Money can sometimes feel like it’s burning a hole in your pocket. It’s hard to make ends meet at the end of the month, especially when unexpected expenses crop up. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to save money and stretch your dollars further. Utilizing these tips will help you save on everyday essentials like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and even pet food. You don’t have to spend a lot of cash on these things all the time – with these tips, and you can do it on a budget instead.

Lifeline Phone Service

First things first, let’s talk about phone plans. It may seem like a no-brainer, but you can save a lot of money on your phone bill if you switch to a lifeline plan with no contract. If you’re in Georgia, check out the Georgia lifeline program for more information.

You can find options that offer unlimited talk and text for as little as $10 per month. This is much cheaper than the monthly bills you’d pay with a traditional contract plan.

If you currently have a contract, it’s worth the effort to switch to a lifeline plan. You’ll save money each month and may be able to get a cheaper phone if you bring your own device.

Commit to a Diet of Dry Goods

You have no doubt noticed the signs in the grocery store touting the great deals on items such as paper towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies. It can be tempting to stock up on these items when you see the bargain aisle stocked with packs of paper goods for a fraction of the usual price.

You should resist the urge to stock up on these products, though. While it may seem like a good deal, this stuff has a very short shelf life. If you don’t use it all up quickly, it will dry out and become unusable. Even if you do use up all these items before they expire, you could spend more money in the long run.

Buying in bulk can save you money in the short term, but if you don’t use the items up quickly, you’ll end up throwing money away.

Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry or Tired

If you’re hungry or tired, you may not make the best decisions when it comes to your shopping habits. If you’re hungry, you may be more inclined to impulse buy snacks and other packaged foods that aren’t great for your budget. And if you’re tired, you may be more likely to buy items that you don’t really need.

This is especially true for online shopping. If you’re tired and you click the “Buy” or “Add to Cart” button, you may not really understand what you’re purchasing. In the heat of the moment, you may buy items that you don’t really need and that don’t fit into your budget.

Watch for Deals on Basics

Some everyday essentials are always going to be expensive. There’s no way to save money on things like toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies. However, there are other everyday essentials you can save money on if you watch for sales.

For example, you can save money on laundry detergent by waiting for the brand you like to go on sale. You can also save money on dishwashing detergent by purchasing it in bulk when it’s on sale. Searching for sales on these products and any others that you regularly buy will help you save money in the long run.

You can use a coupon app like Retail Me Not to stay on top of current deals and coupons for your favorite items.

Choose In-Store Brands Over Name Brands

Some people swear by name-brand items and will only buy them. Others will only buy store-brand items. Both of these people are missing out on some serious savings. While name-brand items may be of better quality, they don’t actually cost more to produce. In fact, the cost to produce a name-brand item and a store-brand item is the same.

You’re just paying for the name of the product. For example, you can buy dishwashing detergent that’s just as good as the name-brand stuff for a fraction of the cost. You can also buy cleaning supplies and paper towels that are just as good as the name-brand stuff.

Most people won’t even be able to tell the difference, and you’ll save a lot of money by choosing store brand over name brand items.

Try Out Discount Stores

Discount stores like Marshalls and Ross are great places to find deals on everyday essentials. You can find name-brand items, like clothes and shoes, at discounted prices. You can also find items like dishes, bedding, and other household items at discounted prices.

Depending on where you are, you may even be able to find groceries at discounted prices. If you’re worried about the quality of these items, don’t be. The items found at discount stores are often seconds or returned items. There’s nothing wrong with them – they’re just items that didn’t sell due to minor imperfections.

You can find great deals on everyday essentials at discount stores. You can find name-brand clothes and shoes, bedding, dishes, and more at a fraction of the price you’d pay for them in a regular store.

Buy in Bulk and Store What You Don’t Use

If you’re able to buy in bulk, you can save a lot of money on everyday essentials. This is especially true if you have a large family that goes through a lot of toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies.

You can save a lot of money by buying these items in bulk. You can buy a year’s supply of toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies and store them in a closet or basement. And you can use them as you go and replace them when they run out.

Having a large supply of these items on hand will save you money in the long run since you won’t have to buy them as often. You’ll also be prepared should there ever be a shortage of these items due to a natural disaster or other emergencies.

Try Out Services for Cheap Everyday Essentials

You can save a lot of money on everyday essentials by subscribing to services offered by companies like HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and other meal kit delivery companies. You can subscribe to these services and receive meal kits with all the fresh ingredients you need to make meals at home almost every week.

Each kit is designed around a certain theme, like Mexican or Italian cuisine. You don’t have to worry about finding ingredients and making meals from scratch – everything you need is right there in the kit. Depending on the company that you go with, you can save a lot of money by getting these meal kits.

Plus, you’ll also save money on things like paper towels and cleaning supplies since you won’t be buying as many of them since you’ll be cooking most of your meals at home.

Conclusion

The key to saving money on everyday essentials is to be patient. It’s easy to get excited about the great deals you see in the store or the meal kits you get in the mail. But, if you don’t have the cash to pay for these things in full when the bill comes due, you’ll just end up hurting your budget.

It’s better to be patient and wait for the right time to buy something. You may have to pass on buying something today, but you can always come back to it later when you have the money to pay for it.