10 Ways to Save Money While Maintaining Christian Values

1. Make an Impact While Shopping

Shop sites that help others. For example, Fazi Socks donates 50% of its profits to children's homes, which provide food, shelter, and education to orphaned children. Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair sold. Bombas donates a pair of socks for every pair sold.

Lemur Bags donates 15% to lemur conservation organizations when you purchase a tote or bag. Long Dog Clothing Company creates ethically made dog apparel and donates 15% of proceeds to local dog charities.

This is a great way to save some money and help someone in need, either human or four-legged. We are called to help others, and this is a good way to do it.

2. Feed Others

We can feed ourselves, save money, and feed others in all kinds of ways. Shop grocery store BOGO offers and donate the non-perishable items to a food pantry. Use a coupon at the drive-thru and give your extra food to the homeless person sitting in the parking lot.

3. Stay Out of Debt

The Bible teaches us to stay out of debt. Proverbs 22:7 says, "Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is a servant to the lender." (NLT) Staying out of debt is one of the biggest ways to save money, second to the budget.

When you have credit cards and other debt hanging over your head, it makes life much more stressful. If you're in debt, sit down and make a plan on how you are going to get out. If you don't have debt, keep it that way so you don't start that stress cycle all over again.

4. Date Frugally

Dating your spouse is crucial to a happy, fulfilled marriage. However, it can be pricey. Look for coupons or specials at your favorite restaurants. If you want to go to the movies, see if you have an independently owned theater in town or nearby instead of heading to the big chain theater. These theaters have considerably lower ticket prices than the chain theaters.

Think about some free and low-cost ideas, like visiting the farmers' market, going to a festival, or having a picnic in the park. Visit a cat cafe, set a budget and go to the arcade, or go out for dessert for a low-cost option.

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5. Make Someone's Day

Use that BOGO coffee coupon and treat a coworker. Pick up some cheap junk food at the dollar store for your kids' lunch as a surprise treat. Let someone merge in traffic. Is your favorite fast-food restaurant having a two-for-five dollar special or another great deal? Grab lunch for you and treat your boss. Pick up a discounted bouquet and a candy bar and surprise your wife. Bring home a six-pack of your husband's favorite soda that's on sale. There are all kinds of ways to save money and make someone's day.

6. Attend Free and Low-Cost Events

Who says entertainment has to be expensive? In the summer you can go swimming in the ocean or at a friend's or relative's house for free, the kids can go to story time at the library, and sometimes communities offer a free concert or movie in the park. In the fall, you can go to the farmers' market and attend themed festivals (i.e., Pumpkin Festival), and in the fall, churches put on festivals and trunk-or-treat.

See if there is an expo coming to your town featuring something you enjoy. Expos come in all different categories, from fishing to boating to cats and exotic animals. For example, we used to go to the cat show every year in Illinois, where we lived. It was a low-cost event, and we got to see and learn about all kinds of cats.

7. Shop at Upscale Thrift Stores

Goodwill isn't the only place to go for secondhand clothes, purses, and accessories. If you have a passion for designer and you want to save some money, look for upscale thrift stores in your area that specialize in designer items.

If you can't find any designer thrift stores or consignment shops in your area, no worries. You can go online to stores like The Real Real, Poshmark, and ThredUp to shop and save to your heart's delight.

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8. Shop Used Bookstores for Entertainment

Used bookstores are some of the best-kept secrets in a community. People immediately think of the chain bookstores and other online outlets. However, used bookstores are a great place to pick up books, movies, and music CDs. (Yes, I'm going old school here.) Sometimes they have excellent deals, but prices are usually very good even when they aren't having a sale. My favorite used bookstore where I used to live would do dollar days where every book was a dollar. My husband and I would go stock up on books often.

If you cannot get out of the house, this doesn't mean you can't find great deals on entertainment. Two of my favorite online used bookstores are Thriftbooks and Book Outlet. Thriftbooks has books, CDs, and DVDS. Book Outlet only carries books.

9. Save Money on Your Furry Family Members

We often think of our human family members for saving money, but there are ways to save on our furry members, too. After all, God entrusted them to our care.

One way to save money is to buy pet insurance. Insurance will help cover accidents and illnesses. Some insurance companies also offer wellness plans, which will reimburse you for everyday expenses like shots, nail trims, annual exams, etc. Like with human insurance, there are many different companies, and you will need to do your research. However, the peace of mind you will have knowing that you don't have to choose between caring for your fur baby and your finances will be worth it.

Another way to save money is to see if your vet offers wellness plans. These plans are tailored toward different stages of a pet's life, from kitten or puppy, to their senior years. You pay a monthly fee and each plan has different core components. Some examples are x amount of visits, basic shots, fecal and urinalysis, etc.

There are also ways you can save on the basics for your furry friends. Sometimes pet food companies will have coupons on their website. You can look for online coupons for food, litter, etc. I shop at Chewy and they have great prices and sales going on often. Don't forget to scan your favorite retailers' website to see if they have any specials going on as well.

Warehouse stores also can have good deals as well. Also, make sure you do a little comparison shopping. I love Chewy and use them often, but once in a while I find something I need cheaper elsewhere. For example, the brand of litter that I use is cheaper from Sam's Club than it is on Chewy.

10. Save Money on Your Kids

There are all kinds of ways to save money with your kids. Start by thinking about what they need soon. Do they need new school supplies or clothes? How much will their school activities cost this year? Write it all down so you know what you will need to spend. Then shop around online for the best prices on school supplies and go shopping.

If you can, make the most of those secondhand items you have from your previous children and pass them down as much as possible. If not, shop yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for gently used children's items.

Another way to save is to look for coupons, discounts, and sales. Look at the flyers that come in the mail and online at the stores you normally shop. Sign up for emails from your favorite retailers to know when a sale is happening, or join a cash-back program to save even more money.

If you're going out to eat, look for restaurants with special pricing on kids' meals or nights where kids eat free. Go online and look at places like the children's museum, trampoline park, planetarium, or aquarium and see if they have a year-long family pass to see if you will save more money that way than paying for each time you go.

Saving money on the things your kids need can take a little research and time, but when you find that perfect deal, it will be well worth it.

There are all kinds of ways to save money while maintaining our Christian values. By applying the ideas above, we can save money, help others, and take care of what God has entrusted us with.

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