Little Things

"It's the little things that make a big difference." It's true in exercise and dieting; it's also true in exercising control over our wallets! Here are some of my favorite random "little things":

-Know the policies of your local grocery stores. A store in my hometown doubles manufacturer coupons up to 50 cents, and I took a cue from my sister-in-law to check the Sunday paper for a 50-cent coupon for a certain brand of toilet paper that sells for 99 cents per 4-pack at this store. By using the coupon whenever it was in the paper, I was able to get free toilet paper for several weeks in a row. Many grocery stores match competitors' prices. A simple phone call to the stores around you to learn their couponing and price matching policies can end up saving you a pile! Also, be alert in any store for brightly colored "price reduced" tags. I was in the drugstore the other day looking for something completely different when such a sign caught my eye and I saw bottles of barbecue sauce marked down from $2.39 to .66! I bought the last two bottles on the shelf.

-It sounds funny, but I couldn't resist challenging the theory Clark Howard mentioned on his radio show. Apparently a caller to his show informed him that by thoroughly drying one's razor after each use, one can significantly increase the life of the razor blade. Clark tried it with the razor in his vacation home and was still using the same one 4-6 months later! It seems silly, but it really can reduce the frequency that disposable razors are on your grocery list! This principle, of course, can be applied to other things as well -- proper maintenance always pays off, even down to the "little things!"

-If you receive a large income tax refund each year, chances are you could change the number of deductions being taken from your paycheck so that you receive that chunk of change in smaller increments in your regular paycheck throughout the year instead of loaning it to the government. It's nice to feel like you get a "free" lump sum with your refund check, but if your daily budget is a little tight, this could help ease the stress.