Welcome to Frugal Living Friday! Each week I will feature a tip that can help us stretch our budget and live more frugally! If you have a tip that you want shared on Frugal Living Friday, let me know and you could become a guest blogger for a day.
What services do you pay for that you could do at home? This takes some thought, but there is generally some things that you can change.....things you can do yourself and keep more cash in your pocket. Many times you may have to learn a new skill in order to complete the task at home. But that is all about being self-reliant, right? Maybe things like:
- haircuts for the kids (my boys for sure)
- detailing the car
- changing the oil in the car
- pedicures/manicures
- lawn maintenance
- basic home repairs
Sometimes you have to weigh the amount of money against the amount of time it will take you to fix/complete the task. And sometimes it isn't worth it, depending what is going on in your life. I just think this is a good concept to think about, and maybe try one new area to save money where you weren't before.
Another way to get a service or "perk" is by trading with someone else, or working a bit in exchange for what you want.
For example, I wanted a gym membership last year but am too cheap to pay the monthly fee, setup fee, etc. So I did some checking and I got hired to work in the daycare at the gym once a week, for a three hour shift. Because I do that, I get my gym membership free! I can handle that commitment, plus I can take my younger kids with me for free when I work. It's only 3 hours and it saves me $360 a year!
I used to teach piano lessons, but no longer do so (officially anyway). But I do trade with a friend..she teaches my son and I teach her son. It was getting hard to teach our own children, so it works out great for both of us!
Do you do any type of trading services? What advice/tips/info can you share about doing your own services or exchanging? What do you do on your own to save money?
