5 Shopping Tips For The Times When You’re Trying To Save Money

Everyone has gone through a period or two in their lifetime when they really need to be extra careful with budgeting and save money a little more consciously than they normally would. You may be trying to get through a slow season at work, saving up for something fun for yourself or your family, or just trying to pay off debts and medical bills. Either way, when you’re trying to save money, shopping can be really hard. Pretty much no matter what you do if you go shopping you are going to end up spending some amount of money. But there are still some savvy ways you can spend less. Here are 5 tips.

Use Coupons

Checking online on the shop’s website and/or social media accounts as well as in your local papers is a great way to find coupons and can end up saving you a lot of money. Even if the amounts you’ll save seem small at first, they can actually add up very quickly. Pay attention to expiration dates and look out for coupons for specific items you know you will be needing in the future. For example, if your husband has been talking about wanting new conceal and carry pants you should grab them for him if you find a valid coupon, regardless of whether his birthday or Christmas is coming up. Just hide ‘em in the closet!

Make Lists

Making a shopping list before you hit the store is an important step in saving money because this way you will be more likely to stick to the list and not stray from it, buying things you don’t need or can’t afford. Written down on a post-it note or saved in your phone, a list can help you save a lot of money over time! 

Try Off Brands

For things like toothpaste, mayo, cleaning products, and many other household items, you may be used to buying name brands, but off brands often have all the same ingredients and work just as well, just in slightly less attractive packaging. If you stick to all off brands when doing your shopping, you will notice a huge difference in your monthly spending.

Take Advantage Of Sales

Much like coupons, you can find really good deals when places have sales. It just may not always seem convenient for you because the stuff you need/want may not be on sale right when you want to buy it. For generic items like basic clothing and electronics, it may be smart to just wait until they go on sale, because another sale always comes around and is often well worth the wait! 

Saving money can be really tough, especially when you and your family still have everyday needs. But learning to use coupons, shop during sales, and make and stick to lists will go a long way in helping you to keep your budget tight!