Baby, let me see you scrimp
A hot, busy day at work...
Supervisor: Sorry, I didn't see you were on the phone.
Me: It's okay, I'm done.
Supervisor: Your hair is dark, and the way you're holding the phone to your ear, I couldn't even tell if you're listening to me or were talking to someone on the phone. Hahah! I'm blaming your hair.
Me: ...
This may or may not be the reason why I dyed my hair this morning. Jerk. Anyway, I had today off (again) due to it being a slow week for business. I could bitch about the Friday furlough, but tbh I'm actually fine with it. My workload is so strenuous that I look forward to a three-day weekend, even if it means losing pay for a day. Of course this means I have to find even more ways to save money, and with this economy it doesn't have to be difficult.
Disclaimer: I worked for Target nearly five years ago as a regular team member. My mother was one too. We are still madly in love with Tar-jay, trust.
1) End caps
I <3 Target's end caps. At any given time the store will place its unwanted inventory at incredible prices (often 30 to 50% off) at the end of the product aisles. These will be marked with a red sticker that has the price and the percentage discounted. Not all stores will have the same products at the end caps and the items change weekly. Within my home's 25-mile radius, I have access to 5 different Targets (including one only 5 minutes away) and it's almost a weekly tradition to trawl the stores in search of deals.
This week I found a box of Garnier Nutrisse in my exact salon shade for $0.86. And the box came with a small sample container of color-safe shampoo and container. Bonus! At another Target I discovered a huge selection of Clean and Clear facial products that were 50% off. Not one to pass an opportunity, I stocked up on the essentials: cleanser for me, acne medication for brother, lots of cleansing cloths for when I exercise, and facial blotting sheets. The price of each regular-sized item? $2.48. Honestly, why pay full price for anything when Target might have it at a deep discount? It's not just personal products, btw. I've found teeth whitening strips, clothes, swimsuits, cutlery, and even coffee makers at the end caps. For a friend's birthday, I picked up a 2GB Sony jump drive for $12.99. Not too shabby, eh?
2) Ross
I never have time to exercise. Heck, I'm so out of shape that I can't even walk up a gentle slope without wanting to pause and have a cigarette. But I'm way too scared to join a gym, and I'm still pissed at the hassle to cancel my Bally's membership the last time. What's a lazy, yet eager person to do? First, I browse through Amazon to see what DVDs are popular. Second, I head to Ross. Not only for cheap clothing discounted from department store prices, Ross often has movies and CDs on sale. The Self DVD sold on Self Magazine's website is $15.99, and the price I paid from Ross was only $5.99.
3) eBay for video games
I have a Wii. I'm guilty of not using it enough, thanks to work and other obligations. But I crave new games for when I do have the time. Do I really need to pay nearly the original price for a used copy of the Sims from Gamestop? Of course not, and that's where eBay steps in. Though not all games are priced better than on Amazon or in other brick-and-mortar stores, but there are times when you get lucky. I recently purchased Ubisoft's My Fitness Coach for $25.00 including 2 day USPS shipping. On Amazon, it currently sells for $29.99 (though I saw it on sale earlier this week for $18.00-ish). Four bucks isn't a lot, but it meant I wouldn't have had to wait four days for UPS shipping. And even if Amazon sold the DVD for $18.00, you'd end up paying the same for tax and shipping. Lame!
4) Asking around
I needed a larger pot for my tomato seedlings, but didn't want to pay a lot for it. So I asked around for suggestions. Luckily my neighbour had one extra hanging about, and handed it over easy as pie. Result! You'll never know who might have an extra something or other, and it never hurts to ask. (FYI I have a bag of bedding for hamsters, guinea pigs, or rabbits if anyone is interested) There's also Freecycle and Craigslist, which will help you get in touch with someone who has what you need -- often for free.
5) Paperbookswap and the library
The staff at Borders or Barnes & Noble know your name? If the answer is yes and it's because you haven't actually bought anything and just browse through the shelves, then maybe it's time you head over to Paperbookswap (unless you are shameless and don't mind treating the store like a library :P). The site first requires new members to post 10 books they are willing to swap before being allowed to request a swap. A successful swap results in a point, and points are used for requests. If you don't want to wait or don't have enough points, you may also purchase points. So far I've collected three Hard Case crime novels from the site, and have traded fifteen books. I'm sweetparkalife at the site btw, if you'd like to see what I have on my bookshelf.
Love magazines but hate paying for them? I head to the library to read the ones I don't subscribe to (which I get for free anyways). My local library has the usual suspects: National Geographic, Time but also carry Rachael Ray's Magazine, Cookie (parenting magazine), and even Mad magazine. Plus, instead of paying for Netflix I can also borrow from the library's video collection. The place has a decent selection, but makes up for it with a large Jazz CD section.
Bonus: Pick your LCS well. The LCS I go to is far, far from me but it's the place I've done business with for 9 years. Just as important they have a membership program where each dollar you spend is a point. I drop by once a month, buy everything on my list (sometimes less, sometimes more), and build up my account. Three or four visits later, I have enough store credits to pay for my monthly splurge. It's how I bought my The New Frontier DVD :D
That's it! Hopefully these aren't too self-evident. Care to share your own tips for budget living?
Supervisor: Sorry, I didn't see you were on the phone.
Me: It's okay, I'm done.
Supervisor: Your hair is dark, and the way you're holding the phone to your ear, I couldn't even tell if you're listening to me or were talking to someone on the phone. Hahah! I'm blaming your hair.
Me: ...
This may or may not be the reason why I dyed my hair this morning. Jerk. Anyway, I had today off (again) due to it being a slow week for business. I could bitch about the Friday furlough, but tbh I'm actually fine with it. My workload is so strenuous that I look forward to a three-day weekend, even if it means losing pay for a day. Of course this means I have to find even more ways to save money, and with this economy it doesn't have to be difficult.
Disclaimer: I worked for Target nearly five years ago as a regular team member. My mother was one too. We are still madly in love with Tar-jay, trust.
1) End caps
I <3 Target's end caps. At any given time the store will place its unwanted inventory at incredible prices (often 30 to 50% off) at the end of the product aisles. These will be marked with a red sticker that has the price and the percentage discounted. Not all stores will have the same products at the end caps and the items change weekly. Within my home's 25-mile radius, I have access to 5 different Targets (including one only 5 minutes away) and it's almost a weekly tradition to trawl the stores in search of deals.
This week I found a box of Garnier Nutrisse in my exact salon shade for $0.86. And the box came with a small sample container of color-safe shampoo and container. Bonus! At another Target I discovered a huge selection of Clean and Clear facial products that were 50% off. Not one to pass an opportunity, I stocked up on the essentials: cleanser for me, acne medication for brother, lots of cleansing cloths for when I exercise, and facial blotting sheets. The price of each regular-sized item? $2.48. Honestly, why pay full price for anything when Target might have it at a deep discount? It's not just personal products, btw. I've found teeth whitening strips, clothes, swimsuits, cutlery, and even coffee makers at the end caps. For a friend's birthday, I picked up a 2GB Sony jump drive for $12.99. Not too shabby, eh?
2) Ross
I never have time to exercise. Heck, I'm so out of shape that I can't even walk up a gentle slope without wanting to pause and have a cigarette. But I'm way too scared to join a gym, and I'm still pissed at the hassle to cancel my Bally's membership the last time. What's a lazy, yet eager person to do? First, I browse through Amazon to see what DVDs are popular. Second, I head to Ross. Not only for cheap clothing discounted from department store prices, Ross often has movies and CDs on sale. The Self DVD sold on Self Magazine's website is $15.99, and the price I paid from Ross was only $5.99.
3) eBay for video games
I have a Wii. I'm guilty of not using it enough, thanks to work and other obligations. But I crave new games for when I do have the time. Do I really need to pay nearly the original price for a used copy of the Sims from Gamestop? Of course not, and that's where eBay steps in. Though not all games are priced better than on Amazon or in other brick-and-mortar stores, but there are times when you get lucky. I recently purchased Ubisoft's My Fitness Coach for $25.00 including 2 day USPS shipping. On Amazon, it currently sells for $29.99 (though I saw it on sale earlier this week for $18.00-ish). Four bucks isn't a lot, but it meant I wouldn't have had to wait four days for UPS shipping. And even if Amazon sold the DVD for $18.00, you'd end up paying the same for tax and shipping. Lame!
4) Asking around
I needed a larger pot for my tomato seedlings, but didn't want to pay a lot for it. So I asked around for suggestions. Luckily my neighbour had one extra hanging about, and handed it over easy as pie. Result! You'll never know who might have an extra something or other, and it never hurts to ask. (FYI I have a bag of bedding for hamsters, guinea pigs, or rabbits if anyone is interested) There's also Freecycle and Craigslist, which will help you get in touch with someone who has what you need -- often for free.
5) Paperbookswap and the library
The staff at Borders or Barnes & Noble know your name? If the answer is yes and it's because you haven't actually bought anything and just browse through the shelves, then maybe it's time you head over to Paperbookswap (unless you are shameless and don't mind treating the store like a library :P). The site first requires new members to post 10 books they are willing to swap before being allowed to request a swap. A successful swap results in a point, and points are used for requests. If you don't want to wait or don't have enough points, you may also purchase points. So far I've collected three Hard Case crime novels from the site, and have traded fifteen books. I'm sweetparkalife at the site btw, if you'd like to see what I have on my bookshelf.
Love magazines but hate paying for them? I head to the library to read the ones I don't subscribe to (which I get for free anyways). My local library has the usual suspects: National Geographic, Time but also carry Rachael Ray's Magazine, Cookie (parenting magazine), and even Mad magazine. Plus, instead of paying for Netflix I can also borrow from the library's video collection. The place has a decent selection, but makes up for it with a large Jazz CD section.
Bonus: Pick your LCS well. The LCS I go to is far, far from me but it's the place I've done business with for 9 years. Just as important they have a membership program where each dollar you spend is a point. I drop by once a month, buy everything on my list (sometimes less, sometimes more), and build up my account. Three or four visits later, I have enough store credits to pay for my monthly splurge. It's how I bought my The New Frontier DVD :D
That's it! Hopefully these aren't too self-evident. Care to share your own tips for budget living?