9: Take advantage of things that are free/discounted

This post is a continuation of the post 10 ways to reduce your monthly expenses. Here is number nine on the list, and how we accomplished it.

9. Take advantage of things that are free/discounted

 

Books – I love to read and it’s very hard for me to walk into a bookstore without walking out with up to three books. However, buying so many books and then reading them once can really be expensive. Our local library has a great selection of books, and I can even put books from the library on my Kindle! This has made reading much easier, and easier to not spend money on books. See my page of books to find books I've read on my Kindle.

Movies – We like to rent/see movies, but seeing a movie is really expensive, and renting a movie (even from RedBox) can really add up. Our local library also has a great selection of movies! We do have to be on a waiting list for most of the new ones, but we’re not that picky about our movies.

If we really want to see a movie in theaters, (it’s an experience, and getting out of the house is definitely a plus!) we see them on Sundays, because a local theater does $5 movies on Sundays. This is much preferred to the $10/ticket we’d normally pay. Most movie theaters have a night of the week that is less expensive, like a Tuesday, when people don’t see movies as much.

Coupons – We haven’t quite gotten into the extreme couponing that is possible, but we save coupons to the restaurants we frequent most, and try to only go if we have a coupon we can use.

Clothes – Clothes go on sale all the time. I have found that unless I specifically need an item of clothing (a new pair of tennis shoes, a replacement for my one black camisole, etc), clothes can wait awhile. So, if you think you’ll want a new bathing suit next summer, buy it at the end of this summer when they are on sale. Alternatively, you could wait until you have a coupon.

Gym Membership – I can appreciate wanting a gym membership, but they are expensive, and usually aren’t used as much as they should be to be getting your money’s worth. If you live in an apartment with a fitness room, you can use that instead of a gym. If you own a home, it’s possible that your HOA fees include a membership to the local rec center. If neither of these is an option, a good alternative to a gym membership is a small set of weights at home and a couple good exercise videos.

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