12 Thrifty Tips

It has been said that thriftiness is a virtue. Here are a few of my favorite Lessons in Frugality I've discovered over the years.

MAKING EXTRA CASH

There could be enough money in your house right now to fill your gas tank, take your family out to dinner, make your car payment every month, or take a fancy vacation!  Before you start digging up floorboards, let me clarify --  someone likely will pay money for all those unwanted clothes hanging in your closet and that junk in your garage.  

Here are the best ways I've found to turn them into cash:

1. Consignment shops

Consignment shops resell clothing in good condition and split the profit with you.  Some establishments offer a 50/50 share of the selling price, and others keep 60% and give you 40%.

Google consignment or resale shops in your city.  Call and ask about their terms, including the length of time the shop will stock your items and what becomes of the leftovers which don’t sell. I like to take those left over items down the street to another consignment shop ... which usually depletes my supply of unwanted clothing in no time.

(Another hint:  shop the super clearance racks at consignment stores and take those items to another resale shop.  I’m sometimes able to purchase things like that for $2 or $3 and receive $10 or more when it sells at the next shop.  Yard sales can be an even better source of inexpensive clothing, especially after you haggle for the lowest price.)

Some consignment shops also accept household items and furniture, so load up your truck and turn your unwanted stuff into liquid money!

2. Garage sales

If you live in a residential area which permits garage sales, you may be able to cash in on that dust-laden exercise equipment, your teenager’s baby crib, and other items no longer in use.  Since one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, you’ll be surprised what kinds of things you can sell.  I once sold a set of steps to a man who insisted on paying me MORE than the pricetag asked for (so I let him)!  Get together with friends and relatives for a multi-family sale ... it attracts more customers. Or join your neighborhood's annual community yard sale if they offer one.  With good advertising and a desire to haggle, you’ll soon be raking in the dough.     

If you live in an apartment, or just don’t have the time to host a yard sale, as mentioned above some consignment shops accept household items and furniture in addition to clothing.  Also, check the classified ads -- there are people who actually want to buy boxes of saleable items and will haul them away for you.

3. Online auctions

This has quickly become my favorite source of extra income. My love blossomed in March 2000 when I was searching for a way to sell a transcription machine. I've been hooked ever since! Yahoo is my favorite because it has the 2nd largest audience and the lowest selling fees. Click here to see what's currently for sale in my Yahoo auction booth. Ebay is my second favorite because it has the largest audience, and when you set a Reserve Price and bidders don't reach it, you can see their email addresses and try to negotiate and possibly gain a buyer anyway.

You can find some great deals at yard sales and thrift stores and turn around and resell them on auctions. Another great source of items to sell is finding friends who have valuables they want to unload. Offer to create and manage the auction for them at a reasonable commission rate. I've sold a number of original artworks this way, also some antiques. And if you have any friends who are wholesalers, even better! You can sell their stock on auctions on a regular basis. I've made huge chunks of money this way in the past and currently.

If you're really brave, you could also try the above suggestion and sell strangers' items. Whether you sell things for your friends or strangers, you'll definitely need a written contract to avoid misunderstandings and to make sure everyone is "on the same page" with the arrangement. Terms and payments will need to be outlined very precisely before entering a business agreement like this. Click here to check out the contract I use, it covers everything you need to specify and has worked perfectly in my deals.

Don't miss this spectacular SECRET info on how to be a successful online auction seller. You'll find out how to get inside tips which have helped many make ebay and other auctions their job. I've taken 10 vacations in the past 2 1/2 years from the extra money I've made selling on auctions, including a cruise to the Bahamas!! This is a great market.

4. Do odds and ends for family and friends

People you know may be more than happy to pay you to mow their lawn, clean their house, do their windows, fix their microwave, detail their car, babysit their kids, etc.  Look for innovative ways to fill a need. 

My husband and I have done those things, and a side job I’ve had for several years is planting flowers at various places of business.  Think about it:  most stores and offices have no time to maintain a flower bed, but enjoy the ambiance of colorful flowers greeting their customers.  Why not approach a few business owners?  They supply funds for the plants, and you charge them for labor.  Every couple of months, it’s time for a new batch, a little weeding, and maybe some fresh mulch.  

If you’re not sure how much to charge, just estimate how long it will take you to buy the supplies and do the work, then decide how much your time is worth.  It’s that simple.

5. Affiliate Programs

If you have a website, you can earn unlimited income as an affiliate of merchants all over the internet. All you have to do is put the merchant's banner or link on your site, and you can earn money either every time someone clicks on it and/or when they make a purchase or register for something. I make a nice amount of extra money this way. Go through affiliate services such as Commission Junction, ClickBank, etc. Thousands of online stores and merchants want and need you. Companies like Amazon.com, PayPal, Half.com, Fingerhut, etc. They're willing to pay generously for your efforts, so check it out! There's no better way to SELL WITHOUT BUYING.

SAVING MONEY

6. Buy secondhand items

Why spend a small fortune on retail clothing when you could find something comparable (and sometimes better) at a consignment or thrift store?  The  opportunities  are  boundless.   There isn’t enough space here to write about the DEALS  I have found at such stores (furniture, small appliances, shoes, bags, coats, you name it).  And get this ... certain stores of this type will actually trade with you -- you give them a few articles of clothing, and they either give you a few or allow store credit.  Plan ahead, too.  Some thrift stores slash prices on certain days of the week.  In that case, sometimes you can catch a 50% off sale just for shopping on the right day! And many have those wonderful BAG SALES ... stuff as many clothes as you can into a large paper grocery bag for $10. That has been my biggest jackpot.

7. Shop at online auctions and marketplaces

I've gotten some fantastic deals this way.. Not only can you find quality used items on auctions, but there's a growing trend for retailers to offer their BRAND NEW items up for auction at below retail cost. Auctions: eBay and Sam's Club Auctions. Marketplaces: Etsy, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Temu, AliExpress, Shein.

8. Check prices online before buying retail

You'd be shocked at how much money you can save buy purchasing things online verses retail stores. To find these valuable online deals, check if your favorite store is online or do a search engine search for the product and be sure to use tip #9 below for extra phenomenal savings.

9. Coupons and rebates

Most weekend editions of the newspaper contain literally hundreds of coupons for food, health & beauty items, etc.  If you’re going to buy the product anyway, why not save a few dollars?  Keep the coupons organized and carry them with you each shopping trip. 

To optimize coupon usage, use them on things which are on sale.  The store flyer can be reviewed ahead of time, and your week’s menu planned around sales and coupons.  I’ve done this every week for the past eight years and save more than enough money on each trip to make the effort worthwhile.

Rebate offer forms can also be found in those coupon inserts with the weekend newspaper.  Look for additional forms on the shelves or bulletin boards of grocery and specialty stores. Hardware and software now offer some outstanding rebates, so don't overlook those when shopping offline or online. Rebates can earn you anywhere from $1 to $50, depending on the product, so start saving those UPC symbols.  

I've recently found an incredible collection of online store coupons and rebate notifications. Often you can get expensive items, including computer equipment for FREE or ALMOST FREE!! Recently I used these combinations to get a free printer and a free scanner and walked away with an extra $10 to boot! Don't miss this little-known secret to saving money. One good one is www.wow-coupons.com .

10. Barter for products and/or services

Trade services with someone you know or even someone you don't know. Years ago I traded flower maintenance services for my weekly chiropractic adjustments! I'm sure the fact that she was a client of our office cleaning service at the time had something to do with the generous bartering arrangement, but it illustrates the opportunities that are out there if you just use a little creative thinking. Lately I have been able to trade the package of 75 Secret Freebies on this page for great stuff online -- I just inquire of the seller if he or she would mind doing a barter of my package for their product or service since my package is valued at over $3,375. Just about every person agrees to the trade and I get things for free this way. 

Once in a while you can find a business person who will agree to barter.  We have enjoyed saving money this way on occasion.  An artist friend of ours has traded art prints for carpet, furniture, plants, a boat, legal and dental services, restaurant meals, and even a pet

Interestingly, there are several barter exchange networks which maintain a database of members’ goods and services available for trade.  Some charge a fee for this information, and others don’t. Search by Googling "bartering associations."

We barter for most of the items and services offered on our website. Visit this page for more details on the smartest form of shopping ... swapping! 

11. Get online freebies

You wouldn't BELIEVE how much free stuff you can get on the internet -- samples, coupons, etc. Here are my favorite places to find whatever my little heart desires:

Secret Freebies -- my own collection of 75 special deals

The Free Site -- the Web's largest collection of freebies. A categorized directory of hundreds of sites where you can all kinds get free stuff from samples to software and everything in between! Free newsletter too

12. Get manufacturer samples

A great way to save money on your favorite products is to write a letter of appreciation to the manufacturer. Do you love the new and improved ziplock packaging on the shredded cheese you always buy? Are you happy somebody finally started making little waterproof round spot bandaids? Tell the manufacturer how much you love their product and why. There's always an address somewhere on the package, so take a few minutes to hand write a thank you note and complement them on their product. Almost every time, you'll receive a nice letter from them thanking you for your feedback ... and enclosed will be samples and usually some cents-off or even FREE coupons for the product! Plus, you'll probably make someone's day with your kind words of praise.

With just a little creativity and a commitment to cutting corners, you may actually begin to enjoy squeezing every last drop out of your precious greenbacks.  S-t-r-e-t-c-h  those dollar bills!