Frugal Living Tips

Frugal living doesn’t sound like much fun, but saving can be a real rush when you see your bank account at the end of the year. The important thing to remember is what my depression era parents taught me; “buy the best quality you can afford.” A bargain is no bargain if it falls apart after a few uses or you never use the item. Keep those words of advice and these tips in your head while becoming a frugal shopper. The first rule of bargain hunting is to do your research before you spend any money. Check the internet for discounts, coupons and freebies.

We all love to get our hair done at the salon however it is crazy expensive. Frugal guys and girls know that salons in their city have training days. These are days when junior assistants get to hone their skills and you get a break on the price of the salon’s services. These trainees are licensed cosmetologists that need practice on real customers. The trainees are fully supervised by senior staff. They can, cut, color, hi-light, and more for fraction of the cost. Call your favorite salon to see if they offer training days. You can also try a local beauty school for discounts on salon style services.

If you are looking to update your families wardrobe there are several fun ways to accomplish the task. You can have a swap meet by inviting several friends over for snacks, drinks, and clothes swapping. Everyone brings gently used items to trade with one another. You also get to spend time with friends without spending money. Another fun way to update your closet is get a group together then head for the garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops.

Sometimes however we want to shop at a real store. When the urge hits I suggest checking online for discounts. Stores such as TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target, Kmart & Walmart are all great ways to buy new items cheap especially for kids. I particularly like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Kmart, & Walmart because they have LAYAWAY.

For those of you unfamiliar with layaway it works like this; you select the items you want then take them to the layaway desk, fill out some paperwork , and put down a deposit. The items are then layawayed at the store, you make payments on the layaway. When you make the final payment you get your items. The best part is everything is paid in full. Shopping with cash always makes me think twice before I purchase anything. Perhaps the best advice is to leave the credit cards at home.