Money Savers!
I am a single mom of two beautiful children. Anything I can do to save money, I look into. yes, I am that annoying person with the ads in one hand and coupons in the other. lol. I enjoy the challenge of saving money and I LOVE not paying full price for things. Here are a few of the tips as related to weight loss that I have really enjoyed doing.
Clothing-
1. get with a buddy at your support meetings and chase them down the sizes. I have several that I chased down, who chased down others. When they finished a size, even if it seemed a far off dream to me, i would collect them and label the totes with the sizes contained within. Free is awesome! I got to try different styles and things I would never have tried if I would have had to pay for the clothes. Many of them were gently used because no one wore them long enough to wear them out. I gave back too. I didnt sell most of my clothes. I gave them to others who were chasing me. It felt good to give back and keep paying it forward.
2. Thrift stores rock. I have one in town that is way too overpriced. Honestly, who would spend $5 on a used shirt when you can hit a clearance rack and pay less for new?? HOWEVER, I have another one in town who does bag sales often. You can get a grocery sack full of clothes for $4 at this store. I have found clothes with the tags still on them. It is a great deal! When you arent in clothes for long, it makes sense to save where you can.
3. Clearance racks and off season items. I hit a sale at Penny's when they switched from winter to summer. Their tops were from $1 to $5 for brand new sweaters. I grabbed different sizes though i am almost at the end of what i will lose. I grabbed for the kids as well. I walked out with 4 large pillow size shopping bags FILLED with brand new clothes to start us off the next year with for $50. (I found jeans for myself for $2 a piece!)
4. Garage sales. If you find someone who is wanting to be sensible and get rid of the clothing you can make great deals. Name brand clothing for pennies on the dollar.
5. friends and family- once i started my journey, many got on board out of support for me or to use the buddy system! lol. when they dropped, they bought clothing for themselves and I benefitted by getting free clothing and healthier loved ones in my life.
Food Savings
1. Think ahead. On fridays, which are my one gaurenteed (dont mess with it or I will hurt you) day off, i make up a bag of chicken breasts. I take them out of the freezer and either crock pot them or bake them using different flavors. (lemon pepper, greek, fijita, whatever you like) when they are cooled down, i slice them up and measure them out into little baggies and pop them into the freezer. For lunch at work, I pop a baggie into my purse and by lunch time, I have chicken to eat plain or throw into a salad. No thinking needed and no time wasted during a hectic work week. Chicken not your thing? Ground turkey (or lean beef) cooked up in a crock pot and then mushed up, drained and rinsed. Add taco seasoning or whatever floats your boat and some unflavored protein powder and measure it out and freeze it into the little baggies. Same priciples apply. Eggs are another thing that i do. Boil a dozen up and pop them into the fridge. Easy protein pick ups or add some ff yogurt or mustard or whatever and have a wrap egg salad sandwich. Saves a lot more than money. I dont have to think about eating well. It is just ready. No thinking about what i can and cant eat when they all go order lunch. And its catching on! Many in my office have started bringing lunches that include cottage cheese and yogurts, fresh fruits and veggies. We are all getting healthier together.
2. Watch sale ads and coupon. Yeah i know. But everything i save on coupons goes into my plastic surgery fund. And last week alone i saved over $24 on the grocery bill. It adds up faster than you can imagine. $24 a week is almost $100 a month over and above what i already put away. nice.
3. NO MORE TAKE OUT! Get out those crock pots for fast food. I throw a frozen hunk of meat into the pot in the morning and come home to supper at night. I make a lot of soups this way that are high protein and low fat. My first summer after weight loss surgery, I took all the money we used to spend on take out food alone and saved it. I had enough for a family season pass at the pool and new suits for the kids and I. It adds up, even those $10 special family pizza deals, you know the ones. lol. It helps me stick to the food plan and it saves money. Win win.
Other savings
1. walk! When I was big, the thought of walking three blocks to the park was out of the question. I couldnt do it. Now I wouldnt dream of starting up the car for that! We bike to the store, park, grandparents, where ever. The only time i take the car for shopping is the weekly trips to the "big town" which is 30 minute drive. Anything small we may need i get in town and we walk or bike it. I cant believe how much gas money I save.
2. newspaper and magazine subscriptions. My mother gets health and fitness magazines galore because she has uber grandkids who are always doing one fund raiser or another. When she is done with the magazines, she ships them to me. I dont have to pay and I still get current info and new ideas to try. My work gets the daily papers so i read them on my breaks. The only thing i really miss is the crossword. But papers are now $1 per day. That adds up! I can do without the crossword if that gets me closer to plastics and retirement. lol
3. We love getting out and going to the movies. But rarely do we treat ourselves to the latest releases anymore. (tho i do admit to paying $6.50 to see the Avengers on opening day...hey, it was date night) We wait a little longer and take ourselves to the $2 theater. Saving $4.50 per person is a huge savings! Since this theater is all volunteer and run by the community, we do not take our own snacks in. They have a deal for the kids where they get popcorn, pop and candy for $2.50. Though they dont get it everytime we go, when they have done something really wonderful, it is an easy splurge I dont feel too guilty about. (mom doesnt partake in the treats...i just inhale the wonderful scent of butter with a little bit of popcorn...lol)
4. Again, the bike and your feet can save you tons in entertainment as well. A bike ride just became a family outing. There are many free events in our area. Check your local newspaper. They will usually have a what's happening this weekend section that lists events going on. We have gone to festivals i didnt even know existed before. It all adds up to exercise and walking and being healthy in your new lifestyle.
If you have anymore savings tips, pass them on! I am always looking for good ways to save! Thanks!
Clothing-
1. get with a buddy at your support meetings and chase them down the sizes. I have several that I chased down, who chased down others. When they finished a size, even if it seemed a far off dream to me, i would collect them and label the totes with the sizes contained within. Free is awesome! I got to try different styles and things I would never have tried if I would have had to pay for the clothes. Many of them were gently used because no one wore them long enough to wear them out. I gave back too. I didnt sell most of my clothes. I gave them to others who were chasing me. It felt good to give back and keep paying it forward.
2. Thrift stores rock. I have one in town that is way too overpriced. Honestly, who would spend $5 on a used shirt when you can hit a clearance rack and pay less for new?? HOWEVER, I have another one in town who does bag sales often. You can get a grocery sack full of clothes for $4 at this store. I have found clothes with the tags still on them. It is a great deal! When you arent in clothes for long, it makes sense to save where you can.
3. Clearance racks and off season items. I hit a sale at Penny's when they switched from winter to summer. Their tops were from $1 to $5 for brand new sweaters. I grabbed different sizes though i am almost at the end of what i will lose. I grabbed for the kids as well. I walked out with 4 large pillow size shopping bags FILLED with brand new clothes to start us off the next year with for $50. (I found jeans for myself for $2 a piece!)
4. Garage sales. If you find someone who is wanting to be sensible and get rid of the clothing you can make great deals. Name brand clothing for pennies on the dollar.
5. friends and family- once i started my journey, many got on board out of support for me or to use the buddy system! lol. when they dropped, they bought clothing for themselves and I benefitted by getting free clothing and healthier loved ones in my life.
Food Savings
1. Think ahead. On fridays, which are my one gaurenteed (dont mess with it or I will hurt you) day off, i make up a bag of chicken breasts. I take them out of the freezer and either crock pot them or bake them using different flavors. (lemon pepper, greek, fijita, whatever you like) when they are cooled down, i slice them up and measure them out into little baggies and pop them into the freezer. For lunch at work, I pop a baggie into my purse and by lunch time, I have chicken to eat plain or throw into a salad. No thinking needed and no time wasted during a hectic work week. Chicken not your thing? Ground turkey (or lean beef) cooked up in a crock pot and then mushed up, drained and rinsed. Add taco seasoning or whatever floats your boat and some unflavored protein powder and measure it out and freeze it into the little baggies. Same priciples apply. Eggs are another thing that i do. Boil a dozen up and pop them into the fridge. Easy protein pick ups or add some ff yogurt or mustard or whatever and have a wrap egg salad sandwich. Saves a lot more than money. I dont have to think about eating well. It is just ready. No thinking about what i can and cant eat when they all go order lunch. And its catching on! Many in my office have started bringing lunches that include cottage cheese and yogurts, fresh fruits and veggies. We are all getting healthier together.
2. Watch sale ads and coupon. Yeah i know. But everything i save on coupons goes into my plastic surgery fund. And last week alone i saved over $24 on the grocery bill. It adds up faster than you can imagine. $24 a week is almost $100 a month over and above what i already put away. nice.
3. NO MORE TAKE OUT! Get out those crock pots for fast food. I throw a frozen hunk of meat into the pot in the morning and come home to supper at night. I make a lot of soups this way that are high protein and low fat. My first summer after weight loss surgery, I took all the money we used to spend on take out food alone and saved it. I had enough for a family season pass at the pool and new suits for the kids and I. It adds up, even those $10 special family pizza deals, you know the ones. lol. It helps me stick to the food plan and it saves money. Win win.
Other savings
1. walk! When I was big, the thought of walking three blocks to the park was out of the question. I couldnt do it. Now I wouldnt dream of starting up the car for that! We bike to the store, park, grandparents, where ever. The only time i take the car for shopping is the weekly trips to the "big town" which is 30 minute drive. Anything small we may need i get in town and we walk or bike it. I cant believe how much gas money I save.
2. newspaper and magazine subscriptions. My mother gets health and fitness magazines galore because she has uber grandkids who are always doing one fund raiser or another. When she is done with the magazines, she ships them to me. I dont have to pay and I still get current info and new ideas to try. My work gets the daily papers so i read them on my breaks. The only thing i really miss is the crossword. But papers are now $1 per day. That adds up! I can do without the crossword if that gets me closer to plastics and retirement. lol
3. We love getting out and going to the movies. But rarely do we treat ourselves to the latest releases anymore. (tho i do admit to paying $6.50 to see the Avengers on opening day...hey, it was date night) We wait a little longer and take ourselves to the $2 theater. Saving $4.50 per person is a huge savings! Since this theater is all volunteer and run by the community, we do not take our own snacks in. They have a deal for the kids where they get popcorn, pop and candy for $2.50. Though they dont get it everytime we go, when they have done something really wonderful, it is an easy splurge I dont feel too guilty about. (mom doesnt partake in the treats...i just inhale the wonderful scent of butter with a little bit of popcorn...lol)
4. Again, the bike and your feet can save you tons in entertainment as well. A bike ride just became a family outing. There are many free events in our area. Check your local newspaper. They will usually have a what's happening this weekend section that lists events going on. We have gone to festivals i didnt even know existed before. It all adds up to exercise and walking and being healthy in your new lifestyle.
If you have anymore savings tips, pass them on! I am always looking for good ways to save! Thanks!
Those are great tips!
I have a few pants that I've kept in hopes of slimming down to wear...I knew I kept them for a reason! lol!
Also you can do some swaps on Kijiji and Craigslist! Always make sure to swap at a public location or bring a buddy with you, better safe than sorry.
Also get some money back with consignment shops. If you have well taken care of items (especially nice dress/formal wear) you can try to get a shop to buy it off you. More money in the pot.
Sign up for online newsletters (use a alternate email) to get % off coupons for your favorite stores. I know Old Navy always sends me coupons and alerts.
Yoga! You can find videos for free on youtube on how to do moves. Yoga's a great workout and helps your mind unwind.
Deep breathing. Breathe for 2 seconds, hold for one, and out for two. Not a money saver, but a stress saver. Helps you calm down and lower BP. Also helps you focus in a panicky situation.
Buy stainless steel water bottles and a brita filter. Cheaper than buying water bottles, and kinder on the planet.
I have a few pants that I've kept in hopes of slimming down to wear...I knew I kept them for a reason! lol!
Also you can do some swaps on Kijiji and Craigslist! Always make sure to swap at a public location or bring a buddy with you, better safe than sorry.
Also get some money back with consignment shops. If you have well taken care of items (especially nice dress/formal wear) you can try to get a shop to buy it off you. More money in the pot.
Sign up for online newsletters (use a alternate email) to get % off coupons for your favorite stores. I know Old Navy always sends me coupons and alerts.
Yoga! You can find videos for free on youtube on how to do moves. Yoga's a great workout and helps your mind unwind.
Deep breathing. Breathe for 2 seconds, hold for one, and out for two. Not a money saver, but a stress saver. Helps you calm down and lower BP. Also helps you focus in a panicky situation.
Buy stainless steel water bottles and a brita filter. Cheaper than buying water bottles, and kinder on the planet.
Okay I have to do it because I work for a print media company, the newspaper is probably one of the best sources of grocery coupons going and most newspapers offer either a Sunday Only home delivery or weekend package at very discounted rates to get you started, just ask. You will get your money back and then some if you use even a couple of coupons.
Great point Heidi! I am a Sunday subscriber because of the massive amounts of coupons. It pays for itself and then some. I did drop the weekly though just because it was one of those things that I could tighten the belt on. No offense intended Miss Heidi! (I also will grab a Wednesday paper because that's where the ads are and they disappear at work...lol) Coupons.com is another great source.
EXCELLENT one with the yoga on youtube. I get tons of free exercise things off there, including learning how to dance. Before we got the wii, we would dance with the people on youtube. nice one!
EXCELLENT one with the yoga on youtube. I get tons of free exercise things off there, including learning how to dance. Before we got the wii, we would dance with the people on youtube. nice one!
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