Putting Money Back in Your Wallet, Where it Belongs

Speaking of the economy, I've been seeing an increasing number of tips on ways to maximize your dollar. If you thought things were bad before, within the past couple weeks, the economy has taken a huge nose-dive. Things aren't looking too good right now, folks. Hate to be the pessimist. But the optimist in me says: there's a way.

There is a way we can, in the midst of the declining value of the dollar, take control over our own finances (as we should do) and "make it work," as fashion guru and Bravo TV mainstay Tim Gunn always says. Make your money work for you! Not the other way around. Here are some ways to get this to happen.

Websites like retailmenot.com, couponcabin.com and the blog I have on my list over there to the right that feature printable coupons are all great ways to start saving some money. You can find promotion codes and printable coupons for everything these days, not just for things like food. Look up your favorite restaurant, like the Olive Garden, for example, and you can save yourself some money when you've got to dine out. Though, a better way would be to use that room in your house, called a kitchen, to cook yourself things to eat instead of eating out so much. If you must eat out, though, USE COUPONS! It's so easy. When you shop online or in your favorite stores like JCPenney's, Bebe, Banana Republic or Dicks Sporting Goods, take a coupon with you or look up a promo code to enter at checkout.

And if we're going to talk about shopping, let's talk about not being above places like Wal-Mart, Aldi's, Drug Mart, and dollar stores. Also, thrift shops, consignment stores and places like Plato's Closet are looking extremely tempting right now. No one will ever know you go some great J Crew duds from a "gently used" clothing boutique. If they care about something like that, you need to dump them as a friend. Seriously. J Crew is J Crew, no matter where you bought it from, new or used. 

Ebay, as always, is my #1 go to source when I want something that's expensive and authentic for less, same with Overstock.com. It's basi In regard to Plato's Closet, I saw loads of designer jeans there (men's and women's); we're talking Diesel, Sevens, Hudsons, Citizens, True Religion etc. and they were new-looking, but for probably 1/4 the price they'd be bought new. No one would ever be able to tell the difference. This is not the time to be bourgeoisy or uppity about the places we buy things. Luxury can come back in style when we have a surplus in our economy. TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Ross...I love these places. Places that take companies' over-stocked items and sell them marked-down.

Wallet Pop is a great blog that features all recession-survival talk. There's always deals, tips and loopholes on how normal, middle-class Americans can stretch their dollars.

Glamour magazine recently did a great article wherein readers submitted their best methods of saving money, keeping money in their bank accounts or getting the most for their Washingtons. Some of the best tips are:

• If you're going to eat at fast food places, eat off of the $1 or the kids menu. This is better for your waistline, as it's instant portion control, but it's also good for wallet. Bunches of chains are bolstering their $1 menus to compete with each other, and because they know that items off the $1 menu are just as satisfying but thriftier than eating at home.

• Always listen for restaurant and bar deals and drink specials. For example, Bar Louie has $1 burgers on Tuesdays and $2 quesedillas on Thursdays. Press Grill on the corner of High St. and Buttles in the Short North has $1 tacos on Wednesdays. Sometimes places like Dairy Queen have a two-for-one or BOGO days (that's buy one, get one). Try to only eat out, if you're going to at all, on the days where there's a special going on. Most restaurants have days where kids eat free.

• Sign up for newsletters from your favorite websites and places to shop, for example, Victoria's Secret is one of my favorite. They're always having great sales. Just be sure to opt out of options where you email address is given to other "partner businesses" because you'll get spam all over the place. You will want to strengthen your spam filters as well. Or, simply make an email account this is solely for newsletters, coupons etc. etc. and check it every once in awhile. That way you won't clog up your business and personal email inboxes.

• DIY. Let's go back to, say, the 18th or 19th century when people actually made things themselves. Yes it takes time. But patience is a virtue, and you may learn a new skill or find a new favorite hobby. Instead of buying expensive fish, take your cousin or the local boy scout troop fishing. Instead of buying expensive curtains for your apartment, make them. It costs less, and you'll have a skill or art that you're perfecting. Don't buy a brand new dresser or hire someone to paint your living room...we need to stop being lazy and do these sorts of things ourself. Paint or stain your existing dresser. Spend time bonding with friends or family by having them help you paint your room. If time is more important to you than money, then go ahead a purchase. Check out DIY.com or HGTV.com for ways to improve things around you on your own.

• Stop wasting money (and putting yourself at risk for heinous fugal infections) getting manicures and pedicures, every week or every other week even, or making trips to the spa. By all means, treat yourself once in a while, but why not just buy a little kit from Sally's Beauty Supply and some sea-salts and foot scrub and do your own feet or your friend's. Make an at-home spa out of it. Same goes for guys...cutting your own hair by buying some clippers will save you money instead of going to the barbers.

• Employ a friend or member of the opposite sex to give you a massage, instead of going to Massage Envy every month. Just get some body oil. Bath and Body Works has great aromatherapy lines. Get candles, teas, bath products...whatever you need to do to help yourself de-stress instead of always going straight to the masseuse.

• Ladies, you may have to stop coloring your hair with expensive highlights. Why not buy the kit from the store, they are becoming increasingly better and professional-level, then have a best friend or family member do the touch-ups for you? Then you can do their color. It's about to be winter, so you can just forget about the streaks anyway, for now. Men, wash your own cars! Make a Sunday afternoon of it. It's much cheaper than going to one of those fancy car wash joints.

• Go to the department stores and try on clothes to get an idea for fit, things like designer jeans for example, and then go on places like Ebay.com and Overstock.com to get them for half price! (source: Glamour, Amy from Fair Lawn , NJ)

• Return of the Piggy Bank days! Yeah, you had one when you were little, I know it. But somehow overtime you outgrew the collecting of spare change. Well now is the perfect time to start throwing all of your left-over coins from when you pay with cash...all those dimes, nickles and pennies DO add up. I just recently took a bucket-full of coins to the bank and had about $150 just like that. What really are you going to do with all those pennies? You can just keep piling them up and then roll the coins and take it to the bank. Or better yet, make your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, roommates, partner or whoever you live with do the same. Even more savings! (source: Glamour, Julie from New York City)

 

• Each week, set aside a certain amount (maybe $10) to spend on "odds and ends" like vending machines, snacks, coffee, gum etc. That way you won't go overboard during the week and you stay within that budget (source: Glamour, Ashley Dow from Richmond, VA)

• Invest in an IRA. The stock market is very shaky right now, but even when it's not, they tell us younger people these days, we've got to take charge over our own future and our own retirement. The days of guaranteed pensions are over. Sad, yes. But we can start early and put money into low-risk, high yield savings options. You can't touch your IRA until you retire (or if you need it to buy a house). When you can't get your hands on the money, you can't spend it. No brainer of course.

• Make old things new again. Go to the craft store or flea markets and find ribbons, buttons, appliques or just get some scissors or bleach and take it to your garments that you want to have a new look. (source: Glamour, Amanda from Brooklyn)

• Plant your own vegetables! Gardens used to be a thing of the past, but it's healthier, organic and more fun to do the garden in your own backyard. This isn't just for vegans, vegetarians or hippies. Don't have a backyard? Get a big planter and grow tomatoes, peppers, carrots or whatever in it, just set it on the balcony of your apartment or condo. (Source: Glamour, Kim from Westwood, KS)

• Keep a record of every single penny you spend for at least a week. Ideally, a month is best. That way you can see where majority of your money is spent, whether it's on rent and food or clothes and going to the movies, and then just budget accordingly. (source: Glamour and Suze Orman)

• If you enjoy kids or animals, offer to petsit, walk dogs, or babysit for friends, family or neighbors for a fee. That way you can get some extra cash. If neither of those weekend-jobs sound good to you, rake leaves, mow the lawn, clean someone's pool, and now that the winter is coming...shovel snow! That will make you some extra money in no time.

• Can't live without your designer items, shop at sample sales or buy knockoffs from places like Chinatown in New York or LA. Can't hit up a sample sale on 5th Ave? Go to these online places: DHGate.com or hautelook.com. Trunk shows have good finds for less, as well. (source: Glamour, Jen from Los Angeles)

• Don't fall for credit-card lenders' traps. Getting some dumb T-shirt for free is not worth messing up your credit or signing up for a card you don't need. Pay off your debt NOW, and pay ON TIME. Don't just pay the minimum balance. Payoff the entire card, then hide it or have someone responsible hold it, so that you aren't tempted to run up the card again.

• Have Swap Parties!!! This is fun...you can swap books that you've already read, clothes that are gently-worn, shoes, jewelry and cuff links, belts, ties, sports and fitness gear like weights or tennis racquets, CDs and DVDs, even furniture...basically anything you want. This is a completely free way to acquire new stuff!!!

• When you shop online, try to find sites that offer free shipping and free returns. You won't spend money on gas or shipping postage. Sweet! (source: Glamour, Shama from Dallas)

• Get a bike or a mo-ped. Easy enough, right?

• Get your hair done at a beauty-school, guys and girls! You get great prices because the students need people to practice on. It's a win, win situation. Or, simply do your hair yourself. (source: Glamour, Carrie from Houston)

• Do product searches on places like Google.com, Like.com, and Amazon.com. There's more websites than this I'm sure. But you'll want to be able to compare the same items of different brands and retailers to see who has the best quality and what you're looking for, for the best price! All it is, is research. (source: Glamour, Amy from Birmingham, MI)

• Go to the 99 cents store on Cleveland Ave. closer to where it intersects with 161 (Dublin-Granville Rd.) A colleague of mine went there yesterday an got two shopping carts full of stuff for $57! That's hard to beat. Even Target and Walmart can't top that! She said it was like a mix of a Sally Beauty Supply Store, an Aldi's supermarket, and a dollar store. You can get food (not produce, meats or refrigerated dairy products of course), hair and beauty supplies, even things to decorate your house. Value City is also a relatively unknown option, as many people forget it's there. There's the Value City furniture place on Morse Road, near Karl Rd. intersection. But there's the Value City "department store" over on Westerville Rd. and Inwood, it's similar to a TJ Maxx. I got a really chic floor lamp there for $20! That's the lamp and the lamp shade together!

• Go to the second-showing movie theaters. We all miss so many of the movies we want to see at the theaters anyway, there are theaters that continue to show those movies for a long time and for a lot less....we're talking $0.50 to $2. Beats the $8+ you spend at the regular theaters. Also, when you got to rent DVDs, rent them from the library for free!!! All you need is a library card, it's that simple.

• Get a card from your grocery store or gas station. All of them have club-member cards that are free. The more you use them, the more points you rack up. For example, Giant Eagle has a great program. You get a certain amount of cents off gas, called Fuel Perks, every time you shop. It really adds up. And Speedway has a frequent user card that gives you points that are redeemable for snacks, coffee, store items and more, in addition to gas.

Have more great ideas and tips of staying thrifty? Leave comments below! Share your resources and knowledge with fellow CBusers!