Being Cheap and Easy

Okay, not quite what I meant, but since I have your attention:

Here are 7 great ways to save money without sweating, or heavy breathing.

Money-Saving, Get-Lucky 7!

At Home:

1. Repurpose old clothes into rags. I probably buy less than four rolls of paper towels a year. Instead I have a "rag bag" of old clothes, sheets, and towels cut into squares I use for cleaning. They're cheap and usable over and over.

2. Rubbing alcohol to clean the bath. I get bottles of rubbing alcohol from the dollar store and put it in spray bottles for quick bathroom clean-ups. It's a disinfectant, so a quick shot on handles and door knobs assure me I'm in a germ free spot- and it cleans mirrors squeaky clean!

3. Save those grocery bags! I don't buy kitchen can liners. I have a grocery bag-sized garbage can under my sink, and I line it with the store bags. When it's full, I carry it to the curb, which gives me plenty of free exercise walking back and forth.

Online:

4. Don't buy today what you can get a coupon for tomorrow! Online shopping? Log into the site with your email address, put what you want in the cart, and then walk away. Usually withing twenty-four hours a coupon will arrive via email. Now, go and buy what's in your cart.

5. Got to buy it today? Do an internet search for the site you're buying from. Let's say you're buying jeans form American Eagle, before you buy, search "American Eagle Discounts". Groupon and Retail Me Not are two of my favorite spots for reliable discounts.

6. Ebates! Have you tried this? While online shopping, start at the Ebates site and put in what you need or the store you plan to shop at. If it's a participating store, all you do is follow the link provided, shop, then later get a check in the mail. You can even get more money back by referring friends, such as: Click this link (Ebates) and I get credit. Pretty sweet for me, right?

7. While shopping in stores, keep your internet-linked phone handy. Before making a purchase, scan the product bar code and look at competitors' prices. I needed a printer, so I went to Wal Mart, scanned the bar code (there is an app for that!), and found one listed cheaper at another retailer. I showed the cashier and got a price match.

There you go, how easy is that?