Jeff and I are planning a ski trip with some of our friends later this winter. We're super excited for a vacation, but less excited about saving for it. We've started filling a big jar with loose change and loose dollars, and are putting bigger bills in when we can. We're going to use this as our "fun money" for when we get there. In a month, we've saved over $100!
Redbook.com gathered some money-saving tips from savvy women. Here are a few of my favorites.
"Even if I have room in the closet, I store away my off-season clothes. They always feel surprising and new when I get them out again, so I don't feel like I 'need' to shop for as many new things at the start of each season."
-- Leslie Yazel, 39, Brooklyn, NY
"Our family has set weekly budgets, and we use an envelope system to keep the grocery money, entertainment money, and children's necessities separate. If we have extra in an envelope, then we can have some 'wants.' Otherwise we stick with 'needs.'"
-- Donna Jo Salhany, 58, Marietta, GA
"If I see something and really want it but it's a bit more than I'd like to spend, I wait at least a week. Ninety percent of the time it's on sale the next time I see it. If not and I still really want it, I will buy it. But I do force myself to always wait at least seven days."
-- Rachel Lewis, 39, Columbus, OH
"My hubby and I get to have one treat each pay period, whether it's eating out, going to a movie, or getting a massage. I get one thing, and that's it. And I enjoy every second of it, so it's a reward for working hard and saving money other places."
-- Maria Dennisia Whisler, 29, Salt Lake City
"I try not to grocery-shop when I'm hungry. And I always shop with a specific list to keep me from impulsively buying anything."
-- Ivy Pittman, 51, Montclair, NJ
Redbook also asked about things they'll never scrimp on.
"Meat. Low-quality meat is terrible! We've tried it, and I just can't do it. We always go to a quality store with a good butcher/department manager who knows their stuff."
-- Dawn Nelson, 33, Lomira, WI
"Bras. I have learned my lesson when it comes to buying cheap bras. Poky underwire, underwires that snap, bras that fall apart... terrible. If the bra costs under $10, there's usually a reason."
-- Wenona Napolitano, 32, Flint, MI
"Big-ticket items. More often than not, you'll end up replacing it sooner than if you had gotten a quality product. We learned the hard way with our water pump. While a $100 pump was cheaper at first, we had to replace it in less than a year. We could have saved ourselves the expense and the headache if we'd bought the quality one to begin with."
-- Nicki Reimer, 34, Weston, OH
See the rest of the money-saving strategies here.
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