SMALL HABITS THAT ADD UP TO *BIG* SAVINGS without Feeling Cheap (Everyone can do these!)

[@katierose1234]

I'm the same. I cannot stand light on in the daytime. natural light only. I open every blind the second I wake up. I just love it! lol

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

🤗

[@chafaithhope7195]

Me too!

[@waterfallpeace8057]

I open my blinds too for light. But later in the day, I partially or totally close them so the house doesn't get too hit & make AC cut on. We live in the south. We also have light dimmers so at night, we dim as night gets later so we can save money & help that natural melatonin kick in for sleep. We have light timers for front porch light so the light comes on an hour after sunset & turns off an hour prior to sunrise. Thank you for your help.

[@jsimp4050]

Enjoyed your video! Honestly I save money by staying home. 😃 I don’t spend as much money if I stay home and clean, cook from scratch, garden or do little home improvement projects.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

🤗

[@jodiweiss8705]

Your tip about using a shorter laundry cycle reminds me that I recently tried the 1 hour cycle on my dishwasher. I used to automatically press Normal. I discovered my new dishwasher works great on the 1 hour cycle! Now I am saving on water and electricity.

[@sandrawhitman2930]

I cut my concealer tube and makeup tube in the middle when I can’t squeeze any more out. I use a cue tip to get out the large amount that’s always left, and store it in a plastic bag between uses. It will usually last at least 3 more weeks.

[@tanyajohnston8262]

thinking of fun but free or almost free fun things to do, like reading, drawing, have company over for a meal, game night, etc. Can have a pot luck and game night so not alot of work or expense. Going to thrift stores for items such as kitchen ware, clothing and material to use for sewing gifts etc. Buying thrifted ribbon to use on gifts to make the gift wrapping pretty. For me thrifting is a fun pass time once in awhile and I will find new items, never used, for gifts sometimes. I've found unopened puzzles, stationary, art set, backpacks for grandchildren, unopened games, etc. Having a movie night, with homemade veggie pizza, icecream with toppings rather than going out and spending money for movies and treats. Cutting back on laundry detergent, making my own cleaning liquid with vinegar and water or baking soda. Changing around furniture and/or decor to enjoy a new look rather than buying more decor or furniture. Shop my home before going out and spending money.

[@kkhampton1599]

We buy the meats we prefer when they are on sale and stock up. I vacuum seal them in meal sized portions for 4. For the two of us, that equals 2 meals.

[@agnessymon8869]

I love your videos. My pet peeve is people who don't turn lights off when their not in the room. I love natural light also. I have a neighbor who never opens her blinds. I don't understand it.

[@1chicgeek368]

I know it costs a few extra dollars to leave lights on but I live alone and I don't like walking into a dark room (or coming home to a dark house -- never!) 🥰

[@annetteheth4538]

Great ideas! Tip: once a month, or so, I take inventory of our pantry, cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer. Using this list, I create meals around items I already have. We also have "must-go" meals using all odds and ends and leftovers that are in the fridge. Enjoy your videos!

[@dawnreynolds2991]

One thing I do that was a small change I now use dry beans instead of canned beans, we waist less trash. I now am trying to conserve toilet paper. I just started to use nappies ( cloth squares ) I'm liking the nappies so far.

[@waterfallpeace8057]

Buying clothes at our Salvation Army on Wednesdays are 50% off. I find work shirts for a family there since he gets stains so easily due to this type of job. Why pay full price for shirts in a Dept store when the shirts get so damaged/stained? This has saved us money. If we go to restaurant, we use coupon & when our parents come, they do a senior discount too. We use sunlight instead of lights during the day. During the hottest time of day, I close the blinds to avoid stop direct sunlight from overheating our home. It lessens the use of AC. At night, we use light dimmers, it reduces how much energy used too. Thank you for your informative videos.

[@mystery835]

I can’t stand artificial light. I’m the one at our house always turning all the lights off, my husband is the one always turning them ON. We drive each other crazy 😂

[@LadyBeeSting2434]

Awesome tips, thank you! So glad someone agrees with me on those bulbs! I can’t stand these led lights in my house. I even took them out of my living room without replacements but the light from the kitchen floods into their until we can get to the store, lol. Serious hate right there 🙈. Also, my money saving tip is buy at least one or two convenience meal (you can buy organic etc from the frozen section) instead of eating out on a crazy night. You just never know what life has around the corner and it saves money.

[@rosemarydoran9907]

I am in the Midwest and I love Belk! Being disabled I do most of my shopping online anyway so when I do need something I will check Belk or Macy's first. We have neither of those stores near me so shopping online is great. They seem to have the best bargains and lowest free shipping minimums of most stores. When eating out, there is a favorite Mexican restaurant in my neighborhood where we girls will sometimes go out for lunch or dinner. Their enchiladas are huge and we always order chips and salsa to share. I will frequently order the two enchilada meal and I will always bring home at least one full enchilada plus some of the sides that come with it. It costs me a few dollars more to buy the 2 enchilada meal then it would to buy one enchilada a la carte but I get at least two meals out of it so it makes my effective cost per meal a lot less. My favorite laundry hack is I have a speed wash cycle on my new washing machine. It washes a load in 15 minutes start to finish. It is great for everyday clothes that aren't super dirty. I'm sure it uses a lot less water and I know it definitely uses less energy as the time is 1/4 or less of what a normal wash load runtime is. Cold water is a must for most laundry. However I will do sheets and towels on warmer water settings.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

How are you Rosemary? I agree they both have great prices. Most of them are closing their retail stores, but they have great deals online.

[@rosemarydoran9907]

@@THEJENNIFERCOOK I am doing fine; just anxious to have spring here consistently. We have been going back and forth between winter and spring.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Yes us too!

[@bex438]

Hey Jennifer 👋 great video 👍 I nearly always wash my clothes on the quick 15 minute cycle/delicates and now the weather is getting a bit better I also try and dry my clothes outside. Here in the UK my energy bill is set to double for the year and it's not only sensible to try and save energy to cut back on costs and save money, but it's also so much better for the environment 😊

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Double?! Yikes Bex!

[@rebeccasaunders2657]

@@THEJENNIFERCOOK Yep 🙄🤯

[@kathleenford50]

Since I. recently started back to the YMCA and also need to shop at various stores since I have special dietary needs and no one carries everything I need I have started shopping at the stores that I pass on my way home. It doesn't take long since I'm usually only picking up a few items and I 'm not using extra gas to run errands all over town on a day I'm doing my weekly or biweekly errands.

[@amendadimovska4596]

I have found lately that I can't find any frozen fruit available, or it's rather sparse if there is any. So I have been buying in bulk on bananas and when they are ripe enough freeze them. I then can use them for smoothies, I can add them to a pancake dish or even homemade banana bread from frozen and it stops me going back to the store to buy more bananas and if I went back to the store I would buy more than just 🍌 😅 I'm in Australia and I still find Aldi has the best prices here too! I have started doing fortnightly food shops, 1 fortnight is quite large with everything I need for the month, Meat included (I freeze it all. Although I don't buy a lot of meat as we mix up between vegetarian and meat nights) and the alternate fortnight just buy fresh foods I have run out of, or any little extras that I needed and ran out of for breakfast, lunch & dinner for the remainder fortnight of the month. I was struggling for a long time trying to do weekly meal plans but it never worked out, and I finally committed to the monthly meal planning because of you and its the best thing I have done! My husband used to always pester me about what's for dinner everyday and it was a headache thinking about what to make. He doesn't ask me anymore and just checks the 'menu' on the fridge. Doing this has saved us money too! 💰 Thanks for your videos, love them ♡

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Amenda I am so glad the monthly meal planning is working well for you! ❤️

[@jewelgaither1504]

I make "freezer meals" out of some of our left overs. Instead of getting carryout or going out to eat when there doesn't seem to be time to cook supper, we pull something out of the freezer--it may be a different food for each person, but it's filling.

[@bonnienewman1081]

Yes! Right there with you on the office fluorescent lights. Can’t stand them. I keep mine off as well as do most of the people I work with. We let the natural light come in if we have windows or use dimmable lamps.

[@debbiemize2269]

Grocery stores in my rural area of Texas are Brookshire’s and Brookshire Brothers. In the larger cities an hour or more from me are H-E-B, Aldi, Kroger, Albertson’s, and Winco. I shop mostly at Brookshire’s, they’re cheaper than Brookshire Brothers. I recently went to Winco with my daughter and loved it! Wish I had one closer to me. When I do big grocery shopping I make the trip to H-E-B and Sam’s! Fluorescent lights trigger migraines for me. I had a big problem with them when teaching. I bought floor lamps and scattered them around my classroom (it only had one small window) to provide lighting. I also had the floor cord covers for safety. I bought all these myself, out of my personal money, yet still had major problems with the administration because I was “costing them additional money in electricity.” Seriously??? I told them it’s either the lamps or I’m out sick 3-4 days or more a month because of migraines! 😡

[@cherylT321]

Did they listen to you?

[@debbiemize2269]

@@cherylT321 I kept the lamps with the agreement that I would turn on the overhead lights on state mandated testing days. The students hated those fluorescent lights as much as I did! They told me my classroom looked cozy and welcoming! I also had made curtains to put over my window and a skirt to go around my desk. Since I spent more of my waking hours in that classroom than I did at home, it was going to be as homey as I could make it!

[@cherylT321]

@@debbiemize2269 👍

[@brendagoulding]

Hey Jennifer! We always called leftover night ‘smorgasbord’ and one of my kids said it was her favorite meal! Lol I dressed my kids from the thrift store that mostly had name brands, clearance racks, and the neighborhood garage sales from the more expensive neighborhoods. I saved a ton of money and my kiddos were well dressed. Now, my three adult girls are super excited when they find bargains the same way.

[@jenniferp403]

My family calls leftover night “smorgasbord” also. I’m 1/4 Swedish, so maybe it comes from that.

[@jewelgaither1504]

We call left overs "MUST GOS" everything in the refrigerator "must go"! We also call it "Taster's choice".

[@thebestwillow]

I love the filter button!

[@michellebell1406]

I have been shopping, clearance at the end of seasons for years now. It started with doing it for myself, then once I had kids - I do it for them as well. The amount of money you can save on kids clothing, by shopping on clearance and one sizing up, is unbelievable. I too also do it online quite a bit and use the filters. It saves so much time and unnecessary browsing. Tip: washing and drying your clothes during your city/ counties off peak hours. This will allow you to save on electricity and or gas because these are hours that don't have high usage. I looked up my cities off peak hours and this is when I do the bulk of my laundry.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

That is awesome Michelle!

[@thebestwillow]

Leftovers night, smorgasbord, grazing night, choosy tea. I wonder what else people call that meal? I bet there are additional interesting names people use for it!

[@pamelaeberling1519]

Hi Jennifer, It is called Heb they are in Texas and they are wonderful.

[@kittyfarmer9567]

I am an RN so I use warm or hot for my work clothes !

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Kitty that makes sense and I completely agree with that being very important 🤗

[@nancycerreta5629]

I save money by eating leftovers for breakfast. Who said leftover pizza or stew or meat and potatoes are not breakfast foods? Have them for breakfast and enjoy the fact you started saving money and time cooking to start your day. I also love natural light. Quite a few times I go around shutting lights off. I'm guilty of using warm water for washing but am changing to cold water from now on. Thanks Jennifer for giving us practical ways to save money.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Nancy I completely agree with you! Who made up the rule that only certain foods are for breakfast 🙄

[@patwagner9308]

I have lived all of my life opening curtains or blinds or closing them. I have noticed houses where the windows are never open & where the curtains or blinds are never open. I don't understand that way of thinking. My parents let the sun in during Winter days, opened windows to let a breeze in or closed curtains or blinds to keep the hot sun out. So do I. Always have. I want a breeze to blow thru once in awhile. Blow out the stale air, circulate the air ! (more comments after I listen to the rest.)

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Fresh air!

[@thebusybees2006]

Thank you

[@doloresrodriguez3157]

How I have saved money is making my own spaghetti sauce in a huge batch and freezing it. It keeps us from ordering out when we don’t feel like cooking and it’s healthy because you know what goes in it 😁

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Dolores that is great! ❤️

[@rubytimbers397]

Hey Jennifer ALDI is my store👍🏽 love your videos 👍🏽❤️

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Thank you so much Ruby! ❤️

[@katherinerichardson1767]

I have been using the gentle cycle during laundry day, and it does cut down the time you have to do your wash. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Katherine that is awesome!

[@melissashimp7448]

Great tips! Ill have to experiment with my dryer cycles. My tip may sound counter intuitive but it works for me. I take into account what is in my pantry already then go to the grocery store with my list of staples we need. I then purchase what is on sale and menu plan from what i purchased. I usually have a few things in mind that use basic staples. This allows me to work with what's available in my budget and be flexible. Working with what is available in my budget reduced the stress of having to change up my meal plan at the store because something I wanted was too expensive that week. I also will buy extras to use later. If my family has requests, I can work those in by being open to what else is available for the other meals. We have special diets in my family and this has made it so much easier especially with the food availability.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Melissa I believe your method is the smartest way to shop right now. It is a method I am trying out right now. 🤗

[@melissashimp7448]

@@THEJENNIFERCOOK yeah, I find it to much to spend time planning a menu then can't find the items or busting the budget. This way I menu plan once within my budget.🙂

[@Moonlightblessed]

Good afternoon Jennifer, thank you for your video, I live in Arizona, do you or anyone in this community know about a blogger for groceries stores in this part of the country? Thank you!🌷

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Selene, I don't but let's see if anyone sees this and knows of one 🤗

[@Moonlightblessed]

@@THEJENNIFERCOOK Thank you!🌷

[@millerboyz3]

I really like your clothing choices! Where do you tend to shop?……Like for the white top you are wearing in the video?

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Hi Ann, I shop all over the place. That one came from Kohl's and I found it on sale for $13.

[@maria_w311]

Hi Jennifer 👋

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Hi Maria! Happy Monday!

[@helenmckeown7430]

some great tips, thank you Jennifer..❤️

[@macadamianutball7534]

Hi !! I love watching your videoes! I was curious if you or anyone can explain to me the way our gas company bills ! I purposely shut my eat down since my last bill and my suspicion was confirmed . My bill reflects higher usage than last year and 100 percent more than last month! I’m really confused . Are they ripping us off? Commodity charge was 78.00 .. distribution charge 55.00 . It reflects a 15.00 customer usage yet the bat graph shows I used way more than that! 15.00 is prob hot water!! I am so mad 150.00 a month with furnace off?

[@carolynchristy]

Grandma said "Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." She was right :)

[@Elle-1156]

We have a “clean out the fridge” night each week.

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

Great idea!

[@beatricealcaraz5799]

Hey Jennifer😀

[@THEJENNIFERCOOK]

🤗

[@thebestwillow]

"god's lightbulb" *grins*