I Heart Frugal - Page 26 of 52 - Spend Less. Live More

7 Retail Hacks Exposed – Don’t Shop Without Reading This First

7 Retail Hacks Exposed – How You Can Avoid Them 

7 Retail Hacks Exposed and How You Can Avoid Them #shopping #savemoney #personalfinance
7 Retail Hacks Exposed and How You Can Avoid Them

Have you ever wondered why you are over budget every time you go grocery shopping? Are you looking to buy something you need online like a pair of boots for your kids, but you end up with a bunch of other items in your cart? We have all been there. Unfortunately, there are many retail hacks that stores use to trick us into spending more money and the Holiday times are certainly no exception.

These secret marketing tricks will have you opening up your wallet and going over budget more than you need or want. Yet, unless you know what the retail hacks are, it is hard to avoid them.

Unfortunately for us, stores spend big bucks on marketing research. Yes, there is an entire psychology behind buying and selling.

Stores also track you and find out what you want to buy before you even know you want to buy it. Think of the last time you were on Facebook and an ad popped up in your feed while you were scrolling. You clicked the ad and bought something. It wasn’t a coincidence that the advert made it into your Facebook feed. Companies spend big money on research to find the right advertising tactics to get you to pull out your wallet.

So what is a consumer to do? Start by researching these marketing tactics and learn how to avoid the retail trap. Knowledge is the key. Learn how to stop spending more money than you intended by avoided the marketing tricks below. Here are seven of the top retail hacks exposed so you can stop wasting your money.

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40 Plus Gift Ideas for Men – He Will Actually Like – for Every Budget

40 Plus Gift Ideas for Men – He Will Actually Like – For Any Budget

40 + Gift Ideas for Men - He Will Actually Like- For any Budget - Do you need gift ideas he will love, but are also affordable? Here are 30 plus gifts for any budget. #giftguide #christmasgifts #Dadgiftideas #husbandgiftideas #fathersdaygiftideas
40 Plus Gift Idea for Men -He Will Actually Like – for Every Budget

Is your hubby driving you nuts this Holiday Season? I love my husband very much, but let me tell you… He is the hardest person to shop for! Most of the time, when he wants or needs something, he buys it. This makes it difficult for someone like me to jot down all his clues in my short memory and start shopping. Does he need new running shoes? Oh, wait…A box from Amazon just arrived at our door with brand new Asics. Does this sound familiar?

I have to admit, in order to write this gift guide, I had to seek the help of my dear hubby. I mean, who else to tell you what guys want, then a guy, right?

And I tried to help the guys out last year by creating the Gift Guide for the Lady in Your Life, but this year I know a few women that could use some help too (including me).

I always stress during the Holiday season. I am buying, wrapping, cooking, and decorating. The “To Do” list seems to never end. It seems like everyone else is sitting and relaxing, while I am working hard to make Christmas nice for my family. With that in mind, my goal is to have a stress-free Christmas this year. My goal is to get all of my shopping done before December 1st so I can start wrapping and try to soak in some of those moments with my family. Yes, this year I will not be grinchy and spoil everyone’s fun.

Online gift guides have really helped me find the perfect gift in the past, so I’m hoping my gift guide will help you.

Please check out my ideas below and you will be sure to surprise him with your thoughtfulness this year. This list can be used for Christmas gifts for men, Valentine’s Day gifts for him, or birthday gifts for men. This post includes gift ideas for every budget and I do not suggest going over your budget to buy gifts. Pick something you can afford and stick with it.

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20 Must-Have Dollar Store Christmas Decorating Ideas

 

Check out my new Christmas planner in the shop! And because it’s new and you are a loyal reader, get 50% off with the code Dollarstore50 for a limited time! Don’t miss out!

20 Dollar Store Christmas Decorating Ideas to spruce up your Holiday decorating. #Christmas #Christmasdecorating #christmasideas #dollarstore
20 Must-Have Dollar Store Christmas Decorating Ideas

Are you on a budget this Christmas but still want to decorate your house for the Holidays? If you are like me, you plan and budget for everything including your Holiday decorations. Let’s face it, the Holidays are expensive. If you do not plan ahead, your budget can quickly end up at the South pole before Santa even makes a visit. That is why I am recommending a trip to the Dollar Store for 20 Must-Have Dollar Store Christmas Decorating Ideas.

Fortunately, there are cheaper ways to have a nice Christmas, starting with your Christmas decorations. The dollar store is an inexpensive way to make your home look fabulous on a budget. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on decorating your house. In fact, right around $10 will work.

My favorite dollar store is Dollar Tree. I find they usually have more name-brand items and their stuff is a little better quality; however, if you have a local dollar store you love, then stick with it.

Remember to brace yourself. At times, we money-savers go crazy at places like the dollar store because, well, everything is a dollar. Make sure to only buy the items on your decorating list and have fun with them. If you want to include the kids – YIKES, you are taking your kids to the store you brave soul! – then set a limit and allow them to pick out one or two decorations each so they can help make the house look festive with you.

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15 Gift Ideas for Kids That Have Too Many Toys

15 Gift Ideas for Kids That Have Too Many Toys 

Gift Ideas for Kids That Have too Many Toys #christmas #christmasgifts #gifts #giftguide
Gift Ideas for Kids That Have Too Many Toys

Does your kid have too many toys? My kids certainly do and if I buy them more for Christmas the clutter will keep growing. Plus, I already know our large family will continue to buy them more toys and the spoiling continues. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some gift ideas for the kid that has too many toys?

If you are looking to declutter and teach your child to value life experiences over “stuff” then you are in the right place. 

In fact, a study by popular online coupon company Retail Me Not, suggest parents will spend an average of $330 per child this Christmas Season. Wow! $330 per child? Imagine how many toys you could buy with that amount of money.

I know last year I spent around $75 on each of my children, so I guess I am below average. However, they were spoiled by the rest of the family and I am a bargain shopper so the $75 went a long way in our house.

Nonetheless, each kid got around 12 new toys. My three-year-old was so overwhelmed at the time he didn’t know what to play with. He liked his first toy and then really didn’t care about opening more gifts because he wanted to play with it. He seriously would have been happy with ONE toy.

Let’s face it, as a parent It’s not fun opening all of those packages either. And what a mess to clean up!

It’s no wonder I turn into a big crab every Christmas! (I apologize in advance to my husband 🙂 But It’s stressful!

So with you in mind, I’ve come up with a way to teach your kids to value experiences over things and give them a gift that keeps on giving. 

Now I will admit, I still buy my kids a few toys and I really do not mind buying them learning toys that promote gross/fine motor skills, dramatic play, engineering, exercise, and creativity. However, most of our action figures sit in the bin and my kids only play with them once every three months. Not to mention, I have a lot of mom friends that have the same complaint. With that in mind, I’ve come up with a “thing-busting” list to help you decide the best Christmas presents this year. 

Think of the fun you will have and the learning that will happen by treating them one of the items listed below. Your kid will be begging you to go every weekend!! Enjoy the laughter and the smiles! 

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Are You Broke? You Should Never Buy These Seven Things

Are You Broke? You Should Never Buy These Things:

Are you broke? Never buy these 7 things #savemoney #frugal #broke
Are you broke? Never buy these 7 things:

Are you broke or struggling financially? If so, there are certain things you should avoid buying. If you take a look at your budget, these are things that simply must go.

According to PEW Charitable Trust, a staggering 80% of Americans are in debt. Most do not have $500 in an emergency fund to cover a basic car repair or hospital bill.

Unfortunately, personal finance is not taught in most schools (unless you are taking a business class) and people continue to dig themselves into a hole because they never learned how to handle money.

Yet, personal finance is a simple matter of knowing how much money you bring in and how much money you need to cover your bills. Yes, we could go into great detail on this subject alone, but it is a simple input versus output mathematical equation. However, if you need help with your budget, then check out these posts:

Yet, once you have determined your input/output equation then it is best to live within your means and pay down debt to avoid paying more for everything the rest of your life (because of interest). If you have credit card debt you are paying interest on everything you buy with your credit card. Chances are you probably don’t remember half of the items on your bill, but you are now paying WAY more for each and every purchase because the interest is high, especially if you have late fees.

Nonetheless, debt is not a life sentence and you can become debt-free. Learning to live within your means and only buy your “needs” until your debt is paid off, is the best option to live a better life.

 

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