I’m picking up where I left off on the 20 Money-Saving Habits for 2009. Each and every one of these habits are small changes you make to your life, but when done regularly over the year, they can make a BIG difference to your family budget. Every time you plan to spend money, think about how you can do-it-yourself:

Food: Are you purchasing the pre-cut, pre-washed lettuce at $3.00/bag? Can you do it yourself for .99? What about making your own pizza? I’m saving several dollars each week making my own waffles instead of buying them. You don’t have to do it for every meal every time (goodness knows there are weeks when convenience is more important), but adopting these small changes help your grocery budget greatly.

Home Improvements: Are you paying someone else to mow your lawn, do small repairs around your home, etc.? What can you do yourself? Remember that Home Depot offers FREE Workshops on how to tile a floor, install a ceiling fan, and maintain your lawn & garden. You’ll save hundreds of dollars in labor, and it can be very rewarding to walk into a room and see something you’ve done yourself. Personally, I draw the line at electricity and plumbing, but some people have a knack for that too.

Home Decor: What are some projects you can do to decorate as opposed to shopping even at discount stores like Home Goods and Marshall’s? I save money each time I “make” a frame for .50 as opposed to purchasing one for $4-20. I’ll be sharing more Wall Art on the Cheap as I decorate my own home this summer. Look how much I saved by painting a $20 yard sale buffet instead of buying new.

Other Services: Think about what you’re spending on services like car washing and haircuts. Get the kids outside with the hose and wash your own car. It’s fun and frugal. Then, learn how to do a simple boy’s haircut with clippers (I paid less than $20 for mine at Target). By cutting my son’s hair, I save $14 each haircut (warning—it is messy, but it’s worth it to me to save the big bucks).

When you learn to do-it-yourself in so many areas of your life, not only will you see savings on your family budget each month, you’ll feel a sense of pride for what you have accomplished (well, maybe not while you’re chopping lettuce).

What are some ways you save money by doing-it-yourself?

For more Money-Saving Habits you can apply to your life and your budget, here’s the series so far:

Know Your Store Policies
Be Willing to Stockpile
Buy Meat in Bulk & Cook Ahead
Use Your Public Library

You probably frequent the same stores, whether locally or online, so it’s worth it for you to know your store policies so you can speak up if you need to.

When shopping online, be sure and check the returns policy before you buy. Some online retailers (like Ann Taylor) do not let you return clearance merchandise to the store. Also, some online retailers (like Office Depot) will price match, so be sure you know the procedure before you purchase. Amazon has recently (as of September 2008) dropped their price reduction policy; but brick-and-mortar Target (not Target.com) will honor a price drop for up to 14 days. I can bring in their ad showing a sale price plus the receipt for the item I purchased, and they’ll refund the difference.

Some stores will accept competitor’s coupons; Home Depot and Lowe’s will accept coupons for the other store, but they may not accept printables. You’ll need to check with your local store for details.

At the grocery store, since you’re probably shopping at the same chain week after week, learn about the store’s coupon policy: do they double coupons? to what amount? will they take internet-printed coupons? Most grocery and other stores (Target, CVS, etc.) will take two coupons per item, both a store coupon and manufacturer coupon, on a given item unless either coupon prevents that. Should you have a problem with a cashier accepting both coupons, you can easily ask for the manager to verify the coupon policy. What happens if an item scans for a higher price than the shelf tag stated? In some stores, you get the product free. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself if you feel you have been charged unfairly.

How can you find out a store’s policies? While you’re at the store, ask at the customer service desk or ask to speak to a manager. Be polite and curious, not accusatory. Try saying, “What are your coupon policies? I am a coupon user and want to be sure I’m following the rules.” It’s easier to have that conversation before you shop than while you’re at the register with a line of people behind you. From home, you can call the store and ask for the manager. You can also try calling a Corporate phone number for the store’s overall policy, but most companies will tell you that the individual store policy is determined by that store’s manager.

If you find that you’re having trouble at a particular store, you might try printing out the store’s policy and carry it with you to use at checkout. Here are a few links to coupon policies:

• Giant (from their website, look under “Shopping FAQs”)
• CVS (from an email to Penny Pinching Diva, Oct 2008)
• Rite Aid (from an email to The Freebie Blogger, Sept 2008)
• Safeway (the corporate policy on internet coupons; regarding doubling, it varies depending on your region and the store management–ask your store manager for details)
• Target (from an email I received)
• Wal-Mart (from their website)
• Walgreens (from an email to Sense to Save, Nov 2007)

All in all, it’s worth a little bit of your time to learn the policies of the stores you frequently shop.

Read the other articles in the 20 Money-Saving Habits for 2009 series.

Image courtesy of Andrew Hounslea

Stockpile. That word seems to induce fear in most people. I think they envision Costco-sized boxes and cans hanging out of every closet and crevice in their home, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

First off, let’s talk about when and why you should stockpile. When? When the price of an item, usually by combining a sale price with a coupon, is the absolute lowest price the item goes. For example, Giant has L’Oreal Kids Shampoo on sale for $2.50, and this past Sunday 1/4 there was a .75 off coupon in the inserts, which Giant now doubles. That brings the price down to $1.00 on a shampoo that’s usually $2.99. This is my preferred brand for my girls’ very curly/frizzy hair, so I’m buying as many as I have coupons for. I’m not using this a deal example–as you may not need shampoo–but as an example of when to stockpile. Storing 3-4 bottles of shampoo doesn’t take up much space in my home, and I know it will get used up.

What should you stockpile? Think about the items you use the most, or the ones that cost the most. I’ve already mentioned stockpiling meat (by way of cooking ahead and freezing). Shampoo is expensive, and with two girls we go through it, so saving $1.99/bottle is what makes it affordable for me to have a preferred brand (my husband and I use whatever I get free at CVS). What does your family run through a lot of? Pasta? Tissues? Diapers? When you see a sale on something you buy regularly, purchase 2, 4 or 6 of the item so that you save money versus purchasing it every week or two.

Start with a couple of items–grocery or otherwise–and see how it feels. You do not need to turn your basement into a warehouse store. Find a little space under your bathroom sink or in the linen closet to hold a few extra items. I’m storing Kleenex in the top of my son’s closet, and I have enough cupboard space to hold an extra jar or two of salsa or spaghetti sauce.

Stockpiling isn’t just for food or toiletries. This concept works with clothing as well, though the outlay can be more. If you find a fantastic price on kids’ basic tees, shorts, etc., buy 2-3 as long as you know they will be used. The key is, be willing to buy a few extras of your family’s staples when they’re at their lowest price.

Read the other articles in the 20 Money-Saving Habits for 2009 series.

There are many ways to save money on groceries and I’ll cover several of them during this Money-Saving Habits for 2009 series. If you’re new to the frugality mindset, however, before you dive into couponing and non-couponing strategies, I recommend you make an effort to save money on one of the most expensive things you’re eating: meat. Here’s how you can save big:

1. By purchasing chicken, pork, and ground beef in bulk packages when they’re at their lowest prices (known by tracking sales at your local stores or just checking blogs like this one), you lock in the low price for the meat you buy. The down side? Now you have to deal with all that raw meat. I’ve posted several tutorials on how to process ground beef and chicken breasts when purchasing 10 pounds at once. I have found that 10 lbs. is the amount I can handle; more than that takes too long for me, and it’s usually enough to get my family through until the next sale comes around. In my area (Northern Virginia), the cheapest I have seen 93% lean ground beef if $1.99/lb, and the cheapest boneless, skinless chicken breasts are $1.69/lb. The sale cycle tends to run every 6-8 weeks, so I buy enough to last us until the next sale comes up.
2. Besides repackaging the meat into smaller portions and freezing it, you can also prepare some of it–by cooking and freezing it–to save yourself time on a busy weeknight. This encourages you to eat at home and avoid expensive takeout or restaurant meals. By defrosting the pre-cooked meat/chicken the night before, you can add it to a crockpot meal or make a quick meal like tacos in just minutes. For quick recipe ideas, look at the end of each of my Cook Once, Eat 10 Times articles.

Learn other ways to save money by reading the other articles in the 20 Money-Saving Habits for 2009 series.