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I took a little break from this series last Friday since we were busy enjoying our Thanksgiving break. But let’s get back to it this week! I love this series, because it stretches me a bit and it reminds me that we are making baby steps towards our goals of paying off debt.
So here are the 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week! (And if you missed any previous weeks, you can catch them here.)
Snow Boots. A couple of years ago my kids were all without snow boots, and my brother asked why I didn’t just pass the sets of boots down to the next kid. I laughed! What boots? The kids destroy them every year and with giant holes in the boots, they don’t offer protection from the cold and snow anymore. It was becoming a seriously expensive habit to keep 5 kids in snow boots.
That’s when I decided to do some research. I knew that you get what you pay for, and I was often purchasing cheaper boots (of course…I had to buy 5 pairs!). It was time to find brands that I could wiggle enough to afford but would last through more than one kid.
I learned that a couple of good brands are Sorel, Kamik, and Columbia. After searching the web for a while, I realized that my best bet would be to find gently used pairs on eBay and purchase them there. I found that if I was patient, I could get practically new boots shipped to my home for $25 or less. It was a little annoying to know that I’d been spending $20 on throw away boots for years, and if I’d been more careful I could have had an investment for just a few dollars more! Oh well, lesson learned.
My kids love these quality boots. They keep their toes warmer longer (more outside play time!!) and we have been able to pass them down to the next kid! Great deal.
Sometimes you have to spend more money to save more in the long run.
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Skipping Deals. Not a typo, I really am skipping deals. I find myself buying items for gifts because they are such a great deal. I figure I can fit them into my overall plan later. What usually happens is that I end up giving people more than I intended to because I couldn’t pass up the deal!
If you’re thinking “That’s what the stores want you to do!” you are absolutely right! I’m not doing that this year. If it’s not part of my purchase plan right now, I will wait for another deal that fits my scheme better. Something will come along! There are always ways to save money, and it isn’t the hurry that the stores want you to think it is.
LED Lights Put this one in the “fun money” category. My hubby loves to decorate the house (think “Christmas Vacation”) with twinkling lights. A year or two ago he decided to start using LED lights. So each year we grab another roll or two of lights to add to his collection. By adding on gradually, we aren’t breaking the bank and he can enjoy one of his favorite parts of the season. As a bonus, the LEDs don’t use nearly as much electricity as traditional lights, so we recoup some of the money we would have spent in years past that way.
Sick Kids I went into the kitchen and was amazed at how well our groceries were holding out for the two week period. We were mostly through the second week and still had yogurt! Then I realized that everyone here had been too sick to eat for a week. Saved us some money! I don’t recommend you try this one. I’m trying to prevent a repeat of this by pumping everyone full of vitamin D!
Slow Prime Shipping If you are a member of Amazon Prime, you can use this tip, too. I like to shop early and choose the slower shipping option (as long as the date will still get it here in plenty of time!). Each time I do this, Amazon gives me credit towards book purchases or their pantry.
If you aren’t an Amazon Prime member, now is a great time to get a free two week trial period for free two day shipping on most items. Then you can always cancel it if you aren’t likely to use it enough to justify the cost for the rest of the year.
Be sure to share your favorite money saving tips! And keep up with us on Facebook so you don’t miss a post!
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
I didn’t know about the refund for Prime! It really is a great program, but we just don’t buy enough to make it worth it (and when we do end up buying things online, it’s normally over the threshold for free shipping anyway. My mom, however, has Prime and absolutely loves it (which has also made Christmas easier, as I can just send her links to what I want and she can just pop in cart and check out…as I’m 85% certain she has done with what I’ve asked for xD ).
I know the struggle with shoes far too well. I used to go through shoes like crazy, as I worked receiving in retail, and was pretty much walking around all day. Spending 60$ on a pair of shoes that lasted eleven months, or 40$ on a pair of shoes that lasted ten months…I was just really hard on shoes, quality or not! I do applaud your patience in scouring eBay for those boots, though! That would be a lot of work!
It is a bit of work, and it stinks when you think you’ve got a great deal and someone snatches it away in the last 10 seconds! But it’s been worth it so far. I’ve been amazed that these boots even hold up with my 10 year old, because I’m pretty sure it’s his life mission to destroy every pair of shoes he owns within a month of receiving them. 😉
I’m at the point where there aren’t enough kids left to hand boots down to… 🙁 But I still like the idea of going on Ebay to get quality boots. Thanks for the tip! And thanks for linking up at Frugal Friday! 🙂
Wow! I’d never heard that Prime slow shipping tip before, that’s great!
When the girls were small I remember buying the girls two backpacks every year because they would destroy them. I then got in the habit like you of buying the best and they would last longer. I would have to find a sale-there was not internet at the time. Kids are rough!
Thanks for the tip of Amazon Prime-I’m usually not in a hurry so this is great!
Kids are rough, that’s for sure! My boys all have heavy duty backpacks they’ve used for years. I bought our daughter a Frozen backpack in August and it’s already ripping apart. Time for a good strong one for her, too. Thanks for reading!
I was going to say the same thing about back packs that Vickie shared. We too found it worth while to spend the extra and buy rugged hiking back packs. In fact, once we’d bought one for each of the four kids there was never another replacement needed. One of my kids carried his as his carry on luggage on flights for years after he’d left home!
Here’s what I did this past week: http://bluehousejournal.blogspot.com/2015/12/savings-season-in-my-home.html
We raided my uncle’s garden. A free head of cauliflower and broccoli, onions, satsumas, and lemons! It was glorious.
That sounds awesome! What a great variety of foods, too. I couldn’t even keep my lettuce going this fall!
So clever to find the boots on ebay! I love ebay. Also I do the exact same thing with ending up buying too much because it was all such a good idea! In fact, I was trying to figure out if I should set a few things aside to save for next year…. but we’re going to have to move in the next year so THAT seems like a headache too… ahahaha *rolls eyes* please remind me next November that once I have enough gifts I should stop opening “deal” emails!! ;P
So sorry y’all have been sick… hope things are looking up on that front!
PS Thank you for linking up at Friday Frivolity!!! Pinning and tweeting. 😉
Yay! Thanks.
I’m really trying to avoid the temptation of looking for more deals whenever I can this season! Thanks!
Great post! 🙂 I had no clue about the Amazon Prime savings! Shared this on my blog’s FB. 🙂