At the end of every month I like to share with you some ways that I saved money and lived frugally over that month. Sometimes those ways are with coupons or sales, sometimes it’s from not shopping, sometimes it’s by using our garden. Every month is a little different. Here are some money saving things I did this March.
1- Matt needed new snowshoes for collecting sap. We purchased a pair that were on sale for $99 (saved $40), used up a gift card ($47), and received a $10 bonus gift card for spending more than $50. We then purchased a pair of tails that go on the back of the snowshoes to use in deeper/softer snow, putting the $10 towards them. All in all, we ended up getting the snowshoes and tails for far less than the cost of just the snowshoes.
2- I had coupons for both a local craft store and for Hobby Lobby. I was able to use them to get some of the things needed for Abby’s birthday party for cheaper.
3- I found great meat deals right before St. Patrick’s Day. I was able to save $10 alone on a pork loin. I will take that loin and cut it up into pork chops. $8 for multiple meals. 🙂
4- Besides a few unseasonably cold days, it has been getting warmer. Most days, it has been in the upper 30s into the lower 40s. I’ve been able to built a fire in the morning then let it go out and turn off the furnace. We heat with wood but it is a forced hot air furnace, not a wood stove. The furnace/blower must be on for the house to be warm. It’s a great furnace but it can be expensive. Turning it off, even for just a few hours every day, is a great money saver.
5. The expensive grocery store 30 miles away had a number of things on sale that we needed, including Pepsi 12-packs for 4/$10 and a pound of butter for $1.99. So instead of going to my local grocery store and Walmart, Abby and I got up really early one Friday and drove into the “big city.” I spent $123 on $195 worth of food and household items. Not the biggest savings in the world, not even the biggest I’ve ever had but all savings are good savings. Plus, I’ve replenished part of my stockpile.
Kristen says
What great money saving tips. I always take all the flyers to Walmart and price match so I can get all the deals without wasting gas or time driving all over town.
Kristen recently posted…Decorating Easter Eggs for Every Age
Julie says
That’s a great method! My local shopping area doesn’t have anything really worth price matching and it’s only an extra 4 minutes to drive between them so no real gas or time savings. Besides Walmart, we have a local grocery store (which I prefer for meat, produce, dairy, etc. so go there anyway), a Family Dollar, and a Rite Aid. I always forget they will price match Rite Aid. Thanks for the reminder. I’ll start saving my flyer. 🙂
Betty says
I like heating with wood. Also, I will be super glad when it warms up enough to turn that furnace off. It has been 28 degrees and today is April 1. I am so looking forward to warmer weather and lower utility heat bills. I also like store rewards. Those points do add up.
Julie says
Our weather is about three weeks behind this year. I think this will be the latest that I have consistently had to build a fire every morning and night. But I am enjoying those few hours in the middle of the day where I can turn off the furnace. 🙂
We don’t have many stores around here with store rewards but those a great way to save! 🙂
Sarah says
Those are some great ways to save! Our grocery stores recently stopped doubling coupons up to a dollar and now only accept them at face value, which has more or less rendered the coupons useless. I get more savings now by shopping in bulk at Sam’s Club, then by using a 0.25 coupon for example. I’ve had to restructure a lot of our shopping since the stores changed their policies.
Julie says
That’s a bummer about the coupons. The only store anywhere near here that doubles coupons is the “expensive but good sales” one that I mentioned in the post. Restructuring shopping is so hard. :/
Sheila says
Our area has NEVER doubled coupons. I use the ones I can, but mostly it’s processed or over priced stuff and we skip it.