Often, they offer coupons or “frequent-flier” cards making your trips there even more affordable. Another idea is to go to a beauty school. Look up local schools in your area and contact them to see if they offer their services to the public. Often the prices are a fraction of what they would be at a professional salon for the same services. If you feel really brave, consider cutting your family’s hair yourself. Buy a pair of clippers and hair scissors at the store and do a little research online to learn how to cut a few basic styles. Men and boys can easily sport a classic buzzcut and girls can wear long hair with cute bangs. Now, if you can just get everyone to sit still enough and trust you to go to work! If you don’t think you have the skills to be your family’s personal stylist, take them to the salon, but try to space out the time you go for as long as possible until your kids look like ragamuffins and your husband resembles a lumberjack. As for yourself? You’ll probably need to go to a salon for cuts, but boxed hair color can look just as good as the expensive salon service if you do a little research first to make sure you buy the right stuff. It’s probably better to leave highlighting to a professional. Look your best on a budget!

Kid’s Clothing Tips

Kids go through clothes fast. Not only do children grow like weeds, but they’re also messy people who like to stain everything in sight with food and art supplies. Some Moms surrender and let their kids run around in these stained articles, while others would never think to let their child out of the house with a mere speck on their shirt. Buying clothes for kids can get expensive so follow these tips to save some cash on your kid’s duds.

1. Buy black. Not that you want little Susie to look like a goth-in-training, but black clothes hide any stain (besides bleach) you can throw their way. If black is too extreme for your taste, get dark colors and stock up on stain stick just in case.

2. Don’t buy pajamas or playclothes. Kids look adorable in the character-emblazoned pajamas on the market but they can be pricey. Instead, dress your children in comfortable clothing that has stains or holes in them. They can also wear these items as playclothes and spare their school and special occasion clothing from damage.

3. For girls, buy leggings. Leggings are very inexpensive, stylish, and versitile. They come in many colors, but of course, black is the most practical. They can be worn in any weather and grow with your child since they are stretchy.

4. Consider buying at thrift or consignment stores or off the clearance rack. Kid’s clothes really are disposable so don’t invest a lot of money on any one item. Let siblings wear hand-me-downs.

5. Buy cheap shoes. Children’s feet grow incredibly fast and will only fit in shoes for a short period of time.

6. Buy clothing as large as possible without the articles falling off your child’s body. Most kids can fit into clothes that are one size larger than their age. They will be able to grow into these items, thus getting more wear out of them.