We've been fortunate to survive on one full-time income almost the entire time my husband and I have been married (8.5 years). While he was in the Army and I wanted to stay home with our two children, I had various part-time ventures - photography, personal training, housekeeping, etc - to supplement our income. However, what has primarily allowed us to manage is this list of resourceful tricks that SAVE MONEY and EARN MONEY in creative ways.
SAVING MONEY
1). Grocery Coupons - I feel like it's a little silly to even list grocery coupons because this method has been around for years. Yet now the best way to get coupons is no longer just cutting them from the Sunday newspaper inserts, there are many digital methods for saving on groceries. Personally I clip coupons to individual store reward cards online, and take advantage of rebates from Ibotta - a free app you download to your smartphone that will save you $$ each grocery trip, and at a handful of other stores or restaurants.
2). Online Coupon Codes and Rebates - I sign up for emails from stores I shop frequently, and watch for sales and coupon codes that way. If I'm about to make a purchase, I check RetailMeNot or Ebates for a code before checking out. Clicking through Ebates will often give you a % cash back on your purchase, then they pay you quarterly through PayPal. Some other websites that offer shopping rebates are Mypoints or Swagbucks
3). Shop the Clearance Section at the End of the Season - For my two boys I typically buy a size or two ahead when things are on clearance and save the clothes or shoes until they grow into them. My favorite stores to stock up on clearance from are Kohls or The Children's Place (make sure to stack online coupon codes and Ebates!)
4). Pet Expenses - Sign up for automatic food delivery from Petco or Chewy.com to save on food costs for your furry family members. For vaccinations, Petco or your local VCA Animal Hospital offer low cost vaccination days.
5). Get Free Stuff - There are a few sampling websites that will send you products to test in exchange for social media mentions or reviews. My favorites are Influenster, BzzAgent, and HouseParty.
6) Credit Cards Can Help You Save - I'm definitely not encouraging using credit cards to buy things you can't afford, what I am suggesting is to take advantage of cards that offer rewards to make purchases you'd otherwise be paying for with cash or your debit card. We have an American Airlines card and have paid for SEVERAL vacations using the rewards from our card, including 5 nights on the beach in Hawaii for our 5th anniversary. The hotel was all paid for simply by applying for the card and receiving 50,000 bonus miles after a couple months of purchases. We now use our card for groceries or gas, and pay off the amount we charge each month. This allows us to earn miles for hotels or flights on every day purchases. I also make large purchases on the credit card because Citibank offers a price reward feature where you submit proof of your purchase and they search for a better price, then refund you the difference if they find you a deal.
7). Class Action Lawsuits - Watch for class action lawsuits on products you've purchased on websites such as TopClassActions.com or ClassActionRebates.com. If the products violated regulations or didn't quite perform how they were supposed to, you might be entitled to a refund.
8). Ditch Cable or Satellite - We've been content without Directv for awhile now because we have Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. Additionally, we skip going to movies most of them time and wait for things to come out on Redbox (which often has freebie codes if you get their emails and texts!)
9). Other Reward Programs - It seems like just about everyone has a reward program these days, make a junk email (which is also helpful for your other signups) and join everyone's program! We take advantage of reward programs from Chili's (free kids meals!), Plenti (points from our AT&T bills earn us free gas), Fresh Step Rewards (free cat litter).... and the list goes on. I love all of the birthday freebies (from Sephora, Buffalo Wild Wings, Kohl's) I receive a couple weeks before my birthday every year!
EARNING MONEY
1). Online Surveys - Filling out surveys is one of the easiest ways you can earn a little extra cash from home. I'm signed up with a few different websites that offer gift cards to stores like Amazon or PayPal payments.
Mypoints
OpinionOutpost
Swagbucks
SurveySavvy
Mindfield
Livewire Research
You won't earn a ton of money this way, but it's realistic to spend 20-30 min on a survey and make a couple dollars, which can translate into $50+ a month. Often companies will send you products to test out and provide feedback on. I've received everything from diapers, to perfume, to cereal, or housecleaning products.
2). Flip clothes - Shopping thrift stores, garage sales, or Facebook groups for clothing and other items (collectibles and toys especially) and flipping them online is an easy way to make extra income. I use Poshmark, eBay, or ThredUp to resell clothing I find from stores like Goodwill. The biggest earners for me have been designer jeans and dresses, a few months I made over $900 profit from flipping! If you feel overwhelmed about where to start, check out the guide I wrote with my blogger friend Lola - Poshmark: How to Sell High & Score Big
3). Sell your crafts - If you're a creative person, consider selling on etsy! To help your items gain visibility, share with your friends on facebook and encourage them to pin the items on Pinterest. Refinishing furniture and selling locally is another great method. Here's a link to my shop - Simple & Sage
4). Clean Houses - Cleaning houses is a relatively easy way to add to your monthly income, especially if you live in an area with a bunch of vrbo or airbnb rentals like we do. Check places like Care.com or Indeed for housecleaning opportunities. The pay varies from $10-25/hr depending on the job and location.
5). Pet Sitting and Dog Walking - This is another quick way to make extra income and it's perfect for animal lovers! Sign up to offer pet sitting, drop-in visits, or walks on websites like Care.com, Rover.com, or Wag!
6). Mystery Shopping - You can earn cash or get a free meal by evaluating customer service at stores and restaurants with companies like The Source, Ipsos I-Say, or Reality Based Reports
IMPORTANT: Don't pay to sign up to be a mystery shopper, these legitimate websites are free to sign up with!
7). Find a Work at Home Job - If you're looking for something a little more consistent that still allows you to earn income from home, consider looking for an actual work from home position. I've been lucky enough to test recipes for HelloFresh and earn a part-time income from home for the past 8 months! I found the original job posting over at Work at Home Mom Revolution. Upwork is another source for freelance work.
Disclaimer: This blog post contains referral links, I appreciate you using my links to sign up!
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