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"If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting." - Ben Franklin
"A penny saved is a penny earned." - Benjamin Franklin
"The art is not in making money, but in keeping it."
“The key to winning with money is to live on less than you make. Act your wage! Quit spending like you are in Congress.” Dave Ramsey
"Respect pennies and the dollars will respect you" Unknown
TIPS:
Before you start shopping ask: what do you want?
Decide if it is a want or a need. Start checking your monthly cash flow expenses, look at your monthly expenses and then ask 2 more questions.....
Question #1 Do I have already what I want? If the answer is yes... don't buy another
Question #2: Do I need this expense? If the answer is no...don't buy
If the answer is Yes, I need this!!.... move to question #3
Question #3 How can I get this for free or at a cheaper cost (like refurbished?): look at local thrift stores, Facebook marketplace (furniture and appliances); Nextdoor, Poshmark & the RealReal (designer clothes)
Search online for the best deals .....
the search engines will come up with links offering reviews and opinions on the product specially under social media posts about the quality and customer service
Compare retailers
Once you get a sense of price ranges and which brands are best...Set a budget and eliminate anything over your limit
Try walk-in stores and ask the retailer to match the price you found online or ask for discounts, rebates or any other incentives they may have
Check return policy
If shopping for services always get a 2nd opinion
WAYS TO SAVE MONEY
WAYS TO SAVE MONEY
Go over all your expenses and ask if you need it. If the answer is no, get rid of that expense
Always have a reserve to pay your deductibles
Refinance
Find the highest yield for your money by using depositaccounts.com
Use a credit union
Have a financial meeting
make spending painful like paying with cash, or putting a reminder every time you open your wallet or take out your credit card
Shop at a dollar store
Buy in bulk
Reshop for better deals at least once a year ie insurance, phone and tv services etc..
7 Frugal Habits for Building Savings
Let Students Reduce the Cost of Professional Services
5 Things You Should Re-Shop To Save Money
How To Manage Your Monthly Subscriptions To Save Money
8 Simple Ways To Put More Money in Your Pocket
How To Manage Your Monthly Subscriptions To Save Money
The Many Ways You Can Barter Your Way to Savings
How To Save Money: Spend Less & Build Your Savings
13 Fees That Are a Total Waste of Your Hard-Earned Money
How To Start Saving When Money Is Tight
Team Clark’s 35 Favorite Money-Saving Tips
35 Simple Ways To Save Money Every Month
Resolve to Stash More Cash This Year
Tricks for Stashing Small Savings (So It Doesn't Disappear)
12 Ways To Cut Spending to the Bone
9 Radical Cost-Cutting Tips To Reduce the Tightest Budget
Radical Cost Cutting for Surviving Financially Tough Times
Cutting Your Burn Rate During Tough Financial Times
Big vs. Little Savings: Which Is Better for Your Finances?
How To Start Saving When Money Is Tight
A Smart System for Saving for Larger Purchases
5 Moves to Make if You Want to Grow Your Savings
5 Things to Do Now to Save Money Later
20+ Triggers to Hack Your Life & Money
A Handful More Financial Triggers
47 Proven Ways to Save Money Fast This Year
Here's How to Easily Save $1,200 in a Year
24 Tricks to Help Bad Savers Save More Money
92 Painless Ways to Save Money
How To Save and Invest the Clark Howard Way
Save Money Even As Consumer Prices Rise
Money-Saving Tactics for Busy People
How to Calculate Your Savings Rate (and What It Means)
15 Tried-and-True Ways To Save More Money
How to Start Saving When Money is Tight
35 Simple Ways To Save Money Every Month
30 Ways to Save Money Like Your Grandma Did
7 Ways to Save Money Without Trying
50 Ways to Save Money on Things You Thought You Could Never Save On
20 Summer Savings Tips | DaveRamsey.com
How Much Savings Should I Have Accumulated By Age?
15 Ways to Save $100 to $1,000 With Minimal Effort/ Dave Ramsey
30 Ways to Save Up To $1,000 With Minimal Effort
7 choices that can save you $25k each year
35 Simple Ways To Save Money Every Month
15 Golden Rules for Saving on Every Purchase
20 Easy Ways to Save at Least $5 a Day – Len Penzo dot Com
15 Golden Rules for Saving on Every Purchase | Money Talks News
How to Create a Saving Schedule you can stick to | Happy Humble Home
15 Golden Rules for Saving on Every Purchase | Money Talks News
11 Top Tips for Saving on Every Purchase
Old Fashioned Money Saving Tricks That Still Work
How to Save $500,000 in 15 Years
71 Ways to Save Money This Summer
Create a Savings Plan You Don’t Resent
America Saves, a campaign managed by the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America, motivates, encourages, and supports low- to moderate-income households to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth. The research-based campaign uses the principles of behavioral economics and social marketing to change behavior. Non‐profit, government, and corporate groups participate in America Saves nationally and through local, regional, and statewide campaigns around the country. America Saves encourages individuals to take the America Saves pledge and organizations to promote savings year-round and during America Saves Week.
America Saves also targets two populations with unique savings needs through:
Military Saves – A component of America Saves and a partner in the Department of Defense’s Financial Readiness Campaign, which seeks to motivate, support, and encourage military families to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth.
America Saves for Young Workers – A program to support and motivate young workers to use direct deposit to save part of their pay through their first-time work experience.
America Saves Split to Save is a free online program provided to employers to motivate and encourage their employees to save the easiest way – automatically through split deposit.
You Don't Have To Go It Alone
You Don't Have To Go It Alone
America Saves helps you reach your savings and debt reduction goals. It all starts when you make a commitment to yourself to save through the America Saves pledge. When you pledge, America Saves will send you detailed information on how to reach your savings goal and remind you of the amount you chose to save. You will also receive monthly challenges to save, as well as information and advice to help you save for your goal. Additionally we encourage you to interact with other member savers, learn from their experiences, and exchange money-saving ideas. Think of us as your own personal support system.
MONEY GAMES, TRICKS AND TOOLS
MONEY GAMES, TRICKS AND TOOLS
During a recession people start getting rid of stuff they cannot afford (cars,RV,boats) you can get a nice deal ..take over their loans and solve their problems. Do your buying when people are hurting so you can get good deals.
Recession creates opportunities for buying investments like stocks and real estate. Negotiate purchases, short sells, take over mortgages, Many investors get rich during recessions.
Tools from America Saves (americasaves.org/)
Why Clark Likes Trustpilot for Online Reviews
Tricks for Stashing Small Savings (So It Doesn't Disappear)
The Safer Way To Use Your Debit Card
Savings Goal Calculator: Use our free calculator to input your goal, current savings, estimated rate of return and how long you plan to invest to see just how much you need to save each month to achieve your dream of financial freedom.
Saving diligently (Humble Dollar) Most Americans do a mediocre job of saving for the future. How can we get ourselves on the right track? As we’ll discuss in the sections that follow, we should consider the many advantages of saving a healthy sum on a regular basis—and then nudge ourselves to save more by employing a host of tricks.
Make SAVING a family affair with our list of 6 FUN ways to save as a family!
How Much Do You Need To Save a Month To Get $10,000?
Saving and Investing Calculators (Clark Howard)
Swap Your Way to New Stuff: Swap Party Themes and Hosting Tips
Turn $100 a Week Into $1 Million With This Money Magic Trick
Listen to this podcast, Think Like A Saver,
How getting a second opinion can stop you being ripped off
SAVING FOR YOUR PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE: THE 30/40/30 RULE
13 FREE Printable Savings Tracker Coloring Pages
6 STEPS TO ESTABLISHING A SPENDING & SAVINGS PLAN
Tricks for Stashing Small Savings (So It Doesn't Disappear)
A Smart System for Saving for Larger Purchases
The Money Pleasure Principle: Take the Pain Out of Saving Money
These tips can help you successfully set and achieve financial goals.
The High Cost of Just-in-Time Purchasing
4 Steps to a Guaranteed Smart Buy
How getting a second opinion can stop you being ripped off
How to Pay Yourself First and Grow Your Wealth
Here's a smart system that can help you save for larger purchases.
Use the HALT Method to Control Your Spending & Your Life
How to Get the Best Price for Your Gold Jewelry
Buying in Bulk: An Investment Anyone Can Afford
Money Games That Can Make Frugality Fun
How to Use a No-Spend Challenge to Grow Your Savings
80 Free Savings Tools That Will Put Extra Money in Your Pocket
The Best Finance Apps for Every Budget in 2021
15 Best Coupon Sites to Save Up to 50%
What to Buy Each Month of the Year to Save More!
How a Simple Planner Can Keep Dollars in Your Pocket
How to Save $5,000 With the 52-Week Money Challenge
The 30 Day Rule: How To Save (More) Money
29 psychological tricks that make you buy more.
9 Simple Things You Can Do Every Day to Stretch a Buck
11 Tips and Tricks That Will Keep You From Overspending
8 Things You Should Rent Instead of Buying
How You Can Use Unit Price to Save Money When Shopping
19 Things You Should Never Buy at a Grocery Store
Become a Black Belt in Smart Seasonal Shopping
4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Make Any Purchase
Save on Every Single Purchase With These Tricks
Money Games That Can Make Frugality Fun
Family Financial Meeting: A Step By Step Guide - One Frugal Girl
5 Ways to Make Saving Money Fun
Using Your Real Hourly Wage to Make Smarter Financial Decisions
Latte Factor Calculator; Calculate How Small, Regular Expenses Add Up
The Latte Factor™ Challenge Worksheet
A Chrome Extension That Shows You the Value of Your Time: Time Is Money will display the number of hours a person would have to work in order to have enough money to purchase any product that has a price listed on a shopping site.
6 Things You Should Maintain & Take Care of to Save Money Long-Term
Black Belt Tightwads Share Their Money-Saving Secrets
5 rich NFL stars who live like they’re broke
11 Questions To Ask Yourself Before A Large Purchase
7-day plan to put more money in your pocket
This Simple Calculation Will Tell You If You're Getting Your Money's Worth
Don’t Pay for These 10 Things: They Are Free With a Library Card
QUOTES:
Some Perks of Carrying Cash: I carry $50 to $100 in my wallet at all times, in 5s and 10s. This money is kept in a separate holder from my daily spending cash. It saves me money in several ways: Even though I have an emergency service to deal with car tows or jump starts, having some extra cash makes me less panicky if I have a breakdown. If I am thrift shopping or in a regular store and see an EXTREME bargain, or boy-I-always-wanted-that, I can buy it without putting it on a credit card and possibly paying interest. Better, if I see a roadside "for sale" in someone's yard, I can make a cash offer that may be less than what the seller is asking. No ATM fees, either. And any emergency trip to a doctor or hospital is better, knowing you have cash. Money talks! Carrie from Dollar Stretcher Tips
A Shopping Order To Maximize Savings: I use the following order when shopping for anything but food items. This method makes sense and has worked for me for years, helping us to save enough to be out of debt. When I am looking to buy something specific, I go to the stores as follows, looking for the item I want. This is in the order of the cheapest to most expensive:
Craigslist: I used to start with yard sales but fewer people have them anymore.
Thrift stores: Items are usually donated to them and they are cheaper than resale.
Resale shops: These are a little more costly, but more organized.
Dollar stores: These are no longer just a dollar but still cheap.
Dollar General or Family Dollar: You'll pay less than at a discount department store like Walmart for many things. Check their sales flyers.
Discount department stores: I rarely shop above these prices, as we have no brand-conscious teens in our homes.
If you do this, you will be assured to get the item for the cheapest available price.
Nancy from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Try Out Those Payments Before You Buy: If you are looking to buy something like a car or anything else that is expensive, find out what your payments would be each month and save that amount for six months. This helps for two reasons:
1. It allows you to see if you can afford this comfortably.
2. It allows you to have six months' worth of payments planned in advance at all times.
RS from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Wait One Week: Always wait a week before purchasing anything over specific dollar amount. $50 is my wait-a-week amount, but you could do $100 or whatever bests suits your spending. Spontaneous purchases are a bad thing. About half of the time, you will find that you really don't need the item. Plus, it gives you time to shop around for a good deal and barter a little. WM from Dollar Stretcher Tips
A System for Knowing When To Buy: When you stock up on something, it is hard to know how much to buy at a time. Put a date on an item when you open it. For example, date your dishwashing liquid when you open it. When it is empty, figure out how long it took to use it up. That way, you will know how many you need to buy the next time you see a good deal. For example, if one bottle lasts one month, then if you buy four at the next sale, you will have a four-month supply and won't have to watch for a sale for another 10 to 12 weeks.
Claudia from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Try Before You Buy: If you are looking to buy something like a car or anything else that is expensive, find out what your payments would be each month and save back that amount for six months. This helps for two reasons:
1. It allows you to see if you can afford this comfortably.
2. It allows you to have six months of payments at all times.
RS from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Keeping a Savings Score: When you're making a real effort to cut back on your spending through savvy shopping, keeping a written record of your savings can be worthwhile. I have kept a record on my phone for several years now. Every time I buy something on sale in a shop, I record exactly how many dollars I have saved. If I purchase insurance from a cheaper supplier than previously, or if I negotiate a discount in a store, you guessed it, it all gets documented. In case it sounds like a chore, but believe me, the satisfaction I receive when reading back through my small but numerous savings far outweighs the trouble of recording it. On the occasions that I read back all my savings, I realize that all my daily efforts to be frugal and careful with money really do pay off and it is a very satisfying feeling.
Sarah from Dollar Stretcher Tips
A Money-Saving Shopping Order
I use the following order when shopping for anything but food items. This method makes sense and has worked for me for years, helping us to save enough to be out of debt. When I am looking to buy something specific, I go to the stores as follows, looking for the item I want. This is in the order of the cheapest to most expensive:
Garage/yard/tag sales
Thrift stores
Resale shops
Dollar stores
Dollar General or Family Dollar
Discount department stores
If you do this, you will be assured to get the item for the cheapest available price.
Nancy from Dollar Stretcher Tips
February 18, 2025 | Volume 29, Number 14
Cheaper Hair Coloring
If you color your hair, you can save money by purchasing the dye, developer and an applicator or two at a beauty supply store. You can buy the developer in large bottles, and the dyes can be purchased separately in small bottles like the ones that come in the kits. The application bottles have measurements on the side, making it easy to use just what you need (such as just half of a bottle of dye for touching up your temples and roots). The intense post-coloring conditioners are also available in large bottles.
The cost is far less than a drugstore hair-coloring kit, especially if you color or touch up every four to six weeks.
D.D.
Related: Tips for Stretching Hair Dye Dollars
Shopping Wholesale/Bulk Without a Club Membership
You don't need to belong to Sam's Club or Costco to get savings on food. Look for a store like GFS (Gordon Food Service) or WinCo Foods in your city. In these stores, package sizes are large, but so are the savings. And there are no membership fees! If your family isn't big enough for the big package sizes, go with a friend or neighbor and split the purchases.
Kailee
Related: How To Maximize Bulk Buying Benefits and Avoid Waste: 9 Tips
Our Babysitting Club
We save a lot on babysitting by belonging to a babysitting co-op. We have a group of families, and we exchange points instead of paying. It is a relatively easy system. We have a bookkeeper and a chairperson, who are "paid" in points each month that they hold their position.
It really helps to know that I can just call on these people to watch my children and pay them points, which I can earn back by sitting with someone else's kids at another time.
Judi
Keeping Ahead With a Ghost Fund: When we paid off a car, I kept on moving the money into our ‘ghost’ account. By the time my husband noticed that we “should” have some extra money, I had over a thousand dollars in the bank — it just didn’t show up in our regular account. We do this with every savings (any money I could have spent but found a way to spend less), and I call it the “Ghost” Fund (because it’s invisible). Coupons at the store? Drop the savings in the ghost fund. Use a coupon code for a discount on an online purchase? Eight dollars into the ghost fund. Bargain down the price of an A/C service call? Put the savings away.
Cecil from Dollar Stretcher Tips
SPEND LESS: FRUGALITY
SPEND LESS: FRUGALITY
How to Get the Best Price Possible Shopping Online
Slaying the 'Little Extravagances' to Improve Your Finances
12 Ways To Cut Spending to the Bone
Sticking With a Frugal Lifestyle Month After Month
Too Frugal? 6 Principles for Keeping Frugality in Check
I Made One Simple Financial Change and It Lowered My Spending
5 Basic Rules of Frugality for the Newly Frugal
10 Frugality Fails That Can End Up Costing You Money
How To Manage Your Monthly Subscriptions
13 Fees That Are a Total Waste of Your Hard-Earned Money
Lowering These 5 Bills Could Save You Thousands Every Year
Practically Painless Ways to Spend Less Right Now
Clark Howard’s 5-Step Guide to Lowering Your Monthly Bills
12 Ways to Cut Spending to the Bone
How to Save Money: 35 Ways to Reduce Expenses
Spend Less to Live More: Why I Broke Up With Spending
Practically Painless Ways to Spend Less Right Now
Frugal Living: How to Trim Expenses Without Feeling Deprived
The Upside of Forced Frugality
7 lessons from a woman who lives on $60 a week
Could You Give Up These 7 Expenses to Save Thousands of Dollars a Year?
How to Save Money: 35 Ways to Reduce Expenses - Clark Howard
10 Ways to Prevent Non-Essential Spending
How to Cancel or Cut Monthly Bills
5 Monthly Expenses You Can (Easily) Reduce
Why Spending Rates Matter More Than Savings Rates
Steps to Take When You Don't Have Enough Money
When There’s No Money Left for Extras
Want some NEW ways to save? Check out this episode of our podcast, Think Like a Saver – Creative Ways to Save. We believe an informed saver is an empowered saver and an empowered saver is able to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones.
QUOTES:
Tired of Living a Frugal Life?: Frugal fatigue is no different than falling off of the diet bandwagon. You work and work to lose weight, only to be thwarted by an office birthday party or a dinner out with friends. However, just because you gain back a few pounds does not mean you should abandon the diet. No, you just start the next day fresh and try again. The same is true for your finances. If you are a frugal person, you can still treat yourself occasionally. Just like dieting, if you allow yourself a few small splurges, you are much less likely to go hog wild and make a huge splurge that will set you way back. Everything will be fine as long as you climb back on the frugal bandwagon. You know you are doing what is best, so stick with it, and you will see results! Apryle from Dollar Stretcher Tips
SMART BUYS
SMART BUYS
How a Simple Planner Can Keep Dollars in Your Pocket
Money Saving Websites | 17 Top Apps that Help You Save Money
32 Products You Should Always Buy Generic
4 Steps to a Guaranteed Smart Buy
Here’s Your Month-by-Month Guide to the Best Time to Buy Almost Everything
A Calendar for Smart Seasonal Shoppers
8 Free Alternatives for Stuff That Cost Most People Money
Stop Overpaying for These 10 Common Purchases
It's Worth Paying Extra for These 14 Items
15 Outrageously Overpriced Products — and How to Save on Them
Purchases That Save You Money Immediately
12 Ways to Never Pay Full Price for Anything
Online Shopping Guide: How to get the best price possible ...: To find the best prices every day, shop on the right browser. Did you know the browser or device you shop on can affect the price you pay? Some major retailers employ 'dynamic pricing' to serve different prices based on the browser you shop on.
7 Big Purchases You Should Never Make
10 Products That Will Help You Save Money
50 Things to Stop Wasting Money On
8 Ways to Stop Buying Things You Don’t Need
How to Use Google Shopping to Get a Great Deal - Clark Howard
How to Use Camelcamelcamel - Clark Howard
7 Ways Facebook Helps You Save Money
PODCASTS:
Listen to How to Find Easy Money (Up to $6,728)! from Money Guy Show on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/money-guy-show/id121362031?i=1000476175329
Listen to 528 - 14 Tips to Kill Impulse Buying and Save Money from Money Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for a Richer Life on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/money-girls-quick-and-dirty-tips-for-a-richer-life/id209859739?i=1000486486394
QUOTES:
Tracking Household Goods and Savings: "One of the easiest ways to stretch groceries and household goods is to track them. The simplest way is to use a permanent marker and write the date you first opened the item. We first started doing this with cans of coffee grounds. After realizing that we were getting 28 days out of one can, we were able to reduce how much coffee we used and got seven more days by using a slightly smaller scoop. We started doing this shampoo, conditioner and body soaps and extend the life of those items. Then I noticed that jugs of laundry soap show the amount of loads one should get out of each jug. I decided to test it and discovered that the amount I used was very different than the advertised amount. I was then able to adjust the amount I used. Paying attention to detail pays off.We also have a "Household Clipboard" where we track things like when we change the PUR water filter on our sink, and when we treat our septic system. We even track how often we run our washing machine. In addition to that, we have a Household Binder where we created a yearly spreadsheet and write down the date and cost of every major repair and appliance purchase. We can compare costs and estimate how long something will last." Toni B. from Dollar Stretcher Tips
How I Make a Habit of Finding Savings: One "out the box" way to make money is to set aside a certain time each week to figure out how to save money. Every Wednesday while doing laundry I decide what to save money on and do research on how to save in one area of my life, like using less gas, checking out frugal tips, cooking and freezing frugal meals, sewing items for gifts, reworking clothes not used, etc. I have been doing this for years and think of this as a part-time, pay-no-taxes, stay-at-home job. Dee Bee from the Dollar Stretcher Tips
Making Things Stretch Just a Little Further: After a few years of reading the Dollar Stretcher, I realized that in order to get the most bang for my buck, I needed to know just how fast I was going thru certain items. I started by using a permanent marker and writing the date I opened each item. It started with a large can of ground coffee. I discovered that it took us 5 weeks to go through an entire can. Toni B from Dollar Stretcher Tips
KEEPING TRACK OF TEMPTATIONS: I am working hard on not losing money through mindless spending. To do so, every time I choose to not spend money on something I do not need, I write it down. At the end of the month, I transfer that money from my checking account to a savings account, which is set up to save for bigger things that I both want and need. Seeing that money grow and thinking about the impact of a larger purchase makes giving up those smaller purchases enjoyable! Rona H. from Dollar Stretcher Tips
A Lady Pays Less: Some products are marketed as specifically for men or women, but if you look closely at the product or its ingredients, you may find that the only difference is in the packaging and pricing. For instance, some toiletries (like antiperspirants or shave cream) are virtually the same, but the prices aren't the same. The same thing is true with white sweat socks. I don't care if the package says it's for men. If the product is the same and the price is cheaper, it goes into my basket! Julia from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Are You Really Saving? If you don't use the money you save to reduce debt or add to an emergency, college or retirement fund, are you really saving money? It's great to reduce what you spend, but if you just spend it somewhere else, you're not really saving. One way to solve that problem is to note how much you've saved and either add it to your debt payment or immediately add it to your savings account. A from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Knowing When to Buy: I always mark the date I open large sundry items, such as cleaners, cotton balls, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. I started doing this out of curiosity because some things seemed to last forever even though I used them constantly, like buying bulk shampoo. By checking the date I first started using an item, I can better gauge how many I need to keep on hand or how many extra to buy when I come upon a sale. This has saved me money because I always seemed to buy extra items when they were on sale and ended up with a lot more items than space. Now if I come upon a sale and know that I have an extra item on hand (I keep a spreadsheet of my extra items in my planner in my purse), I know I can let that sale slide and wait for a sale closer to the time we should we running out of that item. Lisa from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Bartering With Neighbors for Savings: I'm old and find it hard to do the shoveling during our winters. But I have found a way to get it done and do something else at the same time. If you are good at baking, sewing or other such talent, find a neighbor that will shovel for you, and you, in turn, can do some baking for them or mending or light housework. The old-fashioned barter system works very well in my neighborhood. Seva from Dollar Stretcher Tips
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