17 Clever Ways To Spend Less Money This Month

Little ways to ensure looking at your checking account isn't scary this month.

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1. Cut into your boxed mac and cheese habit with smart, easy recipes from a classic cookbook designed 50 years ago. See, making yourself cook was hard even before Seamless and Domino's delivery!

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Promising review: "I have used this little cookbook almost all my life. Somehow in the passing years it got away from me, so once I saw it on Amazon I hurried to have it sent to me. All you younger girls (and guys, too) give this little book a gander. I bet you'll find a hint or two that will make your meal prep a little easier. Signed, 74-year-old Grandma!" —dexie cat

Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle).

2. Preserve your requisite jack-o'-lanterns' ghoulishly good looks by dunking them in bleach.

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No need to buy new pumpkins for a mid-October do-over on your gourdgeous masterpieces. All you need is a carved jack-o'-lantern, five-gallon bucket, and household bleach. Read the full instructions from Clorox.

Get a 30 oz. bottle of bleach from Amazon for $7.34.

3. Get acquainted with Jet, where you can score major deals on bulk items like cleaning supplies, groceries, appliances, beauty, and more!

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Amazon has the best deals on lots of products, but you can also find items for even cheaper on Jet. Shipping is free for $35+ orders and you can get two-day shipping on thousands of items without paying for a membership (like you have to with Amazon Prime). As you shop and add certain items with the purple arrow icon to your order, your total cost will drop because those items are easily shipped with the stuff that's already in your order. Get all the deets on how Jet cuts costs on their FAQ.

Check out the deals page on the reg for fresh new finds available for discounts for a limited time.

4. Keep produce in peak condition and gross fruit flies at bay with mesh bags you can easily wash.

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Promising review: "In the part of the country where I live, we get lots of fruit flies as it gets warms outside. I got these both to deter the flies and cut down on plastic bags. I was surprised at how well they work. They keep the food fresh longer. They are also handy for awkwardly sized veggies like celery and green onions, which tend to wilt quickly in the produce bags. I see these saving us money in the long run!" —Emily

Get a five-pack from Amazon for $8.97.

5. Try out Imperfect Produce to score "ugly" produce for 30-50% cheaper than what "perfect" produce costs in grocery stores.

imperfectproduce.com

About 20% of produce grown in the US goes to waste because it doesn't match up to beauty standards. Yep, even produce is held up to bullshit unrealistic beauty standards. Sigh. Imperfect Produce made a business out of selling the stuff that will get passed over in the produce aisle. But does it taste the same? Watch our taste test.

Sign up one of four box types here.

6. Wrap broccoli and celery in aluminum foil to keep it fresher for longer and then store in the fridge like usual!

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Get at 200 sq. ft. roll of aluminum foil from Amazon for $9.17.

Find more hacks to keep your groceries fresher for longer.

7. Decide on your family's Halloween costumes now and source what you can from your own closets, thrift shops, or consignment sites instead of shelling out for a brand-new costume.

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So many consignment sites, thrift shops and discount chain stores like T.J. Maxx carry Halloween costumes your kids will love. Also you, because Halloween is hands-down the best holiday ever. Don't argue with me.

Get these from Swap.com: dress for $6 (girl's size 8) and tiger hoodie for $8 (size 6 months)

8. And while you're browsing the racks, look for flippable items you can make some serious cash on by reselling.

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If you really wanna excel, don't go to stores in middle-class neighborhoods. Go to ones closer to where the rich folks love for all kinds of great goods. Check out all our thrifting and flipping tips.

9. Upgrade your shower with a water-efficient shower head because winter — and the temptation of lengthy, hot showers that drive up your water bill — is coming.

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This shower head easily installs on standard 1/2" threaded shower arms in minutes and has an adjustable water flow rate of 1.85–2.5 gallons-per-minute. All the hardware you need to install is included.

Promising review: "I went from a hotel style–water blasting shower head, which used buckets of water per minute. I loved that shower head, but the guilt of all that water usage bothered me. I tried three other water-saving shower heads, and they felt like damp English mist, stinging needles of torture, or drooling warm water. This shower head is the first one that feels good and saves water. In low setting, it's a good shower, with just enough water to get clean. In high setting, it's a drenching blast. It does't stream like a regular shower head, it just makes a funnel shaped wall of water." —Moonshine Bob

Get it from Amazon for $20.42.

And check out more smart purchases that'll save you money in the long run.

10. And save even more on water from wash cycles and bleach by switching to gray bath towels so that "waterproof" mascara that always ends up on your bath towels'll go unnoticed!

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Promising review: "I washed before use and was impressed. They are soft and thick. They left no residue of lint etc. I ordered two sets of gray and will be ordering more!" —Amazon Customer

Get the eight-piece set from Amazon for $30.99+ (available in seven colors).

11. Use Fakespot to check the credibility of Amazon product listings and Yelp reviews to ensure your money's well spent.

fakespot.com

See what I did here with those towels I just recommended you buy? This *free* website lets you copy and paste an Amazon product listing and searches through reviews the item's reviewers have left on other product pages. Then you receive a letter from from A–F. BuzzFeed writers (like me!) use Fakespot to check that the random Amazon product that sounds too good to be true is legit. Unfortunately, Amazon scams exist and in addition to using Fakepost, here's how to avoid them.

12. If you can, pay your bills online to cut down on waste, and the cost of envelopes and stamps.

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It isn't an option for everyone but if you're able, do it! Also, tracking down an envelope (for bills that don't include one) and stamp can get annoying.

13. Put your favorite bra back into rotation with replacement underwires because you shouldn't be punished for machine washing your bras. (We all do it.)

amazon.com

Promising review: "No need to chuck your bra when the bone breaks! These have saved me so much money! My bone always snaps right in the middle. Rather than pitching the whole thing (who are we kidding — theses things are expensive!), I just slid the broken bone out, made a new little incision in the placket and slid the new one in. I didn't even sew it shut. The coating on the tip makes them stay put once you get them in place. The only downside I could see was the replacement bone was about one inch shorter than the one I replaced. I suppose I could go up a cup size, but it honestly didn't bother me once it was in place. I may experiment next time with the next cup size up to see. The bone is very strong, not flimsy at all. I am so impressed with this product." —dcrossman

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $3.54+ (available in two finishes, cups A1-E).

Check out our ways to make your clothes last so much longer.

14. Chip away at your digital checkout total with ~free~ Groupon coupons for places you're already shopping.

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Yep, these are a thing! You should definitely use other digital coupon tools like the Chrome extension Honey (explainer here) and RetailMeNot.com, but feel free to add this one to the mix. Check out all the Groupon Coupons.

15. Proud parent or expecting? Consider reusable diapers (which are way easier with these fasteners) for HUGE savings.

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Yes, you'll have to get over the poop thing, but tbh, you'll have to get over that anyway while caring for a baby. I mean, look at those chubby legs!

Promising review: "These are one of the products that I feel are essential in cloth diapering. They allow for the effective and firm closure of prefold diapers for maximum absorption and minimal leakage. The initial investment may seem a little high but with durability that should last at a minimum of several months with constant use, they are actually incredibly cost effective. With the use of Snappis, you could effectively reduce your diaper budget from approximately $600 (25-30 well known pocket/AIO) to around $300 with an efficient number of well-known covers and prefolds. Suddenly $15 seems more than worth it." —MMS

Get them from Amazon: 10-pack of cloth diapers for $14.99 and five-pack of fasteners for $13.

And read more money-saving parentings tips.

16. Revive worn-looking accessories with some DIY leather cleaner instead of investing in new items.

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All it takes is some stuff from your kitchen cabinet and cleaning tool arsenal that you already have. Check out the full instructions on Nifty.

17. And practice your penmanship *now* so you can write your family's holiday cards instead of outsourcing the task to someone you have to pay.

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So actually the savings probably won't kick in 'til next month. But you get the gist.

Promising review: "I didn't think I would need to do all the book work, but having done all of these, now I know why muscle memory is crucial. I learned Spencerian within three months while serving in Afghanistan. Now my wife has me writing our Christmas cards using this new skill. Very happy and proud!" —David H. Park

Get it from Amazon for $23.16.

And check out other ways to improve our handwriting.

You enjoying the cold hard cash you didn't spend in October:

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Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.