How To Stay In Style In This Economy (#2)
Editor’s Note: Anna Hessel with a little help from hubby, Wes, will be offering up for the next seven weeks, 10 tips a week on How to Stay In Style In This Economy. Watch for it every Tuesday.
How to Stay in Style in this Economy…
By Anna Hessel with Wes Hessel
Inflation is being beaten back but basic costs are still high, and service providers are charging more, but there is hope out there. Saving money has always been a challenge but in this current economic climate saving money can be get a bit tricky, but there are certainly ways to shave your budget without losing out on things you need and want, here are today’s suggestions:
- Jewelry and clothing rental sites can be great but read the fine print before you give your credit or debit card number. Monthly or additional fees can add up to make it un-cost effective.
- Look for electronic or other recycling events that offer gift card or coupon incentives, or retailers who offer discounts for trade-ins.
- For those who pay for your garbage collection, make choices which will keep that bill down. Check with your waste pickup agency or provider for tips on how to save, especially for “amnesty” days, where more or any items are taken for disposal, or special collection days such as for leaves in the fall or live Christmas trees after the holiday, thus avoiding extra fees. If you have bulky items to trash and an amnesty day is not available or far away, see if your refuse service allows one or two extra items for pickup without additional charge, and if you have multiple items, then you can put them out over more than one collection date to save.
- Check the curbs on trash nights, and especially on amnesty days, for usable items you may want – one person’s trash is another one’s treasure. Just make sure your municipality or area does not restrict this.
- Use outdated yogurt, or past their prime fruit or vegetables like avocados as face masks or skin treatments.
- Used coffee grinds are great for cellulite body treatment – if you don’t use your own, Whole Foods had been giving them away for free to anyone that asks.
- Used book and music stores can buy your used books, magazines, CDs, video games, or other related electronics, and items purchased there are likely cheaper than retail.
- Shop at garage sales – save money while meeting your neighbors or host a garage sale to make some extra funds. A bit of gas spent traveling to upscale area sales if you don’t live in one is worth the trip to find special bargains on designer duds, toys, or housewares.
- When using health and beauty items like liquid soaps, shampoos, conditioners, or lotions, turn them upside down (if the container isn’t already designed that way) to get as much as possible out of what you buy. If such an item won’t stand on its head on its own, prop it up against a wall or the like, or place it in inverted in a cheap plastic cup or other container large enough to hold it.
- Squeeze more out, literally – for items in tubes, such as toothpaste or creams, use a comb, the side of your hand, or one of those squeezing gadgets to press through the last dregs…
