Worth Every Penny -- Using Your Resources to Save Money

Let's face it; shopping can be so expensive these days! Saving money is easy and there are so many free resources we can use, if we look a little deeper. As I am constantly making new art projects, I began to realize that I need to start saving as much money as possible. I was surprised to find that saving money is simple and there are hacks available to us for free! Below are a few ideas on how you can save money using your resources, absolutely 100% free.

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"Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose"

Every artist knows that using your leftover supplies can create beautiful art. Although an art project may include only a certain amount of material, always save your supplies because you never know when you'll need to use them again! The money you spent on art materials does not have to go to waste.

When I knit a blanket, odds are I still have yarn leftover. Instead of throwing away the leftover yarn, I use the colors by pairing them together to make another blanket. If I have a limited supply of yarn, I will use it to make a baby blanket instead. The point is, I spent money on a bulk of the yarn and I want to make sure I get the most use out of every penny I sent. You can do this too!

"Recycle, reuse, repurpose." Martha Stewart has some great art ideas for future projects using leftover materials, but this rule does not only apply to artists! For example, there are so many ways you can use leftover food to make delicious meals. You could make soup with the leftover ingredients, or even make lunch for the day ahead; it is so important to salvage your leftover food because nearly one-third of the food we cook will go to waste because we often cook more than we can consume on a daily basis. The I Value Food blog offers amazing ideas on how to be creative with your leftover meals.

Are you an avid holiday shopper? Do you love the wrapping and packaging as much as I do? Another way to use your resources is to package your gifts in reusable boxes and bags! Not only is this an attractive look for gifting, but it is also simple, quick, and durable. No need for the loads of wrapping paper, a simple box is a great way to gift a present without the mess. Decorate it and reuse the package for years to come!

Cash Back Using Rakuten

What is Rakuten? I came across Rakuten recently, finding that my favorite stores are a part of the cash back program. Rakuten is a platform that initiates cash back on your online purchases. Sounds simple, right? It is! Just search through Rakuten's website for your favorite stores, and then go ahead and shop. Rakuten will automatically apply a shopping discount and initiate cash back. Once Rakuten is notified of your purchase, cash back will be received on your account! The best part is, cash back can be retrieved through PayPal. There is also an option to add Rakuten to your Chrome Bar as an extension. This means that you can shop anywhere and click the "R" on the top right of your search bar to see what deals Rakuten has for that site.

Signing up for an account is easy and 100% free. If you are a new customer, Rakuten will give you ten dollars to spend for free! I love everything about Rakuten and it is a life saver for someone like me who is constantly purchasing art materials. You're already spending money, so why not earn cash back in the process?

The Old-Fashioned Extreme Couponing

Yes, coupons! Remember when these used to be popular? I am a big fan of coupons. I shop at Michael's Craft Store quite a bit, so when I came to find that I received a 40% off a regular price item coupon after each purchase, I started to shop there more often.

I never used to look for coupons until I lost my job a year ago. I needed to save money. I became more price sensitive to everything, doubting every purchase I would make and feeling guilty about it. You don't need to feel this way! You would be surprised at how many coupons are available for you to use; all you need to do is pay attention. Do you ever look at your receipts? How about those coupon packets that come in the mail? Pay attention to your surroundings; businesses are throwing free money at you and you're not taking it. Coupons make a difference.

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There are so many reasons to use the free resources we have available to us. Please do yourself a favor and start saving money!

Because you can.

Have you tried any of these ideas? Have recommendations of your own? Comment below!