Community Chatter: Odd ways to save money

It's almost like clockwork - every few months when we are discussing topics to cover in these chatter posts, money always comes up.  (See our previous posts about budgeting for planned expenses, our favorite splurges, and how we keep our budgets under control during the holidays.)  This month we wanted to talk about those odd and quirky ways that we save money.   Keep reading to see what gems the team had to share this time.  

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From Rose: 

Saving money is a personal hobby of mine. I thoroughly enjoy watching the savings come off at the end of a shopping trip. One "odd" thing I do to save money is if it's not a necessity, like food, specific clothing, etc. and it's just a want, I will not buy it unless it's 30% or more off the original price. Even shopping the clearance racks at Target, if it doesn't have that 30% off, it won't be being added to my cart. This not only stops me from impulse buying just because it says "SALE", but also ensures I'm getting the best price possible for any item I may want.

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From Kiala: 

I can't take full credit for this, but my sister was so done paying so much for her electric bills so she went around the house and unplugged everything she wasn't using. Cell phone charger, her microwave, even her TV if she wasn't watching it. She did this for a month and cut down her bill by fifty dollars! It may only be a little but of electricity but it adds up when you think of all the gadgets we have plugged up at any given time. Give it a try and see how much you save!

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From Sasha: 

If you are a foodie like me you need to do this. One odd way that I use to save money is by downloading my favorite restaurant apps to get the latest deals like free delivery, buy one get one's meals, or free menu items. This way when I'm in the mood for something different other than my home cooking I can still ball on a budget. My favorite one to use is the Chili's app especially when there is a free appetizer week. The Southwest Eggrolls are my go-to!

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From Morgan: 

I don't know if my entry falls under an odd way to save money, because my first thought was naturally coupons. However it is still technically saving money. My family and I collect change! We have designated change jars it seems in almost every room of our house. My kids each have glass jar "banks" that I painted for them to match the theme of their rooms, my husband and I share a change jar in our room, there's a tray of change in my desk drawer, and in our vehicle. And if coins just so happen to make it through all of those collection areas, there's of course an old coffee cup in our laundry room to put it when I dig it out of pockets or the dryer. We like to round up our change once or twice a year and count it. We've got all the different rollers and a little tool that makes it easier to load up the coins. We divide it up then head to the bank to put it in our savings accounts. The spare change you see laying around may seem insignificant but it can really add up and that's my quirky way to save money!

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From Lisa:

I've spoken before about my love of price tracking apps, so while I have to mention it here, it's not really anything new.   And I used to use the same saving change in a jar technique as Morgan mentioned above when I used to go out more (not to mention when I used to budget and only buy things with cash, pretty much everything is on a card these days.) 

I hope to be traveling again in the next year or so, so I switched most of my bills and shopping to Rewards credit cards.  The important part here is that I am paying off the full amount of the cards every month so I'm not incurring finance charges or interest.  I rotate which card I use for each type of shopping regularly to take advantage of as many bonuses as I can - for example, come October 1st I'm going to switch to Discover for all purchases at Amazon, Walmart, and Target since I will earn an extra 5% cashback on those retailers for the final 3 months of the year.   It does mean I have to keep up with who is offering bonuses, but I am literally earning "free money" by doing so.  And let's be honest, those stores are definitely ones I'll be hitting up for a lot of my holiday shopping.  

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So tell us, how do you save money?  What fun or different strategies do you use, let us know in the comments!