I’ve been a money-saving maverick for a while now. I realize some of my tactics may seem a little nutty, but hey, I’m debt-free, I’ve got an emergency fund and money in the bank, so it can’t be that bad, right? I share a lot of ideas for pinching pennies on this blog, but here are a few that may seem a little more extreme.
I write what I paid for food on the box. Open my cereal cupboard and you’ll see everything from $1.33 to $.01 written on the box lids. I guess I do it because it encourages me and I see it as proof that I’m winning this little game of saving money.
I just add water. Juice can be expensive and way too sweet. So I make it go further by filling half of my glass with water and the rest with juice.
I refuse to pay full price. Shopping online may take me longer than the average person. Before I click “purchase” I not only comparison shop, but I Google coupon codes, and use sites like Ebates.com to make sure I’m getting the best deal. When it comes to restaurants, I use my Entertainment Book to pick a place to eat out. And I certainly never pay full price at the grocery store.
I’m always selling something. Winter isn’t so good for yard sales so I use Craigslist and Ebay instead. Sometimes it takes a while to unload something on Craigslist, but when I get a buyer it’s like a mini-windfall of money that I wasn’t expecting.
I juggle prescriptions. I almost always transfer my prescriptions to take advantage of gift card deals at various retailers. I even transfer my dog’s insulin prescription to cash in on deals. This week I’ll transfer a prescription from one grocery store to another just to get a free $25 gift card.
I keep track of people crazier than I am. This person has vowed to spend only $750 THE ENTIRE YEAR on groceries. This husband and wife committed to spending no money through the entire month of January except a few dollars on milk.