Hello SOTGC community,
As professionals, I think most of us are conscious of reducing stress, saving money, and maximizing our time, so I decided to write a three-part blog post on how I have minimized hassle and maximized my time and money.
Last month’s blog talked about some time saving tips. This month’s blog addresses some simple ways to save money.
- Don’t be afraid to negotiate. We all know the old saying, “everything is negotiable.” I’ve spent the past year planning my wedding, and I was surprised at just how true this is. I started off by giving vendors my dream wish list. If the price came back over budget, I compromised some on my end and was surprised at how much they were willing to compromise on their end too!
- Have you watched the show “Extreme Couponing”? On this show, people go to great lengths to get free or deeply discounted items – camping out overnight at stores, digging through their neighbor’s trash for coupons, and devoting an entire room of their house to their stock-pile collection is not beneath them. The good news is that I’m not going to suggest that you do any of these things. I am going to suggest that you look at the weekly grocery store circulars that get delivered in the mail each week. I decide which grocery store I go to based on which one has the best deals on the items I need to purchase that week. I pay close attention to discounts on high-priced items like meat, alcohol, and laundry detergent. I typically save 30 percent to 50 percent just buy buying items that the supermarket has on sale that week.
- Stock up on products that are being repackaged or rebranded. This is by far one of my favorite ways to save! Last week I went to my local beauty store and found that my designer shampoo and conditioner was on clearance and 60 percent off! At first I was concerned that it was being discontinued, but the sales clerk explained that the reason for the discount was a change in the packaging. I bought every bottle they had! Stores like Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx are also good places to find deals on products that are being rebranded.
- With summer just around the corner, expect rising prices at the gas pump. Fill your tank up first thing in the morning to maximize savings. Gas particles are most dense in the morning because it is the coolest time of day. Since gas is sold by volume (gallons), and not by mass you will theoretically get more bang for your buck.
- Evaluate your home internet, phone and cable package regularly. Cable companies often give you a sign-up discount that expires in either six months or a year. Call your cable company at least twice a year to make sure you are on the most cost-effective plan and taking advantage of their current promotions.
- Dying to check out that new, trendy, expensive restaurant? Going for lunch or happy hour instead of dinner can save you big bucks!
- A penny saved is a penny earned. My fiancé and I put all of our loose change into a bin. When the bin is full we cash it in and usually have between $50 and $100. It also saves us the inconvenience of carrying around a bunch of loose change.
