10 Creative Money Saving Tips

I'm always looking for creative ways to save money.  It is a little trickier to do in this current economy, but it's still possible.  I'll give you a hint - my tips have a theme: home.  Let me show you!

1 // Haircuts at home

Back in 2020 Kevin ordered a hair trimmer kit for me and I've been cutting the boy's hair ever since.  I've gotten better, watched some youtube videos and this alone saves us at least $100 a month.  Boy hair grows so fast!  Kevin trims my hair and I trim Olive's hair.  This may not work for us forever, but for now we do all of our haircuts at home.

 2 // Pick up gifts all year long

I stroll through HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and Target regularly to pick up gifts on a good deal.  Then I save them for upcoming holidays or birthdays.  I grabbed this cute bird puzzle for the kids for $6.99 and I'll give it to them to start some rainy day this Summer.  Puzzles online are at least double that price.  I keep a running list of birthdays in my planner and make sure to write down any gifts that I buy.  That way when the birthday or holiday rolls around I know what I have already purchased.

3 // Have a go to freezer meal that is always ready to use

I keep a Motor City Pizza and a box of bread sticks in our freezer almost all the time.  It saves me on busy nights or nights when I ran out of time to fix the dinner I'd planned.  It costs about $9 for this meal and it saves us from Door Dashing or going through a drive thru.  I also keep Taquitos in our freezer as another easy and affordable dinner option.

4 // Pay attention to free events in your community

Our local library was advertising a free painting party recently.  It looked like so much fun!  Follow local Facebook pages and groups to hear about fun free opportunities for your family.  I've seen Fire Station tours, festivals, farmer's market family days, parks and playgrounds advertising in our area.

5 // Repair or refurbish things you already own

Some of Kevin's dress shoes were looking tired and worn down.  They were expensive Ecco shoes so I wanted to try to revive them.  I had some brown shoe polish and went to work.  He bought some white shoe polish for the edges and we gave them some new life.  It just cost us a couple of dollars to revive them.

Before: 

After:

6 // Grocery store treats

My kids love these Tastykake donuts.  They're under $3 a bag so I pick them up from time to time.  The kids think they're such a treat and they are much cheaper than buying a dozen donuts at a local shop for around $20.

7 // Shop Early

I picked up these canvas bags and note pad sets for our teacher gifts weeks in advance.  I need 4 teacher gifts so I'm always on the hunt for affordable gift ideas that come in 2 or 4 packs.  These canvas bags are so cute and were just $6.99 each at Marshalls.  The note pad sets were $3.99 at Homegoods.  I'm going to add in some cookies or bracelets plus a thank you note and their gifts are done.  Super cute and super affordable.

8 // Find free things to do at home

My kids love doing the following free activities at home - clover hunting, riding scooters, biking around the neighborhood, digging holes, sidewalk chalk and just playing outside.  I love having lots of fun options for them to do that don't require me to pay admission somewhere.

9 // Pack your meals and pack your snacks

I pack all the lunches and anytime we go somewhere I pack snacks and drinks for everyone.  It's so much cheaper than stopping in a restaurant.  We swung through the Chic-Fil-A drive thru last week as a special treat and just a small order for our family with the basics was $37.  It was fun.  We all enjoyed it, but it was a splurge.

10 // Ice cream at home

My kids love blizzards so I told them that I'd be happy to start making them at home.  I bought Butterfingers and Oreos and some great quality vanilla ice cream.  The blizzards are so good and so much more affordable than DQ.  The kids love to tell me they're better than the ones at DQ.  Serve them in a fun cup and your kids will be thrilled.

Would any of these money saving tips work at your house??

I hope you are leaving with a new idea or two of how to save a little extra money for your family this month.