5 Effective Strategies We Use EVERDAY to Help Us Save Money | Practical Money Saving Tips That Work
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- Опубліковано 25 лют 2023
- #frugalliving #savingmoney #financialtips
In this video I talk about 5 intentional strategies my family and I use to save money.
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Email: jennmariecook2018@gmail.com
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My Grandmother was a PRO at budgeting. She would wash and re-use foil and ziplock bags multiple times. She made EVERYTHING from scratch. She and my Grandad only went out to eat at a restaurant once or twice a year for a Birthday or Anniversary. They had a BIG garden. I learned a lot from them about how to live a simple, fulfilling life and be happy with the little things. People consume too much these days. They live to work, not work to live.
HEAR HEAR!❤
Bonjour Jennifer, My husband died suddenly in Jan. 3, 2024 in France. I was his caregiver for a decade. His pension stopped when he did. My IRA & SS + savings will be fine. For my husband, I stocked up on TENA Slip Diapers, Maxi, size M anticipating the coming recession. I still have 52 units of diapers left + so many other medical things like transfer chairs, walkers, walkers with rollers and wheelchairs. I ate what he ate and now I have to manage just for myself. I am implementing all of your suggestions! Merci for helping everyone who wants to have more money for themselves. ☺
I am so sorry for your loss...hugs to you 🤗
Your paying off your house in 2 years goal is great- huge step to freedom and I wish you the best.
This isn't directly related to saving but it's a handy tip everyone should know...all grocery stores stock their shelves by the concept of "FIFO" first in, first out. This means items with earlier expiration dates are pushed forward in front of those with later dates, assuming customers will take the item in front first. So if you want to buy the freshest item, pull from the back and check the dates.
My mom taught me this years ago, now I am teaching my daughter the same techniques.
I tip the shampoo and conditioner bottles upside down. Do the same with condiments, lotions, and dish soap. Add a little water it will help it go further. I make my own household cleaners vinegar, baking soda, and lemon. Cut the bottom of toothpaste and get every ounce. Laundry soap size should be just 2 tablespoons for a large load. Unplug your toaster, coffee pot, blender, and crockpot when not in use. Crockpot uses less electricity than your oven, and the dryer is costly. Hang your laundry outside or in the bathroom to dry clothes last longer.
Great tips! I grew up in lowest middle class, so using everything until it is completely empty and taking good care of my possessions comes pretty naturally to me. Like cutting open cosmetics bottles and everything. While watching this video, I am actually repairing my 8 $ Primark bra because it is my favourite but the underwire came out and stabbed me 😅 But that's nothing a little sewing can't fix 😊
Great advice to go through receipts and statements. This past week we found that our bank charged our son 21 times for extra debit use. This was in error as student banking accounts are supposed to include unlimited debit transactions. The bank reversed the fees, which were more than $26, but only because we challenged the charges.
Wow, that's a lot lot! Our water authority charged us 3 times the amount we usually use and we were even on vacation during that time. I also challenged it and got my money back. A lot of people don't pay enough attention and lose money
Holly, wow, I am glad you found that!
Well Good For You! Alot of my Bills are sent to me through E-Mail but I print it out, and write when it's due etc. I also use an Excel Sheet to keep track of my payments. Daily things like Coffee can really add up. Where I live in Canada it's about $20.00 Per Day to eat at a Fast Food Restaurant, it adds up to $100.00 Per Week and $400.00 Per Month.
Your toilet paper example is so true!! When we have a known limited amount, we make it last. This principle applies to sooooo many things, and is why are try only go to the store once a week. My kids know that if they run out of something they have to wait until Grocery Day before I will buy more. There are a few items (syrup, honey, ketchup) that I choose to buy smaller sizes, and pay more per ounce, because it actually saves me money. For example, we use honey for P.B. sandwiches and oatmeal. My kids can make a 16 oz bottle last 2 weeks. A 24 oz bottle also lasts 2 weeks. The 24 oz bottle is cheaper per ounce but costs .75 cents more. So, by paying more per ounce, I actually save money. Along with this is what I call "The Rule of Two." It does not matter how big a slice or piece of something is, my kids want to see TWO of them on their plates. So, I take a reasonable serving amount, slice it in two, put it on their plates, and they are happy. There's a lot of psychology hidden in managing a family budget!! 😂
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Going to Trader Joe’s during its rush hour was the worst decision I ever made in my life 😅 The cashier was in such a rush, he threw my groceries in my shopping bag and so I had to take the time right outside of Trader Joe’s, to organize my groceries and found that I was missing my eggs yet charged twice for eggs! Removing myself from the crowd, taking a step back and taking a huge breath really helped me, after the fact, get the extra charge/missing eggs sorted out along with the terrible customer service.
Tammy, absolutely! I feel like there isn't a non rush hour at Trader Joe's 🤣
I’m with you. I keep an exacto knife in the bathroom drawer and cut the bottles of shampoo or body wash…
Have on in the kitchen also and laundry room… in the laundry room the fabric softener I remove that pour spout with a needle nose pliers, those pour spouts are useless and alway drip along the side and it stops you from getting the very least bit of softener…
I always check my bank account every day.
I love the Great Depression/2020 tip of using things up and using them properly. Thank you!
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I agree that packaging is often designed to maximize waste. Especially cosmetics. I get that lid off foundation and dig out the "wasted" portion of lipsticks and put into a small container and it goes a lot further.
Use it ALL examples:
Eye cream in a tube, cut open and find another 4 days worth of product
Face cleanser in a tube, cut open and find another 2 weeks of product
Tooth the paste, cut open and find another 2+ days of product
Lots of products harbor remnants that can’t be squeezed, poured, or pumped out to the last drop.
I cut off the top of my Tatcha cleanser and was able to get another two weeks out of it. The cleanser is $35 so you know I was trying to get every last bit. I have mini spatulas that come in varying lengths.
My husband just got the lesson of ALWAYS CHECK RECEIPT before leaving!😡 purchased a few items got double charged for the most expensive thing😡 People are just human and errors happen ALOT! Just saying, thanks for another great video! I am one of those to the penny girls in my checkbooks too🤷🏻♀️
A great invention to get the product is these mini silicone spatulas with a long handle, like the cooking ones, and it's perfect for getting the last little bit left out of bottles or lotions. You can find them in the makeup section almost anywhere.
Paula, I will have to look into those. Thank you for the recommendation! 🤗
The toilet paper conversation made me laugh. At some point during the shortage, I heard about people who truly needed the toilet paper. And it got me thinking, I’m a person without a physical/limiting disability I could survive without it. So I decided if I had to I’d go to using wash cloths and hopping in the shower real quick. I live alone and don’t have kids, so that would be an easy sacrifice. I would look for toilet paper anywhere I went, but was in no hurry to buy it. During the pandemic, I think I had 18 rolls left in the house. And used a few up before it came back in stock in my area.
Don't ever accept those free trial periods. You'll get something free for the first month and then they will start billing you after that. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to cancel those things and they will bill you forever.
I agree that when you go to try to cancel something, some companies make it impossible to find where to go on their site or app to do that.
Someone gave me a great solution to this… get a visa gift card for $1 so that it’s active. Use the card for your free trials and then when they try to bill you they will automatically cancel it because of lack of funds 👍🏼
Yep like Clarke shoes
I cut any tubes of hair products, moisturizer, shampoos etc in half to get all of the product. To protect it from drying out, I put plastic wrap over the opening held in place with an elastic.
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Try binder clips.
Wonderful advice as always! Meal planning is definitely an area where I am able to save tons of money. I go week by week which allows me to plan ways to use up things in my refrigerator regularly so there is no waste.
Love that!
Hi Jennifer, happy Sunday....I hope you're doing well. Great video, as usual. Even though I don't enjoy cooking, I watch a lot of cooking shows on UA-cam. I notice that most cooks don't bother to scrape their bowls, spoons, and measuring cups. They discard ingredients that could go into the dish they're preparing. It's not my money and not my business, but it seems so wasteful.
I've noticed that too! I am not that wasteful!
Hi Linda, I hope you have a wonderful week! 💗
You are a wise woman. I really enjoy listening to you.
Thank you so much, Shey! 🤗
@@THEJENNIFERCOOK You're welcome!
Your advice about getting every last drop of some thing I live by. Like you said, I will get that last bit out of it. I water things down until they won’t come through the pump anymore. I bang bang bang to get it down the sides. If I can’t get the lid off or the opening is very small and cannot be opened, then I’m using a box cutter. it may seem extreme, but there’s so much product left in any container, based on the design.
Yes I paid for it and I water stuff down a bit! I also look for multiple purpose prodcts, too!
Haha, you made me laugh with the "banging of the bottles." I do the same! Sometimes, it scares my husband. He says, "What are you doing?" 🤣🤣🤣
Always good to hear some genrle reminders ❤ For example, I have 3 audible credits right now, the next coming in a few days. And maybe 3 books, I haven’t listened to yet 😅 Need to take a break again, but I haven’t returned some of the books, I didn‘t care for. The struggle is real and so unnecessary…
I like to cut open lotion bottles and sometimes I almost feel offended by the amount of product, that‘s left.
I cut open my toothpaste. Always get a few more brushes out of what’s left.
I always check my store receipts before I leave the store. That way when I find a discrepancy I can get it fixed right away. I put water in the containers to get the last bit out. I also put some water in the container when it is half used. The product still does the job. I don't meal plan ahead of time. I shop the sales and base my meals on those items. Luckily I have a lot of food in fridge and freezer from prior sales that I use for weekly type meal plan. Only get fresh fruit and vegetables that you can use before they go bad. I get fruits and vegetables that have a long fridge life (apples, oranges, uncut melon, winter squash, potatoes ) so there's no waste. Thanks for a great video.
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I'm overcharged for an average of three items each time I shop at Safeway and Kroger. That can't be an accident.
Great presentation, as always. I am amazed at the high car payments people will pay. But car and truck prices are astronomical. You could buy a house in the 90s for what a truck costs today. Everywhere I go people are driving brand new SUVs and trucks. Go figure.
I have found that shopping for 1 week at a time for groceries and only shopping for meals for that week only really cuts down on waste. It’s hard to shift to that mind set and if there is a great sale - we will purchase but mainly focus on 5 main meals for dinners ( leftovers can fill in) and basic lunches and breakfasts. It works for us!!
That is awesome!
I grocery shop at Costco once a month. I bi-weekly shop for produce, milk & eggs or any minor things we may need. This has helped me save as well.
You better believe I will get into that bottle top!!! Every drop! I grew up in the professional theatre, since age 10. I learned a lot! You are wonderful and so kind in manner.
Yes, they make some bottles such a pain to get into!
@@THEJENNIFERCOOK I will add some water to the lotion bottles before I rip them open! Enjoy your family tonight!
Great ideas😊 thanks I finally figured out that a dollar a day for iced tea amounts to $30 a month. That is $360 a year! Do you know how many tea bags I can get for that amount. It was an eye opener.
Imagine how much people spend when they have a couple of fancy Starbucks drinks every day.
Wow that’s very true. I consume 99% of coffee and tea at home. But I do cringe on a small scale thinking how much I pay for a cup, versus going out.
Jane, that is a smart way to think about it and how many tea bags you can buy for that same amount 🤗
I hear that😊👍🏽I’ve been making n taking my breakfast n lunch to work daily along with my coffee and treat myself once every other week to lunch or coffee I. Cafeteria at work
Great advice to organize shopping list every time before going to shop
Great tips I bought little bottle scrapers that I can use to get the last bit of lotion or whatever it is and I’m surprised at how much you can get out if I can’t get it with a scraper I cut the container in half and get it all out , I also plan my meals according to what I can get on clearance or sale , but you had some great tips thanks for sharing them .have a great Sunday .
Beatrice, thank you for sharing this! I hope you have a wonderful week 🤗
Outstanding
Thanks for reminding us to consume every little bit that's left of the product, before going and get a new one...
Great video, Jennifer!
Astrid, thank you so much! 🤗
I highly suggest a clothes line or rack instead of using the dryer for everything. :)
Yes! Great ideas. I pretty much do all of these and have been for many years.
Solid advice. Find something to flip. Anything that interests you. Fun and profitable. Blessings.
I don't think the price per unit can be overstated. It goes for things not on sale as well. This is especially true when buying in bulk. Sometimes buying in bulk can actually be more expensive or if nothing else the same price. If you are trying to budget, it might make more sense to buy the smaller size because it is all you need and therefore less expensive than buying in bulk because you think it will be cheaper. It goes the opposite way as well. Sometimes the name brand is not more expensive than the store brand. If it's something I know I NEED I will just look at the price per unit instead of the price at all.
Some really great tips and I do a lot of these😊
I make my lunch for a week . I never buy coffee. I make my coffee at home before I go to work. I plan what I'm going to wear at work a week a head of time. My goal is to pay off my 2 credit cards. I also, put some money into my savings. I have been learning a lot from you and every body else comments. so, thank you to all ❤💐
Kathleen, those are great money saving habits! Thank you for sharing them and your goal 🤗
I'm watching the screen like a hawk when I check out at the supermarket. One check out lady put in the shitake mushrooms code for my $ 1.19 cucumber and it said $ 7 on the screen! Luckily I saw it straight away
One time I got charged $109.00 instead of $1.09 for coffee creamer!!!
@@allisonmodaff5635 OMG! You win 😁😆!
@@asavannah7439 it was the funniest thing! 😂 It was about ten years ago, and I remember it was so cheap because it was just a small container of Kroger brand creamer that was the “Manager’s Special.” The cashier couldn’t get it to scan and had to manually enter the price....oh, the difference a decimal point can make!
Savannah, yikes! I am glad you caught that.
Allison, whoa! That is a big error!
Thank you!
Meal planning helps if you have variable rate gas/electric rates. You can run the appliances on the weekends or out of the peak hours rate period.
Also we should only ration non-perishable consumables. Fruit is a consumable, but once you buy it you'd better eat it fast or it's going to rot. Why throw money in the trash can because food you bought rotted?
Also Amazon and Dollar Type Stores are very "addictive". However when I needed a New Kindle Tablet, I waited until I "had" The Money and then I bought it. It took me Six Months but when I got it I knew it didn't affect my budget. I brown bag my Lunch each day but we have access to things like Colas, Chips and the like. I buy it pay for it with My Debit Card, then I write down in a notebook what I bought.
I routinely cut the top or bottom from a plastic container to get at that last little bit :). We rarely eat out, and I freeze leftovers to have later. That way you are not eating the same thing 3-4 days in a row. Also, I have been charged incorrectly a few times at the grocery store, I'm good at remembering prices and yes I do go over the receipt to see if I was charged correctly.
We’ll probably do a HELOC for our next used vehicle. We locked in our rate when rates were amazing. It was tempting to get the variable rate, because it was so amazing, but now we’re glad we locked it in.
I caught Costco once when they scanned one item 2 times by accident, it would have cost us $20!
Great tips, thank you!
Tia, thank you! 🤗
Well said. Wise advice.
Angie, thank you! 🤗
Excellent discussion, Jennifer, thanks! By the way, I like the recent changes you’ve made to your channel. 🥰
Antonia, thank you so much for noticing! 🤗
I write down in my calendar the meals I prepare.
Great video.
Thank you Agnes! I hope you have a wonderful week 🤗
Enjoying your content very much.
My rule when checking out at the store is always review the receipt, the total paid and know the cashiers name.
I heard once that if you asked someone exiting a store, what did you 🤔 spend and who helped you? The shoppers didn't know.
Darla, thank you so much! First I adore your name, it's beautiful! Second, you are spot on to review the receipt. It can save tons of money. Like you said, most people aren't even aware of what they spent and probably not aware of if they were overcharged.
Great ideas!
Jodi, thank you!
I always look at the expiration date. Usually, grab from the back on veggies.
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This video is helpful. I use some of these ideas and have saved money. Thank you.
Your video is excellent. Inspiring.; I mean it.
Thank you!
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Hi. Thank you for these videos.
I live in a middle class neighborhood.
I rent the school district is very good.
But just less them ten minutes way there are so many food pantries.
You do not have to register. Just name and address so they can keep receiving the goods
I save so much money.
From shrimps , pork , chicken, pasta beef. Filet mignon , all kind of fish. A lot of eggs. Rice. I saved about 300 dollars per month or more
I like to cut the bottle to get the product also. I even cut the toothpaste. But I keep it to my self. I re use containers , I do meal plan and also do shopping trip once a week.
What a great video. I lost you for a while! So glad I’m back. Thanks for sharing . You’re the best
Brenda! It's so good to hear from you. I hope you are well! Hugs to you 🤗
@@THEJENNIFERCOOK thank you, are you still trying to get your candles going? I’ve been Mia from the UA-cam world. Getting to much fashion stuff! To tempting. Back to skipping those and just minimalist and finances! Love your help. ❤️❤️❤️
Hi Brenda, I am not doing the candles any longer. I just posted a video about it. 🤗
I buy one apple a week at Walmart. So I used to do the bar code and it rung up at the cost per lb . Didn’t ask to weigh it. So now I look up apple and it ask to weigh, lot Lower cost!!! Makes me so mad that I missed that for so many weeks. Probably over paid at least.80 cents a week
A lot of products are concentrated and you can get the maximum amount out of them by diluting it with water. Fruit juice, soup, shampoo, liquid detergent, etc...just add 20% water to the amount you use when you use it. When you reach the end of the bottle or jar, you can add water to thin it and get the last bit out!
This is amazing! Great tips. I’m working on paying off my car but after that I’m going all in into retirement
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Fantastic advice! New follower here!
Thank you so much! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and say hi! 🤗
Thank you for another informative video ❤
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@@THEJENNIFERCOOK you really do help me on my debt free journey
Thank you so much! I am glad my videos are helpful ❤️
Cosmetics: just cut those plastic tubes open and use the rest... It is worth it - especially with high-priced products...
My one strategy is I live off the grid with no bills.
I just don’t understand the Coffee fixation of Drive thru places. Make your coffee at home! 🤗 cold Brew? Make a pot of strong coffee put it in a jar in the fridge! These are the easy things. We should all be in depression/ conservation mode. I do all these things you mention. Very smart to be conscious of all you do. Meal planning made easy, I cook 4 new meals a week. We fill in the other days with leftovers and or frozen pizza, sandwiches, soups etc. wipe off board on the fridge to write the meal “themes” of the week. Lots of room to be creative. “Pork, pasta, chicken, soup” it tells me what to thaw this week. Then check out your recipes. Consumer debt…no. Pay off the CC every month. Online shopping? Need vs Want! Put it in the cart and decide later. Don’t browse! Just a few things that help contentment rule. Great video.❤️
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.25 and .249 are the same unit price. They round to the nearest whole cent. The nine is in the thousandths place which is not a penny it’s a thousandth of a dollar.
Your comment about the TP rings true. 😂
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I cut the bottle in half
I made my first meal plan
Yes!!!!
My priority is to pay off my mortgage in 3 years or less. I pay each month more on the mortgage principle.
Gladys, you can do it! Hugs to you 🤗
Buying in bulk can save you money but one must have money first to store bulk items and to buy way more than you can use in a week or month. Let’s say if one buys toilet paper in bulk 48 rolls will cost you 48 cents each. When buying one roll it may cost $1.25. One needs a huge closet, huge car to get bulk items. Walking to the store for a roll of TP. No need for vehicle or apartment sized storage closet.
Same for bulk meat. When buying 10 lbs of ground beef it’s way cheaper. Great if you have a large family and/or a freezer. Those who don’t pay a premium. Sure maybe they can afford to pay double for something because they don’t have six hungry mouths to feed but there is no reason they should.
And…..got UTI that went up into kidneys, nooooo joke. Damn right , I use a lot of TP now :)
Well, that's a darn good reason, too. Wow, I'm so sorry. I am sure that was terrible pain.
@@THEJENNIFERCOOK I hope your kidneys are happy and healthy and QUIET now too. Darn those buggars do so much good, but the second they are unhappy…..YIKES!!
Nice video but sounds like you are a 2 income house. I’m a single mom of 3 boys. One income house
Hi Shan, yes, my husband and I do both work. I bet you are an awesome mom with 3 sweet boys! Hugs to you 🤗
@shantakoa8596 I'm also the sole income earner in my household. Jennifer has great ideas, and so do single mom UA-camrs Kate Kaden (frugal living) and Dyana Marie (getting out of debt is her main focus, but frugal living is wrapped up in that).
Cars are expensive. Period. If things keep going they will price out people and won't be able to sell.
Why is your face so shiny?
That is because I don't wear foundation makeup or face powder. My face is just shiny.
It's her inner beauty shining through. Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing so much of your self and financial journey with us.
Holly, thank you! ❤️
Wow. Let people live.
Wow. Your skin looks wonderful!
Sorry but I find that the perspiration on your face distracting are you feeling well it may be your skincare but I keep wondering if you are ill please don't take this as a jab my first time watching you and so far so good I would have messaged you privately but don't know how to please take care of yourself
Hi Tina, I am sorry that my face is distracting. I don't wear foundation, and my skin is very hydrated. That, along with the lights, makes it look extra shiny.
I think your skin is absolutely beautiful! It looks healthy and hydrated. Thanks for another great video, Jennifer!
Allison, thank you! 🤗
You are incredibly rude.
I absolutely respect that you let your adult children live with you, but you have never addressed why. My kids can move back in anytime they need to, however, they need to be working full time hours if they do. Do they have full time jobs or just live with you because they dont want to work hard? Not being judgemental! Parents should definitely do what they can to help their children throughout their lives, but not if they are just sponging! Are they working at least 40 hours a week?
I am sorry, but your comment is confusing. I do not have an adult child. My child is in elementary school.
Are you are on Instagram or other sites, too?
Thank you.
Hi there, I am not on any other social media. 🤗
@@THEJENNIFERCOOK Thank you. I’m new to your channel!