Top 7 Things I Did This Month to Save Money

We are so excited to welcome back our guest poster, Sarah Titus, who is the founder and CEO of “Saving Money Never Goes Out of Style”. Sarah is here to share some amazing tips on how to save money THIS MONTH! Take it away, Sarah!

I’ve done some pretty crazy things to save money in my time, but the things that usually save me the most amount of money, are the things I do every day that if gone unnoticed, they can really drain our pocketbooks. The subtle, seemingly-insignificant ways that we lose money are actually ways I SAVE money.

Saving money is not about doing one thing one time, it’s about a lifestyle, cutting costs every chance you get. Here are the top 7 things I did this month to save money. A few of them just might surprise you!

Top 7 Things I Did This Month to Save Money

1) Pulled a tooth

I had two root canals on the same tooth when my dentist said that I shouldn’t be feeling pain in that tooth and thought I should go see another specialist. I just know they were going to want to do a 3rd root canal…or worse, so, it was time to pull it.

Luckily, the tooth is in the way back and no one can see it and since the nerve was already mostly dead, it didn’t hurt TOO bad to yank that baby out. I may eventually get a bridge, but for now, I’m happy to save another $1,600 on a 3rd root canal.

2) Cut my daughters pajama’s

My daughter had a growth spurt and her favorite footed pj’s no longer fit, but only in the feet part. She’s very thin, so the pajama’s fit everywhere else. I thought to myself…I can either sell these pj’s for 50¢-$1 OR I could cut the feet part completely off and she can continue to wear them through another 1-2 winters.

It’s not like anyone sees them except us anyway. I thought of the money I’d have to spend to replace the pajama’s and it seemed like a no-brainer to me. I cut them and she is happy to be able to wear them another year or two.

3) Waited to purchase

I have a toaster oven and I swear that thing is junk. It’s always staying on longer than it should, which is a fire hazard and I have to watch it carefully. I’ll be so glad when I get a new one, and even though I have the money in savings to rush out and buy a new one anytime I want, this piece of junk is still kicking and I just haven’t found a good deal on a good brand one yet. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for one and hopefully won’t have to wait too much longer.

So far, I’ve been waiting 4 months. Saving money isn’t always about buying things cheap, it’s about waiting for the right deal. If I just go out and buy another piece of junk, how long will that one last me? No, I want a good brand for $20, and all I see is junk for $10 or good brands for $30…..I’ll wait it out! $10 may only be $10, but for me, it’s the principle. That’s my $10. I worked hard for it, and don’t want it to just slip through my fingers.

4) Running my car on idle less

I like to warm up my car in the mornings for a good 5-7 minutes before taking the kids to school. Instead of doing that, I’ve cut the time down to 2-4 minutes, which is half and saving me gas in the long run. Since the kids go to school just around the corner, there’s really no reason to let it warm up longer than that. I simply turn on the heat and that takes the chill off by time we all get in.

5) Covered a couple vents

Again with the winter here. In my bathroom and in my laundry room, this month I covered up both vents with aluminum foil. Now granted, the bathroom one was due to bugs keep coming through (and we totally bug spray too!) but I know it saves me money on my power bill by not warming rooms I’m rarely in. Uh oh, I just told on myself. Yup, I hate doing laundry! 🙂

6) Kept the lights ON

This month I learned that the first 15 minutes of turning on your fluorescent bulbs use up the most energy. So, if you’re just going in and out of a room, you want to leave the lights OFF.

If you’ve had the light on longer than 15 minutes and you leave for a few hours and come back, leave the light ON. Again, the first 15 minutes sucks up the most energy, so best to actually leave your lights ON than turn them off and on.

7) Bought stuff I didn’t need

This may not seem like a way to save money, but if you shop smart, it’s a long term investment and pretty much means you will never have to pay full price. This is very true for things like kids’ clothing, for instance.

Most people buy a few pieces here and there on clearance, but buying the entire wardrobe 6 months to a year in advance will pretty much guarantee that you will always buy your kids’ stuff 50-90% off. I stock up my kids clothes in totes in my garage and save 3 years in advance! This is a great way I’ve been able to get all my kids clothes for FREE!

This month, I came across my favorite brand of choice scratcher pads for doing dishes. They were $1 off a box. Woah, no coupon needed and they are NEVER on sale (I hope they are not discontinuing them!) So, I bought 24 boxes. I now have 72 scratcher pads, which should last me an entire year and I saved $24 on something I would have bought anyway. $24 is a small bill in my home. Total score! I just got one month free of a bill in my home this year!

Sarah is a stay-at-home mom of two wonderful children. From homeless to well-off, this single debt-free mom is most known for her ability to live well on $18k/year. Sarah loves encouraging others that dreams do come true if they are willing to consistently work for it. Follow her blog: Saving Money Never Goes Out of Style.