I “window shop” at home via catalogs. I circle the clothes that I like and set the catalogs aside until the end of the season. I sign up for that company’s email notifications of sales, and at the end of the season, I can usually get anywhere from 50-75% off the original sale price in the catalog doing things this way. Occasionally, I can even find free shipping. A really good catalog for simple, stylish, and casual clothes is Blair. They carry many sizes and are very affordable.
Regina

I have found that by changing brands of shampoo about every month, my hair stays much more manageable. I guess our hair likes a change too.
Mary V.

My apartment spent many years as a haven for cast-off, worn- out furniture and threadbare rugs. While I was grateful to have these things, when I turned 30, I decided that I needed to develop a real color scheme for my apartment. The following steps enabled me to decorate my apartment for under $100:

1. Pick out a simple color scheme.

2. Slipcovers and decorative pillows are great for revitalizing chairs and couches.

3. Use bedding accessories such as a bed-skirt, sheets and/or a new throw blanket to give your bedroom a more polished look.

4. Throw rugs are an inexpensive way to splash color into a room.

5. Educate yourself about the basics of interior design via books, the Internet or television shows.

6. Don’t buy everything at one time.

Your dwelling is a refuge from the outside world. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of money to turn a humble dwelling into a cozy sanctuary.
Al A.

As newlyweds back in the early 60s, my husband and I sat down every New Years Day and made lists of the things we’d like to accomplish and/or purchase in the New Year.
 
After making your most wanted/needed purchase list, watch the ads in the Sunday paper and visit your local home improvement store, discount stores, and thrift stores. Keep your list handy.
 
Budget a certain amount for your purchases every month and keep it separate from your other funds. That way, when you find a great deal on one of the items on your list, you can go for it.
Susan in North Idaho

I like to make good use of the things lying around my house. So many things that the manufacturers say are disposable can be used again and again. One of the things that I reuse are disposable swim diapers. Just wash in the washer and air-dry. I just found that dryer sheets can be used for up to five loads and are still effective in keeping away static cling. And the disposable dust cloths can be washed and reused. Let’s save money and space in the landfill. Our grandchildren will appreciate it.
Chris

You can also make your own ready-to-use hamburger patties with fresh ground beef. Just form your patties, place them on a cookie sheet, place the cookie sheet in the freezer long enough for the patties to freeze solid, remove the patties from the sheet, place in a resealable bag, and place the bag in the freezer. If you do the from-cookie-sheet-to-bag-to-freezer step quickly, they will not thaw at all and will still be separate when you’re ready to remove the amount needed for your family’s meal. (If you’re concerned that they’ll stick together, just place a piece of waxed paper between them. However, I find they usually don’t stick if I get them back into the freezer quickly.)
This is a lot less expensive, and you can choose the quality of meat in your patties.
Kathy C. of Greenwood, SC

I painted our laminate countertops with Krylon Fusion paint, which bonds extremely well to plastics and laminate countertops. The paint I chose is a silver-black with hammered finish. The countertops are a beautiful glossy silver-black- gray mottled color and my wife really loves the new look. Painting all of the countertops in our kitchen cost $24 in spray paint plus tape and plastic.
 
You can paint the laminate countertops if you prep the plastic/laminate surface well and you choose a paint that will bond well with the surface. I have one word of advice about the Krylon Fusion paint, however. Ventilate the kitchen very well prior, and watch for fine mist over-spray.
Steven

Instead of paying for a diagnostic check when the engine light comes on in your car, go to an auto parts store such as Autozone or Advance. They will check your codes for free.
Tami C.

I have cleaned my artificial plants and trees for many years by just taking them outside and spraying them with the hose. It works great. It’s much easier if you pick a day that is warm and not windy. They will dry and be very clean in about an hour.
Charol from California

Going on vacation but need to continue tracking spending? Maybe you want to gauge the over-all cost of your trip? Here’s my suggestion from a recent overseas vacation.

Buy a miniature stapler. You can buy them at any drug store. Get a receipt from each and every expenditure. If you like, you can put the initial of who purchased at the top of each receipt. At the end of the day, staple that day’s receipts together. Add each day’s bunch to an envelope. When you return home, you will easily be able to see what, who, and where you spent your money.
Marion

For years, I’ve been giving this as a gift for birthdays, anniversaries, retirement, baby & wedding showers, etc. The last thing the party giver thinks of is taking pictures at the party, so that’s my gift. I gift wrap a nice decorative photo album such as the silver trimmed small ones to give at the party. If you watch the sales, you can buy several of these small photo albums at a time for a very good price.

Then I take pictures at the party of all the guests, gifts, food, hosts, party decorations, etc., have them developed, and give them to the party honoree to put in the photo album. This is a quick, easy gift that saves time and money. Every time I’ve done this, it’s been very appreciated by the party host because they had not made plans for picture taking. This is a special, personal gift that will be enjoyed for years to come as the pictures bring back memories of the party.
Terry in Ocala, Florida

The local food market had catfish on sale for $3.99/lb. While I was ordering a pound of catfish, I noticed a sign in the display case that read catfish scraps $1.99/lb. I bought a pound of the scraps. The pieces were big enough to put on the grilling grate and grilled the same as the filets. So scan the display case, as you never know what you will find.
Anna S.

One of the most important things you can do to prolong the useful life of your clothes is to come home, take off your good clothes and hang them to air. Then change into old clothes before you start any at-home work like cooking, cleaning, gardening, etc. I even change my shoes and socks. I normally get 15 to 20 years from my clothes. During the last three to five years, they become my old clothes. Just by changing, you eliminate the chance of a nasty stain that won’t wash out.
Debbie

I have Sprint/Nextel service. I frequently call and check how many minutes I have used. This month, I had five days left before my new minutes kicked in with only 21 minutes left. I contacted them, and for $5, they gave me an additional 100 minutes to use for the next five days. If you occasionally find yourself in this situation, they will try to accommodate your need. I think this is a much better deal than going over the monthly usage and paying outrageous prices.
LaVenita