Not Made of Money

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Tips To Maximize Your Savings When Buying in Bulk

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The popularity of warehouse stores like Sam’s Club and Costco encourage people to reap the rewards of shopping in bulk. These stores tout cheaper prices for the average consumer who chooses to become a member of their warehouse club. But do you know how to maximize your savings?

Buying items in bulk quantities has its benefits, but it has its hazards, as well. Too often consumers are tempted by the vastness of the warehouse stores to purchase things they don’t really need. Also some items aren’t really priced at bargain prices but simply are available. Getting all of the benefits of shopping in bulk quantities requires that the consumer do his homework and make the purchases that will realize actual savings.

Only buy products you actually use

Sometimes when you’re shopping in a wholesale club it’s easy to become enamored with the abundance of products available at discounted prices. However, if the product goes to waste in your closet or pantry, then it wasn’t a bargain, no matter what you paid for it.

Don’t buy more than you can use before the product will spoil

Paper goods are great items to buy in bulk. They store forever (provided you have adequate space) and never go bad. You have to be a little more cautious when purchasing food stuffs, though. If you purchase fifty pounds of hamburger but have to throw out the last ten pounds your purchase wasn’t quite cost-effective.

Be familiar with the prices of products you use

Not everything available at a wholesale club is a bargain. If you know how your favorite products are usually priced at your local grocery store, you’ll be able to determine which products really are a good buy.

Share the wealth of your shopping proceeds

To help get your money’s worth out of your wholesale club membership, you can share your shopping bargains with friends or family. This alternative helps eliminate the worry about buying more than you can use in a short amount of time. You can share the cost of bulk items with friends or family and then split up the large, bulk purchases for single families.

Buying product in bulk quantities can lead to a large savings for you and your family. You just need to be savvy about which things you purchase.

Budget Friendly Graduation Gift Ideas

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Graduating from high school or college are monumental occasions that should be celebrated by family and friends. If you have a loved one who is about to reach one of these milestone moments, you are absolutely right to want to commemorate the occasion with a special gift. Aside from wedding gifts, graduation presents are the types of things that young adults will remember forever.  Choosing a special graduation gift may tempt you to spend more than you normally allot for family gifts. Who wants to be the one family member who gave a cheap gift? Budgetary concerns don’t have to be an issue, however, if you take the time to choose a gift that will carry meaning for you and the graduate. Here are a few graduation gift ideas to get you started:

Family Heirlooms

If you’ve been saving a special family piece for an appropriate occasion, graduation just might be the right one. Examples might be a pair of earrings or a tie tack. Graduation gifts often mark the rite of passage that the graduate has just experienced by giving them a gift that shows that you recognize their personal maturity.

Household Tool Box

Since graduates are often about to set up house in their first apartments, they are certain to appreciate the thought of this gift. Think back to your first apartment and the tools that you wished you had. This tool box should include a hammer, an adjustable wrench, a couple of screwdrivers, a tape measure, and a level. Choose a container for your gift that suits the graduate. A guy might appreciate a sturdy, steel toolbox. A young lady might prefer a bright-colored plastic box.

A Gift that Reflects the Graduates Tastes

Gifts that show you know what types of things interest the graduate are always great gifts. If your graduate just got his degree in journalism, he might appreciate a copy of a famous journalist’s biography. The artist in your family will love tickets to an upcoming art exhibit. Think about the types of things the graduate talked about last time you saw him and try to correspond your gift with that topic.

Ultimately, finding an appropriate graduation gift just requires that you spend more time than money. Think about your graduate’s likes, his future plans, and your family traditions and you’re sure to find the perfect gift.

Inexpensive Father’s Day Gift Ideas

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Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  I will receive compensation if you make a purchase by clicking through links.  Please see my disclosure statement.  Everyone knows that Dad deserves a special day to say thanks for all of the loving things he does for his family everyday. But, after working so hard to improve your finances, you don’t want to get too carried away purchasing a Father’s Day gift and ruin all of your hard work. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to show your appreciation for Dad on a budget and don’t forget that a homemade gift is always a budget friendly option. Here are some inexpensive Father’s Day gift ideas:

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Give Dad a day or two without chores

You can take out the trash, mow the lawn, and perform a myriad of other little chores that he usually takes care of. He’ll be thrilled to have an afternoon to spend on his projects instead of looking after the mundane little tasks that seem to eat up the weekend. I usually give Mr. Not Made of Money a large block of time (2 to 3 hours) where he can just read the paper and relax. (I know that seems like such a simple thing but when you have 4 children clamoring for your attention you really don’t get to read the Sunday paper from front to back. If you are a parent you know what I am talking about :))

Treat Dad to a baseball game

You can sit in the “cheap seats” to save money. It won’t matter; you’ll still have a great time. Baseball games are a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening for the whole family.

Spend the day outdoors doing something Dad enjoys

If he likes hiking, he’ll love sharing his favorite trail with the family. If he’s a fisherman, spend the day at his favorite fishing hole. He’ll get to share his hobby with the people he loves most and spend a little extra time on his hobby, too.

Relinquish control of the television for twenty-four hours

Dads with little kids often give up their television rights so their kids can watch shows like Dora, Mickey Mouse, or Phineas and Ferb. Imagine how much he’ll enjoy an entire day that he can spend watching whatever his heart desires. Take care to keep your promise as the day continues.

New photos of the family make great Father’s Day presents

You can purchase inexpensive, but attractive desk frames at your local discount shop. Then, just pop in the new pictures and wrap them up. Now, even when he’s at work, Dad can remember why he’s working so hard. We’ve also made a slideshow of our pictures for Mr. Not Made of Money’s computer.

Does Dad like a particular type or series of book?

If he is into the novels by Jim Butcher, you can purchase the latest book in the series. If you aren’t sure what book to get him, write down the titles of two or three of his favorite books and ask the folks at your local bookstore’s information desk to make a recommendation. You may want to couple this gift with the “day without chores.” Now Dad will have ample time to read his new book.

Send A Gift If You Can’t Be Together

Cards are always appreciated, but Dad deserves more on a special day like this. Look through the daily deals and coupon sites to save money on sending a gift. Places like Shari’s Berries are always running promotions for holidays like Father’s Day.

Five Grocery Shopping Mistakes You Must Avoid If You Want To Save Money

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Going to the grocery store can be an expensive affair. We all have the story of the time we went in to spend $10 and ended up spending $100. However, with a little planning and good decision making, any grocery shopper can keep his or her bill low. Here are five grocery shopping mistakes you should avoid to save money at the grocery store.



Buying Name Brands

These days almost every name brand item has a generic substitute. In most cases these generics have the same level of quality as the name brand. Sometimes they are even made at the same facility, but with different packaging! Make sure and go for the generic items unless you have some reason not to do so.

Other posts related to saving money on your grocery bill:

Buying Too Many Perishable Items

It is easy to overestimate how much you will use before another trip to the store. Be careful not to buy to much of any perishable items at the store. For example, it can sometimes save you money to buy the half-gallon of milk instead of the gallon if you will only use half a gallon before it goes bad, even if the gallon is cheaper per ounce.

Going to the Store When Hungry

Everything looks good at the grocery store when you are hungry. If you go to the store before eating you may find that you stuff your cart with more than you need, and with several unhealthy items as well! Try to go right after a meal to avoid impulse buys and to avoid getting more than what you need.


Not Making a List/Not Sticking to the List

It can be easy to think that you know everything that you need before going to the store and can figure it out when you get there. However, if you don’t make a list, you will find that you might make a bunch of impulse buys and come home with several things you don’t need. You will probably also waste time by wandering around the store trying to remember exactly what you need. Also, keep in mind that you need to stick to that list when you get to the store!

Ignoring Sales and Coupons

If you do not pay attention to sales and coupons, you can miss out on some serious deals. Make sure and check the local paper before you go to the store and see what coupons you can find. Clip those and take them with you. Also, see what stores are having sales. You may have to visit 2 or 3 stores to get everything you need, but it can be worth the effort.  

Saving money at the grocery store can take some work. However, if you avoid the mistakes listed above, you can get the same groceries you get every month for much less!


Tips For Simplifying Your Finances

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So many people that I talk to want to get a good handle on their family’s finances, but they are so intimidated by their finances that they don’t know where to start. How can they stay on top of all of their financial assets, their goals, and their debts at the same time? The overwhelming stress over personal finance can cause people to avoid even beginning to work through their concerns.  The trick to managing everything is to simplify wherever you can.  If you’re hoping to wrangle your finances into a more manageable form, I’ve listed below five tips for simplifying your finances.

The stress can make sense. Finances become pretty complicated over the years. You might have a 401(k) with your employer, a checking account, a savings account, an IRA (rolled from an old 401(k) with a different employer) and a couple of credit cards. Then, you get married and find that your husband has his own version of the same things.  Therefore, the whole situation adds up to a lot of accounts to manage.

Consolidate your finances

There are some accounts you can’t control. The brokerage company that holds your 401(k) is chosen by your employer, and you have no input in the matter. Many other things, however, are completely in your control. Merge multiple checking accounts into one, main household account. Use one credit/debit card for all of your purchases. As a result, the fewer different accounts you have out there, the less time you will spend reconciling statements each month.

Use financial tools to track your accounts

No one wants to have to pull a bunch of different statements together to get an idea of their financial position. Fortunately, you don’t have to do that. There are multiple ways to tie all of those accounts to one tool, and some of them are free! While our family uses Quicken, one of my friends prefers to use Mint.com. The site has a cool budget tool, too.

Make automatic savings contributions 

Of course you don’t need the hassle of writing a check each month to your savings account. By simply enrolling in automatic deposit you won’t have to worry about making those extra trips to the bank. Instead, your money will automatically move to your savings account on the day that you instruct it to move. No fuss; no muss!

Utilize your bank’s electronic bill payment tool

Forget the days of writing a check and mailing it to your creditors. Manual check writing is inconvenient, and the checks take too long to process. Today you can pay your bills with a click of a button or two.  You can also enter payments ahead of time, and specify the date that you want them to be paid.  Automating tasks is an easy step in simplifying your finances.

Go green!

Finally, did you know that simplifying your finances could be good for the environment? It can be if you turn off the paper statements for your accounts. Instead, access them online.  This way, you can print or save any statements you need from the appropriate website.

What ways do you simplify your finances?