As a family we have prioritized spending money on
experiences rather than stuff. Our
decision was confirmed the other day when I read somewhere about the memory of
an experience will last much longer than the memory of stuff purchased, and
even grows fonder over time. And, while
we make many memories with local experiences, our favorite experiences are our
Disney vacations. We have found ways to
save on our Disney vacations but we have also found ways to save for our Disney vacations by cutting
expenses at home and/or adding to our income.
Cutting expenses: I
have been a sale shopper since I can remember and the husband can identify the
shirt I paid full price for a few years ago.
There hasn't been a full price purchase since! Coupons, sales, rebates, on-line codes, and
cash back incentives are all part of the strategy.
We also prioritize purchases. Is it a need or a want?
When I was getting my haircut the other day (the salon was
having a half-price sale on haircuts) the stylist asked me if I was going to
the grand opening of a new store in town—starts with a “K” and rhymes with
moles. I replied, “No” to her
surprise. There was nothing we needed,
so there was no need to go. The $10
coupon I got in the mail I gave to a co-worker as I wasn't planning on using it
by the expiration date. I explained to
the stylist that shopping isn't a sport for me—unless it is grocery shopping—and
then it’s a game!
Then there are things I no longer buy. Cards for instance. Oh, yes, family still receives birthday
cards, etc. but I have found ways to get them for free, including personalization
AND mailing by looking for discount codes at treat.com and cardstore.com. Yes, there are times that the discount code is
available when I may not need a card, but I think ahead to the next birthday
and order a card for that occasion and have it mailed to me, not the
recipient. Last year we even got our
holiday cards for free!
I also don’t buy photo prints anymore. Yes, there are great specials available—buy 50
get 50 free at local retailers, but what would I do with 100 prints? I already have drawers full of them. Instead, I make a digital photo book (think
scrapbook done on-line) and order it when there is a sale as well as get money
back in my Ebates.com account. For
photos to frame and display, I wait for discount codes for free larger prints.
When I do make purchases, I want a value added experience by
getting something in addition to my purchase.
If I shop on-line, I earn cash back through Ebates.com or Swagbucks by
using Swagbucks.com Shop & Earn.
Last week I needed cartridges for our printer. Walmart has a good price and the kind we needed. Yes, I could have gone to the store and
bought them. I was heading to the store
over the week-end anyway. Instead, I
went on-line and made the purchase.
Since Ebates was only giving 1% back, I went to Swagbucks.com Shop &
Earn which was offering 6 Swagbucks per dollar.
The “rebate” for my total on-line purchase was going to be enough to
redeem for a $5 Amazon.com gift card—bonus!
And, the printer cartridges were waiting for me at the store when I did
the rest of my shopping, so no extra trip or shipping fees were required.
Earning the $5 Amazon.com gift card is an example of
increasing the amount of money coming into the budget. We take advantage of rebates, surveys, and
contests to add a little extra to our wallets.
I went out to lunch the other day and paid for the meal with
a paid on-line survey check and a rebate from an oil change last month (the
husband filled out the rebate forms and we got two rebates from oil changes on
both of our cars).
And, speaking of the husband, the boy gets in on the act,
too. He saved a Lunchables cardboard
cover as it had a special code inside to win a prize.
Our saving strategies have gotten the attention of others as
I have been asked to co-teach a couponing class at our local community
college. I am looking forward to it and
will be getting paid to teach the class which adds to our wallet!
Just yesterday I had someone tell me they didn't have time
to find coupons, plan shopping trips, etc. and regularly I have people tell me
they just don’t want to bother with it.
I get their point of view. There
are some weeks it seems overwhelming to me, too. And, if that is the case, I scale down the
list, the plan, etc. One week, I watched
the clock as I snipped and strategized.
Then, I calculated how much I saved and divided it by the time it took
to prepare for the shopping to determine the cost per hour; actually my cost
per hour wage. $50 per hour was the
average. Who wouldn't have time for a
$50 per hour job? My time is valuable,
too, and I want to spend it well, just like money.
No comments:
Post a Comment