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If you’re anything like me, you’ve most likely found yourself sucked into the wonderful world of Pinterest at least once. With a few clicks of your mouse, it’s easy to build boards of inspiration for countless numbers of items, interests and passions. But did you know that Pinterest is also a fantastic resource for saving money?
Whether you’re spending minutes or hours pinning photos of your favorite meals, outfits or vacation destinations, there is a wealth of money-saving knowledge floating around on those boards. As long as it’s not blatantly a sales gimmick, when you pin a photo that you love or one that inspires you to do something, make sure to check out where it’s linked to. Chances are, it may take you to a blog or website that provides plenty of money-saving advice for the exact things you’re looking for.
The next time you’re working your ways through the myriad of photos on Pinterest, keep the following money-saving ideas in mind:
Pinterest: The Ultimate Window Shopping Extravaganza
Instead of spending my hard-earned dollars on shopping trips to the mall or through random spurts of online shopping, I now curb my desire to spend simply by building boards of items I’d like to buy, have in my house and/or admire. While it’s certainly not the same as having the tangible items in my hands or experiencing the thrill of being at a dream vacation destination, I’ve found that the simple act of pinning what I like gives me the motivation to work harder, earn more and save more in order to potentially have these things in the future. What is most interesting is I usually forget about at least 80% of these “wants” after just a few minutes, thereby avoiding any actual impulse spending (which enables me to acquire what I truly desire at a later time).
DIY on a Dime
Pinterest has given me absolute loads of DIY inspiration. A self-professed DIY and Curbside Diva, I pride myself in spending very little to beautifully, sustainably and sensibly furnish and decorate my home. Some of the projects I’ve completed have included a custom shelving unit made only from plumbing pipes and hand-cut pine boards, lighting fixtures, picture frames that double as thermostat covers, pillows and even a hand-stenciled rug that resides in my bedroom that I happily walk on each day. They key to DIY bliss on Pinterest is seeking out budget-friendly projects that don’t take weeks to complete. The cheap, easy projects I choose bolster my motivation and confidence to one day tackle even larger ventures.
Style Me Pretty
Through the thousands of photos I’ve pinned (yes, perhaps I have a bit of an addiction??), I’ve honed a much better sense of style thanks to the endless amounts of wardrobe inspiration floating around on Pinterest. My strategy for finding great outfits that I can actually afford to put in my closet is to use what I find on the site simply as a source for ideas. As with most popular sites on the web, Pinterest has become a channel for online retailers, so if I were to purchase everything that I liked exactly at the price I find it, it’s safe to say that I’d quickly be broke or worse, back in credit card debt. Instead of throwing my finances out the window during my quests to become more fashionable, I’ll print out my favorite outfits or style inspirations and take them with me if I do decide to shop. Once in the store, I make sure to find discounted or cheaper alternatives to what I’ve pinned–you’d be amazed how many variations of the same type of article of clothing are available! Utilizing this system has allowed me to amass a stylish, updated wardrobe at a fraction of the suggested retail price.
Are you a fan of Pinterest? Has it helped you save money? If so, how?
Eco-Friendly Money Saving Tips There are lots of different ways to save money, however it is not always easy to stay eco-friendly at the…
Unfortunately, I’m with Jeremy. I’ve been hearing so much about Pinterest, but I haven’t taken the plunge. There’s obviously a lot of hype around it, so I guess I need to get on board.
I am a pinterest addict. The most practical use I’ve found for it is recipes. When I get all excited to make something, we’re less likely to eat out. 🙂
That’s a great point! I’ve also gotten quite excited over recipes I’ve found on Pinterest, and I certainly love the reduction in my dining out budget 🙂 What are some of your favorite recipes you’ve found?
I think Pinterest is a great idea, and I can see why everyone’s getting addicted. For me, though, that’s the exact reason why I haven’t jumped on board: I would spend way too much time on there!
The one time I checked it out, I was on there for hours looking at pictures of baby animals. Yes, just pics of baby giraffes, elephants, tigers, etc., etc. Nothing else. For four hours!
So, knowing my addictive tendencies (don’t get me started on my Words with Friends addiction…), I have stayed far away from Pinterest since. I can definitely see how the site could save me money — if I’m window shopping for giraffes, there’s no time left for real shopping!
Oh wow your story made me laugh! I did the same with “dream” kitchens, bedrooms, balconies, etc. By the time I realized I’d been on the site for 3 hours, I was already mentally rehearsing my greeting for friends & family who visited my non-existent super house 🙂
What about setting a time limit and having a plan of attack before you log on? I’ve utilized this approach when searching for recipes, and I have to say that it worked quite well!
Someone needs to write a Pinterest 101 guide for guys. I don’t ‘get’ Pinterest, and based on the user statistics, I’m not alone. My wife loves it though. It must be a ladies only website. 🙂
The useful pins on Pinterest include on home organization (definitely of interest to frugal peeps); and the technology pins include social media and blogging tips. It’s also possible to pin personal finance ideas – just remember to put a picture in your post and then give a quick intro in the photo caption when you pin it.
That being said, most of my pins are girly things!
I’m a huge fan of Pinterest, especially when I’m searching for business attire, shoes and accessories. I never thought about doing more DIY projects, maybe because I’m not that good at it. But that idea could potentially save a lot of money. Great tips!
We like to use Pinterest as a way of sharing frugal articles, tips, ideas and even discounts through our boards like Frugal Fall Fun or Student Savings.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve most likely found yourself sucked into the wonderful world of Pinterest at least once. With a few clicks of your mouse, it’s easy to build boards of inspiration for countless numbers of items, interests and passions. But did you know that Pinterest is also a fantastic resource for saving money?
Unfortunately, I’m with Jeremy. I’ve been hearing so much about Pinterest, but I haven’t taken the plunge. There’s obviously a lot of hype around it, so I guess I need to get on board.
I’m curious to see if the hype plays out into a viable, sustainable social media outlet. It’s definitely interesting!
I agree, it can save you money — but it can also cost you money when your DIY fails.
Very true! Have you tried any DIY projects found on Pinterest that have turned out to be costly fails??
Yes. Hilarious, but costly (probably about $80!): http://davenportdiy.blogspot.com/2012/03/diy-fail-guest-post.html
Oh my!!! Hahaha…sorry, but I couldn’t help laughing at that one. Charlie Brown rug, indeed 😉
worst thing ever!
This is so true! I definitely limit my time on the site for that very reason. Do you still visit Pinterest at all?
I am a pinterest addict. The most practical use I’ve found for it is recipes. When I get all excited to make something, we’re less likely to eat out. 🙂
That’s a great point! I’ve also gotten quite excited over recipes I’ve found on Pinterest, and I certainly love the reduction in my dining out budget 🙂 What are some of your favorite recipes you’ve found?
I think Pinterest is a great idea, and I can see why everyone’s getting addicted. For me, though, that’s the exact reason why I haven’t jumped on board: I would spend way too much time on there!
The one time I checked it out, I was on there for hours looking at pictures of baby animals. Yes, just pics of baby giraffes, elephants, tigers, etc., etc. Nothing else. For four hours!
So, knowing my addictive tendencies (don’t get me started on my Words with Friends addiction…), I have stayed far away from Pinterest since. I can definitely see how the site could save me money — if I’m window shopping for giraffes, there’s no time left for real shopping!
Oh wow your story made me laugh! I did the same with “dream” kitchens, bedrooms, balconies, etc. By the time I realized I’d been on the site for 3 hours, I was already mentally rehearsing my greeting for friends & family who visited my non-existent super house 🙂
What about setting a time limit and having a plan of attack before you log on? I’ve utilized this approach when searching for recipes, and I have to say that it worked quite well!
Someone needs to write a Pinterest 101 guide for guys. I don’t ‘get’ Pinterest, and based on the user statistics, I’m not alone. My wife loves it though. It must be a ladies only website. 🙂
Of course I’m a fan of Pinterest. I could lose myself for hours there. But, save money? Ingenious.
The useful pins on Pinterest include on home organization (definitely of interest to frugal peeps); and the technology pins include social media and blogging tips. It’s also possible to pin personal finance ideas – just remember to put a picture in your post and then give a quick intro in the photo caption when you pin it.
That being said, most of my pins are girly things!
I’m a huge fan of Pinterest, especially when I’m searching for business attire, shoes and accessories. I never thought about doing more DIY projects, maybe because I’m not that good at it. But that idea could potentially save a lot of money. Great tips!
I haven’t thought of it for shopping for business attire. I will have to try that out.
We like to use Pinterest as a way of sharing frugal articles, tips, ideas and even discounts through our boards like Frugal Fall Fun or Student Savings.
It seems to work really well for businesses with products.