We have 96 intervals of 15 minutes every day, meaning you have many opportunities to make a difference.  Each day this month, I’m giving you a 15-minute project idea. Pick your favorites to improve your day, yourself or your world. I promise you have time for this.

Shop smarter to save more.  You can use a few simple strategies to buy what you want for the price you want.  It only takes a few minutes to set yourself up for success, follow these simple strategies to get the savings rolling in.

1. Get the savings sent to you.  Companies often reward their best customers with exclusive sales. Identify your favorite companies or products and sign up for the email list, the mailing list, their Facebook page OR follow their twitter feed.  By incorporating sale messages into your regular routine, you’re much more likely to find the best deals on the items you like. Just takes a minute to sign up for these lists–remember, as you tire of receiving the messages, you can easily let go of the clutter and unsubscribe.

2. Only shop the sales. I have a bevy of favorite stores.  But, I only visit these stores during their best sale days, I only purchase items on sale, and combining them with the special coupons or savings they sent to me, I’ve been able to get $$$ items for $.  Nice! Look for extra perks like free shipping, purchase with purchase deals and bulk purchase discounts to increase your savings.

Tip! Don’t be afraid to try new things.  Sites like Groupon and Living Social offer great deals for some local businesses and up-and-coming places.  Try these to get great prices on products similar to your favorites. My husband and I just purchased four deals at restaurants for our Tuesday Lunch Date locations–fun to try new places and gives us a cheap, regular date.

Double Tip! You may be able to get your favorite company to price match the competitor’s ad (even Groupons!).  Try contacting them to ask about a deal match–it usually works. I’ve saved over $100 on the local bounce house by price matching the competitor’s ads with our favorite location (found out about it from their recent Facebook post)

3. Maintain your strategy. Make a list of items you need or want and keep them in mind as you’re shopping.  Think about what you already own that would compliment or duplicate an item you’re considering purchasing.  If you don’t need it, don’t buy it–a sale is only worth it if you need the item. I keep a list of “needed” items on my phone so I always know what I’m looking for and as I find the items, I’m able to update the list as needed. (The cheetah belt is my Eleanor and I’ve decided only to buy wedges; classy and comfy).