I have always found it fun to bargain shop and find the best deals possible. Not only have I enjoyed doing this as a married Mom with 3 kids, but I have always liked trying to find a "good deal" and being creative in doing so, even growing up as a child. So with the heat of summer and the increasing costs of just about everything, I thought I'd post a quick post of my fave places to save money.
#1 - Freecycle. This is a free yahoo group that is similar to a virtual garage sale, but the catch is everything posted must be 100% free. Everyone gives away stuff they don't need/want anymore and people go pick it up if they want it. There is a group for every city, even small cities like our good 'ol Leander. Someone elses trash could me another's treasure. I have found shelves for the boys rooms, toys, clothes, a kid picnic table, coffee/end table, plants, and much more off of there. I've also been able to get rid of a lot of our "crap" and baby things. It's been great! Check it out at Freecycle.com.
#2 - Craigslist. Now this is a great way to find nice things for a deal. If you're searching for something, spend enough time doing it, and email the seller as soon as it's listed, often times you'll get it. I've been able to find many things on here and almost always have been able to haggle with the price. I love bargaining over email!! I hadn't heard of Craigslist until I moved to Austin, but it's in every city in the US, so check it out if you're looking for "stuff"! Craigslist.com
#3 - My husband (I guess you won't really be able to use this one unless you live nearby...sorry). Ok, now this one is the most impressive. A couple months ago, my husband bought a 1983 Mercedes Benz Turbo Diesel car with the intentions of turning it into a "Veggie" car, meaning he wanted to run vegetable oil in it instead of paying for diesel. Well, I'm proud to say that his intentions have turned into reality. He got a very well maintained Benz off ebay, flew to Lubbock, drove the car back, and has almost completed his filtration system for his car.
So if you're wondering how this whole Veggie thing works, here's how. Diesel cars are able to run off of used (but filtered) vegetable oil. So Daniel went to several restaurants around town asking for their used vegetable oil. Believe it or not, many people have already beat us to the punch on this so it was harder than we thought to find a source. However, he did find a nice Chinese restaurant that is willing to give us their oil. So every week or so Daniel goes and picks up their used oil, takes it home, and once his filtration system is complete (which will be soon), he'll filter the oil and just pump it into his car straight from the garage. You may wonder how much this costs? Well with the cost of filters, oil, etc. the cost for the oil averages about $1 per gallon. That beats $4.50 / gallon and rising!! I must say at first I was hesitant about having a car that smelled like Kentucky Fried Chicken or Chinese food, but really it's not as noticeable as I thought. And if it saves us hundreds of dollars each month and he has a car that gets super gas mileage, I'd think it's worth it!
#4 - Online Surveys. The 2 best sites that I've found for doing surveys and getting paid, either through money or gift cards, have been the following:
-E-Poll (I've gotten at least 2 $20-$30 gift cards to restaurants in the past year or two for doing surveys and accumulating points)
-E-Rewards (I get 6 free Blockbuster coupons every year, several subscriptions to magazines, and restaurant coupons through this site)
These surveys normally take 5 minutes and after a few months, it adds up to gift cards or cash. Not bad.
#5 - Printable Coupons...http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/ This is a great site that is constantly updated with new coupons and information. I love being able to print out coupons to Kirkland's, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Carters, etc. and have them actually be accepted!
So there's a few of my favorite sites when it comes to saving money or finding good deals:) And I know it's been forever since I've posted!! It's been busy around here this summer but I promise soon that I'll post updates on the family and post pics. But for now, here's a few pictures of our little "snot noses" :) Have a great weekend~!
#1 - Freecycle. This is a free yahoo group that is similar to a virtual garage sale, but the catch is everything posted must be 100% free. Everyone gives away stuff they don't need/want anymore and people go pick it up if they want it. There is a group for every city, even small cities like our good 'ol Leander. Someone elses trash could me another's treasure. I have found shelves for the boys rooms, toys, clothes, a kid picnic table, coffee/end table, plants, and much more off of there. I've also been able to get rid of a lot of our "crap" and baby things. It's been great! Check it out at Freecycle.com.
#2 - Craigslist. Now this is a great way to find nice things for a deal. If you're searching for something, spend enough time doing it, and email the seller as soon as it's listed, often times you'll get it. I've been able to find many things on here and almost always have been able to haggle with the price. I love bargaining over email!! I hadn't heard of Craigslist until I moved to Austin, but it's in every city in the US, so check it out if you're looking for "stuff"! Craigslist.com
#3 - My husband (I guess you won't really be able to use this one unless you live nearby...sorry). Ok, now this one is the most impressive. A couple months ago, my husband bought a 1983 Mercedes Benz Turbo Diesel car with the intentions of turning it into a "Veggie" car, meaning he wanted to run vegetable oil in it instead of paying for diesel. Well, I'm proud to say that his intentions have turned into reality. He got a very well maintained Benz off ebay, flew to Lubbock, drove the car back, and has almost completed his filtration system for his car.
So if you're wondering how this whole Veggie thing works, here's how. Diesel cars are able to run off of used (but filtered) vegetable oil. So Daniel went to several restaurants around town asking for their used vegetable oil. Believe it or not, many people have already beat us to the punch on this so it was harder than we thought to find a source. However, he did find a nice Chinese restaurant that is willing to give us their oil. So every week or so Daniel goes and picks up their used oil, takes it home, and once his filtration system is complete (which will be soon), he'll filter the oil and just pump it into his car straight from the garage. You may wonder how much this costs? Well with the cost of filters, oil, etc. the cost for the oil averages about $1 per gallon. That beats $4.50 / gallon and rising!! I must say at first I was hesitant about having a car that smelled like Kentucky Fried Chicken or Chinese food, but really it's not as noticeable as I thought. And if it saves us hundreds of dollars each month and he has a car that gets super gas mileage, I'd think it's worth it!
#4 - Online Surveys. The 2 best sites that I've found for doing surveys and getting paid, either through money or gift cards, have been the following:
-E-Poll (I've gotten at least 2 $20-$30 gift cards to restaurants in the past year or two for doing surveys and accumulating points)
-E-Rewards (I get 6 free Blockbuster coupons every year, several subscriptions to magazines, and restaurant coupons through this site)
These surveys normally take 5 minutes and after a few months, it adds up to gift cards or cash. Not bad.
#5 - Printable Coupons...http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/ This is a great site that is constantly updated with new coupons and information. I love being able to print out coupons to Kirkland's, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Carters, etc. and have them actually be accepted!
So there's a few of my favorite sites when it comes to saving money or finding good deals:) And I know it's been forever since I've posted!! It's been busy around here this summer but I promise soon that I'll post updates on the family and post pics. But for now, here's a few pictures of our little "snot noses" :) Have a great weekend~!
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