Saving Money, Part 2:  Use Well What You Have

     I’m always on the lookout for ideas to organize shopping efforts, save some money and decrease stress!

     Last week, I saved a total of $59 at the grocery on a large order that cost me $133.  Coupons saved me $16, and using my Jewel Preferred Card saved me $43 off the “regular price”.  I paid my bill with gift cards I purchased through my parish school.  Buying those gift cards pays me a small percentage towards tuition and the school a small percentage.  Win-win situation (just have to remember to go and buy the gift cards)!

     I also saved over $12 on a $78 Target bill, using coupons ($2), a few small returned items ($6), $3.90 instant rebate with my Target Red Card, and my own shopping bags ($.05 off a bag).  The returned items were small things I had purchased but decided I did not need.

     I should mention that while I like having food, clothes and stuff, I don’t like shopping at all.  I am also frugal but busy, so my efforts are a continual give and take of spending time to save money, or spending money to save time.  So, do what I do, and consider time spent organizing an investment, and accept a little extra hassle to reap monetary benefits!  Here are some ideas:

Use store memberships and loyalty cards to receive savings for spending money you would have spent anyway.

1. We went to the movies last week.  I used my AMC Stubs card, and found that I had $10 credit accumulated toward my next transaction.  The nice man behind the counter suggested that I go to customer service and swap the little piece of paper for a $10 gift card with no expiration. Cha Ching!  Stocking stuffer, birthday card stuffer, whatever, $10!
2. Some people don’t like the hassle of loyalty cards; i.e., signing up and maintaining, remembering them, etc.  If you have a SmartPhone, I suggest the KeyRing App.  Take a picture of your membership and loyalty cards with your smart phone, and the app keeps and categorizes all the info.  Next time you want to use a card, check the App and find the right card, and the store scans the picture on your phone.  Lighten your wallet and keep your data.  
3. All Retail: One friend buys only with cash because she doesn’t like the idea of her purchases being tracked.  I personally don’t care who tracks my purchasing, I have nothing to hide.  And if you want to give me free stuff for the privilege of noting what brand of toilet paper I choose, so be it.  I’ll take the 5% off, thank you very much.

Use coupons:  Retailers and manufacturers print the coupons, you might as well reap the benefits.

1. All Retail: Use coupons for things you regularly buy.   Buying stuff just because you have a coupon will not save you money in the long run, if you end up spending more total, or not liking or using the product.
2. Groceries: Compound your savings by perusing your local sale ads before you shop, and using coupons with in-store specials.  I have noticed this cross marketing in my newspaper coupons recently:  “Here is a coupon, and your local Jewel has the item on sale, too for a total savings this week of $            . “
3. I keep my reusable shopping bags and coupons together in my car.  I cut coupons once a week, and file them in the holder while waiting in the car for my kids to get out of practice.
4. Groceries: Please note: I am not endorsing Extreme Couponing (see “Only Buy What You Need” below). Flipping around the TV channels, I have come across the Extreme Couponing show.  I’ll just say Yikes!  Your home is a home, not a warehouse!  There is no way I can or want to eat 40 boxes of one type of breakfast cereal before it expires.  But that is a blog for another day…

Buy only what you need, and return stuff if you’re not going to use it:

1. Groceries: Use a shopping list, post it on the fridge at all times.  Look in your cabinets and use what you have before going out and buying more stuff.  Plan to keep 2-3 weeks of food on hand, and use up the rest.  I have clients who had 2-3 month’s worth of canned goods cluttering up their cabinets before we organized.
2. Other Retail:  Return stuff that you don’t need.  I walked into 3 stores last week and did not spend a cent.  I actually put money back in my checking account and netted a few more singles in my pocket.  To make this possible, file your receipts by month, and keep them for up to a year. 
3. If I purchase items with my Target Red Card, I don’t need to keep a receipt to return them.

Pursue the money that belongs to you:  reimbursements, rebates, checks. 

1. Ask for your rewards from credit card companies (we just requested a Cash Back check last week).
2. When working with clients, we often find un-cashed checks in their paper clutter.  Cash your checks, the money is yours!  And if the check is a month or 2 old, the check-writer really wants you to cash it, to clean up their balance sheet! 
3. We often buy items because the advertising says “Final cost after Mail-In Rebate:  Really cheap or Free!”  And that is great, so long as you actually follow-up and mail in the paperwork.
4. If you have expense accounts or reimbursement paperwork to file, get that done, too.  Many companies are shortening their acceptable response time for submitting reimbursement, so get your money back while you can.  It is your money.

     Be organized with your shopping and spending efforts, and make the most of your money!  Cha-ching!