5 Ways to S(h)ave Money

When Dollar Shave Club reached out to me to see if I'd write a post about ways I 'shave time' or 'shave money,' I thought it was a perfect fit. After all, given my employment situation the past 6-7 weeks, money has been tighter than usual, so we are becoming good at looking at how we can save money.

Here are some quick tips we've been using to keep more money in our pockets as of late:

1. Take public transportation. Living in a big city like Chicago, public transportation is easy peasy. There is a train, bus, even bikes you can rent, that will take you anywhere you want to go. Though we do love Uber for taxi rides (and have gotten a little spoiled with this app), we have been better about taking the train downtown when meeting friends or going to the airport, and I have been taking public transport  to all of my interviews. When it's $5 roundtrip on the El, vs $15+ for a cab or to drive and park...you take the public transportation. (Plus, it's always good people watching, so consider it free entertainment!)
2. Recycle when you can. By 'recycle,' I mean 'Reuse water bottles.' Given that I'm off the booze these days, I drink a lot of water. But it gets expensive to buy La Croix or bottled water all the time. Instead, I buy a couple of 1 liter bottles from CVS or somewhere similar (where they are usually 2/$3 or something) and just refill them at home! My husband makes fun of my many water bottles lying around the house, but it works for me!
3. Make coffee at home. I think everyone knows this simple trick, but I'm all for making my coffee at home, despite the close vicinity of Starbucks AND Dunkin Donuts. Up front, the $150 you spend on a Keurig might seem steep, but let's do some math. $150/365= 41 cents/day on the machine. +$10 (for 16 or or coffee refills) = 63 cents for each cup of coffee. 41+63= $1.04 cents for a cup of Joe. There are countless flavors, blends and caffeine amounts and you can buy them nearly anywhere, from Target to the grocery store. 
4. Choose carryout. If you're on a budget, you probably aren't ordering out a lot. But, let's be realistic - sometimes a home cooked meal just ain't gonna happen. One way we cut back if we do order out is to choose the "pick up" option instead of delivery. No, it doesn't save you time, but it does save you about $5, if not more, so get off your bum and go!
5. DIY. Now, I'm not a huge DIY-er myself, but I aspire to be. When we got married, we did several easy DIY projects (and got friends to help) to save on money. And now, as many friends are pregnant and outfitting nurseries, there are so many cute decor options you can find on Pinterest and Etsy. Many of them are easy to do yourself if you have the time! Just do a bit of research and I'd bet you can make that cute sign you saw at Pottery Barn Kids for $60 and make it yourself spending $15 at Hobby Lobby.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one more obvious way to Shave time and Shave money - check out Dollar Shave Club. You just choose a blade, pay a monthly fee, which ranges from $1-$9, and they send the razors right to your door, with a FREE handle! You better believe I'm signing Bryan up - his blades cost more than $30 a pop! 

How do you s(h)ave time and money?

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