Rockin' the Recession

Have you seen those Target commercials on TV, where a woman is applying self-tanner in her bathroom and the tagline is: “the new vacation”? Or a shot of home-baked cookies reads: “the new bakery.” I like them. The ad campaign taps into the current state of the economy while still encouraging consumers to buy stuff. Very clever, Target!

This got me thinking about the ways we’ve readjusted our spending in our family. First, I traded in the Beemer and curtailed my Jimmy Choo habit … KIDDING!!! Please, don’t you know me well enough by now to know that a splurge for me is a pair of Pumas that were “only” 25% off?

But seriously, as Suze Orman is constantly pointing out, you can always cut back. (Aside: I once saw her go to town on this poor unemployed couple for their cable TV and $10/mo. makeup expenditures. Come ON, Suze!! They’ve lost their jobs and now you’re going to take away their ESPN and drugstore lipstick?! That’s just cruel.)

So here’s what our recent belt-tightening looked like. You can hum the Target theme song in your head if you like:

The new date night. C. and I took a friend up on her generous offer to babysit and went to a matinee using the ticket vouchers we’d been holding onto since the last time we tried to go see a movie. The only thing we paid for was popcorn.

The new Saturday shopping trip. I don’t even go to the mall anymore. Why be tempted? Instead, I scored a $7 cardigan that was 75% off at an outlet store and a cute pair of bronze flip-flops for $8 at Kohl’s. For kids’ stuff, I’ve recently become a consignment store convert. $4 Spider-Man PJs with the tags still on! Brand-new bibs for $1!

The new spa getaway. My gym has just started offering a 20-minute menu of spa services. For $20, I got a facial that included massage, aromatherapy, and relaxation in a quiet, soothing environment. Plus, I can make use of the on-site childcare. (See below.)

The new childcare. Why pay a sitter upwards of $10/hour when you can drop off the kids at your gym’s childcare center for next to nothing? My gym charges $25/mo. for the first kid and $10/mo. for the second or $5 per kid per visit. For that, I get 2 hrs. sans kids and added incentive to exercise, since the more I go, the cheaper it is. The only catch is that I can’t leave the gym. Believe me, I’ve considered bringing my laptop and catching up on work in the locker room, but that might get me some funny looks.

The new dinner out. We love to eat at restaurants. That’s one thing we’ll never stop doing. But now we check out the hot new bistro when my parents are in town (read: footing the bill). During the week, I sometimes meet a mommy friend at Chick-fil-A on Weds. nights. Kids eat free, get a free toy or balloon, and can burn off their energy in the play area. And I get a night off from playing short-order cook in my own kitchen.

Money worries are no fun. But once you get into the spirit of things, I think it IS actually kind of fun to hunt for bargains. Now I’ve just got to work on my 3-year-old son’s consumerist attitude. Whenever he breaks something – which is often – he says, “We can buy a new one at Target.” Thanks a lot, Target!!

TIPS O’ THE WEEK: Follow @MomsWhoSave on Twitter for deals and steals.

Also, I just read in O magazine that the store Buy Buy Baby is now owned by the same company as Bed Bath & Beyond (They must have a thing for B’s). So you can use those ubiquitous 20% off BBB coupons at either store.

How to Make Money (Legally)

In this economy, who couldn’t use some extra bucks? (BTW, there should be a drinking game where you have to do a shot every time you hear the phrase “in this economy.” My friend overheard a little girl in a toy store begging for a dollhouse. Her mom replied, “In this economy?” I’m sure that made perfect sense to her 5-YEAR-OLD!!)

Anyway, back to making extra money. Here are some ways to earn a buck or two that I or my friends can personally vouch for. And—bonus!—none of them involve pyramid schemes or anything illegal.

WORTH IT:

Sell anything you can think of on eBay or Craigslist. I have a friend who has sold loads of stuff on Craigslist, including a scrap of iron railing. Another furnished her entire nursery from Craigslist stuff she got dirt-cheap or free (including an awesome wooden rocking chair) and made $300 selling her kid’s old clothes. On eBay, another friend has sold shoes and toys and old furniture. Apparently, people will buy anything! Personally, I haven’t done this because a) I’m lazy and b) I don’t spend all day on the computer, but obviously my savvier friends are raking it in.

Consign your kids’ stuff. My sources tell me consignment shops take as much as a 50% cut, so you’re better off trying one of the above options first if you’ve got the time. If you don’t, consigning may be the way to go, especially for nearly new and/or popular clothing brands, toys, and baby items.

Sell your used books. We recently cleaned out our basement to make room for the constant influx of toys and baby paraphernalia. We loaded up several boxes of old college textbooks, paperback mysteries, and random self-help books (“The All-Kiwi Diet!”) and sold them to our local used bookstore. We only made $25, but compared to throwing them in the recycling bin, that’s not too shabby.

Market research. A few times in the past year, I participated in phone surveys that earned me anywhere from $10-$60, depending on the amount of time involved. I have also done in-person focus groups, like the time I taste-tested toddler pudding snacks. McCormick Spice Company is one place around here that does it, but market research firms abound throughout the country. Also, I hear you can make a few G’s from selling your eggs but, yikes! I’ll pass on that one.

WHY NOT?

Blog ads. If you have a blog, putting ads on your site is a no-brainer. I have not maximized these opportunities yet myself, but I do make some decent latte money each month from a combination of Text Link Ads, Google Adsense, and Amazon Associates.

DON'T BOTHER:

Mystery shopping. This gig sounds like a dream come true, and it’s relatively easy to get signed up with a mystery shopping company. (Just Google it.) After just one assignment, however, I realized the time and effort far outweighed the pay. I had to drive 20 miles to IKEA, spend 2 hours completing an 8-page checklist of tasks, and then fill out an online report at home. Plus, sometimes you have to make purchases and returns on your own credit card. My pay was something like $40. Not worth it, IMO.

It’s also worth noting that in addition to making money, you can make a fair dent in your monthly expenses by SAVING money. I am by no means the queen of coupons, but I do use bonus cards regularly, which save me money on groceries and earn me free milk from my local supermarket. Also, I always, always use the diaper coupons I get in the mail and try to find free shipping whenever I buy something online.

If anyone’s got other suggestions for making or saving a few bucks, I’d love to hear them. But no spamming me with “fabulous timeshare opportunities,” please!

LINK O’ THE WEEK: More tips on how to save money, plus a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase at Rite Aid (expires 3/13/09).