40 Financial Tips That Have Nothing To Do with Coffee, Part Two

 Read Part One here!

HOUSING AND HEALTH

16. Share housing with others. Obviously this doesn't work in all circumstances, but it was one of the #1 tips people brought up. The benefits are many: roommates or tenants can help bring in extra income, as well as create opportunities for sharing food, chores, childcare, and more. 

17. Consider unconventional housing options. Renting a basement or spare room is classic, and I've known people who found jobs where housing is included (such as working food service/hospitality at national parks). 

18. Search for free medical clinics or events. "Some medical providers will have 'free days' or a scheduled time where people can come in and be seen for free (or greatly discounted) but these are often first come, first served." You can Google "free medical clinics near me" or even call a local church or social services hub to ask for advice. 

19. If you take medication, search for discounts. "For some medications they have numbers you can call to get the medicine for free or greatly discounted. Some pharmacist also know of programs that can help."

20. Brush your teeth. This may seem like a weird tip, but take it from someone who's married to a man with chalk for teeth (Zach refers to teeth as "humans' self-destruct mechanism")— brushing and flossing every day can save you thousands of dollars in dental bills.

FOOD

21. Visit a food pantry. Food pantries exist to provide food for the community, and are mostly run on donations, which often includes food that will go bad if someone doesn't take it, so don't hesitate to include food pantries in your plan if you're in a tight spot! "Know the food pantries and learn the schedules, [such as] how soon can you make a second appointment and never, ever miss an appointment because they may not let you come back. Keep an eye out for pantries that have fresh or frozen foods too." A simple Google search of "food pantries near me" will help you find local pantries so you can research their policies. You can volunteer at food pantries, too!

22. Look for other sources of free food. Some restaurants (notably Panera's/St. Louis Bread Company), catering companies, and fruit stands will give food to people who are simply bold enough to ask for leftovers. Some organizations such as Food Not Bombs make a habit of getting these kinds of leftovers and distributing them or having communal meals based on them. I've been taking leftover produce from a food pantry (I pull it out of the dumpster, with permission) and processing them, which is a lot of work but also helped a lot with our grocery bills. Websites like FallingFruit.org provides a map of fruit trees on public and private land that you can harvest from, and websites like Eat The Weeds can teach you how to find incredibly nutrient-dense plants nearby (many of which were brought to America from Europe as garden plants, such as the dandelion!), which can be a great alternative to expensive vegetables.

23. Check out food programs for kids and families. "For children, look for free food programs in the area. Some places offer free food over the summer break and/or sacks of food children can bring home every weekend." "If you have kids, see if you qualify for WIC. You can start while pregnant, and kids can be on the program until they are 5. Look for local pregnancy resource centers too."

24. Eat super-cheap food at least one meal a day. Several people who gave tips brought up this idea, mentioning oatmeal, bread, potatoes in any form, brown rice and veggies, pasta, peanut butter, and spaghetti.(If you want a bunch of advice about cheap cooking, check out my Super Frugal Grocery Challenge from last year.)

25. Make the best use of the food you already have. Or, as one contributor said, "Look in your cupboards before you get hungry! Bad food choices come when you're hungry and subsequent waste too." I've written some blog posts about this: Eat What You Have, Make Your Own Junk Food, and Plan Ahead. If you want a lot of great recipes and advice for using up leftovers or scraps of food that don't quite go together, I highly recommend learning from Zero Waste Chef.

26. Have potlucks. Bring-a-dish-to-share events are a great way to make a little food go a long way, especially if you can coordinate dishes. Have everyone bring to-go containers to fill up for free meals throughout the week.

27. Befriend gardeners. If you live anywhere temperate, I guarantee you that any gardeners in the area will be begging people to come take away zucchini come August. Put out the word that you're looking for garden spillover, and if you're able, offer to help weed or water in return. Most gardens produce far more than one family eats, so don't be shy about asking if people have leftovers! Also, if you have a yard but no desire to garden, you might be able to negotiate a deal— space to plant in exchange for some produce. Shared Earth is one website to connect gardeners with people who have space, but you can also just put out the word through social media.

28. If you're a gardener, focus on high-return crops. Gardening as a money-saving technique is very polarizing, and whether or not it actually saves you money depends a lot on your situation, skills, climate, and much more. But if you already are a gardener, it's useful to take a look at what you grow and consider which crops will be the highest return on investment. For instance, raspberries grow in my yard with basically no maintenance (I never water or weed them), even though they're very expensive to buy at the grocery store, and specialty crops such as goji berries are doing well with little babying, even though they are upwards of $10 a pound at Fresh Thyme. Most herbs are  expensive to buy but super-easy to grow. Kale and collards have taken over my yard with little input from me. If you learn how to preserve your harvest for later, even better. 

29. Hunt or barter with a hunter. As one contributor said, "Unless you are vegetarian, hunting is good. I have a lot of venison in my freezer and currently have the pressure canner on the stove canning some for stews and chili in the future. If you don’t like to hunt or fish, make friends with someone who does. Sometimes bounty will come your way. A homemade pie for some venison or a loaf of fresh bread for a mess of fish is a nice trade."

Dumpster-dived produce (leftovers from a food pantry)

SUPPLIES AND MISCELLANEOUS

30. Use your local library. It's not just for books! Our library lends out audiobooks, DVDs, video games, board games, CDs, online materials, telescopes, yoga mats with instructions, kitchen gear, fishing poles, crafting kits, and more, as well as hosting workshops and get-togethers for all ages! 

31. Look at Freecycle or Buy Nothing groups. FreeCycle and Buy Nothing Project will help you get started looking at people freely offering and requesting resources. I've gotten garden produce, clothes, building materials, and more.

32. Always check for used items first. "Remember there is no shame in getting things used! Watch sale groups or Facebook marketplace for things. Kids grow so fast, it doesn’t make sense to buy everything new all the time."

33. Consider bartering. "You must be able to do something--walk a dog...clean a house etc...In exchange get gift cards -- they're tax-free --the money never runs through a bank-- and you get what you need." 

34. Try a clothing or household goods swap. I've done this several times and it's always been a blast! Everyone brings items, dumps them on a communal table, and then takes what they want. Or you can swap clothing and toys with a friend whose children are a similar age. 

35. Dumpster-dive in style. "If you live near a large university, know when finals week and move out day is. If you aren't afraid to clean something up, you can find some really amazing pieces in or near the dumpsters when students are going home for the summer or graduating."

36. Learn when stores are having sales. "Did you know some thrift store have discount days? Get to know the schedule of your local stores and go early and often." "I also shop after holiday sales. Either for things to use next year, or regular items that get marked down because they are themed. I just bought pancake mix for half off because it has red and green sprinkles."

37. Learn repair and refurbishing skills. From mending a thrift-shop find to reupholstering furniture, it's a great idea to learn how to improve the things you own. One person wrote, "I have had so much free, cheap, curbside and second hand furniture in my life! And then passed that furniture on to others. It especially helps if you or someone you know is crafty (related to bartering). I once acquired an ugly small $20 pull-out sofa on a garage sale. I can sew. So I made custom fit covers for the couch and cushions from $1 per yard fabric and piping I made myself. Our landlady loved the color combo and asked where we bought it! I’ve repainted tables and chairs, and recovered chair seats... nothing that requires fancy skills but make free furniture look not so shabby!"

38. Rethink gift-giving. Not everyone can get out of giving gifts, but it's worth thinking about. If you're broke, why do you feel obligated to give gifts? And if you want to, is there something you could give that wouldn't break the bank? For instance, I've learned how to make homemade bread. Each loaf costs less than a dollar of ingredients, but the artisan loaf is fancy enough to make a welcome gift. Skills can really pay off. 

39. Understand your spending triggers. Knowing yourself can help you avoid unwanted purchases, fleeting spending habits that don't bring you joy, and other cash outflows that can create bigger problems later. Making a list of times when you spent money without thinking about it beforehand can help you spot patterns and spend with more intentionality in the future.

40. Embrace frugal hedonism. Thrift doesn't have to be drudgery or no fun— in fact, it can help you to seek out and enjoy the free things of life! The book The Art of Frugal Hedonism (which I, of course, borrowed from the library) sums up this perspective well: you have the creativity to bring happiness into your life, no matter what. 

Again, do these tips solve all financial woes, tear down destructive systems, or solve the societal problems of rising rent and stagnant wages? Definitely not. But these strategies can help you stay afloat, look for help, and begin imagining new ways forward.

What tips would you add to the list?

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