Le Centquatre Paris invites you to the new edition of its vide-dressing, on the weekend of February 17-18, 2024. Head for the artistic spot in the capital’s 19th arrondissement to discover a fine selection of clothes, accessories and lifestyle items at mini prices, for the whole family!
Fashionistas, bargain hunters and style aficionados, get ready to heat up your credit card! Le Centquatre Paris is back with a new fashion sale for a 2024 edition that promises to be extra-special!
Fashion & Shopping tips for February 2024, in Paris and the Ile-de-France region Fashion may be a luxury, but it’s not inaccessible! From major vintage events, to free couture exhibitions, to stylish events in unusual or iconic locations, this guide takes you through the capital to bring you the best fashion & shopping hotspots of February 2024! [Read more]
On the weekend of February 17 to 18, 2024, Le Centquatre Paris, this artistic haven located in the 19th arrondissement of the capital, opens its doors wide for two days of intense shopping and stylish discoveries: men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, accessories, new beauty products, decorative objects, books and vinyl, there’s plenty to choose from! Whether you’re looking for the perfect pair of jeans, that vintage T-shirt that will make everyone jealous, funky accessories or decorative nuggets for your home, you’ll find something to satisfy all your fashion and lifestyle desires at mini prices.
A relaxed atmosphere and unique pieces await you for an ultra-cool shopping experience! Between fittings, take the opportunity to discover the emerging talents of the Parisian art scene who make Le Centquatre Paris so unique.
So get yourself down to the 19th arrondissement’s arty spot on Saturday February 17 and Sunday February 18 to shop, bargain and, above all, enjoy!
Take the opportunity to discover the current exhibition at Centquatre Paris:
Tracé Bleu – What to do in this place, unless you’re thinking about it? Free exhibition at Centquatre Paris Tracé Bleu – What to do in this place, unless you’re thinking about it? a free architectural exhibition, is on offer at Centquatre Paris from January 27 to March 10, 2024. Produced by Architecturestudio, it invites visitors to reflect on architecture and the climate emergency. [Read more]
These seven back-to-school savings tips will have your kids ready for another year without busting your budget.
July 28, 2023
New backpacks, calculators, shoes, musical instruments, and books—the shopping list for school supplies seems to get longer each year. It’s no wonder that families with children in elementary through high school planned to spend an average of $890.07—an all-time high—on back-to-school shopping, according to a 2023 National Retail Federation Report.
Clearly, back-to-school season can put a major dent in your budget. So how can you save money on back-to-school shopping?
Fear not. Tiffany Morrison, a personal finance writer, says there are ways to save money that can help ease the financial sting: “Back-to-school shopping can be done without breaking the bank.”
Here are seven tips for saving money this back-to-school season:
1. Plan ahead
The last thing that most parents and caregivers may want to think about during summer break is the next school year. But Morrison says it pays to plan ahead to stay in front of your back-to-school finances.
“Having a plan when it comes to school supplies and new shoes can help you not go over budget,” says Morrison, a mother of two high schoolers.
After all, no one wants to start a new school year in debt.
As soon as you can, Morrison says to make a list of the items your kids may need for the upcoming school year. Think about school supplies, backpacks, shoes, a first-day outfit, other clothes your kids may have outgrown—or anything they might need for extracurricular activities. Be as specific as you can, keeping in mind that your child’s school may not release its school supply list until just weeks before school starts—or sometimes even after it starts.
“Knowing exactly what you’re looking for ahead of time is a big help,” she says. “This way, you aren’t overbuying, which is easy to do when you aren’t prepared and don’t have a plan.”
After building a list, research prices. How much do those must-have shoes cost? How much extra is a backpack with wheels? Tallying up the numbers might reveal that back-to-school shopping will be more expensive than you anticipated. But don’t stress. There are a variety of back-to-school savings tips and clever ways to save money that can help you make it more affordable.
For starters—and in the spirit of preparedness—Morrison recommends setting up a back-to-school savings challenge for yourself.
“This involves setting aside a small amount of money, every paycheck, for a few months,” she says. “That way you’re prepared and not stressed about breaking the bank when that time comes.”
Where should you store those savings for back-to-school shopping? A high-yield online savings account allows your money to grow each month thanks to compound interest. It’s safe and easy to access, and you can even use multiple savings accounts to stay organized as you save toward different goals.
2. Look for midsummer deals
Once you have a list, Morrison recommends mapping out which stores have the items. Back-to-school shopping tips like this help you streamline and prioritize securing those midsummer deals so you don’t miss them.
“A lot of stores start having sales on school uniform clothing and school supplies beginning around July,” Morrison says. She adds that you can also find deals in the end-of-season clearance sections of stores.
“I also check to see which stores have any coupons available,” Morrison says. “And don’t forget to check the mobile apps associated with each store. Sometimes they offer extra savings.”
3. Stock up on back-to-school staples throughout the year
Some school supplies are timeless, and they need to be regularly replaced. Things like notebooks, folders, glue, markers, crayons, pens, and pencils always need to be restocked before the next school year.
For that reason, Morrison says that a great way to save money is to spread out your school-supply shopping throughout the year. By jumping on sales when you see them, you can check off a good chunk of your back-to-school shopping before the summer even begins—and at a fraction of the cost.
Another back-to-school savings tip from Morrison? Sift through the supplies your kids bring home on the last day of school. You may find unused plastic folders or spiral notebooks that can be saved for the upcoming year. You can also stow away items with a longer shelf life, like scissors, rulers, calculators, and protractors, so they stay in good condition.
4. Start meal planning
Morrison saves the most money of all on meals and snacks for her kids. That’s why, when it comes to tips on saving money this back-to-school season, meal planning is her biggest focus.
That doesn’t mean planning every lunch down to the last grape. Instead, Morrison likes to plan her kids’ breakfast, lunch, and dinner around their school and activity schedules.
For example, she says if there’s a busy week of school concerts and soccer games, you might be tempted to make an unplanned detour to the drive-thru on the way home. Instead, Morrison recommends always having an easy-to-prepare meal available for when things get hectic. “A simple sandwich with chips and veggies can go a long way,” she says.
To become a better meal planner, Morrison recommends practicing over the summer so you’ll be prepared when the school year is in full swing.
5. Take advantage of tax-free shopping days
Hitting the stores during tax-free shopping days is a lesser-known tip for saving money this back-to-school season. The downside? Only some states offer them, and they can include residency and product restrictions, so do your research before crossing any state lines for back-to-school shopping.
Tax-free shopping days may be a great way to save money, Morrison says. But she also notes that shops and stores may be busier on those days. One tip: Arrive at stores early to beat the crowds and take advantage of those tax-free back-to-school savings without too much stress or having to deal with sparse inventory.
Morrison notes that not all states offer sales tax holidays—and of those that do, some only reduce a portion of the tax. And be sure to check which items are eligible for the sales tax holiday before planning your back-to-school shopping.
6. Involve your kids in scouting out back-to-school savings
Implementing back-to-school savings tips doesn’t need to be the sole responsibility of parents. Teaching your kids about money and getting them involved in the family budget can help them understand the importance of saving money on back-to-school shopping. In the short term, they’ll feel like part of the team in making smart money decisions. And in the long term, they’ll file away life lessons for managing their own money.
Morrison recommends getting younger kids involved in the savings challenge. Whether they have an allowance or not, you can give them a “bonus” and have them deposit it in a back-to-school savings jar. They’ll see their jar fill up over the summer and can enjoy buying a few back-to-school items with the money.
Older kids can help save money as well. Morrison gives her kids a budget for their clothes and shoes. “If they want something more expensive, they have to help with the difference. They’ll usually stay within budget if they want to save their money.”
7. Make smart saving part of the family
“The older they get, the more expensive they get,” Morrison says. When healthy financial habits are part of your family culture, you can help your kids grow up with the confidence and know-how to make smart money decisions. That will help you manage your back-to-school spending, but it will also set them up for financial success in the long run.
Even during summer break, saving doesn’t need to stop. Finding inexpensive activities for kids can keep the momentum going from one school year to the next—and help you budget more for back-to-school essentials.
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The American housewife! Who has a more important or more responsible occupation? Wife, mother, laundress, counselor, maid, chef, purchasing agent. All of these are her duties at one time or another.
So begins Buying Food, a home economics film from 1950. Buying Food is fascinating not just for its shopping tips, but also for the inside look at a grocery store from 60 years ago. (Self-service grocery stores were introduced in 1916 and grew in popularity during the 1920s and 1930s, but they were still relatively young in 1950.)
The condescending narrator e-nun-ci-ates his thesis:
If her income is limited — and most incomes are — it is her duty to be sure that what she has to spend buys the most in healthful, nutritious food for her family. Yes, she feels that she must buy wisely if she can. But what does this mean? What can she do to be sure that her money goes as far as possible?
Most of these tips will probably be quite familiar. But remember, this film is meant to educate future housewives: high school girls. Tips include:
Use a grocery list to eliminate impulse buying. Notice that the film’s impulse buyer is a man. A man can’t possibly know how to shop properly, right? (Kris would answer “yes”.)
Buy only what you need. When you buy too much, whether through impulse or through mistaken economy, you run the risk of creating waste. And wasted food is a huge drain on the budget (both then and now).
Compare unit pricing. The film doesn’t call it unit pricing, but that’s what it is. Viewers are instructed to compare the price per ounce on a can of beans, for example. Search for the best value, which isn’t always the largest lot.
Buy in bulk. You can often save money by purchasing “case lots”. (Actually, the grocery store we used to shop at in my home town still has a “case sale” every summer. You can order cases of your favorite food in advance. I’d always order a case or two of my favorite canned chili. It was a great way to save money.)
Don’t buy foods your family won’t eat. And don’t buy too many perishables. Again, you don’t want to waste food.
Know what you’re buying before you buy. “When you buy canned goods, be sure to read the label. The information on the label is much more reliable than the flowery language of advertisements.”
Purchase produce in season, when possible. Produce costs less and tastes better when it is in season. (Yes, it’s obvious, but it’s a main point in the film.) The film also notes that “if the housewife’s time is not too highly valued”, home-canned produce can be a savings.
Frozen foods are a good choice. They’re nearest in quality to fresh produce. They cost a little more, but this cost is offset by the fact that there’s no waste.
Use the best grade of milk available to you. “Disease may be contracted by drinking unsanitary raw milk.” (Of all the tips, this seems least applicable to modern grocery shoppers.)
But successful meals aren’t just about smart shopping. The film notes that cooking skills are important, too:
The cooking ability of the housewife [is] highly important. It doesn’t take much skill to make an excellent meal from an expensive t-bone steak. But the sign of an accomplished cook is an attractive and tasty dish made from less expensive meat: hamburger, frankfurters. Even a well-prepared, well-seasoned stew is a dish a housewife can be proud to set before her family.
Over the past few weeks, Kris and I have had fun browsing through the Public Domain media at the Internet Archive. There’s a massive collection of old instructional films (like this one) on a variety of subjects — dating, diet, driving — including many on personal finance. If you, too, enjoy films like this, I encourage you to spend some time exploring the site.
Note: This film was created for high school home economics classes of the 1950s. Yes, by modern standards it’s sexist, but if you can put your brain on “pause”, it’s a fun film, and an interesting glimpse at the past. Plus, most of the tips are still applicable today.
Kris and I went grocery shopping this weekend. We stopped at Bob’s Red Mill — a local health-food store — to use some “buy one, get one free” coupons. “You can get anything you want,” Kris told me, “except hot cereal.”
“Why can’t I get hot cereal?” I asked. “I love hot cereal.”
“I know,” Kris said. “But you buy it all the time. You buy it faster than you eat it. Just last week, you bought another box of that blueberry oatmeal from Trader Joe’s. You never remember what we have at home. You need to shop with a list.”
She has a point.
A shopping list is a useful way to remind yourself what you do and do not need to purchase. But most frugality experts emphasize shopping with a list because it prevents impulse purchases. Impulse purchases wreck grocery budgets. In Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, Paco Underhill writes:
Supermarkets are places of high impulse buying for both sexes — fully 60 to 70 percent of purchases there were unplanned, grocery industry studies have shown us.
More than half of all grocery purchases are unplanned! No wonder creating and sticking to a list can bring down grocery costs.
But that’s not the only way to save money at the supermarket. Over the past two years, I’ve published a lot of tips for saving money on your grocery bill. Some of these have been obvious — others less so. All of them can help you save at the supermarket. Here are some of the best:
Make a List — and Stick to It.
This is the cardinal rule of shopping. The list represents your grocery needs: the staples you’re out of, and the food you need for upcoming meals. When you stray from the list, you’re buying on impulse, and that’s how shopping trips get out of control. Sure, a magazine only costs $5, but if you spend an extra $5 every time you make a trip to the supermarket, you waste a lot of money.
The biggest package isn’t always the most cost-effective. Stores know that consumers want to buy in bulk, and so they mix it up: sometimes the bulk item is cheaper, sometimes it’s more expensive. The only way you can be sure is to take a calculator. Our grocery store posts unit pricing for most items, which makes comparisons easy.
Ditch the Basket or Cart.
If you’re dashing into the supermarket to pick up milk and bread, don’t use a basket. Baskets induce people to buy more. If you’re limited to what you can carry, you’re more likely to avoid impulse purchases. Only use a basket (or shopping cart) if it’s absolutely necessary.
Don’t Examine Things You Don’t Need.
The more you interact with something, the more likely you are to buy it, says Paco Underhill in Why We Buy: “Virtually all unplanned purchases…come as a result of the shopper seeing, touching, smelling, or tasting something that promises pleasure, if not total fulfillment.” Do you know why grocery stores place those displays in the aisles? To intentionally block traffic. They want to force you to stop, if only for a moment. It only takes a few seconds of idly staring at the Chips Ahoy! to convince you to buy them. Stay focused.
Live on the Edge.
Health-conscious shoppers know that the perimeter of the store is where the good stuff is. The baked goods, dairy products, fresh meats, and fruits and vegetables are generally placed along the outside edge of the supermarket, while the processed stuff can be found up and down the aisles. But shopping the edges isn’t just healthier — it’s cheaper too. Stock up on the fresh food first, then venture to the middle of the store.
Discard Brand Loyalties.
Be willing to experiment. You may have a favorite brand of diced tomatoes, for example, but does it really matter? Go with what’s on sale for the lowest unit price. You may find you like the less expensive product just as well. If you try a cheaper brand and are disappointed, it’s okay to return to your regular brand.
Choose Generic.
Better yet, try the store brand. Generic and store brand products are cheaper than their name-brand equivalents and are usually of similar quality. But do you know why you’re reluctant to try generics? The power of marketing. Most generics have unappealing packaging. If they cost less and taste the same, who cares?
Use Coupons Wisely.
Coupons really can save you money. But you have to know how to use them. Clip coupons only the things you need — staple foods and ingredients — not for processed junk food. Learn to use special coupons. Once each month, one local store sends us a “$10 off a $50 purchase coupon”. We know it’s coming, so we plan our trips around it.
Make One Large Trip Instead of Several Small Ones.
Each time you enter the grocery store is another chance to spend. By reducing the frequency of your trips, you’re not only avoiding temptation, but you’re also saving money on overhead (time and fuel).
Buy From the Bulk Bins.
Some stores offer bulk bins filled with baking ingredients, cereal, and spices. When you buy in bulk, you get just the amount you need, and you pay less. Much less. (One GRS reader recently shared how he saved over $150 by buying spices in bulk.)
Check Your Receipt.
Make sure your prices are scanned correctly. Make sure your coupons are scanned correctly. Sale items, especially, have a tendency to be in the computer wrong, and yet few people ever challenge the price at the register. You don’t need to hold up the line: simply watch the price of each item as it’s scanned. If you suspect an error, step to the side and check the receipt as the clerk begins the next order. If there’s a problem, politely point it out. It’s your money. Ask for it.
Shop Alone.
In Why We Buy, the author notes that people tend to buy more when shopping in groups than when shopping alone. “But men are especially suggestible to the entreaties of children as well as eye-catching displays.” Kris complains that we always spend more on food when we shop together. She’s right. If possible, shop alone.
Use a Grocery Price Book.
A grocery price book is an ongoing list of the items you most commonly purchase and how much you paid for them. This list allows you to detect price cycles, spot bargains, and plan your shopping trips for maximum savings. A price book allows you to practice strike-point shopping.
Shop on a Full Stomach.
Studies show that folks who shop when they’re hungry buy more. This is certainly true for me: If I go to the store for milk on a Sunday morning without eating breakfast, I’m likely to come home with donuts and orange juice and Lucky Charms, too.
Walk or Bike.
In our recent discussion about how to pay yourself first, Ross Williams suggested another way to reduce impulse purchases. By walking or biking to the store, you can automatically limit your spending. “It’s amazing how focused you can be when you are limited to one shopping bag full of groceries,” he writes. “Once you are very conscious of each purchase, it seems to carry over even to the small items where space isn’t really an issue.”
Any of these tips can help a savvy shopper save money at the supermarket. But when combined to create a cohesive shopping philosophy, they have the power to slash your grocery budget significantly. I’m not promising that you’ll be able to feed yourself for $15 a week, but you might be able to save enough money pay down your debt or to jump-start your savings!
Here are some related articles:
Kris requested I offer some final pointers for the gentlemen. “Check with your wife before you go shopping,” she says. “Check with your wife before you put anything into the cart. And remember: Just because you like a food doesn’t mean you need to buy it every time you go shopping.”
The holiday season is upon us, the time of year for family, friends, food — and wine. Yes, it’s true, I associate the holidays with alcohol. It never used to be this way (probably because I didn’t drink), but for the past five years, I’ve spent late November stocking our wine rack.
There are several reasons for this:
From mid-November to mid-January, the local supermarkets have huge wine sales.
Every winter, Consumer Reports lists holiday wine bargains. In the December 2010 issue, for example, they suggest 22 “best buys” between $4 and $15 per bottle. (Most are in the $7 to $10 range.)
Our circle of friends seems to have more dinner parties during the winter than at other times of the year. When we gather, we drink wine.
For a long time, I used the shotgun method of buying wine. I went to the store and bought bottles at random, usually based on whether I liked the label. (No joke!) Nowadays, however, I’m more methodical. I’m reluctant to buy a wine I haven’t tried before; I mostly buy wines I know I like. And I try to get them for as little as possible.
Drink What You Like
My top tip for saving money on wine is to buy what you like. When you buy a bottle blindly, there’s a chance you won’t enjoy it. Buying bad wine is like pouring money down the drain. But if you stick with old favorites, wine can be an excellent value.
How can you tell what you like? You have to experiment. Wine recommendations should be treated like movie reviews: They can give you a general idea of what you’re going to get, but your actual reaction will be intensely personal. To know for sure, you have to taste a wine.
When you find something you really like, write it down. For me, this only happens about once a year. When I taste a wine that knocks my socks off, I immediately send myself an e-mail so I won’t forget. After doing this for the past few years, I’ve developed a short list (of four wines) that I’d actually like to have on hand.
There’s no need to keep elaborate notes (unless you want to). I’m an unsophisticated wine drinker. Oaky? Fruity? Full of tannins? Heck if I know. Some people are serious about wine, and that’s fine. For me, though, wine is fun. Eating a good meal while sharing a bottle of wine is a bonding experience. Wine brings people together. And it does that just as well at $8 a bottle as at $80 a bottle.
Finding Wine Bargains
As much as I love it, wine can be expensive. It pains me to spend $25 on a bottle of something to drink. So I don’t — not if I can help it. Instead, I keep my eye out for wine bargains. Here are five ways I save money on wine:
Wait for a sale. Yes, wine goes on sale, especially at supermarkets. Between now and the end of the year, Safeway has tons of wine marked down for the holidays, including “30% off wines priced $20 or more”. (This is true in the Portland area, anyhow.)
Buy in bulk. Many grocery stores offer discounts if you buy several bottles at once. Safeway, for example, gives shoppers 10% off if they buy at least six bottles. Combining this with the 30% discount I mentioned above, you can buy a $20 wine for $12.60 — or a $40 wine for $25.21. (I’m using Safeway as an example because that’s our local supermarket and I know their policies.)
Order by the case. When you find a wine you like, stock up. Ask your local wine store or supermarket if you can order a case of the stuff — and ask if that’ll earn you a discount. My friend Paul, for example, recently found a tasty pinot noir. At $24 per bottle, it wasn’t something he could afford, though. When the local Fred Meyer put the wine on sale for $10 a bottle, he bought a case. By doing so, he got an extra dollar off the sale price, saving him a total of $15 per bottle!
Shop at a warehouse club. Most Costco stores have a fine selection of wines at reasonable prices. I’m sure other warehouse stores do, too.
Check discount stores. I’ve had several GRS readers tell me that they buy their wine at ding-and-dent stores, such as Grocery Outlet or Big Lots. (Here’s an article that explains how Grocery Outlet can sell good wines for cheap.)
I’m sure there are other ways to buy wine for less, too. Consumer Reports, for example, is a fan of buying wine online. (Their wine shopping tips include advice for buying via the web.) And I’ve always wondered if it might be possible to get a good deal by buying directly from the winemaker. If you have tips for saving on wine, please let me know.
Further reading: If you’d like to learn more about wine, check out the Consumer Reports wine buying guide. It’s a short intro to the types of wine and when to drink them.
Putting Theory Into Practice
So, how do I put these tips into practice? That’s easy to answer since I’ve been doing so for the past couple of weeks.
First, I do 90% (or more) of our alcohol shopping at the end of the year, when the best bargains can be had (at least here in Portland). We stock up during the holidays, and then don’t worry about alcohol for the rest of the year.
When I start my holiday wine shopping, I check to see if I’ve noted any favorite wines over the past twelve months. This year, for example, I had two: the Graffigna Centenario malbec and the Domaine de Ménard sauvignon blanc. I don’t know where I drank these, but I liked them enough to make a note to myself. So, I headed to a local wine shop and ordered a case of each. (Along with cases of two past favorites.) For less than $8 a bottle, I now have wines I know I like — enough to last a year or more.
Once each year, I place a big wine order, which lowers my costs.
Next, I stopped at Safeway to buy some pricier wine. (We usually take this to parties; I don’t mind giving expensive wine as a hostess gift, but I can’t bring myself to drink it at home. Is that weird?) Using the sale I mentioned above, I bought six bottles regularly priced $20 or more. I paid a total of $96 for wines that would normally have cost $150.
Finally, after Thanksgiving, I’ll carry the latest issue of Consumer Reports with me on a trip to Costco. If I find any of their recommended wines, I’ll buy two or three bottles of each.
This brief burst of wine shopping will keep us stocked for at least a year, and will save us money to boot!
A brief word about booze It’s more difficult for me to give advice about beer and booze. I don’t drink beer, and I’m under the impression that each state has different rules and regulations for the sale of distilled spirits.
Here in Oregon, for instance, liquor stores are under the oversight of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which tightly regulates how and what they can sell, and at what price. Because prices are controlled by the state, shoppers can visit the OLCC website to download a price list and to see current specials.
My guess is that in most places, it pays to be patient. If you have favorites, wait until they go on sale. When they do, stock up. For instance, I’m a fan of Scotch whisky, and like to have my favorites (Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Lagavulin) on hand. Rather than pay full price for these, I wait until they’re marked down, then buy two or three bottles. Recently, for example, I found Caol Ila discounted from $54 to $50 a bottle. I bought two bottles to tuck away for the future.
At 10am yesterday morning, Kris and I climbed into the Mini Cooper and to head for the county fair. We’d only been driving for a few minutes when Kris pointed at a sign. “Look! An estate sale,” she said. “Let’s stop.”
Kris and I like estate sales better than garage sales because they usually feature nearly everything a person has ever owned — not just the cast-offs. Family members have generally pulled the plum pieces, but there are still plenty of treasures remaining to be found.
In this case, the treasures we purchased included:
40 canning jars for $7
a pair of pruning shears for $3
a carousel clothesline for $20
Estate sales don’t always mean that the previous owner of the Stuff has died. That’s frequently true, but sometimes they’re simply moving on to another situation. The best estate sales are those at which everything is for sale, not just “collectibles” or “antiques”. At the former, you can usually find great deals, but things can be way overpriced at the latter.
Though estate sales are similar to garage sales (and thus similar shopping tips apply), there are differences between the two. Here’s our best advice for shopping at an estate sale:
Have a list in mind. When you visit an estate sale, it helps to have a list of items you’re looking for. I used to come from estate sales with lots of Stuff I didn’t really need: books, old magazines, outdated camera gear. Now I’m more focused. I look for comic books (which I never find) and garden tools. Kris looks for canning supplies. We both have mental lists of things we need around the house, and if we can find them at a good price at an estate sale, we’ll pick them up.
Set a budget. When you decide to spend a day looking at sales, it’s important to set a budget. Take $20 or $40 or $100 cash and leave the rest at home. Don’t carry your checkbook. If you have a list or are shopping for something specific, it’s okay to take more money. But if you’re visiting estate sales just for fun, you don’t want to spend a lot on junk.
Take your time. Be thorough. It’s easy to scan a garage sale because they’re nearly all the same. But every estate sale is different. Move slowly from room to room. Check the closets and the drawers (but only those that are part of the sale). Look in corners. Dig through boxes and bins. If you’re methodical, you can often find unexpected goodies in out of the way places.
Be willing to clean. Over the course of seventy or eighty years, people can acquire a lot of Stuff. In time, some of these things become worn or dirty. These items tend to be ignored at an estate sale, or marked with low prices. (They’re also the sorts of things you can haggle on with great effectiveness.) If you’re willing to apply a little spit and polish, you can sometimes turn lumps of coal into shiny diamonds. (Well, not literally, of course.)
Remember that old is often better than new. Kris and I own a home with a large yard and large garden. We use a lot of tools to maintain our property. But I’m always frustrated by the low quality and high prices of modern garden implements. Quite frankly, they suck. I’ve learned that for a fraction of the cost, I can pick up high-quality yard tools at estate sales. Older items are frequently better made, and they certainly have more character. Yesterday, for example, I spent $3 for a fantastic pair of garden shears. These have lasted 30 years or more. I’ll bet my family ends up trying to get three bucks for them at my estate sale.
Be picky. It’s easy to convince yourself that you need some wonderful item you’ve just found, even though it’s broken or otherwise not exactly what you were looking for. While there’s merit to being flexible (see the previous tip on cleaning things), it’s generally best to wait until you find something exactly right instead of settling for something close. Being patient and being picky are all part of the game.
Haggle. Americans aren’t fond of haggling, but estate sales are an excellent (and appropriate) place to do so. The sellers are looking to purge as much of this Stuff as possible, so ask for a discount — especially if you’re spending a lot of money. If you come back at the end of a sale, your bargaining power is even greater.
And here’s one final bonus tip: If you’re going to buy a ginormous carousel clothesline at an estate sale, have a vehicle other than a Mini Cooper to haul it in.
Kris and I were lucky yesterday that the yard sale was only about two miles from our house. I drove Kris home with her canning jars and then walked back to the sale. I know I looked pretty silly walking home with a big clothesline draped over my shoulder, but that’s what I did.
One of my jobs this weekend is to get that clothesline installed in our lawn. Meanwhile, Kris has washed her 40 canning jars. Just in time, too. Last night, the neighbors brought over 40 pounds of pears that are ready to be canned today. Who says frugality can’t be fun?
Achieve the perfect shabby chic aesthetic with these shopping tips and tricks.
Blending vintage and French country aesthetics, shabby chic is one of the most popular interior design trends of today among trendy styles like Japandi and Coastal Grandmother. Elegant, classical furniture is given a rustic twist with distressed paints and worn fabrics.
Cottage-style items like metal jugs meet glittering chandeliers for a look that’s equal parts warm and cozy but also romantic and glamorous. Neutral, muted colors are the main colorways, with pops of color added in — usually soft pastels like pink and blue.
If you want to curate this stylish and trendy aesthetic in your apartment, here’s how you can find the right type of decor and furnishings.
How to find shabby chic furniture and decor for your apartment
Due to its heavy use of vintage (or vintage-styled) furniture, thrifting and going to antique stores are some good ways to source the right style of items for your shabby chic apartment. But that can take time to curate the right pieces.
If you want to realize your vision faster, finding shabby chic decor and furniture online at major retailers like Amazon is easy. You can also follow home and lifestyle influencers and blogs like French Country Cabin and Amy Berry for shabby chic design inspiration and ideas.
17 shabby chic decor ideas for your apartment
Not sure where to start decorating your apartment as shabby chic? These 17 decor items will look right at home in any shabby chic setting, giving you a good springboard for other decor ideas.
1. Shabby chic key holder shelf
Image Source: Amazon.com
Whether it’s for keys or coffee cups or towels, having a wall shelf with key hooks frees up cabinet storage and fills up wall space. The top shelf is ideal for holding letters, sunglasses or whatever else you need.
With its brass-finished hooks and distressed white-and-brown paint job, this key holder shelf both fits the shabby chic style and gives you a handy place for your keys, purse and other regularly used items.
2. Ruffled, farmhouse-style shower curtain
Image Source: Amazon.com
Everyone needs a shower curtain (unless you want to get water all over the bathroom and have no privacy while showering). Give yours a shabby chic twist with this farmhouse-style shower curtain with a ruffled base and cute wooden buttons.
3. Metal jug vase
Image Source: Amazon.com
Cottage and farmhouse elements are a key part of the shabby chic look, which you can incorporate with a vintage-looking metal jug vase. Its petite size, pitcher style and “Flowers & Garden” branding make it perfect as a flower vase.
Put it in the kitchen and fill it with mixing utensils, set it up on your apartment balcony or stoop with gardening tools…the possibilities are endless. Plus, the turquoise color will add a pop of color to the space.
4. Pink and ivory oriental wool rug
Image Source: Amazon.com
With their colorful patterns, most Oriental-style rugs won’t fit the traditional shabby chic color scheme. Instead, try out this ivory and soft pink wool rug, with a floral-style pattern to match the garden aesthetic part of shabby chic. This rug will look nice contrasted against gray and tan furniture, and the wool fabric will feel great underfoot.
5. Lace macrame vintage tablecloth
Image Source: Amazon.com
Delicate accessories go a long way to completing the shabby chic look. Use a lace macrame tablecloth on any kind of table, from side tables to dining tables, to add an air of glamour and elegance.
This particular one is also machine-washable, which makes it easy to clean in case of spills or messes. Just because you love an old-fashioned style doesn’t mean you want to clean and scrub laundry like they did in the olden days!
6. Decorative lantern
Image Source: Amazon.com
Old-fashioned, vintage lanterns are another in-style touch for the shabby chic aesthetic. Distressed white paint on metal adds a rustic vibe, while elegant, curled metalwork brings in fairy-tale elements. With four glass panes, you can add real or fake battery-powered candles to give your shabby chic space a warm, candlelit glow.
7. Tiffany floor lamp
Image Source: Amazon.com
With their lovely and often floral-themed glasswork, Tiffany lamps fit right in with the shabby chic school of design. But you want for one without too many colors, as strong colors stand out too much for the muted, cozy feel of a shabby chic space. This standing floor lamp fits the bill, with its arched gooseneck and burnished brass finish further fitting the shabby chic look.
8. French country-style hanging chandelier
Image Source: Amazon.com
One of the easiest ways to add that touch of glamour to your shabby chic abode is by hanging a small chandelier. Tiny chandeliers are a big part of the aesthetic, elevating the cottage-core theme of the room with its grand appearance. This French country-style example with dangling pendants and fake candles will look right at home in any shabby chic apartment. Just be sure that the chandelier you choose isn’t too big, as petite and delicate is the name of the game for this style.
9. Rustic cottage end table
Image Source: Amazon.com
It’s always good to add an end table to the sides of your couch. They’re handy for holding lamps or just as spots for decorative items. This cottage-style one features distressed paint for a rustic, farmhouse look that will look great paired with an elegant lamp.
10. Vintage floral wallpaper
Image Source: Amazon.com
With its style references grounded in the French countryside and cottage-core, florals are a motif that shows up frequently in shabby chic interior design. If you don’t want plain walls, put up a refined floral wallpaper like this one with delicate pink roses and white curlicues against a linen-patterned soft blue background.
Best of all, this adhesive paper can also work for cabinets, shelves, dressers and other flat surfaces. So if you don’t want to fill a whole wall with it, you can still incorporate it into the overall look. It’s easily removable as well, which makes it very renter-friendly.
11. Metal frame bed
Image Source: Amazon.com
A simple but attractive metal bed frame that looks like something out of a fairy tale perfectly fits the shabby chic look. This one from Amazon is sturdy, so you’ll still get a good night’s sleep while achieving the look and vibe you want.
12. Floral, vintage-style bedsheets
Image Source: Amazon.com
Going back to the floral motif, outfit your bed with floral-patterned bedsheets like this delicate rose set. The cozy and soft cotton with the rose pattern will look and feel good.
13. Vintage bird cage decor and letter holder
Image Source: Amazon.com
Use a vintage-style bird cage for practical purposes like holding letters or simply set it up as a purely decorative element. Either way, it’ll look right at home in your shabby chic apartment.
14. Vintage table clock
Image Source: Amazon.com
Constantly getting out your modern smartphone or using a contemporary wall clock to check the time isn’t very shabby chic. With distressed white paint, an antique watch face and elegant metal work, this vintage-style clock helps you tell the time without taking away from the shabby chic vibe.
15. Entryway table
Image Source: Amazon.com
It’s always handy to have a table in your entryway. It gives you a place for keys, mail, your purse or other items you regularly need when you leave the house. The curving legs, distressed white paint and rustic wooden shelf of this entryway table screams shabby chic, helping you keep your aesthetic while being practical at the same time.
16. Antique-style loveseat
Image Source: Amazon.com
With soft gray fabric, distressed wood and its tufted fabric pattern, this loveseat is petite enough to fit in any shabby chic apartment living room. Not only is the look spot-on for French country, but everyone needs a place to sit.
17. Distressed drawers
Image Source: Amazon.com
This robin-egg blue dresser with distressed paintwork will be the perfect complement to the pink and white tones of the rest of your bedroom, giving you a place to store your clothes without ruining the shabby chic aesthetic.
Turn your dream apartment into a shabby chic decor haven
With its soft, flowy feel and mix of elegant and rustic Old-World styles, shabby chic is a very fun and accessible style for any apartment. Ready to transform your apartment into a cottage in the French countryside with a shabby chic aesthetic? Find the right apartment for your vision by checking Rent.com listings in your desired area.
Are you looking for ways to save money on your weekly family budget? Look no further!
With discounts on food, to toys, to clothing, to household items, and more, Dollar General offers a lot of deals to help stretch your hard-earned dollars. I’ll dive into the particulars of how to find not only the clearance items but also the penny deals.
If you are new to penny shopping, I’ll explain the program, and at the bottom of this post, you can find the penny list and clearance items to help you save big and keep more money in your pocket!
Just want this week’s list? Click here to see the latest deals!
What is the Dollar General Penny list?
What are penny deals, you may ask? If you can catch the deal in time, you can buy all sorts of items from your local Dollar General store for just one penny!
Penny items are products that are being cleared out of the store. This can be from a product that is being discontinued or has gone past the 90% off clearance price. Penny items are generally supposed to be taken off the shelves already, but many stores don’t clear these in time. These discounted items ring up as a penny so the sales associates can easily identify them and know to pull the rest from the shelves.
How does Dollar General penny shopping work?
Penny shopping isn’t for the faint of heart. It will take determination and visiting the store in person – and that doesn’t guarantee success.
Every Tuesday, select items are discounted to one penny. Most weeks, there will be penny items, but some weeks won’t. To stay up-to-date, check out my list below to see what items are being discounted.
There are a few frustrating things to be aware of when shopping for penny items. For one, just because an item has been listed for a penny doesn’t mean your store will have them because the employees have pulled them. These items are usually donated locally or sent back to the manufacturer. Also, you will find that in some stores, the item may be listed as a penny, and the store 1 mile down the road doesn’t.
The other frustrating thing is that while the registers of most stores will have the updated prices once the store opens on Tuesday morning, some of the newer systems don’t update until later in the day and sometimes not until Wednesday.
Last, just because you scored a deal, some stores may not let you purchase penny items once they ring up as $0.01 at the register. Most stores aren’t going to fight this, but while I haven’t had an issue at my stores, I’ve heard stories of some stores not allowing the sale.
To use the app, don’t enter the UPC in the search bar. Instead, click on the scanner icon on the search bar and then click “enter barcode number”
Click on the scanner icon
Enter the barcode number
How to check for penny deals?
A powerful tool to help search for which stores have the deals is the Dollar General app (iOS / Android). While you can’t use te DG app to search for penny items exclusively, you can use the app to do a price check by scanning the UPC (Universal Product Code) of the items before headding to the register. Word of advice – the app is able to check prices in real-time, so make sure the app has been updated before checking prices so the new markdowns are loaded.
A UPC is a bar code on the packaging that is used to scan the item.Here is a picture of what you are looking for.
The Dollar General app is fairly accurate on pricing, but there have been exceptions. Generally, if the app shows either $0.00 or $0.01, the price for that item is usually a penny!
In addition to using the app to scan the item in the store to see if it shows the price of a penny, you can also use it to search all of the stores around you by typing in the UPC to see what they have in stock. To check, set your location and type in the UPC of that week’s discounted items. Then change the location of the stores that you shop to see what inventory is available to purchase.
Where can discounted items be found?
You can find Dollar General penny items anywhere within the store. I have the best luck finding them mixed in the clearance sections, by the register, and end caps. But don’t skip the normal-priced areas of the store. You never know what you may find.
There are sometimes clues about where the product is located when searching in the app. If the product name has “Fr End ck”, that means it’s up by the cashier.
In general, you should never ask employees about penny shopping. They know about it, but they are supposed to have pulled these items from the shelves. And most importantly, don’t complain about penny items or call corporate if your store won’t sell penny items to you. Complaining could cause corporate to end this practice, so in the long run, you are better off going to another store.
That said, I have a friend who, like clockwork, visits her Dollar General store right at 7 am every Tuesday, and when her local Dollar General store opens, the cashier pulls the items and puts them by the register for her. It took a little time, but it can be done!
Is penny shopping legal?
A lot of people ask whether penny shopping is legal, and yes, it is. As long as the item is on the sales floor, Dollar General’s policy is to sell penny items. It is worth noting that their policy isn’t to let you go back for more items, though.
What about clearance items?
In addition to penny times, it’s also worth checking for checking Dollar General’s clearance items as there are some great deals to be found that are on sale.
Dollar General is also a gold mine after major holidays and events, especially after Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, the end of summer, and the Super Bowl.
Clearance merchandise usually starts at 50% off of full price but can also go as high as 90% off. Usually, if those 90% off items don’t sell, they become penny items.
A great place to find deals is in the weekly ad and their website. Dollar General has BOGO deals and instant savings when you buy participating products. They also take manufacturer’s coupons, and Dollar General has a coupon for $5 off any $25 purchase, which is usually released on Saturday. And yes, you can pair the big weekly sales and clearance items with manufacturer coupons and the $5 off coupon to save big money!
Pro Shopping Tips
Prices are automatically updated, and most registers are updated before the stores open. So, being at the store when it first opens each Tuesday morning is usually the best way to get the deals. Each store operates differently, and they don’t update until later in the day or even on Wednesday. Once you learn how your local stores operate, it’s not common for the timing to change.
Stores that aren’t well organized and a bit run down seem to have dealt more consistently than the better run stores.
Some Dollar General stores have updated their registers, so you have to wait until the employee to complete ringing your order up before the price drops to a penny. It’s a little stressful watching that total climb, but a bit of a rush when it does.
Please be respectful of the Dollar General employees. They don’t set the policy, and getting mad at them makes their job much harder.
Getting deals is great, but I have known people who buy every item on sale, without thinking whether they will actually use it. I get the rush of a deal, and while this is none of my business, I hope you will consider that if you aren’t going to be able to use the item by the expiration date, to leave penny items behind for the next shopper or donate them. Getting a deal is great, but if it is thrown away, was it really a deal?
Dollar General Penny List & Markdowns
May 2023
May 30, 2023 – No Penny list May 23, 2023 May 16, 2023 May 9, 2023 May 2, 2023
April 2023
April 18, 2023 – No Penny List | Markdown List April 11, 2023 April 4, 2023 – No Penny List
March 2023
March 28, 2023 – No Penny List March 21, 2023 March 14, 2023 March 7, 2023
By Peter Anderson1 Comment – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited January 21, 2019.
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Later this month we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving, and for many people the Thanksgiving week is a time to sit back and reflect on all of the blessings that we’ve been given throughout the year. For some the week is about getting together with family and enjoying all of the good food. For others, however, Thanksgiving week is all about gearing up to go out and go shopping on Black Friday, or Cyber Monday.
I don’t usually go out on Black Friday, but I’m never one to say never when it comes to finding a deal. There have been several years where I have gone out on Black Friday, with mixed results. In years where I planned ahead, knew exactly what I wanted, and got to the store plenty early, I didn’t have any issues. In years where I just decided last minute to show up and see if I could get a deal – it didn’t work out well at all.
So today I want to go over a few Black Friday shopping tips, and look at some things you can do to prepare for the hottest shopping weekend of the year.
Don’t Just Wing It, Plan Ahead
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made when shopping on Black Friday was to not really make a plan ahead of time, and to just wing it when it came to getting a deal on the items I was shopping for. When I showed up at the store trying to get a deal, it was a complete mess. I didn’t know where the item I was looking for was going to be, others had showed up way before I did and the store in general was much busier than I had anticipated.
Here’s a video looking at my experience and the madness that ensued at Wal-Mart that night.
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View the video on YouTube
So as you can see it was complete madness and mayhem. I hadn’t planned ahead, and it was obvious others had. I saw one family talking on walkie-talkies, coordinating their battle plan!
Websites To Research Your Black Friday Deals
As mentioned above it’s a good idea to plan ahead and to research all of the Black Friday sales ahead of time. Track down and find the best deals on the items that you need.
So where can you go to do all your research? There are a ton of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping sites you can check out, here are a few of the better ones:
This “most wanted” list from gottadeal.com – will give you an idea of what items are most wanted at each store. Using that information you can prioritize you list and make a battle plan.
Black Friday Most Wanted Deals
8 Tips For Black Friday Shopping
Black Friday shopping starts way ahead of the early morning hours on Friday following Thanksgiving. It starts by doing your homework ahead of
time, and making a battle plan for where you’re going to go, and what you’re going to get.
Make a list in the order of importance: Make a list of things you were planning to buy this year anyway, and then prioritize them in the order that you want them the most – so you can make sure to go and wait in line for those items first.
Make a budget and save up the cash: Make a spending budget for the day, and save up the cash ahead of time to pay for all your purchases. Don’t spend more than you had planned!
Make sure the stores don’t have advance Black Friday deals: Some stores will give you the Black Friday price on the item ahead of time, they start the sales earlier in the week. If you can avoid going to the store on the big day, do it! Some stores also have rewards programs and members will sometimes get a preview shopping event and get Black Friday prices earlier in the week! (for example, Sears does this)
See if the item is available online too: Some stores will have Black Friday deals on their websites as well, so if you can get the deal online and avoid the store, go for it!
Go on a reconnaissance mission: If you’re looking for an item that’s going to be extremely popular, you may even want to go to the store ahead of time and scout out the location of the item so you know where to go. Be careful, however, as some stores will place Black Friday deals throughout the store, so make sure to get that store’s Black Friday sales plan layout.
Go with a friend.. or two: If you’re looking for more than one big ticket item, you may want to go to the store with the friend so you can wait in separate lines and get both of the items you wanted.
Bring some snacks: If you plan on waiting in line for a long time Friday morning, bring along some snacks, and maybe even some coffee (but don’t go overboard or you may lose your spot on line when you go to use the restroom!)
Figure out if you need a voucher for big items: Some stores will hand out vouchers to people in line for more popular or big ticket items to avoid a scramble once the doors open. Find out if your items need a voucher at that store, and if so, make sure to be in line super early.
So start planning for your big shopping day today, and you’ll be sure to get the deals that you wanted and save on your Christmas shopping, unlike those poor slobs like me who just show up!
Cyber Monday Is Great For Deals Too!
If you don’t get the deal you wanted on Black Friday, don’t worry. Cyber Monday – the Monday after Black Friday – also has a ton of great deals, mainly at online stores. Checking the sites linked above will also give you access to a lot of the best online deals to be found then.
Also, remember that while Black Friday has a lot of hype surrounding it, it isn’t always the best time to buy certain items.
When you do finally get around to buying the things you want, make sure you’re taking advantage of all available discounts to get the best possible deal! Also, remember, you can always go the route of buying or making frugal Christmas gifts for your family as well!
Have your own Black Friday shopping tips? Tell us what they are in the comments!
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
One of the monthly expenses many of us forget to include in our budgets is car repair and maintenance. Sure, we put down the price of gas, and maybe an oil change every two or three months, but we forget about most of the ongoing maintenance costs. Cars need regular maintenance over their useful lives, and most of us will pay through the nose to get it performed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With parts bought online, some simple tools, and a little basic knowledge, many car repairs can be done without visiting a mechanic.
I talked to Richard Reina, the Training Director at CARiD, about some of the easiest car repairs you can do at home. You can find most of the replacement parts at CARiD or similar sites, plus many instructional videos and fact sheets that will ensure you have the help you need every step of the way. I also talked to several mechanics, including a family member who has had over 20 years of experience fixing cars. He, like many other experts, was adamant that with preparation, you can save a lot of time and money on repairs.
1. Change Your Own Brake Pads
When I first heard that, my reaction was “No way, I’m not messing with my brakes!” But as Reina points out, it’s a very simple and inexpensive procedure that mechanics and specialty brake shops will charge hundreds of dollars to do. The industry wants you to think it’s hard, because they make a lot of profit from a very simple procedure, but pads are way easier to replace than old fashioned drum brake “shoes.”
All you need is a wheel lug wrench, some basic wrenches, pliers, and of course a jack and set of jack stands (never get under a car unless it is on jack stands; you cannot rely on the jack as it may fail).
A set of new brake pads will set you back just $20–$40, depending on the car and pad material. Compare that to the industry average of $250 per axle, and you can see how much this DIY job will save you. The procedure is basic. Take off the wheel, remove the hardware, pull out the worn pads, push in the caliper piston, install the new pads, and reinstall the hardware. You should be able to do all four wheels in under an hour, even if this is your first time doing the job. The new pads will last between 30,000–50,000 miles, and you should check them every 10,000 miles. When the pad thickness falls below 2mm–3mm, it’s time for another replacement set.
2. Change the Battery
It amazes me how many people will get a shop to replace the battery, since this is by far the easiest of all DIY repairs. A battery will last 4–6 years, so you should be able to figure out when your current battery is ready to be changed. (Almost every battery will have a date stamped on it, so look for this if you want to be sure.) You do not want to wait until you start having problems. If you do, you could be stranded with a dead battery, and that’s dangerous for many reasons.
The average price of a new battery is around $80, although you can spend more or less depending on the make and model. A dealer will charge upwards of $200 to replace it.
To do the swap, you just need a basic set of wrenches. The biggest warning here, Reina says, is the order in which you remove the replace the cables. Remove the NEGATIVE (black) cable FIRST, and when you have installed the new battery, replace the NEGATIVE cable LAST. If you don’t do it this way, you could short circuit the positive (red) terminal to a grounded part of the car.
3. Do Your Own Oil Change
A typical quick lube place could charge anywhere from $30 to $70 for an oil change. Some can go as high as $90–$100, especially if you own an expensive import. But then you see signs like $15 oil change and think, “Well I’d pay that for the oil and filter anyway, so why not let them do it for me?”
Here’s why. First, there is always an asterisk on those oil changes. They come with conditions, and may not include the correct amount of oil required for your engine (this happens a lot when you bring in an SUV or truck). You will also be given a low-grade oil, rather than a full synthetic or even a synthetic blend. And most importantly, the cheap oil change is a loss leader.
The loss-leader oil change is a great way to get you to hand over your car to the garage so that they can get under the hood and see if it has problems. A reputable place won’t find any unless there are genuine problems. Others, well, let’s just say they find problems that don’t need attention.
Suddenly, the $15 oil change has become thousands in major repairs. Poor establishments will use high-pressure tactics to get you to sign up for the work, and you may not even get the chance to get a second opinion.
So, do it yourself. Buy a good quality oil filter and the best oil you can afford from your local supplier (it can be an auto specialist or a retail store). Other than jack stands and a jack, you’ll need an oil filter wrenchand a drain pan. These only have to be purchased once and will last you decades (my father-in-law has been using the same drain pan for 20 years). You can find videos online walking you through oil changes on a variety of different vehicles.
And one final note. As Richard Reina points out, the days of the “every 3,000 miles” oil changes are long gone. Vehicles these days can often go 10,000 miles between oil changes. Check your manual.
4. Change Your Spark Plugs
There is an episode of the iconic TV series Frasier that shows Niles and Frasier Crane attending an automotive workshop. The very first lesson is how to change spark plugs. It’s one of the easiest home repairs you can do, although these days it is very rare you’ll even have to perform this service. On modern cars, extended-life spark plugs can maintain a precise gap for 100,000 miles. However, it is still wise to check them every 30,000-40,000 miles, just to make sure.
When the time does come to replace your spark plugs, along with your regular set of tools you will need a spark plug wrench. Again, this is a “buy once, use for a lifetime” kind of purchase, and it’s not very expensive (under $10 in most cases). (WikiHow has a great instructional piece here.) And the savings…let’s just say it’s significant. You can pay over $300 for spark plugs to be changed, and spark plugs themselves are rarely more than $30 for a set.
5. Replace a Headlight or Taillight
If you are a good car owner, you will perform a regular walk around of your vehicle. It’s important to do this for many reasons, but one of the biggest is to check that all the lights are working. Not only are lights essential for clear vision, and alerting drivers to your intentions, but you can also incur traffic tickets if they aren’t working. So, try and do this at least once a month (you’ll need someone to help you check the taillights).
If one (or more) isn’t working, it’s time to buy a replacement and do it yourself. With the average hourly repair rate of a garage being $100, you could easily spend $25–$50 per bulb, especially if the shop has a minimum charge.
One of the most important things to do is bring the old bulb with you to the store. You want to make sure you are getting like for like. And, when it comes time to change it out, never touch the bulb glass with your bare hands. The grease from your fingers can cause the bulb to burn out early.
6. Replace Your Windshield Wipers
Some people go to a garage or dealership to have their windshield wipers replaced. This is, without a doubt, a massive waste of your time and money. A set of wipers will run you between $20 and $40 on average, plus the dealer will charge you one hour of labor (that’s about $100). Don’t throw your money away. It takes minutes to replace the wipers on your vehicle yourself, and all of the instructions are provided in the replacement wipers you buy.
When you go to a store — say Walmart or Target — they’ll have a reference manual (these days it’s often a small electronic terminal) which will tell you which wiper sizes you need to ensure a correct fit. In most cases, the old wipers slide out, and the new ones slide in. The last time I changed my wipers, it took two minutes for both…and most of that time was spent trying to hack open the vacuum-sealed plastic package!
7. Replace Your Air Filter
Richard Reina pointed out another simple fix that mechanics and dealerships will heavily mark up with labor costs and parts. And yet, it is a very quick fix (in most cases…if you happen to own a German import, you may have a few extra parts to remove to access the filter). On average, you’ll pay over $100 in labor costs, and $50 for the filter.
The typical cost of an air filter from a retail store is between $15–$20, but again, this can be higher depending on the make and model of your car. In most cases, you will simply have to open up the hood of the car, turn a few screws, open the air filter housing, swap out the old for the news, and replace the screws. It really is that simple, and you can save a ton of money doing it yourself.
8. Fix a Chipped Windshield
I recently had to do this one myself, and I can tell you…it’s so simple. I had a small rock chip in the windshield. I was tempted to go by one of those “fix it free” places that hang out near malls, but they operate through your insurance company, and I wasn’t keen on going through all that for a simple rock chip.
On Amazon or eBay, you can find windshield repair kits for under $15. Some run as low as $8. When you get it, all you need to do is dig out any loose glass with the pin provided, and then thoroughly clean it, and the surrounding area. You will have to stick a small device to the windshield that forms a seal around the rock chip, and then a vacuum contraption will work to apply the resin into the crack. It’s an operation that takes less than one hour, from opening the package to the finished result, and most of that is simply waiting time. Stop that crack from spreading, before you need to replace the entire windshield. That can be costly.
This article first ran on Wisebread.com, a community of bloggers here to help you live large on a small budget. Read more from Wisebread:
Save Hundreds Next Month with These 10 Grocery Shopping Tips
6 Ways to Transition to a New Career After 30
The 8 Classic Personal Finance Books You Must Read
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further