Today is my final post in my Making Money Matter series.  We’ve discussed 2013 resolutions to help you save money including opening a savings account, clipping coupons, keeping a piggy bank, and how to pay yourself.  Today’s final post will give you some other everyday ideas to help you save money in 2013.

NEVER PAY FULL PRICE!

The first one is a given.  Never pay full price!  It’s easy to shop around for sales, but it’s even better to look for those deals that aren’t always advertised up front.  For example, look for special rebates that are offered on items in the grocery store.  Most of the time there’s a pad of rebate coupons hanging from the shelf of the item.  Recently, I wanted to try a new kind of vodka and luckily there was a rebate tag hanging from the neck of the bottle.  I took the time to fill it out and mail it in to get the $3.00 rebate.  I also had a rebate offered on my new cell phone which I asked for because it was not advertised up front.  Again, I followed the instructions and mailed it in and will be getting $50.00 back.  That’s $53.00 I can put into my savings account or piggy bank!

We all need clothes, right?  And if you are like me, I hate to pay full price for clothes so most of the time I don’t.  I love the Clearance rack at Kohl’s and this time of year, you can get summer wear super cheap.  On a recent trip to Kohl’s, we saved $212 dollars!  We walked away with some graphic tees for just $5.00 each, which were regularly priced at $15.00 each.

I also like to shop online for deals because I often have a coupon or my favorite clothing site, AE.com, offers free shipping.  On two recent orders, I saved $66.00 total from discounts and another $12.00 because they were offering free shipping at the time.  That’s $78.00 saved!

If you like to shop in store, find those Clearance aisles or back endcaps where the good buys usually are.  I know Wal-Mart usually has a designated Clearance aisle and Target often displays Clearance in each department on a back endcap.  Our local Save-A-Lot grocery store has a Clearance rack in the back of the store that I often seek out when shopping there.

My total from yesterday was $904 saved for the year using the savings methods I shared with you.  If we add my totals saved on clothing here, that brings my total to $1194.00 for the year!  And I know it’s even more than that because I don’t always keep track of all my clearance deals throughout the year.  I only mentioned these from Kohl’s and AE because they were just last month!

BE FRUGAL!

Sure, by being frugal I mean it’s okay to cut an almost empty tube of toothpaste or empty bottle of lotion open to get to the very bottom where there is still product.  I love finding ways to recycle.  I save those plastic Folgers cans and plant herbs in them in early spring or use them for storage. It’s fun to be smart about those things and it’s also good to recycle.  I used to put carrot sticks in a plastic Ziploc bag to carry for lunch and then I got to thinking about how the bag only gets used once and then thrown away in a day.  So, now I carry my carrots in a small plastic bowl with a lid.  Again, tasks like that are useful and smart and overall help cut down your expenses.

This year we investing in a composter for yard waste and food waste.  We designated a small bucket in the kitchen for food products and coffee grounds that can be composted. We even through the pumpkins from October in the compost heap this year when the season was over. We love to watch the show Shark Tank and this week there was a business man on their seeking financial assistance in his rent-a-tree business. Yep, you can rent a live Christmas tree from him for the month of December for a fee and they will deliver it to your home and then pick it up at the end of the season.  Talk about going green!  I thought that was awesome!

So, find ways to make your life simple by being frugal and recycling.  Anything that cut costs for you is smart!  Anything that saves you money in the long run is the way to go! And with that, my Making Money Matter feature here on the blog comes to a close.  So, set some goals for 2013 and see how much you save.

And here are those resolutions again:

1. Open a savings account!
2. Clip coupons and keep track of your savings!
3. Pay yourself and utilize a piggy bank while trying to stay out of the big bank!
4. Never pay full price! Be frugal and find ways to make your life easier while saving the environment!

I hope I’ve at least given you some good ideas on how to save money and make your life better.  I’m already setting my goals for next year!  If you enjoyed my posts and have decided to set some goals or if you have ideas of your own, feel free to comment and let me know about them.  I would love to hear from you!